• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

Review and Measurements of New Topping D50s DAC

magicscreen

Senior Member
Joined
May 21, 2019
Messages
300
Likes
176
I am using the Marantz PM7005's internal DAC. Will the Topping D50s provide audible difference (better sound quality)?
 

mykeldg

Active Member
Joined
Aug 2, 2019
Messages
105
Likes
65
anyone know if you can control your music using the remote when playing via BT? I just ordered the d50s. Hoping its much better than the Modi Multibit I currently have.
 

Gradius

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Joined
Aug 17, 2019
Messages
655
Likes
419
Location
Iquique, Chile
Well, I guess I'll go for D50s + Atom (still half price of DX7 PRO), as before I was thinking on more expensive DX7 PRO, but I don't need all those bells and whistles.

Of course, I plan to mod, by changing the OPAMPs, antenna, and more.

Now for some "problems" with the unit, this is due to some factors:

- The bluetooth antenna they supply is pretty bad/crap;
- Coaxial (SPDIF) seems not to work;
- Use a good USB cable.

As for bluetooth, just buy a good WiFi antenna, BT works between 2.4GHz until 2.48GHz (2.4835 to be exact) frequency.

Interference may be at fault too. Don't forget BT works well up to 10m (no walls, etc), after that depends on your antenna + environment + transmitter.

If it "lags"/losses signal (aka connection strength), is due to those things above. LDAC is still the best BT protocol (as of 2019).

Now for coaxial. The cable NEEDS to have 75Ω (ohms) of impedance, also, it should never be over 10m (less is better) !

In general a good quality Composite Video RCA cable will do. That's it.
 
Last edited:

frogmeat69

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Forum Donor
Joined
Apr 25, 2018
Messages
951
Likes
1,710
Location
Western New York, USA
Well, I guess I'll go for D50s + Atom (still half price of DX7 PRO), as before I was thinking on more expensive DX7 PRO, but I don't need all those bells and whistles.

Of course, I plan to mod, by changing the OPAMPs, antenna, and more.

Now for some "problems" with the unit, this is due to some factors:

- The bluetooth antenna they supply is pretty bad/crap;
- Coaxial (SPDIF) seems not to work;
- Use a good USB cable.

As for bluetooth, just buy a good WiFi antenna, BT works between 2.4GHz until 2.48GHz (2.4835 to be exact) frequency.

Interference may be at fault too. Don't forget BT works well up to 10m (no walls, etc), after that depends on your antenna + environment + transmitter.

If it "lags"/losses signal (aka connection strength), is due to those things above. LDAC is still the best BT protocol (as of 2019).

Now for coaxial. The cable NEEDS to have 75Ω (ohms) of impedance, also, it should never be over 10m (less is better) !

In general a good quality Composite Video RCA cable will do. That's it.
Do you already have the D50s and know these "problems" exist for you? If not, maybe try it out first before getting all Dr. Frankenstein on it.

As far as op amp rolling, https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...ng-replacing-op-amps-in-topping-d10-dac.4576/
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...amps-in-gustard-h20-headphone-amplifier.7407/
 

Gradius

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Joined
Aug 17, 2019
Messages
655
Likes
419
Location
Iquique, Chile

Veri

Master Contributor
Joined
Feb 6, 2018
Messages
9,596
Likes
12,036
I trust my ears and THERE ARE differences. I been on opamps "game" for more than 10 years now.

Isn't a question on measurement at all. THD+N has NOTHING to do with it.

It's how they "taste" (sound).
Uh-huh yes, no measurements so basically guessing, yeah?
 

Kane1972

Active Member
Joined
Dec 11, 2018
Messages
298
Likes
103
Uh-huh yes, no measurements so basically guessing, yeah?

There are many pro audio pieces of equipment which have socketed op amps so they can be swapped easily. There are mic preamps like this https://www.sytek-audio-systems.com/products/preamps/mpx4/ that many people have fitted with 2 channels of Burr-Brown Op amps because they sound different to the channels with the Sytek amps. There are also lots of mic pre kits that allow the purchaser to choose from an array of op amps. If they all sounded the same, they would have been rumbled by now, as there are recording engineers who spend a long time evaluating these things. Of course some are often preferring components that add pleasing distortions, but sometimes they prefer the ones that seem to not add any distortion.
 

Veri

Master Contributor
Joined
Feb 6, 2018
Messages
9,596
Likes
12,036
There are many pro audio pieces of equipment which have socketed op amps so they can be swapped easily. There are mic preamps like this https://www.sytek-audio-systems.com/products/preamps/mpx4/ that many people have fitted with 2 channels of Burr-Brown Op amps because they sound different to the channels with the Sytek amps. There are also lots of mic pre kits that allow the purchaser to choose from an array of op amps. If they all sounded the same, they would have been rumbled by now, as there are recording engineers who spend a long time evaluating these things. Of course some are often preferring components that add pleasing distortions, but sometimes they prefer the ones that seem to not add any distortion.
Consider that stock op-amps are chosen for performance and stability though. Going by ear you might end up with instability, distortion, oscillation ...

I'm not a fan of those socketed op-amps since it draws the kind of tweaker crowd that hasn't got a clue as to what they're doing.

Also BurrBrown op-amp having a "warmer, tube-like sound" what a load of crap. Have you seen BB's catalog of opamps? How could there possibly be some common 'burr brown' sound?? Really just audiophile imagination..
 

flightcrank

New Member
Joined
Dec 8, 2019
Messages
2
Likes
0
hello community,
I am the owner of this beauty and I wonder if it can be customized with a BURSON V6 Vivid dual opamp? .D50s allows this ?,is it going to be an upgrade in sound priority? .Thx
 

JohnYang1997

Master Contributor
Technical Expert
Audio Company
Joined
Dec 28, 2018
Messages
7,175
Likes
18,292
Location
China
hello community,
I am the owner of this beauty and I wonder if it can be customized with a BURSON V6 Vivid dual opamp? .D50s allows this ?,is it going to be an upgrade in sound priority? .Thx
No. And you shouldn't. Sorry.
 

Killingbeans

Major Contributor
Joined
Oct 23, 2018
Messages
4,089
Likes
7,550
Location
Bjerringbro, Denmark.
hello community,
I am the owner of this beauty and I wonder if it can be customized with a BURSON V6 Vivid dual opamp? .D50s allows this ?

No. The Burson op-amps are huge, and the D50s is tiny. There's no way they'll fit... unless you make big holes in the enclosure and find a way to connect them to the SMD solder pads. It would be a complete waste of time and effort.

EDIT: Didn't know the 's' version has DIL sockets for some of the op-amps.

is it going to be an upgrade in sound priority? .Thx

No. Burson op-amps doesn't measure well (at least judging by the few measurements I've seen), and even if they did, the D50s is not designed with the parameters of a Burson op-amp in mind. Blind op-amp swapping is a fools game, sorry to say....
 
Last edited:

flightcrank

New Member
Joined
Dec 8, 2019
Messages
2
Likes
0
Thanks for the answers. I was about to buy them blindly, after the advice of a friend. :
 

Veri

Master Contributor
Joined
Feb 6, 2018
Messages
9,596
Likes
12,036
Thanks for the answers. I was about to buy them blindly, after the advice of a friend.
I think you can replace with other good IC op-amps but really, Topping makes them swappable as a bonus for people excited about that. In reality there's a bigger chance for a lower performance, than improving anything by a 'blind' swap.
 

Kane1972

Active Member
Joined
Dec 11, 2018
Messages
298
Likes
103
Consider that stock op-amps are chosen for performance and stability though. Going by ear you might end up with instability, distortion, oscillation ...

I'm not a fan of those socketed op-amps since it draws the kind of tweaker crowd that hasn't got a clue as to what they're doing.

Also BurrBrown op-amp having a "warmer, tube-like sound" what a load of crap. Have you seen BB's catalog of opamps? How could there possibly be some common 'burr brown' sound?? Really just audiophile imagination..

They are not selling these mic pre amps to audiophiles or to many home studio owners, Sytek are mainly only bought by pro's, so the "warmer, tube-like sound" is a bit of a gimmicky line. They could have said "for a different tone" or something.

Anyway, they only sell it with the choice of the two op-amps, so the circuit will have been designed for both, with compatible values etc.

I know Jim Williams (who I've mentioned before) replaces the opamps in most equipment he buys for ones that he prefers the sound of. He did this with his Topping DX7. Of course, the values will all match etc, as he mods gear fro a living as well as for himself for his own recording studio.
 

Kane1972

Active Member
Joined
Dec 11, 2018
Messages
298
Likes
103
Thanks for the answers. I was about to buy them blindly, after the advice of a friend. :

If you really want to try a swap, maybe contact Jim Williams at Audio Upgrades and ask him which he recommends. He may not have any knowledge of the D50s circuit etc, so if you can send him a photo of the inside that would help. You could also ask on some of the DIY audio sites such as https://www.diyaudio.com/forums/index.php

At least they will make sure you put in something with good specs and the correct values etc.
 
Top Bottom