Topping E30 II Lite DAC review and measurements

[antcollinet]

So now the question is, just what is the most expensive DAC on the market with comparable (or worse) performance to the Apple dongle?

Well if we base it on what has been measured here:

Search reviews for "Dac" sort by price descending - look at the first page containing 20 items.

5 (including the top of the list at $14K) measure worse than the $9 apple dongle (based on Sinad). 3 more are comparable.

 

[Robbo99999]

Here is a review and measurements of the recent
Topping E30 II Lite DAC

View attachment 309125

Here you see it on top of the gorgeous Topping A70 Pro, to give an idea of its size.
Yes, it's a very small DAC.

I purchased it new from Audiophonics for around 100€.
This is one of the cheapest DACs with SPDIF inputs, level control and remote.

It comes with usual connectors: USB, Optical and coaxial (RCA) SPDIF inputs, and of course a pair of unbalanced analog RCA outputs.

View attachment 309123

In the box, there is also a remote, but NO power supply (nor batteries for the remote)
This for sure helped to lower the price.
The DAC may be powered from any USB source, so just a USB power cable is provided.

It worked for me from any USB power source I had at hand, including a power bank.

There are 2 modes: DAC (fixed volume) and "Pre" (where volume is variable with the remote control).
In DAC mode, the frequency is always shown.
In Pre mode, the volume is displayed (frequency is only displayed on change).
The remote also allows to select the digital input, the filter and display light level.

Topping says it's built around an AK4493s chip.

Just a detail to note: In practice, the DAC is light.
Too light maybe, and it may be pulled by heavy cables.


Measurements

Measures are performed with following equipment:
RME ADI-2/4 Pro SE, as the main ADC
For very low levels, I used the RME 12Mic-D Mic preamp/interface.
Software is Virtins Multi Instrument 3.9.8.1

There are some limitations and differences compared to Amir's testing with an Audio Precision APx555.
That's more than enough to get a good idea of the device performances though.
I'll post comments where such differences are most important.



SINAD measurement

There is only unbalanced outputs, so here it is.

View attachment 308760

You will probably get slightly better result if you measure it with the AudioPrecision.
However, this is already very good.
(This is left channel, right channel is 1dB lower.)

My measurement is not far from the Topping RD3 TP Amir reviewed, which uses the same DAC chip, with its measured 116.8dB SINAD in unbalanced mode.
The distortion profile (H3 then H2 and H5) is also very similar.

This measurement is a bit better after powering the RME from a battery.


Dynamic range

Dynamic range is very impressive.

View attachment 308709

You read it right, that's almost 120dB of dynamic range.

Note that this figure, like all figures I publish, is un-weighted. Topping publishes a dynamic range figure wich is A-weighted.

The level you see in the plot is as seen by the RME 12Mic-D I use as ADC for this measurement. It is set for 60dB gain, 0dBFS here is -42dBu.


Linearity

View attachment 308842

I've done my best to replicate Amir's measurement here.


Multitone measurement

View attachment 308762

Multitone measurement is always very informative, as it allows to assess a lot of different things in one single measurement:
You see the noise, all kind of distortions (shown at the frequency where you'll hear their effect), the frequency response, and even the crosstalk.

We have a very good performance here.

NB: TD+N in Multitone measurement is higher than THD+N in SINAD measurement, partly because the average RMS level is much lower in Multitone. So this is quite normal.

Frequency response and Crosstalk (from Multitone)

View attachment 308713


Sine 50Hz under 600 Ohm load measurement
(Torture test)

I ran this new test Amir added in the recent SABAJ A20d measurements.

I now run this test with an home-made 600 Ohm load.

View attachment 308748



To get a comparison point, I ran the same test WITHOUT load (so load is the unbalanced RME input, ie 45k Ohm 22.5k Ohm - in Mono mode)

As we see, the main impact is the decrease in input voltage.

View attachment 308744


Output impedance

Output impedance is in line with Topping specs (20 Ohm)

Open circuit Voltage	V1	2.1138	Vrms
Load resistance	RL	613.9	Ohm
Loaded circuit Voltage	V2	2.0454	Vrms
Zo=RL*(V1/V2-1)	Zo	20.5	Ohm

(Reference)

Measured at 997Hz only, with a calibrated Brymen BM869s.


IMD measurement

I ran the ususal IMD vs Level measurement

View attachment 308717

Nothing wrong to note here.

A few comments about this measurement:
I always get slightly better figures than Amir's measurement with Audio Precision, for some unknown reason. So do not compare with Amir's results.
This still gives an indication nothing wrong happens here.
The slight glitches you see in the graph around -8dBFS and -3dBFS are due to the RME ADI-2/4 Pro SE switching Input range.
I should re-run this with switching ranges manually, probably.


Jitter

Jitter performance through SPDIF is disappointing
Not likely to be audible though.

View attachment 308724


While it is (almost) text book perfect through USB

View attachment 308725


Filters comparison

NB: Black plot is F6

View attachment 308718

View attachment 308719


F1 and F3 give identical results. F2 and F6 as well.
I ran all other measurements using F6 filter.


THD+N ratio vs Frequency (90kHz BW)

Again, nothing to complain about here.

View attachment 308720


Intersample overs

As I usually do now, I tested for intersample overs, up to +3dB overload, and there is just a small hint of distortion at +3dB
This is excellent performance, and much better than other ESS DACs I have measured, on par with the RME performance.

I don't know if Intersample overshoots are actually a problem in real life, but not with this DAC anyway.

View attachment 308721


Conclusion

We have a very competent device here.

If you except the Jitter for SPDIF, which could (maybe) somehow be improved, this is impressive performance for any DAC, not to speak for a DAC costing around 100 € !

For me,
This is excellent !

I like your Intersample Over graph/analysis, it's something I've always wondered about in terms of if different DACS can deal with it or not. Measuring intersample overs of some of my music library I worked out I should put in a -2dB Negative Preamp to ensure the vast majority of intersample overs are nullified. As you mentioned, I don't know how audible intersample overs can be, but I feel happier to put in a -2dB Negative Preamp to cover it. I'd quite like to see such an Intersample Over graph listed in Amir's reviews when it comes to DAC reviews.

 

[Rja4000]

I've added the Filters' impulse response and their names to the review

 

[morillon]

I've added the Filters' impulse response and their names to the review

THANKS! become very explicit... ...;-)
my little request was to observe the response on sweep in thd/thd-n vs frequency... are there obvious differences or is it very consistent?

 

[Rja4000]

THANKS! become very explicit... ...;-)
my little request was to observe the response on sweep in thd/thd-n vs frequency... are there obvious differences or is it very consistent?

It's not a 'little request', in the sense it takes time to run the sweep.
I'll give it a try later in the week, if time allows.

 

[morillon]

THANKS! become very explicit... ...;-)
my little request was to observe with differents filters the response on sweep in thd/thd-n vs frequency... are there obvious differences or is it very consistent? ;-)

It's not a 'little request', in the sense it takes time to run the sweep.
I'll give it a try later in the week, if time allows.

it's an expression..I'm aware that these sweeps generally take a little time..*
sorry...
but if you're annoying..forget it of course
;-))
*especially since for example the automated multitone test procedures will not work...you have to change, in the DAC, the filter with each sweep..

 

[lofidelity]

I'm planning to get this DAC for the optical input so I can connect it with my TV together with the PC. Will be using this with the L30II coming from the Sonata HD Pro.

While I understand that it would sound the same, I hope to solve some issues that I have with my SHD Pro, which is the pops when pausing, resuming music (loud pop on something like ~40Hz if I pause/play - note that this isn't on track/format change but pause/play on the same track) and also missing about half a second of audio after it starts playing if the DAC was left inactive for a few seconds before (For some reason this is worse on Linux than it is on Windows). Once a day (about 6-7 hours) I notice a pop in regular use as well while audio is playing.

Can someone help me understand if I can expect these issues to get resolved with the E30II lite?
Seeing some other posts here makes me think this is somewhat of a common issue with DACs? Or is it my PC?

Topping E30 - first miliseconds are cut short, pops after playback stops

Hey there - forgive me, if that's not the right place to post, let me know where I should post my issues! Topping E30 + L30 stack: E30 - 2103 batch, L30 - 2012 batch. Topping Control Panel says revision v2.10 for E30, using driver 5.20, which should be the latest as of now. Problem...

audiosciencereview.com

 

[Stilgar]

another usdeless dac without headphone output for my perspective

 

[morillon]

another usdeless dac without headphone output for my perspective

but what are you saying.. there are tons of models of the same kind doing it... why moan like this...?

 

[Stilgar]

but what are you saying.. there are tons of models of the same kind doing it... why moan like this...?

I am just kidding this is very good desktop combo

 

[Zek]

Are there any stutters, hiccups or pops like some SMSL DACs report?

 

[AnalogSteph]

Are there any stutters, hiccups or pops like some SMSL DACs report?

You mean popping issues when confronted with jittery output from e.g. a TV? That's mainly a thing of ESS-based DACs when the SPDIF receiver doesn't have enough jitter reduction (e.g. CS8416) and DPLL bandwidth is set too low to still cope. I wouldn't be expecting the same on an AK4493S DAC like the E30 II (Lite). The AKM chip does not even have a DPLL or ASRC.

(What it is using for an SPDIF receiver anyway?)

 

[Zek]

You mean popping issues when confronted with jittery output from e.g. a TV?

Not really, I meant some USB input issues like half a second lag, some pop issues when audio file playback is interrupted and resumed and similar that was reported for some SMSL DACs.

 

[Jarrett]

Nice. This is what I was hoping they would have just did with the E30 II, instead of using two DAC chips. About 3 db sinad improvement on the original E30 and sorta cancels the II model.

 

[HappyPantherFan]

Also, because i know some are looking into this, here is a 997Hz Sine wave played at -90.31dBFS through the Topping E30 II Lite in 16 bits mode

View attachment 308728

And here is the same in 24 bits mode

View attachment 308729

Both are exactly as expected.

So nothing wrong here.


The RME 12Mic-D is used as ADC here. It is set for 75dB gain for this measurement.




Measurements details (for those interested...)

SINAD measurement: DAC: Topping E30 II Lite DAC mode, F6 filter, RCA out USB in, 44.1kHz 32bits REW 997.256Hz 0dBFS signal 24bits dithering - ADC: RME ADI-2/4 Pro SE Mono 13dBu, 44.1kHz, Sharp filter - FFT: 32k 0.74s, Dolph-Chebyshev 200 window, 6 averages - BW: 20Hz-20kHz

Dynamic Range measurement: DAC: Topping E30 II Lite DAC mode, F6 filter, RCA out TosLInk in, 44.1kHz 32bits REW 997.256Hz -60dBFS signal 24bits dithering - ADC: RME 12Mic-D 60dB gain, 176.4kHz, Std filter - FFT: 128k 1s, Dolph-Chebyshev 200 window, 6 averages - BW: 20Hz-20kHz

Linearity measurement: DAC: Topping E30 II Lite DAC mode, F6 filter, RCA out TosLInk in, 48kHz 32bits MI 199.219Hz -120dBFS-0dBFS signal No dithering - ADC: RME ADI-2/4 Pro SE Mono 13dBu, 48kHz, Sharp filter - FFT: 16k 1s, Rectangle window, 10 averages - BW: 1/3 Octave - HPF BW180Hz - LPF BW 220Hz

Multitone measurement: DAC: Topping E30 II Lite DAC mode, F6 filter, RCA out TosLInk in, 192kHz 32bits AP MT32 -3.1dBFS signal unknown dithering - ADC: RME ADI-2/4 Pro SE Mono 13dBu, 192kHz, Sharp filter - FFT: 128k 2s, Rectangle window, 8 averages - BW: 20Hz-20kHz

Sine 50Hz 600Ohm measurement: DAC: Topping E30 II Lite DAC mode, F6 filter, RCA out USB in, 44.1kHz 32bits REW 49.796Hz 0dBFS signal 24bits dithering - ADC: RME ADI-2/4 Pro SE Mono 13dBu, 44.1kHz, Sharp filter - FFT: 64k 2s, Dolph-Chebyshev 200 window, 6 averages - BW: 20Hz-20kHz

IMD measurement: DAC: Topping E30 II Lite DAC mode, F6 filter, RCA out USB in, 48kHz 32bits MI 60Hz-7kHz 1:4 -60dBFS-0dBFS signal No dithering - ADC: RME ADI-2/4 Pro SE Mono 1dBu-7dBu-13dBu, 48kHz, Sharp filter - FFT: 64k 1s, Dolph-Chebyshev 200 window, 6 averages - BW: IMD only

Jitter measurement: DAC: Topping E30 II Lite DAC mode, F6 filter, RCA out TosLInk/USB in, 48kHz 24bits MI J-Test signal No dithering - ADC: RME ADI-2/4 Pro SE Mono 13dBu, 48kHz, Sharp filter - FFT: 64k 2s, Blackman Harris 7 window, 20 averages - BW: 0Hz-24kHz

Filter measurement: DAC: Topping E30 II Lite DAC mode, F1-F6 filter, RCA out TosLInk in, 44.1kHz 32bits FFR 44k_4k_13 0dBFS signal No dithering - ADC: RME ADI-2/4 Pro SE Mono 13dBu, 176.4kHz, Sharp filter - FFT: 16k 0.10s, Rectangle window, No averages - BW: -88.2kHz

Filter Impulse measurement: DAC: Topping E30 II Lite DAC mode, F1-F6 filter, RCA out USB in, 48kHz 32bits MI Unit Impulse 0dBFS signal No dithering - ADC: RME ADI-2/4 Pro SE Mono 13dBu, 768kHz, Sharp filter - 0.004s

THD vs Frequency measurement: DAC: Topping E30 II Lite DAC mode, F6 filter, RCA out USB in, 192kHz 24bits MI 20Hz-20kHz -3dBFS signal No dithering - ADC: RME ADI-2/4 Pro SE Mono 13dBu, 192kHz, Sharp filter - FFT: 128k 1s, Dolph-Chebyshev 200 window, 4 averages - BW: 20Hz-90kHz

Intersample over measurement: DAC: Topping E30 II Lite DAC mode, F6 filter, RCA out USB in, 48kHz 32bits MI 12kHz 45° -6dBFS-0dBFS signal No dithering - ADC: RME ADI-2/4 Pro SE Mono 13dBu, 192kHz, Sharp filter - FFT: 64k 2s, Dolph-Chebyshev 200 window, 6 averages - BW: 20Hz-90kHz

-90.31dB sine measurement: DAC: Topping E30 II Lite DAC mode, F6 filter, RCA out USB in, 44.1kHz 16/24bits REW 997.256Hz 0dBFS signal No dithering - ADC: RME 12Mic-D 75dB gain, 176.4kHz, Std filter

Wow this is... unbelievable! Should I call it ignorance or incompetence?
Digital volume regulation without dither? What year is it, 1993? It could either have gone 24-bit all the way (receives 16-bit data, treat as 24) and avoided truncating that many significant bits, or at least have dithered it properly before feeding it to the DA chip.

In any case this is not as expected. The waveform should resemble DSD of a sine, coming from any sane digital audio implementation.

 

[Tangband]

Wow this is... unbelievable! Should I call it ignorance or incompetence?
Digital volume regulation without dither? What year is it, 1993? It could either have gone 24-bit all the way (receives 16-bit data, treat as 24) and avoided truncating that many significant bits, or at least have dithered it properly before feeding it to the DA chip.

In any case this is not as expected. The waveform should resemble DSD of a sine, coming from any sane digital audio implementation.

This is probably the way it looks like in most gear, even in 2023. Good enough approach. If its cheaper then they will use it.
Im not even sure that the WiiM pro has dithering with its digital volume control, but I might be wrong on that.

 

[AnalogSteph]

In this test, signal generator output is undithered. It's supposed to look like that in 16 bits, steps and all being clearly revealed in modern DACs with high dynamic range. It's a legacy test (a staple e.g. at Stereophile for 35 years) that realistically doesn't tell you a whole lot that you couldn't have seen in other measurements on modern DACs.

 

[Rja4000]

Digital volume regulation without dither?

I think you misunderstood it.
I fed the DAC with a sine I generated on purpose at -90.31dBFS undithered, to mimic a test Stereophile (JA) is using.

There is no digital volume control at play here.

 

[777]

Can we see the phase shift at low frequencies ?

 

[Zek]

A few questions for Topping E30 II Lite DAC owners:
Are there any clicks at the beginning of the playlist or delays in playing the song?
Are there clicks and pops when playback stops and then resumes?
Are there clicks and pops when the audio files are of different resolutions (PCM or DSD)?
Does the DAC go into slipping mode if there is no input signal for a few seconds and there is a lag when the signal arrives?