Topping D50 III Balanced DAC with EQ Review

[CedarX]

I've got this stacked on top of a A30 Pro which runs quite warm and the feet don't add much separation. I'm concerned about blocking the vents on top of the A30 Pro and overheating one or both of the boxes. Thinking about putting some larger rubber adhesive feet under the D50 III to provide some breathing room. Anyone have opinions on whether that's a good idea or unnecessary?

Any reason why you didn’t put the amp on top of the DAC?

 

[mackman]

Any reason why you didn’t put the amp on top of the DAC?

The DAC is smaller than the amp and the amp also has vent holes on the bottom so the DAC would end up completely blocking the vents on the bottom because the amps feet are past the edges of the DAC and there wouldn’t be any separation at all.

 

[Valvetubehead]

I have the same problem, with all the audio sources I have in home, chromecast audio and various cd-bluray players included. Useless via optical connection. Keeps cutting out. Running the latest firmware, did not help at all.

How can they sell a DAC that cannot play via optical input?!

This product should not be recommended.

Likewise, optical is a mess with Behringer ultracurve DEQ2496 and my Cubilux USB A-to-toslink optical adapter…random audible dropouts no matter what I’ve tried. These worked just fine with my E30II dac, what gives?

 

[BeQuietZen]

These worked just fine with my E30II dac, what gives?

Probably the DPLL settings. In the case of E30 II not user selectable, I think?
More stable connection, more jitter and vice versa. A kind of compromise...
Jitter isn't that much of an issue, but audible dropouts are a nightmare.

 

[john11]

What would you say are the competitors for this dac, there are quite a few to choose from in the bar graph for best dacs shown on page one
I've been waiting a long time for a dac with eq, but is this the best option or is there better, what should i spend my dollars on
Some eq's can compress the sound, does the d50 do anything negative to the sound

 

[CedarX]

Some eq's can compress the sound, does the d50 do anything negative to the sound

Could you expand (pun intended )? If you are referring to this idea that EQ reduces the dynamic by lowering the peaks in one frequency band relative to the lows in another frequency band, that’s not compression, even if it may sound like…

What do you mean by “negative to the sound”? Misused, the D50 EQ can do a lot of negative to the perceived sound…

 

[john11]

Could you expand (pun intended )? If you are referring to this idea that EQ reduces the dynamic by lowering the peaks in one frequency band relative to the lows in another frequency band, that’s not compression, even if it may sound like…

What do you mean by “negative to the sound”? Misused, the D50 EQ can do a lot of negative to the perceived sound…

Some eq's i have heard compress the sound, make the audio sound all wrong, was wondering what your thoughts are on the d50 eq

 

[CedarX]

Some eq's i have heard compress the sound, make the audio sound all wrong, was wondering what your thoughts are on the d50 eq

Some EQ profiles may “sound” like they compress the sound, but I have yet to experience two EQ implementations—whether they are ”HW” (e.g. D50-III), or SW (e.g. EQ-APO)—that are different enough to result in an audible “compression” effect for a given set of PEQ filters.

IMO, the D50-III EQ is fine…

 

[mackman]

I started out configuring my D50 III PEQ without adjusting the preamp to provide headroom and could hear it clipping on the boosted bass region. My miniDSP devices apply a standard -10db gain to provide headroom for the PEQ/Dirac. Is that a reasonable thing to do on the D50 III? I suppose I could set it to a different gain for each profile based on max boost db but then cycling through profiles on the UI would cause volume shifts which doesn't seem ideal to me.

 

[AudioNoobie]

Can anyone think why windows only allows 384khz when the dac claims 768?

The power USB cable is plugged in provides power.
The data USB cable is plugged into a USB3.2 Gen2x2 20Gbps Type-C port (Only C port on the back of my mobo)
I tried turning off PEQ
Turning off pre amp and setting it to DAC mode.
I rebooted my computer after installing the drivers, and updating the firmware to the current D50 III Version.

So what am I supposed to be doing to choose over 384?

I know I don't need to go that high, just seems weird and is bugging me that I can't.

is it a win 11 limitation ?

 

[staticV3]

Can anyone think why windows only allows 384khz when the dac claims 768?

Windows is simply limited to 384kHz.

No matter which DAC you have and which driver you use, 384kHz is the highest that you'll see in the Sound Control Panel.

For higher sample rates, you'll have to use ASIO with an appropriate audio player.

 

[unpluggged]

Can anyone think why windows only allows 384khz when the dac claims 768?

"Only"? What would you need 384 kHz for, let alone anything higher than that?

 

[AudioNoobie]

Windows is simply limited to 384kHz.

No matter which DAC you have and which driver you use, 384kHz is the highest that you'll see in the Sound Control Panel.

Ahh thanks,
I actually realised that might be why after I noticed my sound cards max is 32/384 and the higher end version of my sound card is the same.

Seems like a nice dac and on par with my soundcard it seems.

My initial thoughts are my soundcard might actually sound better though.
SoundBlaster Ae-7

DAC: 127 dB
ESS SABRE-class 9018
PCM: 32-bit / 384 kHz
DSD: DSD64
0.0001% (DAC)

on paper it shouldn't? initial thoughts were the sound recreation is slightly less authentic on the DAC and maybe a tiny bit less crystal clear sounding. I'm just a noobie so don't know the correct terms

Doesn't seem to be any clipping or distortion so I guess everything is good.

no audio effects applied from the soundcard
using 3.5mm > dual mono unbalanced XLR on the soundcard.
Balanced TRS > XLR on the Topping D50 III
HS7 Speakers

I haven't switched back to the soundcard to check if it really does sound better though.

but the soundcard gets crazy interference from my graphics card in games and the dac has almost 0

"Only"? What would you need 384 kHz for, let alone anything higher than that?

It was more about knowing it was working as it should and all options be available I guess.

 

[staticV3]

Seems like a nice dac and on par with my soundcard it seems.

The available sample rates are close to meaningless and have no effect on audio fidelity.

That two devices support the same sample rates does not mean that they are on par.

 

[CedarX]

My initial thoughts are my soundcard might actually sound better though

I understand it’s initial thought, but what makes you think it is better?

 

[AudioNoobie]

The available sample rates are close to meaningless and have no effect on audio fidelity.

yea I get that.

I understand it’s initial thought, but what makes you think it is better?

from memory alone.
The sound card just sounded a tiny bit more authentic and more "in the room" and less "a recording"
Everything still sounds good, just different I guess

I don't think there's much in it though, in a blind test I wonder if I'd still hear the difference, or if it's just because I'm used to the soundcards sound.

Price wise they both cost about the same, so it's not like I'm comparing it to some cheap nasty soundcard.

Happy with my purchase, not complaining.

 

[herr.jemine]

the ESS 9018 is from 2009, a good DAC, the ES9039Q2M is from 2023 (ESS SABRE 2-channel DAC), in terms of specs the ESS PRO DACs are the successors to the 9018 (ESS SABRE 8-channel DAC) on paper the ESS 9018 could be better, but I don't think you can hear it

 

[CedarX]

I don't think there's much in it though, in a blind test I wonder if I'd still hear the difference

Quoting… My “initial thoughts”, you won’t hear the difference in a blind test.

 

[CedarX]

the ESS 9018 is from 2009, a good DAC, the ES9039Q2M is from 2023 (ESS SABRE 2-channel DAC), in terms of specs the ESS PRO DACs are the successors to the 9018 (ESS SABRE 8-channel DAC) on paper the ESS 9018 could be better, but I don't think you can hear it

FWIW, Yvan at E1DA (@IVX) has put his high-end “COSMOS DAC” on hold (or cancelled it). That DAC was built around an ES9039Pro, the most recent, and allegedly highest-performance, chip in the ESS Pro line that started with the ES9018.
The reason: he couldn’t beat the single ES9039Q2M used on his 9039S dongle…

Now, all of this is purely theoretical—way beyond human hearing capabilities… but I doubt the AE-7, integrating the ES9018 in a noisy PC chassis, would be “better” than the D50-III and its dual-ES9039Q2M…
Measurements shall speak.

 

[totti1965]

Measurements shall speak.

Did @amirm do any measurements also from soundcards that are build for working INSIDE a PC?
Examples?