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amazon Topping D30 Pro reviews
Topping Electronics & Technology, known as ‘TOPPING,’ is headquartered in Guangzhou, China, and was established in 2008. The world audio community knows topping as a manufacturer of DAC/ AMP that has high performance for the price. In addition, they have a dedicated team of highly skilled audio engineers and enthusiasts.
It’s been almost five years since the original D30 hit the market. The D30 is a great DAC and is loved by the audiophile community. The newly launched Topping D30 Pro promises to be a great DAC model to succeed its elder brother.
BOXING AND ACCESSORIES
As usual, the Topping D30 Pro comes in a white cardboard box with the Topping logo in the center.
Topping D30 Pro and accompanying accessories are neatly placed in the box with protective foam. This thick foam compartment provides enough safety for the device during transport. The bundled kit is also very complete; you will receive a USB-A to USB-B cable, remote control, and power cable along with the user manual and warranty card.
DESIGN
Topping’s design has always remained minimalistic but still quite beautiful. The chassis of the Topping D30 Pro is made from monolithic aluminum. The polished surface is very cool to the touch and pleasant to the hand. In addition, the lines on the Topping D30 Pro are more curved, so they look softer and more luxurious than the previous DX7s or D10s.
On the front of Topping D30 Pro is a monochrome screen that displays information, quite prominent and easy to observe. On the right-hand side of the screen is a control knob; this control knob plays volume control and function control cluster.
Unfortunately, the Topping D30 Pro does not have Bluetooth capabilities. Instead, you have USB, Optical, and Coaxial inputs. For output, you have XLR Bal and RCA.
SPECIFICATIONS
Configuration: x4 Cirrus Logic CS43198 DACs
Pre Amp mode
Input: USB, Optical, Coaxial
Output: RCA / XLR
THD: RCA < 0.0001% @ 1kHz | XLR < 0.00009% @ 1kHz
Dynamic Range: RCA 127dB @ 1kHz | XLR 132dB @ 1kHz
Output Impedance: XLR 40Ω; RCA 20Ω
USB: PCM up to 32bit 384kHz Native DSD up to DSD256, DSD DoP up to DSD128
Coaxial & Optical: PCM up to 24bit 192kHz, DSD64 (DoP)
Voltage Output: RCA 2Vrms | XLR 4Vrms
Dimensions: 174 x 138 x 45mm
Weight: 870g
CONFIGURATION AND FEATURES
Topping is a company that always boldly shows off its products before users can buy them unboxing. Therefore, it is not difficult for us to look closely at the configuration of Topping D30 Pro with our eyes, not with advertising parameters.
Topping D30 Pro is equipped with 4 Cirrus Logic CS43198 DACs. That is a high-performance 32-bit DAC designed as the successor to the flagship CS4399. Each chip decodes each audio channel separately for extremely low distortion of only 0.00009% and high dynamics of up to 132dB.
Topping also uses CPLD to improve signal stability and further reduce noise for a cleaner, better SNR.
For the filter, they chose to use eight independent LDOs.
The XLR output has a capacity of 4 Vrms, while the RCA can supply up to 2 Vrms. Topping chose to use the XMOS XU-208 USB chip in the D30 Pro to decode 32bit 384kHz Native DSD up to DSD256, DSD DoP up to DSD128.
Topping D30 Pro also has a preamp mode. So you can connect the D30 Pro to your speakers and control them via the DAC while enjoying the better sound quality and eliminating the need for a dedicated preamp.
You also get a dedicated DAC mode, and you should use it if you plan to pair it with a headphone amplifier, such as the A30 Pro.
Another great feature of Topping D30 Pro is the Auto standby feature. When the Auto standby mode option is enabled, if the current input is not connected or the input signal is invalid in the next minute, the device will automatically enter the standby state. It will re-enable itself when it receives an input signal.
Topping D30 Pro does not offer Bluetooth connectivity. Many Topping devices do this, and I find this to be a pretty important omission. Topping D30 Pro will be a better device is equipped with Bluetooth connectivity features.
Another shortcoming of the D30 Pro is the ability to decode MQA. However, that’s not a big deal for me as the device sounds great with FLAC & DSD music files.
The DAC has nine filter options, and some of them have a very subtle effect on the sound, and some don’t change much. So after a while, I recommend using the default filter.
SOUND QUALITY
Topping D30 Pro sounds accurate and flat to my ears. The D30 Pro carries with it the reference sound and is quite detailed. The ability to reproduce the recording, vocalist, position of the instrument is shown clearly, accurately, and vividly. The soundstage is wide, and the instruments have enough room to shine. The instrument’s timbre feels precise and linear. There is absolutely no jostling between the frequency bands, providing a good balance to the track.
XLR vs. RCA
The XLR output has a capacity of 4 Vrms current, while the RCA output is 2 Vrms. During my testing, I discovered that on XLR output, there is a darker background and better layering and staging than RCA output. However, the gap is not large.
SMSL SU-9
That is a difficult comparison as both devices are great DACs. However, they sound similar; both have a neutral, balanced signature and reflect the recording perfectly.
However, there is a price difference between the two, and there are a few things that you should be aware. The SMSL SU-9 offers MQA and Bluetooth support. It also offers native DSD512 decoding, while the D30 Pro is limited to DSD256.
The SU-9 has a much better screen but takes up more space on your desk. However, the finishing quality is similar.
SMSL M300 mkII
The SMSL M300 mkII sounds very good for its price, and it’s a good contender. However, the technical capabilities of the D30 Pro are superior, and there is a slight difference in sound between the two DACs.
The M300 mkII sounds a bit warmer, especially in the midrange. The D30 Pro’s picture feels sharper, and the soundstage is wider. The D30 Pro seems to be more durable, build wiser, and I would choose the design of the D30 Pro over the M300.
CONCLUDE
Although it lacks a few features such as Bluetooth connection support, MQA decoding ability, but in all aspects and especially sound quality, the Topping D30 Pro is still a very worthy DAC model to own at this price.
Topping D30 Pro will suit those who like neutral, flat, accurate, clear sound.
