Post by Owen Y on Aug 19, 2020 21:30:20 GMT 12
This is an interesting user comparison between 2 popular DAC philosophies - an AKM delta-sigma-based DAC vs a R2R 'resistor ladder' DAC. This young man Jay, of Next Best Thing Studio takes us through his impressions: Of AKM-chip-based DACs generally: " I usually find AKM DAC chips to be on the warmer side of neutral. " The TOPPING D90 ((US$699, used as a DAC-only, bypassing the in-built preamp) compared to the DENAFRIPS Ares II (~US$1000)... " It doesn't have as much... 'air' (at the top end) as the DENAFRIPS Ares II " However... " The TOPPING D90 is going to have a little more bass output, in comparison to the Ares II " Compared to the HEGEL H120/190 amplifier's in-built DACs: " Both of them (the D90 & the Ares II) are going to be a pretty good upgrade option for HEGEL users " Compared to the Parasound HINT 6 amplifier's in-built DAC: " A huge improvement in comparison to the internal DAC (Both the TOPPING & the Ares II). The TOPPING D90, in conclusion: " It sounds dead neutral, it gets out of the way. " " Soundstaging... the part where the R2R DAC really excels... is a little bit limited with this DAC. "
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Post by andrewp on Aug 22, 2020 22:10:05 GMT 12
Anyone got a Terminator?
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Post by Owen Y on Aug 26, 2020 9:47:19 GMT 12
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Pundit
Post by peter0c on Mar 7, 2021 10:31:04 GMT 12
A couple of interesting videos comparing the virtues of Denafrips Ayres 11, Topping D90, Schitt Bifrost 2, Schitt Gungnir, ADI 2, Chord Qutest and Chord TT2 + M Scaler.
Unsurprisingly there is no single best from the first four (the first four are under $1k, the fifth about double the others and the two Chords especially the last require deep pockets) - it all depends on your downstream gear to get a balance of an organic / analogue sound versus an analytic sound. Who would have guessed?
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Post by Citroen on Jun 24, 2021 6:51:22 GMT 12
Another recommendation from Darko for the Ares II
0:00 Intro
2:39 Setup and hardware rigging
4:53 A look inside
6:55 Let's get techy speccy
7:55 Core competencies n' comparisons
10:29 More comparisons
13:36 Let's twist (again)
15:11 And yet more comparisons
One "gotcha" is that there's a noticeable lip-sync delay due to DSP time if used for TV or movie watching.
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Pundit
Post by peter0c on Oct 10, 2021 12:44:59 GMT 12
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Post by andrewp on Oct 18, 2021 19:36:37 GMT 12
I heard the D90 Topping paired with Some 'very' serious kit last week up against a dac that was in the tens of thousands and I couldn't tell any difference truth be known when they were switched between each other. There was a volume difference but it you were only just one of them clearly that wouldn't matter.
I'm very please with my Matrix I have to say... I do think that dacs are one piece of audio that doesn't NOT require a big spend and clearly the D90 is evidence of that.
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Pundit
Post by peter0c on Oct 19, 2021 11:58:58 GMT 12
In my opinion there have been few improvements in amplifier and speaker technology over say the last 40 or so years. However there was rubbish then and there is rubbish now. Remember when we all leapt into solid state in the early 70s and CDs in the 80s? Much buyer's remorse and now Garrard 301s, triode coupled Leak KT66s and Tannoy MGs sound as good as if not better than pretty well anything that is currently available. The only general exception is I think in DACs which have improved out-of-sight, well I mean in sound at least in respect of Delta-Sigma DACs. (Makes sense really, since computer technology has unarguably gone from strength to strength over the years). However, even then the early Phillips ladder DACs now have a keen following. I was reminded of this when a friend lent me his US$175 Lite DAC-AH which has 8 paralleled Phillips TDA-1543 chips in it. It sounds really good and much better than my Oppo which these days I use as a transport only. I did a bit of research and found that it was made in 2005! Even better there is/was an upmarket 'Baddymod' version (US$1250) which uses better Phillips non-oversampling chips, op amps and power supply and which my friend has. The problem with upgrades is that virtually any change makes an audible difference, a difference which we tend to take as an improvement. This is not always the case. One reason is system synergy which can be lost by a change in one component and which can then lead to a remorseless swapping of cables and interconnects, upsampling software or hardware and hoping for the best. The best rarely happens so round and round we go. My advice in avoiding this treadmill in Delta-Sigma DAC technology at least (and computers generally), is to avoid the temptation to buy this week's top model which by next week or year will be middling. Instead buy this week's or year's middling model and I also wouldn't turn my nose at any Chinese made discrete and affordable ladder DACs either. Andrew's advice has more than a ring of truth to it. My purchase of the Topping D90SE is a bit of an experiment, also having in mind a widely predicted shortage of kit in the coming months due to manufacturing and shipping delays, and a concomitant price increases.
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Pundit
Post by harvey on Oct 19, 2021 18:09:07 GMT 12
I owned a D50 at one stage and trialled a couple of $2.5k DACs against it. While they were definately better, the D50 was not disgraced and neither had me reaching for my wallet. I guess it's possible that the law of diminishing returns applies more to DAC's than some other gear and could be as a result of technology moving so quickly?
I took a gamble and ended up with a Denafrips Ares without trialing one as liked what I read about ladder rack DAC's and don't regret it.
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Pundit
Post by peter0c on Nov 1, 2021 10:00:47 GMT 12
I have had the Topping D90SE for about a month during which time it has been permanently on. I do most of my critical listening over long periods (i.e. not flitting from one DAC / amplifier / speakers to another) and try and concentrate on the beauty of individual voices and instruments and of course the music. Not wanting to go to bed when I should is an indication that all is well. My first impression was that the Topping was very neutral and transparent, had good control of the bass and the tops didn't make my ears bleed. However something was missing. Depth and sound stage to be exact. I ruminated (and captured my methane) on whether ladder DAC's fabled 3D sound stage was sacrificed in favour of the greater precision (I have a MDHT ladder DAC) afforded by Delta-Sigma designs; or put the other way around whether ladder DAC's smeared this precision resulting in a more euphonic sound. Then came the weekend. Up until then I would describe the overall D90SE sound as being very centred and accurate. But then sound stage depth and width suddenly re-appeared! I can live with this DAC and wonder if anyone else has had a similar experience with it, that is a need for a long burn in period. I'm skeptical of the need for burn in (apart from warming up to an operating temperature) and even more skeptical of technical explanations for it. But this is what I experienced. Your thoughts please.
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Pundit
Post by peter0c on Dec 29, 2021 10:48:39 GMT 12
Replying to myself this time. More bad manners. I've been using the Topping D90SE for a couple of months now and for the past week using it's preamp function. This allows me to dispense with my usual preamps (Transcendent Grounded Grid and Ecofan 12 tube including phono) and use the Topping to directly drive a First Watt SIT-3 playing into a SEAS Exotic widebander plus supertweeter. This should work as the SIT needs the 2.5v input provided by the Topping to drive to full output, and the Topping has a low 100 ohm output. However my conclusion is that the Topping preamp is nowhere near as good as the other two which have 600 ohms on the output. With the Topping preamp switched in the sense of 3D space provided by the other two is vastly diminished. Valve preamps win again! My recommendation for the Topping as a DAC alone stands.
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Pundit
Post by peter0c on May 23, 2022 14:01:13 GMT 12
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