Review and Measurements of Topping D10 DAC

[amirm]

To update my last findings. Apparently I can only reproduce this if I turn off the AMP while playing. If I stop the music before and then power cycle the amp nothing seems to happen. While this is a workaround for me, I still want to understanda how the DAC can be affected by power cycling a connected AMP.

This is really strange. I wonder if the amp is backfeeding into the RCA jacks on power off. Which amp is it?

 

[Krunok]

This is really strange. I wonder if the amp is backfeeding into the RCA jacks on power off. Which amp is it?

It seems that power-off transient somehow manages to find it's way via the RCA jacks to the DAC and disrupts it while its doing the conversion..

 

[amirm]

It seems that power-off transient somehow manages to find it's way via the RCA jacks to the DAC and disrupts it while its doing the conversion..

True but why would an amp send transients through its input connection. Output, I could understand. But input???

Those transients can damage audio gear as they do not expect their output to be driven by anything.

I like to duplicate that problem. Is the AMP reasonably priced so that I can purchase it?

 

[Krunok]

Is the AMP reasonably priced so that I can purchase it?

It almost certainly is - it would be hard to imagine an expensive amp behaving that badly!

 

[Michael Guntsche]

It is not the off but the on. Is it possible that the moment you turn it on it gets an initial higher current because the internal power supply is not fully up yet so it tries to get it via the RCA. The d10 detects it and goes in protection mode killing the output. This might explain why it is not happening when no audio is playing since then the relay is closed.

 

[amirm]

The amp should have high impedance meaning it can't draw much current. If it is causing a short, etc., it is not correct.

 

[RayDunzl]

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.

What is the power source for the DAC, and for the amp?

 

[Michael Guntsche]

Ugh of course it is a Corsa classic and not a stagedac

 

[Michael Guntsche]

The amp has an internal source the dac gets it via usb

 

[Michael Guntsche]

Input impedance 18kOhm

 

[Michael Guntsche]

That's the amp.

http://www.meier-audio.homepage.t-online.de/classic.htm

 

[Krunok]

Input impedance 18kOhm

Or much less at the very moment it starts to power on..

 

[Michael Guntsche]

Or much less at the very moment it starts to power on..

Yeah that's what I am thinking now.

 

[sssn]

That's the amp.

http://www.meier-audio.homepage.t-online.de/classic.htm

Try writing to Jan Meier about your problem. He is a very knowledgable and amicable guy. He really stands behind his products.

 

[Krunok]

Yeah that's what I am thinking now.

Still, I find that quite hard to believe.. As sssn said, it would probably be a good idea to check with the manufacturer.

 

[Michael Guntsche]

Try writing to Jan Meier about your problem. He is a very knowledgable and amicable guy. He really stands behind his products.

I will give him a call tomorrow since he lives nearby...

 

[Krunok]

In any case, as a general rule I would never recommend turning the amp off while music is playing - that is something your headphones wouldn't like as well.

 

[Michael Guntsche]

I normally also don't do that. But I was recabeling and turned it off minimizing the volume first and when turned it back on I noticed the issue. Then I tried reproducing it without connected headphones

 

[Sami]

I normally also don't do that. But I was recabeling and turned it off minimizing the volume first and when turned it back on I noticed the issue. Then I tried reproducing it without connected headphones

Can you try (powered down and all power/rca/usb cables disconnected):
1) continuity (using multimeter) in the amp: between rca input ground and iec socket ground, and between rca input ground and case
2) continuity in d10: between line out ground and usb ground, and between line out ground and case (for example the screw at back panel)

Also, is amp properly grounded, that is, iec ground pin goes to mains earth via a proper cable?
Also, what device is connected to d10's usb, and how's the grounding in it?

 

[amirm]

That's the amp.

http://www.meier-audio.homepage.t-online.de/classic.htm

Seems nicely built. How much does it cost?