Darthpool edit: please be aware of reports of this device having some issues, please do your research as there are reports of it “blowing up” and damaging gear. This development came out after @mshenay post below.
Here is a post direct from Topping regarding it:
Relevant quote from the post:
“We have since implemented numerous improvements to the protection circuit in the L30[,] this revision can be identified by a serial number starting 2012 or higher. If you have one of the L30 with a serial number starting 2011 or less, you can reach out to your dealer to coordinate an exchange should you feel so inclined.”
So I’ve had L30 for about 3 hours now and so far with my Ether CX I’m really enjoying it. For a quick comparison I pulled out my SMSL SP200 and used a Schiit Sys to swap between the two amps.
I had E30 as my Dac and did use the XLR out of SMSL SP200, overall I found L30 was;
Less Fatigue
Tactile but without being aggressive
Improved Cohesion & Staging Depth
High hats in particular had better sustain and release without being overly energetic
With CX SP200 was a more aggressive on the top end and the stage was lacking a little bit of that sense of 3D dimension, almost sounded kinda flat.
While I don’t feel L30 matches the staging precision, size or cohesiveness of my nicer Tube Amps, I did enjoy it’s linear presentation & envelope. I was also kinda surprised at the improvement to Dynamic contrast Ether CX had overall with L30.
I’ll certainly spend more time listening and continue to explore it’s performance but so far I’m rather impressed with this $140 unit.
Thanks for your impressions, I do have my eyes on the E30 & L30 and I have to say they look great together on the pic you posted, I´ll cross my fingers and hope an authorized european seller comes out with a killer offer such as Apos Audio has for both units plus rca cables.
My E30/L30 arrived August 5th and it’s an upgrade/replacement for a FiiO K5 Pro. Both the E30 and K5 use the AKM 4493 so other than the lower SINAD on the Topping, there’s not much difference in the DAC stage. Amps are a different story, as the L30 walks all over the K5 every day and twice on Sunday. My headphones are 6XX, K371, and ER3SEs and I use oratory EQ on all of them, with some slight reduction in the low shelf.
What I noticed after a 5hr Tidal favorites listening session with the 6XXs is a huge reduction in hearing fatigue vs doing the same with the FiiO. I’m going to repeat the process with my studio monitor setup using the preamp outs and see if the same result occurs. I’ll update more later as I get more hours in with the new stack and I’ve been using the K5 since October 2019.
My L30 arrived this morning, and I’ve listened for several hours. I’m impressed with it so far. I’d describe it as neutral, detailed and well controlled. I’ve tried it with the HD 650 and 660S, and it’s well suited for both. With some amps, the 650 can sound a little loose and unfocused, but the L30 has a firm grip on the driver, even the bass is well defined.
Sound wise, I have no complaints, but I would like it if this amp was a bit wider and heavier, and the volume knob wasn’t so close to the headphone jack. Also, the wall wart is so big that I can’t plug anything in next to it on my power strip. These are minor issues though, overall I’m quite happy with it.
Today, I compared the L30 with my Asgard 3, and I’m not sure which I prefer. The Asgard has more of its own character, tube-like and spacious, with prominent mids. The L30 is more detailed and direct, with greater separation between instruments. Both amps sound clear and effortless.
The L30 may be a better match for sensitive headphones and IEMs, but it’s not as powerful as the Asgard. They both have more than enough juice for the HD 650 though.
While it is impressive in some ways, now that I’ve had more time with it, I think the L30 sounds a bit strange. I can’t entirely put its issues into words, but I find it somewhat sterile and lifeless. I think I’ve done enough testing at this point to conclude that it’s not for me. I don’t have anything against this type of amp though, I think the Archel 2 is quite good, for example.
I guess not, that’s the filter I used the most with it. I’m returning the amp. Obviously, some people like it more than I do though, maybe it’s just a matter of preference.
I’ve yet to meet a similarly priced amp that I prefer sonically over the Asgard 3. I wonder how the L30 compares to those that likely have a similar sound signature, such as the Heresy, Magnius, Atom.
Atom is quite a bit softer to my ears. Both are equally clean but Atom a lot of the time lacks that tiny bit of authority L30 has on the leading edge of it’s envelope
My Asgard 3 is sticking around, also have an Archel 2, but I might replace it with the Magni Heresy. The Archel sounds great, but I don’t think it has quite enough power for my HD 650, the bass is a little soft. Lately, I’ve been using the 660S more than the 650 though, and the Archel pairs well with them.
