Toppings dacs
- Thread starter Alrainbow
- Start date
Yes. They're perfect if you like grey, flat, compressed sibilant sound.
Just my real, lived experience having owned a D50S and D90 for some time. My current dacs aren't too much more expensive (for WBF standards), but if I had to go back to that range I'd seek out something different.
So what do you use ?
The toppings im
Using now is there anniversary edition dx9
I did have a ds90se
Also two models of gustard
toppings and many others can sound good, but more input sensitive and this can cause your observation .
In addition toppings does some formats better where gustard others.
I had Msb in the past and others also expensive dacs.
There is many ways to good quality in digital.
The toppings im
Using now is there anniversary edition dx9
I did have a ds90se
Also two models of gustard
toppings and many others can sound good, but more input sensitive and this can cause your observation .
In addition toppings does some formats better where gustard others.
I had Msb in the past and others also expensive dacs.
There is many ways to good quality in digital.
I have owned a few iterations of the D90. And I have a D90LE is use in my living room TV setup.
They aren't flat, grey, compressed, etc.
They aren't as dimensional, textured, or tonally expressive, etc , as the other dacs I currently have in my system. But they're not bad by any stretch of the imagination.
I wouldn't make them the centerpiece of my system. But the hyperbole around how they sound (good and bad) is ridiculous.
They aren't flat, grey, compressed, etc.
They aren't as dimensional, textured, or tonally expressive, etc , as the other dacs I currently have in my system. But they're not bad by any stretch of the imagination.
I wouldn't make them the centerpiece of my system. But the hyperbole around how they sound (good and bad) is ridiculous.
The new D900 model is interesting: Delta Sigma 1-bit DAC without Delta Sigma DAC chip. Similar to R2R DAC. Never see such thing before 32bit split in 32 x1bit modules
Yes, i have a Topping D90 in my system.
Don't use a an actual streaming device. Dedicated Imac destktop with Qoboz and Tidal, into DAC and balanced Mogami cables directly into balanced inputs in Pre-amp.
I think it sounds pretty good. Tend not to use for critical listening as such, more for the convenience of playing music when moving around the house etc.
In my system a dedicated CD player using well recorded/mastered discs sounds slightly better, but not enough of a difference to really care anymore. On some material the CD player does sound more real and life like with more weight and energy.
But that is mostly recording quality dependent.?
Also use vinyl as a source and as above some LP's do sound slightly more to my liking compared to the DAC.
Also i haven't compared the D90 to many other DAC's, i have an older Musical Fidelity DAC which sounds noticeably worse, lacking in resolution, overly warm, dull and lifeless, i also have a Stax SRM-50 DAC, that sounds pretty similar to the Topping, slighting warmer and less extended top and bottom than the Topping but similar.
My only complaint against the Topping would be it can sound slightly dry, or in my own words white, as apposed to colorful and life like. Definetly not sibbialnt to my ears!
This may just be a feature of Tidal/Qoboz compared with physical media?
For $800 i think it was, I believe the Topping represents great value
Don't use a an actual streaming device. Dedicated Imac destktop with Qoboz and Tidal, into DAC and balanced Mogami cables directly into balanced inputs in Pre-amp.
I think it sounds pretty good. Tend not to use for critical listening as such, more for the convenience of playing music when moving around the house etc.
In my system a dedicated CD player using well recorded/mastered discs sounds slightly better, but not enough of a difference to really care anymore. On some material the CD player does sound more real and life like with more weight and energy.
But that is mostly recording quality dependent.?
Also use vinyl as a source and as above some LP's do sound slightly more to my liking compared to the DAC.
Also i haven't compared the D90 to many other DAC's, i have an older Musical Fidelity DAC which sounds noticeably worse, lacking in resolution, overly warm, dull and lifeless, i also have a Stax SRM-50 DAC, that sounds pretty similar to the Topping, slighting warmer and less extended top and bottom than the Topping but similar.
My only complaint against the Topping would be it can sound slightly dry, or in my own words white, as apposed to colorful and life like. Definetly not sibbialnt to my ears!
This may just be a feature of Tidal/Qoboz compared with physical media?
For $800 i think it was, I believe the Topping represents great value
Out of curiosity, I tested the DX9 a few months ago.
As a headphone amp, it was ok. But I was more curious to try it as a DAC/preamp (hooked up to a HPA-S450ET Purifi power amp) with my speakers. The sound was veiled / dull in comparison to my regular amp (powerDAC-SX) but I can't say whether this was due to the Topping or to the Purifi amp (or both).
I returned it.
I have a Topping D90 and Pre90 in my system. I'm on a budget and of all the other things i've heard in this pricerange its a nobrainer (to my opinion). I did a tweak tho. Indeed the D90 can sound dry sometimes. I changed the fuse on the D90. Standard they use a fastblow glass fuse which will probably cost $0.10. I replaced it with a Synergistic Research Orange fuse (on sale). All the dryness disappeared (thats not the only thing on improvements). On both (D90/Pre90) i use exellent powercords which also helps a lot (Tubulus Argentus) (special offer from Aldwin, otherwise too expensive).
Very happy with my gear.
Very happy with my gear.
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If they are lacking dimensionality, texture and tonal expressiveness then they are at least a version of "flat, grey and compressed", are they not? My experience with Topping DACs, from friends who have owned them, is sadly the same Flowcharts...
Quite innovative at least technically. Now, if they would just put a very good tube output stage on it...
Yes.. or the d900 is a balanced circut a good outputtransformer mostly sound good too.
A little tip: buy two Musical Fidelity x 10 tube buffers and wire a module from left and right channel to XLR balanced (hot left and cold right channel). Add two more XLR sockets (input and output). Twenty years ago, this sounded fantastic.
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The drive from a transformer coupled tube stage output gives better dynamics, IMO. That said my cap coupled Ayon Skylla 2 has enormous dynamics from a powerful output tube (6N6p).Yes.. or the d900 is a balanced circut a good outputtransformer mostly sound good too.
A little tip: buy two Musical Fidelity x 10 tube buffers and wire a module from left and right channel to XLR balanced (hot left and cold right channel). Add two more XLR sockets (input and output). Twenty years ago, this sounded fantastic.
x10-D Tube Buffer (prof. Upgrade-recapping in 03/2025) | eBay.de
Entdecke x10-D Tube Buffer (prof. Upgrade-recapping in 03/2025) in groÃer Auswahl â Vergleichen Angebote und Preise â Online kaufen bei eBay.de â Kostenlose Lieferung für viele Artikel!www.ebay.de
The TD1541A is well regarded. Interestingly, my AMP/DAC's manufacturer started this 500 page thread about the TD1541A in 2006. He moved on to his current offerings, which are no longer based on the TD1541A as the concept is entirely different.
Building the ultimate NOS DAC using TDA1541A
Hi, I just joined diyAudio.com. I have spend my entire life designing, repairing and buildingjavascript:smilie(':smash:') electronic equipment, electronics is my passion. I have designed a lot of High-End audio equipment over the last decades. The following projects are the "newest": -Fully...
All I wanted to say is, if you're looking for an analog-sounding DAC, the Digilog is a masterpiece by Tim de Parvacini (R.I.P). Simply technically overhauled. And the two little mods for the Nanocamp nos bridge... everything's perfect: punchy, dynamic, lively analog sound.you have to spend a lot of money to be really better. Three of my friends have such thing makes a lot of fun listen to itThe TD1541A is well regarded. Interestingly, my AMP/DAC's manufacturer started this 500 page thread about the TD1541A in 2006. He moved on to his current offerings, which are no longer based on the TD1541A as the concept is entirely different.
Building the ultimate NOS DAC using TDA1541A
Hi, I just joined diyAudio.com. I have spend my entire life designing, repairing and buildingjavascript:smilie(':smash:') electronic equipment, electronics is my passion. I have designed a lot of High-End audio equipment over the last decades. The following projects are the "newest": -Fully...www.diyaudio.com
no oversampling attenuated bridge TDA1540 TDA1541
No oversampling attenuated bridge instead of Digitalfilter SAA7030 or SAA7220
No. That doesn't mean that at all.
Lacking in something means that compared to something else, it is lacking.
The D90 LE that I currently have isn't flat or gray. But compared to my Lampizator and my MDHT DAC, it's lacking in those areas. Both of those dacs are tube based and excel in those areas. It doesn't mean that dacs that aren't as textured or dimensional, are flat or gray.
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