View Full Version : DAC replacement required.
I’m looking for recommendations for an inexpensive DAC (sub £100) to replace my now non functional Xiang Sheng DAC 01a which has been a total nightmare for the 4 months I’ve owned it.
I’ve spotted a couple online which could fit the bill and was wondering if any forum members had experience of them, they are the Topping D10 and the SMSL Sanskrit 6th Gen, both are comfortably under £100, or any others that could be recommended.
Cheers
Steve
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SantanaCorreia
27-07-2018, 13:17
Was the Xiang Sheng not good?
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Was the Xiang Sheng not good?
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It was when it was working, which wasn’t often.
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Lawrence001
27-07-2018, 13:36
Where did you buy it, PayPal has a long refund policy, 6 months IIRC
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jandl100
27-07-2018, 14:18
Topping D30 (https://www.amazon.co.uk/TOPPING-D30-DSD-Audio-Decoder/dp/B06XCBYXFX/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1532701014&sr=8-2&keywords=topping+d30) Available from Amazon for £93.
Superb DAC and imo even better sounding than the DAC-01A.
Sorry to hear about your XiangSheng - they do seem to have high failure rates. My most recent one recently went sffft on its coax input. And I've had another one die on me before. I still use mine as a headphone amp from its other inputs.
Where did you buy it, PayPal has a long refund policy, 6 months IIRC
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Will have to check that out, ebay won’t help as it’s 4 months since I bought it
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Mine's been totally fine.
The valve socket on them is very weak I think - you need to be really careful changing valves.
Topping D30 (https://www.amazon.co.uk/TOPPING-D30-DSD-Audio-Decoder/dp/B06XCBYXFX/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1532701014&sr=8-2&keywords=topping+d30) Available from Amazon for £93.
Superb DAC and imo even better sounding than the DAC-01A.
Sorry to hear about your XiangSheng - they do seem to have high failure rates. My most recent one recently went sffft on its coax input. And I've had another one die on me before. I still use mine as a headphone amp from its other inputs.
Had a look on Amazon and spotted your review Jerry, it would have to be very good to beat the XS DAC, that is one that actually works [emoji53] The USB input failed first, changed to optical, that lasted 2 weeks and then that failed as well.
Just sent a message to Paypal with my full story of woe, hope they can get me some sort of compensation or a refund, if not I’ve got an expensive door stop 🤨
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Mine's been totally fine.
The valve socket on them is very weak I think - you need to be really careful changing valves.
The output stage isn’t the problem, it works fine on the analogue line input but neither the USB or optical inputs work.
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Lawrence001
27-07-2018, 18:34
I missed eBay deadline once but PayPal still sorted it. You have to start a formal case in the resolution centre, not sure a message will get you far but wait a couple of days to see what they say. Assuming you're not on the cusp of the deadline of course.
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I missed eBay deadline once but PayPal still sorted it. You have to start a formal case in the resolution centre, not sure a message will get you far but wait a couple of days to see what they say. Assuming you're not on the cusp of the deadline of course.
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I checked out the resolution centre but the first step is contacting the seller which I’ve been doing almost constantly for the last couple of months anyhow which has been a complete waste of time, they rarely grace me with a reply, if Paypal aren’t prepared to take it further on my behalf, I’m screwed.
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Lawrence001
28-07-2018, 12:00
I checked out the resolution centre but the first step is contacting the seller which I’ve been doing almost constantly for the last couple of months anyhow which has been a complete waste of time, they rarely grace me with a reply, if Paypal aren’t prepared to take it further on my behalf, I’m screwed.
Sent from my iPad using TapatalkIf you've contacted them before to state the problem you can move to the next stage IIRC.
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PhilofCas
28-07-2018, 14:48
Steve, I have a Bushmaster MK 2 (famous on here), I’m not too far from you. Give us a shout if you’re interested, it’s like new, in black, with the upgrade chip in it.
Phil.
Steve, I have a Bushmaster MK 2 (famous on here), I’m not too far from you. Give us a shout if you’re interested, it’s like new, in black, with the upgrade chip in it.
Phil.
Thanks for the offer Phil but it’s unsuitable for 2 reasons, cost, I’m assuming you’d want £100+ for it, the second and more important I need a USB input which it lacks. I’ve no doubt it’s an excellent bit of kit though.
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PhilofCas
28-07-2018, 18:00
Thanks for the offer Phil but it’s unsuitable for 2 reasons, cost, I’m assuming you’d want £100+ for it, the second and more important I need a USB input which it lacks. I’ve no doubt it’s an excellent bit of kit though.
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Cheers Steve, yes, no USB, but less than £100 is doable :thumbsup:
loonytunes
29-07-2018, 19:35
Topping D30 (https://www.amazon.co.uk/TOPPING-D30-DSD-Audio-Decoder/dp/B06XCBYXFX/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1532701014&sr=8-2&keywords=topping+d30) Available from Amazon for £93.
Superb DAC and imo even better sounding than the DAC-01A.
Sorry to hear about your XiangSheng - they do seem to have high failure rates. My most recent one recently went sffft on its coax input. And I've had another one die on me before. I still use mine as a headphone amp from its other inputs.
OK it's good, but if you read the review of this DAC on Amazon's website quote "I'd rate this as the best DAC I have owned - DACs I have owned include Auralic Vega, CA Azur 851D, Wyred4Sound DAC1 and several more well over £1k" - now that's just ridiculous!!
jandl100
29-07-2018, 19:51
OK it's good, but if you read the review of this DAC on Amazon's website quote "I'd rate this as the best DAC I have owned - DACs I have owned include Auralic Vega, CA Azur 851D, Wyred4Sound DAC1 and several more well over £1k" - now that's just ridiculous!!
Hmm, yeah - it does sound daft.
It's true, though. (I wrote that Amazon review).
The key is to listen with your ears not with your wallet. ;)
I'd rate the XiangSheng DAC-01A as better than that wallet-emptying gear as well, especially with a Western Elecric 396A valve onboard.
montesquieu
29-07-2018, 20:20
Was just waiting on that particular punchline. :)
I like it especially with the WE 396A.
I can most definitely state it isn't as good as my Lampizator. In fact it really does better the Xiang by a good, strong margin. So there is some sanity around. It doesn't beat everything.
loonytunes
30-07-2018, 06:34
Hmm, yeah - it does sound daft.
It's true, though. (I wrote that Amazon review).
The key is to listen with your ears not with your wallet. ;)
I'd rate the XiangSheng DAC-01A as better than that wallet-emptying gear as well, especially with a Western Elecric 396A valve onboard.
OK - sorry I didn't think that may have been a review by you.
I will put this to you though - with your experience I would like you to try the new JKenny ISO-DAC - I've listened to it myself and I have a feeling with all the amazing strengths I heard from that digitial 'David' - you may just find this particular DAC may (I say may because I haven't heard the D30 but I have heard other high end DACs) just top the Topping. John loans these out for 30 days, it's a USB only battery based DAC, and the SQ is the best I have heard in digital. Trust me it really is worth a shot and I would love to hear how you got on with it if you decide to take it for a spin.
jandl100
30-07-2018, 07:14
No worries - nothing to apologise for.
A £90 Topping DAC beating a well-reviewed £3k Auralic Vega is ridiculous (albeit the Vega comes with extras, but still).
If the Topping D30 were alone in this, I'd just have to write it off as a weird personal preference, but I've had the same result with XiangSheng and SMSL product and I know that other experienced listeners have had similar results. There are some seriously good sounding cheap DACs coming out of China atm - I think it really does need a re-think as to what is technically important here.
I'd be happy to give the John Kenny DAC a listen.
Although not atm as I have had an ear infection these last few days!
His website seems to be in a very confused state - can you give a suitable link for the DAC? (Edit: and what does it cost?)
loonytunes
30-07-2018, 11:11
It's not the best of websites I agree...
This is the exact product I listened to: https://www.ciunas.biz/product-page/iso-dac
This ISO-DAC also has a hub section underneath so you can isolate and re-clock any preferable USB DACs of your own that you might want to connect downstream instead; however I found that the DAC part was more than sufficient in that I didn't really give the HUB side a go. The absence of glare and ringing plus the expressive emotional conveyance of the ISO-DAC is so compelling.
Again, with your experience, it would be interesting getting your feedback. The other giant-killer is supposed to be the Chord Mojo, but for me it walked all over the Mojo. And it's one of those DACs where you can easily tell the difference by its improvement without even the need to think about it.
I tried the ISO-DAC with an Aries Mini and sMS-200 Ultra.
jandl100
30-07-2018, 14:20
Thanks for the link, Chris, that worked fine. 450 Euros, so sensible money.
I'll knock my ear infection on the head before making any inquiries!
I've never heard a Chord Mojo but I have heard a Hugo2 in my system (fully expecting to buy it) and absolutely hated the way it porrtrayed music. It did tick a lot of the hifi boxes, though.
I pretty much go along with The Verge review (https://www.theverge.com/2018/4/24/17273218/chord-hugo-2-review-dac-headphone-amplifier)
- "they built a soulless perfectionist’s idea of an audio reproduction machine, neglecting to hear it for themselves. The Hugo 2 is technically impressive, and its crystalline sound gives glimpses into detail that other DACs can’t match, but in the end, it’s just too cold and inhuman. With enthusiast products like this, precision means nothing without pleasure."
In my view, it may be the subtle dynamic inflections that are missing, the Hugo2 just kind of steamrollered over the music leaving it's structure laid bare but it flattened out the small emotional inflections that give music life.
That's Chord gear all over, though, Jerry.
They must make something that doesn't sound sterile and unnatural but I haven't come across it yet.
jandl100
30-07-2018, 16:20
An audio buddy of mine who likes sounds pretty relaxed agreed with me on the Hugo2 but is a very proud owner of a DAC64ii. Who knows, maybe that's the DAC that Chord got right?
It was about 3k in the day. Never seen one far less heard one
loonytunes
31-07-2018, 07:18
Thanks for the link, Chris, that worked fine. 450 Euros, so sensible money.
I'll knock my ear infection on the head before making any inquiries!
I've never heard a Chord Mojo but I have heard a Hugo2 in my system (fully expecting to buy it) and absolutely hated the way it porrtrayed music. It did tick a lot of the hifi boxes, though.
I pretty much go along with The Verge review (https://www.theverge.com/2018/4/24/17273218/chord-hugo-2-review-dac-headphone-amplifier)
- "they built a soulless perfectionist’s idea of an audio reproduction machine, neglecting to hear it for themselves...
Interesting review Jerry! I won't big the Ciunas ISO-DAC up too much otherwise expectations will be too high - but after listening to the Ciunas I am absolutely dead set on the fact that the source equipment leading the Hi-Fi chain is the most influential and not the room acoustics or speakers! Yes, the latter two make a big difference, but if the upstream electronics don't perform then you will be tuning the speakers and room to accommodate below-par performance. For me, I was getting the odd glare and hardening of sound which I just listened through thinking - ah well - room acoustics perhaps - but this annoying issue went away when listening to the ISO-DAC. And there should be no problem with the conveyance of the emotional content of music (unlike the technical perfection of the Chord), that was one of its main strengths in how expressive this DAC was.
Anyways, let's see what you think Jerry once your ears have cleared. I am especially interested in your response after going through so many hi-end DACs and then concluding that a sub £100 DAC was your choice of execution. If you still think the Topping DAC is better - then I'm going to have to buy one and see for myself.
SantanaCorreia
31-07-2018, 11:36
After Jerry's advice great advice I went for an smsl m8 dac. The unit was faulty so I returned it.
I will give a go on the D30 probably.
In my Pi3 the PSU does make a diference. Is there a good PSU for the D30?
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jandl100
31-07-2018, 14:48
Oh no - faulty SMSL M8? :( I don't think I'd heard of any SMSL issues before this.
I guess part of what saves you money with this cheap Chinese gear is so-so quality control.
The linear PSU I have with my Topping D30 is this one - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/30W-DC15V-Hifi-Linear-power-supply-Regulated-PSU-for-DAC-amp-digital-display/131515351686
China is the land of the copy. They are all copying the Americans or elsewhere and each other.
I have seen the same RCA connector design multiple times on eBay and they either look the same with a different brand name or are actually slightly different in manufacture of the same design because they are an inexact copy.
They do it with medicine, booze, food etc. It is a real problem especially for the local Chinese. So buyer beware. I am sure it extends to hi-fi but also fairly sure hi-fi copying isn't so prolific as other areas.
There may be bootleg Xiangs around. Those Xiangs may even use bits destined for the OEM, but made to lesser QC. I am only speculating here. But I reckon it is well possible.
The point really is when buying Chinese stuff it is hard to know where your product actually came from and if it is what it says it is.
It may be why some stuff fails so quickly i.e. you bought a dodgy version even though it looks pukka.
The risk is probably smallish for most items. But it is there I reckon.
SantanaCorreia
01-08-2018, 00:14
Oh no - faulty SMSL M8? :( I don't think I'd heard of any SMSL issues before this.
I guess part of what saves you money with this cheap Chinese gear is so-so quality control.
The linear PSU I have with my Topping D30 is this one - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/30W-DC15V-Hifi-Linear-power-supply-Regulated-PSU-for-DAC-amp-digital-display/131515351686Which dac you currently have used? If we may ask...
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jandl100
01-08-2018, 06:55
I'm using the Topping D30 with the linear PSU I linked to.
I've stopped looking for DACs (even before I got my current ear infection) the D30 does everything I want for now. Although if a D30ii came out I would be very tempted to invest!
I'm not saying that it would suit everyone, but it ticks my boxes for transparency, detail and soundstaging /image focus.
I'll see if I can get a demo of the ISO DAC mentioned previously. Just out of curiosity. :)
loonytunes
01-08-2018, 12:36
I'm using the Topping D30 with the linear PSU I linked to.
I've stopped looking for DACs (even before I got my current ear infection) the D30 does everything I want for now. Although if a D30ii came out I would be very tempted to invest!
I'm not saying that it would suit everyone, but it ticks my boxes for transparency, detail and soundstaging /image focus.
I'll see if I can get a demo of the ISO DAC mentioned previously. Just out of curiosity. :)
Yes, just out of curiosity - I would be especially interested in your feedback now that I know you are entirely happy with the Topping. Then let's leave it at that! I just think the ISO-DAC is something specials (despite costing more than 4x the D30).
When it comes to Chinese DACs, I was very impressed back in the day with the Little Dot DAC 1; I need to refresh my memory on how that sounded now that my experience has grown.
The DAC I'm using most is the Lite AUDIO DAC60, with Bugle Boy tubes. Have had it for many years and wouldn't part with it.
The DAC I'm using most is the Lite AUDIO DAC60, with Bugle Boy tubes. Have had it for many years and wouldn't part with it.Been curious about their DACs. Nearly bought one a while back. Nice set of valves in it. Should be good.
It is, most of the time it's had Tung Sol tubes and has never sounded less than excellent. I switched to Bugle Boys and love the sound of intimacy they bring to small scale works. The other dac i use is an xduoo xd05 which uses a AK4490 chip, its extremely good but in a different way, and frankly I think the Lite is superior on piano and the ability to draw you into a performance. It most definitely partners better with my new headphones, Jays u-jays, a night and day difference.
It's been super reliable but the last year or two there has been an occasional failure to pick up the data stream straight of from switch on, just switching from optical to coax and back again has always fixed it straight off though.
A long term very happy owner.
Digibart
01-09-2018, 12:47
Hey all,
Totally agree with Jerry, exactly the same happened to me, forgot about having DAC and focused on tunes......
"I've stopped looking for DACs , the D30 does everything I want for now. "
"I'm not saying that it would suit everyone, but it ticks my boxes for transparency, detail and soundstaging /image focus. "
Regards
Hey all,
Totally agree with Jerry, exactly the same happened to me, forgot about having DAC and focused on tunes......
"I've stopped looking for DACs , the D30 does everything I want for now. "
"I'm not saying that it would suit everyone, but it ticks my boxes for transparency, detail and soundstaging /image focus. "
Regards
Hey Bart
I'm interested in the Topping for a 2nd system.
I already have the Xiang Sheng DAC-01 which I rate.
Have you compared them? I'm wondering if they have a different presentation?
Digibart
02-09-2018, 07:08
Hey Bart
I'm interested in the Topping for a 2nd system.
I already have the Xiang Sheng DAC-01 which I rate.
Have you compared them? I'm wondering if they have a different presentation?
Hi Tony,
Didn't have Xiang Sheng DAC-01 so can't compare but Caiman SEG (newest version without supercaps upgrade ) went on sale after one day of comparison with Topping.
Regards,
Bart
P.S.: Here's link to the website where you can see test results of many Dac's, the guy measures them with audio analyzer etc :
https://audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?ewr-porta/
Topping D30 :
https://audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/topping-d30-dac-measurement-and-review.2016/
jandl100
02-09-2018, 07:31
I'm a big fan of the XS DAC-01A and still have one with the preferred Western Electric 396A valve installed, but to my surprise the Topping D30 is noticeably more transparent, better defined and with better focussed imaging.
It just sounds clearer and more natural - that important bit more like real music to me.
It's the best DAC I've owned.
For less than £100 delivered new it is quite ridiculous. :scratch: - although mine now has a Chinese 15V linear PSU (£55 from ebay (https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/30W-DC15V-Hifi-Linear-power-supply-Regulated-PSU-for-DAC-amp-digital-display/131515351686?hash=item1e9eed0286:g:t38AAOSwj0NUiRI H)) and that took it a notch or two further.
Thanks Bart
I've ordered one :)
I'm a big fan of the XS DAC-01A and still have one with the preferred Western Electric 396A valve installed, but to my surprise the Topping D30 is noticeably more transparent, better defined and with better focussed imaging.
It just sounds clearer and more natural - that important bit more like real music to me.
It's the best DAC I've owned.
For less than £100 delivered new it is quite ridiculous. :scratch: - although mine now has a Chinese 15V linear PSU (£55 from ebay (https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/30W-DC15V-Hifi-Linear-power-supply-Regulated-PSU-for-DAC-amp-digital-display/131515351686?hash=item1e9eed0286:g:t38AAOSwj0NUiRI H)) and that took it a notch or two further.
Thanks Jerry,
Now if I could just find a decent ADC unit for ripping vinyl I would be well away for the next 100 years ;)
jandl100
02-09-2018, 07:47
Thanks Jerry,
Now if I could just find a decent ADC unit for ripping vinyl I would be well away for the next 100 years ;)
I'd suggest you try a Behringer DEQ2496.
It has onboard DAC and ADC.
I've found it to be surprisingly unobtrusive. Can often be found used for £100-£150.
They do have a rep for reliability issues, though.
Another idea for a cost effective ADC is a Minidisc player - a decent Sony has a very good sounding ADC onboard. RCA stereo 'in', digital out. Sorted.
The purist in us audiophiles often baulks at the idea of such things but in practice they can be very effective. :) Worth a try?
I'd suggest you try a Behringer DEQ2496.
It has onboard DAC and ADC.
I've found it to be surprisingly unobtrusive. Can often be found used for £100-£150.
They do have a rep for reliability issues, though.
Another idea for a cost effective ADC is a Minidisc player - a decent Sony has a very good sounding ADC onboard. RCA stereo 'in', digital out. Sorted.
The purist in us audiophiles often baulks at the idea of such things but in practice they can be very effective. :) Worth a try?
Back in the 90s I used to use a top end Sony Minidisc player and loved it.
Used it to rip Cds and then bought a walkman minidisc which I still have somewhere and about 300 minidiscs.
I can't recall though is there a way to record to minidisc and then output the file to a PC?
jandl100
02-09-2018, 08:06
All MD players worthy of the name have digital output. It's up to you what you do with that!
All MD players worthy of the name have digital output. It's up to you what you do with that!
I'm not very PC literate, can you tell me how I would then connect the digital output to the laptop?
jandl100
02-09-2018, 08:16
I'm not very PC literate, can you tell me how I would then connect the digital output to the laptop?
Oops, nor am I very PC literate.
I was just kind of assuming there must be a way!
I was just suggesting ADC options.
Oops, nor am I very PC literate.
I was just kind of assuming there must be a way!
I was just suggesting ADC options.
LOL, OK no worries...
jandl100
02-09-2018, 08:27
There must be an ADC app you can install on the PC - Justin user211 would know about this sort of thing!
jandl100
02-09-2018, 08:31
... alternatively, just ditch the LPs and sign up to TIDAL or Qobuz CD quality streaming and listen to the albums that way. :D
... alternatively, just ditch the LPs and sign up to TIDAL or Qobuz CD quality streaming and listen to the albums that way. :D
I wish, I have at least 800 albums that are no where to be seen on Tidal...
jandl100
02-09-2018, 08:50
I wish, I have at least 800 albums that are no where to be seen on Tidal...
Now that's a good reason to be hanging on to LPs!
It takes a while to learn how to fully use the streamer search engines, though - I've found (with classical music) that there's a lot more in their catalogues than a casual search will identify. Often quite weird items about an album get indexed and the main identifiers are ignored. Qobuz has the ability to search by recording company (Is it unique in that?) and that does come in handy.
ive noticed that they are often there but dont show when you initially search. metadata errors i think. spotify is best that way. there is a thread re audirvana, that runs tidal plus plays all you music in one place.
as for playing minidiscs into a pc, its not a good idea imo and difficult to achieve. all the tags would be wrong too, plus the ATRAC codecs? dont go there... not i dare say, impossible tho.
you should be able to output them into a dac if player has a dig out, or analogue into your amp.
Hi Tony,
Didn't have Xiang Sheng DAC-01 so can't compare but Caiman SEG (newest version without supercaps upgrade ) went on sale after one day.
Regards,
Bart
P.S.: Here's link to the website where you can see test results of many Dac's, the guy measures them with audio analyzer etc :
https://audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?ewr-porta/
Topping D30 :
https://audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/topping-d30-dac-measurement-and-review.2016/
The Topping D30 arrived today from Amazon.
1st impressions are very good.
It has a far more detailed and precise sound than the Xiang Sheng DAC.
This is after 5 mins warm up.
I have a LPS somewhere that I used for a Beresford DAC that I used to own so will see if that brings any further improvements.
Edit, sounds great with the LPS as well...
So far though this is a keeper and well recommended by me.
Thanks all for the heads up...
Hello Digibart,
"but Caiman SEG (newest version without supercaps upgrade ) went on sale after one day."
Why did you say hello/goodbye to the latest Caiman SEG after just one day? I have one in my system at the moment, but I am looking at changes.
Regards,
Rob
Digibart
03-09-2018, 20:13
Hi Rob,
Caiman went on sale after one day of comparison with D30:) - that's what I meant. I'll try to articulate myself better next time, thanks Rob!
I had Stan's Dac in use for a couple of months but Topping D30 was cheap enough to give it a try and after one day I knew it's a winner. Sounds more natural, clearer and more 3D. I'm using it with standard power supply and in combination with Objective 2 head amp/pre - AKG 702 headphones and JBL LSR305 studio monitors and TBH it's all what I need. In last 10 years I had more expensive speakers, amps, dacs etc but I never was so happy about my setup as I am now. Long live mass production;)
Regards,
Bart
Hello Bart,
Thanks for the reply.
The Topping D30 keeps being mentioned positively. Jandl100 also feels the same way about this dac as yourself and he has experienced a lot of very good hifi.
How are the mids and the highs of this dac compared to the SEG?
The Topping D30 arrived today from Amazon.
1st impressions are very good.
It has a far more detailed and precise sound than the Xiang Sheng DAC.
This is after 5 mins warm up.
I have a LPS somewhere that I used for a Beresford DAC that I used to own so will see if that brings any further improvements.
Edit, sounds great with the LPS as well...
So far though this is a keeper and well recommended by me.
Thanks all for the heads up...
interesting. I know of someone who did same comparison re topping and XS and felt it went the other way by quite a bit. Just shows we are all looking for something different. I love my XS, especially with the WE valve in.
SantanaCorreia
03-09-2018, 21:18
interesting. I know of someone who did same comparison re topping and XS and felt it went the other way by quite a bit. Just shows we are all looking for something different. I love my XS, especially with the WE valve in.I might get the XS for my mac. Does it need drivers? What kind of headphone amp would suit it?
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I might get the XS for my mac. Does it need drivers? What kind of headphone amp would suit it?
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XS has a good headphone amp in it. Doesn't need drivers for windows so probably not for mac(but dont know) It has 2 analogue outputs. 1 Valve and 1 S State. the valve one benefits from an upgraded valve(the WE being the top of the tree) it can also be used as a partial pre via internal jumpers should you wish. has usb, coax, and fibre digital inputs and 2 analogue inputs.
SantanaCorreia
03-09-2018, 21:27
XS has a good headphone amp in it. Doesn't need drivers for windows so probably not for mac(but dont know) It has 2 analogue outputs. 1 Valve and 1 S State. the valve one benefits from an upgraded valve(the WE being the top of the tree) it can also be used as a partial pre via internal jumpers should you wish. has usb, coax, and fibre digital inputs and 2 analogue inputs.Thanka for the info.
Online I cannot find the impedance it supports, regarding headphones.
I will keep looking.
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ask on a thread. Plenty folk here have one or had... sure some have used various cans like sennys. I use planers, and they are not hard to drive.
SantanaCorreia
03-09-2018, 21:36
ask on a thread. Plenty folk here have one or had... sure some have used various cans like sennys. I use planers, and they are not hard to drive.Never had any planars. What is the difference?
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I prefer their sound. Less distortion and a midpoint between dynamic and electrostatic.
interesting. I know of someone who did same comparison re topping and XS and felt it went the other way by quite a bit. Just shows we are all looking for something different. I love my XS, especially with the WE valve in.
Having listened to the Topping for a bit longer than 5 mins I can now hear how different the two DACs sound from each other.
I don't use my XS with the valve as I prefer it SS but it definitely has a warmer sound than the D30 but less detail.
The D30 is a far cleaner sound but it perhaps a little flatter sounding in my system. Using it with a LPS seems to really beef out the sound especially the low end but may be introducing a little edge.
At the moment I can't make up my mind which I prefer and will do a little side by side comparisons after work this evening...
Well having slipped off from work early and listened to these two DACs side by side I can safely say to my ears they are chalk and cheese.
To my ears and in my system the D30 is a more detailed sound but has less tone and impact in my system than the XS.
In a very warm system I can see how this may appeal.
But as I prefer a warm sound I'm going to stick with the XS.
try the valve side with a good valve in. it might draw you in.:)
try the valve side with a good valve in. it might draw you in.:)
So far I've tried it with a JAN GE and a Voshkod tube but preferred the SS.
I'd try the WE tube but its just so pricey importing from the states...
a tesla is cheaper. i thought it quite good. not at we level but not so far off.
Try one channel SS and one valve for the best of both worlds:D
I am joking but I will try it just because you can.
Try one channel SS and one valve for the best of both worlds:D
I am joking but I will try it just because you can.
I often use both at same time... the ss one into my actives.. sounds great
jandl100
04-09-2018, 16:32
Try one channel SS and one valve for the best of both worlds:D
I am joking but I will try it just because you can.
I think you'll find they have slightly different output levels.
-- maybe depends on the valve in use.
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