rickyhgarcia
Member
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2019
- Messages
- 59
- Likes
- 27
Why do I want to spend $899 on a 123db SINAD Topping, when I can buy a $399 Topping with 120 SINAD? Is this a marketing headache for Topping?
Why do I want to spend $899 on a 123db SINAD Topping, when I can buy a $399 Topping with 120 SINAD? Is this a marketing headache for Topping?
The real question is: why would you spend $399 on a 120 SINAD Topping, when you can buy a $150 Topping with 112 SINAD and still be unable to hear a difference since 112 SINAD is beyond human hearing ability anyway?Why do I want to spend $899 on a 123db SINAD Topping, when I can buy a $399 Topping with 120 SINAD? Is this a marketing headache for Topping?
I don't think topping themselves really do to much in marketing at all. They sort of did the thing everyone was not doing. Make a really good name for themselves by making something that everyone wanted. An attainable line of Audio gear that anyone can buy an be proud to own and use.Why do I want to spend $899 on a 123db SINAD Topping, when I can buy a $399 Topping with 120 SINAD? Is this a marketing headache for Topping?
Hmm last time i checked if you want balanced out and volume control you needed to spend 300+The real question is: why would you spend $399 on a 120 SINAD Topping, when you can buy a $150 Topping with 112 SINAD and still be unable to hear a difference since 112 SINAD is beyond human hearing ability anyway?
In DAC-land, it's not "the bigger the SINAD the better the DAC". It's rather "find the cheapest one that remains completely transparent for the ear (as all DACs should be) and has all the desired features".
Performance-wise, the $150 Topping fits the bill, as proven by all its excellent measurements (because it's not only about SINAD : things like multitone matter too, check it out). I should know, I have three of them.
At this price point I'd rather go to DX3Pro+ (if non-balanced is enough) and get quite many more features for just a little more. It's really the price / performance king at this point.The real question is: why would you spend $399 on a 120 SINAD Topping, when you can buy a $150 Topping with 112 SINAD and still be unable to hear a difference since 112 SINAD is beyond human hearing ability anyway?
In DAC-land, it's not "the bigger the SINAD the better the DAC". It's rather "find the cheapest one that remains completely transparent for the ear (as all DACs should be) and has all the desired features".
Performance-wise, the $150 Topping fits the bill, as proven by all its excellent measurements (because it's not only about SINAD : things like multitone matter too, check it out). I should know, I have three of them.
Why do I want to spend $899 on a 123db SINAD Topping, when I can buy a $399 Topping with 120 SINAD? Is this a marketing headache for Topping?
That's why I said "and has all the desired features". If you want balanced, you'll have to spend more money. But why would you?...Hmm last time i checked if you want balanced out and volume control you needed to spend 300+
Yes (I even recommended it to my brother some time ago), but only if you need the fancy features such as Bluetooth. Not for performance reasons. For me the "perfect DAC" (perfect for my own needs) is the E30. For somebody else it may be the DX3Pro+, or even the A50s.At this price point I'd rather go to DX3Pro+ (if non-balanced is enough) and get quite many more features for just a little more. It's really the price / performance king at this point.
I have seen those too, $399 was the lowest priced Topping with balanced and unbalanced output….The real question is: why would you spend $399 on a 120 SINAD Topping, when you can buy a $150 Topping with 112 SINAD and still be unable to hear a difference since 112 SINAD is beyond human hearing ability anyway?
In DAC-land, it's not "the bigger the SINAD the better the DAC". It's rather "find the cheapest one that remains completely transparent for the ear (as all DACs should be) and has all the desired features".
Performance-wise, the $150 Topping fits the bill, as proven by all its excellent measurements (because it's not only about SINAD : things like multitone matter too, check it out). I should know, I have three of them.
I would rather say for the headphone amp I've disabled BT on my own unit, didn't sound great anyway, but there can be a time I have some use for it.That's why I said "and has all the desired features". If you want balanced, you'll have to spend more money. But why would you?...
I certainly wouldn't go balanced. After studying the subject a while ago and discussing it on the forums (even here), my conclusion is that balanced is a myth among audiophiles. It doesn't provide better audible performance. It just provides more power (which could be useful if your headphones were extremely difficult to drive and your amp wasn't powerful enough), and better signal integrity but only over HUGE distances (we're talking 50-100m before the difference becomes significant, those are distances that the average consumer will never experience at home) or in electrically challenging environments (again, not the average home).
As for volume control, again, that's up to everybody. I manage volume either digitally from my PC or via my amp's knob. Never via my DAC. To me a DAC doesn't need to do that. A DAC is just a DAC: a Digital/Analog Converter. Not an amplifier or an attenuator.
So, very few people really "need" to spend 300+ on a DAC. But again, everybody is free to do so in order to get the desired features.
Yes (I even recommended it to my brother some time ago), but only if you need the fancy features such as Bluetooth. Not for performance reasons. For me the "perfect DAC" (perfect for my own needs) is the E30. For somebody else it may be the DX3Pro+, or even the A50s.
Some may even want to spend more money and that's up to them. I would definitely spend 1000$ on an Okto dac8, but only if I needed an 8-channel DAC.
Well what someone needs or doesn't need is very relative and personal. One can also argue that for the 150 eur of the cheaper topping dac one can build a complete system (streamer dac and amp) that can be pretty transparent. I know because i also have one of those.That's why I said "and has all the desired features". If you want balanced, you'll have to spend more money. But why would you?...
I certainly wouldn't go balanced. After studying the subject a while ago and discussing it on the forums (even here), my conclusion is that balanced is a myth among audiophiles. It doesn't provide better audible performance. It just provides more power (which could be useful if your headphones were extremely difficult to drive and your amp wasn't powerful enough), and better signal integrity but only over HUGE distances (we're talking 50-100m before the difference becomes significant, those are distances that the average consumer will never experience at home) or in electrically challenging environments (again, not the average home).
As for volume control, again, that's up to everybody. I manage volume either digitally from my PC or via my amp's knob. Never via my DAC. To me a DAC doesn't need to do that. A DAC is just a DAC: a Digital/Analog Converter. Not an amplifier or an attenuator.
So, very few people really "need" to spend 300+ on a DAC. But again, everybody is free to do so in order to get the desired features.
Yes (I even recommended it to my brother some time ago), but only if you need the fancy features such as Bluetooth. Not for performance reasons. For me the "perfect DAC" (perfect for my own needs) is the E30. For somebody else it may be the DX3Pro+, or even the A50s.
Some may even want to spend more money and that's up to them. I would definitely spend 1000$ on an Okto dac8, but only if I needed an 8-channel DAC.
Nope, it's $269 for a Topping DAC with balanced and unbalanced output (and 123dB SINAD if anybody cares ).I have seen those too, $399 was the lowest priced Topping with balanced and unbalanced output….
I'm verry sorry if somehow in my previous posts I made you think that I could be interested. Really, sorry about it.But if you are interested, i can tell you my case [...]
If you don't know, then just remember we are on ASR here. That may help you nuance your subjective opinions.Balanced is a myth for audiofools? I don't know [...]
I chose the D30 Pro because I need balanced to active monitors.At this price point I'd rather go to DX3Pro+ (if non-balanced is enough) and get quite many more features for just a little more. It's really the price / performance king at this point.
That's why I said "and has all the desired features". If you want balanced, you'll have to spend more money. But why would you?...
I certainly wouldn't go balanced. After studying the subject a while ago and discussing it on the forums (even here), my conclusion is that balanced is a myth among audiophiles. It doesn't provide better audible performance. It just provides more power (which could be useful if your headphones were extremely difficult to drive and your amp wasn't powerful enough), and better signal integrity but only over HUGE distances (we're talking 50-100m before the difference becomes significant, those are distances that the average consumer will never experience at home) or in electrically challenging environments (again, not the average home).
Yes, that's basically what I said: a small number of headphones may require balanced for power purposes. Either because they're really power hungry, and/or because the amp isn't powerful enough. In that case, instead of a preamp I would rather buy a bigger amp.If your amp needs more than two volts to drive it to full power, you have two choices. Balanced Dac, or preamp between dac and amp.
Yes, it can. Doesn't mean that it will.And the ground loop problem can occur over quite short distances.
Id say a majority of people with powered speakers will get ground loop with unbalanced connectionsYes, that's basically what I said: a small number of headphones may require balanced for power purposes. Either because they're really power hungry, and/or because the amp isn't powerful enough. In that case, instead of a preamp I would rather buy a bigger amp.
Yes, it can. Doesn't mean that it will.
Again, that may happen in some particular cases, for a small number of people. Most people will hardly if ever experience ground loop problems.
The truth is that the vast majority of people will never need a balanced DAC/amp. Yet some of them will voluntarily spend more money on a balanced DAC/amp "just because potatoes". I don't care, it's their money, as long as they don't believe that balanced will give any audible audio performance improvements.