Aimpire AD10: Fake Topping D10 DAC?

[amirm]

As long as you don't measure various batches of a product in regular intervals it is impossible to come to a conclusion. In our case a Topping D10 produced e.g. around 2020 could easily perform as bad as a Aimpire AD10 and vive versa.

Moon landing could have been fake too. Did you not pay attention to misleading markings of this device? It clearly says "Ampire AD10." You think Topping products of a different year would have different brand and model number as well???

 

[Toku]

I think there is a major problem in your review and maesurements.

As long as you don't measure various batches of a product in regular intervals it is impossible to come to a conclusion. In our case a Topping D10 produced e.g. around 2020 could easily perform as bad as a Aimpire AD10 and vive versa.

At that time there may were faulty/defective DACs in circulation, whatever. Chinese are not famous to care much about such details as long as the business is running smooth.

Regarding the reliability of the test results, I also think that you are right and that multiple products should be tested. However, this is only true when doing business.
ASR is run by individual volunteers. It has nothing to do with related companies and has no commercial purpose.
At the beginning, the equipment to be measured was mainly provided by the members. However, recently, ASR has been recognized worldwide and more and more companies are providing free samples, but unlike YouTubers, they measure and provide us with information from a neutral standpoint. This is really great.
If you want to know the measurement results you want with D10, please buy multiple D10s and send them to amirm. You can also help it with donations.

 

[NSX]

Regarding the reliability of the test results, I also think that you are right and that multiple products should be tested. However, this is only true when doing business.
ASR is run by individual volunteers. It has nothing to do with related companies and has no commercial purpose.

I agree with you. Quality controlls need to be performed in regular intervals or batchwise by the manufacturer.

At the beginning, the equipment to be measured was mainly provided by the members.

That is the best way I think, since nobody really knows if and what kind of "optimized" samples are provided by companies to earn an outstanding review. Especially from - as you said - worldwide recognized site.

However, recently, ASR has been recognized worldwide and more and more companies are providing free samples, but unlike YouTubers, they measure and provide us with information from a neutral standpoint. This is really great.

No business will provide you with neutral standpoints when waste amounts of money are at stake or large profits are to be made. But that's a completely different story & topic.

...

Back to the topic.

I'm just wondering about some conclusions drawn here. There is no cosmological priciple which dictates that an copy needs to perform worse than the orignal. We also know very little about the history of AD10s origins.

The AD10 may performed worse not because it seems to be an 1:1 copy of the D10 but because of other reasons which also affected the "original" D10 at that time. Faulty semiconductors for example are notoriously traded in China back and forth - that is common practice in China.

 

[Veri]

The AD10 may performed worse not because it seems to be an 1:1 copy of the D10 but because of other reasons which also affected the "original" D10 at that time. Faulty semiconductors for example are notoriously traded in China back and forth - that is common practice in China.

"May". Nothing is proven about a cheap knock-off to be a 1:1 copy especially when it comes to the parts used. Not impossible but 100% unproven.

 

[NSX]

"May". Nothing is proven about a cheap knock-off to be a 1:1 copy

Looking at the images I dont't see anything "cheap" but an exact copy. As I said we don't know the history of AD10s origins. Maybe people at Topping split up and commissioned their own batches at the very same factory.

Why should a forger bother with brand registration etc. He could have just as easily sold the product under the Topping brand. Pretty sure no one would have take notice and much less review it. That is the main issue this story is pointing.

especially when it comes to the parts used.

Exactly... parts and their sources may and will change... especially over a longer period of time, depending on availability in China. This can affect all clients. There is not that much magic.

In the newer D10s you will also notice that all that fairly large tantalum capacitors have been replaced with more tiny ones. I'm not sure why. Maybe there was a shortage or it is just cheaper considering the improvements made by the new ESS DAC.

Some Japanese complained about various bad sounding changes Topping made in the D10s. Looks a little bit Voodoo.

https://ameblo.jp/nightwish-daisuki/entry-12630739786.html

 

[thepiecesfit]

Glad I saw this they have an EX5 on sale right now. Wonder if its fake

Amazon.com

 

[amirm]

That one looks legit even though it is being sold by the same people.