Review and Measurements of the Topping D70 DAC

[Veri]

Well... I guess I have a badly engineered DAC: Topping D50

There should not be an audible difference.

 

[Moriarty]

There should not be an audible difference.

I'm not so sure, mate... This "ESS hump" scares me a bit

 

[daftcombo]

The answer is in the same league with the question.

I would appreciate if someone here could explain why "more decay" is better and not just spread rumors.

 

[Veri]

I'm not so sure, mate... This "ESS hump" scares me a bit

What does this have to do with the USB cable that was being discussed though? Nothing I'm sure.
Also, the fact is that there is no hard proof the 'IMD hump' is, in fact, audible. it's for peace of mind that it will get fixed.
The SMSL su-8 has the hump, the khadas tone board, the topping DX7... many people enjoy these devices just fine.

 

[777]

I would appreciate if someone here could explain why "more decay" is better and not just spread rumors.

More decay of the instruments will appear when the IMD is better. You can hear tinny details more clearly.

 

[chosen_too]

D70 will steal a lot of sales from the DX7s, one has to wonder what were they thinking. Or the DX7s is being discontinued?

Just DAC vs DAC+ headphone AMP, they are different.

 

[daftcombo]

More decay of the instruments will appear when the IMD is better. You can hear tinny details more clearly.

Thanks but I still don't get it.
First, I don't see how the graph you posted is linked to decay.
Second, I don't see why "more decay" is better than "adequate decay" or "less decay". Decay is about notes. They should last the time they lasted when they were recorded, no more no less.

 

[Moriarty]

Thanks but I still don't get it.
Decay is about notes. They should last the time they lasted when they were recorded, no more no less.

If I may add my 2 cents... Exactly, but this sound often last to short, cutt of quite rapidly. Maybe because these more subtle, silent notes are obscured by IMD noise? So, "more decay" = more (longer) vanishing, subtle sounds. Just like slowly vanishing sounds when guitarist hit a string.

 

[daftcombo]

If I may add my 2 cents... Exactly, but this sound often last to short, cutt of quite rapidly. Maybe because these more subtle, silent notes are obscured by IMD noise? So, "more decay" = more (longer) vanishing, subtle sounds. Just like slowly vanishing sounds when guitarist hit a string.

I understand "subtle notes" as barely aubible notes. As for "silent notes", I don't know...

Do you mean that IMD will trigger "silence" and mask "barely audible" notes??!

Sorry to sound ironic but so far those explanations are far-fetched.

 

[777]

Thanks but I still don't get it.
First, I don't see how the graph you posted is linked to decay.
Second, I don't see why "more decay" is better than "adequate decay" or "less decay". Decay is about notes. They should last the time they lasted when they were recorded, no more no less.

If we have an 5 seconds of echo, it is obvious, his amplitude will decrease over the time. In the same time if we have another strong signals, the IMD products will masked the last second of the first echo. You will think that, the first echo is only 4 seconds. With simple music like minimalist jazz maybe you did not lose that decay but with crowded music you will feel that. Again, "the black" of the instruments is given by IMD products.

 

[Moriarty]

Sorry to sound ironic but so far those explanations are far-fetched.

I was trying to help. I though the example is clear and explain everything. I have nothing to add. EOT.

 

[daftcombo]

I agree that, generally speaking, the less distortion (THD or IMD) you have, the more you hear things the cleaner is the soundstage and instrument positioning, and the more realistic are their timbres.

What do you mean by "the black" of the instruments? Is it that IMD causes silence? It can cause noise, but not silence.

I am not sure that you can hear the 5th second of an echo if other material is coming in the mix TBH.

 

[777]

What do you mean by "the black" of the instruments? Is it that IMD causes silence? It can cause noise, but not silence.

Yes, a bigger IMD cause noise and the smaller IMD cause "silence" between the instruments, so called "the black".

 

[daftcombo]

Has that anything to do with phase cancellation?

 

[777]

Has that anything to do with phase cancellation?

I do not understand what you're talking about. Be more explicit please...

 

[daftcombo]

I do not understand what you're talking about. Be more explicit please...

Is the "black" caused by signals being caused by phase rotations of 180°? That's the only reason I can think of when I imagine IMD causing signals to be unheard.

 

[sojer2005]

Hi, I have currently using Khadas Tone Board with conjunction with Raspberry Pi + ropieee as Roon endpoint and Roon software. The Khadas Tone Board has hardware volume control thanks to it I can change volume thorug Roon mobile app or Volumio app without any loss in SQ.
I am searching for DAC with balanced XLR to connect to my Yamaha amp and I am considering D70.

Does D70 manage volume level in similiar maner as KTB over USB input? Does it have harwdare volume control built in DAC so I can change device volume from Roon or Volumio?

And is this DAC vastly superior to KTB?

Thanks.

 

[AndrewDavis]

I don't know if you're going to get much from the XLRs, but the D50 will stack up nicely with the Atom and save you $250+.

Yeppers. That stack or a Atom/Tone Board is, as far as I can tell,the best value in Dac/amps. Love mine!

Of Course, that didnt stop me from buying a d70 to pair with the 789 that should arrive in August.

 

[wtsz]

I am sorry that I am asking you again because I am not an audio expert. Is the sound from the RCA outputs in the Toppinng D70 lower quality than the XLR outputs? I have a perfect Linear acoustic amplifier and I do not intend to change it, but it has only RCA inputs. The amplifier perfectly plays with my speakers because there were, among others, designed.

 

[amirm]

I am sorry that I am asking you again because I am not an audio expert. Is the sound from the RCA outputs in the Toppinng D70 lower quality than the XLR outputs?

No. They are excellent as well.