Topping LA90 Review (Integrated Amplifier)

[solderdude]

Don't worry... these days almost all devices sold use USB-C cables so you may find a use for it in the future.

Good to hear a FW update solves this issue.

 

[jjmanda]

Lol no. Just trying to be clever with the words, saying “super fast” and then following up with “keep up”. If it sounds condescending then I have failed at it so apologies.

Got it. Thanks.

 

[Toku]

My apologies for not keeping up

I had not a device that uses Type C nor a Type C cable in the house.
Lots of manufacturers includes accessory cables with their products. Just thought it would have been nice if Topping included a cheap one for FW updates.

They included a bridging jumper cable, why not a USB FW cable?

Anyways, I went out to Best Buy and purchased a type C so I could do the update and all is well. But I have no other use for this cable...lol.

Thank you for the information.
I was considering purchasing LA90 and was curious about the contents of this FW.

 

[sarumbear]

it would seem so, which is good news, I just wonder how a product that has just come out has such an obvious bug, which then, it had many functions, maybe I could even understand it, but it is an amplifier with a power button, a volume knob and three inputs, stop.
It reminds me of when mass effect 3 came out (for video game lovers), which by default had a bug that didn't start a mission, and even then I wondered how a new, supposedly tested game could have such a noticeable bug on release.

Testing is a forgotten discipline

 

[sarumbear]

Why on earth is the firmware upgrade process not designed so that it is impossible to flash a firmware not intended for the product.

When the designer group is also the tester and often even the support they can’t put themselves in customer’s shoes. Testing and support should be separate but it hardly is these days of “efficiency”.

 

[voodooless]

When the designer group is also the tester and often even the support they can’t put themselves in customer’s shoes. Testing and support should be separate but it hardly is these days of “efficiency”.

But should any of this negate common sense?

 

[Moderate Dionysianism]

Lots of manufacturers includes accessory cables with their products.

Oh how I wish they stopped I have kilograms of now mostly obsolete mini- and micro-USB cables and surplus 5V charges lying around the house. Seeing how every supermarket has those, the cable- and charger-free should be an option for every electronics purchase, unless the device uses some unique proprietary connector or PSU.

I hope the EU mandates it or something, the amount of waste globally is unimaginable.

I don't mean to downplay your inconvenience, just taking the opportunity to vent a little

 

[jjmanda]

I hope the EU mandates it or something, the amount of waste globally is unimaginable.

Valid point.

 

[peanuts]

why does an AB amplifier need software and updates in the first place?

 

[TheBatsEar]

I'm sorry, I don't know what "running strings" is.

Strings is a Unix/Linux command-line utility (MacOS too) that extracts ASCII strings (text) from a file. He’s asking what text strings or symbols are in the firmware update. I’m curious what embedded architecture they are using myself!

Got the file, strings doesn't tell me anything of value. Hexdump tells me the file starts with PDPT:

kst@tecmobile:~/Downloads/LA90_FW13$ hexdump -C LA90V13.Topping  | head -n 4
00000000  50 44 50 54 13 00 00 00  7c 2a 00 00 ce 27 0f 00  |PDPT....|*...'..|
00000010  7f 0c 81 92 ba ac c9 11  e4 53 5e 1e a6 bc 46 27  |.........S^...F'|
00000020  cc 61 3a 7f d2 96 b3 c2  38 98 27 5e 71 28 7d d8  |.a:.....8.'^q(}.|
00000030  93 15 9a ef 4b cb ab df  9c a5 58 32 db 30 c0 dc  |....K.....X2.0..|
kst@tecmobile:~/Downloads/LA90_FW13$ file -ki LA90V13.Topping
LA90V13.Topping: application/octet-stream; charset=binary

That isn't anything i recognize, nor anything i can unpack with lzma or something.

 

[TheBatsEar]

why does an AB amplifier need software and updates in the first place?

Well, i think any modern mass produced AB amp has a microcontroller to monitor for different things such as temp or shorts, switch on/off relais and so on.

The future is now, old man.

 

[restorer-john]

why does an AB amplifier need software and updates in the first place?

It doesn't, but designers are lazy and think they need a microcontroller in everything instead of building things properly.

 

[sarumbear]

But should any of this negate common sense?

Shouldn’t but they get blinded by their own development chores. Topping is nowhere near an exception in this.

 

[muslhead]

Shouldn’t but they get blinded by their own development chores. Topping is nowhere near an exception in this.

I think we are forgetting the ignorance or inexperience option here too. Everyone seems to think they are doing it knowingly. I believe most of this is due to lack of experience. Seen it happen many times in both hardware and software products

 

[pjug]

Well, i think any modern mass produced AB amp has a microcontroller to monitor for different things such as temp or shorts, switch on/off relais and so on.

The future is now, old man.

I imagine it is a mixed bag with Class AB power amps. Do old school designs like Outlaw M2220 or NAD 275BEE or Anthem P2 or ATI1822 have microcontrollers? I don't know the answer but surely some go just fine without needing "smart" control.
edit: well I'll be damned the NAD does have a microcontroller. Maybe I'm wrong and they all do. Anyone know?

 

[Rottmannash]

My apologies for not keeping up

I had not a device that uses Type C nor a Type C cable in the house.
Lots of manufacturers includes accessory cables with their products. Just thought it would have been nice if Topping included a cheap one for FW updates.

They included a bridging jumper cable, why not a USB FW cable?

Anyways, I went out to Best Buy and purchased a type C so I could do the update and all is well. But I have no other use for this cable...lol.

Oh, you will if you buy any other smartphone, USB dongle, USB power bank, etc. You'll need it.

 

[ExUnoPlura]

I imagine it is a mixed bag with Class AB power amps. Do old school designs like Outlaw M2220 or NAD 275BEE or Anthem P2 or ATI1822 have microcontrollers? I don't know the answer but surely some go just fine without needing "smart" control.
edit: well I'll be damned the NAD does have a microcontroller. Maybe I'm wrong and they all do. Anyone know?

I suspect any with robust fault control have a microcontroller or more. It's the best design solution for managing complex fault logic, blinking LEDs in response, etc. It also supports updatable logic via firmware images.

 

[Billy Budapest]

Since the issues with the LA90 appear to be firmware-related and not indicative of poor QC (other than firmware testing), I have restored my “Great” ranking in the poll.

 

[pjug]

Since the issues with the LA90 appear to be firmware-related and not indicative of poor QC (other than firmware testing), I have restored my “Great” ranking in the poll.

Did new firmware fix the one that went into protection? @Selkirks ?

 

[jjmanda]

Did new firmware fix the one that went into protection? @Selkirks ?

Obviously I can't speak for Selkirks, but mine went immediately into protection (blinking front LED) at the very first time I powered it up.
It also went into protection just a couple of other random times.

I had to remove the power cord from the amp, and I also unplugged the separate power supply from the outlet, let the power supply status LED completely fade out. Plugged everything back in and protection mode was no longer.

Had the random power on issues in between all of that until I applied the firmware.