• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

Topping DM7 8-Channel DAC Review

Rate this DAC:

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 7 2.2%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 18 5.7%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther

    Votes: 52 16.4%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 240 75.7%

  • Total voters
    317

dartinbout

Active Member
Joined
Jan 15, 2020
Messages
271
Likes
276
Thanks! I mean i know how the hidiz sounds in 2-channel mode, how do you think this compares against the topping in 2 channel mode

Why in all that is holy does this in any way matter? It's like trying to decide whether a kangaroo is better than octopus. Different species, different environments, different genus, I could go on for reams of incomparable aspects. Topping makes many wonderful 2 channel devices. In case you somehow missed every other post in this 69 page thread, the EM7 is 8 channel balanced DAC. EIGHT, not 6, 3 or 65. It has a delightful FR, Sinad, low distortion and many othe wonderful aspects across (wait for it).......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................(have you guessed how this ends yet?).......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................(that's right) 8.
Get thee to a nunnery and atone for thy sins!
 

charlielaub

Active Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2023
Messages
196
Likes
279
If you only need 2 channels then you might consider a different 2-channel Topping DAC like D10B.
 

john11

Active Member
Joined
Mar 8, 2021
Messages
216
Likes
38
If you only need 2 channels then you might consider a different 2-channel Topping DAC like D10B.
It's just that i own the hidizs, and was wondering what the topping sounded like in 2-channel mode as a comparison. I mean amir said the hidizs was the best 2-channel dac he had ever heard, i was just wondering if any of the more modern offerings had improved in the sound quality
 

Iceee

Member
Joined
Mar 12, 2023
Messages
23
Likes
13
What TRS-RCA (female) cable, or adapter is safe to use on DM7 - Stereo AMP?
 

Veri

Master Contributor
Joined
Feb 6, 2018
Messages
9,596
Likes
12,036
What TRS-RCA (female) cable, or adapter is safe to use on DM7 - Stereo AMP?
If you use shorting adapters on all these outputs you might FRY the DAC. Best case everything's kept floating and performance is greatly reduced:

Topping%2BD10B%2B-%2BTHD%252BN%2BL%2B-%2BTS-RCA%2BAdaptor.png
 

Iceee

Member
Joined
Mar 12, 2023
Messages
23
Likes
13
If you use shorting adapters on all these outputs you might FRY the DAC. Best case everything's kept floating and performance is greatly reduced:

Topping%2BD10B%2B-%2BTHD%252BN%2BL%2B-%2BTS-RCA%2BAdaptor.png
What is safe to buy, any links? Tnx
 
Last edited:

MCH

Major Contributor
Joined
Apr 10, 2021
Messages
2,580
Likes
2,197
U

What is safe to buy, any links? Tnx


:-/
 

Iceee

Member
Joined
Mar 12, 2023
Messages
23
Likes
13
Maybe I should just sell my rca Marantz PM15S2 Limited, and buy amp with balanced inputs and connect it to Topping DM7 with trs-xlr cable
 

Ro808

Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2017
Messages
83
Likes
82
They have, but our ears are blind to it (can't perceive the higher SINAD)
And SINAD equals sound quality...
:facepalm:


There is no definitive explanation of the constituents of sound quality. Definitions of sound quality include examples such as:

“Sound Quality is a perceptual reaction to the sound of a product that reflects the listener’s reaction to how acceptable the sound of that product is: the more acceptable, the greater the SQ.” R. H. Lyon.

“The term Product Sound Quality refers to the adequacy of the sound from a product. This is evaluated on the basis of the totality of the sound’s auditory characteristics, with reference to the set of desirable product features that are apparent in the user’s cognitive and emotional situation.” C. L. Fog and T. H. Pederson"
 
Last edited:

RichB

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
May 24, 2019
Messages
1,946
Likes
2,611
Location
Massachusetts
And SINAD equals sound quality...
:facepalm:


There is no definitive explanation of the constituents of sound quality. Definitions of sound quality include examples such as:

“Sound Quality is a perceptual reaction to the sound of a product that reflects the listener’s reaction to how acceptable the sound of that product is: the more acceptable, the greater the SQ.” R. H. Lyon.

“The term Product Sound Quality refers to the adequacy of the sound from a product. This is evaluated on the basis of the totality of the sound’s auditory characteristics, with reference to the set of desirable product features that are apparent in the user’s cognitive and emotional situation.” C. L. Fog and T. H. Pederson"
SINAD is a measure of accuracy (correct response and freedom from noise) during selected tests using repeatable parameters.
This metric and others can be used to compare product performance with the hope that this translates to all environments and loads.

It may not be the case, and there are device sensitivities that are not tested, so I will not say, that it is absolute proof that all are audible transparent after some level.
Many do feel that way, and that may be correct.

SINAD equals accuracy for specific tests (in this environment) seems more accurate (IMO of course).
I say this because devices can have performance issues that occur in the wild, not measured here.

- Rich
 

john11

Active Member
Joined
Mar 8, 2021
Messages
216
Likes
38
It also depends on your listening tastes as well.
EG: After listening, i noticed that i like paper cone speakers as paper tends to be lighter which allows the cone to move more freely, and gives a faster more punchy kind of sound.
Some of the plastic cone speakers i have heard with all the cone treatments can be heavy, which gives less distortion but a slower kind of sound. I find slow sound boring.
Some people like class d amps, some people hate class d amps, some people like transistor amps some people hate transistor amps, some people love valve amps some people hate valve amps
So as you can see people will purchase equipment purely because the like the type of sound the equipment is producing, rather than looking at the lab specs. I mean just look at all the old quad amps and valve amps being sold on ebay, people love that stuff even though it is old tech
At the end of the day i feel technology has moved forward so much that a lot of equipment goes beyong human hearing and it is futile to chase better and better specs. Look at some of the hypex amps i own.
Last year I purchased the soundblaster AE-9 because the AE-5 got such a good review on this site. It is a nice soundcard. Then i purchased the hidizs 8. The 8 is a better dac and i can hear more detail and smoother sound coming out of it, but it doesn't bother me and i use the soundblaster as i am more into multichannel. The difference between the two dacs is not that much and has gotten to a point where i can't justify upgrading and buying more equipment to better and better specs and falling into the law of diminishing returns
 
Last edited:

Dave Bullet

Member
Joined
Oct 30, 2022
Messages
36
Likes
26
I hope it's ok to use this post for support.

My DM7 arrived and Windows and Linux (both Ubuntu and ArchLinux with latest kernels) only show 2 channels.

Has my DM7 been flashed with the wrong firmware from factory? Can you please check/ confirm? This is what it shows me in the help about on windows using the Topping V5.57 (latest) Windows 10 drivers
1679005183148.png

1679005195577.png


Can someone please show me what their DM7 displays in windows?
 

dartinbout

Active Member
Joined
Jan 15, 2020
Messages
271
Likes
276
A couple of questions. Are you connected to a multi-channel amp? There is some sort of signal state that windows does. Do you have more then one Topping DAC connected. The Topping driver has some difficulty sorting multiple instances and has to be selected from the 1st page of the Topping interface.
Here are mine.
1679010593170.png

1679010636803.png

1679010687287.png


You will need to check your config in windows sound.

1679007072405.png

then check
1679007440481.png

Then
1679007485235.png


Make the appropriate changes for your setup
1679007701706.png

You should also check properties
1679007825356.png


You should go back to the beginning and test each channel for tone through your amp. It's wise to monitor this because windows will occasionally push everything back to 2 channel, 16 bit\44.1.

I hope all of this helps you sort this out.

I'm currently blasting AC-DC at native 5.1 and it sounds glorious.
 
Last edited:

Dave Bullet

Member
Joined
Oct 30, 2022
Messages
36
Likes
26
thanks @dartinbout - however I fail at the first step

Open up sound, select Topping DAC then click configure

1679008454995.png


All I get is a stereo option
1679008428939.png


Can you please open up the Topping audio device control panel - and show me what your DM7 reports in the info panel?
 

Dave Bullet

Member
Joined
Oct 30, 2022
Messages
36
Likes
26
@Dave Bullet the first thing I'd try is another USB cable and another PC. That way you can isolate the culprit.
I have tried 2 linux distributions on another PC, separate to my windows PC.

Same USB cable, but I can't see how that would make a difference.

What I find odd, is the Topping control panel lists "v1.98" - I presume firmware? yet latest from tpdz.net is V1.18

Also no serial number displayed.
 

staticV3

Master Contributor
Joined
Aug 29, 2019
Messages
7,531
Likes
11,999
Same USB cable, but I can't see how that would make a difference.
Sometimes the included cables are defective.
It's possible that a bad cable is forcing the DAC to fall back to a USB 1.1 connection, meaning no multichannel.
I would try using another USB Printer cable, just to make sure.
 
Top Bottom