Topping D70S fried my speakers...

[nuht]

Hello all,
- Can I have the same issue as OP, even if my dac is in fixed mode instead of pre/amp? I tested here, my dac in fixed mode provides the same power as pre/amp mode in max volume.

- what are the advantages to have the dac in pre/amp mode?

 

[Roland68]

Dificult to explain: The volume control goes crasy, when I turn down the volume it works in reverse and actualy turns up the volume, there is no way to set the volume past or beneath a certain point, I often have to reset to factory, flash it and update thefirmware and drivers. I nearly fried my speakers several times at turn on. The owner's forum is useless and out of date. The setting are complicated even for profesional reviewers I have watched on youtube. Other then that It worked flawlessly out of the box when I bought it a year or so ego. At that time I considered it the best purchase ever in my hifi history, now, not so sure.

Are you paying so much money for an excellent device from one of the most reputable manufacturers and not taking advantage of the warranty or support that you have already paid for?
The device should have a 2 year warranty and from certain dealers also a 3 year warranty.

 

[AnalogSteph]

The volume control goes crasy, when I turn down the volume it works in reverse and actualy turns up the volume

Wasn't this largely resolved via a firmware update? Worst-case, the mechanical encoder needs a good cleaning. Stupid things, optical was always better (but much more complex / expensive)...

 

[Bridges]

Wasn't this largely resolved via a firmware update? Worst-case, the mechanical encoder needs a good cleaning. Stupid things, optical was always better (but much more complex / expensive)...

How do you clean the mechanical encoder?

 

[Bridges]

Are you paying so much money for an excellent device from one of the most reputable manufacturers and not taking advantage of the warranty or support that you have already paid for?
The device should have a 2 year warranty and from certain dealers also a 3 year warranty.

I bought the unit from Thomann, I have no idea how the warranty works, I paid on line. This is probably the only hifi product I have ever bought new.

 

[gvl]

what are the advantages to have the dac in pre/amp mode?

No advantages, can be handy if you use an integrated amp or a preamp with volume control downstream of the DAC and be sure the DAC is always at max output form the best SNR.

 

[Sokel]

I bought the unit from Thomann, I have no idea how the warranty works, I paid on line. This is probably the only hifi product I have ever bought new.

Is your firmware the last one?
As other folks said here this was fixed.
It's unfortunate that a device like this behaved this way.

 

[Roland68]

I bought the unit from Thomann, I have no idea how the warranty works, I paid on line. This is probably the only hifi product I have ever bought new.

From thomann website, without words...

"RME grants its customers a 2 year(s) warranty on all products. We extend this warranty for our customers by one year and offer a 3-Year Thomann Warranty.

We also offer our 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee for RME products, a 3-year warranty, and many additional services such as qualified product specialists, an on-site service department and much more."

You are free to choose whether you contact thomann or RME directly. Both will help you and solve your problem.

 

[Bridges]

Is your firmware the last one?
As other folks said here this was fixed.
It's unfortunate that a device like this behaved this way.

The new firmware looks like it may have fixed the problem, but I was acoustumed to listen a -26, now I need to go to -18 to have the same volume as measured by my level meter. By the way I also got rid of a mini dsp becose of the danger of frying my speaker. A warning to all: not a good idea to use Dac as preamp for sound quality either although the RME is better than most soundwise.

 

[Yorkshire Mouth]

I have a Topping EX5 DAC/HP Amp, which also acts as a pre-amp.

I'm thinking of using it to drive a pair of powered monitors, JBL 308p Mk.II, which as an inbuilt limiter.

Will that limiter protect against the sort of thing mentioned in post 1?

 

[Nutul]

I have a Topping EX5 DAC/HP Amp, which also acts as a pre-amp.

I'm thinking of using it to drive a pair of powered monitors, JBL 308p Mk.II, which as an inbuilt limiter.

Will that limiter protect against the sort of thing mentioned in post 1?

It is made for that purpose; it will cut the amp off untill you power-switch the speaker(s)

 

[Nutul]

BTW I also have a dac acting as preamp to my active speakers.
I have a Rpi4 with moOde on it as my source, it goes into the Eversolo Z8 via USB, which in turn via XLR goes in my actives.
The Pi is on 24/7, the DAC and speakers are in stand-by and off respectively when I don't use them, practically from 11-ish in the night to 9-ish in the morning.

As the Pi is on, with empty playlist, I proceed to wake the DAC, which remembers its volume (which I set to MUTE == -60dB powering it off, but nevertheless I always unmute it and set it to -40 / -45dB), then turn the active speakers on, play my music, and finally adjust the volume to my liking.

To power off, I first clear the play-queue on the Pi, then MUTE the DAC, then I power off the speakers, and finally stand-by the dac.

IMO, the unmute + volume-check of the DAC is the culprit to prevent 0dB into the actives...

 

[Sokel]

BTW I also have a dac acting as preamp to my active speakers.
I have a Rpi4 with moOde on it as my source, it goes into the Eversolo Z8 via USB, which in turn via XLR goes in my actives.
The Pi is on 24/7, the DAC and speakers are in stand-by and off respectively when I don't use them, practically from 11-ish in the night to 9-ish in the morning.

As the Pi is on, with empty playlist, I proceed to wake the DAC, which remembers its volume (which I set to MUTE == -60dB powering it off, but nevertheless I always unmute it and set it to -40 / -45dB), then turn the active speakers on, play my music, and finally adjust the volume to my liking.

To power off, I first clear the play-queue on the Pi, then MUTE the DAC, then I power off the speakers, and finally stand-by the dac.

IMO, the unmute + volume-check of the DAC is the culprit to prevent 0dB into the actives...

Your actives must be the last thing you power on on start and the first thing you power off when you done listening.

 

[onethreetwowaitthatswrong]

And a European based option (no measurements), though:
https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/prea...ter-rca-to-xlr-xlr-to-rca-silver-p-12360.html

I just went the whole thread 'cause OP's and strea's problem kinda scared me 'cause I was thinking about a similar setup, to end up about to post the same device. Wouldn't it be a perfect safeguard ? Are there credible reasons to think it would degrade the audio signal ? Or do it at an audible level ?
The above one works for balanced setups, there's also an even simpler one for Rca to Rca with a 50K ALPS RK27 rotary potentiometer :

Passive RCA preamplifier / Analog volume control ALPS RK27 - Audiophonics

Analog volume controller with rotary potentiometer. Stereo RCA connectors. Very compact aluminum housing.

www.audiophonics.fr

On the (much much more) expensive side, there's also this, with the practical advantage of having a remote :

KHOZMO ACOUSTIC Volume Controller / Source Selector 10K + Remote Control Silver - Audiophonics

Both passive preamplifier and source selector, this aluminum and wood finish unit will surely convince you. It is equipped with very high quality components assembled by hand with the utmost care.

www.audiophonics.fr

 

[NiagaraPete]

No advantages, can be handy if you use an integrated amp or a preamp with volume control downstream of the DAC and be sure the DAC is always at max output form the best SNR.

I'd disagree. The advantage in my home is when a family member decides to play music I have a master control on how loud.