Review and Measurements of Topping D50 DAC

[amirm]

http://en.tpdz.net/news_detail/newsId=79.html
Seems like it is officially released. Definitely getting one when it arrives at my dealer.

Ah, most excellent.

I do have an iFi iPower for it, but amir measurement shows that it perform worse than USB port which is surprising (for the MicroRendu I think?). Years of marketing has made me think that USB power line is quite horrible.

Their marketing power also worked on me until I tested it. As part of independently testing it, I will try it on Topping D50 and see what it does in this specific case.

 

[amirm]

Oh, adding on, it is not that USB power is clean. It is that good DACs are able to filter what is wrong with it.

 

[stunta]

Interesting how they linked to your review on the official Topping page. They are watching!

 

[amirm]

Interesting how they linked to your review on the official Topping page. They are watching!

A lot of people are also contacting them regarding my review, asking for when they can buy it, etc. so not surprising that they know about it.

 

[zephyros]

Oh, adding on, it is not that USB power is clean. It is that good DACs are able to filter what is wrong with it.

It always irk me how an supposedly "low noise" power supply is worse than the dirty USB line. Though I can't really fathom why the DAC is able to filter power from USB but not from the iPower in the iDac2 case.
BTW it really pains me that Topping have excellent engineering but their website presentation doesn't do them justice (probably because China themselves still use Internet Explorer? Idk).

 

[amirm]

To be fair to them, the problem with iFi is not that it is putting out dirty DC power. But the fact that it couples the AC mains with DC output ground and with it, bleeds mains into all the subsequent audio products in the chain. This is a lazy way to achieve regulatory emissions certification which works in other applications, but not in audio.

 

[Jinjuku]

To be fair to them, the problem with iFi is not that it is putting out dirty DC power. But the fact that it couples the AC mains with DC output ground and with it, bleeds mains into all the subsequent audio products in the chain. This is a lazy way to achieve regulatory emissions certification which works in other applications, but not in audio.

I've seen this show up in distributed Video before as wave banding on the display...

 

[restorer-john]

Amir, what about the 'old skool' active window capture- Alt+PrintSc?

I still use that all the time with floating window captures.

 

[amirm]

Amir, what about the 'old skool' active window capture- Alt+PrintSc?

It unfortunately captures the whole app, not the specific window. It is the same thing that throws off "Window capture" in snippets tool.

 

[bhigh]

http://en.tpdz.net/news_detail/newsId=79.html
Seems like it is officially released. Definitely getting one when it arrives at my dealer.

I'm looking forward to getting this to pair with the Massdrop x THX AAA 789 Linear Amplifier. Then I'll just need to get new headphones. Then a new amp for the new headphones. Then a new DAC for the new amp. Then new headphones ...

 

[garbulky]

I used to do that. Unfortunately the snipping tool captures the entire app or I have to manually select that Window by dragging a rectangle which is a pain. It can't just capture that one window.

It can actually select one window. Or maybe it was the onenote tool I was thinking about...
Edit: Oh you were talking about a window inside a window. Maybe not...

 

[Jimster480]

Interesting how they linked to your review on the official Topping page. They are watching!

yes I actually sent them the link and told them about the issues with the 9038 THD and linked them the review of this + the review of the Project Head 9038 unit.

 

[amirm]

It can actually select one window. Or maybe it was the onenote tool I was thinking about...
Edit: Oh you were talking about a window inside a window. Maybe not...

It works for certain apps that way, i.e. capture the window inside the app but in this case it does not (in most cases actually it cannot).

 

[Netspirit]

Amir, did Topping respond to you on the SMPTE intermodulation distortion issue? Do they know how to fix it - and if so, do they plan to?

 

[amirm]

Amir, did Topping respond to you on the SMPTE intermodulation distortion issue? Do they know how to fix it - and if so, do they plan to?

No. Someone else contacted them about it, not me.

 

[L0rdGwyn]

If anyone finds a quality 5V SMPS for the D50, please post it here! The USB power off of my desktop is terrible, very audible noise through the line outs of my Oppo HA2-SE when connected to my desktop via USB (uses the ES9028-Q2M, by the way). May just be an issue with the HA-2SE, can't be certain. Much rather connect it to my Furman PST-8D conditioner than noisy USB

Only data I've found on a handful of SMPS's is here on ComputerAudiophile.com. Original poster tests ripple across the audio band.

https://www.computeraudiophile.com/forums/topic/31119-power-supply-8-group-test-lps-and-smps/

 

[fitero]

For some, this would might be a viable option;

https://diyaudiostore.com/collections/kits/products/linear-audio-silent-switcher

 

[trl]

Not sure about the power required by the D50, but if it's <1A, then you can find on diyaudio forum at least 2 guys manufacturing low-noise PSUs. Checkout is done by eBay and I can give you at least 3 people selling very-good quality PSUs if you like, not mentioning DIYTHINK...this is the 4th one.

Then follows a nice Hammond case, a toroid and few connectors + a mains filter inline with the power cord + 2 x small ferrite across L/N. Definitely less than 100USD, so no need to spend more on the PSU itself.

However, even a LT1085 or NJM7805 could do the job very well. I got after the NJM7805 less than 100 uV AC ripple& noise, which is very good actually, because the DAC itself and around opamps are already having ripple & noise reduction based on internal PSRR/CMRR specs.

Also, an isolation transformer might help too in decreasing the noise coming from the mains, especially if ground is filtered or perhaps lifted correctly (eg.: Hum-X).

P.S.: I always measure all USB port's noise before connecting my DAC, then I choose the least noisy one. I usually get less than 1mV p-p noise (200-300 hundred of uV RMS, depends) which is quite OK for me...well, I don't get any noise injected in my headphones.

 

[rebbiputzmaker]

If anyone finds a quality 5V SMPS for the D50, please post it here! The USB power off of my desktop is terrible, very audible noise through the line outs of my Oppo HA2-SE when connected to my desktop via USB (uses the ES9028-Q2M, by the way). May just be an issue with the HA-2SE, can't be certain. Much rather connect it to my Furman PST-8D conditioner than noisy USB

Only data I've found on a handful of SMPS's is here on ComputerAudiophile.com. Original poster tests ripple across the audio band.

https://www.computeraudiophile.com/forums/topic/31119-power-supply-8-group-test-lps-and-smps/

I posted this already, I will post it again. No reason to use a switching supply.

https://www.jameco.com/z/DDU050100M...MItqnIq8Dj2QIVBUwNCh18YQfyEAQYBSABEgJ8G_D_BwE

 

[trl]

It has 50mV ripple, quite high to be used with a DAC.