I'm also using a Hypex Power Amp (NC122MP) and have exactly the same behaviour. I have quite a few Hypex amps (including NC500) and they all need winding up a long way to get really loud with both my Tannoy System10's and Duntech's... Previously was using an Oppo 105D as my preamp and would be up at 80%+ for "when the Mrs is out" listening levels.
-
WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!
Topping D30Pro Review (Balanced DAC)
- Thread starter amirm
- Start date
I'm also using a Hypex Power Amp (NC122MP) and have exactly the same behaviour. I have quite a few Hypex amps (including NC500) and they all need winding up a long way to get really loud with both my Tannoy System10's and Duntech's... Previously was using an Oppo 105D as my preamp and would be up at 80%+ for "when the Mrs is out" listening levels.
Lupin
Addicted to Fun and Learning
- Joined
- Feb 11, 2021
- Messages
- 586
- Likes
- 983
From what I understand you can contact @JohnYang1997 if you experience this issue with the D30Pro and he will hook you up with a custom firmware that will solve this issue.
I remember that I asked a while ago why the firmware with the PCM 384 fix is not available for download from the Topping site because as far as I understood from the reactions FW 2.44 doesn't include this fix. Never got an reaction though.
I know the existence of private FW2.45. Topping recognized a problem with the D30 Pro's PCM 384Khz and provided FW2.45 to some users on a trial basis. But the result is unknown. If it works, I think FW2.45 should be officially released. So I still judge that this issue remains unresolved.
aandres_gm
Senior Member
It works.
Saponetto
Active Member
After so many posts about the D30 Pro's filters, I was getting almost puzzled so I dedicated some time to figure and well understand the behavior of each of these in order to profitably use them as well, based on my subjective listening pleasure.
Honestly don't know what causes this difference but listening 44.1 KHz contents filters seems to respond mainly forwarding the soundstage with an obvious and pleasant evidence on vocals, and listening 88.2-96KHz contents filters seems to respond mainly varying the soundstage width and, oh, a lot, its depth.
My ear-subjective result is that F2 seems to be the proud "allrounder", the One, who is good for all genres, F4 gladly opens the soundstage with good, high-detailed jazz pieces, F5 (the NOS one) works great for old, immersive-warmish Prog-Rock contents and F8 is surprisingly good with dynamic rock contents.
All other filters seems to be useful blending points through these.
Honestly don't know what causes this difference but listening 44.1 KHz contents filters seems to respond mainly forwarding the soundstage with an obvious and pleasant evidence on vocals, and listening 88.2-96KHz contents filters seems to respond mainly varying the soundstage width and, oh, a lot, its depth.
My ear-subjective result is that F2 seems to be the proud "allrounder", the One, who is good for all genres, F4 gladly opens the soundstage with good, high-detailed jazz pieces, F5 (the NOS one) works great for old, immersive-warmish Prog-Rock contents and F8 is surprisingly good with dynamic rock contents.
All other filters seems to be useful blending points through these.
Archimago is reviewing Topping D90SE in his site. He's discussing filters with some measurements, I don't own this or that dac, so I don't know if the filters used are similar, but maybe you can learn something new in there.
Saponetto
Active Member
Different DAC Chips, different filters and, of course, different behaviors... anyway i'm always pleased to read something new.
Thanks for the advice!
Thanks for the advice!
Lupin
Addicted to Fun and Learning
- Joined
- Feb 11, 2021
- Messages
- 586
- Likes
- 983
D30Pro has an integrated power supply.
So any decent quality power cable that terminates into IEC C13 connector with a length that suits your needs will be just fine.
I am about to take a breathe and buy the D30 pro, then I watched a review from Srboljub Stojanovic (iiWi Reviews)
stating that Topping D70s is faster and more detailed.
So i went to check the measurements, and the differences are really minor between the two, and mostly in favor of D30 pro:
So is there any explanation why D70s should sound better?
@JohnYang1997 what is your point here?
So i went to check the measurements, and the differences are really minor between the two, and mostly in favor of D30 pro:
- Sinad: D70s is 0.5 db better
- Dynamic range @4v: D30 pro 3db better
- Intermodulation distortion: D30 pro is a couple db better at lower levels
- Filters: D30 pro has a slightly better attenuation
- Jitter: D30 pro has better performance with coax and toslink, usb is equal
- Multitone: D70s has 10db better performance below 100hz
- THD+N vs frequency: D30 pro is 5-7 db better with 45khz bandwidth (a later post from Amir)
So is there any explanation why D70s should sound better?
@JohnYang1997 what is your point here?
@amarsicola both DACs should sound the same. I doubt that guy did a blind test, he just needs something to say for content. Or maybe he heard the difference of repositioned headphones when switching DACs. My Sennheiser 560S can sound quite different when adjusting position on head.
Lupin
Addicted to Fun and Learning
- Joined
- Feb 11, 2021
- Messages
- 586
- Likes
- 983
I doubt you'll (or he) hear any differences in a controlled volume matched double blind test.
This is just one subjective review. Read a couple more subjective reviews if you're interested in the subjective side of things. You'll soon notice that all subjective reviews say something different about the D30Pro.. so which review carries more weight, which review to believe above the others?
Makes much more sense to me to let the cost, form factor and feature set decide which one to buy than the supposed difference(s) in sound that also changes depending on which subjective reviewer you ask/read the review of.
Saponetto
Active Member
@amarsicola
What I like in Srboljub's reviews is the emphasis he profuses in detailing all he feels.
Have to admit that his review of the D30 Pro was the main factor that drove me to get it and I'm still happy of that decision, so I can understand the complex mind-state you currently have.
D70s or D30Pro are made of same good stuff for my hardened ears.
However, D70s is way better equipped in terms of connectivity, maybe this could be diriment in your choice more than sound differences.
What I like in Srboljub's reviews is the emphasis he profuses in detailing all he feels.
Have to admit that his review of the D30 Pro was the main factor that drove me to get it and I'm still happy of that decision, so I can understand the complex mind-state you currently have.
D70s or D30Pro are made of same good stuff for my hardened ears.
However, D70s is way better equipped in terms of connectivity, maybe this could be diriment in your choice more than sound differences.
The D30 Pro is a nice DAC, but it does not accept digital in from my CD players and CD transport (Audiolab CDT6000) without skipping. These all work perfectly with my other DACs.
After two units with exactly the same problem, here is the response from Topping:
"
Thank you for contacting TOPPING support. We are happy to assist.
I think you may be experiencing compatibility issue.
The general CD jitter is relatively large. D30 pro has very high
requirements on the input SPDIF signal, including stability,
normalization, voltage, jitter, etc. In other words, D30 pro requires
high SPDIF signal, and the signal jitter of your CD output is large,
which may lead to incompatibility. You may have encountered such a
situation. We have no solution for this situation.
Best Regards"
So the D30 Pro may have great specs, but it may not work with your CD player.
Given the above response I think the ASR 'recommended' rating for this Topping DAC should be reconsidered.
After two units with exactly the same problem, here is the response from Topping:
"
Thank you for contacting TOPPING support. We are happy to assist.
I think you may be experiencing compatibility issue.
The general CD jitter is relatively large. D30 pro has very high
requirements on the input SPDIF signal, including stability,
normalization, voltage, jitter, etc. In other words, D30 pro requires
high SPDIF signal, and the signal jitter of your CD output is large,
which may lead to incompatibility. You may have encountered such a
situation. We have no solution for this situation.
Best Regards"
So the D30 Pro may have great specs, but it may not work with your CD player.
Given the above response I think the ASR 'recommended' rating for this Topping DAC should be reconsidered.
Saponetto
Active Member
My D30Pro also suffers of this hassle... I had to check for it because usually I don't use optical and coaxial S-PDIF inputs.
Tested with a Denon 800NE and a Tangent CDII, there was no way at all to listen any music without these nasty "chops".
On late yesterday evening I tested the D30Pro using my TVs (Samsung and Sony) Toslink outputs) and guess what, it worked flawlessly.
Tested then with an old, old, old glorious WDLive via its Toslink output and, again, it worked like a charm.
Hmmm...
Then I made a silly test, by putting the Tangent Toslink output into a digital-to-digital converter (5VDC-fed, "el cheapo" no-brand, with selectable Toslink In-Coax out or Coax in-Toslink out modes) I got on Amazon some time ago.
Wow, chops suddenly ended by using the coax input of the D30Pro.
Made the same test with the Denon, and it also worked fine.
Reversing the inputs (Coax in-Toslink out) on the converter, the Denon's coax output gains a stable link with D30Pro's optical port.
I mean, it's nothing worth to be called a "purist" solution imho.
This "trick" simply seems to force the D30Pro S-PDIF inputs to work, and I think it also puts some light on the nature of this hassle.
Unfortunately I am neither equipped nor able to measure the relative difference of S-PDIF signal levels, maybe some charitable "tech soul" could do this in order to see if the above assertion of Topping CS is somewhat relevant on this issue.
Tested with a Denon 800NE and a Tangent CDII, there was no way at all to listen any music without these nasty "chops".
On late yesterday evening I tested the D30Pro using my TVs (Samsung and Sony) Toslink outputs) and guess what, it worked flawlessly.
Tested then with an old, old, old glorious WDLive via its Toslink output and, again, it worked like a charm.
Hmmm...
Then I made a silly test, by putting the Tangent Toslink output into a digital-to-digital converter (5VDC-fed, "el cheapo" no-brand, with selectable Toslink In-Coax out or Coax in-Toslink out modes) I got on Amazon some time ago.
Wow, chops suddenly ended by using the coax input of the D30Pro.
Made the same test with the Denon, and it also worked fine.
Reversing the inputs (Coax in-Toslink out) on the converter, the Denon's coax output gains a stable link with D30Pro's optical port.
I mean, it's nothing worth to be called a "purist" solution imho.
This "trick" simply seems to force the D30Pro S-PDIF inputs to work, and I think it also puts some light on the nature of this hassle.
Unfortunately I am neither equipped nor able to measure the relative difference of S-PDIF signal levels, maybe some charitable "tech soul" could do this in order to see if the above assertion of Topping CS is somewhat relevant on this issue.
How come they test so much their products with audio analyzers and nerdish tests, and not with Average Joe's cd player, also because the solution is just a few cents away, as Saponetto discovered.
Mmmmh.
Mmmmh.
Saponetto
Active Member
At the moment, my interest is to understand if this is a feasible way to go over this limitation, but most interesting fact is that, at the end of the day, the S-PDIF inputs are operative and works.
"How" these shoud work is a question only Topping Tech could give relevant answers about.
My first thought is that the "cheapo" simply does what it is made for: "interface."
Maybe impedance is a critical but underestimated parameter that heavily affects the performances of coaxial cables used on the D30Pro.
Maybe a minimal quality requirement about optical signal transmissibility shoud be defined about optical cables to be used on the D30Pro.
Hmmm... this could really drive to another cable-aimed "Average Joe's" test session...
"How" these shoud work is a question only Topping Tech could give relevant answers about.
My first thought is that the "cheapo" simply does what it is made for: "interface."
Maybe impedance is a critical but underestimated parameter that heavily affects the performances of coaxial cables used on the D30Pro.
Maybe a minimal quality requirement about optical signal transmissibility shoud be defined about optical cables to be used on the D30Pro.
Hmmm... this could really drive to another cable-aimed "Average Joe's" test session...
Hi all
My new D30 pro is on its way with the mail now. I sold my Arcam Irdac-II for the same price a the d30pro costs. I'm hoping that I might hear a small improvement in the sound, but I have honestly never been able to, when switching DACs. But it will be nice with XLR ports and RCA ports for future subwoofers.
May I ask if any of you have the d30 pro connected to an unbalanced power amp with xlr ports through its balanced XLR ports? Is it safe?
Just want to be absolutely sure because I've lost a tweeter on my speaker before due to a faulty interconnect cable. So I'm not not taking any chances!
My new D30 pro is on its way with the mail now. I sold my Arcam Irdac-II for the same price a the d30pro costs. I'm hoping that I might hear a small improvement in the sound, but I have honestly never been able to, when switching DACs. But it will be nice with XLR ports and RCA ports for future subwoofers.
May I ask if any of you have the d30 pro connected to an unbalanced power amp with xlr ports through its balanced XLR ports? Is it safe?
Just want to be absolutely sure because I've lost a tweeter on my speaker before due to a faulty interconnect cable. So I'm not not taking any chances!
Saponetto
Active Member
I beg your pardon, maybe I misunderstood your question, but... why should you need to connect the XLR outputs of the D30Pro to an unbalanced amp if you also have devoted unbalanced RCA outputs available?
Good question.
First... I plan to use all the outputs in the future. 2 channels for my speakers and 1 or 2 for subwoofers. If I get an unbalanced subwoofer, I need to know then.
Secondly. I just like XLR much more than RCA. So I was hoping to use only XLR cables on my setup before i get the subwoofers
.Similar threads
- Poll
- Poll
