HiFi Subjectivist ¦ Audio Forum ¦ NVA User Group

I am on a verge of ordering TeraDak Chameleon DAC, but, just recently I found something also quite interesting.



This DAC was lent to me with the possibility to buy it if I like it, and currently I am doing A/B comparison between this V-DACII and DAC that I already own, Topping E50.

It's 32-96kHz /16bit-24bit USB in V-DAC II vs 44.1kHz-768kHz/16bit-32bit in Topping E50

I am using Tidal for purpose of this testing since that's the only thing I am using for listening. On E50 I was playing on Tidal both hifi(flac) and mqa, while V-DAC could only accept flac quality.


So far my opinion is:

V-DAC is waaaay more punchy than E50: bass is more tight (even trough my small tube amp), drums have faster and stronger kick before decaying and overall it seems that separation is better. E50 sounds bit more airy but also more flat between instruments, or dry, not sure which term to use. Since I am a photographer I would visually describe Topping E50 like image with less contrast - no pure white and no pure black while V-DAC is picture with stronger contrast.

Does your Topping E50 have a linear power supply?

Nope, power bank and cellphone chargers plug, no difference in sound though.

Interestingly enough, even Topping is not suggesting its own P50 linear power supply for e50, only for d50 and dx5

Interesting.
My topping e30 sounds better to me with a cheap linear supply than it does with a phone charger or power bank. The 50 probably has different regulation on its power input

I started out in my digital explorations with the MF V-DAC (original black version) and extended this with the V-PSU and V-LiINK. It was an excellent little DAC with a clear and punchy sound, in comparison with my Topping D30 I would say that the V-DAC had more authority although less flexibility.

Then I moved onto an MF M1DAC, which I suspect was basically a V-DAC II in a better case with a special power supply. Now that is a gorgeous-sounding unit with a rich, lush sound - superb for Classical music but a bit too polite for Rock.

Vinyl-ant wrote: ↑Fri Jun 17, 2022 7:00 am Interesting.
My topping e30 sounds better to me with a cheap linear supply than it does with a phone charger or power bank. The 50 probably has different regulation on its power input

My E30 sounded a lot better with a MCRU PS.

I will give myself few more days of testing and then will decide to keep it or not. Both V-DACII and V-PSUII are offered to me for 150 euros

Good price.

Fretless wrote: ↑Fri Jun 17, 2022 7:54 am .
Then I moved onto an MF M1DAC, which I suspect was basically a V-DAC II in a better case with a special power supply. Now that is a gorgeous-sounding unit with a rich, lush sound - superb for Classical music but a bit too polite for Rock.

I do agree that MF is polite- I think it’s a sonic trait I have found in their equipment - had plenty of their stuff and moved away from it as I did like rock - now many years later and I’m more mellow with my music taste I have gone back to MF for my digital-MF M1 Clic which I believe has the same dac as M1 dac. With Nva amps I have a polite and energetic sound as required

Is V-DAC up-sampling or does it have NOS setting as well?