Topping E50 Review (Balanced DAC)

[respice finem]

Alas, there's a bias trap waiting (when comparing two firmwares on the same device by hearing): Can you remember small acoustic details for several minutes? And is the level 100% equal?

 

[koravei]

Alas, there's a bias trap waiting (when comparing two firmwares on the same device by hearing): Can you remember small acoustic details for several minutes? And is the level 100% equal?

Yes i can, i have reference music for hearing. I listen to some high level and remember the position of L50's volume knob, then my ears relax and i try again. As Eldus said, it's possible to be some allergy, but i remember that the middle level was plenty enough and i rarely pushed the volume knob to the max. Now the high level is the same as the middle. Please, can someone share firmware v.1.06.

 

[respice finem]

Yes i can... ...remember the position of L50's volume knob...

Well, good luck

Cognitive Bias & Biases

We need a thread on cognitive biases. You can post links to your book chapters here... But why not start with: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_bias

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[Aldoszx]

This is a good idea! Can someone share firmware v.1.06, because it's no longer available for download.

Attached.

 

[koravei]

Hey guys, thank you for your big help! Аfter all it turned out that the sound is the same

 

[femaletiger]

It turned out the same.... How can you hear the difference before??
I have updated to 1.07 and I can't hear any difference from 1.06....

 

[koravei]

It turned out the same.... How can you hear the difference before??
I have updated to 1.07 and I can't hear any difference from 1.06....

I wonder to myself, sometimes circumstances line up and your brain starts to fool you But it's good when you update a firmware, to have a backup of the previous version, just for comparing, so i am happy that i have it after all

 

[respice finem]

I wonder to myself, sometimes circumstances line up and your brain starts to fool you

This is true, and it seems everyone has to experience it to believe it. Our senses may fool us daily, we just mostly don't notice.

 

[Jimster480]

Does anyone know which version was tested here? I see there was a AK4493 version as well.

 

[staticV3]

Does anyone know which version was tested here? I see there was a AK4493 version as well.

The Topping E30 used an AK4493.
The E50 has from what I can tell always used the ES9068AS.

 

[Overseas]

I am looking at E50 vs SMSL SU 6, as I am targeting an ESS good relatively cheap DAC.
Leaving all other aside, what can be said about the 2 companies, SMSL vs Topping ?! In my mind they are all the same, Shenzen, Tpdz, SMSL, Topping etc

 

[Veri]

Leaving all other aside, what can be said about the 2 companies, SMSL vs Topping ?! In my mind they are all the same, Shenzen, Tpdz, SMSL, Topping etc

Erm, no. SMSL is a pretty gigantic umbrella company which consists of many sub-brands. But Topping is just one company standing on their own. No affiliation with big S.M.S.L.

 

[peng]

Hello again, I just signed up for the Tidal 30-day trial and am wondering if the E50's MQA indicators are supposed to turn on when I play the "Master" files, or there is a setting to turn it on/off? So far I have not been able to get those indicators to turn on. I am using the windows app on a laptop. Thank you.

 

[yanm]

Hello again, I just signed up for the Tidal 30-day trial and am wondering if the E50's MQA indicators are supposed to turn on when I play the "Master" files, or there is a setting to turn it on/off? So far I have not been able to get those indicators to turn on. I am using the windows app on a laptop. Thank you.

I am not anymore on TIDAL but when I was, the MQA indicators were turning on. There were no special settings. I was connecting the E50 via USB from a Bluesound Node though…

 

[peng]

I am not anymore on TIDAL but when I was, the MQA indicators were turning on. There were no special settings. I was connecting the E50 via USB from a Bluesound Node though…

Thank you, mine is connected via USB to a laptop only so may be that's the reason. I don't think I need that feature anyway, just being curious again that's all.

 

[AngryMetalGuy]

Thank you, mine is connected via USB to a laptop only so may be that's the reason. I don't think I need that feature anyway, just being curious again that's all.

Maybe try to put the sound output (Tidal-E50) in force volume and exclusive mode it should work fine that way in Tidal. You can even passthrough the signal that way E50 does all the work first and second unfold. But hey! I'm not an mqa guy.

 

[mediocrebutarrogant]

Thank you, mine is connected via USB to a laptop only so may be that's the reason. I don't think I need that feature anyway, just being curious again that's all.

In tidal set speaker to E50 use exclusive mode and Mqa pass through

 

[nagster]

Volume of E50 vs Volume of A30Pro. AP dashboard and dynamic range.

 

[peng]

In tidal set speaker to E50 use exclusive mode and Mqa pass through

I did find out after playing with the settings, found the use exclusive mode and that did the trick. Thank you very much regardless.

 

[yanm]

Volume of E50 vs Volume of A30Pro. AP dashboard and dynamic range.
View attachment 225371

Thank - interesting results. To be honest, I was actually expecting more than 5 dB SINAD and dynamic range improvement from using the volume control of the A30 over that of the E50. On the other hand, the E50 is quite low noise and distortion to start with and the A30 is not a preamplifier but actually an (headphone) amplifier i.e., it introduces some harmonics on its own. I wonder if using balanced interconnects would increase the difference between the two approaches to volume control? (I guess not: it would just shift everything by a few dB)

Anyway, what matter a the end of the day is whether the harmonics and noise are audible in a given system at typical listening level. For example, I am typically listening with the E50’s volume sets at -40 dB and the harmonic and noise are below audible threshold (accounting for amplifier gain -AHB2 at mid gain- and my loudspeakers’ efficiency - 804d3 with 89dBSPL/2.83Vrms at 1m). On the other hand, I could imagine one using very sensitive IEM with a combo like E50 + A30 and having the noise being slightly audible at typical listening level.