Review and Measurements of Topping D50 DAC

[Veri]

I think it has to do with the fact that the master clock should be on the dac not on the transport, and entry level dac don't reclock enough.

In the measurements we see no real concerns with jitter, nor clock implementation, though. So I don't think our hearing somehow transcends the measurement machine in hearing any re-clocking "fault".

 

[sonci]

In the measurements we see no real concerns with jitter, nor clock implementation, though. So I don't think our hearing somehow transcends the measurement machine in hearing any re-clocking "fault".

Yes but we are feeding cheap dacs with optical signal from Audio precission, and they measure well.
I don't think that they will measure the same connected to cd players or media servers.
Anyway, IME those plastic discs just sound better when played in a cd player, maybe it's palcebo, but I can listen to cd player all the day. It's not about detail or soundstage, it's more about the rhythm.

 

[gorg]

Have you tried any expensive dac either?

 

[gorg]

Yes but we are feeding cheap dacs with optical signal from Audio precission, and they measure well.

You are wrong. See (for example): https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...asurements-of-topping-d50-dac.2403/post-68354

 

[Veri]

Yes but we are feeding cheap dacs with optical signal from Audio precission, and they measure well.
I don't think that they will measure the same connected to cd players or media servers.
Anyway, IME those plastic discs just sound better when played in a cd player, ...

Actually pretty much all Amir's tests are conducted over plain USB, unless otherwise stated. I know it's easy to have a prejudice against these cheap boxes.. (the D50's not even plastic but nice mass produced aluminium iirc lol). I can understand still loving CDs though, just saying that in technicalities there should be no real downsides.

 

[sonci]

Have you tried any expensive dac either?

No, the Dac1, D30, and some Nos dacs are all I have.
It' s a mess trying to change cds all the time, I'm going to try some RME Dac, and if the case, cds for ever!

 

[gorg]

Try to connect cd analog output to your amp and optical (or coaxial) output via external dac to another input of the amp, at the same time. Then try to switch inputs of your amp back and forth "on the fly" and check what's going on with sound (remembering that the output levels probably will not be the same).

 

[sonci]

Try to connect cd analog output to your amp and optical (or coaxial) output via external dac to another input of the amp, at the same time. Then try to switch inputs of your amp back and forth "on the fly" and check what's going on with sound (remembering that the output levels probably will not be the same).

mate, I'm not 3 years old.
I also have a remote and change inputs on the fly.
Nothing is happening with the sound, cd player just sounds better.

 

[gorg]

Sorry for that

 

[andreasmaaan]

mate, I'm not 3 years old.
I also have a remote and change inputs on the fly.

Have you wondered whether perhaps the DACs in your CD players are introducing audible nonlinear distortion that you actually prefer with some or all program material? Blind tests seem to indicate that many people prefer low levels of particular kinds of distortion vs transparency (no doubt to some extent program and system dependent). Certain kinds of distortion can probably add a bit of airiness, sense of detail, bite, etc - the kinds of things that might then feel noticeably absent when gone.

 

[sonci]

Ha ha, no I have no Schitt cd player. Why is it so wrong that a machine made to play cd, sounds better that an external Dac.
I'll update soon after getting the Adi2 Dac..

 

[andreasmaaan]

Ha ha, no I have no Schitt cd player. Why is it so wrong that a machine made to play cd, sounds better that an external Dac.
I'll update soon after getting the Adi2 Dac..

Nothing wrong Nothing wrong with any preference IMO. But you have measurements of the D50 which indicate it sails well below all experimentally established distortion audibility thresholds, whereas you don't have measurements (I presume) of your CD players. My suggestion would appear to me to be the most likely explanation is all...

PS if you look at measurements of products that are expensive and/or well-regarded, you won't necessarily see any correlation with their level (or not) of transparency. The fact your CD players are well-regarded or expensive is not necessarily any indication that they perform technically better than the Topping. Do your CD players sound different from each other in your opinion? That would be a sign IMHO that some or all of them are technically inferior to the Topping.

And PPS, I have the Adi-2 DAC. It sounds great, but I don't expect the Topping sounds any different.

 

[gorg]

Ha ha, no I have no Schitt cd player. Why is it so wrong that a machine made to play cd, sounds better that an external Dac.

I think because external dacs are made to "play" cd's either

 

[mi-fu]

Firmware for Topping's D10 D50 DX7s has been uploaded again.
Ver 1.02 (18I) is now available for download.

I got a following response from Topping, saying that it was their website problem - the web page was rolled back to the older version. The firmwares are all good

 

[mi-fu]

On a side note, the previous disappearance of the upcoming DX3 pro news on the Topping website was also due to server problem. I think the news is up again

And, they confirmed that they will be sending an engineering sample for Amir to review and measurement. They said they wished to send a retail version, but they didn't have enough time to prepare for it.

 

[Jimmy]

mate, I'm not 3 years old.
I also have a remote and change inputs on the fly.
Nothing is happening with the sound, cd player just sounds better.

Don't assume that all CD/DVD players have good SPDIF/Toslink quality outputs, some of them are pretty useless, just look at this page :

http://www.jacquesstompboxes.com/oscillo.htm

Nowadays probably the best way to listen to music is to rip your collection to a lossless format (flac,ape,...)+cue files using something like EAC + Accuraterip & CDDB for filling track info, and connecting a good DAC using USB to a PC or MAC computer. No matter how much you spend on a transport, it won't get better than that and you can preserve the original discs. If DSD is not a must, a cheap computer with not so great processing power and resources can do the job, even for less than 200$, the rest can be spent on storage media.

 

[Toku]

And, they confirmed that they will be sending an engineering sample for Amir to review and measurement. They said they wished to send a retail version, but they didn't have enough time to prepare for it.

Thank you for the information of DX3pro.
AK4493 is superior in performance to AK4490 and its evaluation is also high.
I am looking forward to review by Amir.

 

[sonci]

Thank you for the information of DX3pro.
AK4493 is superior in performance to AK4490 and its evaluation is also high.
I am looking forward to review by Amir.

This is great, even though I think its better that our devices get measured by Amir, manufacture samples may not reflect all production.
Examples: Benchmark Dac3 review, also my D30 was full of Capxon and no Nichicons..

 

[Veri]

This is great, even though I think its better that our devices get measured by Amir, manufacture samples may not reflect all production.
Examples: Benchmark Dac3 review, also my D30 was full of Capxon and no Nichicons..

This is indeed a valid concern. Sad to hear about the capacitors..

 

[Reddy]

mate, I'm not 3 years old.
I also have a remote and change inputs on the fly.
Nothing is happening with the sound, cd player just sounds better.

i tested the topping d50 with linux and also with an old sony cdp-911 optical connected. sounds very good but!!!

my cheaper modified sony cdp-411 sounds better than boths with crappies jrc4558 opamps.