Topping D10s USB DAC and Bridge Review

[Wolf69]

I have a setup like this, but with the older D10. Old (retired) iPhone 6S connected to the 'Apple Lightning to USB3 Camera Adapter' (so the phone can connect to the D10 AND charge at the same time) connected to the D10 connected to my NAD C320BEE. I've been running it that way for many months and it sounds incredible (lossless files, Spotify, Tunein, etc.). It's very stable too, never craps out.

So it works fine if you have an adaptator where you can plug a charger as well.
Howerver i’m a bit surprise because i thought lossless (at least for the apple music app) couldn’t do lossless in iphone 6s due to being stuck with IOS12.

 

[student of history]

So it works fine if you have an adaptator where you can plug a charger as well.
Howerver i’m a bit surprise because i thought lossless (at least for the apple music app) couldn’t do lossless in iphone 6s due to being stuck with IOS12.

The 6S runs IOS 15. Probably the last version it will run.

 

[slg1986]

Hi,
i have this configuration: Onkyo a9130, Indiana Line Tesi 261 and Rasp 2 with hifiberry dac digi + with optical connection.
I'm going to improve everything (and much important the sound) if I buy Topping D10S and a mini pc fanless?
Thanks all

 

[Wolf69]

The 6S runs IOS 15. Probably the last version it will run.

You’re lucky i checked for my I6 and it’s stuck at IOS12, your model is the older one to have the latest updates, damn…

 

[Killingbeans]

Hi,
i have this configuration: Onkyo a9130, Indiana Line Tesi 261 and Rasp 2 with hifiberry dac digi + with optical connection.
I'm going to improve everything (and much important the sound) if I buy Topping D10S and a mini pc fanless?
Thanks all

Not very likely, unless the placebo effect counts. DAC + streamer has practically zero influence on sound quality compared to the speakers, IMO.

 

[greengf]

Hi - very helpful to read through the opinions about the d10s. I need something like this to get PCM signals into my Marantz pm6006 amp (DAC included that's highly rated). I'm thinking either the d10s or perhaps the Douk Audio U2 Pro (https://www.doukaudio.com/products/...ptical-12s-converter-digital-interface-dsd256, rave comments about it on Head-Fi.org) - anyone have any comparison comments? They don't refer to the Topping over there.

I'm currently running a HRT Music Streamer II+ (2010, £330 originally) from my PC via USB > pm6006 (2018, £470) RCA sockets > KEF iQ5SE. Good Chord company cabling. Previous decent results with NAD C315BEE amp and Hot Audio DAC (handmade in canada, 2015 £160). Not seeing huge jumps in quality as I move to more expensive components, all that review well on hifi websites. Comments welcome. Maybe a d10s or Douk will make the difference.

Thanks, Geoff

 

[Zek]

If the DAC in the PM6006 is of good quality, can't you directly connect the digital SPDIF output from the PC to the amplifier?

 

[Killingbeans]

Not seeing huge jumps in quality as I move to more expensive components, all that review well on hifi websites. Comments welcome.

What are the things you wish you knew when starting out in this hobby?

One I can think of is the more it costs or the hype behind it seriously doesn't mean the better the music gets.

www.audiosciencereview.com

Maybe a d10s or Douk will make the difference.

Depends on what difference you're after? Straight digital-to-digital conversion is extremely unlikely to do anything audible.

 

[Toku]

Hi - very helpful to read through the opinions about the d10s. I need something like this to get PCM signals into my Marantz pm6006 amp (DAC included that's highly rated). I'm thinking either the d10s or perhaps the Douk Audio U2 Pro (https://www.doukaudio.com/products/...ptical-12s-converter-digital-interface-dsd256, rave comments about it on Head-Fi.org) - anyone have any comparison comments? They don't refer to the Topping over there.

I'm currently running a HRT Music Streamer II+ (2010, £330 originally) from my PC via USB > pm6006 (2018, £470) RCA sockets > KEF iQ5SE. Good Chord company cabling. Previous decent results with NAD C315BEE amp and Hot Audio DAC (handmade in canada, 2015 £160). Not seeing huge jumps in quality as I move to more expensive components, all that review well on hifi websites. Comments welcome. Maybe a d10s or Douk will make the difference.

Thanks, Geoff

I suggest connecting the D10s analog output to the PMA6006's AUX input rather than connecting an S/PDIF signal such as the D10s/Douk Audio U2 Pro to the PMA6006.
The reason is that the PMA6006's built-in DAC is not very good.

 

[afternine]

Hey, I'm a new owner of a D10s DAC, feeding it data from Raspberry Pi 3 running Volumio. D10s is connected directly to Pi's USB port, no USB hubs or such things in between there.
I read that D10s should go to sleep a few minutes after there is nothing to convert (play), but mine stays on all the time, even if there's nothing playing. Even if I switch Pi's output to headphone jack in Volumio, D10s stays powered up nevertheless. Raspberry Pi is on 24/7, so I'd like to figure this out.
Any tips on putting D10s to sleep without powering off Raspberry Pi?

 

[greengf]

Hi - very helpful to read through the opinions about the d10s. I need something like this to get PCM signals into my Marantz pm6006 amp (DAC included that's highly rated). I'm thinking either the d10s or perhaps the Douk Audio U2 Pro (https://www.doukaudio.com/products/...ptical-12s-converter-digital-interface-dsd256, rave comments about it on Head-Fi.org) - anyone have any comparison comments? They don't refer to the Topping over there.

I'm currently running a HRT Music Streamer II+ (2010, £330 originally) from my PC via USB > pm6006 (2018, £470) RCA sockets > KEF iQ5SE. Good Chord company cabling. Previous decent results with NAD C315BEE amp and Hot Audio DAC (handmade in canada, 2015 £160). Not seeing huge jumps in quality as I move to more expensive components, all that review well on hifi websites. Comments welcome. Maybe a d10s or Douk will make the difference.

Thanks, Geoff

So thanks for the several replies above, I appreciate you taking the time for someone who's new to the site and not contributed before.

My key motivation is to improve the sound quality of my system of course (even though it's pretty good, an experiment then), whether that's an improved USB DAC (surely possible over a 11 year old model, even if that was good in its day). I figured the amp upgrade (using RCA or digital inputs) should be noticeable over the NAD amp (a What hifi award winner), likewise with my speaker upgrade to newer KEFs. But the DAC maybe the weak link.

Computer soundcard digital out - I originally hoped to use this, obviously the most straightforward approach. However, the Marantz needs a PCM input and my Asus Xonar DSX soundcard only provides DTS, Dolby Digital, or Microsoft WMA Pro (looking at the settings in the driver). So I got silence.

Since the Marantz is so well reviewed I thought I'd use the on-board DAC (I see its quality questioned above, I'm interested in what gave that view), and a U2pro or d10s looked like they'd bridge the format issue and output PCM.

If instead I'm looking for a new DAC (rather than a "digital bridge"), then it becomes a different question, and I'd start looking at the options from Chord Company too, Cambridge Audio, SMSL, etc.

If we put those aside though, would you expect a significant improvement with a d10s (or U2pro) to my 2010 HRT DAC, using their analog output and ignoring the Marantz DAC?

Thanks again.

 

[Zek]

my Asus Xonar DSX soundcard only provides DTS, Dolby Digital, or Microsoft WMA Pro (looking at the settings in the driver).

Which audio player do you use?
Can't you bypass MS audio by using an audio player (eg Foobar)?
Look here https://dlsvr04.asus.com/pub/ASUS/Audio_Card/Xonar_DSX/E11099_Xonar_DSX_UM_V5_web.pdf

 

[Paolosnz]

I would like to know if using the usb-coaxial converter the resolution is displayed on the display, installing the drivers on windows is it seen as asio?
thanks

 

[anotherhobby]

I would like to know if using the usb-coaxial converter the resolution is displayed on the display, installing the drivers on windows is it seen as asio?
thanks

The D10s display always shows whatever resolution the DAC is being fed over USB. The analog, optical, and coaxial connections are all always active, outputting their signals simultaneously.

 

[Paolosnz]

ok thanks

 

[jeffbook]

So it works fine if you have an adaptator where you can plug a charger as well.
Howerver i’m a bit surprise because i thought lossless (at least for the apple music app) couldn’t do lossless in iphone 6s due to being stuck with IOS12.

The use of an external adapter to power any D10 would be vital as it draws its power from the D10 USB input. I would imagine that connecting it solely to any smart phone could deplete the phone battery rather quickly. In my system it is driven by my laptop and I keep the laptop charger permanently connected when streaming music to the D10.

 

[greengf]

Which audio player do you use?
Can't you bypass MS audio by using an audio player (eg Foobar)?
Look here https://dlsvr04.asus.com/pub/ASUS/Audio_Card/Xonar_DSX/E11099_Xonar_DSX_UM_V5_web.pdf
View attachment 189143

hey thanks for your reply. Yes I've got the Asus soundcard manual.

The issue as I understand it is that the PM6006 requires PCM inputs, and specifically not DTS ... here's a snippet from the manual for that device

On What Hifi someone has been getting around this (using a PM6007, just the next newer model) with a Douk U2Pro (receiving USB and outputting optical PCM). But I've been wondering if the Topping would do a better job, especially as used on eBay it's about the same price as the U2Pro. I'm wondering whether the Topping is likely to be a better option if I end up using the RCA outputs at some point, whereas surely the U2Pro can't be as a £60 device. The PM6006 quality is questioned in another reply to me, which I struggle with since it’s a major award winner and the review specifically refers to the DAC quality - www.whathifi.com/marantz/pm6006/review.

Perhaps it's all very marginal, and I'm just getting too drawn into some kind of imagined perfection, when I actually I really enjoy what I've already got! Metaphors for life here of course

 

[Zek]

The issue as I understand it is that the PM6006 requires PCM inputs

You can choose to have the SPDIF output in PCM format. See Asus manual..

 

[greengf]

Which audio player do you use?
Can't you bypass MS audio by using an audio player (eg Foobar)?
Look here https://dlsvr04.asus.com/pub/ASUS/Audio_Card/Xonar_DSX/E11099_Xonar_DSX_UM_V5_web.pdf
View attachment 189143

thanks for this - slightly embarrassing (I'm a computer professional) that I didn't just do a search of the manual for PCM. Looked at the windows driver and not the (out of sight in the taskbar) Asus utility too. Anyway, I'm using your time on my explanation now! Thanks again for putting me straight

You asked about my media app. I'm streaming from Tidal (exclusive use of the spdif into an optional port on my amp) and using Windows Media Player too (using system channel, another app that allows for exclusive use would obviously be better) for tracks I already own.

 

[Zek]

using Windows Media Player

another app that allows for exclusive use would obviously be better

Use Foobar2000 in exclusive mode.