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Topping D50 DAC
01 / 07
Topping D50 DAC
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Product Description
Topping has gained a loyal following for its line of accurate, competitively priced DACs, which includes the DX7 series and the D30. For those looking to pair their DAC with a high-end headphone amplifier, look no further than the Topping D50 Read More
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keyboard_arrow_downParkflyersRC
36
Apr 30, 2018
I find it weird that no one reviewed this D50 Dac yet. And I'm not talking about audio science BS measurements..... No one has commented on sound quality which only can mean one thing. Its pure Chinese garbage. As soon as i get mine , I will post the 100% truth. NO BS, NO LIES....just fact
jsmiller58
804
May 16, 2018
The player software is USB Audio Player Pro (I use it to stream Tidal, but you should be able to play your own music). Just connect with USB-C to USB connector (the funny square printer format one - I got the cable at Best Buy). Works great.
RyCan
144
May 16, 2018
jsmiller58Thanks. The other part of my question is :
a)if the phone charges
b)drains normally (same speed as listening through headphones)
c)drains faster than normal
junki
327
Mar 29, 2018
Aside from higher order harmonic distortion, all of which are below -100 dB, this DAC measures very well. What's missing for me is more subjective impressions on its sound. Does it tend towards warm? Neutral? How's the image? Is the sound intimate or open and airy? etc. etc.
Kevorex
6
Apr 12, 2018
junkihttp://en.tpdz.net/products_detail/productId=37.html
Look at that rms level at the end of the page and you will know how neutral it is (±0.1db for all frequencies)
Necklampy
1
Feb 13, 2019
KevorexDoes the neutrality is measured by frequency response? I'm not an expert at all, but i don't think it is the reason of the sound signature is the linearity of frequency response.. I hope if Topping will get into serious Dac's and Amps, like SMSL do with the VMV D1, with lot of details and Dynamic range, distortion etc etc.. It shows as a great company, with great little beasts like Topping D50, NX4, wonder if DOA items are because their Control Quality or not... :)
Shadow12347
34
May 17, 2018
I literally just bought this from one of the certified dealers (as listed on Topping's website) from AliExpress for $250, and then this drop came.... RIP
Anyways, I came from a Modi 2 + Vali 2 and the difference is night and day... The D50 really is a very good DAC. I kept reading from multiple forums that "all DAC's sound the same once you get around $100", and honestly that is the farthest thing from the truth. The amount of detail and extension into both extremes is just absolutely stellar on this DAC. I currently have it paired with a CTH Amp, and my headphones are the TH-X00, however even with my Vali 2, this DAC extended much further than the Modi 2 ever dreamed of... In addition, it opened up the mid-range a bit, so really, it is a very significant improvement across the whole frequency range. The part that surprised me the most was the sub-bass extension. Listening to Manslaughter by Savant, there is a sub-bass wobble in the part leading up to the chorus that I had never heard before, even in the car, or with any other headphone (K712, HP-150, T50RP, etc.). It appears the limiting factor here was the Modi 2, but the D50 really just opened everything up. It also did very well with one of the most difficult artists I've come across for audio setups to properly reproduce (IMHO): Late Night Alumni. For this reason a lot of my testing with new DAC's/amps/headphones are done listening to her because she has the craziest upper range that's super delicate and nuanced, yet completely effortless, mesmerizing, and even eery. For this reason, setups that are too bright or just not the best tend to murder your ears and when it's off, it's quite noticeable. Listening to Every Breath is Like a Heartbeat on this DAC is just magical. It reproduces her voice so well and picks up every little detail. It's so rich yet so airy. I will admit it did get close to being a little too bright for my ears when paired with the Vali 2 (I'm quite sensitive to the upper region), but just how great it sounded kept me listening regardless! When paired with the CTH, it is toned down a bit in the brightness, but that doesn't take away from the detail. In fact it sounded far more natural, and it was as if she was in the same room. This second pairing appears to have a more laid back signature than with the Vali 2, which in comparison sounded a bit more artificial. That isn't bad per se, because actually overall the Vali 2 did sound quite fun and sparkly with the D50, but I think that is due to some upper range coloration.
This is a very hot DAC, however, so unfortunately, when paired with the CTH, it's a little too much power for my poor TH-X00. The volume has to be kept super low on the amp, and when the amp is turned anywhere from 0 to 11-12ish o'clock, there is audible hiss and static in the right channel. In order to mitigate this I had to attenuate on the D50 very significantly, but the nice thing is, even when attenuating to -32 db, it is still almost the same clarity and detail as when not. This allows me to get the CTH to around 2 o'clock, thus eliminating the hissing. This is a real feat for this otherwise obscure DAC that not really many people talk about. Overall I'm very impressed and can't praise it enough.
As a side note, I also picked up the Jameco Linear Power adapter (5v 1a) on Amazon and it fits perfectly and does a great job. Even with a switching power adapter and the supplied USB power cable, it still sounded quite good, so you can go either way really. I didn't notice too much of a difference here.
Anyways, I came from a Modi 2 + Vali 2 and the difference is night and day... The D50 really is a very good DAC. I kept reading from multiple forums that "all DAC's sound the same once you get around $100", and honestly that is the farthest thing from the truth. The amount of detail and extension into both extremes is just absolutely stellar on this DAC. I currently have it paired with a CTH Amp, and my headphones are the TH-X00, however even with my Vali 2, this DAC extended much further than the Modi 2 ever dreamed of... In addition, it opened up the mid-range a bit, so really, it is a very significant improvement across the whole frequency range. The part that surprised me the most was the sub-bass extension. Listening to Manslaughter by Savant, there is a sub-bass wobble in the part leading up to the chorus that I had never heard before, even in the car, or with any other headphone (K712, HP-150, T50RP, etc.). It appears the limiting factor here was the Modi 2, but the D50 really just opened everything up. It also did very well with one of the most difficult artists I've come across for audio setups to properly reproduce (IMHO): Late Night Alumni. For this reason a lot of my testing with new DAC's/amps/headphones are done listening to her because she has the craziest upper range that's super delicate and nuanced, yet completely effortless, mesmerizing, and even eery. For this reason, setups that are too bright or just not the best tend to murder your ears and when it's off, it's quite noticeable. Listening to Every Breath is Like a Heartbeat on this DAC is just magical. It reproduces her voice so well and picks up every little detail. It's so rich yet so airy. I will admit it did get close to being a little too bright for my ears when paired with the Vali 2 (I'm quite sensitive to the upper region), but just how great it sounded kept me listening regardless! When paired with the CTH, it is toned down a bit in the brightness, but that doesn't take away from the detail. In fact it sounded far more natural, and it was as if she was in the same room. This second pairing appears to have a more laid back signature than with the Vali 2, which in comparison sounded a bit more artificial. That isn't bad per se, because actually overall the Vali 2 did sound quite fun and sparkly with the D50, but I think that is due to some upper range coloration.
This is a very hot DAC, however, so unfortunately, when paired with the CTH, it's a little too much power for my poor TH-X00. The volume has to be kept super low on the amp, and when the amp is turned anywhere from 0 to 11-12ish o'clock, there is audible hiss and static in the right channel. In order to mitigate this I had to attenuate on the D50 very significantly, but the nice thing is, even when attenuating to -32 db, it is still almost the same clarity and detail as when not. This allows me to get the CTH to around 2 o'clock, thus eliminating the hissing. This is a real feat for this otherwise obscure DAC that not really many people talk about. Overall I'm very impressed and can't praise it enough.
As a side note, I also picked up the Jameco Linear Power adapter (5v 1a) on Amazon and it fits perfectly and does a great job. Even with a switching power adapter and the supplied USB power cable, it still sounded quite good, so you can go either way really. I didn't notice too much of a difference here.
RyCan
144
Jul 20, 2018
So did you ever get a chance to try the Bravo & D50 combo? If so, what headphones?
Shadow12347
34
Jul 20, 2018
RyCanOops sorry! Forgot to respond, but yes I did! It paired quite well actually. I'm quite satisfied with my D50 and am contemplating getting another for work haha. I had only tried it on my TH-X00, but the resulting sound was quite good :). What headphones do you use? Also I haven't tried it with my phone just yet. Really only my PC, but I can give that a shot when I get home since I recently obtained an OTG cable.
I'd also like to revise my above comment, because I was able to get a replacement CTH, and the new one eliminated the low volume static/hiss I had been experiencing. Thanks for the suggestion @Anaz! Now I am able to keep the D50 at 0db, and keep the volume low on the CTH and everything sounds incredible :)
I'd also like to revise my above comment, because I was able to get a replacement CTH, and the new one eliminated the low volume static/hiss I had been experiencing. Thanks for the suggestion @Anaz! Now I am able to keep the D50 at 0db, and keep the volume low on the CTH and everything sounds incredible :)
kevin8715
82
May 14, 2018
Just going to leave this here:
https://audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/review-and-measurements-of-topping-d50-dac.2403/
Definitly getting one for myself.
Definitly getting one for myself.
A community member
Jan 15, 2019
kevin8715what is with you guys dropping “audio science” like he had some sort of authority.
LuckyLuke575
561
Apr 4, 2019
kevin8715Thanks for this. I like to see objective reviews from people with the proper equipment and know how. This should silence the naysayers.
bhigh
57
Jun 29, 2018
You're correct, it's not outputting anything from the input. That's why it's called an input.
kenwstr
121
Jun 29, 2018
bhighMaybe I made an incorrect assumption about what you meant originally. I agree that an Amps output to speakers is essentially balanced in that the 2 lines carry complex waveforms, polarity inverted from each other. I don't get the significance of that in relation to what I thought you replied to, which seemed to be about connecting DAC to Amp. It's probably not worth pursuing but sorry if I have misunderstood.
bravomail
125
Nov 15, 2018
Anyone to discuss DSD worth and why it was invented by Sony and still used by Sony only? (answer: profit). PCM is superior to comparable DSD - PCM won't have trailing high freq noise, and requiring low pass filter to cut it off. No need to reencode your FLAC, or MP3 to DSD. You've been fooled again...
jaydunndiddit
3262
Jan 23, 2019
The only thing that's garbage here is your weak reasoning for "PCM superiority."
Thanks for the lulz, cult of ASR fanatic. ✌️❤️
(Edited)
LuckyLuke575
561
Mar 30, 2019
I agree. DSD comprises of expensive albums, and huge music files that technically don't provide any benefit beyond 44.1kHz/16 bit files (see detailed explanation here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiZqYnd5g8M). But MQA 96kHz/24 bit is cool to have if its convenient (like the Masters albums on Tidal).
rumata13
563
Feb 19, 2019
"For those looking to pair their DAC with a high-end headphone amplifier, look no further than the Topping D50."
How is this a headphone amp if it has NO phone jack?
RiflemanFirst
685
Feb 19, 2019
rumata13Yep, someone was half asleep when typing. It should read:
"For those looking for a DAC to pair with their high-end headphone amplifier, look no further than the Topping D50."
Historian
6
Jul 3, 2018
The specification specifies power: DC5V / 1A. I have a Huawei 5V / 2A battery charger, can this (2A) have a negative effect on DAC operation?
Historian
6
Jul 6, 2018
I just asked about the parameters of the USB port of the computer and it turned out that it issues 500mA and 5v, and the D50 requires a minimum of 1000mA
BrianCheng
7
Jul 6, 2018
HistorianYes, when the people who sold me D50 told me that would work (I did't buy it at Massdrop), I had the same doubt, but he was so sure about that then I gave it a try, and it did work. At the beginning, I was using a power charger (5V/1.5A, 5V/2.1A), but they were not stable, D50 will suddenly be no sound output, the operation and LCD display seems normal, but just no sound, I had to power off/on the device to make it work again. I told the seller about this situation, he suggested me that USB powered solution. Anyway now I am using a linear power supply happily. As you said, the USB powered method can be an option.
petkus331
4
May 19, 2018
Does anybody know the physical size of the 5VDC 1Amp jack that powers this DAC? I would like to buy a 5V 1A DC power supply so that I will not need to use an "old phone plug"on the "USB end" of the power cable because "old phone plugs" tend to have annoyingly high pitch whistles coming from them when they are energized. I see jacks on Amazon ranging in size from 5.5X2.1mm up to 5.5X2.5mm for power supplies that meet the 5VDC 1A requirement to power this DAC.
Thank you to anybody that helps out, hoping for a Topping representative; especially if there is any chance of this action voiding any kind of a warranty.
If this is helpful, I plan to use the "optical out" of my chromecast audio [Gen 1] with the Topping D50 DAC.
Thank you to anybody that helps out, hoping for a Topping representative; especially if there is any chance of this action voiding any kind of a warranty.
If this is helpful, I plan to use the "optical out" of my chromecast audio [Gen 1] with the Topping D50 DAC.
mesaone
111
Nov 14, 2018
Frogmeat... And if not, then it's just a matter of exchanging the item, so no worries.
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