Topping E50 Review (Balanced DAC)

[Power Pop 23]

Fosi Audio will be bringing out a loudspeaker amplifier with differential (balanced) inputs and a 12 volt trigger input in December 2023 and one vendor has posted a listing

FOSI AUDIO ZA3 Stereo / Mono Amplifier

This small Fosi Audio ZA3 integrated amplifier has the particularity of being able to operate in both stereo and mono mode. It incorporates two TI TPA3255 amplifier chips enabling it to deliver up to 2x150W or 1x240W @ 4Ω.

www.audiophonics.fr

Fosi Audio says they are developing a preamplifier with differential (balanced) outputs and a photo of the suggested back panel shows a 12 volt trigger output

What's a Balance Preamplifier Should Be Like?

This is another thread to make Fosi Audio closer to users. We always look forward to co-creating amazing audio gear with audiophiles. We have received a lot of advice that we should incorporate balance input/output to an amp or preamp. Our team is now developing a balance preamp and here is a...

www.audiosciencereview.com

I have no idea what Fosi Audio will charge for this differential (balanced) preamplifier. The price for the ZA3 amplifier at Audiophonics is lower than I expected - for a loudspeaker amplifier with a differential (balanced) stereo input and a 12 volt trigger input.

Perhaps a Fosi Audio ZA3 (or two) amplifier and this upcoming Fosi Audio preamplifier would fit your needs

 

[oidarnam]

I have a couple of questions about the Topping D50:

1. Are there any Linux desktop users, particularly Ubuntu 22.04 "Jammy" users, that can vouch that this unit doesn't incessantly click/tick and pop like the SMSL D-6 I recently tried?
2. Can the input sources be definitively selected, i.e. programmatically from a universal remote? I would love to see direct input select IR codes, but this seems hard to find in this price range. Usually you have to scroll through menu setting and can't guaranty the final input "state."

Thanks!

 

[bogi]

You asked in E50 thread, but you mentioned D50.
1. No pops on E50.
2. I know about others using universal remote https://www.amazon.de/-/en/gp/produ..._b_asin_title_s00?ie=UTF8&language=cs_CZ&th=1

 

[streamophile]

Quick question: Is the Topping E50 still worth it as a budget (~200€) balanced DAC with volume control in 2023 despite the competition?

More context: I am looking for a balanced DAC/preamp (with remote volume control) to pair with my Genelec 8030 active speakers for around 200€. I have been considering other more current offerings like SMSL D6s and DL200. However, I've seen some complaints about popping issues with SMSL and worse feature/usability than Topping DACs. The E50 seems well reviewed and liked, with no big issues. Some other ASR member described it as "venerable" which may be too much, but I get the point, it's reasonably reliable. I know that if a DAC is well designed (like the ones I mention above) they should be transparent and there should be no audible differences between them, but E50 is from 2021 and these other DACs are two years newer and I would expect some advances during that time. All things considered, would you go for the older E50 or some other more recent option? Thanks!

 

[Power Pop 23]

Quick question: Is the Topping E50 still worth it as a budget (~200€) balanced DAC with volume control in 2023 despite the competition?

More context: I am looking for a balanced DAC/preamp (with remote volume control) to pair with my Genelec 8030 active speakers for around 200€. I have been considering other more current offerings like SMSL D6s and DL200. However, I've seen some complaints about popping issues with SMSL and worse feature/usability than Topping DACs. The E50 seems well reviewed and liked, with no big issues. Some other ASR member described it as "venerable" which may be too much, but I get the point, it's reasonably reliable. I know that if a DAC is well designed (like the ones I mention above) they should be transparent and there should be no audible differences between them, but E50 is from 2021 and these other DACs are two years newer and I would expect some advances during that time. All things considered, would you go for the older E50 or some other more recent option? Thanks!

Consider asking yourself whether you would be bothered by newer competition to the E50 that ASR measures as 'slightly more inaudible' - my term - in noise and distortion or not ?

If no, I would buy the Topping E50.

 

[Saponetto]

It's a Sabre DAC.
For some strange reasons you still don't know, you'll love it.
Even if it has a MQA sticker on it.

 

[bogi]

Even if it has a MQA sticker on it.

First thing I did as it arrived:

 

[Mark Lawless]

This is a review and detailed measurements of the new Topping E50 balanced USB DAC. It was sent to me by the company and costs US $269. I just reviewed its companion headphone amplifier, the Topping L50.

The E50 takes my favorite orange LED display and makes it even nicer!

View attachment 150583

It is a gorgeous bright orange display. A single button turns the unit on and cycles through the inputs. You also get a remote control:

View attachment 150584

As you see, power is provided through a 5 volt barrel connector. Topping provides a USB to barrel cable adapter so you can use any USB power supply.

As with more recent Topping products, it uses TRS output for balanced output instead of XLR which takes up a lot more space.

Topping E50 Measurements
As usual we start without dashboard. Let's test the balanced output with USB input:

View attachment 150585

Another exemplary performance from Topping, landing it almost at top of all DACs ever tested:
View attachment 150587

RCA output is nearly as good:

View attachment 150588

Noise performance is excellent as well:

View attachment 150589

Linearity is as perfect as you can get:
View attachment 150590

IMD performance is excellent:
View attachment 150591

I see a hint of ESS dac chip IMD hump. I wonder if that is what powers it.

Multitone performance is superb with almost no frequency dependency:
View attachment 150593

Jitter over USB is perfect:
View attachment 150594

It degrades just a hair over Toslink/Coax:
View attachment 150595

There are three filers available:
View attachment 150597

They impact our THD+N vs frequency thusly:
View attachment 150599

Conclusions
What can I say but another star performance from Topping. Company is so focused on squeezing every bit of noise and distortion out of these products while providing them to us at bargain prices. And in this case, great looks as well. I wish I could complain about something but nothing comes to mind.

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As always, questions, comments, recommendations, etc. are welcome.

Any donations are much appreciated using: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/how-to-support-audio-science-review.8150/

I purchased this DAC based on your recommendation, but I later found that the DAC in my Preamp was actually far superior sounding. My preamp is old, it's an Anthem AVM20. I've had this preamp a long time but I had tested it with a bad coax cable that left me with the impression that the internal DAC was lousy. I finally made my own Coax cable and finally got around to testing my Anthem with the better cable. The more music I played on the Anthem the more I was blown away. I trusted that the Topping E50 was in fact a "great" DAC. I do believe that the Anthem is in some ways worse. I assume that the new DACs come with internal clocks and are able to work with poor cables better than something like the Anthem that I have to assume does not have an internal clock for the DAC. So the topping worked better with the bad coax cable. But with a good Coax cable the Anthem really shines.

 

[Gradius]

Just got my E50+L50... enjoying so far.

EDIT: Btw, what's the last FW release? Mine's v1.07

 

[yanm]

I purchased this DAC based on your recommendation, but I later found that the DAC in my Preamp was actually far superior sounding. My preamp is old, it's an Anthem AVM20. I've had this preamp a long time but I had tested it with a bad coax cable that left me with the impression that the internal DAC was lousy. I finally made my own Coax cable and finally got around to testing my Anthem with the better cable. The more music I played on the Anthem the more I was blown away. I trusted that the Topping E50 was in fact a "great" DAC. I do believe that the Anthem is in some ways worse. I assume that the new DACs come with internal clocks and are able to work with poor cables better than something like the Anthem that I have to assume does not have an internal clock for the DAC. So the topping worked better with the bad coax cable. But with a good Coax cable the Anthem really shines.

DAC are a solved problem, anything measuring 110dB SINAD or better is provably transparent. Heck, anything measuring above 85dB is probably also transparent in most practical situations. Properly engineered DACs have no ´sound’, period. I've three properly engineered DACs: Topping E50, Anthem MRX 720, and Bluesound Node. From the few tests I did they all sound the same in my system, even though the last two measured 30-40 dB worst than the Topping.

Your Topping E50 is a great DAC that is provably transparent and most likely your AVM20 is also transparent. Have you compared the two the proper way? That is, level matching the output within 0.1dB or better. If not, the perception that one is better than the other is probably just a psychoacoustic effect. Also, how are you connecting them to your system? Is the Topping E50 going into the pre-in of the AVM20? If so, it may get digitized in your processor (which would mean E50 DAC => AVM20 ADC => AVM20 DAC) and then directly using the AVM20 DAC would indeed likely sound better.

My two cents, the important point is that you're enjoying your system.

 

[yanm]

Just got my E50+L50... enjoying so far.

EDIT: Btw, what's the last FW release? Mine's v1.07

Yes, 1.7 is the latest version: https://www.tpdz.net/download

 

[Gradius]

Yes, 1.7 is the latest version: https://www.tpdz.net/download

Thanks. I know, was asking for in case of someone here might have some higher version (just wondering).

Is unlikely... but still posible.

 

[Chr1]

Surprised you can hear a difference but unless you needed the balanced outputs of the E50, not sure why you would buy it personally. The E30 is transparent too.

 

[Chagall]

Today I received a ToppingE50 that I connected to a Yamaha AS-1100 amp and two Eminent Technology LFB - 8b planar speakers. Played my favorite music (classical and jazz) for a couple of hours. But I was disappointed in the sound and I am returning it to Amazon. I prefer the sound of the original Topping E 30.

I feel a post so mundane and unapologetic deserves a Like

 

[Cheztumoé]

Surprised you can hear a difference but unless you needed the balanced outputs of the E50, not sure why you would buy it personally. The E30 is transparent too.

You think I would not hear the difference if I buy a Topping D90?
?

 

[Chr1]

Hell yeah. I have the E50 and find that it is better suited to soft rock and gabba.

The D90 is designed more for classical and jazz. Plus ambient.

 

[AVKS]

Hell yeah. I have the E50 and find that it is better suited to soft rock and gabba.

Sounds pretty great with my hard rock/electronic industrial/speed metal as well as the softer stuff. Not sure what would drive such a distinction.

 

[Chagall]

Can I coin the phrase DAC ears? Golden ears are a rare skill, but DAC ears are something completely different and quite common.

 

[staticV3]

Can I coin the phrase DAC ears?

Please don't. 99% of DAC comparisons and the resulting belief of having "DAC ears" are done sighted and w/o level or filter matching.

 

[Chr1]

Platinum ears?