Topping D30Pro Review (Balanced DAC)

[Saponetto]

Nothing my ears are able to detect...

 

[skyfly]

Does D30 Pro work with Samsung or LG TV via coaxial or optical cable? I heard that D90se has trouble by design. Which Topping DAC works fine with most TVs? D50s?

This is on Amazon.
Note: Topping factory does not recommend connecting the D30pro/E30 to the CD player, because it has high requirements on the input of the CD player. And most CD devices will cause music to stutter/ skip.

 

[bcurtin]

Does D30 Pro work with Samsung or LG TV via coaxial or optical cable? I heard that D90se has trouble by design. Which Topping DAC works fine with most TVs? D50s?

This is on Amazon.
Note: Topping factory does not recommend connecting the D30pro/E30 to the CD player, because it has high requirements on the input of the CD player. And most CD devices will cause music to stutter/ skip.

I am currently using optical out directly from my LG OLED TV without issue.

 

[NiagaraPete]

Does D30 Pro work with Samsung or LG TV via coaxial or optical cable? I heard that D90se has trouble by design. Which Topping DAC works fine with most TVs? D50s?

This is on Amazon.
Note: Topping factory does not recommend connecting the D30pro/E30 to the CD player, because it has high requirements on the input of the CD player. And most CD devices will cause music to stutter/ skip.

I don't see any issue. TV's aren't likely to have coxail output though.

 

[Saponetto]

As I previously wrote, it works fine with both my TV sets, either via coax or via Toslink.

 

[skyfly]

Thanks for sharing your experience with TV.

 

[Ogunya]

I ordered one to use unbalanced with tube headphone amp and balanced with set of speakers. I got quite surprised by the high frequency noise I got from the dac. I returned it and now I wonder what is the chance it was a defective unit? The noise was kind of a shit class D amp noise.

 

[mr_samsonite]

If i am using JBL 305p MKII with D30pro balanced output as a preamp, which input sensitivity should I set on the speaker? -10dBv or +4dBu?

Also, I noticed a volume control on the "topping USB audio device control panel". What's the difference in this volume control vs the one controlled by the D30pro knob?

Bump. I have the same question. Thank you.

 

[skyfly]

I ordered one to use unbalanced with tube headphone amp and balanced with set of speakers. I got quite surprised by the high frequency noise I got from the dac. I returned it and now I wonder what is the chance it was a defective unit? The noise was kind of a shit class D amp noise.

I hear hiss from D50s if I let Audirvana upsample by Sox to above 700kHz. Upsampling up to 384kHz is fine.

 

[Atanasi]

If i am using JBL 305p MKII with D30pro balanced output as a preamp, which input sensitivity should I set on the speaker? -10dBv or +4dBu?

Also, I noticed a volume control on the "topping USB audio device control panel". What's the difference in this volume control vs the one controlled by the D30pro knob?

Bump. I have the same question. Thank you.

+4 dBu sensitivity requires 20.3 dBu input for peak SPL. D30 Pro doesn't reach that, so the maximum volume requires the -10 dBV sensitivity, which has peak SPL at 6 dBV. JBL has so much self-noise that D30 Pro doesn't affect it either way.

Both volume controls work digitally more or less the same but they are applied during different stages. In my experience, the control panel volume is the same as the Windows mixer volume and it is applied by the USB receiver. The D30 Pro knob volume is applied after that by the DAC chip.

 

[elole]

+4 dBu sensitivity requires 20.3 dBu input for peak SPL. D30 Pro doesn't reach that, so the maximum volume requires the -10 dBV sensitivity, which has peak SPL at 6 dBV. JBL has so much self-noise that D30 Pro doesn't affect it either way.

Both volume controls work digitally more or less the same but they are applied during different stages. In my experience, the control panel volume is the same as the Windows mixer volume and it is applied by the USB receiver. The D30 Pro knob volume is applied after that by the DAC chip.

Thanks for your help!

hmm I see online the +4 dBu option is for balanced out on dacs as a rule of thumb, but seems it is not the case?
I noticed both +4 dBu and -10dbV options sound different at similar volume level.

Ok I noticed changing the topping control panel volume also shifted the windows volume.

 

[Atanasi]

hmm I see online the +4 dBu option is for balanced out on dacs as a rule of thumb, but seems it is not the case?

+4 dBu is the professional reference level. Professional audio interfaces can typically output relatively high voltages like 19 dBu or 21 dBu, comparable to JBL's peak level 20.3 dBu. D30 Pro has the maximum of 4 V, which is 14 dBu, 6 dB short of JBL's peak level. You have to decide if you need the maximum volume or not.

 

[elole]

+4 dBu is the professional reference level. Professional audio interfaces can typically output relatively high voltages like 19 dBu or 21 dBu, comparable to JBL's peak level 20.3 dBu. D30 Pro has the maximum of 4 V, which is 14 dBu, 6 dB short of JBL's peak level. You have to decide if you need the maximum volume or not.

I see I see. Thanks. I'm always using about 50% of the speaker's volume knob, so I guess either should be fine

 

[Forelsket11]

Nice DAC! Using rca to connect amp for headphone, D50S or D30PRO? Diff a lot？

 

[Ogunya]

I ordered one to use unbalanced with tube headphone amp and balanced with set of speakers. I got quite surprised by the high frequency noise I got from the dac. I returned it and now I wonder what is the chance it was a defective unit? The noise was kind of a shit class D amp noise.

The shop from where I got it confirmed it is a defective unit which doesn't speak much good for the Topping company and their QA. Not sure if to wait for new dac or to buy something else. Kinda disappointed in Topping.

 

[Lupin]

The shop from where I got it confirmed it is a defective unit which doesn't speak much good for the Topping company and their QA. Not sure if to wait for new dac or to buy something else. Kinda disappointed in Topping.

Sure it always sucks when there are issues with your new purchase or even a DOA. But to call out Topping for their QA is a bit extreme based on just your single experience. Topping sells thousands of units, some are bound to have issues it is still electronics.

 

[Ogunya]

Sure it always sucks when there are issues with your new purchase or even a DOA. But to call out Topping for their QA is a bit extreme based on just your single experience. Topping sells thousands of units, some are bound to have issues it is still electronics.

It is what QA is for, to test the unit which they send to the end user for money I usually form my observations for companies based on my experience. I have my doubt if to wait for new unit and if QA even exist, could be again defective you know if my first experience with the company is a defective product.

 

[Triliza]

It is what QA is for, to test the unit which they send to the end user for money I usually form my observations for companies based on my experience. I have my doubt if to wait for new unit and if QA even exist, could be again defective you know if my first experience with the company is a defective product.

I don't think QA has anything to do with your problem, you just got unlucky and got a defective unit. QA did it job during the development of the product. But yeah, it really sucks to get a defective unit, I think it has happened to all of us with some kind of product we have bought.

 

[Lupin]

It is what QA is for, to test the unit which they send to the end user for money I usually form my observations for companies based on my experience. I have my doubt if to wait for new unit and if QA even exist, could be again defective you know if my first experience with the company is a defective product.

At this price point and stiff competition I don't believe the profit margin is big enough to hand test every unit before it ships out to the customer.
So that leaves the question if you/customer is willing to pay extra money for their unit to lower the failure rate from 2% to 1%? (totally fictional number as we don't know what the actual number is)

From what I've read and heard Topping service is good enough that I would say that I feel that this wouldn't be a good deal for the customer. The customer usually get a replacement free of charge when there is a defect.

Guess people who import their unit have the disadvantage here as the high(er) shipping costs. That being said I think Topping availability in different regions of the world is pretty good, so no real need to import anything. (unless you want to take a risk and pay little less in Asia but would need to pay lot more shipping costs when there are issues with your unit)

 

[MCH]

So today I received my D30pro and the balance of working spdif is the following: TV and cheapo bluetooth receiver, happy. Two old CD players, not happy. So bad because one of them has been many years with me and has some value to me....

Besides the expensive ifi spdif ipurifier I think someone mentioned devices/adaptors/hubs or something like that could be used as a sort of bridge and make it work. Tried to find it with no success. Anyone can help me?
Thanks a lot