Topping D90 Balanced USB DAC Review

[nelamvr6]

I had no issues updating the firmware on my D90 MQA, and listening to MQA files was simple also. But I use Roon, so that may be why.

 

[Dclone]

may i ask if anyone has had issues doing the D90's firmware updating?

i read an owner's review that said it was very time consuming to go online and try to figure out what needed to be done and he had to jump through hoops to learn how to do it with his Windows pc.

i'm concerned because this process would ideally be a no-brainer, much like updating any Android cellphone's apps. i don't want to get all tangled up in spending hours upon hours trying to update this device. my gut tells me, but i may well be wrong, if this owner wasn't able to get good help from Topping themselves, that i wouldn't be able to get help from them either. i don't know though how good, for example, iFi's help would be in case their Neo had to be updated.

here's the quote from that owner's review:

"...
You can only achieve MQA via a USB cable (I'd recommend buying a better cable than what Topping includes, Really Topping?)...

If you're new to music sources, MQA files, and how to get MQA results, it takes patience and study. This isn't quite "plug & play". Apos or Topping are not the best when it comes to support. I attribute this to audiophile equipment in these categories are niche and they don't have the staff resources or ability to provide great support? Fortunately, you can learn some via established YouTube reviewers.

The interface / handshake between your music source settings and device settings may take patience to set up, depending on what you use: Mac OS or Windows.

Topping sent a D90 MQA version V1.24 firmware update - oy. What a mess. VERY kludgy process. Again, some YouTube reviewers can help to a degree. All said, I love the results, sound, power, build quality, design but if this is your first entry into headphone amps & DACs, do so knowing it will take time to learn and utilize the system..."


All this fuss with firmware updating gives one unnecessary stomach acid.

Absolutely no problems at all with firmware update. Fast and easy, at least with Windows (7 and 10). Just follow instructions in readme file.

 

[Harmonie]

+1
+Do you NEED to update a all ?

 

[nelamvr6]

+1
+Do you NEED to update a all ?

The only update I'm aware of is for the MQA version. But there be other updates of which I'm not aware.

 

[Dclone]

+1
+Do you NEED to update a all ?

For Mac users, yes. (Solves USB problem) For Windows users. The only difference is that You can ser and choose settings higher than 24 bit 192 000 hz from Wiggum Windows. For example, 32 bit 384 000 hz. (Which setting by the way does not work in Spotify but in Tidal. Spotify takes no higher than 192 000 hz)

 

[mocenigo]

Yes but i can't listen / test by myself without buy it (700€, it's an expensive test for me)

It is a non trivial amount of money. But on a Taiwanese forum somebody with a dCS Vivaldi at home considered it close to the dCS (still felt pressured to change the 1612 opamps with 1602s for some reason).

 

[ClicketEKlack]

It is a non trivial amount of money. But on a Taiwanese forum somebody with a dCS Vivaldi at home considered it close to the dCS (still felt pressured to change the 1612 opamps with 1602s for some reason).

Do you have a link to this? Really curious.

 

[mocenigo]

Do you have a link to this? Really curious.

take this with a generous amount of salt
Start here https://ptt.reviews/Headphone/M.1592489468.A.CE8 and then I followed other links, discussions, searched for the author and other comments...

Something I did not mention is that this guy seems to find both DACs a bit plain or dull (which does not susprise me - for some tastes the D90 definitely may seem lacking in personality - which for me is a good thing)

 

[PortableMusic]

just wondering...may i ask if the good folks here think that if i were to order a d90/a90 set now, would the d90 would come with this firmware update already installed? (so i won't have to go through updating it myself)

thank you.

 

[frogmeat69]

just wondering...may i ask if the good folks here think that if i were to order a d90/a90 set now, would the d90 would come with this firmware update already installed? (so i won't have to go through updating it myself)

thank you.

The MQA version of D90 I ordered from Apos in October came fully updated.

 

[PortableMusic]

@frogmeat69: thanks! that's comforting that they have their currently shipping units already updated. one less thing to do, one less unknown, and one less bit of stomach acid.

it's likely that for the next 2 years or so, this D90 might not have anymore firmware updates!

 

[AndyLu]

@frogmeat69: thanks! that's comforting that they have their currently shipping units already updated. one less thing to do, one less unknown, and one less bit of stomach acid.

it's likely that for the next 2 years or so, this D90 might not have anymore firmware updates!

You don't have to develop a phobia for firmware updates . It is not rocket science, it takes around 2 minutes to do such an update . Don't make it bigger than it is and it is certainly not worth stomach acid

 

[mocenigo]

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

What is this issue? Sudden explosive sound, highly distorted but with the music somehow recognisable behind the noise?

Sometimes this happens with my D90 as well with PCM768. Not that I care much about such crazy upsampling...

 

[AndyLu]

What is this issue? Sudden explosive sound, highly distorted but with the music somehow recognisable behind the noise?

Sometimes this happens with my D90 as well with PCM768. Not that I care much about such crazy upsampling...

Ah. I have exactly the same with my d90, but, as you said, only on PCM 768 (and then only sporadically). It does not bother me because I never use that kind of upsampling either. I thought I was the only one!

 

[mocenigo]

Ah. I have exactly the same with my d90, but, as you said, only on PCM 768 (and then only sporadically). It does not bother me because I never use that kind of upsampling either. I thought I was the only one!

Looking at the E30 thread it looks like this is it. Provably some error in the coding of the XMOS chip that causes some bit shift of the data at that frequency.

Note that upsampling to 768khz (or 768khz files) serves to nothing, except to waste cpu cycles (or storage).

 

[PortableMusic]

Looking at the E30 thread it looks like this is it. Provably some error in the coding of the XMOS chip that causes some bit shift of the data at that frequency.

Note that upsampling to 768khz (or 768khz files) serves to nothing, except to waste cpu cycles (or storage).

if it were indeed an error on the XMOS programming, does that mean it is UNABLE to be updated via a future firmware update? i wonder if the company even is aware of this programming error, assuming they don't monitor this thread carefully.

 

[mocenigo]

if it were indeed an error on the XMOS programming, does that mean it is UNABLE to be updated via a future firmware update? i wonder if the company even is aware of this programming error, assuming they don't monitor this thread carefully.

I think the firmware of the XU208 should be upgradeable, the question is whether this has been exposed.

if not the XU208 where should be the error? Not in the DAC chip - it would be weird to have such a bug in the AK4493, and then not having fixed it a few generations later in the AK4499...

another candidate could be the FPGA, but I do not think the E30 has it.

 

[PortableMusic]

oh, my goodness, i'm mistaken here: this is the D90 (NON-mqa) thread, right?

this thread is NOT for the D90 mqa version?

i am looking to buy the D90 MQA version soon, so these issues do not pertain to the D90 MQA?

look forward to hearing. thank you.

 

[da Choge]

this thread is NOT for the D90 mqa version?

Pretty sure there is no separate D90 MQA thread. You'll find comments on both in this thread, as humongous as it is. You may also find that there is a lot of negativity against the whole MQA-processing issue, but that's up for you to evaluate. I am a happy owner of the Topping D90 MQA with no regrets (except for one, next paragraph). I'm not really an MQA proponent (not really at all), but I wanted a unit capable of decoding MQA, and I think Topping has now sorted out most of the D90 MQA's issues (which were mainly due to the XMOS XU216 chip).

My only issue is that I got the D90 MQA in silver for my upstair's bedroom setup, and now I'm thinking it's better suited for my living room setup, which would've been better in black. So, for my purposes now, the D90 MQA in black for downstairs, and maybe the new Gustard X16 in silver for upstairs (a unit you might want to consider looking at as a Topping D90 MQA alternate; $300 to $350 cheaper!). Oh well, Se la Vie!

 

[win]

My only issue is that I got the D90 MQA in silver for my upstair's bedroom setup, and now I'm thinking it's better suited for my living room setup, which would've been better in black

I'm in a similar boat. My stack is all black except the d90, which I think looks great in silver, but oh well.