Topping D30Pro Review (Balanced DAC)

[bANDYka]

Did you supply power to the converter? All cables fully plugged in?

Made it work after a few tries. The coaxial connector on the D30 is very tight and needed some power to fully attach. Thanks for your help staticV3! Have a great day!

 

[Ahmonge]

Owners of D30 Pro, be aware of this:

On the Distortion of Cirrus Logic CS431xx-Based Devices: A Comparative Review

Introduction Since their release in fall 2017, Cirrus Logic's two digital-to-analog converter (DAC) chips, the CS43131 and CS43198, have gained traction in industry, being adopted in quite a few consumer hi-fi and professional audio devices. With the recent boom of hi-fi products designed and...

audiosciencereview.com

 

[Lupin]

Meh
DAC sounded fine before I read this, and it still does sound fine to me after reading it
I will only buy a new DAC when the D30 Pro dies.

 

[Ahmonge]

Meh
DAC sounded fine before I read this, and it still does sound fine to me after reading it
I will only buy a new DAC when the D30 Pro dies.

Sure, it's not going to sound any worse, but it's good to know. And if Topping has anything to say about both the D30 Pro and the D70 Pro Octo.

 

[Kaisertastiera]

I downloaded the audio provided by jkmi and used the combination of a30pro+d30pro+dt900prox to listen to the audio. I'm sorry to tell you that Topping's cs still has this problem. Using a filter other than f5 will cause distorted noise at the beginning, and f5nos filtering can indeed solve this problem.

 

[Bjoran]

I tested my D30 Pro DAC according to user jkim, using the file CMaj.flac as input.

The audio chain was:
NAS (with the file CMaj.flac) --> Ethernet --> Streamer Wiim Pro Plus, full volume --> Optical connection --> DAC D30 Pro, the volume set to -15 dB --> Headphone Amplifier A90 Discrete, balanced input --> Headphones Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X

The D30 Pro firmware version was 2.46 (the latest).

The result:
Absolute no clicking sounds, only three parts of low frequency, which indicates no problem with the CirrusLogic CS43198 DAC chips.
I also tested with the DAC volume set to -20 dB but also in DAC mode, no change.

 

[Saponetto]

It's over 4 years of flawless service, matched with its companion amplifier A30Pro.
For sake of truth I tested it with the CMaj.flac file, but I was unable to get aware of any weirdness, maybe due my reduced hearing capabilities (tinnitus and lowered upper edge to 14 kHz)?

 

[Ahmonge]

I tested my D30 Pro DAC according to user jkim, using the file CMaj.flac as input.

The audio chain was:
NAS (with the file CMaj.flac) --> Ethernet --> Streamer Wiim Pro Plus, full volume --> Optical connection --> DAC D30 Pro, the volume set to -15 dB --> Headphone Amplifier A90 Discrete, balanced input --> Headphones Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X

The D30 Pro firmware version was 2.46 (the latest).

The result:
Absolute no clicking sounds, only three parts of low frequency, which indicates no problem with the CirrusLogic CS43198 DAC chips.
I also tested with the DAC volume set to -20 dB but also in DAC mode, no change.

Which digital filter are you using on the D30 Pro?

 

[Bjoran]

Which digital filter are you using on the D30 Pro?

I am using filter F-2 (default).

 

[Ahmonge]

I am using filter F-2 (default).

Same as I. I'll check my firmware version.

 

[MBO]

I tested my D30 Pro DAC according to user jkim, using the file CMaj.flac as input.

The audio chain was:
NAS (with the file CMaj.flac) --> Ethernet --> Streamer Wiim Pro Plus, full volume --> Optical connection --> DAC D30 Pro, the volume set to -15 dB --> Headphone Amplifier A90 Discrete, balanced input --> Headphones Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X

The D30 Pro firmware version was 2.46 (the latest).

The result:
Absolute no clicking sounds, only three parts of low frequency, which indicates no problem with the CirrusLogic CS43198 DAC chips.
I also tested with the DAC volume set to -20 dB but also in DAC mode, no change.

Optical connection reduces quality in all respects, perhaps because of this you could not hear distortions or your hearing capabilities did not allow you to do so. The D30 Pro also has these distortions.

 

[Lupin]

Optical connection reduces quality in all respects

No it does not.

 

[staticV3]

Optical connection reduces quality in all respects

The data disagrees:


Cognitive bias may tell you otherwise, but that's all it is.

 

[Waterunderthebridge]

My D30 pro stopped working, it only shows -4 on the screen, do we know what that is? Sometimes after power cycling 5-10 times it throws err1 briefly before going back to -4

 

[Ahmonge]

My D30 pro stopped working, it only shows -4 on the screen, do we know what that is? Sometimes after power cycling 5-10 times it throws err1 briefly before going back to -4

Have you tried factory reset?

 

[Waterunderthebridge]

Have you tried factory reset?

No, how do you do that?

 

[Ahmonge]

No, how do you do that?

According to manual:

 

[Waterunderthebridge]

According to manual:
View attachment 508242

Oh thanks, tried that but it doesn't really respond. It's stuck at - 4

 

[MBO]

Try installing the update.

D30 Pro version V2.46 firmware update - Topping audio

TOPPING, born in 2008, has evolved into a beloved global HIFI brand favored by users worldwide. We firmly believe that higher-quality music playback devices are essential for truly showcasing the allure of music. By investing extensively in professional technology and exceptional industrial...

www.toppingaudio.com

 

[gvl]

This appears to be a hardware failure, may be as simple as a failed solder joint. I had a Topping DX7 with badly soldered DAC chips that failed and it also was showing Err on the display.