Topping D90 Balanced USB DAC Review

[kkeretic]

Can I turn off the display totally with D90?

No.

 

[terasankka]

No.

Thanks, (bugger.... need to get some duct tape )

 

[Jimbob54]

I have a Musical Fidelity M6si that has 220wpc running into high sensitivity Klipsch Heresy IV (99dB) speakers. I am planning on getting the D90 MQA. If I connect it via the XLR, will I have the issue mentioned above? "you dont get much range on the volume dial on the amp before it gets too loud"

Also and other question. Can I turn off the display totally with D90?

I was talking headphones by the way. But assuming your current dac is 2v rca then using the D90 at full 4v xlr will make your kit noticeably louder for any given position on the amps dial. So if you only use at say 10 o clock now, be prepared to go lower. But you can always use the D90 on pre amp mode, lower the output a little into the amp to offset the increase.

 

[terasankka]

I was talking headphones by the way.

Yes, I realised but I thought it might be the same with speakers?

 

[Jimbob54]

Yes, I realised but I thought it might be the same with speakers?

just updated my reply, realised on second read you knew that

 

[nelamvr6]

So far I really like this DAC. But I have to report that I am getting very large pops whenever I change from DSD files to MQA files. No pops then going from MQA to DSD files though.

 

[Toku]

So far I really like this DAC. But I have to report that I am getting very large pops whenever I change from DSD files to MQA files. No pops then going from MQA to DSD files though.

That's a big problem. You should report to Topping directly.
All DACs on the market today have some problems.
For example, D50 and D50s produce a large pop noise at PCM 384kHz. For E30, PCM 768kHz is the noise reproduction of explosive sound.
It's still technically developing.

 

[nelamvr6]

That's a big problem. You should report to Topping directly.
All DACs on the market today have some problems.
For example, D50 and D50s produce a large pop noise at PCM 384kHz. For E30, PCM 768kHz is the noise reproduction of explosive sound.
It's still technically developing.

Topping has a person participating in this thread, yes?

 

[JohnYang1997]

Topping has a person participating in this thread, yes?

How large are we talking here? Because in the past this has been reported many times and according to verification it's very small pop.
The solution to completely eliminate the pop is figured out and is hardware based. Mostly due to offset at the output.
Are you on the latest firmware?

 

[JohnYang1997]

That's a big problem. You should report to Topping directly.
All DACs on the market today have some problems.
For example, D50 and D50s produce a large pop noise at PCM 384kHz. For E30, PCM 768kHz is the noise reproduction of explosive sound.
It's still technically developing.

E30 issue is reproduced. But what's wrong with D50/D50s? Never heard of it.

 

[nelamvr6]

How large are we talking here? Because in the past this has been reported many times and according to verification it's very small pop.
The solution to completely eliminate the pop is figured out and is hardware based. Mostly due to offset at the output.
Are you on the latest firmware?

It's a pretty substantial pop. About as loud as Gavin Harrison hitting his snare drum.

I am on the latest firmware.

 

[JohnYang1997]

It's a pretty substantial pop. About as loud as Gavin Harrison hitting his snare drum.

I am on the latest firmware.

And what's your configuration? Are you using D90 MQA as preamp and connect to a power amp? What's the volume on D90 MQA when you are experiencing the pop?

The pop does not change with the volume. So it will produce larger pop if you have gain stage directly afterwards eg poweramp. Only solution at the moment is to lower the gain on the poweramp or add a dedicated preamp in between.

If you don't have power amp connected to it and still experiencing the pop, maybe you got a faulty unit. Return and maybe make another decision.

 

[nelamvr6]

And what's your configuration? Are you using D90 MQA as preamp and connect to a power amp? What's the volume on D90 MQA when you are experiencing the pop?

The pop does not change with the volume. So it will produce larger pop if you have gain stage directly afterwards eg poweramp. Only solution at the moment is to lower the gain on the poweramp or add a dedicated preamp in between.

If you don't have power amp connected to it and still experiencing the pop, maybe you got a faulty unit. Return and maybe make another decision.

D90 MQA is in DAC mode, I am outputing to my preamp via RCA interconnects.

Here is a link to a short video that shows the pop. I am playing a DSD file, then I switch to an MQA file: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LsUmzC0LrBknr5MGiAi3z2jqi2-q9wAv/view?usp=sharing

The preamp is a Rotel RC-972, the power amp is a PrimaLuna Evo 300. The speakers are B&W 804D.

 

[JohnYang1997]

D90 MQA is in DAC mode, I am outputing to my preamp via RCA interconnects.

Here is a link to a short video that shows the pop. I am playing a DSD file, then I switch to an MQA file: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LsUmzC0LrBknr5MGiAi3z2jqi2-q9wAv/view?usp=sharing

The preamp is a Rotel RC-972, the power amp is a PrimaLuna Evo 300. The speakers are B&W 804D.

Have you tried preamp mode but at max volume? Is it the same or different. This will be a very useful clue.

 

[nelamvr6]

Have you tried preamp mode but at max volume? Is it the same or different. This will be a very useful clue.

I just tried it, the pop is the same.

 

[Toku]

E30 issue is reproduced. But what's wrong with D50/D50s? Never heard of it.

I reported the pop noise problem of D50 and D50s to Topping a long time ago, and confirmed the symptom on the Toppng side as well.
The final answer at that time was that it was difficult to solve by the Topping side alone.
This problem is a phenomenon that pop noise is generated with a very loud sound when switching to a song of PCM384kHz after playing a song other than PCM384kHz.

 

[Toku]

D90 MQA is in DAC mode, I am outputing to my preamp via RCA interconnects.

Here is a link to a short video that shows the pop. I am playing a DSD file, then I switch to an MQA file: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LsUmzC0LrBknr5MGiAi3z2jqi2-q9wAv/view?usp=sharing

The preamp is a Rotel RC-972, the power amp is a PrimaLuna Evo 300. The speakers are B&W 804D.

The pop noise of the video image is similar to the pop noise when switching to PCM 384kHz with D50, D50s.

 

[terasankka]

I just got a D90 MQA and I am returning it, because The Roon Volume control does not work with Roon USB Bridge and Roon (PRE-AMP mode was active). I can choose Fixed or Device volume for the D90 In Roon and the Roon Volume still says Fixed Volume. The D90 physical remote control volume works.

One thing I noticed is that Topping D90 reports the max and min volumes as zero for Roon. So, if you go to the device settings in Roon. the Device Limits Min and Max are both zero and you cannot change them. If I look at my Node 2i Device limits it says Zero for Min and 100 for Max.

Roon DSP Volume seems to work, but then the MQA does not work when I attenuate the volume with the DSP Volume. If I leave it to 100% then the MQA activates.

D90 sounds great, but the usability with Roon is not that good, when I got used the device volume of my previous DAC.

 

[nelamvr6]

I can say that apart from the pops I hear when going from DSD files to MQA files, this DAC works wonderfully. I personally don't use any of Roon's DSP features, and I don't use volume leveling via Roon. All I get is wonderful sound. And regardless of how you personally feel about MQA files, I can say that every one I listened to sounded amazing. Really great!

I don't regret getting the MQA version of the D90, and when I replace it I will look for MQA functionality in the replacement DAC also.

 

[kkeretic]

I reported the pop noise problem of D50 and D50s to Topping a long time ago, and confirmed the symptom on the Toppng side as well.
The final answer at that time was that it was difficult to solve by the Topping side alone.
This problem is a phenomenon that pop noise is generated with a very loud sound when switching to a song of PCM384kHz after playing a song other than PCM384kHz.

I can confirm this, already almost forgot about it. Switch to or from 384kHz and bang. That is why I massively avoid that frequency. Luckily it's not that I really have anything in 384kHz.