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Topping E50 Review (Balanced DAC)

AndyLewis

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Doesn't the accuracy of the Toslink depend on the reliability of processing at both ends - ie the DVD player & the E50 while the coax doesn't? ie. if the player encodes jitter into the stream then it can be misread at the E50 which can't fully correct it also whereas the coax isn't to the same degree?
I have an old pioneer cd player (PD7300) that sounds clearly better via the coax out than the toslink on all three of the dacs I have tried it through - SMSL 100MK2, Audiolab 6000a & the E50 - oh sorry 4 - it applied to the DX3PRO+ I sent back too.
This is where I picked up this info as well as other places...https://youtu.be/OZw-hZaKIlQ
 

RHO

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This is where I picked up this info as well as other places...https://youtu.be/OZw-hZaKIlQ
Oh no!
The audio wizzard! Fairytales and magic!
 

RHO

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?!! Eh?!! Are you mixing him up with PSAudio? I noticed the difference before watching the video btw.
No mixing up possible. But I rate them equally trustworthy with the "information" they provide.
 

RHO

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So is what he says about digital streaming processes incorrect? In which ways?
I have no interest in watching his videos. I've done so in the past. I don't want to add to his view-count.
 

AndyLewis

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Amirm's tests explains toslink & coax slightly worse than usb so that sort of confirms what's been found. No big deal or shocking "anti-science" there then. By coincidence the same as the "wizzard" well well.
 

RHO

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Amirm's tests explains toslink & coax slightly worse than usb so that sort of confirms what's been found. No big deal or shocking "anti-science" there then. By coincidence the same as the "wizzard" well well.
No it's not. The measurements are a little worse. But that's not audible.
Hans makes up things that are supposed to matter but in reality they really don't.
 

usern

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Amirm's tests explains toslink & coax slightly worse than usb so that sort of confirms what's been found. No big deal or shocking "anti-science" there then. By coincidence the same as the "wizzard" well well.
These differences in Amir's E50 toslink & coax graphs are inaudible (even written on the graph itself). It has exceptional jitter measurements for all inputs. It's probably your CD player if you hear difference with other DACs as well. See in CD player manual if there is DSP applied or you can control volume digitally seperately for each output. Or maybe bug in CD player.
 
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AndyLewis

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These differences in Amir's E50 toslink & coax graphs are inaudible (even written on the graph itself). It has exceptional jitter measurements for all inputs. It's probably your CD player if you hear difference with other DACs as well. See in CD player manual if there is DSP applied or you can control volume digitally seperately for each output. Or maybe bug in CD player.
It's also multiple processing via toslink compared to coax. It's a commonly heard feature - more processing more chance to add jitter. Here's some more non wizzard threads explaining the difference in processes. As neither of us have stellar CD players it may well explain the obvious differences I heard (independently & before I looked up this thread) accord with these folks.... https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/toslink-vs-coaxial
 

RHO

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It's also multiple processing via toslink compared to coax. It's a commonly heard feature - more processing more chance to add jitter. Here's some more non wizzard threads explaining the difference in processes. As neither of us have stellar CD players it may well explain the obvious differences I heard (independently & before I looked up this thread) accord with these folks.... https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/toslink-vs-coaxial
Have you tested it blind? If not, what are we talking about?
 

AndyLewis

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I of course tested on the same cd player several times. I use the coax because it sounds better.
Better dynamics definition & bass via coax. It seems the reason is via coax the E50 is doing the decoding whereas with toslink the cd player is, then converting to optical, sending then it's reconverted. That's the reason people use separate dacs isn't it? To quote the guys in this article as just one example of the explanation if the process ( as per Hans B ) :
"The superiority of one format ( coax ) over the other ( toslink ) is all equipment dependent. Under most circumstances, the coaxial SHOULD fare better due to having to go through two less converters. Using the coax, the digital signal from the transport remains digital and is fed directly into the digital to analogue converter. Using the Toslink, the transport must convert the digital signal into an optical signal and feed the Toslink cable. This in turn feeds the input of the external DAC which converts the optical signal back into a digital signal. More work and and a longer signal path typicall results in degradation of signal and resolution. This is not to say that the Toslink won't work okay, but you do have the opportunity for greater loss or increased colouration of the signal. Sean"
"Hasaw. Optical done properly will outperform coaxial, but doing optical properly is very expensive and rarely available in home audio. Toslink (as opposed to AT&T or Single Mode) is cheap stuff and is way short of what coaxial can achieve. The most obvious sound difference is that Toslink sounds smoother, but less detailed and thinned down. Recently manufacturers have begun to improve the quality of Toslink stuff and the new DACs are better at removing jitter. But you are still better off with a coaxial cable."

That agrees with my experienced differences before reading these threads so I mentioned it. Just replying to the previous poster with my experience. Take it leave it whatever.....even try it yourself or don't. I don't care less. Cheers
 

RHO

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I of course tested on the same cd player several times. I use the coax because it sounds better.
Better dynamics definition & bass via coax. It seems the reason is via coax the E50 is doing the decoding whereas with toslink the cd player is, then converting to optical, sending then it's reconverted. That's the reason people use separate dacs isn't it? To quote the guys in this article as just one example of the explanation if the process ( as per Hans B ) :
"The superiority of one format ( coax ) over the other ( toslink ) is all equipment dependent. Under most circumstances, the coaxial SHOULD fare better due to having to go through two less converters. Using the coax, the digital signal from the transport remains digital and is fed directly into the digital to analogue converter. Using the Toslink, the transport must convert the digital signal into an optical signal and feed the Toslink cable. This in turn feeds the input of the external DAC which converts the optical signal back into a digital signal. More work and and a longer signal path typicall results in degradation of signal and resolution. This is not to say that the Toslink won't work okay, but you do have the opportunity for greater loss or increased colouration of the signal. Sean"
"Hasaw. Optical done properly will outperform coaxial, but doing optical properly is very expensive and rarely available in home audio. Toslink (as opposed to AT&T or Single Mode) is cheap stuff and is way short of what coaxial can achieve. The most obvious sound difference is that Toslink sounds smoother, but less detailed and thinned down. Recently manufacturers have begun to improve the quality of Toslink stuff and the new DACs are better at removing jitter. But you are still better off with a coaxial cable."

That agrees with my experienced differences before reading these threads so I mentioned it. Just replying to the previous poster with my experience. Take it leave it whatever.....even try it yourself or don't. I don't care less. Cheers
So the optical signal is not digital? Well, well....
 

RHO

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Using the Toslink, the transport must convert the digital signal into an optical signal and feed the Toslink cable.
So the digital signal stays digital. Yep, big problem. All the details are gone now.

If a digital signal gets compromised you don't get loss of detail or differences in bass or whatever. You get drop-outs or digital noise/static.

These "specialists" invent problems where there are none.

So, have you tested it blind? Can you still hear the difference?

Edit: You do know that both are the same signal, right? Only the connector is different.
 
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usern

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That agrees with my experienced differences before reading these threads so I mentioned it. Just replying to the previous poster with my experience. Take it leave it whatever.....even try it yourself or don't. I don't care less. Cheers
You are treating random posters from 20 years ago as a source of authority to confirm your bias.

Have you read your CD player manual yet? Are sampling rate and bit depth same for each output? Is the CD player doing digital volume control separately for each output?
 

Veri

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Amirm's tests explains toslink & coax slightly worse than usb so that sort of confirms what's been found. No big deal or shocking "anti-science" there then. By coincidence the same as the "wizzard" well well.
There's no way you can hear minute jitter difference between inputs with levels being -150dB down. If you're hearing ANY difference, it's not jitter. Way, way too low to be audible.
 
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