Topping E30 DAC Review

[PeteL]

I answered the question "did you confirm that's on all inputs or could it be just USB?" about the absolute polarity fix. Topping already made a firmware fix available to fix this for the usb input. This works on all E30's. Topping also acknowledged that the other inputs could not be fixed with firmware, (read earlier posts in this thread) so they would fix that in hardware. What did I miss? Your explanation seems not related at all to what I answered and not based on what Topping has said about this. If they could have fixed all inputs with a software change (according to your opinion) why would they make a hardware change then?

But one thing is certain (hence my earlier answer): Topping has fixed it for all inputs.

You are both right, the 4493 do have a register for phase inversion, technically it should have been possible to access it by firmware update, but if Topping say they can't, it means they can't... What it means is that they only have possibility to update the XMOS firmware, and that for some reason the XMOS controller don't have FULL access to the dac chip registers. I have to say that this does surprise me a bit, since there is the possibility to switch the dac filters so there is a communication between the 2 chips, just partially, it is indeed strange because there is no cost for this, but I'm sure there is a reason why.

edit: I missed that part about stm mcu. So this Dac would use 2 micro-controllers? one for USB/DSD (XMOS) and one for communication with the AKM 4493 and 4118? That's interesting to me. It does make sense.

 

[Jarrett]

Oh well, looks like I have been overly enthusiast about this... On the Topping site there isn't any vendors for Canada. I reached out to Apos (usa), which were suggested in this forum, and they don't ship to Canada, unfortunate because I really liked the look and feature set of this little Dac. Any fellow Canucks here that knows a way to have access to topping gear?

Sure, I bought mine from one of their Canadian Amazon sellers https://www.amazon.ca/Topping-Digital-Decoder-Coaxial-Optical/dp/B0865V83Z5/

 

[bboris77]

Sure, I bought mine from one of their Canadian Amazon sellers https://www.amazon.ca/Topping-Digital-Decoder-Coaxial-Optical/dp/B0865V83Z5/

How long did the shipping take?

 

[PeteL]

Sure, I bought mine from one of their Canadian Amazon sellers https://www.amazon.ca/Topping-Digital-Decoder-Coaxial-Optical/dp/B0865V83Z5/

Thanks Jarret. May I ask how did the shipping goes? Yeah I didn't mention these guys, but I had one on order, and they got back to me, 5 weeks after i made the order saying that DHL couldn't deliver to me, and offered me to ship it from china trough EMS, saying it should take "about a month, maybe more" With no insurance and no tracking number, from what I could understand. At that point there was also uncertainties about this polarity thing so I decided to just cancel. It is not a canadian sellers, they are from China. Did you receive yours?

 

[somebodyelse]

edit: I missed that part about stm mcu. So this Dac would use 2 micro-controllers? one for USB/DSD (XMOS) and one for communication with the AKM 4493 and 4118? That's interesting to me. It does make sense.

You've got it - at least that's my interpretation. I should have been clearer about the distinction between the XMOS mcu which can have its firmware updated via USB, and the STM mcu which has firmware that customers can't update, and their respective access to the DAC chip.

 

[Jarrett]

How long did the shipping take?

Oh around 3 weeks. I placed my order in late March.

Thanks Jarret. May I ask how did the shipping goes? Yeah I didn't mention these guys, but I had one on order, and they got back to me, 5 weeks after i made the order saying that DHL couldn't deliver to me, and offered me to ship it from china trough EMS, saying it should take "about a month, maybe more" With no insurance and no tracking number, from what I could understand. At that point there was also uncertainties about this polarity thing so I decided to just cancel. It is not a canadian sellers, they are from China. Did you receive yours?

I remember it being held up for a couple weeks in China, not moving, due to covid delays. The seller was able to give me more tracking detail on what was happening and followed up with me a few times on their own initiative. Why DHL? I received mine by Canada Post (went with the free shipping option). Yeah, they aren't a Canadian seller (I should have said official third party or something), but since they are listed by Topping, I know it is covered by warranty.

 

[Robbo99999]

Thanks, oh well, that would explain why I didn't get reply. Lousy job on SEO tough, their site should come on top, unless maybe Google don't like chinese sites...

I had the same thing, took me a while to work out which site was the official site of topping & which were distributors.

 

[Pulkass]

I've looked at the owners manual just now, and it says the following in order to put it into DAC mode:

Output Mode Setting:
In the standby state, long press the multifunction touch button for 3 seconds to display the current output mode. Hold pressing, it will switch to another output mode after 1 second. The pre-amplifier mode displays "Pre" and the DAC mode displays "DAC". When you choose the desired mode, let go and the E30 will automatically save the settings and return to standby.

Many thanks. Very kind of you. I succeeded finally.!

 

[Robbo99999]

Many thanks. Very kind of you. I succeeded finally.!

Woohoo! No problem.

 

[LMW]

Oh well, looks like I have been overly enthusiast about this... On the Topping site there isn't any vendors for Canada. I reached out to Apos (usa), which were suggested in this forum, and they don't ship to Canada, unfortunate because I really liked the look and feature set of this little Dac. Any fellow Canucks here that knows a way to have access to topping gear?

Shenzhen Audio in China is a distributor for Topping products and they are in the same province as Topping right across from Hong Kong. I ordered mine from there on May 13, 2020 and got an email on May 22, 2020 that it shipped with a Canada Post tracking number that will probably only work once it arrives in Canada. Free Shipping. They also said in the shipping description 1 to 3 business days for product quality check before shipping. Should get it soon. Couple years back I ordered an SMSL Dac from Shenzhen Audio as well.

 

[Pulkass]

What s this thing about polarity and serial No. ? I have absolutely no idea.

 

[samsa]

Shenzhen Audio in China is a distributor for Topping products and they are in the same province as Topping right across from Hong Kong. I ordered mine from there on May 13, 2020 and got an email on May 22, 2020 that it shipped with a Canada Post tracking number that will probably only work once it arrives in Canada. Free Shipping. They also said in the shipping description 1 to 3 business days for product quality check before shipping. Should get it soon. Couple years back I ordered an SMSL Dac from Shenzhen Audio as well.

Shenzhen Audio owns Apos Audio, and fulfillment is from the same warehouse in Shenzhen. (At least, last I heard, the Apos Audio warehouse in Ookland was still closed due to Covid 19.)

 

[Robbo99999]

What s this thing about polarity and serial No. ? I have absolutely no idea.

This will answer your questions:
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/topping-e30-polarity-discussion.13789
And if not then best to ask in that thread, that's a thread dedicated to the issue.

 

[LMW]

Shenzhen Audio owns Apos Audio, and fulfillment is from the same warehouse in Shenzhen. (At least, last I heard, the Apos Audio warehouse in Ookland was still closed due to Covid 19.)

Yes, just better to order right from the source in China, will get it sooner, I hope. Have ordered from Shenzhen Audio once before and no issues.

 

[samsa]

Yes, just better to order right from the source in China, will get it sooner, I hope.

I don't think so. I ordered mine from Apos Audio and received it in 5 days. Plus, their customer service is superlative.

 

[LMW]

I don't think so. I ordered mine from Apos Audio and received it in 5 days. Plus, their customer service is superlative.

Apos only ship within the USA, no International Shipping that I could see. Default country is USA and cannot be changed. Amazon.ca has dates of July 27 to August 18 for arrival through a third party. So for people from Canada or other countries, Shenzhen Audio is an alternative.

 

[samsa]

So for people from Canada or other countries, Shenzhen Audio is an alternative.

I agree. If you don't have a local vendor, like Apos Audio in the US, or Audiophonics in Europe, ordering from Shenzhen Audio is probably your best bet.

 

[LMW]

I agree. If you don't have a local vendor, like Apos Audio in the US, or Audiophonics in Europe, ordering from Shenzhen Audio is probably your best bet.

Yes, also parts express in the U.S. have topping products, some new ones, but not the E30 yet. They ship international as I have used them before.

 

[LeandroFlu]

After 54 days it arrived ... Version 1.06 Firmware

Testing all day, coax and USB, they all played beautifully on my pair of sp-fs52 pushed by a Yamaha as301 (pure sound)

I updated to version 1.08 and tested Coaxial and USB again, the same song, over and over again (copy cd-r) and I confess that it may be my modest set, but I didn't feel any difference ...

I tested the E30 via Coaxial against the internal Dac of the AS301 and I did feel a more than significant difference, a good quality gain.

Spdif I tested with an aptx HD bluetooth receiver, spotify, nothing was pleasant, but it must be from the receiver itself.

I haven't tested the filters, I focused on the difference between Coax and USB. (Polarities)

The product is very well finished, simple functions, at first it was worth every penny.

 

[Rick CH]

Oh well, looks like I have been overly enthusiast about this... On the Topping site there isn't any vendors for Canada. I reached out to Apos (usa), which were suggested in this forum, and they don't ship to Canada, unfortunate because I really liked the look and feature set of this little Dac. Any fellow Canucks here that knows a way to have access to topping gear?

I ordered it from Shenzen Audio at the end of April and got it in under 3 weeks (I'm in the GTA).