Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 13, 2021 10:01:29 GMT
I have started looking at DACs again. The Topping D50s is only €250. Will it be different enough to a modified SEG?
I think it could be a sideways move. Maybe I should save for a Benchmark DAC3?
|
|
Bigman80
Grandmaster
AA Founding Member & Bigbottle Audio Creator
Posts: 16,075
|
Post by Bigman80 on Jan 13, 2021 10:45:12 GMT
I have started looking at DACs again. The Topping D50s is only €250. Will it be different enough to a modified SEG? I think it could be a sideways move. Maybe I should save for a Benchmark DAC3? The D70 is only a smidge more and is significantly better to my ears. Personally, I wouldn't be going in that direction. Soekris R2R for me, but I accept the cost of these units is a world away from the Topping stuff. Take the £1k you would have dropped on a cart and use it on a DAC?
|
|
|
Post by misterc on Jan 13, 2021 10:46:17 GMT
Kevin
The BM3 is quality BUT extremely matter of fact the majority of our customers that have/had them preferred the the V2 model it was more engaging.
For the outlay grab a D70 or 90 in that category imho
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 13, 2021 13:05:39 GMT
Thanks for the info/suggestions.
|
|
|
Post by sq225917 on Jan 13, 2021 13:08:14 GMT
Gustard x16.
|
|
|
Post by mikeyb on Jan 13, 2021 16:09:49 GMT
Topping D90 compared here with Denafrips Aries II,Schiit Bifrost 2, Schiit Gungnir , RME ADI-2 and Chord Qutest
Part 1
Part 2
and another couple of opinions of the Aries II
Topping D90
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 13, 2021 16:35:54 GMT
Did you modify the X16 in anyway? Looks relatively cheap, compared to a D90.
|
|
Bigman80
Grandmaster
AA Founding Member & Bigbottle Audio Creator
Posts: 16,075
|
Post by Bigman80 on Jan 13, 2021 16:51:46 GMT
Did you modify the X16 in anyway? Looks relatively cheap, compared to a D90. I believe a change of opamp occured. I think thats in a thread on here somewhere
|
|
|
Post by sq225917 on Jan 13, 2021 17:01:40 GMT
I have the a18, it's basically the same building blocks, clocks, xmos, Bluetooth etc, just it uses the akm 4499 not the ess chip.
I had Tony replace all opamps in output stage and the LP filter.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 13, 2021 17:38:00 GMT
One of the comments in the “review videos” was the D90 had a narrow soundstage. This is not something I favour, if true.
|
|
Bigman80
Grandmaster
AA Founding Member & Bigbottle Audio Creator
Posts: 16,075
|
Post by Bigman80 on Jan 13, 2021 18:11:01 GMT
The listening room here doesnt lend itself well to soundstage evaluation, once it gets past a certain width, but it's been good enough to decide the AT-ART7 sounded narrow.
I did not get that from the Topping D90 Alan brought here. The Topping is great value for the money and pretty much faultless. Alan and i were going to do a little SPDIF infused bakeoff between the Soekris and the D90 but that has been posponed.
If he wants to loan it out, i could do a bakeoff and see what happens?
I havent liked any dac with the Sabre chip, the AKM sounds better to me but again, it's all personal.
I would be surprised if ANY of the new DACs didn't sound like a decent upgrade on a Beresford though.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 13, 2021 18:23:59 GMT
Don’t forget this is an upgraded Beresford. I am tempted to buy from Amazon so I can send it back easier...
|
|
Bigman80
Grandmaster
AA Founding Member & Bigbottle Audio Creator
Posts: 16,075
|
Post by Bigman80 on Jan 13, 2021 18:44:06 GMT
Don’t forget this is an upgraded Beresford. I am tempted to buy from Amazon so I can send it back easier... To be blunt: I messaged Stan about his Beresford stuff about 3 years ago. He'd just released the SEG i think, and there was a wave of ChiFi DACs just entering the minds of the Western Audiophile. I won't paraphrase what he said because i can't be accurate enough to write it down, but it amounted to the same kind of feeling the Yanks must have had when the "Paul Revere's Ride" took place. (The British are coming, the British Are Coming!) Although it was the Chinese that were marching upon our Audio world.........you get the idea. I think we spoke before about the Beresford Alan had. I heard it, i gave it back in about 8 minutes. That included the installation, the listening of the track, then the removal. Iknow it wasnt a SEG, but i also know that it was bad enough to scar me for life and avoid them at all costs. The Topping D90 is a different league of kit, as is the PecanPi & the Soekris to that initial exposure the the Beresford. I'm not doubting the SEG you have is better than the one i heard, Or excellent VFM, but i couldn't bring myself to hear another one.
|
|
|
Post by misterc on Jan 13, 2021 18:51:26 GMT
IMHO the Beresford is overhyped and while not in any way a bad buy in any way, its very vanilla, using the the Wolfson snooze chips and while it does not contain any nasties what so ever its very average.
Having really gone to town one a couple of these you can do much better for not much outlay imho
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 13, 2021 18:56:07 GMT
Well, that is pretty clear...
|
|
Bigman80
Grandmaster
AA Founding Member & Bigbottle Audio Creator
Posts: 16,075
|
Post by Bigman80 on Jan 13, 2021 19:27:51 GMT
Well, that is pretty clear... Ye, sorry K. I just couldn't think of a nice way of saying what I thought. I think you'd be very unfortunate to buy pretty much any of the DACs in those review vids and not be delighted Personally, I'd go for the RME. the new one looks to be pretty bullet proof. Don't bother with the Shiit.....self explanatory
|
|
|
Post by misterc on Jan 13, 2021 19:36:49 GMT
Well, that is pretty clear... Personally, I'd go for the RME. the new one looks to be pretty bullet proof. Don't bother with the Shiit.....self explanatory Quote of the week
|
|
|
Post by antonio on Jan 14, 2021 1:36:15 GMT
Not much in between these two, although I did enjoy the music
|
|
|
Post by jandl100 on Jan 14, 2021 6:33:04 GMT
I've just installed a RME ADI 2 DAC. I was surprised to find it a significant upgrade on my much loved MyST R2R DAC which had been holding sway here. It's a good'un, and you get all the eq stuff to play with.
Don't know if I'd go along with the dissing of Beresford. Back in the day, when I first heard an early incarnation, it was a revelation, shockingly beating my Mark Levinson DAC. (I'd bought the Beresford for a cheapo 2nd system). A guy buying some 5k rrp speakers from me didn't believe the dem music could be coming from the cheapo Beresford, he actually checked the wiring at the rear to make sure it was wired up! I kept up with Beresford developments for a few years and enjoyed them. But then the cheap Chinese DACs started turning up and I was seduced by the dark side.... Actually it was quite a brightly lit, hyper detailed side, I've rather gone off them now, up to a Topping D70 and numerous others. I've not heard a Beresford DAC for years, though.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 14, 2021 8:11:01 GMT
I don't think the SEG does anything wrong, for the price.
I have heard that the RME seems to be a bit "slow" fo electronic, rock and pop.
|
|
|
Post by mikeyb on Jan 14, 2021 8:17:07 GMT
I don't think the SEG does anything wrong, for the price. I have heard that the RME seems to be a bit "slow" fo electronic, rock and pop. That first YouTube review I linked mentions how good the D90 would be for electronic music 😉
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 14, 2021 9:02:10 GMT
The only thing that puts me off Topping was the quality issues reported. I assume that the D90 quality is ok, as is the A18?
|
|
|
Post by jandl100 on Jan 14, 2021 9:26:11 GMT
I have heard that the RME seems to be a bit "slow" fo electronic, rock and pop. Could be, it certainly doesn't come across as bright like a lot of the Chinese DACs do to me. I suspect it's neutral and folks have got used to a brightly lit kind of sound, which can make some music genres sound faster and more fun to listen to.
|
|
|
Post by jandl100 on Jan 14, 2021 9:27:31 GMT
The only thing that puts me off Topping was the quality issues reported. I assume that the D90 quality is ok, as is the A18? My near new Topping D70 blew a diode or something, Alan fb fixed it for me.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 14, 2021 16:42:56 GMT
A daft question. Is it worth me getting an MQA capable DAC? I assume it works best with QoBuz and Tidal with there “master” quality streaming? Does it actually make a difference?
|
|
|
Post by firebottle on Jan 14, 2021 16:49:45 GMT
Not a daft question but forget MQA, it's all marketing bullshit.
|
|
|
Post by macca on Jan 14, 2021 17:27:11 GMT
Tidal are gradually moving it all to MQA though and some say it's crap if not properly decoded.
So if you subscribe to Tidal I'd advise getting the MQA version - even though it's just a scam.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 14, 2021 18:35:06 GMT
I am using QoBuz at the moment. I think I prefer the Tidal interface, but I am undecided on which has the best sound quality.
|
|
|
Post by antonio on Jan 15, 2021 0:45:33 GMT
I'll be interested in which one you prefer sq wise Cagey
|
|
|
Post by jandl100 on Jan 15, 2021 5:23:51 GMT
.
|
|