Boulder or topping dac

[JSmith]

How does the chord hugo2 and mscaler or dave compare measurement wise to the topping?

Review and Measurements of Chord Hugo 2 DAC and Headphone Amplifier

This is a detailed measurement and review of the Chord Hugo 2 DAC. It retails for $2,700 in US. The unit I had in for measurements was from an ex-Microsoft colleague and recent forum member. I only had an hour or so with it and it is now returned. This is an odd looking box to be sure...

www.audiosciencereview.com

CHORD M-Scaler Review (Upsampler)

This is a review, listening tests and measurements of the CHORD Hugo M-scaler upsampling digital transport. It is on kind loan from a member and costs US $5,295 (some show it as $5,650). We have the usual lightshow of buttons as other CHORD digital products but here, due to less overloading...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Chord DAVE Review (DAC & HP Amp)

This is a review, detailed measurements and listening tests of CHORD DAVE combination DAC and headphone amplifier. It is on kind loan from a member and costs US $14,000. Having been frustrated with the user interface of lower end Chord products with their color Morse codes, I was really looking...

www.audiosciencereview.com

JSmith

 

[amper42]

So is the topping and rme different manufacturers take on similar looking dac? Pricing in the same line?Im in south africa and we dont have all the info from dealers etc.

Not really. It's an entirely different business/engineering approach.

RME ADI-2 DAC FS
1. Continually being updated
2. Continually improving features
3. It's Loudness control is like nothing out there. It can make a huge difference in how speakers perform at lower volumes.
4. The ADI-2 remote software adds full control of the device via computer. AWESOME!
5. The Remote for RME is top quality and works well from various angles
6. The RME real-time display is also a nice feature
7. Keeps it's value amazingly well for resale

Topping
1. Remote control is cheap $2 remote that has poor IR capability
2. No defining capability like "RME Loudness control"
3. Poor support
4. Instead of improving product the business model is to churn out new product swiftly and abandon the old model
5. A basic DAC
6. Resale value drops faster
7. May have decent measurements but RME EQ/Loudness features can allow speakers to sound significantly better

In the end, thinking these two are comparable is pretty funny!
I have owned both. They are certainly not the same.

 

[BeeKay]

Not really. It's an entirely different business/engineering approach.

RME ADI-2 DAC FS
1. Continually being updated
2. Continually improving features
3. It's Loudness control is like nothing out there. It can make a huge difference in how speakers perform at lower volumes.
4. The ADI-2 remote software adds full control of the device via computer. AWESOME!
5. The Remote for RME is top quality and works well from various angles
6. The RME real-time display is also a nice feature
7. Keeps it's value amazingly well for resale

Topping
1. Remote control is cheap $2 remote that has poor IR capability
2. No defining capability like "RME Loudness control"
3. Poor support
4. Instead of improving product the business model is to churn out new product swiftly and abandon the old model
5. A basic DAC
6. Resale value drops faster
7. May have decent measurements but RME EQ/Loudness features can allow speakers to sound significantly better

In the end, thinking these two are comparable is pretty funny!
I have owned both. They are certainly not the same.

C‘mon. Comparing apples and oranges is cheap. And cherry picking stereotypes at your liking does not paint a somehow real picture.

As RME is a pro audio product, do the same on the Topping side:

E4x4 Pre | TOPPING Professional

topping.pro

 

[unpluggged]

As RME is a pro audio product, do the same on the Topping side:

Then do it. I'm all ears.

 

[amper42]

C‘mon. Comparing apples and oranges is cheap. And cherry picking stereotypes at your liking does not paint a somehow real picture.

As RME is a pro audio product, do the same on the Topping side:

E4x4 Pre | TOPPING Professional

topping.pro

Perhaps you haven't used the RME ADI-2 DAC FS?
It's not the same type of product as the E4x4.

After owning several different Topping products and experiencing how poor the remote usability is across the line, I'm happy to have moved on. If a company can't provide a decent remote with a $600-$900 product they lost my interest. For stereo use 7' away the remote is the customers main contact with the product. If it doesn't work well from a distance or various angles and doesn't offer good ergonomics and function that reflects poorly on the entire brand/product. No matter how many complain about Topping remote quality, they continue offering a sub-standard design.

You can buy a Samsung TV remote knockoff made in China that offers the original economic curve and a 40' range for $10 on Amazon. How is it Topping can't be bothered to offer a remote with a decent range, through years of product churning? Even the metal Topping remote upgrade they offered for $20 has the same horrible range - plus you need a tiny tool just to change the battery.

 

[FrantzM]

Hi
Welcome to ASR @Ashl777 !
Hope pou are serious and hope you stay, the more converts, the better for the hobby and the market sector known as Hi-Fi.
This out of the way.
Please read this:
Message To Audiophiles posting at ASR for the first time

I come from the same side of the hobby in which you presently are. At one point I had 2 systems, one 2-channel and one MCH for movies and such ...
I did spend lot of time and money to find the best and ... to always moving sideways or downward ...

Today the best system I am enjoying the best system in my +50 years of being an audiophile, I have heard <period!!>, is the modest and cheap one that I currently have. About $2500 for a full range system. About what I would pay for a second-hand 8ft speaker cable back in the days ...
To answer your question. That Boulder DAC, is inferior for example to the Topping D10B that I currently own, in every single metrics, save one : maximum output voltage... About $140.oo on Amazon...

Not much support needed, Plug and play...

Stay, learn, here at ASR, this will result in your building, yes, better systems .. at a (small) fraction of what you paid for the monstrosities of HEA ... High End Audio. And as a bonus, enjoy much more music.


Peace.

 

[Ashl777]

Review and Measurements of Chord Hugo 2 DAC and Headphone Amplifier

This is a detailed measurement and review of the Chord Hugo 2 DAC. It retails for $2,700 in US. The unit I had in for measurements was from an ex-Microsoft colleague and recent forum member. I only had an hour or so with it and it is now returned. This is an odd looking box to be sure...

www.audiosciencereview.com

CHORD M-Scaler Review (Upsampler)

This is a review, listening tests and measurements of the CHORD Hugo M-scaler upsampling digital transport. It is on kind loan from a member and costs US $5,295 (some show it as $5,650). We have the usual lightshow of buttons as other CHORD digital products but here, due to less overloading...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Chord DAVE Review (DAC & HP Amp)

This is a review, detailed measurements and listening tests of CHORD DAVE combination DAC and headphone amplifier. It is on kind loan from a member and costs US $14,000. Having been frustrated with the user interface of lower end Chord products with their color Morse codes, I was really looking...

www.audiosciencereview.com

JSmith

Thx

 

[Ashl777]

Not really. It's an entirely different business/engineering approach.

RME ADI-2 DAC FS
1. Continually being updated
2. Continually improving features
3. It's Loudness control is like nothing out there. It can make a huge difference in how speakers perform at lower volumes.
4. The ADI-2 remote software adds full control of the device via computer. AWESOME!
5. The Remote for RME is top quality and works well from various angles
6. The RME real-time display is also a nice feature
7. Keeps it's value amazingly well for resale

Topping
1. Remote control is cheap $2 remote that has poor IR capability
2. No defining capability like "RME Loudness control"
3. Poor support
4. Instead of improving product the business model is to churn out new product swiftly and abandon the old model
5. A basic DAC
6. Resale value drops faster
7. May have decent measurements but RME EQ/Loudness features can allow speakers to sound significantly better

In the end, thinking these two are comparable is pretty funny!
I have owned both. They are certainly not the same.

Appreciate the detailed info