Topping DM7 8-Channel DAC Review

[Sokel]

Fully agree. And I would always use a protection cap for an expensive tweeter anyway. And probably a series resistor to make (effective) SNR better and to reduce driver distortion.

Then you're an inductor in parallel away from a traditional passive crossover.
(that's what I do,semi-active and peace of mind)

 

[Fedde]

Yes and no. I would put the HPF much lower (2 octaves or more) than the crossover frequency. So you still can keep the DSP flexibility (and its timing shift possibilities).

I also feel my AMT sounds better with cap. Perhaps it sweets the signal a bit up, perhaps it is the +-400k carrier frequency from the class D that is better supressed. At least I sleep better this way...

 

[Music1969]

Does this place nice with Linux kernel v5.15? Or ok with older?

Or needs newer kernel?

Specifically multichannel use with Linux

 

[danstahl]

I use a vero4k which is essentially a linux box for watching movies. I'm tempted to add CamillaDSP and a dm7 and get SOTA SINAD with DSP for 7.1 surround. Any "gotchas" that I'm missing?

 

[Fedde]

Does anyone know what clock is used in DM7?

@Topping: is there technically any chance that 8x384 kHz would become feasible, or would this require a more powerful XMOS chip?
(By the way: for my use 6x384 kHz would already be great)

 

[howard416]

For someone who wants to do active crossover the new Flex is miles beyond.In terms of usability of course.
But let's wait and see for the balanced option...

It will have consumer-level voltage outputs as opposed to the pro-level outputs on the DM7. This means that the DM7 would be "better" with many of the TPA3255 amps that use PFFB, as that comes with the cost of reducing voltage gain significantly and therefore requiring higher voltage input to reach nominal power.

 

[Mowz]

That was m

That was my experience today (first day with it) but I'm not noticing any distortion. I'm not a fan of the womp. I wonder if these will help?

https://www.fullcompass.com/searchresults.php?search_simple=true&txtAll=NA2F-D2B-TX

They were mentioned 1,095,8150,918 posts ago as a second best solution to a much more expensive solution, and one that would probably work best with tub amps/subs where distortion would be less obvious.

Yes, they fixed the "womp" when turning off if I forget to turn off subs first.

 

[windfr]

I listen a lot of 5.1 audio files (from TACET, 2L, Pentatone, Telarc, AIX Records , etc.) with my current configuration:

I use Foobar and Asio2 with the audio interface Presonus STUDIO 192 ( Burr & Brown A/N chipset ) and I use a digital mixer Presonus 16R to send the sound to 5 active speakers + 1 subwoofer.
( I use this material because I needed it. I am also a musician )

I also have a stereo DAC SMSL M500MK2, which allowed me to make a stereo comparison.
The sound is more detailed with the SMSL. I want to buy the Topping DM7, hoping to have the same sound quality but I wonder how to use it with foobar. The topping manual is not very clear.

No ASIO with DM7 ? Should Wasapi be used ? Even with DSD ?
Thanks for your help

 

[dartinbout]

I can attest that the DM7 Asio driver works fine (I only use Windows 10. No reports as to how it works with Commodore 64). with Foobar 2k. To play multichannel DSD128 you will need the FB plugin but it's a snap in that's easy to find.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

No ASIO with DM7 ?

There is.

 

[dartinbout]

I know the topic raises skin lesions around here, but the DM7 plays multichannel DSD128 recordings, natively, and I absolutely love it. Asio is "The Way"! For example, "L'Arte del Violino (Locatelli Violin Concertos) - Lisa Jacobs, The String Soloists" is a powerful frisson that just keeps on rippling through me. The DM7 is a musical bong.

 

[mgbpuff]

I need help from those who have been successful with a windows / foobar2000/ DM7 driver installation that processed DSD correctly (PCM works fine)

- I'm running Windows 10 Home on an i5-4460s @2.9Ghz 8GB ram machine
- I have the Asio:Topping USB Audio Driver 5.30.0.32176 installed
- I have Foobar2000 v 1.16.12 running
- I have the following components pertinent to DSD : Asio Support 2.1.2 (foo_out_asio)
DSD processor 1.1.15 (foo_dsd_processor)
Super Audio CD decoder 1.4.13 (foo_input-SACD) but it won't configure for some reason

If I play a DSD128 fs file, I get an instant stop and a foobar error message-"unrecoverabel playback error. Sample rate of 352800 hz not supported by this device". I assume 'this device' is the DM7 driver.
Is there any hint in this what I may have done wrong?

Thanks in advance - Mark

 

[Kal Rubinson]

If I play a SAC file, I get a foobar error message-"unrecoverabel playback error. Sample rate of 352800 hz not supported by this device". I assume 'this device' is the DM7 driver,

No. It is the the DM7.

 

[mgbpuff]

No. It is the the DM7.

The DM7 specs says that it supports DSD128 (native 8ch). So, what gives? Bad hardware? Firmware?

New information - if I switch to WASBI Topping USB Audio Device, I get PCM 192kz read out on the DM7 and it's playing 5 channels (So it says in foobar, LCR definitely are playing but no detection of sound in LS, RS, or Sub. But, still, it's not DSD.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

The DM7 specs says that it supports DSD128 (native 8ch). So, what gives? Bad hardware? Firmware?

Ah. I read too fast and was responding just to this: "Sample rate of 352800 hz not supported by this device."
So, if you think you are sending DSD128, it suggests that your streamer is converting the DSD128 to PCM at352.8kHz. I suspect your Foobar setup is flawed.

 

[dartinbout]

You need Bit-perfect mode.

Foobar 2000 for Dummies (Part 2) – Playing DSD – SACD plugin

(Last updated 23-02-2024) For a guide on how to losslessly compress DSD file size by 50% very easily with Wavpack 5.x, BatchEncoder and SACD plugin 1.04 (or later) click –> HERE <&#8211…

diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com

I use J.River primarily (and it works fine) but I have gotten FB2K to play multichannel DSD128 as well. There are other resources for FB2K but you do need to mess with it. I've gotten HQPlayer to play MC DSD128 as well. None of this stuff is intuitive as most play back software has a steep learning curve for MC, but the DM7 will play ASIO 8 channel DSD128. I've not tried VLC, as I use that for video, but the interface is buried in there to do it as well.

I have no idea about streaming as that isn't in my lexicon. I do know that J. River won't do any DSD conversion rates so, if the file you are playing isn't DSD64 or 128 multichannel, you won't get that playback. It will try and convert it to 384 and it will give you that error message.

 

[dartinbout]

I need help from those who have been successful with a windows / foobar2000/ DM7 driver installation that processed DSD correctly (PCM works fine)

- I'm running Windows 10 Home on an i5-4460s @2.9Ghz 8GB ram machine
- I have the Asio:Topping USB Audio Driver 5.30.0.32176 installed
- I have Foobar2000 v 1.16.12 running
- I have the following components pertinent to DSD : Asio Support 2.1.2 (foo_out_asio)
DSD processor 1.1.15 (foo_dsd_processor)
Super Audio CD decoder 1.4.13 (foo_input-SACD) but it won't configure for some reason

If I play a DSD128 fs file, I get an instant stop and a foobar error message-"unrecoverabel playback error. Sample rate of 352800 hz not supported by this device". I assume 'this device' is the DM7 driver.
Is there any hint in this what I may have done wrong?

Thanks in advance -

Let me apologize in advance as I don't know what a DSD fs file is. I know the extensions dsf, dff or even a solid iso file all in 2, 5, 6 or 8 or whatever is native,. I have played those in Foobar, J.River and HQplayer. I need more data about the track\album you are trying to play.

 

[mgbpuff]

I bought the Album per your recommendation above (I know the topic raises skin lesions around here, but the DM7 plays multichannel DSD128 recordings, natively, and I absolutely love it. Asio is "The Way"! For example, "L'Arte del Violino (Locatelli Violin Concertos) - Lisa Jacobs, The String Soloists" is a powerful frisson that just keeps on rippling through me. The DM7 is a musical bong.), and I am trying to play it. The files are *.dsf

 

[dartinbout]

Well shiezta!. As I had played MC DSD through FB2K intermittently over the years I hadn't paid much attention. I also got the 352 sample error. I tried installing the app from scratch to see where the errors lie with DSD128 MC. I can play MC DSD64 but still get the error when playing DSD128 natively. I will keep working with it. In the meantime let me recommend your try the J.River trial software as that is my primary playback software. I'm not trying to shill the application but everything else (Roon, Audivarna and others) all have weaknesses. Not necessarily in playback but I don't like the library elements. Lisa Jacobs is creating my cloud of joy as I write this.

 

[mgbpuff]

I have not been able to coax Foobar to play the Lisa Jacobs DSD128 dsf. files in ASIO at all, but when I set output in Foobar to WASAPI (shared); speakers (Topping USB DAC), I get 5ch playback and Foobar reports "DSD128 | 28224 kbps | 44100 hz | 5ch |", which seems to me to be a PCM conversion since the Topping DM& is reading out "PCM 192kHz. It sounds nice though! Foobar is wearing me out!