Topping D90 Balanced USB DAC Review

[Jimbob54]

No, no no....and no.
The show must go on.
And the industry.
As soon as one starts it, every other one will be committed to follow up.
Anyway...with a smartphone and a laptop, it is already covered, being the files in the laptop. WinAmp...Ampwifi. No transmission, just control. Storage is very cheap now.

PS- we already have wifi enabled DACs- they just get called streamers and we pay a pretty penny for them. Probably another reason why the industry is loathed to go down your route just yet.

 

[F1308]

PS- we already have wifi enabled DACs- they just get called streamers and we pay a pretty penny for them. Probably another reason why the industry is loathed to go down your route just yet.

Oh, dear....I completely forgot those streamers !!!!
The reason ?
Every single reviewer I remember was complaining: hard to connect, signal lost, lack of control, little coverage...only accepting MP3 or WAV and not FLAC.....no multipoint service...

 

[Jimbob54]

Oh, dear....I completely forgot those streamers !!!!
The reason ?
Every single reviewer I remember was complaining: hard to connect, signal lost, lack of control, little coverage...only accepting MP3 or wave and not FLAC.....

I'm not sure the bottom half of that is relevant anymore. But they are far from perfect in many cases. But a question for you, what needs to happen from a technology perspective to get from where we are (dacs, Bluetooth dacs and WiFi streamers (flawed or otherwise) to your vision of widespread WiFi enabled dacs? Hint, it's not just sticking a WiFi chip in existing dacs.

 

[F1308]

I'm not sure the bottom half of that is relevant anymore. But they are far from perfect in many cases. But a question for you, what needs to happen from a technology perspective to get from where we are (dacs, Bluetooth dacs and WiFi streamers (flawed or otherwise) to your vision of widespread WiFi enabled dacs? Hint, it's not just sticking a WiFi chip in existing dacs.

I don't know.
The question is not for me.
I simply enjoy what we have, very much indeed, but got surprised as I see people saying "Bluetooth is not suitable for Hi-fi....".

 

[Jimbob54]

I don't know.
The question is not for me.
I simply enjoy what we have, very much indeed, but got surprised as I see people saying "Bluetooth is not suitable for Hi-fi....".

I personally don't like the idea but modern Bluetooth codecs are more than enough to stream premium Spotify, for example. And there are plenty would say that's good enough for hifi for many set ups and users.

I think of Bluetooth in dacs as a convenient way of playing my music quickly and easily from phone to hifi without needing to fire up the pc, roon etc. Background music etc etc. I have a (well executed) streamer and /or USB dacs for more focused listening.

 

[pLudio]

If it can't, I wonder why the manufacturers insist going Bluetooth instead of WiFi-6.

Connect a Raspberry Pi 4 with e.g. http://moodeaudio.org/ to the DAC if you want a streamer. Bluetooth is a low power protocol for devices in the same room and LDAC quality is fine. Wi-Fi is a different beast requiring more software.

 

[F1308]

I personally don't like the idea but modern Bluetooth codecs are more than enough to stream premium Spotify, for example. And there are plenty would say that's good enough for hifi for many set ups and users.

I think of Bluetooth in dacs as a convenient way of playing my music quickly and easily from phone to hifi without needing to fire up the pc, roon etc. Background music etc etc. I have a (well executed) streamer and /or USB dacs for more focused listening.

But what happened to WiFi Direct ?

 

[F1308]

Connect a Raspberry Pi 4 with e.g. http://moodeaudio.org/ to the DAC if you want a streamer. Bluetooth is a low power protocol for devices in the same room and LDAC quality is fine. Wi-Fi is a different beast requiring more software.

Thank you...
My system has everything already.
Just wondering about Bluetooth and top quality...
Happy to hear LDAC satisfaction.

 

[Jimbob54]

But what happened to WiFi Direct ?

You tell me!

 

[F1308]

You tell me!

I don't know...that is the reason for me asking.

 

[Decarb]

I got my D90 MQA was playing connected via USB and balanced to the A90. I’ll notice when I’m playing a game like a noticeable digital noise sounding like a beep. It’s hard to explain.

 

[mocenigo]

I got my D90 MQA was playing connected via USB and balanced to the A90. I’ll notice when I’m playing a game like a noticeable digital noise sounding like a beep. It’s hard to explain.

USB noise from a crappy USB port in your computer? This is however weird, the USB port of the D90 is of good quality. Try an iFi iPurifier. I have one spare...

 

[Veri]

USB noise from a crappy USB port in your computer? This is however weird, the USB port of the D90 is of good quality. Try an iFi iPurifier. I have one spare...

These things have never been reviewed well here though. The iSilencer could help with its external power input, but the iPurifier? Total snake oil from the looks of it...
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...s/ifi-dc-ipurifier-power-filter-review.10786/
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...i-ipurifier-s-pdif-digital-audio-filter.2189/

 

[mocenigo]

These things have never been reviewed well here though. The iSilencer could help with its external power input, but the iPurifier? Total snake oil from the looks of it...
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...s/ifi-dc-ipurifier-power-filter-review.10786/
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...i-ipurifier-s-pdif-digital-audio-filter.2189/

There are two different things here at play. One is "normal" noise from the USB power supply. Another one may be very strong spikes. If the iPurifier indeed lowers USB power supply noise by 30Db as verified by Amir and some spikes are very high in some bad cases (and it does seem the case that your computer injects very high noise spikes) then those would be reduced by 30Db and still be audible.

So this is not snake oil. But it just won't make a difference in many cases.

 

[frogmeat69]

What the Hell, had a scare with my D90, my PC wasn't recognizing it through USB, swapped out a few other little DACs and they all showed up fine, thought the USB input on the D90 crapped out.
Few days later, I am getting ready to email Apos, but decided to swap USB cables and try it again, and it's working fine now. Weird how the cable didn't affect the other units, just the D90. Gonna have to swap the suspect cable back in just to be sure, though.
Anyone else have this happen before??

 

[samshaver]

I've tried with both an IPAD Pro (with USB C direct to the D90) and a standard IPAD (Lightning to CCK) and in all instances the display reads 'OFS'.

I noticed this with my D70s as well. I do not think you will be able to use the D90 (or D70s) as a full MQA decoder from an iOS device, as it uses the app for the initial software unfold and therefore limits the DAC to be used just as an MQA renderer, and hence the OFS on the display. However, on the desktop app you can force this and make the DAC the full MQA decoder, in which case it will display the MQA (or MQA. as appropriate).

HERE is a bit more info with examples you can test out.

 

[Harmonie]

What the Hell, had a scare with my D90, my PC wasn't recognizing it through USB, swapped out a few other little DACs and they all showed up fine, thought the USB input on the D90 crapped out.
Few days later, I am getting ready to email Apos, but decided to swap USB cables and try it again, and it's working fine now. Weird how the cable didn't affect the other units, just the D90. Gonna have to swap the suspect cable back in just to be sure, though.
Anyone else have this happen before??

I have the same issue with a 5m Amazon basic USB cable and wanted to make a thread USB cable DOES matter !
Actually it is recognized, works well 30 seconds or so, then makes strange digital noises and then silence and not recognized.
Before finding out that it's the USB cable's fault; The only way to get around was to turn off/on the rear power button !

Since, I swapped with a stock USB 3m cable and works fine again.

 

[abdo123]

I have the same issue with a 5m Amazon basic USB cable and wanted to make a thread USB cable DOES matter !
Actually it is recognized, works well 30 seconds or so, then makes strange digital noises and then silence and not recognized.
Before finding out that it's the USB cable's fault; The only way to get around was to turn off/on the rear power button !

Since, I swapped with a stock USB 3m cable and works fine again.

USB cables are limited by distance. 5m is way too much.

 

[Harmonie]

USB cables are limited by distance. 5m is way too much.

Thanks but it worked well before both with D90 and with an Gustard A22 before that.
Also why does it take about 30 seconds before getting crazy ?
I can repeat it and it behaves like that each time.

 

[abdo123]

Thanks but it worked well before both with D90 and with an Gustard A22 before that.
Also why does it take about 30 seconds before getting crazy ?
I can repeat it and it behaves like that each time.

I would call the times it worked being lucky. Use Optical or LAN for such distances.

The signal was probably dropping after 30 seconds.