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Topping DM7 8-Channel DAC Review

Rate this DAC:

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 7 2.2%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 18 5.7%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther

    Votes: 52 16.4%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 241 75.8%

  • Total voters
    318

LSB

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Jul 22, 2018
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....... On a Intel NUC get sôme noise on thé speakers. ... On a laptop, no noise.

Whats does the noise sound like on the NUC? Is it like a background hum, or is it noise using other apps, or using the mouse, or is it distortion riding in the music?

Will a USB isolator help?
 

Hellion666

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Aug 3, 2021
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Whats does the noise sound like on the NUC? Is it like a background hum, or is it noise using other apps, or using the mouse, or is it distortion riding in the music?

Will a USB isolator help?

the noise comes with the keyboard/mouse movement yes. it's a BZZZZZZZZZZZZ. When no mouvement, less noise but noise (seems 50hz) . With differents mouse, noise at all. I ve tried an ifi idefnder 3.0, but no amelioration. I try with an hoem made usb cable with only the tx/rx cables : no ameliorations. Then i ve try an othe computer : no problem. and now, it's an old core i3 6300 desktop computer. The output seems to work too with a shield pro and kodi, but i don't know if it's limited to 5.1 or if it s reach the 7.1 ?! Happy if someones knows !

P.S. sorry for the bad english
 

da Choge

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Anyone else using the Topping DM7 with Roon using a NUC ROCK core and can comment on this reported noise issue? Although I have a ROCK Roon core, all my connections pass through NUC ROCK (non-core) streamers; IOWs, there is only an ethernet connection to the ROCK core itself (the core is connected through an Ethernet switch to the NUC streamer), and then the NUC streamer connects via USB to my DAC. I haven't set my DM7 up yet, so I can't presently comment on any noise there might be using it. However, I think audible noise in this setup would be doubtful -- there is essentially zero audible noise with my current stereo DAC.
 

Hellion666

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It s a nuc7i3bnh. Now i m using a dell latitude without any issues. Maybe the nuc unit power supply is defective. Don't matter.
 

18000rpm

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Jul 16, 2020
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I have been using an Asus Xonar Essence STX ii 7.1 for close to 10 years for my home theater PC due to a lack of multi-channel audio options. This seems like the perfect device for me.

This will show up in Windows as a standard 7.1 audio device? Can I run Equalizer APO (I use it for room correction)? Can I use Windows to control the volume?
 

dartinbout

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Jan 15, 2020
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I have been using an Asus Xonar Essence STX ii 7.1 for close to 10 years for my home theater PC due to a lack of multi-channel audio options. This seems like the perfect device for me.

This will show up in Windows as a standard 7.1 audio device? Can I run Equalizer APO (I use it for room correction)? Can I use Windows to control the volume?
Questions = 1. Yes. Please install the recent drivers and make sure the firmware is updated. 2.IDK 3. Yes, but why?
 

18000rpm

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Questions = 1. Yes. Please install the recent drivers and make sure the firmware is updated. 2.IDK 3. Yes, but why?

Thanks and you're right about #3. Just a bit more of a hassle having to use another remote for volume.

My front amplifier and subwoofer have both balanced and RCA inputs but my rear amplifier only has RCA inputs. Looks like I'll need to get a bunch of special TRS cables to use this.
 

dartinbout

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Jan 15, 2020
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I can only attest to the absence of noise from the trs\rca connection to my sub. Be careful of the other rca connections. There are links to such proper cables in the thread.
 

LSB

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Jul 22, 2018
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Can I run Equalizer APO (I use it for room correction)?

Equalizer APO should work but then using Windoze audio, how do you keep Realtek and Maxaudio from doing background DSP's? Many use a player with WASAPI exclusive to ensure fidelity.
Looks like I'll need to get a bunch of special TRS cables to use this.
As mentioned have a good read about the issues using balanced to unbalanced cables. Its not recommended. If cable adapter shorts the balanced negative to ground its nasty. If you read back you will see some adapter plugs with two RCA sockets. That at least allows you to be sure theres no shorts.
 

18000rpm

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You can output 7.1 or 5.1.2 Atmos from any Mac with the speaker channels assigned in Audio MIDI Setup. Any decoding needs to be done in software (the native Apple suite can do Atmos; VLC, Kodi can do Dolby Digital). In theory, you can also create an aggregate device with two of these for a sixteen channel setup, although Atmos configurations in macOS are currently limited to 7.1.4.
Is there any practical way to get the .2 ATMOS height channels on PC? I would love to have that. I have a Windows HTPC and everything is processed on the PC.
 

18000rpm

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Jul 16, 2020
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I’m amazed at the lengths people will go to, so as to avoid a point raised.

To be clear.

If an AV can be an AV amp (which presumably costs “some money”) then the cost of licensing HDMI for the item can only cost a portion of that.

To develop the point. You can buy an AV amp with HDMI for £300.

This DAC costs £600.

If absolutely everything on previous AV amps cost absolutely nothing (I’ll give you a clue, it didn’t), then the maximum cost of adding HDMI is £30. Which would make this £900.

I’m not sure, at the level we’re discussing, that this price difference is a deal breaker.

At a more realistic valuation, HDMI licensing on a £300 AV amp is £50-£100 (and I suspect less than that).

Selling an HDMI version of this at £650-£700 absolute maximum would appear to be a no-brainier.
Sadly you are completely missing the point of this product.

In order to add HDMI it would need to add support for all the codecs like DD, DTS, Atmos etc. Then it would need to add DSPs and mic input and ability to do room correction. Then it would need a full UI to facilitate that. If that's what you are looking for, buy an AVR or processor.

This is a niche product for people like me who use a HTPC and want all processing done on the PC. I use MadVR for 4K upscaling (using RTX 3080 GPU), Equalizer APO for room correction, Foobar2000 to play DSD and hires music files including multi-channel, and want a DAC to connect directly to amps and subwoofer. This product is exactly what people like me are looking for, nothing more, nothing less, for a very reasonable price.
 

18000rpm

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Equalizer APO should work but then using Windoze audio, how do you keep Realtek and Maxaudio from doing background DSP's? Many use a player with WASAPI exclusive to ensure fidelity.

As mentioned have a good read about the issues using balanced to unbalanced cables. Its not recommended. If cable adapter shorts the balanced negative to ground its nasty. If you read back you will see some adapter plugs with two RCA sockets. That at least allows you to be sure theres no shorts.

I use Equalizer APO for general Windows audio such as video files, YouTube and Spotify. When playing hires audio, DSD etc I use Foobar2000 with WASAPI (which bypasses Windows audio and hence Equalizer APO as well). I have both a Xonar Essence STX ii 7.1 and an SMSL M400 connected to my PC which I switch depending on what I feel like. The SMSL is stereo-only of course. Xonar connects to my Bryston 4B SST amp via RCA, SMSL via balanced so I can switch between them as needed.

Noted on the cable issues thank you.
 

lee-m

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Sep 11, 2022
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I also use a Xonar Essence STX ii 7.1 and Equalizer APO for my office setup for running and testing my diy speakers in active configuration. I previously used the same in my living room for surround sound with an htpc but have since switched back to using my old NAD processor when I got an Nvidia Shield pro which is a bit more user friendly than the htpc. If I ever figure out a way to make the htpc easier to use for the family I may switch back as i currently don't use Atmos heights. The Topping DM7 looks like a good replacement for the Xonar Essence, where previously the only other option was a Motu audio interface or similar bit of pro audio kit for sensible money. Only problem I see is that 8 channels is still a bit limiting for surround sound if you want more than 1 subwoofer for instance.
 
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18000rpm

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There are a couple ways. Check out Cavern. Also, there is a Mac option and a PC option.
Wow that's pretty cool. Just tried it out and was able to extract the ATMOS height channels to play on my surround speakers. It shouldn't be long for ffmpeg or something similar to be able to do it in realtime on the fly hopefully!
 

himey

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Oct 1, 2022
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Wow that's pretty cool. Just tried it out and was able to extract the ATMOS height channels to play on my surround speakers. It shouldn't be long for ffmpeg or something similar to be able to do it in realtime on the fly hopefully!
Did you use Cavern? I know someone who is working on a better gui for album conversions rather than one file at a time, and you won't need scripts.

I have made some 4.0.4 Atmos decoded to FLAC, since i'm limited to eight channels.
 

18000rpm

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Did you use Cavern? I know someone who is working on a better gui for album conversions rather than one file at a time, and you won't need scripts.

I have made some 4.0.4 Atmos decoded to FLAC, since i'm limited to eight channels.
Yes I'm playing with Cavern and it works as advertised. Ideally the ATMOS features of Cavern will be integrated into ffmpeg. One limitation with Cavern I've found so far is that it's unable to decode ATMOS tracks with Dolby TrueHD, only DD+ is supported. ffmpeg on the other hand fully supports TrueHD.
 

himey

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Yes I'm playing with Cavern and it works as advertised. Ideally the ATMOS features of Cavern will be integrated into ffmpeg. One limitation with Cavern I've found so far is that it's unable to decode ATMOS tracks with Dolby TrueHD, only DD+ is supported. ffmpeg on the other hand fully supports TrueHD.
Check out the new Bjork!
 
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