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1 bit DAC launched by TOPPING

Chris Brunhaver said:
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.
Click to expand...

Yep, a good example is supplier diversification.

This Fire caused issues for a lot of manufactures, across multiple industries.
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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
 
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.
 
Last edited:
Tobylq said:
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.
Click to expand...
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.
 
Tobylq said:
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.
Click to expand...
Well you clearly haven't burnt it in properly. ;)
 
Tobylq said:
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.
Click to expand...

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.
 
1730677521653.png
 
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