• 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)

genfreeciv

Member
Joined
Sep 29, 2021
Messages
20
Likes
83
Wat kind of Processing HDR, tone mapping, Clarity, local contrast, dynamic range compression. or how ever the manufacture calling it are you using?
Maybe back of on this slider... like a lot :p
I was lazy enough not to bring out my DSLR, so I shot with my Google Pixel (smart phone), which I think does a lot of image processing.
 

Toku

Major Contributor
Joined
Apr 4, 2018
Messages
2,392
Likes
2,776
Location
Japan
Hi all,
The product that I took teardown photos was delivered through amazon.co.jp.
I used a flash when I took those photos to clearly record the text printed on the circuit elements , so I think the dust and scraches stood out.
It's true that it's not as clean as the inside of the MOTU M2 I once opened, but I think it's cleaner than that of a BA100 of Breeze audio from China.
Is the shop you ordered from Amazon.co.jp, Is it Shenzhen Audio? or Is it Aoshida HiFi?
I ordered from Amazon.co.jp immediately after the release, but I haven't received it yet.
 

daniboun

Major Contributor
Joined
May 2, 2020
Messages
1,775
Likes
2,072
Location
France (Lyon)
I examined the pin arrangement based on the close-up photograph of this IC chip. As a result, I was convinced that it was TPA3251 or TPA3255. Furthermore, considering that the power supply voltage of PA5 is 38V, it can be said that it is TPA3255. Probably no doubt.

You are probably right, checkout, makes sense :

32V / 5A


38V / 4A

 

Lambda

Major Contributor
Joined
Mar 22, 2020
Messages
1,785
Likes
1,519
It is the same issue as with AIYIMA A07 that I bought for testing and posted a lot of results. But this one is too expensive to me to buy it just from a simple curiosity reason. I am afraid that no one else here would be willing to perform a continuous power test.
I don't think its gonna be a real world problem. After all your not gonna listen to Music with a crest factor of 3dB with it on full power for a long time.
As said before i don't think Continuous sine wave in a relative load is not a very conclusive test for a Class D
Maybe pink noise with a crest of >12dB would be more interesting.

Good enough for most real world uses but in no way Ideal from a performance or longevity point of view.

Also i assume they use 4 or maybe even 6 layer PCBs just to get more copper and lower impedance.
And the thermal mass makes it hard to solder properly to it.



so I shot with my Google Pixel (smart phone), which I think does a lot of image processing.
Strange... maybe you have some sort of automated enhancement activated and the algorithm did not know how to deal with all the black.
 

genfreeciv

Member
Joined
Sep 29, 2021
Messages
20
Likes
83
Strange... maybe you have some sort of automated enhancement activated and the algorithm did not know how to deal with all the black.
Ah, after I took the photos with Google pixel, I pasted those into PowerPoint and then exported to png.
I checked each image one by one, and where information such as the product number were visible, I covered them with black filled rectangles.
 

shal

Active Member
Joined
Nov 30, 2019
Messages
119
Likes
122
Location
Rennes, France
TAS5613A DKD PACKAGE?

Match very well with specs :

Same reference than in the Neumann kh80dsp :

 

Spocko

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Sep 27, 2019
Messages
1,621
Likes
2,999
Location
Southern California
I need a glowing review from Amirm and Shawn from Zero Fidelity to make a blind purchase. Gives a good balance between the “measurements” side and “audiophile/how does it sound” side. Hoping Shawn reviews and likes it too as this is great value for a desktop setup. And looking forward to more powerful amps in the future.
Unless there's something seriously wrong, an amplifier should not be coloring the signal so at worst the amp would be unable to drive inefficient speakers and at best it would just be neutral as designed. Thus, the best case subjective review would be "transparent and neutral" which is ultimately considered "meh" by many audiophiles expecting praise like "WOW, I'm hearing extended cymbal decay I've never heard before" or "suddenly, I'm getting bass from my tiny bookshelves I never knew it had".
 

Spocko

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Sep 27, 2019
Messages
1,621
Likes
2,999
Location
Southern California
I think Topping has used the best output inductors available (same as what I use on my commercial TPA3255 amp). These four inductors alone cost $24 (in quantity) and clearly, there are about 8 premium opamps at about $4ea so another $32 there. So I see at least $56 in upgraded parts and if we add the 4 gang pot, two high quality relays, four TRS jacks, two MOSFETs for remote power switch, I see another $30 in components. So we are at $80. Typical markup for retail is at least 3x so $240. Add that to usual $100 cost for a cased TPA3255 amp and we are at $340. The cost is fair and reasonable. You can’t sell it for less without skimping on features. Sorry $350 is a fair and excellent price for the level of performance you are getting here.
Thank you so much for responding - your insight is invaluable.
Topping could easily license this design to Krell which then adds its billet vault case and tactile volume knob, alpha male XLR i/o connectors then charge $4999 and it would fly off the shelves after winning some audiophile publication's "Affordable" End Game Desktop System Award.

Not ashamed to admit, I probably would buy it after seeing it measure so well on ASR if I didn't know it was simply a rebadged P5 because it would look so damn good.
 

Lambda

Major Contributor
Joined
Mar 22, 2020
Messages
1,785
Likes
1,519
Topping could easily license this design to Krell which then adds its billet vault case and tactile volume knob, alpha male XLR i/o connectors then charge $4999 and it would fly off the shelves after winning some audiophile publication's "Affordable" Desktop End Game Award.
What part of it would you see as worthwhile to license?!
Its almost 1:1 the Reference implementation from Ti.
If you want to fined the Secret souse just buy a Amplifier and reverse engineer it.
But you wont fine anything unusuall
 

Spocko

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Sep 27, 2019
Messages
1,621
Likes
2,999
Location
Southern California
What part of it would you see as worthwhile to license?!
Its almost 1:1 the Reference implementation from Ti.
And here we have countless audiophile brands trying to re-invent the wheel with pointless R&D - I don't get it.
 

douede

Member
Joined
Nov 21, 2020
Messages
38
Likes
43
...anything in this design or implementation that should raise the manufacturing costs by 5X over another 32XX based amp (like the Aiyima 04 or 07)?
In other words, could a bit of better engineering take a $50 amp and raise its performance to the same level, raising the bar to best in class performance for an MSRP of, say, $125 - $175?
Yes, i think so (just adding the cost for upgraded parts and better engineering).
Then comes business : The price tend to raise, most of the time till reaching what you will be ready to pay for the performance/sound.
I think the price of this PA5 amp takes into account competitive newcomers (Merus chip based, Allo TPA...)
As should the coming Allo TPA :
 
Last edited:

douede

Member
Joined
Nov 21, 2020
Messages
38
Likes
43
I really cannot understand why people are bellyaching about the $350 price when performance is equivalent to $1000-$2000 Purifi-based amps and approaches the $3500 Benchmark AHB2.
Hum: There is technical innovation and progress, allowing a 4$ chip based amp with 20 to 100$ parts grand total, to compete with ex SOTA.
Then there are other manufacturers and people who would like its market price to raise to the usual market price/sound ratio, just not to disrupt the market/game...
 
Last edited:

BoredErica

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Joined
Jan 15, 2019
Messages
629
Likes
899
Location
USA
Seeing the chip from kh80 kind of makes me wish we could magically somehow have data for noise/etc measurements from the amps of powered amps. It'd be cool to see out of curiosity.
 

restorer-john

Grand Contributor
Joined
Mar 1, 2018
Messages
12,586
Likes
38,285
Location
Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
To me, it looks like just a functional sample. If it was a serial production piece, then the factory quality standards would be very, very low.

I agree. It must be a very early sample/prototype as the placement and soldering in general is very poor, letalone the cleanup (or compete lack thereof).

I look at the photgraphs of the interior and think, well, they used the base grade Nichicon 'audio' caps, just FW, not UFW or UFG. Sure they all get a nice 'gold and black' jacket, but give me UFGs anytime. They cost more, but are way better for coupling AF. I know, I use them.

And, the vent crimp is not typical for Nichicon, especially for those values. The Chinese copiers haven't worked out Nichicon's vent crimps yet. :facepalm:

The pot may, or not be genuine Alps. Let's get a closeup and see.

Basically, everything coming out of China is suspect at the present. Let's not kid ourselves. All componentry could be 100% real or 100% fake. The huge amount of fake capacitors is unbelievable. I see them all the time.

And that 'Rubycon' main filter capacitor- there's so much wrong about that, I cannot even go there.
 
Last edited:
Top Bottom