Topping D90 Balanced USB DAC Review

[Cut-Throat]

So, I am trying some DSD Sample Tracks and was wondering if PCM should be displaying here at this bit rate or something else?

 

[bahamot]

It should show DSD

 

[majingotan]

So, I am trying some DSD Sample Tracks and was wondering if PCM should be displaying here at this bit rate or something else?

View attachment 67450

Are you using DSD to PCM conversion? You should enable DoP on your DSD output to get the Topping in DSD mode

 

[ShiZo]

Royalties are all that matters to MQA.
They used their marketing presence and influence to leach some money out of those who actually added value, like Roon and Oppo.

Here are my MQA views:

• MQA 15 bit audio format is masquerading as HD Audio.
• MQA does not have the dynamic range of HD Audio.
• MQA does not have the sample rate of HD Audio.
• MQA may have some lossy inaudible ultra-sonic frequencies.

It is technically inferior to HD Audio and, when played without a decoder, is technically inferior to a CD.

Conclusion: Subscribe to QOBUZ and not TIDAL and save money too

- Rich

Wait... So tidal mqa is worse than cd quality? I don't understand.. I thought it just was a way to compress lossless content and uncompress it while you are playing it.

 

[RichB]

Wait... So tidal mqa is worse than cd quality? I don't understand.. I thought it just was a way to compress lossless content and uncompress it while you are playing it.

It is compressed consuming dynamic range. When played without a "licensed" decoder, that data is lost.
All of this is unnecessary, I use QOBUZ that streams CD and HD quality audio with no compromises.

- Rich

 

[Veri]

Wait... So tidal mqa is worse than cd quality? I don't understand.. I thought it just was a way to compress lossless content and uncompress it while you are playing it.

It "unpacks" the data, uncompress make it sound like the result is still lossless but it's not. It's lossy like aac/mp3 etc, which is why MQA is pretty pointless when services like Amazon music HD will offer actual lossless files. I mean there will be fans and non-fans but I personally fail to see the point besides DRM revenue for the MQA guys.

 

[IslandMD]

So, I am trying some DSD Sample Tracks and was wondering if PCM should be displaying here at this bit rate or something else?

View attachment 67450

It appears you may be converting your DSD to PCM prior to sending it to the DAC. Check out this wiki from JRiver: https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/DSD

A quote from the "Playback" section: "Once you have PCM, it will be 64bit @ 352.8 kHz for DSD, and 64bit @ 705.6 kHz for 2×DSD". A sample rate of 705.6kHz is PCM. If you want native DSD or DoP you'll need to change some settings in your software.

 

[Pluto]

It appears you may be converting your DSD to PCM prior to sending it to the DAC

There's no “may” about it.

These units display the sample rate and DSD status unambiguously, even when the transmission format is DoP (DSD over PCM).

 

[ReaderZ]

It appears you may be converting your DSD to PCM prior to sending it to the DAC. Check out this wiki from JRiver: https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/DSD

A quote from the "Playback" section: "Once you have PCM, it will be 64bit @ 352.8 kHz for DSD, and 64bit @ 705.6 kHz for 2×DSD". A sample rate of 705.6kHz is PCM. If you want native DSD or DoP you'll need to change some settings in your software.

64 bit? Any DAC can do 64 bit 705.6khz? All I see are 32 bit max.

 

[Cut-Throat]

It appears you may be converting your DSD to PCM prior to sending it to the DAC. Check out this wiki from JRiver: https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/DSD

A quote from the "Playback" section: "Once you have PCM, it will be 64bit @ 352.8 kHz for DSD, and 64bit @ 705.6 kHz for 2×DSD". A sample rate of 705.6kHz is PCM. If you want native DSD or DoP you'll need to change some settings in your software.

OK, thanks ..... So it's my Player Software... I'm using PiCorePlayer (LMS) and it does have quite a few settings.. I just wanted to make sure I had everything set up right with the DAC.

 

[Pluto]

I just wanted to make sure I had everything set up right with the DAC.

The DAC has very little to say on the subject. It can only interpret what it is fed by its source.

 

[Pluto]

64 bit? Any DAC can do 64 bit 705.6khz? All I see are 32 bit max

I think you are getting your “64s” & “32s” a bit out of context and confusing yourself as a result. When you are dealing with PCM, the DAC display will show a maximum of 768kHz PCM and the number of bits should be handled transparently by the audio application software. Anything above that will be a DSD sampling rate and is technically 1bit (as opposed to the 16, 24 or 32bit structure of PCM) but at a rather higher sampling rate, starting at 2.82MHz.

“64” & “32” relate, in all likelihood, to the computer operating system and it is what it is i.e. nothing directly to do with audio.

 

[ShiZo]

It is compressed consuming dynamic range. When played without a "licensed" decoder, that data is lost.
All of this is unnecessary, I use QOBUZ that stream CD and HD quality audio with no compromises.

- Rich

So i should drop tidal in your opinion? I thought streaming lossless content was a problem that mqa solved. You can stream losslsss content on amazon hd?

I thought the filter was more accurate as well. Also i have a "mqa decoder" in my dac, so it shouldn't lose the data right?

@Veri

 

[Cut-Throat]

The DAC has very little to say on the subject. It can only interpret what it is fed by its source.

OK, Success ! My foray into DSD

 

[Pluto]

OK, Success ! My foray into DSD

Excellent, although I have to say that 4×DSD is total number-chasing nonsense!

 

[Cut-Throat]

Excellent, although I have to say that 4×DSD is total number-chasing nonsense!

I'd have to say that DSD alone is pretty much nonsense.

 

[Pluto]

I'd have to say that DSD alone is pretty much nonsense.

I won't dispute that observation.

 

[JohnYang1997]

At least DSD is better than MQA.

 

[RichB]

So i should drop tidal in your opinion? I thought streaming lossless content was a problem that mqa solved. You can stream losslsss content on amazon hd?

I thought the filter was more accurate as well. Also i have a "mqa decoder" in my dac, so it shouldn't lose the data right?

@Veri

Not if you are happy with the price and features. I have Qobuz at $15 per month and it seems to have the music I like. I use Roon so that is my primary interface. Last I checked, Tidal had more titles.

Qobuz had true CD and HD quality audio. No BS.

- Rich

 

[JohnYang1997]

I suggest just using HIFI grade tidal with CD quality.