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Topping E50 Review (Balanced DAC)

femaletiger

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

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It turned out the same.... How can you hear the difference before?? :facepalm::facepalm:
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 :D :D 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 :)
 

Overseas

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.
 

HappyMetalGuy

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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.
7548_650_0_bac6817d58.jpeg
 
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nagster

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Volume of E50 vs Volume of A30Pro. AP dashboard and dynamic range.
e50_a30p_01.JPG
 

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yanm

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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.
 
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nagster

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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.
If it's a combination of E50 and A30Pro, balanced connection would be the first choice. Similar results are expected but may be measured at a later date.
The above post was for the analog volume vs. digital volume topic posted in the L30II thread. It seems to have been a combination of the E30II and L30II, but the closest I've owned was the SE-connected E50 and A30Pro.

If you haven't tried a preamp yet, one of the best things to do is try one. Try buying a preamp with excellent measurements or a headphone amp with pre-output in a shop that offers unconditional returns.
If you don't like it, you'll have to pay the return shipping costs, but at least the experience will be worth it.
This link may also help.
 

yanm

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If it's a combination of E50 and A30Pro, balanced connection would be the first choice. Similar results are expected but may be measured at a later date.
The above post was for the analog volume vs. digital volume topic posted in the L30II thread. It seems to have been a combination of the E30II and L30II, but the closest I've owned was the SE-connected E50 and A30Pro.

If you haven't tried a preamp yet, one of the best things to do is try one. Try buying a preamp with excellent measurements or a headphone amp with pre-output in a shop that offers unconditional returns.
If you don't like it, you'll have to pay the return shipping costs, but at least the experience will be worth it.
This link may also help.
In my case I believe that the analogue volume control of a preamp would not bring any audible improvement compared to only using the digital volume control of the E50 (even if the measured dynamic range would be better) as the noise floor of the DAC+amp combo is already below hearing threshold for my loudspeaker. If I were using the DAC to drive headphones, that would be a different story though.
 

Lattiboy

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Just picked up a used E50 today with an upgraded power brick.

Coming from a THX Onyx, which I was super impressed with as a pre/DAC but is usb-c only and which was purchased for my iPhone as a headphone amp.

Setup:

Chromecast Audio connected via optical to the E50 connected directly to a Denon Poa-2200 power amp powering Vandersteen Treo CT speakers. Source is Tidal via Chromecast. About as revealing a system as you can get, IMO.

Compared to the Onyx outputting Tidal from my MacBook Pro via AirPlay there are some minor differences….. which really shouldn’t be the case as both the E50 and Onyx measure about as close to perfect/flat as you can get.

Don’t know if it’s Airplay/Chromecast or USB/optical or the actual devices themselves, but the Onyx seems have a bit heavier bass and the E50 seems to be a bit sharper/harsher/detailed. This is, again, listening to level matched passages in songs I’m ridiculously familiar with. I’m using the F-2 setting, but honestly can’t notice much of a difference between any of them.

Also, the remote for this thing SUCKS. Horrendous range and half the buttons don’t do anything. I appreciate that this is a budget device, but charge a few bucks extra and do better.

Overall it’s close enough that it’s down to preferences and needed features and I don’t regret the purchase, especially at the used price with a nice PSU.

Looking forward to pairing this with the WiiM Pro coming out this year as probably my last backend purchase for the foreseeable future.

EDIT: Well, putting the E50 in DAC mode changed things pretty dramatically. I’m not sure how the “correct” way to do this with my setup is, but I’m using the Chromecast Audio for volume control and now with the E50 in DAC mode we’re very much where the Onyx was. Need to test some more, and perhaps it’s psychological or whatever, but the CCA seems to have vastly better attenuation and the E50 is putting out some serious signal! Had to drop the Denon about 30% below the Onyx so I don’t blow out my windows and/or ear drums.

tl;dr

4AB5E5B7-B0A3-4511-AEB5-A8820D587F34.jpeg
 
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