tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781727111866727703.post1190940828745891462..comments2024-03-28T13:45:12.227-07:00Comments on <em>Archimago's Musings</em>: REVIEW: Topping D90SE DAC - Part III: Subjective Impressions, AMPT, and Summary. A few words about "warmth" and "accuracy" in sound systems.Archimagohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08642574001287787545noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781727111866727703.post-64506524615271925662022-09-25T15:37:41.582-07:002022-09-25T15:37:41.582-07:00Thank you for your brilliant and helpful work! But...Thank you for your brilliant and helpful work! But despite of the briliant and the comprechencive of your three articles I can't figure out how to use my system (USB --> Topping D90SE DAC + XLR + Topping LA90 Amp) to get the least sound distortion!<br />I want to have a MINIMALLY DAMAGED SIGNAL at the output of the amplifier. To get this result, I need to balance between the mode of BKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06372162052862417674noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781727111866727703.post-68987697794187831412022-09-25T08:07:14.753-07:002022-09-25T08:07:14.753-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.BKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06372162052862417674noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781727111866727703.post-74990056389446240452021-10-26T03:55:55.436-07:002021-10-26T03:55:55.436-07:00Regarding the footnote(**) on warm sounding system...Regarding the footnote(**) on warm sounding systems, it may not be what you are looking for, but I now understand why other people seek it.<br /><br />My components during my formative years consisted of warm-sounding speakers paired with a class AB amp. It made for a great "all-rounder" system on which I enjoyed many genres like jazz, classical, rock, electronica, etc. for two decadesjakehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03465468108022245617noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781727111866727703.post-6820357406236335212021-10-23T07:37:36.457-07:002021-10-23T07:37:36.457-07:00Excellent work again, Arch.
This series could be a...Excellent work again, Arch.<br />This series could be a model of how equipment reviews _should_ be performed and written. Comprehensive, open-minded, and sensible.<br />As for the more philosophical comments, I think that now that we have more or less perfect (as far as human perception goes... not far?) electronics, the focus will naturally move to recordings (as in the comments here), PhilFromTOhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15063597190515177345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781727111866727703.post-675079672508546482021-10-23T06:00:17.422-07:002021-10-23T06:00:17.422-07:00BTW, here is the bus-powered and unbalanced Sound ...BTW, here is the bus-powered and unbalanced Sound BlasterX G6 with a single CS43131:<br />https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/review-and-measurements-of-sound-blasterx-g6.7016/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781727111866727703.post-79180894114428413572021-10-22T23:34:19.939-07:002021-10-22T23:34:19.939-07:00Thanks Archimago,
In fact I read the same D30Pro ...Thanks Archimago,<br /><br />In fact I read the same D30Pro review before as well and left comments, for example this one:<br />https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/topping-d30pro-review-balanced-dac.20259/post-668900<br />Scarlett 2i2 uses CS4272 codec (DAC+ADC), CS4392 (DAC only) on the EMU0404 USB has similar characteristics. These chips seemed to use multibit modulators Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781727111866727703.post-80702825313230881262021-10-22T19:55:42.308-07:002021-10-22T19:55:42.308-07:00Just an update from an engineer friend regarding t...Just an update from an engineer friend regarding the CS DACs.<br /><br />His warning was that we cannot use just the datasheet information absent of showing the noise floor.<br /><br />Also, he pointed out to the Topping D30 Pro measurements at <em>ASR</em>:<br />https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/topping-d30pro-review-balanced-dac.20259/<br /><br />It looks like there'Archimagohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08642574001287787545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781727111866727703.post-14346399842448514612021-10-22T13:53:40.695-07:002021-10-22T13:53:40.695-07:00Nice comment DColby,
Yeah, I for one thinks it'...Nice comment <em>DColby</em>,<br />Yeah, I for one thinks it's high time we seriously look at the recordings and not make assumptions that there's a "need" to coerce our equipment to be "natural" or "real" sounding with everything.<br /><br />Indeed "all dressed up, but nowhere to go" is sadly true with a lot of what I listen to at least. ;-)Archimago's Musingshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14326929293463498820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781727111866727703.post-26310598479259726992021-10-22T13:50:44.720-07:002021-10-22T13:50:44.720-07:00Thanks for the feedback Geprg,
Great that you had ...Thanks for the feedback <em>Geprg</em>,<br />Great that you had a chance to download and listen. We can certainly say that technically we can measure and see these differences. I'm happy that we can each listen for ourselves!<br />Archimago's Musingshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14326929293463498820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781727111866727703.post-24776452848062684962021-10-21T15:59:57.120-07:002021-10-21T15:59:57.120-07:00Always good to be honest!
Always good to be honest!<br />Archimago's Musingshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14326929293463498820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781727111866727703.post-46378353081663825862021-10-21T15:58:59.071-07:002021-10-21T15:58:59.071-07:00Didn't get a chance to run the UD-501 through ...Didn't get a chance to run the UD-501 through testing last night. Will maybe aim for a quick post next weekend with a few more of the tests I use these days and have a second look at a 2013 "classic" DAC. :-)<br /><br />I can say that it's certainly better than the T+A DAC 8 <em>ASR</em> measured in that thread, but not sure I'm seeing the level of SINAD reported either! Archimago's Musingshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14326929293463498820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781727111866727703.post-70169476182024519972021-10-21T09:47:37.670-07:002021-10-21T09:47:37.670-07:00"many recordings these days are not meant to ..."many recordings these days are not meant to sound "real"". I strongly agree! <br />After years of equipment upgrading, you get to the point where your audio system is so much accurate that you expect nothing else but the best when listening to it, but... Which such a high level of performance, you soon discover that quite a large number of recordings are very badly mixed: so DColbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02194041666378116593noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781727111866727703.post-24505089442454436722021-10-20T14:53:14.842-07:002021-10-20T14:53:14.842-07:00Thank you for the review. I honestly like your blo...Thank you for the review. I honestly like your blogspot:-)Rotivhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11892794184208212388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781727111866727703.post-41067080190276735912021-10-20T10:45:12.583-07:002021-10-20T10:45:12.583-07:00A pleasure SetaSetaBlog,
Is that you Bob?A pleasure <em>SetaSetaBlog</em>,<br />Is that you Bob?<br />Archimago's Musingshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14326929293463498820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781727111866727703.post-33363265483664047832021-10-20T10:44:44.919-07:002021-10-20T10:44:44.919-07:00A pleasure Rlwings,
Yeah, I certainly appreciate t...A pleasure <em>Rlwings</em>,<br />Yeah, I certainly appreciate the comment about the way that reviews are done with reference to albums.<br /><br />I'm not sure on the subjective side what options we have apart from bringing up some actual music and expressing that "holistic" impression of sound quality in the context of subjective emotions.<br /><br />If folks have an example of a Archimago's Musingshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14326929293463498820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781727111866727703.post-54744733525278338572021-10-20T10:40:02.338-07:002021-10-20T10:40:02.338-07:00Hey Bennet,
Oh I will have to check the AMPT out a...Hey <em>Bennet</em>,<br />Oh I will have to check the AMPT out and maybe do a fresh one opportunity permitting. I did it during some early testing so might have used one of the other variants accidentally... Anyhow, I trust the differences will not be too much. ;-)<br /><br />Interesting, I see JohnYang1997 got ~113-114 SINAD on the UD-501, XLR out at ~4Vrms. Let me run my unit tonight using the Archimago's Musingshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14326929293463498820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781727111866727703.post-42326315675317390442021-10-19T04:53:26.398-07:002021-10-19T04:53:26.398-07:00Thank you!Thank you!SetaSetaBloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10206718742427424751noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781727111866727703.post-74662118343339198252021-10-18T11:40:00.518-07:002021-10-18T11:40:00.518-07:00BTW Archimago,
It seems that D90SE's AMPT is ...BTW Archimago,<br /><br />It seems that D90SE's AMPT is not using your favorite linear phase fast filter? Given the 22kHz stopband.<br /><br />Also, JohnYang1997's UD-501 measurement seems to have significantly better THD+N than yours, can you get a better result if you slightly reduce the digital volume?<br />https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781727111866727703.post-29086149483259221762021-10-18T03:41:10.013-07:002021-10-18T03:41:10.013-07:00Hello.Thanks for recording the demo sound!
Topping...Hello.Thanks for recording the demo sound!<br />Topping D90SE still lost on the naturalness of the old RME ADI-2 Pro FS R.<br />RME ADI-2 is better for my subjective taste!<br />1.from track time 7.40 there is no bass depth.The stage is flat.<br />2. from track 5.05, the vocals sound thin and not natural.Synthetic voice.<br /><br />What makes the D90SE better is the better audibility of quiet Geprghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11115380261084091249noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781727111866727703.post-23890969713281997082021-10-18T00:03:34.231-07:002021-10-18T00:03:34.231-07:00I loved your trilogy! Fantastic review(s)... Altho...I loved your trilogy! Fantastic review(s)... Although I'm not a big fan of referencing sound impressions to various albums,(I know most reviewers do it), I found your measurements and general impressions of the D90SE very informative. Thank you! Rlwingshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13517072397194237372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781727111866727703.post-11496421126345418902021-10-17T22:12:59.517-07:002021-10-17T22:12:59.517-07:00Thanks for the note Vaal,
When I wrote that line I...Thanks for the note <em>Vaal</em>,<br />When I wrote that line I had a feeling there would be some comments directed at it. ;-)<br /><br />I certainly get what you're saying. Indeed, what the audiophile CAN do is make sure we optimize the room, set up our speakers to the best of our ability (or at least the limits of the room), get the best combination of electronics we can so that there is Archimagohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08642574001287787545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781727111866727703.post-6041984166234576732021-10-17T21:46:52.880-07:002021-10-17T21:46:52.880-07:00Hi Nettyno,
Based on what I have seen, I think the...Hi <em>Nettyno</em>,<br />Based on what I have seen, I think the D70s (dual AK4497) should be excellent. In fact, I would anticipate that it would function very well on the DSD playback side.<br /><br />I heard there may be issues with the Topping D90 and use of MQA filter parameters even when not decoding MQA. Hopefully this is not a problem on the D70s which also implements MQA.Archimagohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08642574001287787545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781727111866727703.post-66190800953226489672021-10-17T21:41:19.425-07:002021-10-17T21:41:19.425-07:00Hi Doug,
Thanks for the feedback.
Yeah, that'...Hi <em>Doug</em>,<br />Thanks for the feedback.<br /><br />Yeah, that's certainly the kind of sentiment I wanted to go for. The idea that the audiophile is a neurotic, anxious animal driven by FOMO is probably true in many instances.<br /><br />We've been trained by decades of writing, audio shows, and dealers to believe that there's something profoundly mystical about the experience.Archimagohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08642574001287787545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781727111866727703.post-16029059522762161962021-10-17T21:22:59.188-07:002021-10-17T21:22:59.188-07:00Hi Bennet,
Thanks for the feedback man. Yeah, at s...Hi <em>Bennet</em>,<br />Thanks for the feedback man. Yeah, at some point I might just have a look at the TEAC UD-501's DSD again (TI PCM1795 chips) and how it compares with the SoX-DSD test signals.<br /><br />Agree, I know some guys really like their DSD upsampling with HQPlayer and other software, often with high-powered i9 CPUs and GPUs. I of course tried some of this back in 2019:<br />Archimagohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08642574001287787545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781727111866727703.post-44282654715054125902021-10-17T21:08:46.612-07:002021-10-17T21:08:46.612-07:00Thanks oagstes,
A pleasure...Thanks <em>oagstes</em>,<br />A pleasure...<br />Archimagohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08642574001287787545noreply@blogger.com