Topping E70 Stereo DAC Review

[LtMandella]

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Topping E70 stereo USB DAC with Bluetooth. It was sent to me by the company and costs US $349.
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I really like the new white multi-segment display with its large volume level indicator. Response is excellent as you rotate the encoder. A select button on the left turns on the unit and then selects the input in sequence. Or you can use the included remote control:
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Nice to see 12 volt trigger being a standard feature on new Topping products, allowing you to turn on one unit and have it turn on the others like amplifiers automatically.

The output can be programmed to be nominal 4 volts (default) or 5 volts. I focused on testing the former.

Edit: forgot to mention that you have independent control over the outputs. You can have either RCA or XLR active or both.

I had a minor compatibility issue with USB input defaulting to 16 bits instead of 24 bit as far as Windows is concerned. I was able to easily override this using Topping ASIO driver. I wonder if this is something to do with my system or a new thing with this DAC. Operation was otherwise flawless.

EDIT: above is fixed with a firmware update: https://www.tpdz.net/newsinfo/778017.html

Topping E70 Measurements
Let's start with our usual balanced output measurement:
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I expect superb performance from Topping and that is exactly what we have, landing the E70 near the very top of the best DACs ever tested:
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Distortion is incredibly low at -145 dB or so. SINAD as a result is dominated by the noise of the DAC combined with my analyzer:
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Even using RCA outs we get full audible transparency:

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I have modified my THD+N vs output level to show broader range:
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As noted though, as you reduce output, the analyzer noise becomes more dominant as well so above is not a true picture of the DAC's performance.

Multitone performance is superb as expected:
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Likewise for IMD distortion:
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Linearity is perfect of course:
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Jitter is now nicely handled across both older S/PDIF and new USB interfaces:
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As usual you have a menu of DAC reconstruction filters but I suggest staying with default filter 3:
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The excellent attenuation of the filter translates into great wide-band distortion+noise measurement vs frequency:

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Conclusions
The E70 is another meticulously engineered DAC from Topping at a reasonable price. The bright and large display is great to read from far, making the DAC just as suitable for general 2-channel system as well as desktop. Nice add-ons such as trigger support, auto on/off, etc. complete the picture of a DAC approaching and essentially achieving perfection.

It is my pleasure to add Topping E70 DAC to my recommended list.
As always, questions, comments, recommendations, etc. are welcome.

Any donations are much appreciated using: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/how-to-support-audio-science-review.8150/

no analog input. so you can't use it for a CD input, tuner input, etc. So cannot be considered a "desktop" preamp in my opinion.

 

[Jimster480]

no analog input. so you can't use it for a CD input, tuner input, etc. So cannot be considered a "desktop" preamp in my opinion.

Most DAC's with "PreAmp" feature do not have Analog input because they are DAC's. They have PreAmp features in the sense that they can control volume output. For Example I use an SMSL SU-8S for my Family room speaker setup and utilize the "Pre-Amp" to control the volume of my speakers.

 

[Steve Dallas]

no analog input. so you can't use it for a CD input, tuner input, etc. So cannot be considered a "desktop" preamp in my opinion.

Who has a CD player or tuner on their desktop?

 

[scruffy1]

it's in my lian li along with the rest of my computer