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Review and Measurements of Topping D50 DAC

Rotel

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I use the D50 with a Rotel 985BX amplifier and a Focal Chorus 716S.
This DAC is a miracle in this chain. The result is a detailed, precise voice that can be listened to for a long time.
 

digitalfrost

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If you find D50's sound shrill or having an agressive top end I'd try with filters 2 and 4 first as these cut off high frequencies more that filters 1, 3 or 5.
I'm 45 and I suffer of tinitus so with some kind of music I find the D50's top end a bit agressive. When I first got my D50 and having seen the roll off charts of the different filters before it arrived my first action when I received it was to check it with filters 3 and 5 with the idea of preserving high frequency content. After 6 months of listening to the D50 with different kinds of music I find filters 2 and 4 more pleasing to my ringing ears.

I cannot comprehend this. The filters the D50 got are:

0BUNmqM.jpg


According to the measurements done here:

index.php


We can see that the filters, 7, 6 and 1 have an early downward slope. Yet you claim that filters 2,4 would cut off high frequencies more when we can clearly see in the picture that they have the longest trails.

If we compare this to the OPPO UDP-205, which also uses an ESS chip and has similar filters, albeit in a different order: https://archimago.blogspot.com/2018/06/measurements-oppo-udp-205-part-1-output.html (see II. Digital Filter Options):

FR.png


If you wanted the least amount of high frequency content, you'd use D50 filter 7, corrected minimum phase. This is identical in both devices. However, strangely, Archimago shows the slow filters here falling off early, while in the measurements of the D50, they have the most high frequency content.
 

Veri

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I cannot comprehend this. The filters the D50 got are:

0BUNmqM.jpg


According to the measurements done here:

index.php


We can see that the filters, 7, 6 and 1 have an early downward slope. Yet you claim that filters 2,4 would cut off high frequencies more when we can clearly see in the picture that they have the longest trails.

If we compare this to the OPPO UDP-205, which also uses an ESS chip and has similar filters, albeit in a different order: https://archimago.blogspot.com/2018/06/measurements-oppo-udp-205-part-1-output.html (see II. Digital Filter Options):

FR.png


If you wanted the least amount of high frequency content, you'd use D50 filter 7, corrected minimum phase. This is identical in both devices. However, strangely, Archimago shows the slow filters here falling off early, while in the measurements of the D50, they have the most high frequency content.
One is frequency response, one is response to white noise to see how good out of band rejection of filter is. They are not the same thing so you are comparing apples to oranges :)
 

Kiko1974

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I cannot comprehend this. The filters the D50 got are:

0BUNmqM.jpg


According to the measurements done here:

index.php


We can see that the filters, 7, 6 and 1 have an early downward slope. Yet you claim that filters 2,4 would cut off high frequencies more when we can clearly see in the picture that they have the longest trails.

If we compare this to the OPPO UDP-205, which also uses an ESS chip and has similar filters, albeit in a different order: https://archimago.blogspot.com/2018/06/measurements-oppo-udp-205-part-1-output.html (see II. Digital Filter Options):

FR.png


If you wanted the least amount of high frequency content, you'd use D50 filter 7, corrected minimum phase. This is identical in both devices. However, strangely, Archimago shows the slow filters here falling off early, while in the measurements of the D50, they have the most high frequency content.

You have you're answer above from another forum member who nailed it.
Look at the graph for frequency response, filters 2 and 4 have a more gradual and early roll of than let's say filters 3 and 5 that have a more sharp roll of at a higher frequency.
For many of us who are over 40 the differences between these filters are subtle if not unaudible as most of us over 40 years old can hear up to 16000 Hz (this is an average and varies from person to person) .
As I said earlier the only filter I noticed a noticiable effect is filter 7 that with the 2015 192/24 Van Halen remasters almost "kills" the sound of cymbals. This seems strange to me as with a sampling frequency of 192 Khz the filter cut off should be at around 96000 Hz, far away from the audio band so this shouldn't affect the sound of cymbals.
 

MWC

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Looking for recommendations for a suitable headphone amp for use with my Topping D50 DAC and Audeze EL-8 headphones. Thinking about the Topping A30 and with the little acrylic stand the pair would look nice and be rather neat on my desk. Any thoughts?
 

mt196

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Looking for recommendations for a suitable headphone amp for use with my Topping D50 DAC and Audeze EL-8 headphones. Thinking about the Topping A30 and with the little acrylic stand the pair would look nice and be rather neat on my desk. Any thoughts?
I like a30+d30 stack with the stand. If you choose D50 I'd go with the JDS Atom, d50 is ugly if stacked with the A30 imho
 

daftcombo

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Looking for recommendations for a suitable headphone amp for use with my Topping D50 DAC and Audeze EL-8 headphones. Thinking about the Topping A30 and with the little acrylic stand the pair would look nice and be rather neat on my desk. Any thoughts?

What about a JDS Lab Atom? Better specs and lower output impedance.
 

MWC

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Looks like I need to have gossip with Mrs Google about the JDS Lab Atom.
Hmmm.....having trouble finding it for sale in Europe or UK, not on Amazon....... but got it here: I have the smaller jack on my headphones not the regular 6.35mm jack plug. I wonder how a 6.35mm to 3.5mm Jack converter might affect the sound quality?
 
Last edited:

Kiko1974

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A couple of days ago I found in a drawer a USB charger with 4 outputs, one of them is Qualcom 2.0, that I bought 3 years ago and that I stopped using as it had a long detachable wall socket cable that I found not very convenient to use. I tried it with my Topping D50 and I found out that it made it sound better than the powerbank I had been using until now.
There's a "but", even when I switch the D50 off it's drawing current from the USB charger, I tested it with a USB voltage/amperes/mAh tester and despite being the D50 off it's hot. The USB regular outputs are rated at 5 volts and 2 Amperes. Is it normal that the D50 gets hot (not overly hot, just warm) even if it's off?
 

Toku

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A couple of days ago I found in a drawer a USB charger with 4 outputs, one of them is Qualcom 2.0, that I bought 3 years ago and that I stopped using as it had a long detachable wall socket cable that I found not very convenient to use. I tried it with my Topping D50 and I found out that it made it sound better than the powerbank I had been using until now.
There's a "but", even when I switch the D50 off it's drawing current from the USB charger, I tested it with a USB voltage/amperes/mAh tester and despite being the D50 off it's hot. The USB regular outputs are rated at 5 volts and 2 Amperes. Is it normal that the D50 gets hot (not overly hot, just warm) even if it's off?
That is normal operation.
Even if the power is turned off, it is in the standby state (sleep state) and the internal circuit is not completely stopped.
I also use D50 D50s DX3Pro SMSL M500, but they all work the same.
So the case is warm even when the power is turned off.
 

Kiko1974

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That is normal operation.
Even if the power is turned off, it is in the standby state (sleep state) and the internal circuit is not completely stopped.
I also use D50 D50s DX3Pro SMSL M500, but they all work the same.
So the case is warm even when the power is turned off.
Thanks for your reply, you make me feel more confident about the right use of my Topping D50.
 

josiah

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Is it true that the AKM chips have a less harsh treble, or is that a myth? This looks like it is accurate, which means the treble shouldn't be sharp/colored?
 

jakevoss96

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Topping D50 does indeed need a month break in period but it certainly does not sound bad whatsoever. It initially just has treble as sharp as an old lady's tit but it becomes much easier over time. At least thats how it was with my experience. I am definitely getting the D70 next so I can power my headphones and my friedmans.
 

VintageFlanker

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Topping D50 does indeed need a month break in period but it certainly does not sound bad whatsoever. It initially just has treble as sharp as an old lady's tit but it becomes much easier over time.
Indeed? Come on... :facepalm:
At least thats how it was with my experience.
Definitely in your mind. Your brain just get used to the sound.
 

jakevoss96

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