Topping E30 II DAC HiFi 2 x AK4493S Amplifier Direct Mode
Topping E30 II DAC HiFi 2 x AK4493S Amplifier Direct Mode Decoder for USB/Coax/Opt Inputs Stereo Digital Audio Decoder PCM 32bit 768kHz DSD512 Native Red
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audio Device | DAC + Preamp function | DAC + Preamp function | MQA DAC + Preamp function | Balanced USB DAC | USB DAC |
| Chip | 2x AK4493S + XMOS XU208 | AK4493 + CS8416 + XMOS XU208 | ES9068AS + XMOS XU216 | ES9038Q2M + XMOS XU208 | ES903802M + XMOS XU208 + OP-AMP |
| Input | USB/OPT/COAX | USB/OPT/COAX | USB/OPT/COAX | USB | USB |
| Output | RCA | RCA | RCA /TRS | COAX/OPT/TRS | COAX/OPT/RCA |
| Sample Rate | 768kHz/32Bit and DSD512 | 768kHz/32Bit and DSD512 | DSD512 Native & DSD256 DoP & PCM768kHz | 384kHz/32Bit and DSD256 | 384kHz/32Bit and DSD256 |
| TND+N(DAC)@1kHz A-wt | <0.00015% | <0.0003% | <0.00009% | <0.00012% | <0.0002% |
| SNR(DAC)@1kHz A-wt | 123dB | >121dB | 124dB(SE),126dB(BAL) | 125dB | 120dB |
| Noise@A-wt | <1.5uVrms | <2.0uVrms | <1.3uVrms(SE), <2.3uVrms(BAL) | <2.4uVrms | <2.5uVrms |
| Power input | DC5V/1A | DC5V/1A | DC5V/1A | DC5V/0.5A(USB power supply) | DC5V/0.5A(USB power supply) |
| Remote control | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dimensions: | 21 x 15 x 6 cm; 500 Grams |
| Manufacture: | KGUSS |
| Dimensions: | 21 x 15 x 6 cm; 500 Grams |
| Origin: | China |
A sound investme
After using the original version for a few years when I heard about this one coming out I decided to look into it, Topping make really good items at a very reasonable price, plus the bonus is they do actually work, the Mk2 is head and shoulders above the original, which by the way is superb, but this competes easily with my main Dac which cost many hundreds of pounds more, I know it’s an over used cliche but it,to my ears and into my equipment, is like night and day to the Mk1, there’s so much more insight into the music with width and depth being improved, as I said the Mk1 is no slouch but this is just so much better, the best thing is its not even that much more than the original so yes it’s another winner from Topping
In short probably the best DAC on the market in 2022 under 150! Clean and clear sound, robust build quality, plenty of features and works well with appropriate sources like PC, phone etc. The mk2 version is an improvement over the first in numerous ways and despite some negative reviews on YouTube my advice is ignore them. I have had the mk1 version amongst other DACs from different brands whilst remaining within a 150 budget and I will say it again, the E30 mk2 is the best. Another alternative to the Topping E30 is the FX Audio X6 mk2 which is is also excellent value for your money. It is half the price of the E30 and if the E30 is out of your budget then the FX Audio X6 mk2 could be your best choice. It uses an ESS 9018 dac chip and produces a strong detailed sound, simple to set up and also a robust build quality. The E30 sounds a little more balanced and cleaner compared to the X6 mk2 but the X6 does have swappable op amps which is an advantage over the E30 as you can slightly alter the sound signature by swapping out the op amp if you so desired. Another option around this price range is the iFi Zen dac v2, it is slightly more expensive but for that you get balanced outputs and an headphone amp which is very good value for money. The iFi Zen has a slightly fuller and warmer sound signature and is also a very nice choice of DAC but currently with Windows 11 the iFi Zen DAC is having handshake issues with USB inputs or in other words it will randomly vanish from your PC and you have to unplug the usb connection and reconnect it so the dac reappears in the Windows 11 OS, as good as that DAC is this forced a break in the deal for me. The Topping E30 does not suffer this issue so in conclusion if you in the market for a DAC and your budget is 150 then the Topping E30 mk2 deserves to be at the top of your list.
Very good sound quality
I really like this product for the price. Using it in DAC mode and powered from a power bank it sounds very high quality for its price. My main DAC is an Audio Note DAC with tube regulated power supply and output stage which obviously I expected to outclass this little DAC but it actually doesnt to my astonishment. This little box is on nearly on PAR with the Audio Note and enabled me to connect my TV optical output to my amplifiers as the Audio Note has no optical in. It is also much less power hungry than the Audio Note DAC so more appropriate for every day use when using the TV applications such as Prime and Netflix which by the way work with no decoding issues like cheaper units can suffer from. Overall amazing product.
Top class produc
Wasn’t too sure how much difference this device would make, but following my research I was hoping for a noticeable improvement. I use the unit in DAC mode only and was very impressed with the improvement, which was identifiable immediately.
I have no problem recommending this unit.
It sounds great and at a very reasonable price.
The Best DAC out there at this price poi
This box is small in size but packs a punch sonically. I have been fully digital for more than 20 years but my ripped CD’s were done at a time that storage was expensive and therefore a lot of my music collection was ripped at 128Kb/s. They say that your hearing degrades over time, not a bit of it in my case, as I changed out my hifi set up for a pair of Sonos Ones I could really hear the defects in these digital recordings. I had also gotten a nice turntable for my birthday a few years back and secured a Sonos Connect for my set up. Listening to Vinyl got me started! I purchased a Marantz CD63 SE/KI signature edition from 1995 (actually made in UK!) and added that to the mix. I had read that adding a more modern DAC would further improve the listening experience and they were not wrong. What you get is amazing, really precise stereo imaging, the high end transients really cut through but in a good way. Recordings I have been listening to for 35 years sound fresh and I can hear details and interplay between the instruments I’d never heard, whole layers in fact! On top of this over xmas I decided to re-rip my 500 CD’s onto 196Khz/24bit Losessless Flac which Sonos does not handle. This little box of tricks allows me to stream unsupported audio formats to Sonos which plays them flawlessly. A truly versatile piece of kit!!
Good and cheap !
This is good and cheap. Also it displays the sample rate which is very useful for testing what is going through it. I discovered that something that was supposed to be HiRes was just CD quality.
Great Sound for the Money
I am no audiophile but the Topping E30 makes my music sound great. An old Windows pc storing ripped music collected over the years is connected to it via USB and a WiiM Mini streaming from Apple Music and Spotify is connected via optical. The audio is output to a CA AXA35 via rca.
I was persuaded by the low price and I am more than satisfied with the quality of sound.
Wonderful Sound Quality.
Not tried many Dacs, so I’m no expert, but this is has exceeded my expectations by a wide margin.
Better than theChord Mojo at less than half the price.
Don’t let the price put you off, this is a true audiophile Dac.
Outstanding!
This is astonishing value for money! I replaced a more expensive DAC when a fault developed under warranty. The sound I get from Amazon Music (high res) playing through a cheap Lenovo desktop computer feeding via the Topping into an ancient Cambridge A100 amplifier is unbelievable.
my Cambridge DACmagic having finally bitten the dust I needed a DAC but wasn’t ready to make the big jump to Chord/NAIM etc., just needed a stopgap. This is no stopgap! Sounds significantly better than the Cambridge and having the bitrate displayed has been a big help in setting up streaming services. Note I’ve not used the USB I’m running a Raspberry Pi / Allo Digione over the coax/SPDIF
Apparently benefits from an iFi power supply upgrade also though I’ve not tried yet.
Brilliant! upgrade to my hi-fi system
Staggeringly good sound quality! much improved the audio quality of both my Marantz CD6006UK CD player and Yamaha WXC-50 streamer. Using in DAC mode with my Cyrus amp and B&W speakers. Also works very well in pre-amp mode. I tried it with a Cyrus power amp using the remote to control the volume.
Recommend using more than 1A 5V power supply for best sound quality. I found I had a spare 2A psu with correct sized plug and the improvement in sound quality over an apple 1A phone charger was very noticeable.
Great sound
I used this to upgrade the sound from my CD player. Works really well with superb sound. The filters don’t make any difference to my ears. Bets to run it off a 5v battery
I connected my digital radio receiver via optical fibre and my iMac audio output via USB (for viewing DVDs) to the device, output analog via Cinch cable to my HiFi system. Device switches automatically to active input. Everything works as expected.
I connected my digital radio receiver via optical fibre and my iMac audio output via USB (for viewing DVDs) to the device, output analog via Cinch cable to my HiFi system. Device switches automatically to active input. Everything works as expected.
It's as good as the reviews say
After months agonising over which USB DAC to choose (v Ifi Zen, SMSL Sanskrit etc) I finally went for the Topping E30.
I use it with Roon on a laptop for HiRes files & also as an external DAC for CD/DVD-Audio disc playback.
In my system it gives a wonderful smooth, detailed sound & is a definite step up from the built in DACs in my admittedly old Denon AVR3803 & Oppo BDP-83SE.
Great DAC at a great price
Great sounding DAC, real upgrade from Toppings lower priced models. Works well with my Marantz amp.
Fantastic
Brilliant little box. Bought this after a friend’s recommendation and reading some of the reviews below. It’s hooked up to a Chromecast audio using a mini TOS-link to TOS-link cable, outputs to a Behringer Super-X crossover feeding a Rotel 6 channel power amp and a pair of custom speakers (Mordaunt Short cones). The difference between the analogue output straight to the crossover Vs optical through the Topping is night and day. Recommended.
Eccelente DAC HI FI entry level
Alla fine dopo tutti i vari espiremnti di DAC con un prezzo contenuto LUI li straccia tutti.
Strabiliante qualit del suono, ………inutile usare paroloni da audiofilo, provatelo !!!!!
Quality Build & Performance - Fantastic Value
Had this dac for a couple of months now and its made me listen to my vast music collection over & over again as it brings so much detail & realism from my mp3 and CD collection.
Plugged into my CD player I have found it excellent using both coaxial and optical leads although I think the optical connection has the edge in terms of resolution, attack/slam and instrument/vocal timbre. Of course you should expect tp pay a little pay extra for high speed and well insulated leads for best results.
I haven’t another stand alone dac to compare it with apart from what’s in my CD player and laptop computer.
I use two small power banks in rotation, a OKZU & GETIHU both purchased from Amazon to power it to eliminate background noise you get from mains transformers creating the lowest possible noise floor to obtain the best possible sound quality. I can recommend this dac to anyone who wants to get the best out of their music. collection.
Funktionierte sofort und ohne Probleme gleich aus der Karton.
Eine groe Klangverbesserung an meine Anlage. Es wird von eine iFi BluetoothDAC und eine MacBookPro gefuttert. Die Musik ist via Amazon music HD und Bluetooth.
Die Soundstage ist breit und die einzelne Instrumente und Stimmen sind rumlich klar dargestellt.
Ins gesamt gelungen und von obendrein eine preiswerte Kombination!
As a benchmark my Cambridge DACMagic 100 blew up and I bought this to tide me over until I went mad on Chord or something, that now won’t be happening, this is significantly better than the ‘100 and the performance of this with 24bit local files and Tidal is frankly a bit mad, I’m using this with a Raspberry Pi and Allo Digione, (both of which you can buy here) and for less than 300 all in? Wow. One caution and I know people get het up over this specific subject but cold out of the box I was all set to send it back, give it a couple of days to warm up, burn in whatever and its sounds way better. Can I only say what I heard!
CD never sounded so good.
I recently cobbled together a system for a garage conversion out of old components I’d acquired over 40 yrs – Mission Cyrus 1 amp, Wharfedale diamond 504 Speakers and a Sony XE900 CD player. It was OK but I found listening to CD’S ultimately fatiguing and a bit harsh. I knew the CD player had a decent transport (fixed laser) so took a punt on a modern DAC and chose the E30. So glad I kept my CD collection – I can hear details and a placement on the sound stage I’d never experienced from digital before. Music has real depth and presence. Highly recommended.
Der DAC wird bei mir an einer 40 Jahre alten Zweit- Anlage “in der Ecke” betrieben, um sie ber ein Tablet streamingfhig zu machen. Siehe Bild. Verbindung Tablet -> DAC ber USB, am besten OTG (On The Go) Kabel verwenden. Verbindung DAC -> Verstrker/Preamp ber Cinch, wie andere auch schon schrieben, nicht die ganz billigen Cinch Kabel fr 3 Euro verwenden, dabei so kurz wie mglich. Im Vergleich hrt man den Unterschied der Kabel, was auch fr den DAC spricht. Ein Netzteil (5V) ist nicht dabei, hier empfiehlt sich ebenfalls nicht das billigste. Am besten ein “analoges”, z.B. eine 5V, 1A Festspannungsnetzteil mit Trafo um mgliche hochfrequente Streinflsse von Schaltnetzteilen direkt zu unterbinden.
Pro: Hohe Abtastrate, bis 768 kHz bei PCM. DSD fhig (sehr selten bei dem Preis). Klingt relativ differenziert, transparent, klar und zieht etwas Bhne auf. Die Signal / Rauschabstand ist gut, bei guten Aufnahmen nimmt man so gut wie kein Rauschen wahr.
Con: Bei DSD Formaten ist der DAC pingelig beim Kommunikationsaufbau mit den Quellen bzw. der Player Software. Der Ausgangspegel ist bei DSD und PCM etwas niedrig (der DAC ist leiser als andere Komponenten einer Anlage). Mit meinem Samsung Tablet luft der DAC im PCM Mode gut, wacht aus dem Standby auf und schaltet auch automatisch die Bittiefe und Abtastrate um. Bei meinem Hyundai Tablet sowie einem Siemens Laptop wird immer nur 92 kHz Abtastrate angezeigt, unabhngig von der tatschlichen Abtastrate.
Insgesamt fr den Preis eine gute Wahl, daher trotzdem 5 Sterne. Ich wrde diese Aussage begrenzen auf Stereoanlagen um die max. 2000-3000 Euro. Im Vergleich zu einem hochwertigeren DAC (McIntosh Vorverstrker) merkt man, dass in allen Disziplinen Auflsung, Transparenz, Bhne, Musikalitt etc. noch Luft nach oben ist.
Ich hoffe, das war jetzt nicht zu technisch, aber der Interessentenkreis fr DACs ist ja auch sehr heterogen.
Good sound a little hard to figure but once done decent DAC
Seems more alive in the instruments ill buy the power adaptor for it later… I just listened more everything is open and clear I love i
un son très détaillé et claire !
un son trs dtaill et claire, la boite est tellement robuste.
Excellent Value and Performance
This clearly outperforms a Cambridge Dacmagic I recently bought at a similar price (and had to return because of recurring audio breaks) and is unbelievable value for money. If you want a great DAC at a bargain price, don’t hesitate to grab one of these. I can’t comment much on the remote because I use it only for switching on and off, but it works fine.
This really suprised me was only using 3.5mm to rca from computer to amplifier adding this to the mix its night and day sound difference ! so much more details to the music i was missing and more defined bass, even spotify through this dac sooo much better. if you have half decent speakers this is a must have….
Started off with a small human error of not including the correct power cable however quickly resolved so overall great customer service.
Really good DAC. My suggestion is to use it only in DAC mode and not with preamp mode as the sound quality is well better in DAC mode. Put your amp on direct mode and I use F4 setting as I feel it adds the slightest touch of bass and takes the harshness of the mids out ever so slightly. Each ear is different so make your own choice, it is a subtle difference. Enjoy it. Great bit of gear.
Brings mp3s to life
Superb sound by connecting a laptop to a vintage JVC amp via this DAC. I used to play mp3 music stored on my laptop by connecting the headphone jack to my amp but this little box has made a massive improvement to the depth of sound. I also bought a Bluetooth receiver to play Spotify from Alexa and that is also worth the investment. If you’re serious about good quality sound, this is a great option.
Bought as a standalone DAC to go between a Chromecast audio streamer and an analogue-only Rega Brio-R amp. Speakers are Dali Opticon 2.
Reveals subtle details in the music and produces great results across a wide variety of genres.
Did A/B tests against the DACs in a blu ray player, Chromecast audio and a CXA80 amp. As you might expect, the Topping E30 sounded much better than the first 2. The CXA80 (was RRP ~700 new) sounded slightly more airy and detailed but harsher, I much preferred the sound of the E30 as it struck a better balance between detail and tone in my system. Admittedly you also need an amplifier to go with this DAC, but it still represents excellent value for money.
Brilliant sound quality especially for the money, would thoroughly recommend!
Believe the hype - this works!
Didn’t think this was going to work but wow! I don’t have high end audio equipment but do enjoy listening to high quality audio on Tidal. My mid-range Marantz amp and Kef speakers really do benefit. The sound is much warmer and fuller, even on Spotify or YouTube. I’m no audiophile but I can highly recommend.
I ran both the Topping E30 and the more expensive Loxije D30 for 6 weeks.
Both are fantastic and I recommend both highly. They sound very similar and great value.
If you are on a budget then go for the E30 it won’t disappoint, but the D30 offers a better screen, power supply and more premium build for an extra 30 quid if you can stretch to it.
I kept the D30 in the end, but you wont be disappointed with the E30 either. Perfect ‘starter’ DAC
Both DAC’s were used with a ChromeCast Audio hooked in via Toslink casting Qobuz Hi-Res
Good product and good service response from HIFI COLLEGE store
Bought from HIFI COLLEGE store. The unit arrived with 5.5mm male round to 5.5mm male DC connector, instead of the advertised 5.5mm to USB-A connector to allow power connection to usb port/mobile charger. I contacted seller who responded promptly to sort the issue. I am very pleased with the sound quality and customer service. Others I see have also received the wrong lead. My advice try and speak with seller first rather than just send it back via Amazon.
Power cable kindly sent by seller.
Thank you.
The box arrived unsealed. The DAC itself is very good. I did a A B test and compared it to my Bluesound Node 2i. The Topping comes close but is no match for the Node 2i. The Topping is still a very good Dac though. For me the inclusion of a remote to adjust the volume was the deal maker. There are very few, if any? dacs out there at this price point with a remote thrown in. The instructions are very basic. I suggest you go online to learn how to get the best from this Dac (operationally).
Great produc
Great product, my PC sound card only goes to 48kHz/24 bit.
Brought it to replace an older and more expensive project dac. Sound is better, and is exceptional value for the money. I use it with both an integrated amplifier and a headphone amp with satisfactory results.
Excelente DAC
Me ha resultado un producto de muy buena calidad y precio
I have used an optical cable with an Audiolab transporter. If honest I was not expecting too much, but I am impressed. I was looking to spend 4 times more than this amount and so glad I gave this a go first! Sound is impressive and well controlled with so much detail, I have never heard this before in my cds. Unit is small and looks great, especially being able to dim the display. Auto on / off feature is nice as well. Definitely 5 star for me.
A great solution for the price, better with clean power.
A great sounding piece of kit and given the price a steal.
Build quality is also good and the remote is a bonus as it means never having to touch the shiny glass screen.
The filters do make a nocicable difference to the sound but you need to listen carefully.
I strongly recommend spending a little cash on good power.
I tried a ifi 5v supply but notices a slight degradation compared to a Good Heuwai charger.
I elected to go for a battery supply and ordered a USB power brick from Amazon.
Result.. Utterly no noise and clarity+separation is now fantastic.
This may sound mad, but I tested my DACs (including Chord and others) on my system and they all sounded too forward. The Chords sounded impressive (amazing clarity) but not very musical. The soundstage was all at the front. But this Topping is lovely sounding, clear and easy to listen too. Highly recommended.
INCREDIBLE CLARITY - Far more expensive dacs offer less.
I have this paired with the L40 amplifier. This is an incredible dac, it’s has completely neutral sound. The remote is great quality and makes switching inputs easy. The clarity is a noticeable step up from a g6 amp/dac. For listening to music this is an incredible amp and pretty much unbeatable at this price. It’s very well built, small and looks good too!
Having been influenced by YouTube reviews I thought that a DAC costing so little is unlikely to add much to my pretty good hi-fi system.
I have to confess I was extremely surprised and delighted with the results.
The sound stage became dramatically clearer and recordings I have been listening to for 50 years revealed new musical interplay between instruments. I would wholeheartedly recommend this purchase.
The E30 is a DAC with pre-amp and includes a 32bit AK4493 DAC chip from AKM, which from other reviews I’ve read is a decent chipset.
The appearance is minimalistic and a touch button turns on the unit (takes it out of standby) and also lets you select inputs.
I have connected it to my Yamaha HTR-2071 home AV receiver from a laptop as the source. I have ordered a lightning to midi cable (which costs 10) so I can connect an iPhone for convenience. I’m using Mission M70 and Mordant short Genie satellites.
I set my preferred filter to the default, Short Delay Sharp Roll Off. switching between sources showed a noticeable improvement in the sound quality when using the E30 set up compared with direct connection from the laptop. I tested using Amazon Music and music files on my PC.
For the price it is well worth it as I was considering new speakers as another option. I’m happy with the sound I have now with this setup.