2. digital
  3. 157412-112191

TOPPING D90MQA AK4499

https://www.ebay.com/i/114013045351?ul_noapp=true

I am currently using a full balanced SMSL SU-8 with the 9038 ESS Sabre chips. Do you think that I could actually hear the difference between these DACs? Any improvement? I can not truthfully discern any improvement in sound between the SMSL unit and the 100 dollar DAC I used before, a PreSonus USB Audiobox recording and playback DAC meant for home recording with a 96K Cirrus chip. I do use balanced cables and a Re-Clocker along with Audirvana and powered monitors

and there is the Gustard A22 with DUAL AKM4499 and MQA - MQA coming this month
a bit more kit at $1150

I am tempted for the Topping D90MQA and with the savings over the Gustard trying a Schiit Freya +



canibefrank
213runnin
914 posts
 
That is not accurate, they didn't use the APX555 to improve their products.  They have one of the godfathers of DAC design, Mike Moffat, who started making them in the early 90's.  I've owned several of their dacs, and presently own the Gungnir and Modi Multibits.  I enjoy them both, the musical and organic sound of both is quite enjoyable.  Specs do not tell one how a component will sound

The Modi 3 was a statement by Schiit, and an acknowledgement that some audio hobbyists ignore their ears and put specs and other numbers first.  Topping has built up a forum to market their dacs and spread the  numbers and "science first" school of thought.

For anyone reading this, if you want to be able to hear the differences in dacs and other components, your system MUST be able to demonstrate the nuances.  Speakers and pre amps are most critical for this, and speaker cables as well.  


canibefrank OP
406 posts
 
@213runnin

i garee...if you already have a sports car that does 200Km per hour, dou you need one that does 250Km per? But in a very limited listening pre-sales environment, if you start with technological excellence then you at least got that limit out of the way. Myself, I use balanced powered XLR monitors so I have to start there. In the future I will go to some tubes-amp-preamp...
213runnin
914 posts
 
Well, no $99 dac is the equivalent of a sports car, so I'm not quite sure what you're getting at there.  It sounds like you are doing pretty well with powered monitors, and the music is what it's all about.
More to discover