Review and Measurements of the Topping D70 DAC

[DeepSpace57]

I undersand D70 buyers have been quite upset since the results of D5 had been presented. I think you should not miss the sale for D5 on AliExpress. No brainer, you can sell D70 later.

 

[ceausuc]

I undersand D70 buyers have been quite upset since the results of D5 had been presented. I think you should not miss the sale for D5 on AliExpress. No brainer, you can sell D70 later.

Maybe you forgot that D70 has very good "results" also.
Not to mention: "I am happy to recommend the Topping D70 for its solid engineering and great performance. "
I hope D5 ís not another case of better "results" than sound

 

[777]

Better performance does not means a pleasant sound. Better performance means a transparent sound. You will listen to the mastering of the music, good or bad.

 

[BDWoody]

I undersand D70 buyers have been quite upset since the results of D5 had been presented. I think you should not miss the sale for D5 on AliExpress. No brainer, you can sell D70 later.

Why would anyone do that?

It certainly won't sound 'better.'

I am happy to watch those numbers all get better and better, knowing it won't make an iota of difference to what I hear...

 

[wadec22]

It certainly won't sound 'better.'

this, 100%. the D70 is an outstanding performer with no audible difference between the two.

one should only buy one over the other if there is a feature or aesthetic one prefers.

 

[KingFiercer]

I already have D70, but I also ordered D5 for AKM vs ES comparison. D70 is great DAC anyways, no reasons to be upset for

 

[chalex]

The output stage has too small resistors and maybe LME49720 is not too strong for that task. Neither 100uF in series capacitors are not perfect transparent, maybe there is a phase change at the low frequency. Maybe Amirm will showing us the frequency response. I changed the resistors values and I eliminated that capacitors and the sound has much more punch.

I compared my D70 with its cheaper brother dx3pro with RCA output . Was stunned !!! dx3pro left no chance D70 in low frequencies . Absolutely. The rest of the D70 is better . Then I used a XLR cable to RCA (I have no balanced amp ) - D70 caught dx3pro in the low frequency region . It's very " cool." Caught up !!! By the way, the XLR-RCA cable was incorrectly soldered for a balanced source . The negative output was shorted to ground . When I rewired the connector and took only a positive output-D70 again became too "delicate" in the area of LF . I will solder the resistor 1 kOhm to the negative output XLR . About capacitors - their capacity corresponds to datasheet . Other manufacturers also use 100 uF after ak4497 . Continue researching .

 

[BDWoody]

I compared my D70 with its cheaper brother dx3pro with RCA output . Was stunned !!! dx3pro left no chance D70 in low frequencies . Absolutely. The rest of the D70 is better . Then I used a XLR cable to RCA (I have no balanced amp ) - D70 caught dx3pro in the low frequency region . It's very " cool." Caught up !!! By the way, the XLR-RCA cable was incorrectly soldered for a balanced source . The negative output was shorted to ground . When I rewired the connector and took only a positive output-D70 again became too "delicate" in the area of LF . I will solder the resistor 1 kOhm to the negative output XLR . About capacitors - their capacity corresponds to datasheet . Other manufacturers also use 100 uF after ak4497 . Continue researching .

Are you making any effort to match levels on these?

You may be very busy kidding yourself with all these detected differences...

 

[chalex]

Are you making any effort to match levels on these?

You may be very busy kidding yourself with all these detected differences...

I use RMAA . When switching cables between dx3pro , D70 (RCA , XLR-RCA) don't even need to touch the slider for recording level - the level difference of 0,1 dB .

 

[BDWoody]

I use RMAA . When switching cables between dx3pro , D70 (RCA , XLR-RCA) don't even need to touch the slider for recording level - the level difference of 0,1 dB .

So it wasn't a blind test...?

 

[wadec22]

Are you making any effort to match levels on these?

You may be very busy kidding yourself with all these detected differences...

this is so important. I cannot believe how hard it is for me to compare my El Dac to my THX 788 as DAC units running to a JDS atom. level matching them is nearly impossible using my ears alone.

 

[BDWoody]

this is so important. I cannot believe how hard it is for me to compare my El Dac to my THX 788 as DAC units running to a JDS atom. level matching them is nearly impossible using my ears alone.

Do you have a voltmeter? A cheap multimeter can do wonders for figuring things out...

 

[wadec22]

Do you have a voltmeter? A cheap multimeter can do wonders for figuring things out...

I actually do! I suppose figuring it out is more laziness, as I doubt my ability to distinguish them once level matched. I will probably keep running the THX to the atom, as I like the display for a visual volume reference. From what was evaluated in the reviews, I imagine they trade blows in several tests that are inaudible anyway lol.

 

[chalex]

So it wasn't a blind test...?

Oh, that blind test ! A few months ago, I did a little experiment on the human factor in a blind test . I took two different sounding DACs , one headphone amplifier, one headphones and three people . I said that there will be three devices and asked to evaluate their sound . Then I led them back to the table . Connected the DACs to the amplifier in a simple sequence - first-second-first . The first two subjects heard the difference between the first and third option and described it . The third said, that the first and the third options same assessment ( as it turned out , he was prying ) .
I listen first and then I run tests .

 

[BDWoody]

Oh, that blind test ! A few months ago, I did a little experiment on the human factor in a blind test . I took two different sounding DACs , one headphone amplifier, one headphones and three people . I said that there will be three devices and asked to evaluate their sound . Then I led them back to the table . Connected the DACs to the amplifier in a simple sequence - first-second-first . The first two subjects heard the difference between the first and third option and described it . The third said, that the first and the third options same assessment ( as it turned out , he was prying ) .
I listen first and then I run tests .

How were these 'different sounding' DAC's selected? Who did they 'sound different' to before this 'test'?

When You say you run tests, you mean listening tests or measurements?

 

[chalex]

How were these 'different sounding' DAC's selected? Who did they 'sound different' to before this 'test'?

When You say you run tests, you mean listening tests or measurements?

Of course audition !
https://ru.aliexpress.com/item/3295...chweb0_0,searchweb201602_3,searchweb201603_53

https://ru.aliexpress.com/item/3304...chweb0_0,searchweb201602_3,searchweb201603_53

They are VERY different .

 

[BDWoody]

Of course audition !
https://ru.aliexpress.com/item/3295...chweb0_0,searchweb201602_3,searchweb201603_53

https://ru.aliexpress.com/item/3304...chweb0_0,searchweb201602_3,searchweb201603_53

They are VERY different .

So...back to the question... how they were selected, and who gave you the idea that they would sound different?

DAC's being different in design, doesn't equal a difference in sound...

If one is somehow broken by design, or has built in Schitt to add distortion to the clean signal, differences may be heard, but otherwise DAC's reached the point of audible transparency decades ago.

 

[chalex]

So...back to the question... how they were selected, and who gave you the idea that they would sound different?

DAC's being different in design, doesn't equal a difference in sound...

If one is somehow broken by design, or has built in Schitt to add distortion to the clean signal, differences may be heard, but otherwise DAC's reached the point of audible transparency decades ago.

They were not chosen ! They were at my audition ! They sound completely different !!! AK4493 and ES9038Q2m completely different DACs !!!

 

[BDWoody]

They were not chosen ! They were at my audition ! They sound completely different !!! AK4493 and ES9038Q2m completely different DACs !!!

I'm confused...

Were the comparison between the D70 and dx3 done blind and level matched?

What is this other test, and why did it come up?

Regarding the other...audition? test?... I will ask again why you believe they would/should sound different? You said they were chosen for their different sound. How did you go about determining they had a different sound to begin with?

Different chips and engineering shouldn't change the transparency. If they sound different, you may have some kind of voltage or impedance mismatch...which is especially important with headphones.

A well engineered DAC will be transparent. Common differences in filter choices may have some identifiable impact for some, but that doesn't change the basic truth of it all, which is that an apple dongle, my LG phone, my chromecast audio, my dx3, my d70, my d50s, my Integra preamp, my ancient krell preamp, and probably the headphone out jack on my Nvidia Shield remote control would be indistinguishable in a properly done listening test.

 

[chalex]

Some RMAA tests with Topping dx3 pro and D70 (RCA , XLR) .