Topping E30 review - the long-awaited successor

[@yus659]

Hi again sir Just to tell you when I saw your review of the D30 I was convinced and I got it after that and you are true to your words about the D30. Now that after I watch this review of the E30. I ordered it and yes it’s amazing than the D30 👍👍👍 I don’t what next I will buy after watching your review and I truly enjoy watching your works. Keep it up pls. Many thanks from Singapore. 😊

[@Mladenac]

Uspoređivao sam s TEAC UD 301, i nisam još primijetio razliku. Za te novce ovaj DAC je odličan.

[@futureforward3153]

The audiophile world continues to bring "hi"- priced- "fi" quality closer to the 100-500 range for all tech components of the audio system... this dac at $130 and a $250-450 crown xls series amplifier will give comparable quality signal to any speakers well into the $3000 price range. what a great time to be in this space

[@ATommy-lz4jd]

the crown is very good as a subwoofer amp, it has lot of harmonics and inaccuracy in high frequencies. Should get hypex nc400 if it’s absolute sound “on a budget”

[@Yiannis2112]

Good review! I very much like that you referred to what music you played through this and what you found out. We need more of such references.

[@terryhk99leung36]

Great review especially the parts comparing to other gears

[@duken4evr]

I have one of these feeding my two channel stereo powered by a nice Yamaha A-S1200 amp. For the money this is a very good DAC. If it wasn't, it would sound like crap on my system, which is quite detailed and revealing. I may upgrade to a spiffier DAC down the road for an even more in depth sound stage (the Schiit Bifrost has my eye) but this inexpensive E30 and proper speaker placement suffices nicely for now. The E30 is not harsh or fatiguing at high volume levels either. I am not an audiophile, but most definitely am an audio enthusiast, and in my opinion the E30 gives you smooth and quite detailed sound. While it may not be the last word in DACs, the E30 does not cost 2 grand either. I am duly impressed that you were impressed that the E30 sounded good through your highly detailed KEF speakers. Those babies will highlight any weaknesses for sure. Do not use the E30 in Preamp mode though, it sounds like crap run that way. Run it in DAC mode. If you can adjust the volume level with the remote (a great thing to have by the way!) you are in Preamp mode. Hold down the power sensor for a few seconds and it will switch over to DAC. Also, use a decent separate power supply, no not use a phone charger with the USB cord or worse yet plugging it into a laptop to power it, that helps the E30 deliver it's best.

[@Vanced636]

starting to save up for topping e30, schiit magni 3+, and dt990 600 ohms. cant wait :)

[@GP-qb9hi]

DT990 is 250 Ohms, DT880 is 600 Ohms

[@kahjitbreton9179]

@@GP-qb9hi dt990 has 600ohms

[@GP-qb9hi]

@@kahjitbreton9179 ah, the non-Pros, yes!

[@Bob.martens]

I bought one for myself, and so did two of my friends. This is the easiest-to-recommend piece ever.

[@uhugvjkbkjh]

Wish topping did a network streamer dac like this

[@saturdaynightmusic5400]

Check out the D50s.

[@saltylemonslab4759]

Same thought! D50s is unfortunately not a streamer...

[@andyenmitubo]

I purchased one to replace my oldish Arcam rDAC after seeing so many positive reviews, but no comparison between them.. I'll be keeping the Arcam and the topping goes to Marketplace..

[@TheTopnotches]

Thanks a lot for reviewing this!

[@musicxxa6678]

I bought this silver one and waiting for the shipping. It looks amazing. Very nice design. Measurements are literally perfect. No other dac measuring like this. They will release L30 amp to stack with this. I'll also buy that one if it's well done like this.

[@iiWiReviews]

Hope you enjoy it!

[@AndreaEndrizzi]

Very great review ... very appreciated!

[@DistroUser]

I am still waiting on my order of the Topping E30, I bought it on good faith that it would improve upon the D30. I also own the ifi ZEN DAC and a Schiit Modi Multi-Bit. I'm guessing the order of performance will be the Schiit, then the Topping and last the ifi...time will tell! Cheers on the review

[@mykeldg]

Distro User would appreciate your impressions between this and the mimby once you get your e30. I also have the mimby and am pondering on this product as well thanks

[@cshaw317]

Yes I would also like to hear your opinions on these dacs

[@nqmt9968]

Will be great, if you will share your impressions about differences between D30, E30 and ZEN (as a DAC).

[@DistroUser]

​@@mykeldg Check out my review and READ the show notes!

[@DistroUser]

@@cshaw317 Check out my review and READ the show notes!

[@joeygonzo]

Chassis is pronounced as cha see. S at the end is silent . Great review.

[@malcatron]

Actually the origin of word is French: châssis - literal translation "frame", and is pronounced Shas ee

[@25Jenkins]

Very nice review, thank you for that

[@wemustgo]

How does it compare to Schiit Modi 3 soundwise? Thanks

[@iiWiReviews]

Sonic signature is similar... But E30 has wider and deeper sound-stage, as well as more details overall.

[@wooptoo]

Great review! I have tested the Topping D10 some time ago and didn't like it at all even though it had raving review around the internet. I found the sound to be very sterile and unexciting. But this one paired with the Topping A50 should be a good budget combo. Unfortunately I've just ordered the K5 Pro and now I'm a bit on the fence about my purchase. Looks like Topping upped their game.

[@nunyabiz2016]

Wow sounds like this thing could be a legend. Guess I'm going to have to get one. Topping is going to put some people out of business!

[@uhugvjkbkjh]

Really good looking little dac.. And I love the chip

[@mykeldg]

just got the e30. comparing it to my memory of the d50s and side by side the modi multibit, the modi multibit is still head and shoulders above the e30 especially if you put weights on them (like what you did with the modi 3). you should look into multibit / r2r dacs in the future. switching between e30 and modi multibit, I feel like there is a curtain that is uncovered between me and the music, dynamics return, there is depth and larger scale to the soundstage and all the digital glare disappears. i'll try to make a sound comparison

[@iiWiReviews]

Well, I think I'll order Multibit next week probably... It's time. :D

[@mykeldg]

its also possible my power supply (iphone charger) is not as good as what you used in yours. The Modi Multibit already comes with linear psu out of the box. that said, e30 is a great kit especially for the price, its a keeper for a delta sigma alternative.

[@mykeldg]

Just now I connected the e30 to a power bank and it transformed it to a worthy comparison :o looking forward to your mimby review. keep up the great channel

[@mykeldg]

@@iiWiReviews here's a quick sound comparison, if you're interested: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jpq8gYalebioj68

[@stanmarsh5918]

after ordering it and listening to it a bit, I must say, I am a bit dissapointed. From what I hear, (I know this is subjective, so IMO) it does bring nice separation is vocals, has somekind of wide soundstage (but not fantastic), but it does have somekind of curtain in front of the sound. It might be my crappy phone charger, I will have to try it out with others. Nonetheless this not somekind of critic towards your review, because that in itself is on point, detailed, loved it. Just I don't find it a dealbreaker.

[@shs747]

So now we wait for e30 II review. Wonder whether it's worth waiting over the e30 I.

[@martinobarranca5435]

Thanks for the review, I ordered it today on Amazon. Could you recommend a good power supply for it. Thanks Sir

[@iiWiReviews]

I'd go with iFi low noise power supply, you can find a link in the description below this video... Cheers!

[@pepe7753]

Perfect review as usually. It looks Topping E30 is a top-notch DAC. If you could compare it with Loxjie D10, what would be the result? Thank you. I very appreciate your precise work. Greetings from the Czech rep.!

[@iiWiReviews]

Thanks! D10 is a great DAC/AMP, but E30 is more resolving for sure.

[@TR6Telos]

Nice review thanks. Ordered one, and the clone headphone amp- Beyer dynamic 2 model. I will listen with Sennheiser 650 and now look for a quite power supply. Regards from wet Rochdale UK.

[@samuelbonnet8695]

Hi, thanks for this great review ! Do you think it would be a good idea to associate the Topping E30 with SMSL SA300 + Monitor Audio Bronze 2 ? I'm affraid that it would sound too "clear" with a lack of warmness. I'm actually hesitating with a micromega MyDac which is apparently know to sound more "analogic" or warmer. Thanks by advance for your response!

[@iiWiReviews]

Thanks! Unfortunately I don't have any experience with SA300 so I'm not familiar with its sound signature and how it would combine with E30.

[@LjubomirTesic]

Pozdrav, pratim već duže vreme tvoj kanal i zaista imaš sjajne rivjue raznih uređaja. U ovom videu spominješ low noice napajanje za ovaj dak pa me interesuje šta bi preporučio za njega, a da ima kod nas da se kupi?

[@iiWiReviews]

Pozdrav. Kod nas je izbor napajanja jako slab, da ne kažemo nepostojeći. Na pamet mi pada iFi iPower i njegova skuplja varijanta iPower X. Ne znam da li ih neko uvozi ali ima na KP da se nađe.

[@jtaylor0727]

Well done... was or is you source always streaming music over you computer?? How are you normally attached to it and what do you out put it to... I am trying to play steaming music from my laptop to my 2 channel stereo system.... NAD OR YAMAHA to Klipsch speakers.

[@iiWiReviews]

I use PC sometimes directly over USB cable to the DAC. That works well. But most of the time in my room setup it's a dedicated streamer controlled via smartphone (Raspberry Pi + Allo DigiOne SPDIF board + Allo Shanti linear power supply).

[@MrScaramoosh]

Excellent review,which connection do you use to connect a headphone amp! while retaining the connection to my audiolab 8000a.

[@iiWiReviews]

You need RCA output for both... So either you have a pass-through pair of RCAs on your headphone amp (Schiit Magni 3 has those for example), or you use some sort of RCA switcher, or RCA splitter cable which is the cheapest solution I guess...

[@tudorradovici312]

Did you buy IT? I wonderd how it works with audiolab 8000a... Thanks

[@ninhbac04]

Have you listened to JDSlabs EL DAC or EL amp yet? would love to hear your thoughts on them

[@MeloSuares]

Hi, thanks for your great reviews. I´m considering adding a new dac to my system (already have a Audioquest Dragonfly Red) . Between Ifi Zen DAC and Topping e30 , which do you prefer as a standalone PC DAC ?. My main concern on these units is the reliability issues. On your testing, did you hear any "popping" sounds when changing tracks and/or sampling rates ? Or any other issue ? Dragonfly Red works flawlessly as a DAC and has a very balanced sound.

[@iiWiReviews]

Thanks! E30 sounds better than ZEN. Only problem I have is DSD64 playback (choppy) everything else works fine so far.

[@yuriyname6526]

Hello! Would it be better than this DAC to see a creative x-fi hd sound card? I need to bundle a PC and an amplifier

[@sethbishop3306]

anything with AKM dacs are awesome.

[@d.p.soniserr7426]

great reviews....with all things equal in the chain..which of the 3 will give best resolution, bloom, body, good pace/timing, and bang for the buck...Topping E30, Schiit Modi Multibit, or Khadas Tone Board...thanks...

[@iiWiReviews]

I vote Multibit for all except the "bang for buck" part since that's highly subjective and system dependent.

[@Cheech36ful]

Wonderful and comprehensive review!! You mentioned a linear power supply. What would you recommend? I'm starting this off in my stereo system paired with a transport. Many thanks!

[@iiWiReviews]

Thanks! Look the description under the video... I left a link for affordable low noise power supply from iFi. It's a good starting point at $49

[@gonzalopetrillo4810]

Excellent review. Do you think the Topping E30 DAC could be a good complement to the Yamaha R-S202 receiver? Thank you in advance.

[@iiWiReviews]

Never really heard that Yamaha but I really hope it would make a positive difference...

[@gaycha6589]

Great review - I am going to invest in an E30 to go with my iLoud active mini monitors. Am hoping it will an improvement over the on-board DAC in Squeezebox Touch that feeds them.

[@iiWiReviews]

Thanks! I don't have experience with those monitors but really hope you'll hear the difference for the better. Feel free to write back with your impressions.

[@cinqo7]

Great review. Do you think the Topping D90 is even better?

[@iiWiReviews]

Thanks, I haven't heard D90 but I can imagine it sounds better. The real question is probably just how much better.

[@ales289]

Do you think its worth it to upgrade from Topping D10? Thank you.

[@iiWiReviews]

Yes, it's clearly a better DAC. But how much of that will you be able to hear depends a lot on the rest of your system too.

[@TheTopazetlse]

Good reviews.. Not to mention the price, do you prefer the sound of the D50s or the E30?

[@iiWiReviews]

Personally, I prefer E30 a bit for its wider and richer sound.

[@alexfl6008]

Do you still find D50s more detailed comparing to E30? Thanks!

[@iiWiReviews]

I think they are pretty equal in that regard.

[@pcgamingftw5694]

nice review, what linear power supply did you use with it, if I might ask?

[@iiWiReviews]

I tried both iFi iPower and SupperTeddyReg (I made myself by STR schematic).

[@navikYT]

Would it be possible to power the E30 via the Pi4 USB? Or a wall plug would still be cleaner and better.

[@mib5633]

should i get this or the fiio k5 pro? i will be using the fiio fh3 iem, sony xm4, and maybe philips shp9500 and dt 990 pro 250 thanks in advance, keep up the awesome videos!

[@iiWiReviews]

E30 doesn't have a headphone output and with it you would have to use a separate amplifier such as Topping L30. So go for K5 pro for headphones.

[@SahinurUK]

Thanks for the review. Ordered the E30 yesterday based on your review. This will be my first DAC. Can you please explain what the different filter settings do to the sound? Is it affecting the sound in a similar fashion to a graphic equalizer? Many thanks. Subscribed!

[@iiWiReviews]

Digital filters are not similar to equalizer but have something to do with how DAC filters unwanted high frequencies (linear phase, minimum phase, slow, sharp...) and their effect is very subtle. To be honest, most of the times I don't notice much difference and some of them sound the same to me. Linear phase sharp is usually a bit sharper sounding than the others, minimum phase slow is usually a bit more mallow... You can try for yourself but don't be surprised if they all sound the same to you. :) Enjoy your new DAC!

[@srdjanstevanovic3543]

When its comperes with that khadas soundboard you reviewed last year, how it standards, is it mach better?From 2020 year perspective, what is best bye around 100 euro pricetag by your opinion?

[@iiWiReviews]

Yes it is quite a bit better than KTB when put in good enough system. First things that come to my mind is clearly wider sound-stage and better extension (more details, more atmosphere from recordings). Currently I think this is the best buy.

[@srdjanstevanovic3543]

Thanks for quick reply.

[@Percival1919]

@@iiWiReviews hi... do you have any idea how it compares to Cambridge Audio DAC?

[@jomadsincebu]

Attention! Anyone reading these comments ever heard the Audio Alchemy DAC's? The DTI PRO DDE 3.0 Combo ran close to $1k. Yes. They were made in the late 90's. Can this e90 sound better? Thank you

[@PauloFerreira-hh6zv]

Hi, great review. Topping E30 or E50?

[@Mladenac]

Nova igracka je stigla, primijetim razliku u odnosu na zvucnu karticu iz racunala. I primijetim bolji zvuk od starog CD playera (Onkyo Dx-6720)

[@milanfpv5099]

I think there is an update for the DSD64 problem. Can you check and test it?

[@iiWiReviews]

I already flashed it and it solved the problem for me... Now it works without a hitch. I'll make a short follow-up video soon.

[@milanfpv5099]

@@iiWiReviews nice

[@ricsim78]

Great review like always, can you please tell me how this compares to the Khadas Tone board DAC? From the sounds of it (pun intended) they both sound balanced and detailed. ESS ES9038Q2M in the Tone Board vs. AKM 4493 in the E30. Thanks in advance and for your reviews. Trying to see if this would be an upgrade or a side grade.

[@iiWiReviews]

Thanks! E30 is a bit more open sounding, more extended in the high frequency region, and it's able to make wider soundstage. If I had to choose one now I'd choose E30 no doubt. KTB is still great device on its own though.

[@ricsim78]

@@iiWiReviews Thank you sir, they are hard to get right now , but I am thinking that will be my next upgrade. Appreciate it.

[@iiWiReviews]

I guess it also depends a lot on your own taste. I'm often anxious to give this kind of direct advice cause different people, different ears, different tastes...

[@llysender]

I currenty have a fiio K5 pro and am interested in the specific differences to the E30. Is it brighter/more flat then the k5 pro's slightly warm pre out? Also any other differences? I personally enjoy the dac section of the K5 pro alot due to how detailed and correctly imaged the sound is. Is the E30 even more detailed?

[@iiWiReviews]

In terms of darkness/brightness, they are both quite neutral and there is no big difference there. I really think K5 pro's line out is good enough and appropriate for most entry level systems... it's a well rounded type of sound that has no real faults on its own. It's just if you compare it directly to E30 you notice it can't dig as much details, and that E30 is better with imaging and layering - everything's a bit more precise. But hey, there's always something better out there... BTW, I kept using K5 pro in my desktop system, love it...

[@llysender]

@@iiWiReviews Thanks for your reply I guess I'll skip the E30 for now.

[@ethanavi]

Hi!! I've been watching you for a while and decided to get the K5 Pro after watching a bunch of reviews. Yours was what sealed the deal for me!! But now I'm looking to upgrade my DAC/AMP to the E30/L30 stack :o Will it be a good enough upgrade to the the integrated chip in the K5 Pro? Currently going to use the K5 Pro as a standalone amp if I do end up buying the E30 first. I'm just not sure if it's going to be a noticeable improvement without the L30 amp. :(

[@loucipher7782]

isnt the k5 pro using the same dac chip on E30? lol

[@ethanavi]

i didn’t know it at the time haha. went for the drop 789 + motu m4 after a few combos, but just ended up selling the amp anyway since the motu did everything i needed + monitoring

[@loucipher7782]

@@ethanavi well you bought and kept what you need for your purpose, i do wonder how are audio interface's dac/amp sound quality compared to a real dac+amp stack of similar price

[@przemekprzemkowy3811]

Hi, thanks a lot for another great review! One question- does it automatically turn on and off when it detects signal on USB input ? If I power it with wall-wart, do I need to turn it on and off every time I turn on/off my PC ? Looking forward, Przemek

[@iiWiReviews]

Thanks! There is no auto on/off, you have to do it either using touch button or remote.

[@przemekprzemkowy3811]

@@iiWiReviews thanks for your reply, however I was searching the web and according to shenzhenaudio.com/products/topping-e30-dac-ak4493-xu208-32bit-768k-dsd512-touch-operation-with-remote-control-hi-res-decoder this model should have the feature: E30 has the function of auto turn on and off. It will automatically enter into stand by when the input signal is lost or unavailable in 1 minute. Once detecting any signal of inputs, it will turn on and switch to this input.

[@iiWiReviews]

Oops, my bad... I just checked and there is an option to turn auto stand by... And it works fine.

[@przemekprzemkowy3811]

@@iiWiReviews Ok, thank you :-)

[@gppanicker]

Bought a Topping E30 DAC, no noticeable difference with Presonus Eris 3.5 speakers. Is a DAC worth it in this setup?

[@iiWiReviews]

It's probably overkill in that setup, as you noticed yourself by not hearing the difference.

[@gregg8789]

How would you compare this with the Magni 3? I am using it with a home theater system with mps 5 Yamaha monitors. Thanks for reviewing affordable equipment.

[@iiWiReviews]

E30 has slightly better layering and detail retrieval. Not sure how big of a difference it would make in your own system though...

[@vinpin]

which filter setting would you recommend?

[@roomenz6261]

Thank you for the review.. Can u do D30 vs E30?

[@iiWiReviews]

Probably not. I liked D30 too much in its time to put it against E30 now. :) E30 is a lot better in any way I can think of - details, sound-stage, imaging...

[@kieselgur64]

​@@iiWiReviews so,you recommend go for the e30 instead of the d30? I'm planning to buy a dac.

[@tutulkhan2688]

I want to use it with my Samsung tv for optical to analog audio converter. Does it make better sound for my sony hifi system. Because my hifi system does not have optical input options. I never buy a DAC before. I already buy a cheap converter but it does not give louder sound. please give me your advice.

[@Joe1900-v4q]

Hi. May I know if a cheap wallwart of 5v 2a offers better power supply than a powerbank? Can a cheap wallwart offer better power supply than a powerbank because powerbank is inconvenient.

[@EmilioGarcia-fr5po]

Is there a way to play this through my phone, like on spotify wanna connect it to something at work job site phone e30 amp speaker. What would you suggest

[@a.a1001]

Would you say that this DAC is better than the DAC that comes with the iFi Zen DAC? Because I am thinking of buying the Zen DAC in the near future and after that I will be getting the Drop + THX 789.

[@iiWiReviews]

Yes I would. If you're going to use a separate amp anyway, I'd definitely rather go with E30.

[@MrSalepetrovic]

I have a question, I need help or advice. When I listen to music (Tidal), songs that are 192khz on the DAC display are written 96.0 PCM. Is that the case or is there a bug in the DAC?

[@iiWiReviews]

Tidal uses MQA format to compress high resolution tracks. Tidal app can only encode up to 96 kHz (so called software encoding). To get to 192 kHz a DAC needs to posses hardware MQA encoder which E30 doesn't have. Just as an example, if you were to use Qobuz which sends uncompressed Hi-Res (no MQA, higher bitrate...) your DAC would play 192 kHz perfectly.

[@jesushuerta9878]

HI bro.I've been using topping e30 for several months and works great ,but If I wanna upgrade Im considering Topping D50s or SMSL Su-9 ..considering im not into MQA..what model would you reccomend? I watched your smsl su9 video and im into high punchy sound but Its 2-3 times more money than e30 or d50s

[@iiWiReviews]

D50s is not much of an upgrade. If you can stretch to. SU-9 that would be a good upgrade. If not, wait and see my latest video about Loxjie D30 tomorrow. That one is slightly better than D50s but also cheaper.

[@jesushuerta9878]

@@iiWiReviews Thanx.Im also looking for SMSL m200 cuz the chip is a bit of an upgrade of the chip of e30 and I dont neccesarily want MQA.

[@iiWiReviews]

@@jesushuerta9878 Haven't heard M200 but SMSL is on a roll lately so I would be surprised if it's not a really good DAC.

[@douweschat8978]

What is the difference (upgrade) of the SMSL su-9 compared to this e30?

[@jesushuerta9878]

@@douweschat8978 I finally bought It..the sound is wider and punchier (soundstage), badder and better and has mqa and Bt 24/192 ..e30 has great tonality and I loved it but this Su9 its like a demolition machine that isnt ashamed of showing their power.

[@Zero_dB]

Hmmmm Im super hesitate between this E30 and D50s. Would like to get one to replace my FIIO Q1MK2. My Setup is PC->Fiio Q1mk2->AQ RCA Cable->Pioneer Reciever-> ELAC Uni-Fi . I used to own Fiio Q5 and Q1mk2 at the same time but i let go of Q5 as that lack of high frequency comparing with Q1mk2 even if it got better body and bass control. but tranparency of Q5 is less than Q1mk2. . Any suggestion in sound quality btw D50s and E30 if budget is not a problem just sound quality (ps. some said this e30 soundstage is even wider than D50s?) (I used to be fan of wolfson Dac chip.my favor lean toward warm sound. not a fan of thin sound)

[@iiWiReviews]

It is a tough call to be honest. To my ears D50s has weightier bass line and slightly fuller sound, but E30 is wider and more spacious sounding, with more air. I think it all comes to your personal preference in the end. Personally, I probably lean towards E30 a little bit more.

[@17cream]

How does this compare to the D30 Pro?

[@iiWiReviews]

Haven't had a chance to try D30 pro yet.

[@varun110291]

Which filter did you like the most?

[@iiWiReviews]

Filter 5 was very nice for my ears.

[@Hirnlego999]

Noticed any clipping in the sound?

[@iiWiReviews]

No clipping on either of two units I had.

[@Hirnlego999]

@@iiWiReviews Thanks. Because I was wonder since it's mentioned here: www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/topping-e30-dac-review.12119/page-104 (this is also worth skimming through, some products are simply badly designed: nwavguy.blogspot.com/2011/02/nuforce-udac-2-drama.html )

[@Hirnlego999]

@@iiWiReviews Clipping also mentioned here: www.head-fi.org/threads/topping-e30-dac-preamp.940093/#post-15808671

[@varun110291]

Have you compared it with the modi multibit? I am confused between these two.

[@iiWiReviews]

You can watch comparison recording here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gJvGmn2Cosh-sMU In reality prefer Multibit.

[@LtColDavenport]

Hello I want really thank you for reviewing products that seems almost none consider. Your review seems really genuine and would like to ask you a suggestion if you will have time to read and answer me. My setup is really simple: Spektor 1 speaker (200€) + Fosi T20 Amp (80€). I always listen to those thought an iPad with Spotify, connected directly to the Amp (jack-RCA). Ok, given all of that my first question is: Do I'll benefit from a DAC given my simple setup and player? If the answer is yes, would you be able to give me some suggestions? Just as a guideline of what I'm looking for, just in case. - I honestly don't think is it worth spending much more than 100-150€ for a DAC given my setup, am I wrong? - I would like a powered one, because as I sad, plan to use it with the iPad and would not be able to power a DAC (and don't want to attach it to a powered multi hub USB, want to keep it simple). - I will always use DAC in my home with my speaker, so I do not value thing like DragonFly, I don't mind audio quality "on the go". - Also I do not value DAC proprieties like volume and remote control, screen and headphone jack. I'm just fine with a metallic, "audio transparent" box with no features other than connect two end point, if that make sense to you. I watched almost all of your DAC review and... - I like the Topping D10s and good price, but since it is USB powered it is a huge minus for me. - I really like the Schiit Modi 3 but unfortunately in my region (Italy) it is hard to find and much more expensive (around 150€ vs 100$ that should be like 90€) so I do not think it is still worth it. - The Topping E30 and iFi Zen seems to be my best options, but they are maybe on the pricier side (150-170€). In top of that, I plan to connect it with a couple of AudioQuest cable (the cheapest one) and that would be around 50€ for the Forest lighting-USB one (Yes, it is really expensive. but not that much different from buying the Apple original lighting to USB adapter and than buy a USB-USB cable, just the adapter it cost around 45€, so at that point I prefer buying a single, good quality cable for literally a couple euros more) and 30€-ish for the RCA-RCA, so another 80€ to stack. If you have red all of this (really thank you!) what would it be your suggestions? What DAC should I buy, if I need one in the first place. Obviously, it's not needed to be one of those I have listed, I'm open to suggestions!

[@yasinozkan]

I bought this dac and from time to time it disconnects itself and I get the message "An audio device was disconnected or reconfigured". Is this normal or is it faulty?

[@iiWiReviews]

I haven't experienced it. It sounds like you should try a new/better USB cable cause I had similar experience with several cables already. Provided ones in the box are usually of a low quality.

[@yasinozkan]

@@iiWiReviews I will try it thank you

[@sorcerermax5111]

Which DAC/AMP combo do you recommend for my desktop $100 or below. Currently using onboard Realtek ALC 892 and I am not satisfied with it. Sound is congested and bass is lacking

[@iiWiReviews]

FX-Audio X6... you can find a review here on the channel.

[@michaelkrok396]

Sorcerer Max topping mx3 is 130, and has lots of input abilities.

[@Joe1900-v4q]

Hi. May I know which one of the either - A usb phone charger or a powerbank offers better power supply to the Topping E30?

[@iiWiReviews]

Powerbank is better.

[@Joe1900-v4q]

@@iiWiReviews Thank you

[@Joe1900-v4q]

@@iiWiReviews Hi. May I know if a cheap wallwart of 5v 2a offers better power supply than a powerbank? Can a cheap wallwart offer better power supply than a powerbank because powerbank is inconvenient.

[@vinpin]

I want to use the E30 or DX3 Pro with powered speakers, which option would be better?

[@iiWiReviews]

E30 has better sound quality so I would go for it if you don't need headphone output.

[@IonShard]

I wonder if you find any audible difference between the 6 filter settings?

[@iiWiReviews]

Very small ones... I can't really hear difference with all of them but I do notice with some. For example: 1st and 4th are sharper and more open, 6th is a bit more mellow. But the difference is really small and if the rest of the system is not super transparent it might be very difficult to notice it.

[@mykeldg]

Do you think its better than the chord mojo?

[@iiWiReviews]

Haven't tried it so it's hard to say... Still waiting for a chance to fetch a second hand Mojo for a spin.

[@abcddcba-p1c]

Just the dac alone , how Topping E30 compare to Topping NX4 DSD in sound quality , which one do you prefer ? : D

[@iiWiReviews]

NX4 is comparable to D30... E30 is better than both... More details, bigger soundstage...

[@abcddcba-p1c]

thank you : D

[@depauwgerlings]

How does in compare to the khadas tone board?

[@iiWiReviews]

More details and wider soundstage. It also sounds more analytical overall. I'll have a review of SMSL Sanskrit 10th MKII soon, I believe people that liked Khadas would maybe like it more than E30.

[@saldot79]

Will Topping release a headphone amp that matches the E30? Looking to build a dac/amp stack and it'd be nice if they matched. (OCD, yeah...)

[@iiWiReviews]

I think they will release matching amp called L30, but don't know the details yet.

[@SpaceEncounter]

How does the E30 compare to the Loxjie D30 using the same AK4493 chip?

[@iiWiReviews]

Haven't heard Loxjie D30 yet but I hope to try it soon.

[@Music_On_Records]

DX3 Pro vs E30? which one is better for DAC?

[@iiWiReviews]

E30 without any doubt.

[@tonewheelkev]

Great review....I've ordered on...so it'll be your fault!!!!! Would like to make a nice PSU for this....can you recommend a kit, or a PCB please...?

[@ZhekaTrololo]

What dac/amp combo (2in1 device) is comparable in terms of sound quality?

[@iiWiReviews]

From the ones I tried it would be the EarMen TR-amp. It's even slightly better as a DAC and I don't know any combination of DAC and AMP that betters it around that price.

[@ZhekaTrololo]

@@iiWiReviews And if separately, what amp you can recommend to pair with it? (I mean E30)

[@michielsmit4516]

Ive recently received an E30 and it produces a popping sound when it switches on or off. Is this normal? The serial nr starts with 2010 so firmware should be ok right? Happy with this DAC otherwise.

[@iiWiReviews]

Some DACs have soft start that deals with that pop but most of them pop a little bit when turned on, that's why the source (DAC or CD player) is the one we should turn on first and turn off last... It is known. :)

[@michielsmit4516]

@@iiWiReviews Thanks! I'm pretty new to all this :)

[@williamevans9426]

Any burn-in problems with the OLED display?

[@iiWiReviews]

Not so far... It's too soon to tell probably, and I keep it at the lowest level too.

[@MrAknur]

Omg just bought k5 pro.... how much is e30 better?

[@iiWiReviews]

As a pure DAC it's simply more detailed and has bigger soundstage... But K5 pro is also a great device, especially for headphones because of a great amp... So nothing to worry about. :)

[@MrAknur]

iiWi Reviews thanks!

[@jiachenseah1435]

iiWi Reviews I have got a low impedance headphone (50ohm). Not going to hold u accountable =p but would I benefit more from a better dac e30? Or something like k5 pro?

[@MMRSean]

Maybe this is a really newbie question, but is the PCM number showed on the display supposed to change? When I switch between “Ultra HD” songs on Amazon HD, to 256 AAC on iTunes, to low quality KZbin videos, it always says “48.0 PCM.” Is that number maybe supposed to mean the maximum I CAN play, as opposed to what’s playing at the moment? Or am I just missing something?

[@iiWiReviews]

You did not mention what OS are you on... Windows for example resamples everything to 48 kHz by default. You can change that to lower or higher rates but it will still resample everything to that one rate you choose. The only solution to that is using an audio player capable of having exclusive access to the DAC. For example Foobar2000 for local files will automatically send sample rate of the source file to the DAC (no conversion means cleanest signal). For streaming services I use only Tidal and it can also take a direct control, bypassing OS resampler... Now I'm not familiar with how Amazon Music works (through browser or has a player app) and what OS are you on but it's obvious that everything is resampled to 48 kHz in your case.

[@MMRSean]

iiWi Reviews Thanks for the detailed response! I’m using Windows 10. What’s weird though is I downloaded the newest 4.82 firmware to see if that would help at all. And it did have an effect, but now it just says “44.1 PCM” all the time instead of 48 haha. Also, I tried experimenting with Tidal, and it still says 44.1 whether I play a Master quality song or lower quality song. So maybe because I’m on Windows I need foobar? I’ve always heard of it but never knew what it did.

[@iiWiReviews]

OK, in Win open playback devices, find your DAC and click properties... Than in the last tab "advanced" check both boxes in exclusive mode section. Now when open Tidal app, hit the speaker icon, then find your DAC on the list and click more settings. There you should see "Use Exclusive Mode" option, turn it on... If all done right, now your app has the full control over the output. Windows layer is out of the loop and you should get real sample rates...

[@MMRSean]

iiWi Reviews That worked! It changes the number every time I switch songs on Tidal now. Thank you! Now if I could just figure out how to get that to work on Amazon Music haha. One more question for you if you don’t mind! I went to “manage audio devices” under the Control Panel and clicked on the E30, and then “changed” the sample rate/bit depth to 32bit/384kHz (the highest option). So now my E30 displays “384 PCM” all the time (except when I’m in tidal). Does this mean Windows is upsampling all my audio to 384 kHz? My laptop can’t do that right?

[@iiWiReviews]

Yes, Win is now upsampling everything... I'm not a big fan of that and much prefer players that send native source sample rate. Sorry but can't help about Amazon...

[@hxhky]

So it even sounds better than the Topping D50S? I'm very interested.

[@iiWiReviews]

They are quite close, but yes I feel that E30 has more spacious sound-stage and slightly better layering.

[@hxhky]

@@iiWiReviews Thank you.

[@CB-bo3tm]

I am trying to find some very high quality audio sample that I can use to test this DAC. This is my first DAC and I have a 'beginner audiophile' set up. If anyone can provide a link to any free, downloadable sample, it would be much appreciated.

[@meerajsarkar9247]

Kindly do a review of smsl Sanskrit 10th mkll and do comparison with Topping E30 ..Thanks and regards

[@iiWiReviews]

Will try to do it

[@bilelbeavis977]

Hi. I just received my E30 and was wondering would there be anything wrong with setting it to preamp mode paired with my A50 amp so I can play with the volume on the remote? As I know it is stated that mode is for speakers so I wasn't sure if this is not the route to go down? Thanks

[@iiWiReviews]

You can do that no problem. In theory, that volume attention introduces slight loss of fidelity but you can try for yourself and see if you notice it or not...

[@bilelbeavis977]

@@iiWiReviews thank you very much for responding, I hear no difference so I think I'll do that, also do you have any idea why in DAC mode it doesn't show anything different from pcm 48? I'm on Android

[@iiWiReviews]

It's because android is resampling everything to 48 kHz. Try using some player that can take direct control over usb DAC like HibyMusic (it's free) and it will be able to output original, unchanged, sample rate to the DAC... Sound should be better that way too.

[@bilelbeavis977]

@@iiWiReviews wow, thanks. I will try that

[@zekeski]

is this better than the d30?? and would this be a great pair with an a30??

[@iiWiReviews]

Yes it's better than D30, more detailed and precise. I haven't heard A30 but they should pair just fine.

[@zekeski]

@@iiWiReviews wow.. thanks for the advice!!

[@michaelolivero8491]

Did you upgrade the power supply?

[@iiWiReviews]

Yes, I used several linear power supplies and iFi iPower. All of these help it sound better to some degree.

[@leninreddy]

Is this better than D50s in terms of sound quality ?

[@iiWiReviews]

They are quite close, but yes I feel that E30 has more spacious sound-stage and slightly better layering.

[@Locutuss85]

Have you heard a better DAC than the E30? Even if I had to put in more money

[@iiWiReviews]

Look at my newer Loxjie D30 review please.

[@Locutuss85]

@@iiWiReviews Loxjie D30 is better than D50s ?

[@iiWiReviews]

@@Locutuss85 To my ears it is, even if you use a low noise power supply with D50s, but especially if you don't.

[@wsobczak9860]

please show me how to set the E30 to the frequency of 768Khz, I have such a device and I cannot do it, the scale in WIN 10 ends at 384Khz and I do not know if my E30 is damaged or I am doing something wrong. I don't know if you will write here as an answer, or maybe a little movie on private e-mail or google-disk, but please

[@iiWiReviews]

The DAC is not damaged, Windows simply doesn't support such insanely high sample rates. If you want to try it anyway, you can install HQ player for example and turn on upsampling to 768 kHz. Just be sure to check in Windows audio settings that you allow apps to take exclusive control over audio... That way the player can bypass Windows and its limitations. But in practice, you'll have no use of these sample rates. 196 kHz is the highest commercially supported format that you can actually find.

[@wsobczak9860]

@@iiWiReviews thank you very much

[@kisssanya7442]

Mine does not show quality why?

[@rosenlazarov]

How do you like it in Pre-Amp mode?

[@iiWiReviews]

It seems quite OK to me. 0.5 dB steps are fine enough so it's easy to adjust to the volume you want. Some loss of dynamics is going on at lower volumes, similar to every digital attenuation out there.

[@rosenlazarov]

@@iiWiReviews Unfortunately I tend to listen at low volume mainly....will try how it goes. I now use KTB after your review and i love it! Thank you for the input and the great review also!

[@douglasbonner6543]

Thank you for a great review. I thought the D30 was getting a bit long in the tooth, so not surprised by the arrival of the E30. I am not familiar with the sonic signature of your Cyrus amp, I've heard your speakers but only in a store. I use a Bryston B60 with 75th anniversary Wharfedale 9.1 / Energy ESW V8 from your review it sounds like the E30 would sound sweet! in my system. One question is the face actually glass? or some kind of plastic? . What linear power supply you have please? LOL I know you didn't want how it sounds vs …..but come on you have to comment vs the Topping D50s.

[@iiWiReviews]

Thanks! Cyrus is fast and punchy amp, if I had to explain it quickly. Yeah, the front is some sort of fiberglass (that's what I wanted to say actually). I avoid comparing directly with D50s cause I don't have it with me any more so can't tell the exact difference, but... I thought Burson Playmate to sound just a bit more precise and refined than D50s. Now I hear E30 having slightly better detail retrieval and soundstage width than Playmate... However, I still keep D50s in high regard for its build and BT option.

[@shanmukhak5566]

How did it compare to the Ifi Zen dac ? Both of these fall in the same price category.

[@iiWiReviews]

E30 is more detailed and analytical sounding. Zen is warmer in the bass region and less precise. Personally, I prefer E30 if you don't need a headphone out.

[@shanmukhak5566]

@@iiWiReviewsThanks for the quick reply !

[@shanmukhak5566]

As I was searching I came across Earmen Tr-amp. Though it is 250$ I saw your review and I am impressed. The only doubt is if it is worth spending 150 more from the Zen dac especially when you mentioned that GTO filter in Zen dac improved the sound quality considerably. What do you think?

[@iiWiReviews]

I wouldn't be so quick to jump the gun on upgrade. Zen is very capable machine on its own, just won the EISA award for a budget DAC. I'd withhold for a more meaningful upgrade in the future.

[@shanmukhak5566]

@@iiWiReviews I am planning to buy a budget dac under 150 but I was compelled by Earmen amp because of its good reviews. Thanks for the clarification. I guess I will be happy with the Zen dac or hip dac.