Topping D90SE Review (Balanced DAC)

[Headphonista]

"Chi-fi" again?? Please stop using that term.

"Chi-fi" again?? Please stop using that term.

OK. I edited the post.

 

[G-rig]

Still waiting on my Chi-Fi refund from Amazon - they got to send it back to China first
never again haha

 

[AdamG]

Still waiting on my Chi-Fi refund from Amazon - they got to send it back to China first
never again haha

Hi G-rig and Welcome to ASR. If you don’t mind please refrain from using the term Chi-Fi in the future. We have a global audience and many take offense to this term. Thank you for your understanding.

 

[G-rig]

Hi G-rig and Welcome to ASR. If you don’t mind please refrain from using the term Chi-Fi in the future. We have a global audience and many take offense to this term. Thank you for your understanding.

Ah ok no worries. I thought it was a common term and more funny than offensive but that's fair enough .

I'm not exactly bagging the products as they usually offer a feature rich product for a reasonable price, just have some quirks and may not always work as you'd hope compared to the big brands. Topping etc used to be very cheap traditionally but no doubt demand has driven the price up, but seems they have improved the quality and features too.

 

[Guacamolly]

You have to enable "EXCLUSIVE MODE & MQA PASSTHROUGH" in the sound output settings into tidal desktop app so it can unfold everything.

As for the bitrate chill m8 and let tidal set it up automatically.
If it's MQA 44.1khz let it be, If it's MQA 192khz hooray . You can't have better then what Tidal offers bitrate wise.
My D90se do the job properly. w/o any issue up-to-date.

If you still have problems, update your XMOS software

 

[G-rig]

No worries mate, just didn't work as easily as the iFi but then again isn't an MQA deck. I am not too worried really as it sounds fantasic anyway with my monitors which is the main reason i got it. Qobuz comes through at 96-192kHz fine. Just more settings on the ADI-2.
The point is, I don't think you can expect 88kHz with a non-mqa DAC but will test the Eagles later. Not hooked up to the PC anymore, the controls are a bit over the top and still got a perfectly good iFi Zen and Matrix amp for the PC setup (for now) . Would be nice to get a stackable components the same width (THX 789 one day).

Nothing against China, I've got a knock off Pagani watch that is great quality, they're very good at copying things

 

[Victor BR]

Just received it to test it against my Top bucks Accuphase DC-950 that uses two of this ESS chip but has serious restrictions when compared to the cheap Topping D90SE.
Found this insteresting article and setting tips here:

Topping D90SE DAC Review - A New Benchmark - Soundnews

My Video Review: Oftentimes I’m being asked which DAC is the best you can get at less than one grand. That is a very broad question that can’t have a simple answer from my part, as I can’t possibly know your music preference, your stereo or your headphone setup. In spite of everything, Topping D90 …

soundnews.net

 

[Victor BR]

Once more astonished by this sub 1K DAC. Setting it for pure DAC (no pre amp) XLR output only, Bluetooth off, FTIR 7 for PCM and 5V got me almost 70% sound pleasure compared to my 13 times more expensive Accuphase DC950 that uses two D90SE chips one for each channel and a beefy power supply.
Accuphase also do not have MQA, Bluetooth, DSD1024 via I2S and PCM 32/768. Chinese Hi End Is top notch. And for 900 bucks!

 

[nhs]

Once more astonished by this sub 1K DAC. Setting it for pure DAC (no pre amp) XLR output only, Bluetooth off, FTIR 7 for PCM and 5V got me almost 70% sound pleasure compared to my 13 times more expensive Accuphase DC950 that uses two D90SE chips one for each channel and a beefy power supply.
Accuphase also do not have MQA, Bluetooth, DSD1024 via I2S and PCM 32/768. Chinese Hi End Is top notch. And for 900 bucks!

Just a question, what shall we understand your phrase with "... almost 70% sound pleasure compared to ..."? Define 70% sound ... please!

 

[enricoclaudio]

Just a question, what shall we understand your phrase with "... almost 70% sound pleasure compared to ..."? Define 70% sound ... please!

I was wondering the same. How you come with a 70% rating number?

 

[Victor BR]

Just trying to compare soundstage, detail definition and physical presence of the musicians and emphasizing how this D90SE is good compared to Accuphase top notch. Not any scientific measurement used here.

 

[caught gesture]

Just trying to compare soundstage, detail definition and physical presence of the musicians and emphasizing how this D90SE is good compared to Accuphase top notch. Not any scientific measurement used here.

Just confirmation bias, anchoring bias and maybe a smattering of false consensus effect then! Don’t worry, none of us are immune (unless we get all scientific and abx our observations!).

 

[Rottmannash]

How does his Accuphase measure?

 

[G-rig]

Once more astonished by this sub 1K DAC. Setting it for pure DAC (no pre amp) XLR output only, Bluetooth off, FTIR 7 for PCM and 5V got me almost 70% sound pleasure compared to my 13 times more expensive Accuphase DC950 that uses two D90SE chips one for each channel and a beefy power supply.
Accuphase also do not have MQA, Bluetooth, DSD1024 via I2S and PCM 32/768. Chinese Hi End Is top notch. And for 900 bucks!

That's good, there's no need to spend a fortune like yesteryear on real high end gear. A lot of these DACs have great specs and features, as long as they last you a good amount of time and work as intended (with no bugs and quirks). Don't want to have to replace equipment every few years for nothing. My Cambridge DAC magic from 2011 is still going strong but decided time for an upgrade - mostly for an integrated volume knob and an updated more detailed sound (but still ended up with no MQA as I got an RME).

Not many people are too worried about BT, but it's handy especially for guests etc. I briefly sampled the SMSL SU-9 and it did sound pretty good, as well as LDAC. Two way BT would be neat for use with Sony headphones when I want NC, but android phone does the job with LDAC and Google assistant.

 

[Deleted member 5620]

Once again, Topping has demonstrated their masterful engineering.

I just wish they used a more visually pleasing display font. Sans-serif would be good.

 

[G-rig]

Yes and a volume knob instead of up/down buttons.
It's a shame as they look like old set-top boxes from out of the early 90s.
Didn't matter so much when they were a few hundred bucks, but hardly cheap to buy anymore.

Still waiting on a refund from Amazon for the SMSL, had to send back to china

 

[Deleted member 5620]

How does his Accuphase measure?

Not the same model, but here's a data point.

 

[BillyKueek]

Took the plunge and purchase D90SE and the A90, my first stack. Loving it so far

 

[Pulkass]

Once again, Topping has demonstrated their masterful engineering.

I just wish they used a more visually pleasing display font. Sans-serif would be good.

Only if they could add a tubed class A analog output. !!!!! All chipped music is a no no.

 

[Rottmannash]

Only if they could add a tubed class A analog output. !!!!! All chipped music is a no no.

Great idea-ruin SOTA DAC performance with a distortion-producing class A tube stage...brilliant