Topping PA5 Review (Amplifier)

[ampguy]

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.

It's possible that the PA-5 may not be a great match with the sensitivity of your speakers (86db?) and the volume levels you use. The nearest speakers I have with that sensitivity would be my LS-50s that also dip below 6 ohms at various freq like your A130s, and while I'm fine without a preamp with gain with this amp and various DACs, if I had this setup in a larger room (currently ~12 ft x 12 ft) or listened at loud levels (> 80db at ~1.5m or so), I'd want more power with speakers of this sensitivity or a different amp. The amp is definitely louder with higher efficiency speakers like my Tektons, or Infinity R162s, or JBL 530s, or I don't need to turn up the volume on the PA5 as much as with my lower efficiency speakers.

 

[JohnnyNG]

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?

Haven't found that at all powering my Revel M106 at about 9' away. Running a D90 into a Pre90 into the PA5.

 

[cwatt]

Haven't found that at all powering my Revel M106 at about 9' away. Running a D90 into a Pre90 into the PA5.

Same here.

When the PA5 was in my main system I could easily hit peaks of 95dB+ sitting 13 feet from my 84dB sensitive bookshelf speakers. That was before I put in a subwoofer and crossover.

Only complaint I have had with the amp is it stays warm (same temp) in standby as when it is on. I now shut it down when not used in my secondary system. When I was using it in my main system I would leave it on 24hrs a day and no issues.

 

[Lräk]

Only complaint I have had with the amp is it stays warm (same temp) in standby as when it is on. I now shut it down when not used in my secondary system. When I was using it in my main system I would leave it on 24hrs a day and no issues.

Same here. When I first got it, never got very warm. Past couple of weeks, it was warm even when not being used and I always shut it down. Then I accidentally left it on for 2 days and it died. Only 3 months old, so I'm getting ready to try and get it replaced.

 

[JohnnyNG]

Interesting. Have had mine since Feb. 2 and always shut it off via its switch but it never gets more than slightly warm when on. My DAC and pre actually seem to get warmer.

 

[Toku]

And yet Sabaj quickly looked into your issues regarding the A8 and its incompatibility with Japan's 100V electrical infrastructure...

Yes, Sabaj responded quickly to my anomaly report. That's why I trust a company called Sabaj very much.

 

[MiNiMaL_FuSS]

Same here.

When the PA5 was in my main system I could easily hit peaks of 95dB+ sitting 13 feet from my 84dB sensitive bookshelf speakers. That was before I put in a subwoofer and crossover.

Only complaint I have had with the amp is it stays warm (same temp) in standby as when it is on. I now shut it down when not used in my secondary system. When I was using it in my main system I would leave it on 24hrs a day and no issues.

I didn't mean power and omph as in actual delivery volume, it goes incredibly loud.

I mean it as in the sound presentation. Really lacks the lower mids.

After some googling I've found this is quite a common complaint.

I want to love it, but it's just not good for heavier rock.

 

[mike70]

I didn't mean power and omph as in actual delivery volume, it goes incredibly loud.

I mean it as in the sound presentation. Really lacks the lower mids.

After some googling I've found this is quite a common complaint.

I want to love it, but it's just not good for heavier rock.

When you have a more transparent amplifier some things can be weird ... simply because you listen to what you have before the amplifier.
Maybe that's the recording / source you have had all the time and some "colored" component added that "thick" midbass you are missing now.

Obviously I don't know if that's your case, but I saw it many times before and some people go back to their tubes (as an example). Not every one likes better sound... and it's ok.

I talk only about SQ ... If the amplifier isn't reliable or is broken... that goes for another way.

 

[MiNiMaL_FuSS]

When you have a more transparent amplifier some things can be weird ... simply because you listen to what you have before the amplifier.
Maybe that's the recording / source you have had all the time and some "colored" component added that "thick" midbass you are missing now.

Obviously I don't know if that's your case, but I saw it many times before and some people go back to their tubes (as an example). Not every one likes better sound... and it's ok.

I talk only about SQ ... If the amplifier isn't reliable or is broken... that goes for another way.

Definitely possible that I'm missing a bit of "colour" that the arcam may have added. It certainly offered a "warmer" sound.

If I stick on some classics like Beatles, Bob Marley or Rage Against The Machine then there's no problem. The PA5 is very definitely better. Great separation in particular and beautiful vocals, but then these artists lend themselves to that.

But if I play Spine Shank, Nothing but Thieves, Frank Carter then the lack of lower-mids / upper-lows is very noticeable.

I think I probably have quite sensitive hearing as I can hear quite a distinct difference between fade 1, 2 and 3 on the e50 also...I've noticed most people seems to think there's almost no discernible difference!

But then I also think the E50 sounds distinctly better in DAC mode than in pre-amp mode...so it might all just be self fulfilling perception!

I'm in no rush, so I'll give the system a bit of burn in time and see if things open up a little.

If it comes to it I think it'll be easy to re-home the PA5 as the secondhand market seems to have quite a bit of demand.

 

[peng]

Definitely possible that I'm missing a bit of "colour" that the arcam may have added. It certainly offered a "warmer" sound.

If I stick on some classics like Beatles, Bob Marley or Rage Against The Machine then there's no problem. The PA5 is very definitely better. Great separation in particular and beautiful vocals, but then these artists lend themselves to that.

I don't doubt you heard such difference, the "warmer" sound, but If you based your finding on sighted tests, then I wouldn't be so certain. It may be possible that the warmth you heard was due to something else, not from amps/preamps such as Arcam's that generally offer distortions and frequency response in the audible band at below the threshold of audibility.

Which Arcam did you listen to that offered such a warmer sound? It may be possible if it is specific model but may be not all, for example:
The AVR10's FFT below shows more high order (7th, 9th,11th etc.). The 2nd and 3rd harmonics are at about the same level. Most experts (such as Nelson Pass) who claimed to know what contributes to the so called warm sound cited the 2nd harmonic. Like others (me too), you might have been under the influence of Placebo effect and/or expectation bias . A couple other Arcam measured on ASR did show a little higher 2nd harmonic in the FFT graph but they were all at below -90 dB level so even if you listen at very loud level such as 100 dB, -90 would be 10 dB and that is likely well below your room's noise floor.

https://www.firstwatt.com/pdf/art_h2.pdf

 

[usa_satriani]

Hello,

We made a quick but simple comparison between topping and old school lab gruppen lab 300 on focal cobalt speakers. SPL was set to be the same on each setup. Balanced inputs via RME fireface UC.

2 tracks were used Jordi savall baroque musique and Brendan Perry. 2 tracks listened so you can hear twice the same track when you change amps. A b B a a b b a...

Briefly, few or no differences were heard by me and my friend who brought the topping.
Maybe the highs are bit smoother on the lab gruppen, hard to tell, switching amp takes one minute but as differences are small you are not sure.

He says he uses it on his compression drivers.

 

[Tangband]

The topping pa5 seems to use the tpa 3251 chip . Its a slightly better sounding chip than tpa 3255.
There are other amplifiers that uses tpa 3251. The Aiyima a04 for example, which sounds slightly better than a07 ( I have both )

 

[peng]

Hello,

We made a quick but simple comparison between topping and old school lab gruppen lab 300 on focal cobalt speakers. SPL was set to be the same on each setup. Balanced inputs via RME fireface UC.

2 tracks were used Jordi savall baroque musique and Brendan Perry. 2 tracks listened so you can hear twice the same track when you change amps. A b B a a b b a...

Briefly, few or no differences were heard by me and my friend who brought the topping.
Maybe the highs are bit smoother on the lab gruppen, hard to tell, switching amp takes one minute but as differences are small you are not sure.

He says he uses it on his compression drivers.

I am using an amp selector switch and really like it as switching time is practically instantaneous. I don't think it would make any difference for you though if you can't hear much difference even with a long one minute delay.

Regardless, it seems impossible to convince many audiophiles/audioholics that differences they may hear in sighted comparison listening tests are not reliable even if level matching is done to perfection.

 

[Laserjock]

... where do we go from here?

Make it reliable..

 

[Billy Budapest]

So I don’t have to wade through 200 pages of posts, what are the reliability problems people are encountering?

 

[raif71]

... where do we go from here?

 

[usa_satriani]

I am using an amp selector switch and really like it as switching time is practically instantaneous. I don't think it would make any difference for you though if you can't hear much difference even with a long one minute delay.

Regardless, it seems impossible to convince many audiophiles/audioholics that differences they may hear in sighted comparison listening tests are not reliable even if level matching is done to perfection.

We were both pretty happy with the conclusion of our test, as we are designing our 3 way active speakers and working on the room, it is good to know you have reliable, transparent amps you can count on. Room, speakers, horns, crossovers is then your main concern.

 

[mike70]

Make it reliable..

In that price tag ... hard to tell.
People want great performance, great engineering, support, materials, blah blah ... and at 500 usd.

Almost impossible, that's why long established brands have higher price tags normally. I don't talk about boutique and jewelry brands, you understand what I mean.

 

[Laserjock]

In that price tag ... hard to tell.
People want great performance, great engineering, support, materials, blah blah ... and at 500 usd.

Almost impossible, that's why long established brands have higher price tags normally. I don't talk about boutique and jewelry brands, you understand what I mean.

It’s had some issues.
They’ll probably figure it out but it has left a bad taste in some mouths..

Live and learn. I’ve bought two items on good measurements from here and both have had issues.

I need to learn to wait a bit before purchasing

 

[iLoveCats]

So I don’t have to wade through 200 pages of posts, what are the reliability problems people are encountering?

There's people with static issues in one channel. Unfortunately the people with the problems are super loud. I don't have problems and I'm sure there are many more like me. But if I did have problems I would still buy this thing again because $350 is a good risk/reward on really good sounding audio equipment like this amp.