• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

Topping PA5 Review (Amplifier)

peng

Master Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
May 12, 2019
Messages
5,615
Likes
5,167
But in Asia, particularly East and Southeast Asia, most (budget conscious) people refer to "Chi-fi" affectionately in the context of "affordable and great value audio electronics from China".

Then may be for better clarity, they should probably have called those Chi-hi-fi = Value oriented Chinese made hi-fi, to separate them from the "chi-fi" = cheap Chinese made fidelity = lo-fi".:D Too late to do anything now.. On the technical side, we have misnomers such as r.m.s. power that is incorrectly but widely used, too late to do anything..
 

Adis

Member
Joined
Mar 4, 2021
Messages
65
Likes
41
It is actually already bridged. Both channels are balanced
Meh. Price is very attractive, so is SINAD, bot not wattage. Guess I'll have to wait for PA7, or PA9 or something. 80 W/4Ohm's not enough for me.
 

BDWoody

Chief Cat Herder
Moderator
Forum Donor
Joined
Jan 9, 2019
Messages
6,948
Likes
22,625
Location
Mid-Atlantic, USA. (Maryland)

audiotron

Member
Joined
Jun 26, 2022
Messages
98
Likes
199
I've tried the PA5 with the SMSL DO100 with balanced output and it sounded weak and boomy. I also tried with RCA and it was the same. Tried with Schitt Modi 3E DAC with the same Stage A130 speakers, I can almost max out the amp. The same setup on the Aiyima A07 the max volume the speakers can handle is at 12 o'clock. It also sounds much cleaner and has a much bigger soundstage. Could there be an issue with the amp?
 

delta76

Major Contributor
Joined
Nov 27, 2021
Messages
1,613
Likes
2,452
that is really silly Californian-style WOKE left-extremist nut activism that no Chinese care about. Chi-Fi is perfectly okay to say. US ppl are going mad and paint themselves into corners. We in Korea, Japan and China just laugh about all the madness of the US today hoping the virus wont spread over here.
A rule is a rule. I don't necessarily agree with it, but as long as I am posting here, I respect the rules (I did use the term once, but that was before I was aware of such rule)
You can protest the rule however you like, but beware there will be consequences if you don't follow it.
 

jjmanda

Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2020
Messages
79
Likes
120
A rule is a rule. I don't necessarily agree with it, but as long as I am posting here, I respect the rules (I did use the term once, but that was before I was aware of such rule)
You can protest the rule however you like, but beware there will be consequences if you don't follow it.

"that is really silly Californian-style WOKE left-extremist nut activism that no Chinese care about. Chi-Fi is perfectly okay to say. US ppl are going mad and paint themselves into corners. We in Korea, Japan and China just laugh about all the madness of the US today hoping the virus wont spread over here."

I saw that post from Yamato as contributing nothing to this thread and this forum other than to toss out antagonistic insults and stir up contempt.
 

Toku

Major Contributor
Joined
Apr 4, 2018
Messages
2,391
Likes
2,776
Location
Japan
"that is really silly Californian-style WOKE left-extremist nut activism that no Chinese care about. Chi-Fi is perfectly okay to say. US ppl are going mad and paint themselves into corners. We in Korea, Japan and China just laugh about all the madness of the US today hoping the virus wont spread over here."

I saw that post from Yamato as contributing nothing to this thread and this forum other than to toss out antagonistic insults and stir up contempt.
I'm Japanese, but I never knew that Chi-Fi was used in that sense. On the contrary, I understood it as a word to describe a low-priced but high-performance product.
Chi-Fi is explained below, but if it is used in a derogatory sense, is it limited to North America?
 

AdamG

Proving your point makes it “Science”.
Moderator
Forum Donor
Joined
Jan 3, 2021
Messages
4,636
Likes
14,918
Location
Reality
Last Warning to Thread participants. The term “Chi-fi” or any derivative of this term has been reported to us many times, as offensive and off putting. We are a global reach Web Site hosting guests from around the World. Therefore we kindly ask our Members to refrain from using such a term. It’s a simple rule created to make everyone feel at home and Welcome here. Why keep using terminology that is offensive to some? Even if to you the terminology is not offensive. It’s rude and disrespectful to others. Continued harassment and debate about this rule will not end well for those involved. We ask you to very kindly respect our rules and participate in the spirit of a Global Community. Thank your for your support and cooperation.
 

Open Mind Audio

Active Member
Joined
Dec 2, 2019
Messages
119
Likes
223
Location
Baltimore
For anyone wondering about getting this amp, let me highlight this from Amir's conclusion:
If it had double the power, it would obsolete all of them and in a hurry! As it is, I would certainly use it in a desktop or secondary system. And even primary if you are not going to blast the volume with super inefficient speakers.

First, yes, get the amp for desktop/nearfield use. It's great. I use the Topping on my desktop, where it performs wonderfully.

Second, be wary of trying to make it do more than intended. While waiting to move my main system to our new house, I gave it a shot in the living room driving a pair of 85db bookshelf speakers, the Pioneer SP-BS22s that normally sit with the Topping on my desktop. In this larger room, with the listening position 13 feet from the speakers, the Topping could not quite cut it. Distortion was audible and it gets rather hot, running at max power.

This is NOT a criticism. The amp does its intended job wonderfully. This is just a confirmation that, like Amir said, it's not the amp for inefficient speakers at large-room volumes.

If Topping creates a higher-watt Class D amp (with a trigger), I'll certainly be curious to try it out with mains.
 

tiramisu

Member
Joined
Jun 24, 2022
Messages
97
Likes
101
For anyone wondering about getting this amp, let me highlight this from Amir's conclusion:


First, yes, get the amp for desktop/nearfield use. It's great. I use the Topping on my desktop, where it performs wonderfully.

Second, be wary of trying to make it do more than intended. While waiting to move my main system to our new house, I gave it a shot in the living room driving a pair of 85db bookshelf speakers, the Pioneer SP-BS22s that normally sit with the Topping on my desktop. In this larger room, with the listening position 13 feet from the speakers, the Topping could not quite cut it. Distortion was audible and it gets rather hot, running at max power.

This is NOT a criticism. The amp does its intended job wonderfully. This is just a confirmation that, like Amir said, it's not the amp for inefficient speakers at large-room volumes.

If Topping creates a higher-watt Class D amp (with a trigger), I'll certainly be curious to try it out with mains.
I was looking at it for my office audio till the issues started being reported. I was hoping for a matching amp for passive bookshelf monitors for the other 50 series gear but like most everyone else it has moved to the bottom of my list till/if we hear what the fault was/how it has been resolved and whether customer support makes those with failures whole. Hopefully, someone who has been in contact with Topping on this issue will share this soon.
 

MAB

Major Contributor
Joined
Nov 15, 2021
Messages
2,135
Likes
4,779
Location
Portland, OR, USA
I was looking at it for my office audio till the issues started being reported. I was hoping for a matching amp for passive bookshelf monitors for the other 50 series gear but like most everyone else it has moved to the bottom of my list till/if we hear what the fault was/how it has been resolved and whether customer support makes those with failures whole. Hopefully, someone who has been in contact with Topping on this issue will share this soon.
There is an entire thread on the PA5 quality and reliability issues. Topping certainly has been contacted, and provided a response in that thread, but do not appear to have done anything.
 

andrewjohn007

Active Member
Forum Donor
Joined
Mar 16, 2021
Messages
182
Likes
221
Everyone is complaining about Topping's response here, but China is a world where social systems and cultural customs are completely different from ours. It is difficult to expect the same values and systems as in the country where you live. You should think about purchasing with a good understanding of that. To avoid any product warranty issues, you should carefully consider the retailer you purchase from. There are various responses to inquiries depending on the manufacturer, but it is difficult to negotiate directly with the manufacturer even in our society. In most cases, we will negotiate a problem solution through the dealer. Also, in the case of international mail-order sales, it is more difficult to deal with problems such as customs clearance and taxes.
However, although there are various problems, Chinese manufacturers offer us high-performance products at low prices. You just need to know more about the risks involved in making a purchase.
One thing to know is that in Chinese business practice, manufacturers and dealers are not responsible for accidents during transportation. Little is known about this matter. This is usually stated in the terms of sale. I made a big mistake without knowing this.
And yet Sabaj quickly looked into your issues regarding the A8 and its incompatibility with Japan's 100V electrical infrastructure...
 

Open Mind Audio

Active Member
Joined
Dec 2, 2019
Messages
119
Likes
223
Location
Baltimore
I was looking at it for my office audio till the issues started being reported. I was hoping for a matching amp for passive bookshelf monitors for the other 50 series gear but like most everyone else it has moved to the bottom of my list till/if we hear what the fault was/how it has been resolved and whether customer support makes those with failures whole. Hopefully, someone who has been in contact with Topping on this issue will share this soon.

There is an entire thread on the PA5 quality and reliability issues. Topping certainly has been contacted, and provided a response in that thread, but do not appear to have done anything.
Thanks for sharing that. Now I finally understand what may have happened to the Topping desktop amp I bought several years ago. It developed the left-channel popping sound described here -- and I'm divining from these threads that it may have resulted from being turned on and off (at the socket) over time. Makes sense - and a frustrating QA issue. Wish I'd known that before buying the next one.
 

MiNiMaL_FuSS

Member
Joined
Jul 3, 2022
Messages
5
Likes
0
Hi all,

So this is current system:
Topping PA5 amp
Topping E50 DAC
Monitor Audio RS6 speakers
Mark Grant 4mm Hi-Fi cables and jumper cables
Topping TRS cables

This replaced a bi-amped Arcam AVR300, which is a bit of a legend and more musically capable than most stereo amps when bi-amped.

So, the PA5 has impressive clarity and speration, better than the Arcam.

However, it really lacks some omph and power. I'm not sure how better to describe it, the bass is clear and tight, but not as forward and powerful. It's almost as if a section of the lower mids and higher bass is missing.

I'm interested if anyone else finds this with their PA5? Or perhaps the Arcam just genuinely excelled here?

Thanks.
 

ampguy

Active Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2022
Messages
268
Likes
152
Location
US
I've tried the PA5 with the SMSL DO100 with balanced output and it sounded weak and boomy. I also tried with RCA and it was the same. Tried with Schitt Modi 3E DAC with the same Stage A130 speakers, I can almost max out the amp. The same setup on the Aiyima A07 the max volume the speakers can handle is at 12 o'clock. It also sounds much cleaner and has a much bigger soundstage. Could there be an issue with the amp?
I believe you want a balanced DAC or preamp to TRS cables, this amp will run unbalanced, but you won't get the volume and power you get with TRS to a true balanced source.

Edit: I see you did try balanced with the DO100, did you use XLR to TRS cables to the PA5, and use fixed (full) volume output on the DO100? I'd be surprised if that setup would not get fairly loud, unless speakers are very inefficient or below 4 ohm?
 
Last edited:

audiotron

Member
Joined
Jun 26, 2022
Messages
98
Likes
199
I believe you want a balanced DAC or preamp to TRS cables, this amp will run unbalanced, but you won't get the volume and power you get with TRS to a true balanced source.

Edit: I see you did try balanced with the DO100, did you use XLR to TRS cables to the PA5, and use fixed (full) volume output on the DO100? I'd be surprised if that setup would not get fairly loud, unless speakers are very inefficient or below 4 ohm?
I did use XLR to TRS cables and the volume on the DAC was at 99 (highest), I also tried USB and Bluetooth ports on the DAC.
 
Top Bottom