Topping D90 Balanced USB DAC Review

[silverbluenote]

I am using a 5-6 year old Aune X1 (2nd gen I think) from my PC to a couple of powered Edifier R2000DB monitors. Although I'd like a little bit more bass, I am happy with the sound. I pretty much listen to spotify (highest bit rate).
Recently I've been considering upgrading the DAC to either Topping D90, SMSL m400 or Schiit bifrost 2.
I am familiar with the additional features of the Topping but Will there be noticeable difference in sound or it'll just be a little bit cleaner?

 

[VeerK]

@JohnYang1997 does the AES input measure as well as the SPDIF

 

[JohnYang1997]

@JohnYang1997 does the AES input measure as well as the SPDIF

yes
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...nd-measurements-of-topping-d90-4499dac.10281/

 

[Kelsier]

Question: I just received a D90 and Monolith 887. Have both balanced and rca inputs connected. Headphones are connected thru balanced input. when selecting USB-XLR I get no sound. When USB-RCA or USB-R+X sound is fine. Any ideas?

 

[wizzman]

Question: I just received a D90 and Monolith 887. Have both balanced and rca inputs connected. Headphones are connected thru balanced input. when selecting USB-XLR I get no sound. When USB-RCA or USB-R+X sound is fine. Any ideas?

Make sure you are toggling the input button to balanced (pressed in) on the 887. When the input button is out you are listening to RCA input.

 

[BDWoody]

Will there be noticeable difference in sound or it'll just be a little bit cleaner?

You are unlikely to be able to hear any difference in the sound.

 

[Kelsier]

Make sure you are toggling the input button to balanced (pressed in) on the 887. When the input button is out you are listening to RCA input.

That was it. thanks!
P.S. Any reason to have both XLR and RCA cables connected or would just XLR connecting the 2 be fine?

 

[PG55]

Hello,

Forgive me if it has been asked and answered in this conversation but I couldn't find it. I am looking to use my Topping D90 to stream music through my Marantz AVR and main speakers. No headphone usage. I was planning on connecting the RCA outputs to the phono inputs on the AVR and stream from an iOS device connected to the USB on the D90. Also will I lose SQ if I use my iOS device to stream with Bluetooth vs. USB to the D90.

Thanks,

PG55

 

[GeorgeWalk]

Hello,

Forgive me if it has been asked and answered in this conversation but I couldn't find it. I am looking to use my Topping D90 to stream music through my Marantz AVR and main speakers. No headphone usage. I was planning on connecting the RCA outputs to the phono inputs on the AVR and stream from an iOS device connected to the USB on the D90. Also will I lose SQ if I use my iOS device to stream with Bluetooth vs. USB to the D90.

Thanks,

PG55

Don't use the phono input the D90 could over drive that input. Use one of the AUX or other analog inputs.

Bluetooth has a little lower sound quality than hardwired inputs, but you probably won't notice it.

 

[EdW]

Don't use the phono input the D90 could over drive that input. Use one of the AUX or other analog inputs.

Bluetooth has a little lower sound quality than hardwired inputs, but you probably won't notice it.

Also the phono I/P has RIAA equalisation. It would sound absolutely dreadful even if you turned the D90 volume down to prevent overload

 

[da Choge]

Forgive me if it has been asked and answered in this conversation but I couldn't find it. I am looking to use my Topping D90 to stream music through my Marantz AVR and main speakers. No headphone usage. I was planning on connecting the RCA outputs to the phono inputs on the AVR and stream from an iOS device connected to the USB on the D90. Also will I lose SQ if I use my iOS device to stream with Bluetooth vs. USB to the D90.

Yes, Please DO NOT use the phono input!; I've got an Oppo UDP-205 4k disc-player downstairs and use one of my Marantz's SR7012's HDMI inputs for it when playing discs (I think I chose the Marantz "Blu-ray" input). But, since the Oppo is also USB DAC, I use the Marantz's "CD" RCA stereo input for the the Oppo disc-player when it is in USB DAC mode. But you can use any of the unused analog RCA inputs that you want to (as long as it isn't the phono input), and re-label it accordingly. I do have a Topping D90 MQA that I use with my upstair's bedroom AV setup (with a Marantz SR6014 AVR), and use the same "CD" RCA input for it.

The phono inputs of any of the Marantz AVRs (or any AVR if it has a phono input) are be specifically intended to be used with your turntable's MM phono cartridge output and have too much gain to be used with a DAC or any other home audio source component.

 

[win]

Time to reveal my first and only serious complaint about the D90 - the inputs are not directly selectable. You have to cycle through all of them.

In practice, this means that I have to have a separate, remote controlled toslink switcher instead of being able to use USB for my PC, coax for my phono preamp (it has a digital out), and optical for my Apple TV. That would have been really sweet, and eliminated a dongle and a PC cable.

I tried to make remembering the input state work but it's just too unreliable for automation. I'm all ears to a workaround that doesn't involve remembering where you were and slowly cycling through the options.

It also would have been cool to have a digital clock instead of it just constantly saying DAC in the middle of its display.

i still love this little chunk of aluminum though

 

[Harmonie]

I wouldn't change a thing.
It's very fine.
Just saying.

 

[UCrazyKid]

My only complaint is the RCA jacks should be more substantial, like the coax connection. With high quality (heavy) interconnects it puts a lot of stress on the RCA jacks. Before you ask, my preamp does not support XLR.

 

[Dexter_prog]

would you guys consider moving from a smsl m500 to a D90 (mqa) an upgrade?

 

[JohnYang1997]

would you guys consider moving from a smsl m500 to a D90 (mqa) an upgrade?

It certainly is an upgrade. But I don't really think you'd benefit from upgrading. Is there anything that you particularly don't like about M500?

 

[Dexter_prog]

It certainly is an upgrade. But I don't really think you'd benefit from upgrading. Is there anything that you particularly don't like about M500?

That is a question I can't answer, haha. I'm looking for an upgrade, looking at something that has streaming, USB and MQA functions. I know this one can't stream, but it was my first choice before I got the SMSL m500. I found that I can get it in my country without paying too much in import fees, but I think you are right, there's no apparent benefit in getting it.

 

[frogmeat69]

Only real upgrade would be in the D90's "stackability" compared to the loaf of bread shaped M500. Sound wise, probably none at all.

 

[UCrazyKid]

would you guys consider moving from a smsl m500 to a D90 (mqa) an upgrade?

Technically it is an upgrade. Whether or not you can hear a difference depends on the rest of the gear in your system and your ears.

 

[Martin]

would you guys consider moving from a smsl m500 to a D90 (mqa) an upgrade?

Can you tell the difference between someone shouting at you from 489 miles away (m500 117dB SINAD) vs 652 miles away (D90 120dB SINAD)?

Martin