WolfX700 Measurement of Topping L30 Headphone Amp

[ShoKz]

Hello guys.
So recently i got dt990 600ohms and i was on the market for an amp and i was looking to liquid spark that i read it tames the treble of the dt990 a little bit. Due to covid19 the liquid spark is only avaiable by september and then i heard about the new topping L30 and was ondering how it compares to liquid spark and if it matches well and divres well the dt990 600ohms.?

Thanks

 

[CASE2112]

We're back to it, aren't we? The constant obsession with the belief that my expensive product is better/has more of its own sound signature etc. The search for the Holy Grail of audio perfection.

It's a First World conundrum!

 

[Sukie]

Have you measured these differences? Surely if they exist then they can be measured. The designer might have been going for a "more analogue presentation" so you might hear a "more analogue presentation". That doesn't mean it's there. Maybe that's what they were after all along. Have a "more analogue presentation" and let me charge you for the pleasure!

 

[MSTARK]

Have you measured these differences? Surely if they exist then they can be measured. The designer might have been going for a "more analogue presentation" so you might hear a "more analogue presentation". That doesn't mean it's there. Maybe that's what they were after all along. Have a "more analogue presentation" and let me charge you for the pleasure!

From what he said, that was the goal.

 

[MSTARK]

Yikes..

I can definitely hear that it appears to be rolled-off at higher frequencies. That’s not the “yikes”, 6K asking price was.

 

[Sukie]

From what he said, that was the goal.

Did he achieve this goal? I'm not entirely sure what a "more analogue presentation" is anyway. To this day I've only ever heard analogue sounds - that's sort of the point!

 

[Vini darko]

We talk in circles

 

[MSTARK]

Did he achieve this goal? I'm not entirely sure what a "more analogue presentation" is anyway. To this day I've only ever heard analogue sounds - that's sort of the point!

No, but he put a good effort. I think he achieved speciousness/dimensionality, especially in midrange regions but I’m afraid that at cost of high frequency extension and crispness. Not saying that it isn’t detail but seemed to be somewhat “rolled off”. It’s hard to put it in words without getting ridiculous. Sorry.

 

[iamwhoiam]

It's a First World conundrum!

I personally find this conundrum rather debilitating.



Diagnosed with GAS years ago (Gear Acquisition Syndrome)

p.s. folks - back on track with the L30 please!

 

[MSTARK]

I personally find this conundrum rather debilitating.



Diagnosed with GAS years ago (Gear Acquisition Syndrome)

p.s. folks - back on track with the L30 please!

Yes, please. It took a while to get a simple answer but thanks everyone. Lol

 

[iamwhoiam]

So my L30 is starting to make its way a bit earlier than Apos.

Mine's from Aoshida-HIFI Audio Store (same place as my E30).

I did ask about the free RCA cable and fair play to them, they did check with Topping's warehouse but sadly couldn't match the offer. They were able to give me a $5 discount though through a Paypal refund.

No big deal, I DIY all my RCAs with starquad + Neutriks.

Will let you all know when it arrives! Very excited. Thanks @JohnYang1997 for this, plus all the updates along the way!

 

[Sgt. Ear Ache]

I can definitely hear that it appears to be rolled-off at higher frequencies. That’s not the “yikes”, 6K asking price was.

no, the "yikes" is about the idea of spending 6k on a dac that "sounds analog like vinyl."

There's no magic about making a dac perform poorly. Obviously, if an effort is made to color the sound, colored sound is what you get.

 

[Veri]

I can definitely hear that it appears to be rolled-off at higher frequencies. That’s not the “yikes”, 6K asking price was.

SMSL M400 RCA output does this for just $800 a bargain!

 

[Yuno]

So my L30 is starting to make its way a bit earlier than Apos.

View attachment 75855

Mine's from Aoshida-HIFI Audio Store (same place as my E30).

I did ask about the free RCA cable and fair play to them, they did check with Topping's warehouse but sadly couldn't match the offer. They were able to give me a $5 discount though through a Paypal refund.

No big deal, I DIY all my RCAs with starquad + Neutriks.

Will let you all know when it arrives! Very excited. Thanks @JohnYang1997 for this, plus all the updates along the way!

Cool, I decided to be patient this time around and wait for EU distribution, but definitely waiting for impressions from early buyers.

 

[Sgt. Ear Ache]

haha, I forgot this is the L30 thread and not the E30 thread.

 

[ShoKz]

guys, i don´t understand those mesurements at all. Can you say on base of mesurements if L30 is better than Liquid spark? on paper?

 

[Bhargu]

I agree. I thought I was at ASR where it is a given that DACs with 112db SINAD like the E30 don't have any sound signature. This ain't Head-Fi

Does SINAD has anything to do with the sound signature? A non-linear amp stage can easily change the signature. I thought AKM Velvet Sound is supposed to modify the sound signature to make it sound warmer and less fatiguing, right?

 

[Sgt. Ear Ache]

guys, i don´t understand those mesurements at all. Can you say on base of mesurements if L30 is better than Liquid spark? on paper?

yeah. You can. Now, will it be better in any sense that you can actually hear? Doubtful. Although it is more powerful than the Spark. I have both the Heresy and the Liquid Spark myself. The Heresy measures a little better and is more powerful as well...but I very much doubt I'd be able to hear the difference in a volume-matched blind test.

 

[Sgt. Ear Ache]

Does SINAD has anything to do with the sound signature? A non-linear amp stage can easily change the signature. I thought AKM Velvet Sound is supposed to modify the sound signature to make it sound warmer and less fatiguing, right?

SINAD has to do with sound signature if it's audible, but since all these factors measure well outside of audibility, no...a dac that has a "warmer, less-fatiguing" sound sig would presumably not measure the same as one that doesn't.

 

[raistlin65]

Does SINAD has anything to do with the sound signature? A non-linear amp stage can easily change the signature. I thought AKM Velvet Sound is supposed to modify the sound signature to make it sound warmer and less fatiguing, right?

It's a measurement of noise and distortion. The higher the SINAD, the less audible it is. To a point where it won't be audible.

With a cheap amp or DAC, it's possible you could have a roll-off in frequency response that would be audible in addition to that. But that's typically not a problem with decent DACs and amps. And no one here would recommend a DAC or amp with a rolled off frequency response just because it has a high SINAD, as there are plenty that don't have that problem.