Topping E50 Review (Balanced DAC)

[theoblue80]

Maybe a silly question, but is E50 compatible both with 5V/1A and 5V/2A power adapters?

Cause in the manual only 5V/1A is mentioned.

 

[staticV3]

@theoblue80 the DAC will draw as much current as it needs, never more than that. You can plug in a 5V/100A power supply and it'll still draw <1A.

 

[ozlegend]

I have just received my e50 and presume it has the latest v1.07 firmware installed but have been unable to check this. There seems no method mentioned in the user manual (it normally comes at the end of the setup menu) and my Windows 10 Device Manager only gives Microsoft driver details. Am I missing something obvious?

 

[BeeKay]

I have just received my e50 and presume it has the latest v1.07 firmware installed but have been unable to check this. There seems no method mentioned in the user manual (it normally comes at the end of the setup menu) and my Windows 10 Device Manager only gives Microsoft driver details. Am I missing something obvious?

You need the firmware update tool from Topping‘s download site. This will tell you about the installed version.

E50 version V1.07 firmware update-TOPPING

 

[ozlegend]

Thanks!
It seemed a long and complex way to find out something so basic - and yes v1.07 was already installed!

 

[BeeKay]

Thanks!
It seemed a long and complex way to find out something so basic - and yes v1.07 was already installed!

There maybe be more elegant ways …

 

[theoblue80]

I would like to ask what impact the output voltage of a DAC has.

For example D90SE has higher voltage output, if I am not mistaken, than E50.

Could this make a difference when for example connecting the DAC to a headphone amp?

 

[theoblue80]

Take a look at the input sensitivity of the amplifier. Example, for a Topping L50 at the 3 different gain settings, they spec:

Input sensitivity

• 12.7 Vrms @G=L
• 12 Vrms @G=M
• 2.7 Vrms @G=H

Gain

• -14.5dB @G=L
• -0.3dB @G=M
• 13.7dB @G=H

Input sensitivity is the maximum voltage strength of an input signal that an amplifier can handle and still produce un-clipped full output.

So to my understanding it's better (less risky) for HP amps to be connected to DACs with lower output voltage, correct?

 

[Stickler1]

At least the RasbPi gives you freedom instead of being enslaved to a persistant queue.

 

[Pjotter]

Hi, I'm on a iMac and listen to Apple Music. What would be the best setting for the E50 in the Audio/MIDI-app ? I've put it to 24/96 to allow Apple Music Hi-res files.
Would 32/96 be better ? Thanx!

 

[FlyingFreak]

I ve been using my E50/L50 stack driving a HE-560 v2 for close to a year now. Today I changed the connection from rca to trs cause I had a couple of trs cables hanging around.

I’m still very much learning how this things work. I know the L50 TRS inputs aren’t balance. I was wondering if that would mean I would or wouldn’t have more power. Turns out I have much more power. With RCA, I needed to put the L50 on high to hear anything, with TRS cables I’m down to low gain.

Does that do anything to sound quality? No idea. I m using this mostly to watch tv and play video games and all I could clearly experience is that I could play loud. Btw, connecting either the ps5 (with a thing to convert usb to optic) or the tv to the dac works perfectly for me.

Now I know I can damage my ears and my headphones with ease.

 

[Veri]

I ve been using my E50/L50 stack driving a HE-560 v2 for close to a year now. Today I changed the connection from rca to trs cause I had a couple of trs cables hanging around.

I’m still very much learning how this things work. I know the L50 TRS inputs aren’t balance. I was wondering if that would mean I would or wouldn’t have more power. Turns out I have much more power. With RCA, I needed to put the L50 on high to hear anything, with TRS cables I’m down to low gain.

Oh no the TRS inputs are most definitely balanced, just like 3-pin XLR inputs.

 

[MegaHerzz]

is there any audible difference between all 3 filters?

 

[FlyingFreak]

Oh no the TRS inputs are most definitely balanced, just like 3-pin XLR inputs.

Is it? My understanding is that's the L50, while offering TRS inputs for convenience, is not a balance amp.
This graph borrowed from Audiophonics seems to say that much. Am I misunderstanding something?
I really need to make efforts understanding the whole electric part of this hobby. It's hard to my old brain.
Anyway, the E50, which is the topic here, is definitely balance, hence the volume difference (me think?).

 

[Veri]

Is it? My understanding is that's the L50, while offering TRS inputs for convenience, is not a balance amp.
This graph borrowed from Audiophonics seems to say that much. Am I misunderstanding something?
I really need to make efforts understanding the whole electric part of this hobby. It's hard to my old brain.
Anyway, the E50, which is the topic here, is definitely balance, hence the volume difference (me think?).
View attachment 258912

Yep that is correct on the output side, that is the headphone connector. It is not balanced as in that it gets more power/current, since the headamp is internally actually single ended.
But the inputs are still getting whatever voltage you feed them, so in this case most DACs will supply 4 volts through those TRS's which is generally double what goes in on the RCA side. Hence more volume.

 

[Aldoszx]

I would like to know if somebody has the same issue: Topping E50 has some problems to wake-up from stand by state.
I am using Roon and Ropieee RPi endpoint connected to E50.
From the beginning, if E50 is in stand by, first attempt to start playing music from Roon is a failure.
The DAC could not be accesed and dissapears from Roon for almost 2-3 seconds and after that I can start playing music.

 

[BeeKay]

I would like to know if somebody has the same issue: Topping E50 has some problems to wake-up from stand by state.
I am using Roon and Ropieee RPi endpoint connected to E50.
From the beginning, if E50 is in stand by, first attempt to start playing music from Roon is a failure.
The DAC could not be accesed and dissapears from Roon for almost 2-3 seconds and after that I can start playing music.

Not ideal all the time. Mostly works ok although the 30 seconds threshold until the E50 shuts down is a bit annoying.
I set RoPieee like this. If someone has a better setting I'd like to know too.

 

[Aldoszx]

Thanks @BeeKay !
I have not set Ropieee USB Auto Suspend, I am using auto stand by feature of E50, because I have E50 powered separately, not from RPi USB.

 

[BeeKay]

Thanks @BeeKay !
I have not set Ropieee USB Auto Suspend, I am using auto stand by feature of E50, because I have E50 powered separately, not from RPi USB.

same here (E50 is powered separately), but the standby of the E50 never kicked in until I did this RoPieee USB setting.

 

[Aldoszx]

I see. AFAIK, the standby function of E50 could be disabled directly from the menu.
But i need this function in order to protect the screen.
The problem is that standby function does not work as it should do.
Unfortunately, Topping is not very receptive to solve that kind of problems.