Topping D10s USB DAC and Bridge Review

[jannek]

I know that review, thank you. I would be curious if the D10B was improved even more since that review or if these 6 months from review to release were only due to industrialization, other priorities or parts supply.
Anyway - it will be ordered the moment it becomes available.

 

[Veri]

What I especially expect from the D10b is a real balanced output using a transformer.
It is different from the balance circuit that outputs inversion using an OP amplifier.

It's an early $100 range DAC so I wouldn't expect too much besides great performance and value.

 

[Yorkshire Mouth]

It's an early $100 range DAC so I wouldn't expect too much besides great performance and value.

Great performance and value. What else is there to want?

 

[tonimccloud]

Do you know if d10 or d10s or e30 are playstation 5 compatible? Thanks

 

[Wolla]

Hi everybody, I’ve been a lurker for quite some time on this interesting audio site. I registered today, since I have a question to ask and hopefully receive an answer before I make a decision between the D10 Balanced and the D10s.

Q1: I’m in need of an USB to SPDIF converter for my NuForce DDA-100 and would like to know if there would be any advantage in getting the D10 Balanced over the D10s, specifically for USB to SPDIF conversion duties in my office with the DDA-100?

For frame of reference I have experience with the following converters: Halide Bridge, AP2 with PP, Bel Canto Ref-Link, which are all quite ancient by now.

Q2: How would the D10s and D10b stack up to the above mentioned old timers in this regard?

Any informed opinions will be appreciated, thanks.

 

[Toku]

Hi everybody, I’ve been a lurker for quite some time on this interesting audio site. I registered today, since I have a question to ask and hopefully receive an answer before I make a decision between the D10 Balanced and the D10s.

Q1: I’m in need of an USB to SPDIF converter for my NuForce DDA-100 and would like to know if there would be any advantage in getting the D10 Balanced over the D10s, specifically for USB to SPDIF conversion duties in my office with the DDA-100?

For frame of reference I have experience with the following converters: Halide Bridge, AP2 with PP, Bel Canto Ref-Link, which are all quite ancient by now.

Q2: How would the D10s and D10b stack up to the above mentioned old timers in this regard?

Any informed opinions will be appreciated, thanks.

The only difference between D10 Balanced and D10s is the audio output. The D10 Balanced is a model that simply changes the RCA unbalanced output of the D10s to a TRS balanced output. Added for scenes that require balanced output. There is no difference in S / PDIF output. There is no difference in function or sound quality.
Which one you choose depends on whether you need balanced output.
I think it's better to choose the D10s if you don't need it.

 

[Veri]

Hi everybody, I’ve been a lurker for quite some time on this interesting audio site. I registered today, since I have a question to ask and hopefully receive an answer before I make a decision between the D10 Balanced and the D10s.

Q1: I’m in need of an USB to SPDIF converter for my NuForce DDA-100 and would like to know if there would be any advantage in getting the D10 Balanced over the D10s, specifically for USB to SPDIF conversion duties in my office with the DDA-100?

You could still get the D10b for future proofing, if you ever need balanced outs.

 

[Wolla]

Thanks for the advice. I went with the D10s and ordered it off Amazon, purely for the fact that I could not find a D10 Balanced to purchase online .

So, now to wait a few weeks for it to get here.

 

[jst]

Can Topping D10s be modded ? Does it have Opamp in it ? Will it sound "better" ?

-edit-
after further reading, turns out yea it has opamp LME49720 and can be modded, as for better, it doesn't seem to change anything , at least for D10 , from amirm himself doing the mod.

There are expensive opamps like MUSES02 or Burson V6 I wonder if any of that will have an impact in the final sound output to our ears (not through measurement), LME49720 is around $4.4 , MUSES02 $34, Burson V6 $65

Someone did a fxaudio tube 03 preamp mod by changing its opamp and it seems like it does impact the final output, the opamp is used for the tone control part of the circuitry. I wonder if it is also used the same way in D10s.

 

[jeffbook]

ONBUGwALT6o[/MEDIA]

The op amp in the D10s is part of the input stage as far as I know. There are no tone control circuits in the Topping D10s.

I'm sure Burson would love to sell you an op amp that likely doesn't improve anything and may degrade the measured performance for 2/3 the cost of the DAC itself, or you could just send me the $65 and I will send you a teleportation tweak via the internet.

 

[Zek]

The op amp in the D10s is part of the input stage as far as I know.

You mean ..in the Tube 03...
Op amp in the D10 is part of output analog stage.

 

[Wolla]

Thanks for the advice. I went with the D10s and ordered it off Amazon, purely for the fact that I could not find a D10 Balanced to purchase online .

So, now to wait a few weeks for it to get here.

So my new D10s got delivered a few days ago now.

I used it as a USB to S/PDIF converter to feed my Nuforce DDA-100 ‘power dac’.

I let it run for 2 full days and it sounds pretty ok.

I also bought back a Halide Designs usb to s/pdif Bridge converter which I owned before and received it 2 days after the D10s.

I then changed out the D10s and replaced it with the Halide Bridge.

No contest, I prefer the Halide Bridge in my system over the D10s.

Hope this helps other people wondering if the D10s will bring improvements over their older dedicated USB to S/PDIF converters.

I’ll use the D10s as a dac in another system and see if I like it for what its actually designed for - as a dac.

 

[jeffbook]

You mean ..in the Tube 03...
Op amp in the D10 is part of output analog stage.

Well, I said as far as I know. Turns out I didn't know very far!!! Thanks for the correction.

 

[Veri]

So my new D10s got delivered a few days ago now.

I used it as a USB to S/PDIF converter to feed my Nuforce DDA-100 ‘power dac’.

I let it run for 2 full days and it sounds pretty ok.

I also bought back a Halide Designs usb to s/pdif Bridge converter and received it 2 days after the D10s.

It's.. just a digital connection. You can have dropouts of buggy software, but if it works consistently and problem free it just works.
"improvements over their older dedicated USB to S/PDIF converters", no way

 

[Jmudrick]

So my new D10s got delivered a few days ago now.

I used it as a USB to S/PDIF converter to feed my Nuforce DDA-100 ‘power dac’.

I let it run for 2 full days and it sounds pretty ok.

I also bought back a Halide Designs usb to s/pdif Bridge converter and received it 2 days after the D10s.

I then changed out the D10s and replaced it with the Halide Bridge.

No contest, I prefer the Halide Bridge in my system over the D10s.

Hope this helps other people wondering if the D10s will bring improvements over their older dedicated USB to S/PDIF converters.

Hmm no.

 

[Wolla]

It's.. just a digital connection. You can have dropouts of buggy software, but if it works consistently and problem free it just works.
"improvements over their older dedicated USB to S/PDIF converters", no way

I have no idea what you are trying to convey, please elaborate.

 

[Wolla]

Hmm no.

Same here, I have no idea what you are trying to convey, please elaborate.

 

[usern]

I have no idea what you are trying to convey, please elaborate.

Unless there is a DSP chip that changes the sound in digital domain in Halide Bridge, there should be no audible differences between D10s and Halide Bridge as USB -> S/PIDF converter.

 

[Tangband]

Unless there is a DSP chip that changes the sound in digital domain in Halide Bridge, there should be no audible differences between D10s and Halide Bridge as USB -> S/PIDF converter.

I would say - it depends . Having a non-galvanic connection from USB bridge to DAC can be better for the sound . I was rather surprised by the outcome of my own experiments with an external USB bridge .
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...-ddc-re-clocking-advisable.25347/#post-884906

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/bits-are-not-bits-…-or.25101/#post-854084

 

[FTB]

Hello Amir,

Thanks for the review. I'm looking for my next DAC.
I like well-designed and well-built stuff with a reasonable price out of hallucinated marketing and audiophile madness, so the Topping D10S and JDS Labs Atom DAC+ are on the list.

They are pretty close on your measurements, is there one you could recommend more ?
Theorically, a DAC with mural power supply is better than USB-powered, no ?

Thanks