I just installed the latest firmware update and now my PC doesn't "see" the E30. Any suggestions? Using Audirvana>Windows 10>E30>THX789
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Topping E30 DAC Review
- Thread starter amirm
- Start date
What are the first four digits of your E30 serial number?
What is the latest firmware for the E30 you have installed?
Is it Ver 1.08 posted on Topping's HP download site?
1st 4 are 2009. Latest is USB Audio Device Driver V5.12.0. Not sure about the last. I got the link from this thread several pages back.
Uninstall and reinstall the driver with E30 unplugged from USB.
Ah! So that's what I did wrong. Thanks John.
That worked. Thanks again for the assistance.
DSJR
Major Contributor
Just butting in a bit - I used the CD840 both as a machine and as a transport, admittedly back in the day and found it to work just fine from its digital output. Dac back then (showing its and my age now) was a Deltec PDM1mk2, the Philips player having what I initially thought was 'Bitstream softness' and the Deltec (which at the time had to be used with a decent mains filter) having a crisper, more 'vivid' tone at the time.
All old memories and I don't wish to confuse, but the CD840 '*should* be more than ok as a transport I'd have thought. Thing is, it's thirty odd years old now and who knows (the Philips digital output clock wasn't hugely complex I remember so less to drift off?)
All old memories and I don't wish to confuse, but the CD840 '*should* be more than ok as a transport I'd have thought. Thing is, it's thirty odd years old now and who knows (the Philips digital output clock wasn't hugely complex I remember so less to drift off?)
SgtPepper
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I would have thought so too. As a last ditch attempt to get it working I remembered I had a Philips CD634 (similar vintage to the 840 and if I remember almost identical apart from it’s missing an optical out) in the loft so I tested it with that. Sadly the sound still broke up, so with a heavy heart the E30 is now winging its way back to Amazon somewhere in Slovakia. I guess unless Topping reverts to using the AK4118 the E30 isn’t an option for me.
Quick question:
I'm thinking of buying the E30 to replace my broken DAC and one Amazon review says it sounds bad in preamp mode. The selling point for me is the remote-controlled volume, my amp doesn't have a volume knob. Has anyone experienced this?
I'm thinking of buying the E30 to replace my broken DAC and one Amazon review says it sounds bad in preamp mode. The selling point for me is the remote-controlled volume, my amp doesn't have a volume knob. Has anyone experienced this?
Robin L
Master Contributor
The E30 sounds like nothing, as far as I can tell. Subjective evaluations of DACs with excellent measurements [like the E30] are worthless. The preamp mode is fine, the Amazon review is bs.
I have 3 E30s. They are in production for the 2019/2020/2021 year.
The reason I bought three E30s is because they are the most stable of the many DACs. It operates very stably from PCM44.1kHz to PCM768kHz and DSD64 to DSD512. The sound quality is not so different from the high-end models. Excellent enough for my use.
I disposed of all expensive and defective DACs. The M500 that remained until the end was also disposed of the other day.
So there are no problems with the E30 that you are worried about.
There is only one point to note. If you connect it directly to a power amplifier that does not have a volume pot for volume control at the input, you will hear a small pop noise. It comes out during sleep / wake or when switching to a song with a different sampling rate. But it's a small level of pop noise.
Yes but Amir's measurements don't mention if they are in preamp or DAC mode. No-one knows if there isn't something objectively broken in preamp mode.
There are 2 users reporting this in the last few pages of this thread too:
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...ing-e30-dac-review.12119/page-225#post-807773
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...ing-e30-dac-review.12119/page-227#post-811181
There are 2 users reporting this in the last few pages of this thread too:
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...ing-e30-dac-review.12119/page-225#post-807773
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...ing-e30-dac-review.12119/page-227#post-811181
If people seem to know so we’ll, let’s have them back it up with measurements.
No difference that's all.
Pdxwayne
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There is IMD, right? The question is about audibility of the IMD when using in preamp mode. Is there any chance for anyone to hear any issues with IMD when listening in let's say -40db volume?
No. Only play here is when you use external high performance preamp you preserve SNR much better by attenuating noise as well, while using E30 as preamp you get constant noise level.
The vast majority of people don't own Audio Precision devices. Am I absurd in thinking that Amir should've mentioned if the measurements are in DAC or pre mode, and perform them in both modes? It's kinda like saying we only tested this car driving in a straight line but it should be fine in all conditions.
And since there are 2 separate DAC and pre modes, it's obvious that something is different, suggesting that some circuitry is being bypassed in DAC mode. It's plausible to assume that such circuitry may affect the signal in some way.
Pdxwayne
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Thanks. How about SNR differences between -40db preamp mode vs DAC mode?
for the claimed differences, one should not need at AP.
Sure, it would be great to have some additional modes tested, but Amir only has so much time at spend and a gigantic backlog of stuff to review. The point is: anecdotal evidence is just no good. Anyone can claim anything… and just like that a myth is born.
No difference if you don't have preamp after the dac. If you have a preamp after that it's depending on the performance of the preamp.
With L30 as preamp you can still achieve 98dB SNR. If you use E30 only, you get 78dB.
But what matters is the residual noise being amplified and comes out at speaker.
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