Topping D70 Pro Sabre DAC Review

[B.A.T.]

to me these devices are ephemeral... what happened to the D70 non pro?

As I know in that case the end of producing wasn't planned, it was due to AKM factory fire.

 

[MAB]

Great dac.

Some mild criticism :
Why implementing bluetooth ? This protocol has nothing to do with high fidelity

The fancy display has nothing to do with fidelity. Nor does the volume knob, it even detracts under some circumstances. And the 12V trigger also doesn't improve fidelity. Should those go as well? Bluetooth happened because it is useful.

Music over Bluetooth sounds great. And it sure is a simple and popular way to integrate a wide range of sources. And the user experience extends to multiple users (like your family) and platforms (like your car). If you want gear with good SINAD, then fine. At this level of performance, performance becomes pointless since your ears are the limiter.
Seriously, you should get over this Bluetooth aversion!

And:

- it would have been really great If there was DLNA , Wi-Fi and Airplay compability.

But I guess one cant have it all for this price.

I hope you realize that you jumped the rails and are now describing a different piece of equipment, a WiFi/Network DAC.

Geeks want DNLA and TIDAL support, so no. But maybe Im asking to much .

I think you are asking apples vs. oranges. For geeks, there are cheap outboard devices that allow this device to be used that are compatible with all sorts of protocols and formats.
I personally want class-leading DSP since at this price point. Fortunately those devices exist too.

 

[MediumRare]

Sometimes convenience is worth it. I went out pulling weeds in the garden and just turned on my phone with some music next to me. Nothing "high fidelity" but being able to have some music while working was hugely valuable. Ditto for quickly pumping a youtube or some music into your desktop DAC without needing wires.

It would be great to run a test through the Bluetooth to see what is lost. If not added distortion or jitter, then at least noise.

 

[MediumRare]

ES9039pro has a smaller output current and that is better for the op amps of the I/V converter. If they use the same opa1612, maybe the sound will be a little livelier than ES9038pro. There are currently no op amps that can perfectly manage loads of one hundred and two ohms. Most likely, in the present case, the current-voltage conversion load is around 600 ohms which is better for the "live" sensation of the sound.

What conceivable measurement would show you a livelier sound while still keeping ruler flat FR and -122 dB SINAD?

 

[ShiZo]

Looks like it's giving D90se a run for it's money.

@amirm did you happen to measure crosstalk?

 

[bequietjk]

Multitooooone

 

[NoxMorbis]

Looks (and measures) wonderful - As always.
I'll save up or sell my kidney just for that VU meter screen

That is pretty cool. Why can't they just put a REAL VU or spectrum analyzer in it? For damn sake, it's 700 DOLLARS!

 

[AndreaT]

Well, in the past few years we have observed SOA DACs going from $ 20K plus objects of desire, to $ 0.5-1.0K attainable objects. This is progress, and as I reported subjectively (I still do not have a chart for my thalamo-cortical evoked potential, dopamine and endorphins levels, not to mention my limbic system dance of the dendrites, but I am working on it) there is joy to be gained upgrading DACs and power amplifiers. I wish to thank, once more and why not, Amir for his peerless and impeccable reviews as they have offered superb guidance to upgrade my systems with a fraction of the cost (and orders of magnitude of improvement) for someone who used to be a long-time reader of TAS and Stereophile. Their recommendations were often less than exact and their testing of the equipment less accurate and thorough than Amir's. It is sufficient to say that I do not remember ever reading a negative (decapitated panther-like) review, making very difficult to sort the chaff from the wheat.

This latest Topping DAC is SOA to transfer of Musical signal from the string of 0s and 1s to Art and Pleasure. I cannot justify upgrading my Okto, Benchmark and Gustard DACs, but I imagine the joy for those who will move upward to this Topping D70 Pro Sabre, especially if their DAC is more than a few years old.

 

[respice finem]

Looks (and measures) wonderful - As always.
I'll save up or sell my kidney just for that VU meter screen

So that's why there's only one meter - to let people keep the other kidney

 

[soundwave76]

Closing in to the RME ADI-2, but not quite there yet…

 

[amper42]

Closing in to the RME ADI-2, but not quite there yet…

Not even close...
No EQ, no Loudness option, no bass/treble, and almost twice the gain is available with the RME ADI-2 DAC FS. Not to mention the remote provided with the RME makes the Topping remote seem like a dime store toy. You get what you pay for. The ADI-2 offers better engineering and a lot more options and technology which is continually updated and improved. After Topping releases a product it's on the way to obsolescence. RME ADI-2 is continually improving - at no extra cost.

 

[AndreaT]

RETRO: Technics SL-P110 (1986) & Sony CDP-690 (1990) CD Players. Did early CD players sound bad?

A blog for audiophiles about more objective topics. Measurements of audio gear. Reasonable, realistic, no snakeoil assessment of sound, and equipment.

archimago.blogspot.com

It seems that recently ASR tested cd player (the Emotiva ERC) does not perform better than these oldies. It is my experience that around 1994-95 there has been audible improvement in both the average CD recording level (it was way too low in the early CDs) and in the quality of analog RCA output of the CD players (I did not have balanced back then). I moved on to a Cambridge Audio CD4 SE in 1997 from a 1990 Sony ES (don’t remember the model) and started to enjoy much more my listening experience.

 

[Doodski]

Not even close...
No EQ, no Loudness option, no bass/treble, and almost twice the gain is available with the RME ADI-2 DAC FS. Not to mention the remote provided with the RME makes the Topping remote seem like a dime store toy. You get what you pay for. The ADI-2 offers better engineering and a lot more options and technology which is continually updated and improved. After Topping releases a product it's on the way to obsolescence. RME ADI-2 is a continually improving - at no extra cost.

Yes, I agree although Topping rapidly leaped above it's previous plain Jane feature set and looks. We asked for features and we received and I like that. A company that listens to the public is good in my books. RME is excellent German engineering and is a proven unit and Topping has a ways to go but it would be good to have the extra competition.

 

[soundofsilence]

Its frustrating they wont add Spotify Connect or Roon to any device, and they dont have any intention to either (I emailed them). Otherwise, this would be an instant purchase!

 

[pLudio]

Its frustrating they wont add Spotify Connect or Roon to any device, and they dont have any intention to either (I emailed them). Otherwise, this would be an instant purchase!

You're looking for a streamer, not a DAC.

 

[Veri]

You're looking for a streamer, not a DAC.

Well to be fair, it seems he's looking for a DAC+streamer.

 

[soundofsilence]

Pludio your post is completely pointless. Thanks Veri for at least correcting!

None of us want pointless extra boxes

 

[Kegemusha]

Looks nice but with the SMSL-SU1 costing some 90$ I dont see why I can motivate to pay some 7 times more for a dispaly and BT.
But seems a nice device.

 

[vco1]

None of us want pointless extra boxes

Actually, I do. Well, not pointless boxes of course. But I do want "extra boxes" especially when these extra boxes depend on software that needs to be updated every now and then. In that case I rather rely on the open source community or a dedicated developer than on some hardware vendor. Even more so when this vendor seems to be very busy by putting out new devices every other month.

 

[HappyMetalGuy]

Looks nice but with the SMSL-SU1 costing some 90$ I dont see why I can motivate to pay some 7 times more for a dispaly and BT.
But seems a nice device.

SMSL-SU1 $80 plus $90 Wiim Mini that's a DAC Streamer with a nice APP.