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Topping DM7 8-Channel DAC Review
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wisechoice
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I'm not sure I agree that it's not a product for immersive music enthusiasts, it just depends on your approach and budget. The balanced outputs, DSD and unified volume control with remote make it very attractive IMO, especially at this price point.
Never mind when I worked selling home audio gear to new Chinese immigrants and visitors they wanted the prices to be 8's. Like $888.88 or $988.88 instead of $999.99 I never argued I just wrote the number down on paper to make sure we understood and passed it to them so they could say OK.
Digital Model, the seventh, which Topping is releasing this week.
NoteMakoti
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Forgive me if this is a dumb question, but could you hook this up to an AVR to get the benefits of the host machine, but with a good DAC?
Nope. No AVR has the capability to drive USB DACs. It would also involve another batch of ASRCs to cross to the USB clock domain. That's a lot of added complexity.
DM7 doesn't have any of the features you mentioned.
This product is a product that converts 8 channels into analog separately using the DAC function of 8 channels of the DAC chip.
Only pure 2ch stereo signal can be input to the USB input. It cannot operate with a mixed signal such as Dolby.
DavidMcRoy
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I get that, and that's great for anyone with the patience, but it strikes me as a rather kludgy approach. It reminds me of the early 2000s when we broadcasters had to put together an over-the-air digital TV infrastructure to meet FCC deadlines for getting something on the air tout suite. We had to deal with many multiple vendors to cobble together something that would work. It was far from a turnkey project. What the world needs is a "popular priced" 7.1.4 AV switcher/processor with DAC performance that approaches this box and that supports Dolby Atmos. I've been limping along with the pre-outs of a dodgy Pioneer AVR for that for too long.
What the world needs is a Raspberry Pi running an opensource software that supports all codecs, receiving HDMI eARC input and sending multichannel audio in its USB output, with a web interface to set up channel levels, high/low pass filters and even some PEQ or room correction.
Then we would have a great solution for TV => Raspberry Pi decoding => multichannel DAC => multichannel amp for our home theaters.
Then we would have a great solution for TV => Raspberry Pi decoding => multichannel DAC => multichannel amp for our home theaters.
For all those lamenting the lack of physical inputs if you are running CamillaDSP it is very easy to add a SPDIF input with a device like this -> https://hifimediy.com/product/s2-digi/. Just set the hifimediy as your capture device and the DM7 as your playback device and enable async resampling and rate adjust and CamillaDSP will bridge the clock domains. Poor man’s Okto at half the price.
Michael
Michael
If you use digital crossover then you have "morechannel" for simple stereo
@JohnYang1997
Some TRS output DACS (pro audio interfaces) also support TS output
Is this the case here with DM7 ?
Important to know if connecting DM7 is connected to subwoofer/s with only RCA input...
For example RME Fireface UC has 1/4" output that supports both TRS (balanced) and TS (unbalance) as per below:
Some TRS output DACS (pro audio interfaces) also support TS output
Is this the case here with DM7 ?
Important to know if connecting DM7 is connected to subwoofer/s with only RCA input...
For example RME Fireface UC has 1/4" output that supports both TRS (balanced) and TS (unbalance) as per below:
While I agree that the Topping having IR control is nice there are two rather simple ways to add IR control / display to a pro audio interface.
1) Add a miniDSP Flex digital output upstream of a pro audio interface with SPDIF input. Now you have source selection, IR control and display. Can easily do DSP using software between the SPDIF input of the pro audio interface and any of the output channels (digital and analog).
2) Build the DIY raspberry pi / CamillaDSP option linked in my signature. Now you have IR control and display that can be used with any USB DAC and has other very nice features like web based control.
It all depends on what you need, I think a pro audio interface provides more bang for the buck but the Topping seems priced well as a more consumer friendly simple option.
Michael
This works but is clunkly. DAC8 Pro and DM7 are more elegant solutions (less boxes)
Another box and I already use Audiolense XO + HQPlayer for my DSP. Other people also use other DSP options.
DAC8 Pro and DM7 simply allow more flexibility with less boxes, with IR volume control control.
Correct, we all have difference needs (me too) so it makes no sense for us to say our way is the best way.
But there's a reason Okto has been so popular with the multichannel / DSP crossover crowd - the metal Apple remote control
DM7 will be very popular for same crowd
Agree Michael, but even for a camilladsp setup this topping dac is the perfect component for dac tasks (provided it works with linux).
Saves you the hurdle of building the display, the box to hold it and the remote, that are probably the "less easy" parts of the endeavour, gives you sota performance, gor the ones dreaming of sinad numbers, and doesn't cost much much more than other 8+ channel options.
As you said, additional inputs can be added easy and cheap.
Frankly I don't see many folks using this device to build custom AVR as that would require a device that would have arcHDMI input, than do the decoding to finally send multichannel audio over USB. I'm not aware that such device exists and I can think of several reasons why. Typical AV processor already has mucltichannel DAC device in it and some of them will accept USB input for it.
What you can do with this device is build yourself a cheap box based on say RPI4 running music player of your choice and some DSP software (CamillaDSP, bruteFIR, ..). Then you can do several things with it:
- integrate your SWs in a professional manner with your fronts (HP filter for mains, LP for subs and proper XO with correct phase adjustment between them)
- build your own active speaker ystem
- convert your passive speaker system into active
- add speaker EQ to any of the above
- add room EQ to any of the above
What you can do with this device is build yourself a cheap box based on say RPI4 running music player of your choice and some DSP software (CamillaDSP, bruteFIR, ..). Then you can do several things with it:
- integrate your SWs in a professional manner with your fronts (HP filter for mains, LP for subs and proper XO with correct phase adjustment between them)
- build your own active speaker ystem
- convert your passive speaker system into active
- add speaker EQ to any of the above
- add room EQ to any of the above
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dartinbout
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This device is obviously worthless. It does not turn into a ham sandwich at midnight. Back to the drawing board Mr. Yang. (/s)
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7 for Topping usually means there may be a superior 9 version. Though that is far from definite. There was never a DX9. Or an A70
To those who want to integrate MiniDSP, you could use something like this https://www.minidsp.com/products/dirac-series/ddrc-88a.
Chain would be PC -> DM7 -> DDRC-88A -> Amplification -> Speakers.
Alternatively, if you want to keep a fully balanced audio chain and DSP each channel, I believe you could use software like JRiver (which you can optionally integrate with Dirac Live Multichannel).
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