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Topping E70/A50s stack: Set volume to max on E70 for best sound quality?

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May 6, 2025
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Hi guys, I'm been a lurker in the site/forums over the past few days and, based on the site's (excellent and detailed) reviews of DACs and amps, I purchased a Topping E70 DAC and a Topping A50s amp.

I plan to drive a pair of Kiwi Ears Septet IEMs with the E70/A50s. The DAC will be solely connected to a PC.

I'm relatively new to all this, and want to get the max sound quality and max sound detail/separation/soundstage out of the setup. Based on those goals, I have the following 2 questions:

1) For volume control, based on the internals of the E70 DAC and A50s amp, should I set the volume of the E70 to max, and control volume via the A50s?
2) Should I set the A50s's gain to 0dbB or 6dB?

From my (limited) research, I understand that the answers to these questions depend on internals of the DAC and amp in the chain... which I why I've decided to seek advice on this.

Thank you very much for your help!
 
For volume control, based on the internals of the E70 DAC and A50s amp, should I set the volume of the E70 to max, and control volume via the A50s?
From quality perspective, the volume control of the E70 is superior to any analog pot, including the one in the A50S.

From safety perspective, I wouldn't trust the E70, especially considering this:

Should I set the A50s's gain to 0dbB or 6dB?
Set it to the lowest gain that allows you to reach desired volume.
 
Thanks very much @staticV3 !

I actually had read your reply about a similar topic in this thread here, that since the iFi Zen Air DAC in that thread used an analog potentiometer, it shouldn't be set to max. I assume this means that the E70 uses digital volume control.

So that I don't ask the question again in the future if I were to buy another DAC, is there an easy way to determine whether a DAC uses analog or digital volume control? I tried to look at the Topping's E70 spec sheet on Topping's website before asking my question, but I couldn't find anything on this. Thanks!
 
So that I don't ask the question again in the future if I were to buy another DAC, is there an easy way to determine whether a DAC uses analog or digital volume control?
Not really.

If the product page mentions relay volume, resistor ladder preamp, analog volume control etc, then it's likely analog.

If it mentions preamp functionality but nothing further, then it likely uses the DAC's built-in digital attenuation.

But to tell for sure, one needs to examine the PCB or perform measurements.
 
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