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Topping E70 Stereo DAC Review

Rate this DAC:

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 8 2.1%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 8 2.1%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther)

    Votes: 45 11.9%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 317 83.9%

  • Total voters
    378

RedCometZero

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...or in some cases it can be E70 Tornado edition :facepalm::

Not what you want to read as a recent E70 (and L70) purchaser. From what I can tell only one user had this issue though, or am I wrong?
 

funnychap

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I recently upgraded my desktop audio setup. I'm listening to a pair of 2020 Sundaras with an L70 (balanced output). I bought both an E50 and E70 (Sabre) to compare. Having reviewed the specs, I was convinced that they would sound identical and I would keep the (much cheaper) E50. Utilizing the services of my amazingly patient and helpful wife, I conducted a "blind" test. We put them both under an opaque pillowcase (light and breathable). She flipped a coin, hooked one of them into the L70 and then I listened to it for a few hours. She then switched it to the other. I listed to both Hi-Res files on my computer and Amazon music unlimited Hi-Res tracks. I was very suprised at the results.

The first DAC I listened to was amazing. The separation, texture, crash, timbre, presence and other...music things...were magical (hey, I'm not a music writer, sorry). Not sure how to describe it but to me, it was both the most realistic music I've ever heard and simultaneously an expression of what I'd consider the platonic ideal of what music should sound like. I thought to myself, "I hope that's the E50, because if it is, I just saved $150." When she switched to the other DAC, everything changed. It sounded....fine. With the same source material and songs.

Huh. Not what I expected at all. Given both the models' specs and test results here, I thought they would sound identical. I listened for an hour. Fine. I asked my wife to change it back. Magic. Okay. Hmmm.

I had her unhook everything without telling me which was which. I checked all the settings again to make sure they were the same (e.g. not using one filter setting on one and a different filter on the other or whatever). They're same as I can figure. Okay, she flipped another coin and we did it again. Same results.

She "unblinded" me. The E70 was, to my ears, amazing. The E50 fine. I have no idea why. The only thing I couldn't have be the "same" is the cables, as the E50 uses TRS out (so I used a TRS to XLR cable) and the E70 uses XLR (so XLR to XLR). I suppose that could be the difference. Or I could have gotten a dud E50. No idea. And the exact opposite of what I expected. At this point, I'm done investigating. I'm returning the E50 and delighting in my new setup. I wanted to share my experience in case it's helpful to anyone. Your mileage may vary.

Hmmmm....I wonder how this would sound with the HE-6SE.....going to try that next.
Same conclusion for me when I compared my Topping E50+ Jameco linear power supply versus Topping E70.

I got my Topping E70 from Amazon. I love my Topping E50 + Jameco linear power supply, and I like the E70 better.

I'm streaming wireless using iPhone 12 Pro Max > Apple Music lossless > Apple Airport Express via Airplay2 > optical into Topping > RCA into my Denon Heos 7 speaker with builtin amp.
The volume level on both Topping are at -5db.

I compared 2 songs over and over.
- K.D. Lang's song 'So In Love'
- Cecile Bredie's song 'The Autumn Leaves'
- Simone Kopmajer's song 'Emotion'

The E50 creates higher treble, especially with snare drums and vocals.

The E70 does not create as highs as the E50. The E70 sounds more natural, smooth and the vocalists' vibratos are better. I love a singer's vibrato.

The Topping E70 lows (bass) and mids sound a little fuller than the Topping E50.
 

funnychap

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Is there a audioble diference between this and the E50?
Thanks
/Marcus
Yes,
I love my Topping E50 + Jameco linear power supply, and I like the E70 better.

I'm streaming wireless using iPhone 12 Pro Max > Apple Music lossless > Apple Airport Express via Airplay2 > optical into Topping > RCA into my Denon Heos 7 speaker with builtin amp.

The volume level on both Topping are at -5db.
I compared 3 songs over and over.
- K.D. Lang's song 'So In Love'
- Cecile Bredie's song 'The Autumn Leaves'
- Simone Kopmajer's song 'Emotion'

The E50 creates higher treble, especially with snare drums and vocals.

The E70 does not create as highs as the E50. The E70 sounds more natural, smooth and the vocalists' vibratos are better. I love a singer's vibrato.

The Topping E70 lows (bass) and mids sound a little fuller than the Topping E50.
 

Sokel

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Not what you want to read as a recent E70 (and L70) purchaser. From what I can tell only one user had this issue though, or am I wrong?
Hopefully only one that we know of for that model.
But we read stuff like that pretty often.


And it's not brand related,we have seen lots over the years across sound forums.
 

Burns

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That settles it my E70 stays in DAC mode.
it's just programmatically disabling the function,
better would be a physical switch on the back of the housing like in the Yamaha WXC50,
In this case, only in DAC mode, can there also be a fault and a volume jump causing the speakers to overdrive and fry?
If so, that complicates things a lot!

topping in Polish sounds similar to the melting of glaciers
 

BR52

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Nice Idea unfortunately this makes no sense in this case. The DAC has to be programmed. There is no wire you can switch on or of.
 

Sokel

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Nice Idea unfortunately this makes no sense in this case. The DAC has to be programmed. There is no wire you can switch on or of.
Does it matter?
In dac mode the VC is disabled and is always at full output (normally,I don't know if Topping uses the term in another way)
 

BR52

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Does it matter?
In dac mode the VC is disabled and is always at full output (normally,I don't know if Topping uses the term in another way)
Thats right. The problem is the "preamp mode"
 

Gio

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Does anyone know which femto clock is used in the Topping E70?
 

Leva

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Could anybody measure E70 knob diameter and depth please, does it have 6mm pin? Thanks
 

Burns

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What power supply does topping e70 have? Linear or pulsed?
 

funnychap

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What power supply does topping e70 have? Linear or putopping website doesn’t say but i saw an article that said it’s a linear power supply.
topping website doesn’t say but i read an article that said it’s linear; i can post the url to that article later

I ran across this review of the Topping E70 which says it has a builtin linear power supply.
 
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aka_Z

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If it's linear/toroid, what's the power consumption? And even more important, does it become warm/hot during longer usage?
 

funnychap

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My current system, which I just built and I'm not going to change it entirely, is Sonus Faber Lumina V + Musical Fidelity M3Si + Topping E70 + I'm going to buy some XXXXX streamer (maybe Ifi Zen Streamer). I am currently using an android tv and a computer. I don't use XLR because the amp doesn't have them. The added value of Topping is a good built-in power supply and trigger! But I don't know if I can hear the difference in sound between E70 and DX3pro+. I don't think. They play the same?
I ran across this review of the Topping E70 which says it has a builtin linear power supply.
 

Burns

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Natknąłem się na tę recenzję Topping E70, która mówi, że ma wbudowany liniowy zasilacz.
Thank you,
I went back to the e70 because it's an amazing device that plays very good sounds.

For comparison, I also have the SMSL DO200 mk2, it also has a nice sound, similar to the e70 (probably the stage is a hair less wide), it can decode MQA and that's where its advantages end.
There is no 12V trigger in it, it has a very ugly menu support for changing the source from the device. Very illegible display from a distance of 1 meter, no LED signaling that it is on. I hesitate with the decision, but I think I will return it to the seller. (I was tempted by the promotion, the price is the same as e70)

The E70 will probably stay with me forever.
 
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Burns

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If it's linear/toroid, what's the power consumption? And even more important, does it become warm/hot during longer usage?
Standby power consumption <0.7W
The Chinese do not say how much it has in the on mode, but I speculate that no more than 7W. SMSL DO200 claims 5W and the devices are similar. In both devices, the aluminum housing remains cold (room temperature), I did not notice the heating of the devices.
 

Burns

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What is your scientific method for determining that? Please explain how totally transparent devices can influence the stage. Thanks.
maybe i'm wrong
maybe it seems to me
maybe it's subconscious
maybe it's delusional
maybe it's a matter of price.
If you had read my previous posts, you would understand that I was looking for a better one and came back to Topping DX3pro+ twice as optimal.
I can barely hear the difference or not at all, but I do notice the features that annoy me:
DX3 pro+, power restart after each source connection - there was some mismatch, repeated on two copies.
SMSL DO200 ill-considered design I mentioned above.
I also tried Ifi zen one signature,
I have some kind of USB DAC built into an amplifier, I think Burr Brown.
It seems to me, I emphasize, that chips from different manufacturers sound slightly different, especially that I had several DAC devices at home in parallel
The lines on the graphs, although in different frequency ranges, are not identical 1:1
Coming back to the e70 - it's possible that it plays louder because I'm currently using the 2.5V output and hence the illusion of a wider soundstage.
Yes they are transparent, they are similar but not 1:1.
I emphasize that it seems to me that it is 1 : 0,98

In the case of the e70, it was the functionality that suited me.

The question is for You, won't one chip give more even characteristics than using two parallel chips or even multiples of them?
 
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Burns

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Well, when the output of both DAC's push 120+ dB of SINAD, (well beyaond audible) with perfect frequency response 20-20Khz, they should be 100% indistinguishable. It shouldn't matter if there are 10 chips inside.

I guess that is what everyone is trying to find out, just what is causing the difference? You have to be very careful when comparing to make sure everything is identical to the tee with all bias eliminated. If there is indeed a difference in wide and narrow stage, a measurement shout easily pick that up.

No disrespect, just conversation.
I'm a fan of measurements
I don't mind measurements
I will gladly pay for measurements,
I would love to know how to measure at home, even using a computer. Is there a tutorial somewhere?
It seems to me that Amir uses very expensive measuring equipment? Do some measurements also require very expensive microphones? (I think so,
to check what range of sound comes out of the speakers?)

Will you convince me that this man (he is probably on this forum and in this topic) describes dragons by enumerating and measuring the differences between e70 and e70V?
 
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