Change Dac

[antcollinet]

We'll never know.

You could though - if you wanted to.

 

[Snarfie]

Good evening. I wanted to ask you. Would you change an Audiolab Mdac Dac with ESS 9018, with a Topping E30 with AK 4493, or a Topping E50 with ESS 9068? Thank you

Did recently a test between a Topping D10 (ESS DAC) an ancient Tascam DAT recorder using only it 34 year old legacy DAC. Zero difference despite the Topping D10 used a quality OFC silverwire shielded interlink cable.

Stereophile and Audio Cables

Mogami (w2552 and w2314, 27awg) or Canare wire with Neutrik NYSxxx RCAs for me. 12awg Belden for speakers, bare wire connections. Stock power cords. My power grid is an extension cord from True Value. Ahh, but you haven't experienced the rich depth and resonance (EDIT: not to mention...

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[ZolaIII]

Strongly recommand to change DAC if you can't repair M-DAC capacitors, all e-caps will die after 1 or 2 years.

I repaired more than 15pcs of M-DAC in TW and all of them sound much better after swap capacitors.

If you consider Topping DAC then E70 velvet will be good one or E30 is OK if you don't need that much function of DAC.

Lack of ventilation or bad quality caps? Had Tempotec Sonata iDSD for more than 5 years before it broke and it whosent either battery or capacitors (USB port broke). Really not a great one ES9018K2M (whosent easy to implement) but still good enough.
@Doodski there are design wins, turn key or day hard implementation, documentation and so on. Sometimes new implementations can turn troublesome put in not ideal work conditions like differential asynchronous D/A when buffer dries out. Still hard to recommend based of DAC IP or even complete IP portfolio used.
If it's DAC preamp only and no over all longevity concerns D50 III currently stands out (for exposed QACT speaker EQ, 10x PEQ).

 

[MaxwellsEq]

Lack of ventilation or bad quality caps?

It's well documented by the designer. It wasn't a ventilation problem. The capacitors were sensibly selected capacitors. There was a manufacturing flaw in a batch of these capacitors. Other batches were OK.

 

[ZolaIII]

It's well documented by the designer. It wasn't a ventilation problem. The capacitors were sensibly selected capacitors. There was a manufacturing flaw in a batch of these capacitors. Other batches were OK.

So a bad QC control of capacitors OEM.

 

[MaxwellsEq]

So a bad QC control of capacitors OEM.

Yes. The capacitor issue developed after several months' use so probably would have passed final QC of the DAC. By the time it manifested, the latest batch of capacitors didn't have the flaw, I believe. There was a lot of discussion involving the designer on Pink Fish Media who used to offer a recap service. Unfortunately, quite a lot of the threads seem to have been removed.

 

[whydan]

Lack of ventilation or bad quality caps? Had Tempotec Sonata iDSD for more than 5 years before it broke and it whosent either battery or capacitors (USB port broke). Really not a great one ES9018K2M (whosent easy to implement) but still good enough.
@Doodski there are design wins, turn key or day hard implementation, documentation and so on. Sometimes new implementations can turn troublesome put in not ideal work conditions like differential asynchronous D/A when buffer dries out. Still hard to recommend based of DAC IP or even complete IP portfolio used.
If it's DAC preamp only and no over all longevity concerns D50 III currently stands out (for exposed QACT speaker EQ, 10x PEQ).

I think the root cause are both ventilation issue and bad quality issue.
Audiolab (or IAG team) used couple of LDOs to step down from DC20V(AC14V) to DC3.3V/5V or 1.2V(ESS DAC) as digital power and +/- 8.4V as analog power.
So the temp is the main issue because of high voltage drop.
And the E-cap brand Lelon has bad record on quality since PC ages, so Audiolab changes to Su'scon in very late batch of M-DAC not just serval month.

 

[ZolaIII]

I think the root cause are both ventilation issue and bad quality issue.
Audiolab (or IAG team) used couple of LDOs to step down from DC20V(AC14V) to DC3.3V/5V or 1.2V(ESS DAC) as digital power and +/- 8.4V as analog power.
So the temp is the main issue because of high voltage drop.
And the E-cap brand Lelon has bad record on quality since PC ages, so Audiolab changes to Su'scon in very late batch of M-DAC not just serval month.

I in generally don't understand reason to skimp on V regulation, obviously it costs more but it's a friend with benefits. You can improve any can for cuple of $ including CNC aluminium ones but no one does it it's a hand job.
Somehow I ended up with CL IP's all around me. I downgraded on the PC from AE-5 Plus to SB Z SE for Toslink input and will probably outlive me not just it's use case (Niklin gold in this case and have their 20+ year's old cards on attic already in working condition), use Apple EU dongles for sensitive IEM's/headphones and use QC/CS43131 BT dongle currently. Have a nice old Burr Brown which I don't use anymore as I switched integrated amplifiers and so on.
DAC's are all around us and more than fine with ADC's they skimp more... It's what you need in the end but not very hard if you know what that is (including pro/studio/production...).

 

[zag55]

Topping D10s or E30 II?

 

[Purité Audio]

Which has the features you will find most useful?
Keith

 

[zag55]

I can also include the E30 first model. The difference between the three? The d10s uses USB power, with Ess DAC. The E30 separate power supply, with AKM DAC. The inputs and outputs are the same.

 

[Roland68]

Topping D10s or E30 II?

Please remember that the D10s only has a USB input and the two SPDIF connections are only outputs.

So you cannot connect a CD player or other devices to it, only USB.

Also take a look at the SMSL SU-1 and C100.

 

[Svend P]

Good evening. I wanted to ask you. Would you change an Audiolab Mdac Dac with ESS 9018, with a Topping E30 with AK 4493, or a Topping E50 with ESS 9068? Thank you

You asked almost the exact same question more than a year ago. There is only so many ways we can tell you a DAC change won't make a difference.

Questions

Hi everyone, I wanted some advice. I intend to upgrade my dac. I currently have an Audiolab MDAC with a 9018 dac and a SINAD 101 which they declare. Unfortunately I have a very limited budget, and my choice would be a Topping D10S used with dac 9038, and with higher SINAD. Do you think I do well...

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[zag55]

MDAC sold for the purchase of a new amp. I need the DAC for listening to liquid music. It would pair with the Minix PC.

 

[Roland68]

MDAC sold for the purchase of a new amp. I need the DAC for listening to liquid music. It would pair with the Minix PC.

If you want to buy a new amplifier, then take a look at the Sabaj A30a. Clean over 2 x 200 clean watts at 4 ohms and you no longer need a DAC. This also means you don't have to worry about any sound differences with DACs,
You can connect all devices to it, USB, SPDIF RCA and Tosling and analog.
No DAC, no problem.

 

[Purité Audio]

Dacs are done, spend if you must on loudspeakers and their interaction with your room.
Keith

 

[Jimbob54]

MDAC sold for the purchase of a new amp. I need the DAC for listening to liquid music. It would pair with the Minix PC.

So you havent had a dac since you sold the mdac?

 

[Jimbob54]

So you havent had a dac since you sold the mdac?

 

[zag55]

No

 

[MLaranjeiras]

Good evening. I wanted to ask you. Would you change an Audiolab Mdac Dac with ESS 9018, with a Topping E30 with AK 4493, or a Topping E50 with ESS 9068? Thank you

I had an Oppo BDP105 with this same dac and the A50, that sounds better, IMO