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Topping D30Pro Review (Balanced DAC)

testp

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Unlikely to tell you anything new. Here just to report how happy I am to have this great piece of gear. D30Pro is my first Topping product. Everything I need for my family room setup is there in a small pretty box - hq dac, toslink(tv)+usb(network player), balanced out, remote, dispaly auto-off. The only concern is quite cheap remote.

you could always make some fancy remote learn this remote signals.. from the looks of it i think it's fine, but if not that's what i will be doing..
 

ken.y

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Hi friends. My D30 pro dac is connected to my active monitors via XLR out. I wanna add a subwoofer to my system so I am thinking of using RCA out to the sub and using XLR RCA simultaneous output. I just wanna ask if there is anything I should know or why I shouldn't be doing this if : )
Thanks in advance.
 

usern

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Hi friends. My D30 pro dac is connected to my active monitors via XLR out. I wanna add a subwoofer to my system so I am thinking of using RCA out to the sub and using XLR RCA simultaneous output. I just wanna ask if there is anything I should know or why I shouldn't be doing this if : )
Thanks in advance.
There are pro audio subwoofers that you connect through XLR (both stereo channels) and pass through high pass filtered signal to monitors (so monitors don't have to do the low frequency work that the sub is already doing).

The connection would be D30pro XLR out <cable> sub XLR in - sub XLR out <cable> monitor XLR in

I personally use Neumann KH750 DSP subwoofer that accepts coax SPIDF digital signal and this sub itself acts as DAC (monitors are connected to it).
 

vitalii427

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you could always make some fancy remote learn this remote signals.. from the looks of it i think it's fine, but if not that's what i will be doing..
Actually it is fine. But it's still one more remote just for volume control
 

Sray

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Does it work if you follow the instructions in the driver folder?

Yes, I did.
The exact message says "Unrecoverable playback error: Sample rate of 705600 Hz not supported by this device".
My settings:
Foobar 2000
Output: foo_dsd_asio (ASIO driver: Topping USB Audio Device, DSD playback method: ASIO Native)
SACD Output mode: DSD

Did I do anything wrong?

William
 

Gremlins

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Hi friends. My D30 pro dac is connected to my active monitors via XLR out. I wanna add a subwoofer to my system so I am thinking of using RCA out to the sub and using XLR RCA simultaneous output. I just wanna ask if there is anything I should know or why I shouldn't be doing this if : )
Thanks in advance.
Hi, can you tell me the db number your d30 is showing when used as a preamp?


I bought this dac for use in front of a hypex fusion fa503
I connect dac to hypex via XLR

I start the preamp at -99db : until -60 db i hear nothing, then from -59 to -30 volume is low. For a normal listening i need to be at -20 db on the topping.
If i crank to -10db, its a little loud but not scary

I can put -5db on the topping , it is loud but not crazy loud .. i mean my previous amp was 80w and was getting my room louder ..here hypex fusion says its 500w


Is normal as a preamp? ..i was expecting that at -95 i start to hear something and it would gradually get louder as i go down in numbers..
 

AnalogSteph

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Is normal as a preamp? ..i was expecting that at -95 i start to hear something and it would gradually get louder as i go down in numbers..
Apparently you have no idea how much dynamic range 99 dB is. It's slightly more than that of CD audio. Approximately the difference between being way out on the snowy plains of Finland on a quiet sunny winter's day and being at a live rock concert. A crap ton by most people's standards.

You'll have to check the configuration of the Fusion Amp in HFD or adjust its volume via the remote, there's clearly too little overall gain right now. (I'd recommend having normal listening levels at about -30 dB.) The D30pro will deliver +14.5 dBu maximum at 0 dBFS, reasonably close to the +18 dBu that the HFA input can take, so it's not that. The problem must be either side, either digital level low or (amplifier + speaker) gain low.

Amplifier power and gain are two different things. If you don't have enough gain, it's not as loud as you want even at maximum volume. If you don't have enough power, you run into output clipping before maxing out the volume.

BTW, the difference between 80 W and 500 W is 8 dB. That's assuming both were specified with the same loud impedance. Between 80 W / 8 ohms and 500 W / 4 ohms it might be just 5 dB.

On a side note, you don't even strictly need a DAC for the FA503, a USB to SPDIF converter would basically do as well.
 
Last edited:

Gremlins

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Thanks for your reply

I could use a usb to spdif converter and fo in digital the fa503, and control volume from my pc source (using foobar) , but i wanted a device with a rotary volume control, so the only oprion i found was a dac a preamplifier ( ok, there was the option of a minidsp shd studio which would have been ideal, but its a 1000e ...)

So for you, its normal that ibise the d30 preamp at -25 db?
It leaves me the flexibility to crank up volume only from -20 to 0 db to get the max power of the unit?


One question to D30 users as preamp with a 500w hypex power amp : what db number is showing on your D30 unit at normal living listening? , me it shows -25db

Its the first time i am in a configuration with a dac/preamp + class d power amp and.my feeling is that the hypex fa503 should provide me a better power control .. i suspect that the dac as a preamp os notvthe best way to run the hypex .. would a traditional preamp gives more gain?

I am used to 80w AB amps with 89 db speakers .. last was a denon pma2000 , a beast amp

Thanks
 

testp

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Thanks for your reply

I could use a usb to spdif converter and fo in digital the fa503, and control volume from my pc source (using foobar) , but i wanted a device with a rotary volume control, so the only oprion i found was a dac a preamplifier ( ok, there was the option of a minidsp shd studio which would have been ideal, but its a 1000e ...)

So for you, its normal that ibise the d30 preamp at -25 db?
It leaves me the flexibility to crank up volume only from -20 to 0 db to get the max power of the unit?


One question to D30 users as preamp with a 500w hypex power amp : what db number is showing on your D30 unit at normal living listening? , me it shows -25db

Its the first time i am in a configuration with a dac/preamp + class d power amp and.my feeling is that the hypex fa503 should provide me a better power control .. i suspect that the dac as a preamp os notvthe best way to run the hypex .. would a traditional preamp gives more gain?

I am used to 80w AB amps with 89 db speakers .. last was a denon pma2000 , a beast amp

Thanks

probably the hypex gain is low or something, however having DAC volume at -25 and not wanting to listen at -10 for instance to me is pretty good, because if you look at the Amir's D30Pro (Intermodulation distortion vs level graph) u see it hoovers around 100db, that's better than having DAC volume at say -65.
Also, volume control has fine tuning if normal listening level is -25. would be much more sensitive if same level from -65

BUT if it's too little, a proper Topping pre-amp would remove this issue
 

elole

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probably the hypex gain is low or something, however having DAC volume at -25 and not wanting to listen at -10 for instance to me is pretty good, because if you look at the Amir's D30Pro (Intermodulation distortion vs level graph) u see it hoovers around 100db, that's better than having DAC volume at say -65.
Also, volume control has fine tuning if normal listening level is -25. would be much more sensitive if same level from -65

BUT if it's too little, a proper Topping pre-amp would remove this issue
What would you recommend as preamp for d30pro for speakers?
 

testp

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What would you recommend as preamp for d30pro for speakers?

Topping A30Pro or Pre90, im not too familiar about pre's current offerings, but they give you the attenuation you need and they have 120+ sinad, so basically as transparent as DACs go...

i'd go for A30Pro or if Topping have: Pre30 (altought A30Pro does great and has headphone amp as well)
 

elole

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Topping A30Pro or Pre90, im not too familiar about pre's current offerings, but they give you the attenuation you need and they have 120+ sinad, so basically as transparent as DACs go...

i'd go for A30Pro or if Topping have: Pre30 (altought A30Pro does great and has headphone amp as well)
Is there any issue with double amping with A30Pro if I'm using active speakers?
 

usern

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A30Pro does not have preamp functionality. It only passes through the RCA or XLR signal it gets. D30pro itself can act as preamp (adjust volume of line outs).
 

Gremlins

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Hello community,

I couldn't find the 9 filters explanations/description and what do they bring or modify?

Any can explain what F1 does, F2 does etc etc?

Ny the time you liqten filter 6, you forgot what precedent filters sound like, very hard to hear sifferences

Which one is less intrusive?

Cheers
 

Blaze_NY

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Hello community,

I couldn't find the 9 filters explanations/description and what do they bring or modify?

Any can explain what F1 does, F2 does etc etc?

Ny the time you liqten filter 6, you forgot what precedent filters sound like, very hard to hear sifferences

Which one is less intrusive?

Cheers
So filter 2 is the default filter i believe it is a fast roll filter the only filter that really alters the sound is filter number five which is no over sampling which is basically like having no filter. I alternate between two and five as they both sound the best to me.
 
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