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Topping E30 DAC Review

NgxHS7

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Planning to order from shenzhen audio or aoshida hifi audio; now I’m hesitant on using dhl due to brokerage fees and such, how much extra did you have to pay?
Aoshida has been good thus far. Quick shipment, but there will be delays in delivery. It's only been a week and tracking says it's already left China(not believing that).
 

Toku

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Planning to order from shenzhen audio or aoshida hifi audio; now I’m hesitant on using dhl due to brokerage fees and such, how much extra did you have to pay?
I purchased E30 from the Amazon.jp Marketplace shop.
Before I placed an order, I asked the shop about shipping problems in China, and I answered that they would ship by DHL. Of course I didn't need any additional charges.

I will propose to you. Contact the shop for compensation during transportation accidents before ordering.
Shenzhen Audio will kindly respond to product troubles, but not to transportation accidents. Don't forget this when ordering.
 

odyo

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I purchased E30 from the Amazon.jp Marketplace shop.
Before I placed an order, I asked the shop about shipping problems in China, and I answered that they would ship by DHL. Of course I didn't need any additional charges.

I will propose to you. Contact the shop for compensation during transportation accidents before ordering.
Shenzhen Audio will kindly respond to product troubles, but not to transportation accidents. Don't forget this when ordering.

I guess i'm gonna cancel my order. They still haven't shipped my E30 and i saw they shipped others.
 

JRM_PT

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Uff! I've read it all 48 pages! I'm trying to find the winner between the E30 and SMSL Sanskrit 10th Mk.II and it's being tough. Most of the measurements are similar except that multitone test, that shows an advantage for the E30 in the low frequency range. Then this popping and firmware update issues make me think about reliability of this product and lean towards the SMSL. I wasn't able compare the two graphs on the same window yet. I missed the Dynamic Range test on the SMSL (it's stellar on the E30).
Both PCB boards look similar (SMSL opted for a fancier look components but the important are the values). The footprint is also smaller. It's being a very hard decision.
The idea is to build a Music Centre with a Raspberry Pi 4, recycling an old external HDD, and some other diy bits to feed the DAC and into one of my Prima Luna ProLogue 2 integrated amp inputs. I'll connect my TV and PS4 (my dvd/BlueRay player) to the digital coaxial and toslink DAC inputs.
Any recommendation will be welcomed.
 

somebodyelse

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@JRM_PT seems like a reasonable way to connect things. To keep things on topic it would be better to move the Pi questions to a new thread, or one of the several existing ones about similar Pi setups. Some of those are quite long too...
 

JRM_PT

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Sorry, didn't ment to be OT, I was just trying to decide between the E30 and the SMSL Skt10 II for that application. I got the feeling, by reading all the pages of the thread, that the E30 came to the market without a full effective reliability and functionality test. Like some cars that are recalled several times to update or change things that probably didn't had time to be fully tested before the model release.
Appart from that the E30 looks the best of the two.
 

odyo

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Sorry, didn't ment to be OT, I was just trying to decide between the E30 and the SMSL Skt10 II for that application. I got the feeling, by reading all the pages of the thread, that the E30 came to the market without a full effective reliability and functionality test. Like some cars that are recalled several times to update or change things that probably didn't had time to be fully tested before the model release.
Appart from that the E30 looks the best of the two.
I think E30 is easily the superior one. End of the day it probably doesn't matter much but yeah E30 is good overall package. Problems are overrated. This product is popular so ''problems'' are more highlighted. No product is perfect. Popping issue is actually not even an issue so don't think about it much. SMSL uses same dac chip, it should have same popping ''issue''.
 

somebodyelse

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Sorry, didn't ment to be OT, I was just trying to decide between the E30 and the SMSL Skt10 II for that application.
No worries - half on, half off.

I don't know whether the SMSL 10th is any better on the software front, or it's just not had so many people use it in different configurations and report back the details they're not happy with.
 

JRM_PT

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I think E30 is easily the superior one. End of the day it probably doesn't matter much but yeah E30 is good overall package. Problems are overrated. This product is popular so ''problems'' are more highlighted. No product is perfect. Popping issue is actually not even an issue so don't think about it much. SMSL uses same dac chip, it should have same popping ''issue''.
I didn't like to see that difference between channels in the SMSL. Neither the rise in THD on the lower frequencies. My Amp was modded by an excellent sound and electronics engineer a few years ago and is remarkebly silent. The same with the CD player. I have a very dynamic and distortion free system and therefore would like to buy a DAC in the same league.
 

odyo

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I didn't like to see that difference between channels in the SMSL. Neither the rise in THD on the lower frequencies. My Amp was modded by an excellent sound and electronics engineer a few years ago and is remarkebly silent. The same with the CD player. I have a very dynamic and distortion free system and therefore would like to buy a DAC in the same league.
E30 measures exceptionally good. SMSL multitone measurement is a bit letdown.
 

odyo

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Are you sure?
It depends on the implementation.
I'm not sure. What i heard it's the nature of akm chip. I don't know if there is fix like ESS mid hump fix.
 

JRM_PT

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I'm almost pushing the buy button on the E30. Now I'll have to dig shipping costs and customs (if I order it from outsider EU) on several retailers. Thanks for the help.
 

ReaderZ

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My take on pop is, random pop is not fine, either return or sell or it goes into trash can.

But pop when change bit rate, I am not bothered at all, how often do you change bit rate? And it will never be in middle of a song or a movie or a game.
 

Toku

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Introducing compensation rules for accidents during shipping on HiFI-express.
https://hifi-express.com/pages/shipping-returns-policy

In this way, is it a Chinese business practice to not compensate for shipping accidents?
Care must be taken when ordering expensive items.
 

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LeandroFlu

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32 calendar days and the e30 was not even received by the Brazilian post office (It is certainly already in Brazilian territory, but the local post office did not touch the bags, lol) Brazil is not for amateurs.
 

NgxHS7

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32 calendar days and the e30 was not even received by the Brazilian post office (It is certainly already in Brazilian territory, but the local post office did not touch the bags, lol) Brazil is not for amateurs.

Well an update for me. Aoshida-Hifi have done something right. According to tracking, after sitting at China post's international courier center for a few days, my e30 appears to have left China headed towards Japan. Hopefully have it next week. Good luck with your one. I hope it turns up soon.
 

AndyLu

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I wonder if the D90 (AKM chip!) also pops? I suppose not.
No, the D90 does not pop. I have a D90 and also a E30. I don't understand why some people make such a big deal out of this 'pop' on the E30.
After installing the latest firmware on the E30 I don't here a pop under normal circumstances . I play the E30 in DAC mode connected to a PC with USB. the output is through a NAD C328 integrated amplifier. As another member said: sometimes when it switches sampling frequencies it may give a minuscule crackle sound. This sound is independent from the volume setting on the amplifier and is less loud than if you sink the needle on a vinyl record. It is not every time and it certainly does not do it while playing an album where all the tracks have the same sampling rate. I have to press my ears against the speakers to even notice it when it switches sample rate.

I consider this as perfectly normal behavior.
It is baffling me why this 'pop' story is getting so much attention. Because one person started it and said so? How many people here really heard the pop and/or where bothered by it? Or is the whole story blown out of proportion? On my E30 it certainly is not an issue at all.
 
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