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Review and Measurements of Topping D10 DAC

uscmatt99

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I'm new to the forum but have been lurking here for awhile. I was more active on AVS Forum several years ago when I built out my home theater, but it seems things have changed there. Anyway, I ended up purchasing a set of Hifiman HE-400i so that I could listen to music while working, where I essentially talk into a microphone all day. Speakers with music playing mess up my voice recognition software. Then I turned it up and really liked the sound. And down the rabbit hole I went!

I'm pretty simple and just stream Apple Music for the most part. On the go I use a Radsone Earstudio with my IEMs. Up until now I recommissioned my previously decommissioned Fiio E7 for desktop usage, and it's been fine for my needs. But I wanted to treat myself to a small desktop setup.

Based on this and other reviews, I decided to get a D10 for home use. I've got a MBP hooked up to an OWC thunderbolt dock, so I figured a USB powered DAC would be sufficient hooked up to the dock, and I wasn't sure where the DA conversion was happening with the dock or the quality of amplification for the headphone jack. I'm going to match it up with a JDS Labs Objective2 amp and Subjective3 pre-amp. Can't wait to try out the whole rig once it's set up!

Thanks to Amir and all other contributors on this site. You are doing a hell of a job. It's a beacon of light in the dark and stormy seas of internet audio reviews.
 

Timbo2

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Based on this and other reviews, I decided to get a D10 for home use. I've got a MBP hooked up to an OWC thunderbolt dock, so I figured a USB powered DAC would be sufficient hooked up to the dock, and I wasn't sure where the DA conversion was happening with the dock or the quality of amplification for the headphone jack. I'm going to match it up with a JDS Labs Objective2 amp and Subjective3 pre-amp. Can't wait to try out the whole rig once it's set up!

Thanks to Amir and all other contributors on this site. You are doing a hell of a job. It's a beacon of light in the dark and stormy seas of internet audio reviews.

I think it matches nicely with the O2!

D10 + O2 Picture in another thread
 

uscmatt99

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I think it matches nicely with the O2!

D10 + O2 Picture in another thread
Excellent! I plan to use it primarily as a desktop device. I liked the O2 as I can bring it to work with my Hifiman's as a portable amp, without messing with a powerbrick. I'm assuming I can just use the headphone out on my iPad, set to max volume on the iPad, and then use the amp? I think the DAC in the iPad is supposed to be pretty good, though I don't mind being corrected of course.
 

vtiwari

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which seller from aliexpress can you recommend? fro D10 . thanks

I had ordered from "specialize speaker store".
The reason I chose this seller was they offered it cheapest then with coupons (80USD).

Shipping and Delivery was quick (just 10 days to India with 2 days of delay at local post office included). Did not have any issues. The seller was very responsive (within few mins) to my queries.

This was my first and till now the only order from AliExpress so just sharing my experience, not in a position really to recommend.
 

Timbo2

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For anyone that's interested there don't seem to be much in the way of higher resolution images of the internals of the D10. I was curious and opened mine up. Biggest issues I found was the diode near the analog outputs is crooked and not fully soldered and there hot glue trails (aka snot) across parts of the board. The diode has enough solder that I don't expect any issues.

Edit: I'm also playing around for then first time with different sample rates and Foobar 2000. I just realized when up-sampling my 44.1 CD rips by 8X the display truncates the decimal to 352 instead of rounding up to 353. Time to complain... ;) Needless to say I can't hear a difference with the different sampling rates. Re-sampling to DSD 256 turns my Intel 4130T HTPC into a unitasker. Works OK, but if you try to browse the web every time the CPU hits 100% it will cause digital artifacts in the playback.

IMG_20180526_155728.jpg
 
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Snarfie

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Yes the Topping D10 has landed. First impression Topping D10 compared to (A&H) Allen & Heath Xone 4D sound card which has a 8 Channel AK4358 DAC. AB comparison produced noticeable differences. Where the A&H is precise but regarding high frequencies like high hats or vocals (producing the S) it is right in your face quite loud (sometimes almost aggressive) the D10 backs down an does not emphasizes the high frequencies and generates a clean/natural sound that allows more space between vocals an instruments. The D10 produces a more tighter bass a bit more punchy. The reason for this tighter bass could be because the whole stereo image is more balanced (from a frequency point of view).

My monitors are IMF Compact II monitors from who is known that they emphasizes the highs not so with the D10 lets say atleast 30% less compared with the A&H (and that is a world of difference). So for now i have found almost the perfect balance quite happy with the D10 and it's current op-amp.
 

Snarfie

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Works OK, but if you try to browse the web every time the CPU hits 100% it will cause digital artifacts in the playback.

View attachment 12916


I had the same sort digital artifacts in the playback when browsing Till i uses the wasapi drivers it was gone.
 

Timbo2

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I had the same sort digital artifacts in the playback when browsing Till i uses the wasapi drivers it was gone.

To resample/ covert PCM to DSD in Foobar you have to use a bespoke ASIO driver written specifically for that purpose. It is rather CPU intensive. And subjectively I can’t hear any difference.

If you stick with PCM, WASAPI (and Topping ASIO) work well with no heavy CPU issues for me.

I don’t have any native DSD material.
 

Snarfie

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To resample/ covert PCM to DSD in Foobar you have to use a bespoke ASIO driver written specifically for that purpose. It is rather CPU intensive. And subjectively I can’t hear any difference.

If you stick with PCM, WASAPI (and Topping ASIO) work well with no heavy CPU issues for me.

I don’t have any native DSD material.
Ah ok.
 

douteiful

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Ok, so I tested the D10 some more today and I found a bug with it, or mine is dodgy.

I have the output of the D10 connected to my Headphone amp. If I turn the headphone amp OFF during play and then back on (sometimes I need to do this several times), my D10 crashes. What I mean with crash it that the display resets shortly back to 44.1kHz and then the ouput is muted. If I then switch to a DSD file transferred via DoP it still shows me PCM albeit with a higher kHz value.
The only thing I can think of is a ground issue but I tried with one of my other DACs and could not reproduce this issue at all.
So in Short, if I turn off my AMP my DAC resets. First I thought it was the relay in the D10 which just closes and then does not open again, but seeing that it then no longer "understands" DoP makes me really think it crashes internally.

Sorry for going back to this but I got my D10 yesterday and I had this happen to me twice as well.

The first was when I turned off the amp as you said (no music playing), and the second one was when I plugged the amp to AC power even though the amp was off (!), so something is definitely awry here. I've turned the amp off a few times again and it doesn't happen anymore, but I'm not sure if I want to keep testing as I don't want to damage the D10.

The amp is an old JDS Labs O2, which has a good reputation so I was surprised. I don't have ground issues as far as I know. What should I do? For now I think I'll unplug the RCA before turning off the amp or plugging it/unplugging it from AC power.
 

Timbo2

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Sorry for going back to this but I got my D10 yesterday and I had this happen to me twice as well.

The first was when I turned off the amp as you said (no music playing), and the second one was when I plugged the amp to AC power even though the amp was off (!), so something is definitely awry here. I've turned the amp off a few times again and it doesn't happen anymore, but I'm not sure if I want to keep testing as I don't want to damage the D10.

The amp is an old JDS Labs O2, which has a good reputation so I was surprised. I don't have ground issues as far as I know. What should I do? For now I think I'll unplug the RCA before turning off the amp or plugging it/unplugging it from AC power.

I have the exact same combination, but fortunately not the same problem. Unplugging the input line from the amp, either off or on can sometimes cause my D10 to click its relay and brighten the display. I’ve noticed the same behavior if you short the 3.5mm plug to the chsssis. However, it has never “locked up” my D10.
 

douteiful

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I have the exact same combination, but fortunately not the same problem. Unplugging the input line from the amp, either off or on can sometimes cause my D10 to click its relay and brighten the display. I’ve noticed the same behavior if you short the 3.5mm plug to the chsssis. However, it has never “locked up” my D10.
Yes, I also had this happen to me once when turning it off, it brightened the display but it didn't lock up. I'm worried about what could be going on, as I don't want to damage it.

EDIT: Just had it lock up again when unplugging the RCA from my receiver then plugging them to the amp, both off.
 
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frogmeat69

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Maybe you should pull the USB out of the D10, so it powers down, then hook or unhook the other stuff.
 

douteiful

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I'll do that, thanks. But otherwise I'm very satisfied with it, it's a great little DAC. I'd be thankful if anyone has news about this specific issue eventually.
 

Snarfie

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The D10 is burning in now for 24 hours still no issiues. When burning in a smsl sanskriet 6th i had after 8 hours a permanent artifact in the right channel so sent it back. Burning in is now more or less a durability test for me.
 
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Nesty

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The D10 is burning in now for 24 hours still no issiues. When burning in a smsl sanskriet 6th i had after 8 hours a permanent artifact in the right channel so sent it back. Burning in is now more or less a durability test for me.
Planning to get one.... so you encountered an issue during your burn-in @Snarfie ? I got confurse seems your right channel got busted...
 

Snarfie

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No the D10 after 48 hours it's playing as a breez playing dsd files. Minimal heath build-up. Also no shutdown issiues after shutting down or starting up my nad amp. Till now reliable. If their is a different sound i can't hear/notice that. Regarding the smsl sanskriet it is probably a bad sample. Theright channel somewhere in the mid frequencies produced an iritating lowlevel cracking noice so i reversed right with left channel on the sanskriet now it apears in the left channel changed to the xone 4d dac no problems so no speaker or amp issiues just a bad smsl sanskriet sample. Probable same could overcome the D10. Reason for going with the D10 is amirm measurments and i could change the opamp easely however i must hear if the soundstage will change noticible. Atleast you have the posibility without soldering.
 
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Snarfie

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Hm i think i have a groundloop USB problem. While connecting the D10 ONLY (so not the Xone 4D DAC) by USB to the laptop or external powed USB HUB no problems what so ever dead quite. If i plug inn the USB Xone 4D combined with the D10 i hear a laptop ground loop. If i disconnect the D10 or Xone 4D groundloop is gone. So basicly if one of the DAC's is ONLY connected by USB their is nog ground loop if both are connected we have a problem. Another way avoiding the groundloop is by disconneting the RCA cable from the D10 or Xone 4D. With ground loop i mean i hear the processes of the laptop when i turn the volume knob 1/2 way up 12 O'clock. My power supply of the laptop is double isolated and all powercords are on one powerblock/source. Anybody whats going on.
 
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