Topping D10s - why the digital outs?

[Aerius-Aye]

So I just got this cute little DAC to use with the heavily discounted Topping A30 Pro as my bedside headphone setup. Very impressive specs, and a super tidy presentation! I love this little thing. But I really do wonder why those digital outputs are not inputs. If there were a Toslink or SPDIF over RCA input, I would have the option to sub this DAC into my main system, where my MiniDSP SHD Studio acts both a processor and digital input selector feeding the Benchmark DAC2 that drives my amp. If I subbed in the D10s, then I could send my Benchmark DAC2 HGC in to Amir for review. But alas, it is not to be for now.

But it got me thinking. Is Topping getting ready to release some kind of stand-alone digital EQ or processor?. The software EQ they did on the D50 III might point in that direction. How incredibly cool would a D10 style box that 10 band digital graphic EQ on the front panel ? Or a room EQ box. Or a multi-featured programmable software EQ. As a Mac user the last option would not be so great for me unless maybe they did the UI through a little web server in the box or something. (I doubt greatly we would see a Mac version of the software).

// End fantasy
// Hope you guys are having fun

 

[anome]

To act as a bridge device.

 

[Aerius-Aye]

To act as a bridge device.

Absolutely, as they say in the ad copy, documentation etc. Am I being unimaginative, or is there a big demand for this bridge functionality? I am a bit out of it today, so I may be missing something obvious. What are a couple of very popular reasons to use a DAC as a bridge?

 

[Chester]

I use it for exactly that, as do many others.

 

[Aerius-Aye]

I use it for exactly that, as do many others.

So I guess Topping must have been getting requests for this. So you use it as a bridge to a second DAC? Looking for specifics. Thanks!

 

[anome]

Imagine a DAC wo USB input.

 

[Aerius-Aye]

Imagine a DAC wo USB input.

Ah, so this little device allows you to get a superior (or just preferred) non-USB DAC to your computer USB port. Makes sense. I am guessing there must have been a "hole in the market" for this.

 

[mhardy6647]

Ah, so this little device allows you to get a superior (or just preferred) non-USB DAC to your computer USB port. Makes sense. I am guessing there must have been a "hole in the market" for this.

OH!
Seems kind of brute force as a way to add a USB input, but it's better than my previous "understanding" of passing the digital signal through the box -- which a priori was incomprehensible to me!

Not like one could stick a tube buffer in there or anything...


gratuitous image of my non "S" Topping D10

 

[Aerius-Aye]

OH!
Seems kind of brute force as a way to add a USB input, but it's better than my previous "understanding" of passing the digital signal through the box -- which a priori was incomprehensible to me!

Not like one could stick a tube buffer in there or anything...


gratuitous image of my non "S" Topping D10

Did you really stick a tube buffer in it? Cool!

 

[mhardy6647]

Did you really stick a tube buffer in it? Cool!

no.