Topping D10s USB DAC and Bridge Review

[Falco]

Hello, do I have to order the 10 or the 10S? for my genelec, I just have to use USB to SPDIF

Thank you

If you only plan to use usb to spdif then i think it doesn't matter you can order the cheapest one.

However if your Genelec accepts balanced inputs and you want to be able to use that someday, then order the D10 balanced.

You can check the differences here

D10 Balanced - TOPPING AUDIO

www.toppingaudio.com

 

[patoulol]

If you only plan to use usb to spdif then i think it doesn't matter you can order the cheapest one.

However if your Genelec accepts balanced inputs and you want to be able to use that someday, then order the D10 balanced.

You can check the differences here

D10 Balanced - TOPPING AUDIO

www.toppingaudio.com

thanks

Yes, they accept but I prefer to enter it digitally (SPDIF > AES).


Another question, can I use the Topping D10s with a Headphones ? using a thanks RCA >>> JACK adapter and play the volume with the PC ?


edit ; Headphones

 

[threni]

thanks

Yes, they accept but I prefer to enter it digitally (SPDIF > AES).


Another question, can I use the Topping D10s with a helmet? using a thanks RCA >>> JACK adapter and play the volume with the PC ?

You might need to use another translator. There's no need to wear a helmet when using a DAC; they're just not that dangerous.

 

[patoulol]

You might need to use another translator. There's no need to wear a helmet when using a DAC; they're just not that dangerous.

sorry

Headphones

 

[threni]

sorry

Headphones

It looks like no headphone out socket so you're going to need to connect this to an amp. I suppose you could connect a pair of headphones to the RCA out but no remote/volume control, plus no way of applying EQ (I don't listen to heaphones without EQ).

 

[staticV3]

Hello, do I have to order the 10 or the 10S? for my genelec, I just have to use USB >>>> SPDIF

An SMSL PO100 will do that just fine.

For that alone, no need to spend 3x as much on a DDC+DAC.

Another question, can I use the Topping D10s with a Headphones? using a thanks RCA >>> JACK adapter and play the volume with the PC ?

RCA Line out is purely for external Amps and the like and not for driving headphones directly.

You'll likely still get acceptable sound and yes you can control volume via your PC, but the D10s won't be happy and may overheat if you play too long.
It's not designed for that purpose.

 

[jeffbook]

I used a Topping D10s as a USB bridge to TOSlink for the last 2 to 3 years and had no problems whatsoever. Replaced recently by a miniDSP Flex 8

 

[patoulol]

I don't understand, how do I adjust my topping? I listen to 44.1 and 48khz

 

[krumpol]

That's your system setting. Whatever you set there, your OS would resample any sound played through the system mixer to this value. If you use default sound driver for your music player, all your music would be played in resampled rate set in this window.

ASIO (or WASAPI) driver for your music player is more important, since it allows your DAC bypassing this system setting and switching to correct sample rate of your source file automatically. Have you installed Topping's ASIO driver? There's also couple of readme files with explanation and instructions packed in:

D10 drivers for Windows 7,10&11 - TOPPING AUDIO

www.toppingaudio.com

 

[patoulol]

That's your system setting. Whatever you set there, your OS would resample any sound played through the system mixer to this value. If you use default sound driver for your music player, all your music would be played in resampled rate set in this window.

ASIO (or WASAPI) driver for your music player is more important, since it allows your DAC bypassing this system setting and switching to correct sample rate of your source file automatically. Have you installed Topping's ASIO driver? There's also couple of readme files with explanation and instructions packed in:

D10 drivers for Windows 7,10&11 - TOPPING AUDIO

www.toppingaudio.com

my music player is deezer so not wasapi or ASIO

thanks for the drivers

 

[staticV3]

I don't understand, how do I adjust my topping?

What part of your Topping are you looking to adjust?

 

[patoulol]

What part of your Topping are you looking to adjust?

Thank you, Krumpol replied I have to go through WASAPI or ASIO

But my DEZZER player is not compatible so I'll stay in 44.1

 

[patoulol]

Hello on the D10S the outputs working at the same time? So you can connect two systems simultaneously?

CAR and SPDIF

 

[staticV3]

Hello on the D10S the outputs working at the same time? So you can connect two systems simultaneously?

CAR and SPDIF

View attachment 421839

Yes, they work simultaneously.

 

[Schlippwhip68]

So, in your opinion what Yevgeni hears when swapping LME49720 to OPA1656 is only placebo or better, level difference?

Late to the thread but it’s not placebo. I have the D10s. Some models have the 1656 in the circuit, while other have the opa 2134. Adding another opa1656 to the board via the interchangeable option does indeed change things. I like the stock sound of the D10s to be honest, nice dark background with the stock LME49720 and its clean enough but and it is a pretty big butt…I mean but the stock op amp by comparison to the opa1656 is a little ‘boxy’. What’s inside the box is good, clean music but that’s all, there’s not much width to the soundstage or depth for that matter but again it’s still very good and credit to Topping a very good value dac.

The opa 1656 switches things up! The soundstage widens by a mile, gains more depth, drums have more weight as do bass lines, vocals come forward a fair bit more and sound more live, a lot more live. Treble is more accurate and pinpointing sounds is easier. It’s quite a bit of difference but I can see why people would settle for either choice here too.

I have a Burson V51-D on the way which is reputed to be another big step up from the stock chip so looking forwards to that.

 

[staticV3]

Edit:
In all seriousness, create a controlled listening environment and watch as all previously perceived differences vanish into thin air.

 

[Jimster480]

Late to the thread but it’s not placebo. I have the D10s. Some models have the 1656 in the circuit, while other have the opa 2134. Adding another opa1656 to the board via the interchangeable option does indeed change things. I like the stock sound of the D10s to be honest, nice dark background with the stock LME49720 and its clean enough but and it is a pretty big butt…I mean but the stock op amp by comparison to the opa1656 is a little ‘boxy’. What’s inside the box is good, clean music but that’s all, there’s not much width to the soundstage or depth for that matter but again it’s still very good and credit to Topping a very good value dac.

The opa 1656 switches things up! The soundstage widens by a mile, gains more depth, drums have more weight as do bass lines, vocals come forward a fair bit more and sound more live, a lot more live. Treble is more accurate and pinpointing sounds is easier. It’s quite a bit of difference but I can see why people would settle for either choice here too.

I have a Burson V51-D on the way which is reputed to be another big step up from the stock chip so looking forwards to that.

But op amps just don't work this way. It all depends on their actual specs and their capabilities of amplification as well as their general performance. Honestly, if you have the stock amplifier that has that much performance already, you will not get better performance by rolling it to another op amp that just has higher specs. It doesn't work that way.
The only reason that changing out the op amp would result in so much better sound production would be if the original design was actually not using the right op amp and you found a better one that fits that design. Because otherwise the topology of the amp would have to be changed in order to take advantage of the new op amp.

It's worth noting that bursun has never produced a product that gets into the top tier performance on this website. So I really don't see that their op amp would make sound so much better when it obviously doesn't work for their own products where they can control the amplifier's topology.
When I did some off-amp rolling years ago, I noticed that if the slew rate becomes too high, then the circuit seems to become unstable and the phase seems to get messed up.
Also, when selecting an op-amp, it must fit into the ideal voltages of the amplifier's topology or general design. Otherwise, it will not work properly.

 

[pma]

Adding another opa1656 to the board via the interchangeable option does indeed change things. I like the stock sound of the D10s to be honest, nice dark background with the stock LME49720 and its clean enough but and it is a pretty big butt

The 1656 used in SMD/DIP adapter likes to oscillate.

 

[Schlippwhip68]

Enjoying those 1656’s right now. It’s like watching someone skilfully paint live with air paint on an transparent canvass.

 

[Schlippwhip68]

The 1656 used in SMD/DIP adapter likes to oscillate.

I really can’t say I have noticed any oscillation during play back. Just popped a 1622 in which is slightly different again. Smoother but a fraction less open soundstage. I know, probably not the science bit,