Review and Measurements of New Topping D50s DAC

[JClarkw]

I ran my D50s over optical for many months to break a ground loop between my PC and the DAC. It worked perfectly.

Dear Berwhale -- How high did you push the bit rates over your optical cable?

I switched from digital coax to optical between my BlueSound Node 2i and my D50s, and it seemed to work fine for a while, but more recently I'm occasionally having what sounds like high-frequency "static" -- not the same as the earlier "crackling" -- over the music, apparently only at sampling frequencies above 88.1 kHz. (This is Qobuz limited by the Node 2i to 96 kHz. All I really know is that the D50s reports 96 kHz and the Node 2i says "HR" when this usually happens. So far I haven't diagnosed further.)

Actually the noise sounds more like some kind of RFI interference than "buffer underflow." No actual dropouts so far. -- JClarkW

 

[Berwhale]

Dear Berwhale -- How high did you push the bit rates over your optical cable?

I switched from digital coax to optical between my BlueSound Node 2i and my D50s, and it seemed to work fine for a while, but more recently I'm occasionally having what sounds like high-frequency "static" -- not the same as the earlier "crackling" -- over the music, apparently only at sampling frequencies above 88.1 kHz. (This is Qobuz limited by the Node 2i to 96 kHz. All I really know is that the D50s reports 96 kHz and the Node 2i says "HR" when this usually happens. So far I haven't diagnosed further.)

Actually the noise sounds more like some kind of RFI interference than "buffer underflow." No actual dropouts so far. -- JClarkW

I ran the D50s at 96k (set by TosLink output device in Windows OS)

 

[caccarot81]

Hi Guys,I purchased Topping D50s and I've some questions:
I will Use Foobar2000 so I have to go to the manufacturer’s website and download ASIO drivers?
What about The firmware?I need to doenlaod the last version?
Thanks

 

[RHO]

Hi Guys,I purchased Topping D50s and I've some questions:
I will Use Foobar2000 so I have to go to the manufacturer’s website and download ASIO drivers?
What about The firmware?I need to doenlaod the last version?
Thanks

I don't think you will absolutely need the drivers.
If you want to use ASIO to playback DSD you will need to install them and configure FB2000 to use them.
That will prevent you from using EQ outside of FB2000.

 

[caccarot81]

Hi Guys,what's your favorite Filter?I'm between 1 and 3

 

[JBEVIA]

I am waiting for a d50s, is it mandatory to use filters? no direct unfiltered sound? Do you know which filter affects the purity of the sound less, thanks.

 

[RHO]

I am waiting for a d50s, is it mandatory to use filters? no direct unfiltered sound? Do you know which filter affects the purity of the sound less, thanks.

The filters at the output of a DAC do not filter the audio. They let the audio pass, unfiltered, and remove the unwanted high frequency "noise" from the signal. You are not able to hear these filtered frequencies (if they were not blocked by the filter) and they are not supposed to be in the audio signal.

 

[JBEVIA]

The filters at the output of a DAC do not filter the audio. They let the audio pass, unfiltered, and remove the unwanted high frequency "noise" from the signal. You are not able to hear these filtered frequencies (if they were not blocked by the filter) and they are not supposed to be in the audio signal.

the DAC has 7 sound filters. or otherwise called equalizations. I have read in the forum that some people like one filter more than another. and my question is if you can't hear direct sound if you go through equalized filters

 

[RHO]

the DAC has 7 sound filters. or otherwise called equalizations. I have read in the forum that some people like one filter more than another. and my question is if you can't hear direct sound if you go through equalized filters

These are not sound filters as in EQ settings. These are different types of filters to attenuate the unwanted ultrasonic high frequency content from the wanted audio signal.
I wouldn't put much credence in the stories that there is much difference to be heard between them.

 

[baccus]

why are there 7 filters, if there is no difference?

when i do a factory reset on my d50s, default filter is 1 not 2 as mentioned here.

 

[Berwhale]

why are there 7 filters, if there is no difference?

when i do a factory reset on my d50s, default filter is 1 not 2 as mentioned here.

The filters are built into the DAC chip and many OEMs choose to expose some or all of them them to the end user. My understanding is that there is a measurable difference between the filters, but our understanding of psycho-acoustics tells us that this is unlikely to be an audible difference under normal listening conditions. It may be possible to construct tests where differences between the filters are audible, but personally, I cannot detect any audible differences when cycling through the filters on my D50s or EX5 when listening to music,

 

[Toku]

why are there 7 filters, if there is no difference?

when i do a factory reset on my d50s, default filter is 1 not 2 as mentioned here.

There are many built-in filters, but I think it is impossible for human hearing to detect these differences in sound quality. However, as a manufacturer, incorporating many filters will please audiophiles and give them an advantage in terms of sales strategy.

 

[Vosya]

There are many built-in filters, but I think it is impossible for human hearing to detect these differences in sound quality. However, as a manufacturer, incorporating many filters will please audiophiles and give them an advantage in terms of sales strategy.

Before such loud declarations, verify the abilities of your own hearing and equipment. For some reason, I hear the difference in ES9038Q2M perfectly, and this is not on some audiophilic High End setup, but on a combination of lower-level devices: Yamaha A-S201 + Yamaha NS-777. And yes, I hear this difference being sighted, and although ten times blindly.

 

[Snafu]

I have a problem with D50s and Tidal (master plan):

Volume level with Tidal doesn't stay at 100% but drops to 77 each time new song starts no matter what or how i adjust levels.

DAC is Topping D50s with latest drivers, Tidals "loudness normalization" setting off, "force volume" on, exclusive mode "on". System control sound 100% & win10 volume settings 100%. And when i chance volume from Tidal settings to 100% and next song starts -> volume drops to 77. This drop happens every time new song starts.

WIN10 settings Master volume set to 100% that drops too (Tidal app volume set to 100)

Any ideas, thanks

 

[Veri]

I have a problem with D50s and Tidal (master plan):

Volume level with Tidal doesn't stay at 100% but drops to 77 each time new song starts no matter what or how i adjust levels.

DAC is Topping D50s with latest drivers, Tidals "loudness normalization" setting off, "force volume" on, exclusive mode "on". System control sound 100% & win10 volume settings 100%. And when i chance volume from Tidal settings to 100% and next song starts -> volume drops to 77. This drop happens every time new song starts.

WIN10 settings Master volume set to 100% that drops too (Tidal app volume set to 100)

Any ideas, thanks

Has got to be a software problem. The DAC can't do a thing like changing volume every next song, it has no notion of a song it is just fed a bitstream.

 

[Snafu]

Thanks Veri, that's what i thought but if Tidal feeds DAC with a stream (song) then starts another one DAC goes back to it's default that's not 100% but something else. In Topping control panel i can see level goes to -4.

No matter how i chance these settings, it always goes back to 77%

Thanks

 

[Snafu]

after Tidals latest update problem is gone. they fixed "loudness normalization" bug.

so, no problems with Topping DAC itself

 

[Overseas]

New Problem (with D50s?) -- New high-frequency crackling noise occurs intermittently for a couple of seconds at a time, usually repeating several times over the course of an hour or two's listening. Does this sound familiar to any of you streaming experts?

The signal chain is Qobuz->Verizon Fios->router->wired Ethernet->BlueSound Node 2i->Topping D50s (via digital coax)->

I found the coax output interruptions problem discussed on the internet.

 

[Toku]

I found the coax output interruptions problem discussed on the internet.

I bought two D50s and a D50s, both of which have very severe COAX connections.
If the quality of the S/PDIF signal to be connected is poor, symptoms such as disconnection many times or no connection at all will occur.
I reported this issue to Topping and ASR early on. However, neither Topping nor the members of ASR showed any interest.

 

[Overseas]

I bought two D50s and a D50s, both of which have very severe COAX connections.
If the quality of the S/PDIF signal to be connected is poor, symptoms such as disconnection many times or no connection at all will occur.
I reported this issue to Topping and ASR early on. However, neither Topping nor the members of ASR showed any interest.

Is it worth strictly for usb otg connection, from the sound quality point of view? Do the 2x ESS chips make the difference?