Topping E70 Stereo DAC Review

[aka_Z]

This device doesn't have such a function and Topping didn't promise it. It's your dream. If two sources give a signal, e.g. coax and spdif, how would the e70 know which one to choose?

Please read my post again with understanding. Hint: "I was expecting to automatically switch to another valid input if the current one is disconnected."

 

[rarewolf]

Please read my post again with understanding. Hint: "I was expecting to automatically switch to another valid input if the current one is disconnected."Your query is clear enough as long as you’re not including Bluetooth being alive. Mine turns off automatically, even if any of my devices are connected to the DAC’# Bt, which is sometimes the case when I quit listening to USB or SPDIF.

Your query is clear enough as long as you’re not including Bluetooth being alive. Mine turns off automatically, even if any of my devices are connected to the DAC’# Bt, which is sometimes the case when I quit listening to USB or SPDIF. Connecting to Bt when the E70 is in standby, however, will turn the DAC on.

IMHO, the behaviour is based on assumptions that I believe are generally correct…

 

[aka_Z]

Use case:
- E70V is in standby, BT previously used and remained selected
- turning on BT on the phone
- E70V is turning on, showing BT connected. Phone can stream music

- turning off BT on the phone
- E70V goes into standby after 1 minute

- turning on Nvidia Shield connected to E70V via USB
- E70V stays in standby

- turning on E70V with a remote, BT is blinking and will go back to standby after one minute even USB is active and Shield is playing something
- manually switching to USB, E70V happily showing 192kHz and plays music from the Shield

- shutting down Shield, E70V goes into standby mode after one minute

- turning BT on on my phone is not turning E70V on and not switching to the valid input, in this case BT.
- I have to manually switch to BT

I was expecting E70V will switch to "another valid input" but looks like either I misunderstood Topping or it's just not working. Not a big deal, otherwise device looks and sound beautifully

 

[Burns]

Use case:
- E70V is in standby, BT previously used and remained selected
- turning on BT on the phone
- E70V is turning on, showing BT connected. Phone can stream music

- turning off BT on the phone
- E70V goes into standby after 1 minute

- turning on Nvidia Shield connected to E70V via USB
- E70V stays in standby

- turning on E70V with a remote, BT is blinking and will go back to standby after one minute even USB is active and Shield is playing something
- manually switching to USB, E70V happily showing 192kHz and plays music from the Shield

- shutting down Shield, E70V goes into standby mode after one minute

- turning BT on on my phone is not turning E70V on and not switching to the valid input, in this case BT.
- I have to manually switch to BT

I was expecting E70V will switch to "another valid input" but looks like either I misunderstood Topping or it's just not working. Not a big deal, otherwise device looks and sound beautifully

The device has 4 inputs. Expanding the power and source management functions may cause the device to constantly turn on the next source and play a sound or beep when you are not at home. It could also turn off when some device in the background turns off, e.g. a computer via usb and you are still watching TV.

Think like a designer. USB=computer, spdif=TV, coax=internet radio. You turn off the computer. e70 and designer thought for you that you finished work, listening to music and went to the store. You left the computer, the e70 topping will turn off for you to save your electricity and money. You want the e70 to know if you're watching TV or listening to the radio. How is the e70 supposed to know that? It has no camera, no brain, what has higher priority? radio or tv? No sense.

To appreciate Topping you need to buy SMSL, there is no power management function and changing the source on the DO200/300 device requires going down to the 3rd level of the menu - hopeless.

Designer Topping didn't think of one thing and did it wrong and designer SMSL did it right. The SMSl emits the BT pairing signal only when the BT input is selected. In Topping, the pairing signal is emitted on each input, e.g. when you watch TV via Spdif. This is dangerous because a neighbor can connect to your e70.

 

[anli]

Have ordered E70 with guess a difference between E70 and E70v is far below any blind test resolution, even for any golden ears.

And what is your opinion?

 

[Burns]

Have ordered E70 with guess a difference between E70 and E70v is far below any blind test resolution, even for any golden ears.

And what is your opinion?

Post in thread 'Topping E70 Stereo DAC Review' https://audiosciencereview.com/foru...ping-e70-stereo-dac-review.39188/post-1540527

 

[anli]

Hi. Are there other points except for galvanic isolation on selecting between optical and coaxial inputs?

 

[rarewolf]

Have ordered E70 with guess a difference between E70 and E70v is far below any blind test resolution, even for any golden ears.

And what is your opinion?

Our opinion? On what? The difference in sound quality between the E70 & E70V, or that you ordered the E70 based on a guess?

 

[anli]

Our opinion? On what? The difference in sound quality between the E70 & E70V, or that you ordered the E70 based on a guess?

On that guess - is it valid or not.

 

[rarewolf]

From what I’m hear from peers is that it’s purely a subjective call, so you’ll never know… least wise, of little concern…

 

[tarnopol]

Today I've received my E70 Velvet. Actually a near perfect little device, great display, Trigger out to finally remote switch on my LA90, transparent as f#€&. Only the remote control itself is a bit underwhelming. I wish they would come up with some nice design ideas and better usability after all those years.

 

[Burns]

Today I've received my E70 Velvet. Actually a near perfect little device, great display, Trigger out to finally remote switch on my LA90, transparent as f#€&. Only the remote control itself is a bit underwhelming. I wish they would come up with some nice design ideas and better usability after all those years.

https://a.co/d/bhIZUoX

Topping RC-22

 

[tarnopol]

https://a.co/d/bhIZUoX

Topping RC-22

Nice! Definitely a visual improvement. Do you have one? Does it work better from a distance or from an acute angle?

 

[Burns]

Nice! Definitely a visual improvement. Do you have one? Does it work better from a distance or from an acute angle?

you answered yourself in the first sentence. It is made of aluminum and gives a visual and tactile improvement. You want better and maybe cheaper. Buy a learnable universal remote and program those few buttons from the original.

 

[scruffy1]

given my education here re dac transparency, and psycho-acoustics : apart from additional features, is it likely i would even notice the difference between this dac and my current khadas tone board, all other equipment in the chain being the same (nad d3020, wharfedale 10.1 and 10.gx)?

my ancient ears are still pretty sensitive, but >14000hz is lost to me

 

[scruffy1]

and the non-scientific answer is yes

Today I've received my E70 Velvet. Actually a near perfect little device, great display, Trigger out to finally remote switch on my LA90, transparent as f#€&. Only the remote control itself is a bit underwhelming. I wish they would come up with some nice design ideas and better usability after all those years.

after years of the nad d3020 remote (it's crap), the e70 remote is a marvellous improvement - in essence it's simply an on /off and choose source switch for my purposes. +/- volume if i must

between that and the 12v trigger, i can successfully avoid the nad controller from here on for the most part, and that's a major win

 

[ErkyPerky]

FWIW I'm using an E70 (Sabre) with my Parasound Hint6 & Dynaudio Contour 30, and I'm very pleased with this combo.

If you're set on going Topping, then definitely get one of the E70 models if you can because they measure among the best of them, and i think you will appreciate being able to use the 12V trigger feature with your Parasound.

Are you using it on 4v(default) or 5v?

 

[chillwig]

Are you using it on 4v(default) or 5v?

Tried both and decided to use it on 4V because I couldn't hear any audible difference, I appreciate having the finer volume control at lower levels.

 

[HNK23]

I doubt the difference between CD and APTX of any type can be heard at all.

It would be good to see some sort of review or even test of the bluetooth function of these devices. Lots of people, myself included, will want to use BT. Sometimes you just want to play something from your phone on the speakers.

Bluetooth? I think Bluetooth is already distinguishable in terms of quality. I no longer use Bluetooth anywhere. On the one hand, I have a Silent Angel Munich in the living room, which is operated via the app, and I was lucky with a fairly inexpensive smsl SD-9, which streams via UPNP. To Bluetooth I say - no thanks!

 

[Gradius]

I'm thinking to get an E70. So far so good (no issues) ?