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Topping D30 DAC
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Topping D30 DAC
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Product Description
Praised on Head-Fi as a great value DAC to build a system around, the Topping D30 is easy to use and easy to love. It features the highly regarded Cirrus Logic CS4398 DAC chip—along with WIMA, EPCOS, and Nichicon FW capacitors and the OPA2134 high-fidelity opamp—and supports DSD64, DSD128, and PCM formats up to 24 bit/192 kHz Read More
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keyboard_arrow_downJavS
35
Jan 31, 2017
After a month of switching back and forth with the Schiit stack (Magni V1 and Modi V1) and the Topping Stack (A30 and D30). I have decided to stick with Topping. The Topping is a bit larger than the Schiit stack and should be too much of a problem if you are space constrained.
Build
Schiit Rock solid construction and the volume knob is smooth. Comprised of white LEDs that shows power on state.
Topping Solid construction with a brushed aluminium feel. Blue circular LED in the volume knob.
Cost Both the Schiit and Topping fall into the affordable category. Which ever you go with will be down to preference.
Sound
The Schiit has been with me since it’s release. I mostly game and watch movies with my system. At the time Schiit had made HiFi components and great build quality affordable. Comparing them I am able to have better separation, better highs and bass response with the Topping stack over the Schiit stack. Battlefield 1 feels much more impressive and I able to pinpoint the position the enemy with ease. Tanks boom as they shell infantry and planes fly over with audible engine noise. Music from hip hop, rock, classical all come alive when using the Topping. I also played the Witcher 3, Jedi Knight games and Battlefront. They all sound great. The Schiit uses the AKM4396 which is showing it’s age while CS4398 used in the Topping still shines. Cirrus Logic knows audio and many mobile and car manufacturer’s trust them. I could not tell the sound differences in the amplifier. They are both able to drive my headphones no problem. The only difference is the A30 multiple inputs compared to Schiit usb only input.
In conclusion, if you are still using the V1 Schiit Stack, get the Topping D30 or look into getting the V2 Schiit. The amplifier isn’t a must if you have a Schiit amplifier around. Topping did a great job with build and using Japanese components. Either company offers great value for money. I’ve dealt with Schiit support and getting my questions answered where fast and responsive. Schiit values their customer and their products and are a great company. Since Topping is a Chinese company I would advise caution since I have no experience with them.
With all things HiFi these are my opinions and whatever is your preference is fine by me.
Headphones: AKG K7xx ATH-AD700 SONY MDR V6 Sennheiser HD 202
Build
Schiit Rock solid construction and the volume knob is smooth. Comprised of white LEDs that shows power on state.
Topping Solid construction with a brushed aluminium feel. Blue circular LED in the volume knob.
Cost Both the Schiit and Topping fall into the affordable category. Which ever you go with will be down to preference.
Sound
The Schiit has been with me since it’s release. I mostly game and watch movies with my system. At the time Schiit had made HiFi components and great build quality affordable. Comparing them I am able to have better separation, better highs and bass response with the Topping stack over the Schiit stack. Battlefield 1 feels much more impressive and I able to pinpoint the position the enemy with ease. Tanks boom as they shell infantry and planes fly over with audible engine noise. Music from hip hop, rock, classical all come alive when using the Topping. I also played the Witcher 3, Jedi Knight games and Battlefront. They all sound great. The Schiit uses the AKM4396 which is showing it’s age while CS4398 used in the Topping still shines. Cirrus Logic knows audio and many mobile and car manufacturer’s trust them. I could not tell the sound differences in the amplifier. They are both able to drive my headphones no problem. The only difference is the A30 multiple inputs compared to Schiit usb only input.
In conclusion, if you are still using the V1 Schiit Stack, get the Topping D30 or look into getting the V2 Schiit. The amplifier isn’t a must if you have a Schiit amplifier around. Topping did a great job with build and using Japanese components. Either company offers great value for money. I’ve dealt with Schiit support and getting my questions answered where fast and responsive. Schiit values their customer and their products and are a great company. Since Topping is a Chinese company I would advise caution since I have no experience with them.
With all things HiFi these are my opinions and whatever is your preference is fine by me.
Headphones: AKG K7xx ATH-AD700 SONY MDR V6 Sennheiser HD 202
JavS
35
Jun 12, 2017
All thing being equal and lets be honest they are both budget dacs, The dac chips do make a difference.
slappa
12
Jun 13, 2017
JavSSure it does, it's the linchpin of good audio, that's why this 2000$ Astell & Kern - AK240 dap uses the same one
as a $100 topping d3 ;P
I'm telling you it doesn't matter what dac chip you use at this point pretty much every one released in the last 8 years sounds transparent, implementation matters allot more. You should focus more on the analog output section and power supply.
MoonRock
40
Jan 25, 2018
I've used the Topping D30 +A30 + VX3 for about a year now. Paired with whafedale speakers and foobar source. I must say for the price, there is nothing to complain about. The DAC is DSD competent, which can play high quality sources with ease. Sound produced is clean, and spacious, close to zero colouration is observed.
A30 does a great job in powering hard to drive headphones. The switch to increase decibel is handy, and have no issues powering HD650, AKG K612s, and my Beyerdynamic DT990.
VX3 is great, as there's a Bluetooth receiver. Play music from your phone straight out to your speakers. Bluetooth connection is stable and little to zero distortion was known during my usage.
Overall, a greater starting point to begin with for your audio journey. By no means I'm an audiophile, but just sharing my thoughts on it.
A30 does a great job in powering hard to drive headphones. The switch to increase decibel is handy, and have no issues powering HD650, AKG K612s, and my Beyerdynamic DT990.
VX3 is great, as there's a Bluetooth receiver. Play music from your phone straight out to your speakers. Bluetooth connection is stable and little to zero distortion was known during my usage.
Overall, a greater starting point to begin with for your audio journey. By no means I'm an audiophile, but just sharing my thoughts on it.
MoonRock
40
Mar 24, 2018
@Pungsopp I got it locally from one of the audio dealers in Singapore. I think aliexpress / amazon will have them too.
Check out this example: https://m.aliexpress.com/item/32811541379.html
Check out this example: https://m.aliexpress.com/item/32811541379.html
CHIINO
3
Mar 22, 2018
Hi, i have just got my new HD-6XX and i want to buy the dac and amp combo, i have notice that there are many buying options that can set the price up to $264.99, im new to high-end audio and i would love to get some advice, if im going to buy the amp & dac to power my HD-6XX, what buying option sould i pick?
Brosefstalin42
260
Mar 23, 2018
I've only heard of channel imbalance on the most sensitive of IEMs/cans, and I don't know why you'd hook up those to a desktop amp, but I also don't really like IEMs so channel I'm balance hasn't been an issue for me.
Also I do believe others have said the A30 has a slightly higher output impedance so idk how accurate the low ohm headphones are, but like I said before I'm not a big IEM fan so my opinion there is moot.
The only thing I have to add to the high ohm cans is bass tends to need higher peak power for that moment of bass slam, so having that little extra power can squeeze out that extra oomph, idk how big of a difference the two would have.
Of course, I need an A30 to tell any sound coloration, since that would likely be the biggest difference with different parts and configuration on the inside. Someone that has both may be able to chime in.
Also I do believe others have said the A30 has a slightly higher output impedance so idk how accurate the low ohm headphones are, but like I said before I'm not a big IEM fan so my opinion there is moot.
The only thing I have to add to the high ohm cans is bass tends to need higher peak power for that moment of bass slam, so having that little extra power can squeeze out that extra oomph, idk how big of a difference the two would have.
Of course, I need an A30 to tell any sound coloration, since that would likely be the biggest difference with different parts and configuration on the inside. Someone that has both may be able to chime in.
Kaizen21
18
Mar 23, 2018
CHIINOHello !
I am also new to high-end audio. Last year I started my little investment : I have an HD6XX, A30 and D30. I am really happy with this setup. Both DAC and Amp improve the music very much. I think you can't go wrong with this. This is a cool beginner setup. I plugged the HD6XX to my friend's higher end setup (500$ DAC and Vali amp), it's quite impossible to tell a difference. You know there is something a little bit different, but it's impossible to recoognize on which setup you are plugged. I have never tried a really cheap DAC/Amp but I think that what is important is to have a decent Amp/DAC combo.
Sorry for bad English.
I am also new to high-end audio. Last year I started my little investment : I have an HD6XX, A30 and D30. I am really happy with this setup. Both DAC and Amp improve the music very much. I think you can't go wrong with this. This is a cool beginner setup. I plugged the HD6XX to my friend's higher end setup (500$ DAC and Vali amp), it's quite impossible to tell a difference. You know there is something a little bit different, but it's impossible to recoognize on which setup you are plugged. I have never tried a really cheap DAC/Amp but I think that what is important is to have a decent Amp/DAC combo.
Sorry for bad English.
CaptMarcus
21
Jan 31, 2017
How would these fair against the schiit stack or O2 ODAC and maybe Aune T1 just for comparison cuz its cheap (lol) for the HD650s
EDIT: Asked this question 5 weeks ago, just wondering if anyone else stumbled on this question with a different opinion now.
EDIT: Asked this question 5 weeks ago, just wondering if anyone else stumbled on this question with a different opinion now.
ElectronicVices
2937
Feb 1, 2017
I don't know if you're going to get much of a change between between the options you are looking at. I own the O2 for the office and a Schiit Lyr/Gustard H10 for home listening. I have friends that own the Magni but have not listened to it side by side with the O2. I can enjoy most of my cans from the O2 other than my HE500 or T1.
Spec comparision Power A30=Magni 2.>02 - given the specs this will only matter on rather hard to drive cans Output Impedance Magni and 02 below 1 ohm... cannot locate info on the topping (didn't dig too deep) Design A30 is opamp, Magni is discrete, O2 is opamp... I prefer discrete but I can't say its a big factor Housing - Magni is steel (Uber adds aluminium), A30 is aluminum, don't recall on the O2 (MD edition) Power Supply - A30 "dual linear" per their info, Magni - linear, O2 - basic wallwart.
Stats don't tell the whole tale but I can't see any one of these amps having a large variance in performance assuming the same source.
Spec comparision Power A30=Magni 2.>02 - given the specs this will only matter on rather hard to drive cans Output Impedance Magni and 02 below 1 ohm... cannot locate info on the topping (didn't dig too deep) Design A30 is opamp, Magni is discrete, O2 is opamp... I prefer discrete but I can't say its a big factor Housing - Magni is steel (Uber adds aluminium), A30 is aluminum, don't recall on the O2 (MD edition) Power Supply - A30 "dual linear" per their info, Magni - linear, O2 - basic wallwart.
Stats don't tell the whole tale but I can't see any one of these amps having a large variance in performance assuming the same source.
Cujobob
133
Aug 21, 2018
It is not a very mature and very well understood field. While anything audible can be measured and measurements are of extreme importance, understanding how those measurements correlates to what and how we hear is essential. Citing distortion measurements as a blanket statement is really somewhat useless when looking at quality products because distortion varies based on order. Distortion is not all created equal.
Cujobob
133
Aug 21, 2018
I've noticed that people pushing this DAC always cite this one review as supposed proof it's a quality product. Are you aware of the many revisions of the DAC? Of the varied capacitor brands that have been found? Some have had the wrong LEDs, many have been loose inside the case, and there have been other issues, as well.
If you can get a good one, it seems like a solid DAC, but there is some risk involved. It very much seems to suffer from being 'Made in China.'
If you can get a good one, it seems like a solid DAC, but there is some risk involved. It very much seems to suffer from being 'Made in China.'
MufasaSucasa
6
Jun 3, 2017
I'm currently deciding between this, and the Schiit stack (Modi and Magni 2) Non Uber versions.
How do they compare? And what should i take into consideration? This will be my first big step into the audiophile world. Any advice will be appreciated!
How do they compare? And what should i take into consideration? This will be my first big step into the audiophile world. Any advice will be appreciated!
JediPeaceWalker
41
Jul 2, 2017
MufasaSucasaFrom reading the official specs just within the past few hours, I think the Toppings are the better buy. I don't own any Schiit's though. Prior to my purchase, I did read, watch, and listen to various reviews across the web and thought the Schiit Uber's were better in sound quality but I don't have enough technical knowledge to understand the different sound processors used in each device. I ultimately picked up the Topping stack through Ebay after assessing the following points:
The Schiit Uber stack will cost at least $100 more but has the option of arriving sooner than this drop. I would not recommend non-Uber Schiit versions due to limited input and output options unless you don't plan to expand your audio repertoire or like purchasing another stack when an input and/or output dies.
The Topping stack has ALL important switches on the front vs the Schiit's rear switches. Rear switches look cleaner but are less convenient.
The Topping D30 also has a higher SNR (Optical 113.2 dB vs unspecified 104 dB , wider frequency range even though most humans can't hear the extra low range (10 Hz vs 20 Hz), and comes with a USB cable (Schiit doesn't come with it).
The A30 has less power output (1/4" 152 mW vs 160 mW with 600 ohms), better SNR (0 gain 126dB vs 104dB), more gain levels (0 , 9, 18 dB vs 3 or 15.6 dB only), has 2 dedicated headphone outputs (1/8" and 1/4" vs only 1/4") that can both be on or auto detected via first plugged in, doesn't have pre-amp RCA outputs, and has 2 power impedance switches (Topping's site doesn't mention any specs about the low power and I hear no difference with the AKG K7XX's or Sony MDRXB50AP IEM's).
Only the D30 has a small wall-wart AC adapter (DC 15V 1A) and it's oriented downwards. The A30 has a mid-cord wart with unlisted voltages on the site (14V x2 900mA for 2 headphones and 6V 800mA for a single, taken from my unit). The Schiit's are both wall-warts but I don't know about their sizes, orientations, or exact voltages/amps since they're not listed entirely.
Dimensions (width x height x depth) *(I think the depth is an print error since my D30 is the same depth as the A30 minus knobs, switches, and ports at 6.5"/16.51 cm but I will list the official specs regardless) A30: 4.80" x 1.50" x 6.70" (12.2 cm x 3.800 cm x 17.0 cm) D30: 4.80" x 1.50" x 6.97" (12.2 cm x 3.800 cm x 17.7 cm) Magni 2 Uber: 5.00" x 1.25" x 3.50" (12.7 cm x 3.175 cm x 8.89 cm) Modi 2 Uber: 5.00" x 1.25" x 3.50" (12.7 cm x 3.175 cm x 8.89 cm)
http://www.tpdz.net/en/products/a30/index.htm http://www.tpdz.net/en/products/d30/index.htm http://schiit.com/products/magni-2 http://schiit.com/products/modi-2
The Schiit Uber stack will cost at least $100 more but has the option of arriving sooner than this drop. I would not recommend non-Uber Schiit versions due to limited input and output options unless you don't plan to expand your audio repertoire or like purchasing another stack when an input and/or output dies.
The Topping stack has ALL important switches on the front vs the Schiit's rear switches. Rear switches look cleaner but are less convenient.
The Topping D30 also has a higher SNR (Optical 113.2 dB vs unspecified 104 dB , wider frequency range even though most humans can't hear the extra low range (10 Hz vs 20 Hz), and comes with a USB cable (Schiit doesn't come with it).
The A30 has less power output (1/4" 152 mW vs 160 mW with 600 ohms), better SNR (0 gain 126dB vs 104dB), more gain levels (0 , 9, 18 dB vs 3 or 15.6 dB only), has 2 dedicated headphone outputs (1/8" and 1/4" vs only 1/4") that can both be on or auto detected via first plugged in, doesn't have pre-amp RCA outputs, and has 2 power impedance switches (Topping's site doesn't mention any specs about the low power and I hear no difference with the AKG K7XX's or Sony MDRXB50AP IEM's).
Only the D30 has a small wall-wart AC adapter (DC 15V 1A) and it's oriented downwards. The A30 has a mid-cord wart with unlisted voltages on the site (14V x2 900mA for 2 headphones and 6V 800mA for a single, taken from my unit). The Schiit's are both wall-warts but I don't know about their sizes, orientations, or exact voltages/amps since they're not listed entirely.
Dimensions (width x height x depth) *(I think the depth is an print error since my D30 is the same depth as the A30 minus knobs, switches, and ports at 6.5"/16.51 cm but I will list the official specs regardless) A30: 4.80" x 1.50" x 6.70" (12.2 cm x 3.800 cm x 17.0 cm) D30: 4.80" x 1.50" x 6.97" (12.2 cm x 3.800 cm x 17.7 cm) Magni 2 Uber: 5.00" x 1.25" x 3.50" (12.7 cm x 3.175 cm x 8.89 cm) Modi 2 Uber: 5.00" x 1.25" x 3.50" (12.7 cm x 3.175 cm x 8.89 cm)
http://www.tpdz.net/en/products/a30/index.htm http://www.tpdz.net/en/products/d30/index.htm http://schiit.com/products/magni-2 http://schiit.com/products/modi-2
drewishy
11
Keyboard Club Member
Jul 3, 2017
MufasaSucasaI have both stacks (Shiit - Uber) and I prefer the Topping stack by quite a bit. I love having the 1/4 and 1/8 inch options, the volume knob is nicer, and the build quality just feels better. Sound wise, they both sound great and nicely drive my wide array of headphones.
Heefty
1387
Dec 21, 2017
O2 should work fine for low volumes. HD 6xx actually works well at low volumes. I actually prefer it to some higher power amps. The clipping won't happen until the high V transients in the track are pushed near to or right at the output V level of the amp. As with all things, if it sounds good to you, go with it. It doesn't meet my standards though. I can clearly hear the difference and it's bothersome to me.
For similarly priced amps I use 2 that I built myself for around $100 all inclusive, one of which is slightly modified from what is basically a kit (http://pmillett.com/butte.htm), the other is a completely custom design. I like the modified butte the better than anything I've heard for less than Massdrop sells the Heron 5 for. I just boosted the power rails to +/- 18V ( different regulators, higher V rated caps, higher V rated TVS), upgraded the electrolytic caps (Nichicon UFG), and lowered the gain from 11x to 8x. It's a thing of beauty now, with plenty of overhead. When I figure out a good way to replace the volume pot with a good one it'll be even better. Even in the stock config you'll find on the website it is miles better than anything else I've heard for HD6XX at that price point.
As for the D30, it is a tad cold and more analytical than ODAC or OL DAC. But it is not much and it supports DSD and higher sample rates than ODAC or OL DAC which I do use. If you don't use >96kHz or DSD, the ODAC and OL DAC are slightly more natural sounding but I must emphasize that it's very slight. I use the D30 with my modified Butte as my daily driver at the office and have no complaints about the setup for what it is. I listen to far fewer DACs than I do amps though, so there might be something for less than $300 that would be better, but I can't imagine it being so much better as to warrant the additional expense.
For similarly priced amps I use 2 that I built myself for around $100 all inclusive, one of which is slightly modified from what is basically a kit (http://pmillett.com/butte.htm), the other is a completely custom design. I like the modified butte the better than anything I've heard for less than Massdrop sells the Heron 5 for. I just boosted the power rails to +/- 18V ( different regulators, higher V rated caps, higher V rated TVS), upgraded the electrolytic caps (Nichicon UFG), and lowered the gain from 11x to 8x. It's a thing of beauty now, with plenty of overhead. When I figure out a good way to replace the volume pot with a good one it'll be even better. Even in the stock config you'll find on the website it is miles better than anything else I've heard for HD6XX at that price point.
As for the D30, it is a tad cold and more analytical than ODAC or OL DAC. But it is not much and it supports DSD and higher sample rates than ODAC or OL DAC which I do use. If you don't use >96kHz or DSD, the ODAC and OL DAC are slightly more natural sounding but I must emphasize that it's very slight. I use the D30 with my modified Butte as my daily driver at the office and have no complaints about the setup for what it is. I listen to far fewer DACs than I do amps though, so there might be something for less than $300 that would be better, but I can't imagine it being so much better as to warrant the additional expense.
datyeti
45
Dec 21, 2017
HeeftyThanks for the in depth answer! I like the millet stuff, don't have a soldering iron and time to start his projects but it's some of the first ones I want to do for sure. Interesting dac info. Never tried DSD and probably never will bother, and don't care for stuff over anything usb class 1 as drivers can be a pain. The OL DAC is very nice, I use one.
datyeti
45
Mar 23, 2018
Hi. Been kinda broke so haven't yet. I don't believe in subjective bs, so when I buy an op amp or two I will also buy an A/B switch so gotta save for a bit more in general. I was thinking of getting the sescom A/B 1/8" switch, but the quality looks subpar for the price so been trying to learn to make it myself. Thanks for asking. I will do this eventually.
datyeti
45
Dec 20, 2017
Whoops. silly mistake. Meant to say burson or sparkos op amps and which model number.
berant89
1
Jun 18, 2020
By chance do you have any experience between the Sparkos and Burson V5i for the A30? Would it also make sense for me to change the op amp on the D30 to the matching discrete op amp?
AlexaBlack
141
Feb 6, 2017
Stop ripping people off, Massdrop. 90 dollars with free shipping: http://www.ebay.com/itm/TOPPING-D30-Decoder-24bit-192KHz-Coaxial-Optical-Fiber-DSD64-DSD128-DAC-HiFi-/282276213401?var=&hash=item41b8f93299:m:m86T0smlCrmJFARhixGQvxA
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