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Re: DAC to the Future
Posted: Tue Sep 03, 2019 9:19 pm
by slinger
DAC ordered. Now to watch it travel all over China looking for an airport.
Re: DAC to the Future
Posted: Tue Sep 03, 2019 9:25 pm
by Fretless
My Topping is 'somewhere in transit' which could mean Mongolia or Australia.
Certainly curious about how that unit with the PRO chipset sounds, Slinger.
Patience. Patience.
Re: DAC to the Future
Posted: Tue Sep 03, 2019 9:33 pm
by slinger
Don't worry, I've used AliExpress a few times before now. I actually noted all of their tracking info last time and laid it all out in one long list. The best bit was watching it travel from the airport... to the airport... twice as I remember.
Re: DAC to the Future
Posted: Thu Sep 05, 2019 5:09 pm
by slinger
I've been on the blower this afternoon chatting up David Attenborough. He ended up turning me down flat though. Which is a shame because I thought that him narrating the story of how my DAC travels half-way around China in search of an airport and then spends a week travelling around that same airport in search of an aeroplane would be a
brilliant bit of telly
.
"Migration Of The DAC" is, apparently, a non-starter though. I wonder if Channel 5 would be interested..?
Re: DAC to the Future
Posted: Sun Sep 08, 2019 8:21 am
by Fretless
Something to put on your Xmas list. The all-new Audioquest Dragonfly Cobalt. Micro-sized USB DAC and headphone amp. Better chips, improved design (higher price). Plays everything from MP3 to MQA.
https://www.audioquest.com/dacs/dragonf ... fly-cobalt
Re: DAC to the Future
Posted: Sun Sep 08, 2019 8:30 am
by CN211276
Have been reading quite a bit about it but I am not convinced that it would be a big enough improvement over my Dragonfly Red to justify the extra cost. All the more so as it would be used out and about in often noisy environments. I use the Chord Mojo at home and in the garden.
Re: DAC to the Future
Posted: Sun Sep 08, 2019 9:03 am
by Fretless
I'll be sticking to the Dragonfly Red for mobile use as well. Certainly good enough.
On another note - The Topping D30 appeared yesterday in the post. Neatly wrapped and in its own 'proper' box - unlike the other nameless devices I have had from AliExpress recently which were simply enshrouded in layers of bubble-wrap.
It's tiny! I hadn't realised how small it was from the photos but it's only a tad bigger than a cigarette packet - you can see it here (just found this image). Certainly looks and feels solidly built.
Comes with a little wall-wart PSU and a USB cable. there is a neat on/off switch next to a 3-way selector (opt/coax/USB) and 2 discrete LEDs (
not the huge spotlight variety, thank goodness!).
Hooking up and switching on there was a noticeable earth-hum until I started playing music - then there was an audible internal click as the input channel was selected and after that the background noise disappeared.
Soundwise: on a single listen there is tons of fine detail with a wide, full image and a solid extended bass. It is a cold-start so the top end is somewhat clinical and forward - but I have read that these start to sound a lot smoother after a burn-in period.
First impressions of this DAC are extremely positive - at least it works! And I look forward to having some fun with it in the near future.
Re: DAC to the Future
Posted: Sun Sep 08, 2019 10:27 am
by karatestu
Cool. I love a bargain. If your judgement ends up favourable i may end up with a Topping. I like detail but not in a treble in your face way. If its on the recording i want to hear it. The trick is getting the music to be non fatiguing at the same time. Doc was a genius at that.
Re: DAC to the Future
Posted: Sun Sep 08, 2019 10:35 am
by _D_S_J_R_
I've been suggesting these for ages and when my aged thingie finally packs it in, Topping have been on my list . They also seem 'clean' at ultra-sonics too, so won't react hopefully with NVA.
According to proper tests, the Dragonfly Cobalt is far less good than the red version and looks to be more of a money grabber (latest and more expensive) than any real step forward.
Re: DAC to the Future
Posted: Sun Sep 08, 2019 10:43 am
by Classicrock
Fretless wrote: ↑Sun Sep 08, 2019 9:03 am
I'll be sticking to the Dragonfly Red for mobile use as well. Certainly good enough.
On another note - The Topping D30 appeared yesterday in the post. Neatly wrapped and in its own 'proper' box - unlike the other nameless devices I have had from AliExpress recently which were simply enshrouded in layers of bubble-wrap.
It's tiny! I hadn't realised how small it was from the photos but it's only a tad bigger than a cigarette packet - you can see it here (just found this image). Certainly looks and feels solidly built.
Comes with a little wall-wart PSU and a USB cable. there is a neat on/off switch next to a 3-way selector (opt/coax/USB) and 2 discrete LEDs (
not the huge spotlight variety, thank goodness!).
Hooking up and switching on there was a noticeable earth-hum until I started playing music - then there was an audible internal click as the input channel was selected and after that the background noise disappeared.
Soundwise: on a single listen there is tons of fine detail with a wide, full image and a solid extended bass. It is a cold-start so the top end is somewhat clinical and forward - but I have read that these start to sound a lot smoother after a burn-in period.
First impressions of this DAC are extremely positive - at least it works! And I look forward to having some fun with it in the near future.
Is this DAC connected with NVA cable by any chance? That hum until switched on issue may have something in common with the SSP issue I reported (both with Beresford DAC and MF phono).
brilliant bit of telly