Topping D30

I've been on a DAC testing spree last few years, but this summer I tried D30 and I was genuinely amassed by it's sound. Build is great and you all know the specs so I'll just skip to the important part which is sound and how it compares to other DACs I tried.

First, let me tell you where I'm coming from. My first DAC ever was original Audioquest Dragonfly and as it was my first DAC ever it blew my mind. Next cam even better HRT microStreamer which offered more clarity and layering. It was so good it stayed in my system the whole time I was trying: SMSL Idea, Sabaj Da3, Topping D10 (this one came really close but still not better, just different)... Until I finally tried D30 and I never looked back at my HRT. Fast Forward, the latest one I tried is SMSL Sanskrit 10th, but D30 is clearly better so no threat here either.

How does it sound? It’s very detailed but not in any harsh way. It's very well balanced and natural. Bass is deep and punchy but extremely well controlled. Mids are present and full of energy, and highs are detailed but not bright or thin. Altogether it is a lively performance, it forms a wide and layered sound-stage which I simply love and to the day it stays unmatched by other models I tried. They sound flat and congested in comparison. It's just a crazy good sound for the price. So until it meets it's better it will stay a main source in my system.

And if somebody is interested I made a video review too.

Firstly I would like to thank Topping for sending me these samples for review, as always I will try to write an honest review. Both units have had over 50hrs of burn-in.

Gear Used:
HP Laptop / Dell Desktop > D30 via USB > A30 > German Maestro GMP 8.35d / Hifiman RE2000 and many others.




Tech Specs:
D30

Packaging, Build Quality and Accessories:
The units both come in a very sleek white box, with a very simple outline drawing of the unit on the front of the box, and the model number on the opening flap. Open up the box and you are greeted with the units held firmly in place in foam. The packaging is simple but effective and protects the units well during shipping.

The build quality on both units is very good, I think they look great in the brushed metal finish. The volume knob on the A30 is very smooth, all switches feel sturdy and like they will last, and all sockets are tight and have little to no play. All the sockets on the back are in good places and not too close together. Overall they are very well made for the price, and the all metal casings will no doubt help prevent interference from nearby devices. The power indicator on the D30 is a small blue LED, on the A30 the ring around the volume knob illuminates blue, I like this design.

The A30 only comes with a power supply, the D30 comes with a power supply and USB cable, no frills or unnecessary bits and bobs, this no doubt helps keep the price down. Although I think if they are purchased together a short 20cm set of RCA interconnects would be a nice added accessory.

Ease of Use and Features:
The D30 does have drivers that need to be installed unless you have the creators update of windows 10. The drivers are easy to install and I had no issues getting it to work with either PC. It is a pure DAC with line-out, it also has a Coaxial and Optical input which is great for use with DAP’s or even CD players etc....



Sound:
Now the D30 is a fully DSD compatible DAC that doesn’t aim to alter the sound, and that is my impression of it. It really just gets out of the way and lets the rest of the chain do itss work. Now directly comparing to my OL DAC, the D30 has a slightly colder tonality, the OL DAC is a little more natural sounding, but both are excellent standalone DAC’s.

Ok it is not as refined, and doesn’t have as wide a soundstage as some of the more expensive DAC’s out there, but for the price the features and sound really make it very good value for money indeed. It isn’t hyper analytical, nor is it smooth, it is just a neutral, balanced, detailed and very versatile DAC. For under $500 you could do worse than to pick one of these up. But there is stiff competition from the likes of iFi Audio (more analytical) and JDS Labs (more natural sounding).



Conclusion: Topping are a brand you should look for if you are on a tight budget, both the D30 and A30 punch above their weight stock, and the A30 can be improved by a large margin just by changing out the op-amps. The stack is both visually pleasing, and great sounding, it is a powerful desktop combo that has a neutral and balanced sound, excellent detail and all for under $300. I am quite a fan of these now.

Sound Perfection Rating:
D30 – 8/10 (Neutral, feature packed DAC, no selectable filter)