Topping DM7 8-Channel DAC Review

[Dave Bullet]

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.

Fair call. My apologies.. I'll find another cable.

 

[Dave Bullet]

My concern is the firmware version reported

Mine says v1.98 via the topping control panel in windows.. yet the latest published on the Topping site is v1.18

 

[sejarzo]

My concern is the firmware version reported

Mine says v1.98 via the topping control panel in windows.. yet the latest published on the Topping site is v1.18

Sorry...somehow I missed that you posted similar screenshots as in the post I just deleted.

Seems like contacting Topping is definitely in order as it sure looks to me as if the wrong firmware was flashed onto your unit somewhere, somehow.

It's also rather odd that on any of the six pages of downloads on the Topping site, there is no firmware v1.98 listed for any product.

 

[Dave Bullet]

Problem solved. it was the firmware. Wrong firmware applied at factory.

 

[dartinbout]

Glad to "hear" it's sorted. I'm listening to Elton's Tumbleweed Connection in native 5.1 now. I weigh less then one white feather billowing in the updraft from the music.

 

[Dave Bullet]

For reference, both these Unix distributions work fine with the DM7 - Archlinux 6.2.6 and Ubuntu 22.04 (5.15 kernel)

root@ubuntu-pc:~# uname -ar Linux ubuntu-pc 5.15.0-67-generic #74-Ubuntu SMP Wed Feb 22 14:14:39 UTC 2023 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux [root@arch-pc ~]# uname -ar Linux arch-pc 6.2.6-arch1-1 #1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Mon, 13 Mar 2023 17:02:08 +0000 x86_64 GNU/Linux

 

[sejarzo]

Problem solved. it was the firmware. Wrong firmware applied at factory.

One hopes that some other customer hasn't received a non-DM7 that was mistakenly flashed with the DM7 firmware, given this on the Topping site.

 

[john11]

This is something that's troubling me about the topping. I can't understand it.
You see I have a geffen audio dac which has hdmi in, then the dac has 8 analogue outs for 7.1 sound, and also a hdmi out for the picture.
I have the dac hooked up to a screen which has 2 channel stereo sound, and the dac will only put out 2 channel sound from the analogue outs, no matter what i do.
It seems to recognise that the screen is 2-channel, and will stubbornly only put out 2-channel sound, so i can't use the dac with my multichannel amp, the dac seems to be downmixing all audio down to 2-channel as well.
Is this something the topping does

 

[tinnitus]

Hi John11, this Gefen dac looks like the essence. You have to adjust the edid Parameters. you can get it from CYP
http://www.cypeurope.com/store/stor...7.1-with-built-in-Repeater-4K-HDCP2.2-HDMI2.0

 

[Dave Bullet]

Here's an REW sweep with the DM7 channel 1 connected to the unbalanced Line input on my laptop soundcard. The DM7 was set at the max output 0 Db (reference) level and about 8dB headroom on the soundcard. Now I am no measurement expert by anymeans, but was wondering if the unbalanced performance of the DAC is really that bad?

It could be simply my laptop soundcard is not a low SINAD device. I lack any other measurement instrumentation to do better, but open to suggestions.

I'm assuming the rise in distortion below 20Hz is due to the soundcard, not the DM7 performance.

 

[Sokel]

Here's an REW sweep with the DM7 channel 1 connected to the unbalanced Line input on my laptop soundcard. The DM7 was set at the max output 0 Db (reference) level and about 8dB headroom on the soundcard. Now I am no measurement expert by anymeans, but was wondering if the unbalanced performance of the DAC is really that bad?

It could be simply my laptop soundcard is not a low SINAD device. I lack any other measurement instrumentation to do better, but open to suggestions.

I'm assuming the rise in distortion below 20Hz is due to the soundcard, not the DM7 performance.

View attachment 272987

You can download Multitone analyzer and do all sorts of measurements easy exactly with the sort of connection you already did.
Ok,it won't be like experts measurements but you can get a rough idea.
There's a thread here too to report issues,help,etc

Remember to disconnect speakers,amps and headphones while you do!

 

[KSTR]

Here's an REW sweep with the DM7 channel 1 connected to the unbalanced Line input on my laptop soundcard. The DM7 was set at the max output 0 Db (reference) level and about 8dB headroom on the soundcard. Now I am no measurement expert by anymeans, but was wondering if the unbalanced performance of the DAC is really that bad?

It could be simply my laptop soundcard is not a low SINAD device. I lack any other measurement instrumentation to do better, but open to suggestions.

I'm assuming the rise in distortion below 20Hz is due to the soundcard, not the DM7 performance.

View attachment 272987

DM7 is not intended to be used unbalanced (will not achieve best specs), but if you do make sure you don't short out the negative leg output.

You plot is not that useful (also, improper unit for the Y-axis), better use the real-time analyzer and show spectrum.

Even in unbalanced connection I would assume the DM7 is better than your laptop's (built-in?) analog input, both in noise and distortion.

REW is completely fine and my preferred choice, but MultiTone is fine as well.

 

[Ibanez]

DoP not needed. Direct native DSD supported. Mac or PC.

Dunno but I've got a few thousand of them. Lately, the majority are from downloads.

It does not play ISOs but you can extract the DSD from the ISOs off-line or, if the upstream player supports, you can extract them in real-time while playing.

Hello, you can buy XRecode 3 and convert ISO to individual .dsf files, even the surround dsd. a
And XRecode can tag all the files also

 

[Kal Rubinson]

Hello, you can buy XRecode 3 and convert ISO to individual .dsf files, even the surround dsd. a
And XRecode can tag all the files also

Sure. I use it all the time although I tend to use SACD-RipperGUI to extract the DSFs from the ISO that I rip with it.

 

[Ibanez]

Sure. I use it all the time although I tend to use SACD-RipperGUI to extract the DSFs from the ISO that I rip with it.

Okey, that was a new one to me.
Is it just another gui for xrecode?
Asking because I just use xrecodes own gui.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

Okey, that was a new one to me.
Is it just another gui for xrecode?
Asking because I just use xrecodes own gui.

Will Xrecode rip an ISO from an SACD? I have never tried it for that.
SACD-RipperGUI is the latest evolution in the series from the original sacd ripper.

 

[Ibanez]

Will Xrecode rip an ISO from an SACD? I have never tried it for that.
SACD-RipperGUI is the latest evolution in the series from the original sacd

I tried to google on it, and my conclusion is no. Xrecode i just an super powerful format converter at an cheap price. And also an ISO splitter for cue files, and SACD ISO extractor/splitter to .dsf and .dff format

 

[Kal Rubinson]

Yes. I use them both. SACD-RipperGUI for ripping SACDs to ISOs and extracting the .dsf files. XRECODE 3 for extracting audio from BluRay via MKV.

 

[Hmast]

Hi,

Is the line level pro or consumer on this DAC?

 

[staticV3]

Hi,

Is the line level pro or consumer on this DAC?

It's 5V/14dBV/16.2dBu.
You decide whether that's "pro or consumer".