Topping reviews on ASR?

[dsnyder0cnn]

I realize that for Amir to review and measure a product, he first has to have it on-hand.

For years, Amir posted reviews of new Topping electronics quickly...often within days of product announcement. However, IIRC, the last Topping product review was of the D50 III back in April (over four months ago). This leads me to wonder if there has been a bit of a falling out between Topping and ASR or Amir. I hope not.

It's always been entertaining for me to see what Topping will do next: how they will navigate priorities among SoTA measurements and the SINAD race vs price and reliability. There's a strong mixture of love and hate for the brand here on ASR, which makes Topping vastly more interesting than brands like Gustard, S.M.S.L., and even Benchmark.

Whatever the rift is between Amir and Topping (if one exists at all), I hope it can be resolved amicably and soon so that we can make more popcorn get back to enjoying the show.

 

[VintageFlanker]

This leads me to wonder if there has been a bit of a falling out between Topping and ASR or Amir. I hope not.

Or just that our host has been busy... Publishing a review right on time for the launch/announcement of a product is not an easy task, especially when reviewing is not your full time job.

There's a strong mixture of love and hate for the brand here on ASR, which makes Topping vastly more interesting than brands like Gustard, S.M.S.L., and even Benchmark.

Beg to differ. I would say that's one of the least interesting Hi-Fi brand in years. Or more likely, the least surprising : frenetic rhythm of release, canibalizing its own offering, and products that measure exactly accordingly to specs (+ eventual reliability complaints few weeks/months after)... I could not be less exited than for a Topping review. My two cents.

 

[Chagall]

About to say...I know Amir charges his batteries with subjectivist tears, but hey...even he needs a break.

Just the new amp wasn't measured? B200? Meh..

 

[Bleib]

They're basically at the top of the game in headphone amps, amps and DACs. It's quite impressive.

 

[dsnyder0cnn]

frenetic rhythm of release, canibalizing its own offering, and products that measure exactly accordingly to specs

Yes, but the same can easily be said of S.M.S.L., yet they continue to receive plenty of love from ASR. Just less controversy because their products are anecdotally more reliable.

That said, I have purchased nine (9) Topping products since joining ASR and all have been perfectly reliable (knock wood). Well, the volume control and remote for the Pre90 is fiddly, but not significantly more so since I first unboxed it.

 

[Timcognito]

Sometimes we want to see more breadth as Topping almost always tests to spec. Variety is the spice of life. With that said, it has been nice see well known brands like Sonos testing well and new comers like WiiM. The segment that seems to be under performing for the money is AVRs in the basic tasks like amplification, although huge gains in DSP have been added to moderately priced models. Seems like there is a pent up desire for a Chinese DAC like value in that segment but instead we just more mediocre channels and crazy new multi-channel formats instead of consolidation to a few easy to implement ones.

 

[dsnyder0cnn]

About to say...I know Amir charges his batteries with subjectivist tears, but hey...even he needs a break.

Just the new amp wasn't measured? B200? Meh..

There's a new, new amp out also: the B100, which also looks interesting

 

[Sokel]

I think not only Topping,but all amp companies have their hands full if they are interesting in the US market as well as the others.
The new FTC rule is no joke and anyone who wants to comply with it has to either state vastly lower numbers in terms of continuous power or redesign thermals from the ground up.

The main strength of the Asian amps is not the (inaudible) performance,is the price.And adequate cooling if one wants numbers adds size,weight (or fans) making the offerings no more attractive.

Other than that the last thing I would like to see measured is yet another 120dB SINAD DAC which changes nothing audibly to a 20yo older one (just try their 40 and 50dB SINAD "modes" or "sound color" or however they call them who literally kill all the claims about higher SQ with higher numbers as the consensus around the forums is that they are inaudible with music) .
What matters is low noise and that is a solved problem for decades.

 

[egellings]

Agree. Specs do not have to be spec-tacular for the sound quality to be so good that improving them would be inaudible. I laud the engineering that makes super specs possible, but then, why order a drop forge when all you need is a tack hammer?

 

[audioje]

Nothing to complain about bettter measurement whether audible or not. I may not buy but it is still fun to see those numbers.
They would be fantastic but I am also waiting for b200 and b100 reviews Hopefully wiim Ultra too.