Topping E50 Review (Balanced DAC)

[forart.it]

Switching from USB to Toslink does not add drivers, meaningful amounts of jitter, or anything else that could limit sound quality.

In fact, the electrical isolation may reduce interference noise and actually improve sound quality.

...I used to totally disable motherboard soundcard (so its drivers, then TOSLINK doesn't work anymore) and use ASIO drivers...

 

[pedros_2005]

I was thinking a E50+PA5 II plus combo for my living room but I discover that I cannot use the 12v trigger! In the E50 they haven't put it!

Ad a wiim pro in the chain and problem is fixed. I have the same combo and it s a great one!

 

[MLaranjeiras]

Measures excellent as expected.
At this price point you start to wonder what the D30Pro adds to justify the price jump

Comparing here once more the Topping E50 vs the well rated Hiby FC4. The E50 has better mids and is more clear, wilhe the FC4, that costs 25% of the E50, sounds leaner in the comparison.

 

[Blew]

Switching from USB to Toslink does not add drivers, meaningful amounts of jitter, or anything else that could limit sound quality.

Perhaps on the E50 on the receiving side, but what about jitter on the Realtek interface on the sending side?

In fact, the electrical isolation may reduce interference noise and actually improve sound quality.

Would this be a factor when using TRS balanced outputs?

 

[staticV3]

Perhaps on the E50 on the receiving side, but what about jitter on the Realtek interface on the sending side?

It's a factor, sure, but likely still insignificant,

For jitter to become an audible issue, something must be severely broken: https://youtu.be/f_r33B4jptA

Would this be a factor when using TRS balanced outputs?

I have read cases where people experienced interference noises coming from their PC through the DAC, despite using balanced line out.

Electrical isolation via Optical would help, in that case.

 

[WiFiHiFi]

For the sake of accuracy, my LG Tv only has a simple sound setting labeled OPTICAL, no setting specific for PCM. However, the tv signal is recognized by the Dac, but interrupted.

I too have an LG tv, and you have to select "Sound" from the main settings menu (not just where you cycle through the outputs) then "Advanced Settings", then scroll down until you see "Digital Sound Output", then select "PCM"

 

[Gradius]

V5.72.0 (12 November, 2024)
----------------------------------

* New: support for Windows 11 (24H2)

* Chg: Windows 10 (1803) or higher required

* Chg: MIDI handling improvements

* Chg: mixer plugin improvements

V5.72 driver for most of TOPPING DACs - TOPPING AUDIO

www.toppingaudio.com

 

[Gradius]

I've always - since november 2021 - used mine in balanced (both TRS<>TRS and TRS<>XLR) mode and never noticed such kind of problem, btw I'll perform the firmware upgrade soon.

The bug is on L50, not E50.

 

[mediocrebutarrogant]

I don't think if you own this DAC and are ok with TRS to XLR, there is any point in buying any other dac

 

[Palladium]

I don't think if you own this DAC and are ok with TRS to XLR, there is any point in buying any other dac

Nothing wrong with TRS to XLR, unless you are connecting DACs to phantom powered mic inputs for some unfathomable reason.

 

[mediocrebutarrogant]

I will not buy a DAC again, I will not buy a DAC again, I will not buy a DAC again!

 

[Oldson]

my E50 is now surplus if anyone interested (in UK).

will post add soon, but pm if anyone interested in meantime

 

[Gradius]

New driver is out:
-----------------------------------------------------
V5.74.0 (20 December, 2024)
-----------------------------------------------------

* Chg: changed plugin API (DspPreGetProperty function added)

* Chg: removed old Win7/8 workarounds

 

[forart.it]

New driver is out:
-----------------------------------------------------
V5.74.0 (20 December, 2024)
-----------------------------------------------------

* Chg: changed plugin API (DspPreGetProperty function added)

* Chg: removed old Win7/8 workarounds

...where ? Here's the https://www.toppingaudio.com/downloads page:

 

[Gradius]

Companies are very slow to release drivers.

 

[BeeKay]

A Windows problem only

 

[t08!0]

Two questions.

I'm having an issue where the output from a SybaSonic DAC / AMP's toslink and/or coax spdif to the Topping E50 is resulting in stuttering of playback. The Syba's input is USB from a PS5 and the Syba's headphone output sounds fine.

Running an identical toslink cable from a Sony TV to the Topping E50 works fine. In that case though, the input to the TV is from OSX over HDMI, so not apples to apples.

If I were to purchase a different DAC, will it behave differently? Or is this just an issue of trying to get the PS5's audio into the Topping E50, regardless of the DAC in-between? Unfortunately, The E50 does not support USB directly connected to the PS5, so the goal here was to circumvent that problem while staying 100% digital.

Second question. There is a 1.09 firmware update on Topping's site and I'm wondering if it will fix this issue. I'm currently on 1.06.

I downloaded the Mac version since that's what I have handy, but the bin is labelled 1.08b. In the Windows' zip file, it's 1.09. Can I use the bin from the Windows zip file but run the update from the Mac firmware updater app?

 

[Toku]

The USB of game devices such as PlayStation cannot be connected because the USB standard is different from that of audio devices such as E50. If you want to connect a DAC to a game device, please use a product sold by SMSL that can be switched to game device mode.

DACs compatible with gaming devices include the SMDL C200 and PO200.

 

[Blew]

You could use an HDMI audio extractor to convert HDMI audio from the PS5 to Toslink optical then connect that to the E50.

 

[DIYguy]

FWIW-
It has been a while since I posted about a very aggravating firmware problem with my E50 DAC.
It was bad enough and frequent enough that I had seriously considered selling the stupid thing, or even trashing it.
Also, I have since discovered that when it "randomly" resets itself away from my desired settings, it is basically resetting itself to the factory defaults.
This has nothing to do with the logical problem that in a DAC mode it should always be "on", but I digress...

I have long had a suspicion that it might have something to do with the IR remote sensor or perhaps the overly sensitive touch sensor on the front panel.

As a test I made an opaque flap from some cardboard and black electrical tape.
After setting the unit to what I wanted it to be (DAC mode, optical input, single ended output) I lowered the flap to shield the sensor from ambient light sources.
Those include multiple room and desk lights, and two nearby computer monitors, all of which are LED-based, and at least one of which is dimmable (via PWM).

Sure enough, the self-resetting nonsense has COMPLETELY stopped..!
It has been more than three weeks now without even one instance of odd behavior.
Prior to that I never knew what mode it might power up in.
DAC roulette.
And I have actually witnessed it changing right in the middle of being used on several occasions.

Apparently, combinations of pulsing light sources confused the sensor (an odd combination of circumstance, I admit).
The firmware just goes "tilt" and resets itself to the factory defaults.

Your situation light-wise will certainly be completely different from mine.
However if you may be having problems like that, you might try taping over the remote control sensor on the front of the E50 enclosure.
Costs nearly nothing to do, is totally reversible, and it might resolve the problem.

If you are using it in preamp mode where you need the optical sensor and remote control to be active, you might try placing a short tube or shade in front of the sensor instead.
Something that would limit the angle of viewing sensitivity for the sensor and shade it from most light sources.
This too might solve any instability issues.

Again this is just FWIW, your experience may vary...
I do hope it helps someone else.