Time to upgrade my DAC - Topping, Lexjie, etc?

[Firebottle]

Looks like an excellent budget Dac, should knock spots off the Bushmaster.

Let us knowhow you get on.

[CageyH]

Looks like an excellent budget Dac, should knock spots off the Bushmaster.

Having gone from an upgraded SEG, to a different AKM DAC, I totally agree.

[Jimbo]

Update:
I checked quite a few dac testing videos on youtube. I know, I know, it's very far from listening to the real thing, yet I managed to come to conclusion that the signature sound of budget ESS based DACs is not for me.

I did like the sound of SMSL M400 with its AK4499 DAC, but it's way over my budget. D300 with ROHM might be also a good option, still not convinced the sound quality is on par with it's £400 price, plus I saw reports of periodic "topping-like" drops of the audio. Not sure.

So, I just ordered SMSL Sanskrit 10th mk3. If anything it should have a cleaner and more resolving sound than the 10 years old Bushmaster. Hope it will be neutral enough to provide a good input to my amp that is doing it's own magic with the sound.

Let's see how it works out.

https://hifigo.com/blogs/news/four-u...skrit-10th-mk2

On your tour round the net looking at videos did you come across IIWI. He has reviewed many Docs at the price point your are looking for and I would say his description of them is spot on.

This a review of a SMSL DAC he did recently but he has pretty much reviewed most Topping and SMSL Days on the market as well as many others.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_sPgEHEHXo

[alexk0il]

My SMSL Sanskrit 10 mk3 just arrived today.

It sounds pretty good, unfortunately there is an annoying digital noise and clicks in the left channel when there no signal is coming from the source. Once a source starts streaming over the optical or coax, the noise is completely gone. I played a “silent" track - no noise whatsover. If I hit the "pause" button, the clicking starts.

Sending the unit back for replacement.

[Lawrence001]

Sounds like a dodgy receiver trying to lock. I had a DAC that clicked every time you started to play, and change resolution but that was part of the "design"

[hornucopia]

Thought of Metrum dacs?
https://darko.audio/2015/07/metrum-a...nches-musette/

[Lawrence001]

Thought of Metrum dacs?
https://darko.audio/2015/07/metrum-a...nches-musette/

Coincidentally...

[alexk0il]

Sounds like a dodgy receiver trying to lock. I had a DAC that clicked every time you started to play, and change resolution but that was part of the "design"

Yep, "part of the design" is what I am worried about. There is nothing to lock on when a source is not sending anything, it shouldn't take a genius design engineer to design the product for this use-case and test if the product makes noises or clicks when sources are out or resolution is changed. Somehow this issue is even reported in top DACs from Topping/SMSL, Sabaj, etc.

Interesting, my 10 year old Beresford has no audible noise whatsoever between the tracks even if I pump up the volume of my amp to it's max. The right channel of my Sanskrit does become quite noisy somewhat after 3/4th of the full volume, but I never go that loud, so I can live with that. The left is clicking and popping all the time with normal hearing volumes.

I do hope it's a sample variation in my case. If I get a unit with the left channel matching the right I might keep it.

[zanash]

It has the AKM chip, so I think you should be happy.
I don’t know how reliable SMSL are though, but as most HiFi is. Ow made in Chine, I think you should be ok.

if you go with the topping ...get there linear power supply it transformed my d30 [stop gap dac whilst mine was being repaired]

[alexk0il]

On your tour round the net looking at videos did you come across IIWI. He has reviewed many Docs at the price point your are looking for and I would say his description of them is spot on.

This a review of a SMSL DAC he did recently but he has pretty much reviewed most Topping and SMSL Days on the market as well as many others.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_sPgEHEHXo

Yes, I initially liked his reviews, but due to the lack of any reference point to the definitions of terms such as lush, rich, transparent, etc. it all become subjective. Took me quite a few days to figure out that that his preferences in sound as well as musical taste are completely different from mine. He seems to enjoy the unnaturally open and sibilant sound that I personally dislike.

However I discovered an interesting youtube channel "Thomas and Stereo", he won my heart by one of his reviews where he described a naturally sounding DAC (or AMP?) as resolving and detailed yet without giving listeners the feeling of the singer's saliva in their ears. He also sometimes talk about the audio preferences of his friend "Mr. Vintage" that appeal to me more than other reviews on youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMV...OEcFN10FYygDTA