$99 Topping D30 ( DSD ) DAC + A30

My $99 D30 from massdrop is everything I could want in a DAC. After many months of listening I've concluded it's SQ is the best of my three DAC's ( Audio GD NFB12 and Schiit Modi MB ). It's now used as the major source for the Bottlehead 2a3 SET mono blocks powering these incredible Zenith alnico OB's.

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jameswei said:
I just bought one today from a local seller here in Taiwan and I had to pay $3860 NT which equal to $132 US dollars. I am getting a loud pop every time I turn in on, anyone else has this problem? Also on another laptop and system, I can only get the right side working, is my driver doing that?
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I wouldn't bother turning it off, that way you can avoid the pop. It's only the expensive ones I power off for longevity. The only DAC I power off is my Gieseler Groß DAC.... It has about 15-20 minutes warm up before it sounds it's best. Probably the Jensen transformers. I've only had it a week so far and it's shown up the deficiencies of every other DAC I've ever used. It's just spectacular. All the others are left on and only powered off when I go on holidays.
 
I don't know where it went wrong, but the D30's one channel is louder than the other on one laptop but is fine on another.
 
I had to return the D30 today, it had volume issue where one channel was louder than the other on both of my laptops and it continues to have a loud pop when I start to play music or end music. I am going to order another one because I do like the sound.
 
So I've been thinking about getting a DAC recently, but had a question. Currently my living room situation is all digital media (PC, PS4, Switch) go through the TV via multiple HDMIs and then from the TV to my Marantz pre and amp via a headphone to RCA cable. Would this setup benefit from a DAC like this between the TV and preamp? So it would go PC - TV - D30 - preamp. I'm not looking for audiophile, just an upgrade on whatever DAC is in the TV.
 
In a nutshell, yes it will benefit . The best DAC I've come across for TV and movies without breaking the bank is the S.M.S.L SD1955+ Sanskrit which is quite inexpensive. For music I'd be looking at a Topping D30 (similar sound to an S.M.S.L M8) or Starting Point Systems DAC3.... The only DAC I've used that is amazing with absolutely everything is a Gieseler Groß DAC. I don't expect anyone who's not tried a few DAC's before will ever splash out that much with a first purchase so I'd look at the DAC's I mentioned earlier
 
Gotcha. I'm realizing I may be wasting my time regardless because toslink out from most tvs doesn't allow the tv remote to control volume, correct?
 
gtxtom said:
Gotcha. I'm realizing I may be wasting my time regardless because toslink out from most tvs doesn't allow the tv remote to control volume, correct?
Click to expand...
Yes, that's correct. If you have an amp or preamp with a remote, you can use a programmable remote like a Logitech Harmony to control the volume of the the amplifier and not the TV. If you have a vintage amp, like I do, then your only bet would be to get a DAC that has both volume control and a remote.
 
gtxtom said:
Gotcha. I'm realizing I may be wasting my time regardless because toslink out from most tvs doesn't allow the tv remote to control volume, correct?
Click to expand...

You can likely find a decent used receiver that does Hdmi/Arc with pre-outs for not much.
 
Alternatively if you've an amp without remote control you can use a DAC with remote control to select inputs or control the volume. You could make it pretty seamless with a logitech harmony
 
I thought my XiangSheng DAC-01A had died, so I went shopping for a new DAC to use with my Grace Digital GDI-IRDT-200 and my Cambridge Audio CXC CD transport. The Topping D30 looked really good after reading this and other threads about it and I ordered one from a US source, Parts Express. While it was on its way to me, I managed to resurrect the DAC-01A with a little soldering. Nonetheless, I put the D30 in the system and it sounded great. Turns out it uses the same CS4398 DAC chip as the DAC-01A. I think I'll run with the Topping for awhile. Parts Express has a 45-day return period if I decide to go back to the XiangSheng but the D30 was so inexpensive, I'll probably just keep both.
 
I got mine D30 today (reordered) and after installing the driver everything works great. I think my first unit was damaged while trying with the Mac Mini, I was under the impression that the D30 doesn't need to install the driver with Mac gears and I almost fried my amp, my Sansui 717 kept going into protection. The D30 lost one channel after that ordeal, so if anyone out there trying with a Mac Mini proceed with caution.
 
jameswei said:
I got mine D30 today (reordered) and after installing the driver everything works great. I think my first unit was damaged while trying with the Mac Mini, I was under the impression that the D30 doesn't need to install the driver with Mac gears and I almost fried my amp, my Sansui 717 kept going into protection. The D30 lost one channel after that ordeal, so if anyone out there trying with a Mac Mini proceed with caution.
Click to expand...

I don’t know much about DACS but I do know signals and I don’t see how the Mac digital out would be any different. So not seeing that as the cause. Of course I am probably wrong.

Horefullly someone can answer that, now I need to know.
 
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