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Review and Measurements of New Topping D50s DAC

Neutron

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I have all my SACD discs ripped, their tracks extracted into individual tracks with ISO2DSD and with dBpoweramp I've "converted" (actually a change of container, no actual conversion is done) the tracks to DSD over PCM files. This is a process that many devices did on the fly but now one can have WAV or even FLAC files that really contain DSD and not PCM.
When I play these DoP (DSD over PCM) tracks there's also a loud click on the D50 as it first recognizes the file as 176.4/24 PCM is a second or so it detects it's actually DSD 64. I e-mailed Topping about these issue over a year ago when I got my D50. They basically ignored me telling me that this is normal. I reminded them that the d50 on some advertising was sold as having no noise issues when changing from one format to another and between PCM different sampling rates or bit depths.

Just curious, how do you ripped them? I thought SACDs are encrypted and requires certain drive with magic touches to rip properly.

Thanks!
 

Gradius

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Just curious, how do you ripped them? I thought SACDs are encrypted and requires certain drive with magic touches to rip properly.

SACD was cracked YEARS ago. All you need is a "special" FW and a selected few SACD players (compatible with that FW).
 

Gradius

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When I play these DoP (DSD over PCM) tracks there's also a loud click on the D50 as it first recognizes the file as 176.4/24 PCM is a second or so it detects it's actually DSD 64.

I see NO point ripping SACD (DSD) and then hear them as DoP. I have a lot .dff/.dsf files in my HDD, and I hear them all in NATIVE DSD (thanks to my D50s) as it should be.
 

Tks

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I see NO point ripping SACD (DSD) and then hear them as DoP. I have a lot .dff/.dsf files in my HDD, and I hear them all in NATIVE DSD (thanks to my D50s) as it should be.

There is, if you have archival needs. Then you can do whatever you want with them.

Another reason is, lets say you're using a DAC with Toslink or something. You're going to have to resort to using DoP for anything more than DSD64 for example. So you have no choice in that respect. (I currently do this with one setup I got going, since I was having buzzing issues with USB hooked up to a higher end PC that is plagued with EMI and who knows what else).
 

Gradius

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There is, if you have archival needs. Then you can do whatever you want with them.

Another reason is, lets say you're using a DAC with Toslink or something. You're going to have to resort to using DoP for anything more than DSD64 for example. So you have no choice in that respect. (I currently do this with one setup I got going, since I was having buzzing issues with USB hooked up to a higher end PC that is plagued with EMI and who knows what else).

Toslink died so long ago to me.

When I mentioned "no point" I meant as quality wise.

That EMI issue must be your PC power supply. Unless you are using a very crappy USB cable.

Some native DSD512 ;)
4QkaGUG.png
 

Veri

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I see NO point ripping SACD (DSD) and then hear them as DoP.
You're kidding, right? "Hear them" as DoP? DoP is just an encapsulation method, unpacked it is still the same data ....
 

Tks

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Toslink died so long ago to me.

When I mentioned "no point" I meant as quality wise.

That EMI issue must be your PC power supply. Unless you are using a very crappy USB cable.

Some native DSD512 ;)

One other thing I forgot to mention was DSP and volume control. I'd rather not always be standing up to change the volume of my amp. In DSD Direct mode, I can't mess with volume at all (only gain).

But I'm kind of confused. I thought you were saying there was no point in using DoP because DSD is better served as a form of listening. While I don't pretend to understand what possible audible differences there could be between the translation (multiple people saying it's a lossy process, while others saying loseless), I don't see a problem people going either/or (direct SACD, DSD, or DoP) all of them sound the same to me.
 

Gradius

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You're kidding, right? "Hear them" as DoP? DoP is just an encapsulation method, unpacked it is still the same data ....

Not really true as a lot DAC limit DoP to DSD64 only (and fewer can do DoP128, let alone above that).

DSD is converted into PCM streams, it other words, isn't pure/native DSD anymore.

Ref.:
https://dsd-guide.com/dop-open-standard
 

Veri

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Not really true as a lot DAC limit DoP to DSD64 only (and fewer can do DoP128, let alone above that).

DSD is converted into PCM streams, it other words, isn't pure/native DSD anymore.

Ref.:
https://dsd-guide.com/dop-open-standard

That is because of the encapsulation of DoP, it requires twice the data. DSD512 over DoP will require PCM1536 bandwidth for example.
You are entirely mistaken if you think the DSD is "converted", it is only PACKED into a PCM data STREAM. the end result is still "pure" DSD.
Native DSD only means that it is sent and received as DSD. Whether it is sent as packed PCM or not really does not make it less "pure". It's exactly the same data, just packaged differently.
DoP is DSD - the DSD isn't altered. It is just disguised in a PCM frame so it can be sent over USB to DSD DACs whose drivers only work with PCM. The actual playback by the DAC is the same as a non DoP DSD file. It's not DSD converted to PCM. Your claim that it sounds any different is also entirely unproven and ancedotal. So no I fully disagree with what you're proclaiming here.
 

Veri

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Does it make a difference if I power it from the last or the first plug of a power strip as in clean current?
Won't make a difference :p

Also does somebody know where to buy USB cables or adapters without the power pins? (5v pin and ground)
I'm pretty sure the connection will fail, it needs power for handshake. There are VERY few DACs that don't need VBUS power, and the ones that don't sometimes have an intermittent problem being seen by your computer, where you need to disconnect/connect until it works again.

But if you want. they exist https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00WFEPWZW/
Or there's things like a $25 VBUS cutter... https://www.sbooster.com/sbooster-tweaks/vbus2-isolator/
My advice is not to bother, though. You could also tape over the USB pins you don't want, if you want to test it.
 

Dogway

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I don't know how I am going to solve the noise issues then, going HiFi for hearing coil whine through the cans when watching a movie : /
An USB decrappifier maybe... didn't want to spend that money though. Like shooting in the dark, if that fails then a Linear PSU.
 

Veri

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I don't know how I am going to solve the noise issues then, going HiFi for hearing coil whine through the cans when watching a movie : /.
Can't you use optical, or coaxical input? That is usually the cheapest fix and can fix pop/break-up issues, too :) most mobos have coax/optical out.
 

Veri

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Optical causes jitter issues due to mobos poor audio clocking. EDIT: would work as a lowfi alternative tho.
You could get a Topping D10 for a high-class coaxical and optical transmitter (as a bonus you'd have a back-up DAC, too!) if you are really worried about that. I personally am not though, even a pretty bad digital signal should get cleaned up by any competent DAC...
 

JClarkw

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Has anyone performed critical listening tests on these inexpensive little DACs?

I admit amirm's measurements of the Topping D50s (and the E30) are astonishing, but with such a small, inexpensive unit (especially one relying on USB power, though I see Topping makes a nice external linear supply for it), one wonders, for example, if the low bass remains tight and full on the analog outputs or if the treble sounds "clean" and not fatiguing. Such subjective impressions can be affected by the output circuitry, which is where one might expect corners to be cut when the focus is on digital performance... -- JClarkW (new member shopping for a better DAC to improve audio from a BlueSound Node 2)
 

Veri

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one wonders, for example, if the low bass remains tight and full on the analog outputs or if the treble sounds "clean" and not fatiguing. Such subjective impressions can be affected by the output circuitry, which is where one might expect corners to be cut when the focus is on digital performance... -- JClarkW (new member shopping for a better DAC to improve audio from a BlueSound Node 2)
It is a fallacy to think the output circuity is not also measured in the global measurement dashboards. This is the kind of thing they will spam on commercial forums like head-fi, but there is no reason to believe any missing bass or any treble "problem" would not show in measurements. If anything, high distortion dacs like audio-gd NFB, just to give an example, will give an "unpleasantness" or harshness to the sound.
On the other hand, lack of distortion could be described as "warm" or boring by some. That is why subjective reviews suck, they are super subjective and often compiled of made-up nonsense that can't be verified... if you choose a transparent DAC without obvious flaws, it should sound the same as any other, which in a proper test can be verified. That's what it means to use science in an audio context. NOT by looking at the device and thus doing a sighted test and writing some subjective blurbs.
 
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