1 bit DAC launched by TOPPING

[D2013]

Sometimes, you are not the customer and that's OK. This isn't for you.

Having other areas of research and topologies available in the marketplace are good, if we want progress. These discrete solution give more "levers to pull" versus chip dac and they can get some unique performance characteristics that give this a reason for being. It might not be better in all respects but they will fid a market.

Yep, a good example is supplier diversification.

This Fire caused issues for a lot of manufactures, across multiple industries.

Fire Destroys AKM Audio Chip Factory: Can 2020 Get Any Worse?

An inferno that blazed for three straight days devastated the AKM semiconductor factory in Nobeoka City, Japan. Read on to learn how this will this affect audio products from your favorite manufacturers.

www.audioholics.com

 

[Deleted member 72219]

Well, I’ve gone ahead and ordered a D90 III Discrete for myself. Might take a bit to receive it as I’m guessing Apos has to send it from China (does not yet have it in their US warehouse), much like when I bought my B100s from them.

-Ed

 

[Tobylq]

Received my D90 III two days ago, have spent a good 5 hours doing critical listening.

Wow, I am impressed. Compared to my Gustard R26 (my gold standard until now) it is more revealing with higher resolution and clarity.
This additional clarity results in the ability to separate and locate instruments easily giving the impression of a deeper soundstage (but not wider).
Can't say the sound is "analytical" but definitely not as smooth or analog as my R26, maybe a tiny bit "digital"?
Surprisingly (to me) it is more natural sounding than the R26, but this varies by instrument, the best rendering is with piano, percussions also amazing.
But I can't help feel this dac is "making stuff up", if the source is a great recording the result is fantastic, if the recording is marginal it actually makes the sound worse. Does this make any sense? R26 is not like that at all.
Haven't tried the peq yet. This resolution is intoxicating, not sure I want to go back to the R26.
More listening is in order.

 

[Roland68]

Surprisingly (to me) it is more natural sounding than the R26, but this varies by instrument, the best rendering is with piano, percussions also amazing.
But I can't help feel this dac is "making stuff up", if the source is a great recording the result is fantastic, if the recording is marginal it actually makes the sound worse. Does this make any sense? R26 is not like that at all.

That is something I can generally confirm.
The better, more accurately and with less interference a system reproduces the music, the greater the difference between good and bad recordings.
The bad recording does not really become worse, but more honest and nothing is sugarcoated.
The R26 makes the playback a little sweeter, like a slight soft focus, but this also comes at the expense of the good pieces of music and takes away a little of the clarity. The A26 is a little more honest.

 

[Gradius]

Soon the year will end, and we will not see this one out yet.

 

[VientoB]

Received my D90 III two days ago, have spent a good 5 hours doing critical listening.

Wow, I am impressed. Compared to my Gustard R26 (my gold standard until now) it is more revealing with higher resolution and clarity.
This additional clarity results in the ability to separate and locate instruments easily giving the impression of a deeper soundstage (but not wider).
Can't say the sound is "analytical" but definitely not as smooth or analog as my R26, maybe a tiny bit "digital"?
Surprisingly (to me) it is more natural sounding than the R26, but this varies by instrument, the best rendering is with piano, percussions also amazing.
But I can't help feel this dac is "making stuff up", if the source is a great recording the result is fantastic, if the recording is marginal it actually makes the sound worse. Does this make any sense? R26 is not like that at all.
Haven't tried the peq yet. This resolution is intoxicating, not sure I want to go back to the R26.
More listening is in order.

Well you clearly haven't burnt it in properly.

 

[mocenigo]

Received my D90 III two days ago, have spent a good 5 hours doing critical listening.

Wow, I am impressed. Compared to my Gustard R26 (my gold standard until now) it is more revealing with higher resolution and clarity.
This additional clarity results in the ability to separate and locate instruments easily giving the impression of a deeper soundstage (but not wider).
Can't say the sound is "analytical" but definitely not as smooth or analog as my R26, maybe a tiny bit "digital"?
Surprisingly (to me) it is more natural sounding than the R26, but this varies by instrument, the best rendering is with piano, percussions also amazing.
But I can't help feel this dac is "making stuff up", if the source is a great recording the result is fantastic, if the recording is marginal it actually makes the sound worse. Does this make any sense? R26 is not like that at all.
Haven't tried the peq yet. This resolution is intoxicating, not sure I want to go back to the R26.
More listening is in order.

The R26 adds distortion and noise, esp. with DSD. So, yes, it is making up stuff, which makes the sound "euphonic" (literally "good sounding" in anciant greek) but of course if a recording is very very detailed it will mask some content.

 

[Tobylq]

Well you clearly haven't burnt it in properly.

Actually I think you are right or maybe my ears are adapting?
The sounds seems a bit smoother now

 

[Human Bass]

Actually I think you are right or maybe my ears are adapting?
The sounds seems a bit smoother now

When you do "critical listening" your mind creates all those small illusions of "sounding digital“ and such so it can feel "critical"

 

[raif71]

 

[Palladium]

This is the thing i dislike most about modern sales and marketing.

Wow you just accidentally described all of consumerism.

 

[Deleted member 72219]

Soon the year will end, and we will not see this one out yet.

D90 III Discrete has been out nearly a month now.

Or did you mean the D900?

-Ed

 

[Human Bass]

D90 III Discrete has been out nearly a month now.

Or did you mean the D900?

-Ed

I'm really curious about the A900.

 

[Gradius]

D90 III Discrete has been out nearly a month now.

Or did you mean the D900?

-Ed

Hi,

D900 and A900 of course.

 

[SJ4E]

 

[SJ4E]

Rear D900/A900 for anyone who is interested.

 

[AndrejsV]

Rear D900/A900 for anyone who is interested.

Any info on release date of these?

 

[SJ4E]

I was told by the Topping Representative that it is in production but no definite release date as of yet.

 

[danishchelsea]

Have they dropped the plan to release D900? No news for a long long time

 

[ternam]

Excerpt from Topping wrap-up on one offline audition session held on 3/25:

"The combination of D900 HiFi decoder and A900 headphone amplifier has the strongest output power of Topping so far. D900 uses PSRM decoding technology, which makes it comparable to the performance of flagship decoding chips. Each channel uses two positive and negative 32-element discrete FIR filters, which greatly improves the sound quality. The A900 headphone amplifier is equipped with 6 single-channel Tanggula headphone amplifier modules, which drive balanced and single-ended outputs respectively, with strong output power. At the exhibition, the sound of this combination driving Beyerdynamic DT1770 PRO was loved by many audiophiles, and its high resolution and high restoration were also highly praised by everyone."