Topping PA5 Review (Amplifier)

[AdamG]

Exact : lire les mesures permet de comprendre qu'une telle question ne devrait pas être posée...

Le rapport signal/bruit de cet amplificateur est tellement bon qu'il est en fait un candidat idéal pour ceux qui ont des enceintes haut rendement à pavillon... La puissance sera largement suffisante, pour ne pas dire excessif, et le silence sera total ....

Please ensure all future posts are in English here. Thank you for your understanding and assistance.

 

[michaelahess]

Please ensure all future posts are in English here. Thank you for your understanding and assistance.

That's not even a remotely polite thing to say!

Two seconds and I had the translation!

Correct: reading the measurements allows you to understand that such a question should not be asked ...

The signal-to-noise ratio of this amplifier is so good that it is in fact an ideal candidate for those who have high efficiency horn speakers ... The power will be more than enough, not to say excessive, and the silence will be total. ....

 

[antcollinet]

This is your statement. We need more details.

I've provided the reference and webpage directly from the IEC webstore - how is that my statement? What more details do you need?

Here is an image of a Dell laptop power supply - see that DC connector there - does it comply with IEC 60320? Why not? How do Dell sell millions of laptops a year in EU with a "non compliant" connector?

You really need to know when to hold up your hands and say "I was wrong"

 

[testp]

The reason I am a bit glad about this amp is not about its performance, frankly I don't understand half of what you guys are discussing here and I'm not in need of an amp right now. I have high hopes though that we maybe will see the history repeat itself as to what happened with dacs. I don't know when and how it happened, but it's super nice to be able to buy a balanced dac for $300 and to know that you get top performance and don't have to look further. It's a problem solved (or so I hear).

If the same happens with amps in a couple of years and we can get one for our stereo system for $500 and call it a day, I'd be more than happy. There are alot of people that for whatever reasons are not willing to (or simply cannot) spend tons of money on this hobby, it's nice that we can buy SOTA electronic products on a reasonable price. Peoples expectations are high atm (can be totally unrealistic or not), and expectations can help things moving forward.

my thinking is, leave that rest for speakers budget anyway..

 

[amirm]

48W for 8Ohms doesn't seems a lot, my speakers have 75w and peak at 500w (Cabasse antigua MT32 - sensitivity of 88dB).
Should it work with my system ?

I don't think I have ever measured a speaker that even comes close to 8 ohm. By far the minimum impedance for most speakers is 4 ohm or slightly less.

 

[suttondesign]

I'm ordering 4 of these from Topping today, so I'll have 2 or 3 to sell in a week or ten days (Nice Cans of Austin).

 

[CedarWind108]

Other than everything everyone else already said, another nice future feature would be a heatsink instead of holes, to prevent dust from accumulating inside.

 

[sarumbear]

Other than everything everyone else already said, another nice future feature would be a heatsink instead of holes, to prevent dust from accumulating inside.

If you can find a place for it; it is a very small case…

 

[DanielT]

Other than everything everyone else already said, another nice future feature would be a heatsink instead of holes, to prevent dust from accumulating inside.

Vacuum the listening room?

 

[Rottmannash]

Thanks for the review amir!

This company has some serious design talent onboard. Where can I buy stocks?
Will we see bigger and even better version within next year, something like 100w+ into 8ohm with big sweet WU meters and state of the art specs? (and CE pretty please!)
For perhaps $1000?
I bet Topping could do it!

Must have VU meters!

 

[The Capstan]

Amirm,
thanks for your extensive review. This confirms Topping as a leader in cost vs performance design.
Do you think it will be possible to expose guts of this little toy? Thanks.

 

[Lambda]

If you can find a place for it; it is a very small case…

make the case the heat sink...

 

[amirm]

Amirm,
thanks for your extensive review. This confirms Topping as a leader in cost vs performance design.
Do you think it will be possible to expose guts of this little toy? Thanks.

I have not asked permission to do so. Let's give them a bit of head start with anyone trying to copy their design....

 

[ThatM1key]

I used to use a Topping L30 as a preamp, it was okay. The problem is that at low volumes, the channel imbalance was terrible, I hope that doesn't happen to the PA5. Too bad I gotten the Yamaha a-s301 before the review came out.

 

[Lambda]

I have not asked permission to do so.

I don't think you need permission.

 

[sarumbear]

make the case the heat sink...

They are industrial cases meant to be installed inside equipment enclosures. Exposed sharp fins on a desktop is not going to be a good thing. Not to mention the difficulty to clean in between the fins

 

[amirm]

I don't think you need permission.

Oh I do. I always ask permission whether it is members or manufacturers.

 

[Lambda]

They are industrial cases meant to be installed inside equipment enclosures. Exposed sharp fins on a desktop is not going to be a good thing

Don't think you need much fantasy to imagen this design concept to be adapted for desktop use...

Oh I do. I always ask permission whether it is members or manufacturers.

Oh maybe i misunderstand. i thought it was send as a "gift"
so it is not your and you have to send it back?

 

[antcollinet]

I don't think you need permission.

Legally - no.

In the interests of maintaining a trusting relationship in which Topping send stuff for Amir to measure - he absolutely does.

 

[NTK]

Oh maybe i misunderstand. i thought it was send as a "gift"

Gift? You think Amir accepts "gifts" from manufacturers?