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Topping E30 DAC Review

drew.woz

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Hello fellow audiophiles. Any thoughts about potential popping and effect on headphone listening? I'm wondering if it would be similar to listening to cell phone audio with a sudden loose plug connection - a highly distressing and loud event.
Thank you.
 

Morpheus85

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I notice the switch on the headphones but it is very quiet.


The E30 is now available at audiophonics.fr for European users.
 

Spocko

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E30+L30 stack may be very interesting to me, as I'm looking for a good price/performance without the need for bluetooth or balanced connections.
As far as I am aware, the A50 uses digital volume control, which I value. Does your above comment mean that the L30 will have a "traditional"/non-digital control?
Just ordered the E30 ($130) + Geshelli Arch2 ($140) stack.
 

Toku

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I report the result of examining the symptom that sound is interrupted many times by DSD2.8 (DSD64) of Topping E30. The E30 has been powered on for over 120 hours since it arrived.

Audio breaks up repeatedly during playback

When playing in "Pre mode", the audio output is dropped many times.
When the sound is cut off, the display changes momentarily from "-00.0DSD" to "2.82DSD" and then returns to "-00.0DSD". Sometimes "Error" is also displayed. Symptoms occur continuously or randomly.

In "DAC mode", if the audio is disconnected, the display of "2.82DSD" will be switched to "Error" for a moment. Repeat this continuously or randomly.

These symptoms are quite whimsical, often occurring or working properly for hours. It is not constant.
If the display blinks for a moment even if you do not feel any symptoms, an abnormality has occurred. Anyway, the symptoms are not constant.
This sound is similar to the sound of playing a CD with lots of scratches.

The remote control operates abnormally when playing DSD2.8.
Pressing the volume UP-DOWN button on the remote control while -0.00.0dB DSD is displayed on the display will display 2.82DSD or Error. Also, when you press FIR, AUTO, or DIMMER, unrelated displays appear and you cannot operate smoothly.

If you operate the SMSL remote control near the E30, the display will be distorted or the sound will be cut off in response to this. I can't imagine such a reaction

In addition, when the song to be played is switched to PCM <> DSD, or when the DSD is played after resetting to the factory default settings, occasional loud noise may occur.

So far, all playbacks except DSD2.8 (DSD64) are normal. Abnormal behavior occurs only with DSD2.8.
However, room temperature may also be related to the onset of symptoms. This is because in the morning when it is cold, there are few symptoms.
But I don't know if this problem is common to all E30s or if it's just my E30.
I'll report to Topping if I can sort out the situation a little more.

I have two Windows PCs. The system configuration is
Windows10 Pro + core i7 + 16GB + 1TB SSD and
Windows10 Pro + core i9 + 16Gb + 500GB SSD.
The audio player uses foober2000 and Tunebrowserw.
The output mode uses ASIO (Native).
The production lot number of E30 is 1911 *******.

As a measure, I will stop using DSD2.8 for the time being.
After connecting the E30 to the SMSL SA300 purchased the other day, a super small audio system with high sound quality was completed.

sorry. As always, my English may be a bit strange.
And I may not be able to express what I want to tell you.
 
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If anyone is interested just wanted to provide some updates on this dac after a few days....
1) As mentioned it is exceptionally linear, in the most positive way. No frequency is exaggerated.
2) Has wonderful clarity, and remains neutral.
3) Did respond a touch positively after three days burn in (spare me any opinions on burn in, I don't wish to debate and reporting for the benefit of others). Became just a hair smoother...but note any change her is less than the changes you will hear from adjusting the filters...no transformations....just a hair nicer...barely noticeable
4) Same re new power supply (IFI, i power 5V). Added a touch of bottom end and midrange..but not enough to justify adding 50 accessory if one does not have a separate power supply. Works well with USB.
6) the filters do change the sound, but they are subtle...but well worth exploring as some are a bit brighter than others...and a change can work well if the source material has some imbalance.
7) this is one of the most "uncolored" Dacs i have heard..in a very fine way, it does not impart flavor...
All in all very fine piece of equipment at this price love. I will say not having listened to a lot of dacs recently, that its true, DAc tech. as made very advanced strides recently and you can get a suburb piece of equipment for not a lot of money.
 
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It always amazes me that a power supply or burn in colors only certain areas of the spectrum, like bottom end and midrange.
just like an equalizer. Simply amazing.


Im not technical enough to know why...and I'm not sure i would say it even colors....more like ...cleaner power may allow give more "flow" to the bottom end...hard to say...can only report what i hear.
 

Tks

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That would be great all around...

I'd more enjoy listening to the burn-in cases that actually degrade performance.. EVER...

Interesting how we have companies demonstrated to have extreme ineptitude in many other areas, but interestingly, never does a company stroll by that is somehow botching their products that mostly all their SKU's burn-in negatively.
 

BDWoody

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Im not technical enough to know why...and I'm not sure i would say it even colors....more like ...cleaner power may allow give more "flow" to the bottom end...hard to say...can only report what i hear.

You could almost say it's unreal...
 

Matias

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Any ideas why Topping hasn't entered the dongle market with something really good, like Tempotec Sonata HD Pro (Hidizs S8)? @JohnYang1997
 

JohnYang1997

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Any ideas why Topping hasn't entered the dongle market with something really good, like Tempotec Sonata HD Pro (Hidizs S8)? @JohnYang1997
Maybe because there's already meizu dongle and meizu pro dongle for extremely cheap price? And they slammed all other competitors with 0.0001x% thd+n. (shrugs)
 

Matias

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How about home studio audio interfaces like Audient, Focusrite, MOTU, etc?
 

Tks

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How about home studio audio interfaces like Audient, Focusrite, MOTU, etc?

Don't care so much for "Studio Interfaces" but I would like to see others aside from RME in the high performance ADC game..

I have no idea about microphones (only interest I have is some pipedream about field recording samples to mess around with or things of that nature).
 

Digital-G

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is that sarcasm?
I'm sure it is. In fact I'm sure both of his replies were sarcastic. He thinks if you can't measure it then you can't hear it and therefore it never happened. When he hears a component actually break-in, I wonder how he'll explain it.
 

BDWoody

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When he hears a component actually break-in, I wonder how he'll explain it.

Usually when somethin's breakin' , it'll let the smoke out or make a pop noise or somethin'... That's not so hard to explain...

Otherwise, seems that those who claim to hear any other kind of 'break-in' might should do more than make the standard, tired, uncontrolled kind and actually figure out how to show it. Making claims that end with some version of 'cuz I say so' aren't going to get very far.

When you can only hear the magic woo with uncontrolled tests...that's not really magic...
It's completely natural, unavoidable and fortunately understandable...but is very unreliable.

Welcome to the forum!
 
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