Topping E30 DAC Review

[The Dragon]

Your description was a bit confusing, did you mean to say wasn't in the background? I shall be getting mine soon, I have D50 as well so it would be a good comparison. I used to have Mojo-Poly but sold them after getting D50.

Sometimes it is difficult to describe what I am hearing. The guitar seemed recessed (lower in volume) than the QT. Also the general presence of detail is just not there. The "attack" of when the guitar strings was not reproduced very well either.

 

[vkvedam]

Sometimes it is difficult to describe what I am hearing. The guitar seemed recessed (lower in volume) than the QT. Also the general presence of detail is just not there. The "attack" of when the guitar strings was not reproduced very well either.

Not denying your claims but it's sounding a bit like placebo to me, spend a little more time on the E30 and let us know what you think

Edit: Can't call it placebo completely though, I prefer CCA/PC > D50 > NX4 as compared to CCA/PC > NX4 but I couldn't tell Mojo and NX4 apart

 

[odyo]

I set the Qutest to 2V output setting. I am going to run another test this weekend with coaxial input to see if that makes a difference. I was not expecting such a noticeable difference in sound. In fact, I was going to consider selling the Qutest. I never liked the UI. The E30 didn't sound bad, just not as good. Probably a good "band for buck" DAC. I guess I will be keeping the Qutest after all.

Qutest is another league. I guess it uses in house dac chip. E30 have mass production ak4493 chip. I myself haven't listened and compared these but probably there are differences.

 

[voodooless]

I guess it uses in house dac chip. E30 have mass production ak4493 chip.

So? Check out the other custom DAC (chip) designs reviewed here.. most of them suck big time.. They are indeed in another league

Just a few of them actually make it to very good products. Luckily the Qutest seems to be one of them. Point is: an in house DAC chip in of itself does not mean anything. Mass production in of itself does not mean anything either. There are lots of bad mass produced DAC chips out there for obvious reasons, and a few good ones. Look at the best reviews here: it's only from a handful of DAC chips.

 

[samsa]

Look at the best reviews here: it's only from a handful of DAC chips.

In the case at hand, I would suggest that the biggest practical difference between the Qutest and the AK4493 chip is that the former implements a true brick-wall filter, whereas even the sharpest filter offered by the latter is still rather leaky.

As @amirm as also measured the Qutest, I would be curious to know what measurements are supposed to make it head-and-shoulders superior to the E30.

 

[The Dragon]

In the case at hand, I would suggest that the biggest practical difference between the Qutest and the AK4493 chip is that the former implements a true brick-wall filter, whereas even the sharpest filter offered by the latter is still rather leaky.

As @amirm as also measured the Qutest, I would be curious to know what measurements are supposed to make it head-and-shoulders superior to the E30.

I too am having trouble adjudicating what I am hearing with the numbers in the reviews. My guess is the filter implementation is "better" on the Qutest. The other possibility is that I may have an underperforming sample of the E30.-or both...

 

[samsa]

I too am having trouble adjudicating what I am hearing with the numbers in the reviews. My guess is the filter implementation is "better" on the Qutest.

I would erase the quotes. The filter on the Qutest is objectively better. Whether that difference is audible is another question...

 

[odyo]

So? Check out the other custom DAC (chip) designs reviewed here.. most of them suck big time.. They are indeed in another league

Just a few of them actually make it to very good products. Luckily the Qutest seems to be one of them. Point is: an in house DAC chip in of itself does not mean anything. Mass production in of itself does not mean anything either. There are lots of bad mass produced DAC chips out there for obvious reasons, and a few good ones. Look at the best reviews here: it's only from a handful of DAC chips.

We are talking about Qutest here. Calm down champ.

 

[velasfloyd]

it is so sad to read this headfi-alike comments again and again all over every review in this forum. The people that normally post to stop this comments are not commenting anymore, I think they got tired to explain the same again and again and again....

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...king-a-dac-has-a-sound-signature.9245/page-87

 

[voodooless]

We are talking about Qutest here. Calm down champ.

You obviously missed the whole point..

 

[Eetu]

@vrobec @odyo price≠performance. To echo @samsa, what is it exactly that makes the Qutest clearly, audibly superior to the E30?

I think it's the 'quirky' design and the $1700 price tag, but that's just me being sceptical in light of measurements of both devices.

@The Dragon if you're willing to take it further, ask a friend to help you with a proper blind test. If the differences with the E30 disappear you could sell the Qutest. Win-win.

 

[odyo]

@vrobec @odyo price≠performance. To echo @samsa, what is it exactly that makes the Qutest clearly, audibly superior to the E30?

I think it's the 'quirky' design and the $1700 price tag, but that's just me being sceptical in light of measurements of both devices.

@The Dragon if you're willing to take it further, ask a friend to help you with a proper blind test. If the differences with the E30 disappear you could sell the Qutest. Win-win.

Superior or inferior is hard to judge when it comes to audio. The question is their sound exactly the same or not ? Qutest using significantly different filters may change the sound. If your senses good enough (no ear fatigue, good sleep etc) you may hear the differences.

 

[vkvedam]

Superior or inferior is hard to judge when it comes to audio. The question is their sound exactly the same or not ? Qutest using significantly different filters may change the sound. If your senses good enough (no ear fatigue, good sleep etc) you may hear the differences.

Agree but it's not general rule of thumb though. I shall be getting a Qutest loaner, it will be pitted against D50 and E30. I always wanted to try Qutest so this will be interesting.

As previously mentioned I did quite a few auditions with Mojo-Poly and NX4DSD. Honestly I couldn't tell them apart after living with Mojo (4 years) and Poly (2 years) which I was super familiar with.

 

[odyo]

Agree but it's not general rule of thumb though. I shall be getting a Qutest loaner, it will be pitted against D50 and E30. I always wanted to try Qutest so this will be interesting.

As previously mentioned I did quite a few auditions with Mojo-Poly and NX4DSD. Honestly I couldn't tell them apart after living with Mojo (4 years) and Poly (2 years) which I was super familiar with.

Don't forget to give us an update.

 

[despoiler]

I made a purchase from Shenzen Audio using Amazon. Shipping from China to the UK was 4 days. No extra tariffs or VAT charges. Of course once inside the UK Royal Mail decided to send it to the wrong distribution office not once, but twice thus eating up an extra 4 days sending between the mail center and wrong distribution office. Royal F'Ups is more like it.

Anyways, I've now have the E30 setup in DAC mode powered by a extra Xiaomi charger. Amplification is being handled by my JDS Labs Atom. Source is my PC using Tidal. Headphones are Sennheiser HD650 that are EQ'd with Oratory1990's latest curves via Equalizer APO. My previous DAC was the JDS OL DAC and I also have an ifi Audio Micro iDSD. All I can say is the E30 is subjectively better than either of them. It sounds cleaner and everything is more tightly defined. Reverb and spacial queues seem to jump out because of the clean presentation. The bass region is also better with less bloat or smear. It might be cliche, but it sounds like hi-fi to me. Highly recommended.

 

[BDWoody]

it is so sad to read this headfi-alike comments again and again all over every review in this forum. The people that normally post to stop this comments are not commenting anymore, I think they got tired to explain the same again and again and again....

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...king-a-dac-has-a-sound-signature.9245/page-87

Yeah...

All I can say is the E30 is subjectively better than either of them

Can you describe how you compared them? Any controls on the listening process?

 

[vkvedam]

My E30 has just been delivered, took exactly one week in total (Order was placed on the 4th). I shall report back after an audition, hopefully at some point today

 

[despoiler]

Yeah...




Can you describe how you compared them? Any controls on the listening process?

No hard controls on the listening process. I kept it to a normal listening experience. I did not do the new toy turn it up thing. To be honest I found the need for a hard ABX unneeded for either DAC because the differences are apparent to me in certain areas.

The iFi Audio device is exceptionally easy to pick out the differences. It has an audibly high noise floor because power and source signal run over the same USB cable. The bass on this DAC is strong/emphasized, but lacks definition. It booms where it should thump so to speak. The OL DAC is a more neutral DAC so it's a bit harder. The easiest difference to hear is in reverb and spacial queues. I was listening to the His Dark Materials theme by Lorne Balfe. The sense of size and scale in the orchestral auditorium is much bigger. I had no notable sense on the prior DACs. There are periodic hits from the timpanis that sound positively cavernous on the E30. The OL DAC has the same note or the hit, but I never noticed how it interacted with the room.

 

[BDWoody]

No hard controls on the listening process

Got it...

 

[despoiler]

Got it...

Doubtful....