Topping PA5 Review (Amplifier)

[MAB]

I have a pair from panasonic sc-pmx92. According to the characteristics, they are 3 Ohms. Can Topping PA5 work with them?
...or Topping MX5 may be (but it doesn't have enough power) ?

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The real question is, will the Topping PA5 work at all?

Poll for Topping PA5 owners only please.

Poll for PA5 owners to report product defects. Discussion for any solutions. I think it would be useful to get a handle on some numbers to estimate just how wide spread the issues are. Addendum: Here is Topping's response to the PA5 issues...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Seems not so much based on my experiences! And, given the issues with the PA5, seems trying to drive a low impedance load with this marginal amp is asking for double-trouble. I would get something with real customer support, real warranty service, actual demonstrated reliability, and a heat-sink!

 

[MAB]

Makes me sad to hear all these reports. It’s like take one step forward, two steps back. I really hope that there is an official response to this to ensure there’s no long lasting damage to the brand’s reputation.

In terms of what this means for @amirm and his testing/recommendation process - I understand that he does not do long term testing due to obvious time concerns. However, in the interest of pushing the boundaries of the audio industry once again like he’s done with SINAD, it would be fantastic if he could rig up some kind of accelerated torture test for audio equipment. Especially if these items are being recommended for purchase. Obviously, this would not be done to user-submitted units without prior approval.

This gets asked often. Understandably. Let me try to give an explanation of the actual challenges...
Quality and Reliability are a statistical metrics, and as such cannot be measured or observed on a single sample. Needs a population, and that population needs to be worn out to fail (typically though accelerated life testing, often at elevated temperatures and voltages). And, some of those wear-out tests need to be done on subsystems (like, you can't bake a display and a power supply at the same temperature!!!) Depending on the Defect Rate you wish to drive to, this will involve tens or hundreds of units and subsystems aged to the end of life. End of life means the units are dead.
This is a difficult job even for the manufacturer. To do it right, the engineering team needs detailed knowledge of the design, the components, use condition, even the software stack. They need to simulate across multiple use conditions to see what the potential failure mechanisms are. They then need to develop all of those stress-to-fail conditions so they can ensure reliability in the field, as well as manufacturing screens for any residual reliability/quality issues. Even this is not enough, since the biggest source of rel data is the customer!!! And, judging by the totally incompetent customer service from the resellers, Topping is not likely getting good field-reliability returns so they can make improvements.
Lot's of people have suggested that ASR can or should do quality or reliability testing. NO, this is Topping's job and only they could have done it right. Any attempt to judge reliability or quality on a single unit on Amir's test bench would have been misdirected. And, it seems Topping didn't do this hard work.

 

[MalinYamato]

I decoded for a Rotel instead of PA5 and it sounds OK but I certainly need to sound treat my room which has naked walls.

 

[Talisman]

I decoded for a Rotel instead of PA5 and it sounds OK but I certainly need to sound treat my room which has naked walls.
View attachment 217828

The plant and the gorillapod on the speakers make my soul bleed

 

[IPunchCholla]

The plant and the gorillapod on the speakers make my soul bleed

I was just feeling ashamed, since never in my life have I been that clutter free and organized, especially when there is wine involved.

 

[Doodski]

never in my life have I been that clutter free and organized, especially when there is wine involved.

Hehe. My dual pooder 2m (6 feet) wide desk desk is clutter free except I run the wires allll over behind the monitor so I don't tangle them in my feet when I stretch and the dust gets a bit excessive sometimes. I hate dusting because it makes my asthma react. So I leave it undisturbed. So is desk does look pretty nice and clean.

 

[Toku]

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.

 

[MalinYamato]

The plant and the gorillapod on the speakers make my soul bleed

you funny -- I love sound but I am not good at audio stuff -- those stuff on my speakers may be NGs for you audio gurus. My plant loves to be there thou, yet the speaker has not been asked if she mind it on top of her.

 

[MalinYamato]

I was just feeling ashamed, since never in my life have I been that clutter free and organized, especially when there is wine involved.

I will tidy up my cables and with regards to the wine that you spotted: It is very good Rioja that boosts the quality of Audio during evenings alone. I really want to try a PA5 to test all the hype around it, because all revivers are so exited about this little box despite its huge ugly power brick. There are so many class Ds out there from Topping, SMSL, other ChiFis, etc -- which one for my speakers? This class A/B Rotel amp is on trial at my home and I am also keen in trying a NAD or Rega Brio -- Brio is FUGLY thou .... not for a lady of style like me. I wrote a feedback letter to Rega and complained about its ugliness and they responded by telling me that they spend all their efforts in engineering good sound rather than look. Those dudes at Rega seems unaware of the existence of ladies and could not possibly have a woman at home.

A red PA5 would be a lovely piece of gem on my desk

so, I have done some cable management and removed the plant.... I really ned a masculine handsome man now to help me will these things and tell me don'ts such as plants on speakers.

 

[MAB]

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.

Yes, but for $350 a company does need to meet an expectation, independent of cultural customs.

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.

The thing is, Topping had their product evangelist working this forum, until it seemed there was a quality problem. I agree it is a bit unusual to have a company rep involved in the development of a product participate in a forum the way John Yang did, especially with his aggressive approach... Running your mouth off then leaving the scene as soon as things go bad translates the same across all cultures I think. I agree that I am not used to negotiating with the manufacturer, but this is entirely on Topping and their mode of operation. And, I am not a negotiation type of person (most people aren't), so the fact that people think it is OK to negotiate over broken product is a fail.

Also, in the case of international mail-order sales, it is more difficult to deal with problems such as customs clearance and taxes.

And the resellers use Amazon as an international sales machine. Then they try to work around the burdensome part of international selling through the Amazon storefront.

However, although there are various problems, Chinese manufacturers offer us high-performance products at low prices.

$350 is not as cheap as you make it out to be. Yes, the perf is there. Quality and Reliability seem lacking, which is critical.

You just need to know more about the risks involved in making a purchase.

Please. The manufacturer and resellers need to know more about the risks of selling stuff.

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.

This reads to me like a list of excuses for Topping. And it risks missing the point completely: Topping is making and selling kit internationally through a patchwork of unskilled resellers with no idea how to support the customer. And, the gear has good performance but questionable quality and reliability.

 

[xaon60]

My PA5 has been running smoothly since purchase several months ago.
Serial Number: Silver 2111125003

D90se with RCA -> Klipsch R-115SW subwoofer, XLR for PA5 and R-820F towers. Happiness !

 

[Hipster Doofus]

Here are the various finishes that are available.

Hmmm red white and blue please. All under a grand when on sale…

 

[delta76]

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.

sorry what? If you sell internationally, you need to adapt to each market, regulations, pricing, tax, customer support. If you fail to do that, you fail as a seller. It does not matter where your HQ is, to your buyers, the only matter thing is that your service and after sale support are adequate relatively to local market.

 

[terrys999]

I agree wholeheartedly with delta76

 

[terrys999]

My PA5 has been running smoothly since purchase several months ago.
Serial Number: Silver 2111125003

D90se with RCA -> Klipsch R-115SW subwoofer, XLR for PA5 and R-820F towers. Happiness !

Does your d90se feed pa5 4volts?

 

[MalinYamato]

The Moderators ask that we do not use the term, "Chi-Fi." Because some peeps use it as a derogatory term.

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.

 

[Doodski]

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.

Hehe. Some of the politically correct stuff like, "Peoplekind" is madness but peeps here where using the term Chi-Fi as a racist derogatory term. It was obvious.

 

[xaon60]

Does your d90se feed pa5 4volts?

5 volts

 

[maxxevv]

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.

Yes, its all about how the context of the words are construed when it comes to colloquial terms. Its like how the UK English term of "shag" differs from how people in other places around the world who use it to denote "tiredness" instead of the original UK context.

"Chi-fi" probably started out being used in the US as a derogatory term denoting "cheap and unreliable audio electronics from china".
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". Of course there are still the many lemons out there but they mostly deliver the expected level of performance for the dollar paid.

Same, same but yet very different in context.

 

[Anthony T]

Yes, its all about how the context of the words are construed when it comes to colloquial terms. Its like how the UK English term of "shag" differs from how people in other places around the world who use it to denote "tiredness" instead of the original UK context.

"Chi-fi" probably started out being used in the US as a derogatory term denoting "cheap and unreliable audio electronics from china".
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". Of course there are still the many lemons out there but they mostly deliver the expected level of performance for the dollar paid.

Same, same but yet very different in context.

I consider the term “chi-fi” quite derogatory, it’s definitely not a term of endearment ime. Generally means “cheap Chinese crap” and often is posted along with a paragraph about low quality components and theft of intellectual property. The World is full of tossers