Should I get another Topping D90 for desktop use or something else?

[tonapo]

I have made a couple of comments on the D90 review thread, but I thought it might need its own thread.

I have had a Topping D90 balanced DAC in my main system, being fed by a RPi4, running as a HQ Player Network Audio Endpoint (NAA). The DAC feeds a Musical Fidelity M6si amp via XLR which then drives some KEF Reference 1 speakers. I am a Roon user with a wired ethernet network.

I have been really happy with the Topping, I have not been using it as a pre-amp, it has been in DAC mode only, receiving DSD256 from HQ player. It has been so good I thought I would like another D90 on my desktop aswell. I moved the DAC over to my desk to do a little testing first and it seems I have an volume control challenge.

I need to be able to connect my home pc via optical and music via USB (from an Allo USBridge Sig) for Roon use. The DAC feeds some Adam F5 active speakers, again via XLR. However as I don't have an integrated amp in this set-up I need a way to control the volume. I can use the DAC in pre-amp mode to control the volume but I may not be getting the maximum performance if I do, I am not sure about this. When using on my desktop I would still like to run a DSD signal into the DAC, and when doing this, Roon is reporting outputing DSD and the DAC is reporting receiving it, however I am not sure how the volume control actually works in this instance - is there some DSD to PCM conversion going on to control the volume?? I could try controlling via software, but this is problematic to match the optical and USB inputs for family use - it would need to be super easy to switch back and forth. There has been a maximum blast of music from the speakers already, although that was my fault! It certainly woke me up!

So a couple of questions. What is happening to the DSD signal when using the DAC in pre-amp mode? Is the DSD signal maintained? Or should I just run it using PCM instead? If I did that, which Roon conversion filter should I use, and what does that mean as the DAC has six settings also!!

Should I just get a different desktop DAC? However the Topping is such good value, I keep coming back to that as the choice.

 

[Hayashi]

Hi, Sorry I am not able to answer your question but I just wonder how you use the RPi4 as your audio player? I am new to RPi and i would like to DIY a RPi as my audio player. I want to DIY a RPi to connect to my Topping E30 DAC ? Can you share with me how you build the RPi4? Appreciate your time.

 

[ReaderZ]

I have made a couple of comments on the D90 review thread, but I thought it might need its own thread.

I have had a Topping D90 balanced DAC in my main system, being fed by a RPi4, running as a HQ Player Network Audio Endpoint (NAA). The DAC feeds a Musical Fidelity M6si amp via XLR which then drives some KEF Reference 1 speakers. I am a Roon user with a wired ethernet network.

I have been really happy with the Topping, I have not been using it as a pre-amp, it has been in DAC mode only, receiving DSD256 from HQ player. It has been so good I thought I would like another D90 on my desktop aswell. I moved the DAC over to my desk to do a little testing first and it seems I have an volume control challenge.

I need to be able to connect my home pc via optical and music via USB (from an Allo USBridge Sig) for Roon use. The DAC feeds some Adam F5 active speakers, again via XLR. However as I don't have an integrated amp in this set-up I need a way to control the volume. I can use the DAC in pre-amp mode to control the volume but I may not be getting the maximum performance if I do, I am not sure about this. When using on my desktop I would still like to run a DSD signal into the DAC, and when doing this, Roon is reporting outputing DSD and the DAC is reporting receiving it, however I am not sure how the volume control actually works in this instance - is there some DSD to PCM conversion going on to control the volume?? I could try controlling via software, but this is problematic to match the optical and USB inputs for family use - it would need to be super easy to switch back and forth. There has been a maximum blast of music from the speakers already, although that was my fault! It certainly woke me up!

So a couple of questions. What is happening to the DSD signal when using the DAC in pre-amp mode? Is the DSD signal maintained? Or should I just run it using PCM instead? If I did that, which Roon conversion filter should I use, and what does that mean as the DAC has six settings also!!

Should I just get a different desktop DAC? However the Topping is such good value, I keep coming back to that as the choice.

If you like the D90 and consider it to be good value, then I see no reason for you to get something else, as all good DAC will sound the same.

 

[tonapo]

how you use the RPi4 as your audio player

I have a few RPI4's now. My kitchen system RPI4 runs some free software (you can donate if you want to) called Ropieee, this can then be seen by Roon as a music endpoint. I have a Topping D10 connected to the RPI and it plays into some Ruark speakers, sounds great.

In my main system I load Network Audio Adapter (onto a RPI4) software from HQPlayer, I can then use HQPlayer and Roon together, sounds great too.

If you like the D90 and consider it to be good value, then I see no reason for you to get something else, as all good DAC will sound the same.

I ended up getting a ADI-2 DAC FS fropm RME, just for a change. Lovely bit of kit.