[AudioQuality777]

I use usb but I have a feeling it has nothing to do with connection because I couldn’t connect with it via Bluetooth either.
Thank you,
Dhananjeyan

It’s interesting, but this happened after you touched it or it suddenly crashed on its own. I ask because the effect of static electricity may be when for example walking on the carpet and touching the metal. There will be a “sparking” and the electronics may freeze and not respond. I was so on other DACs.

 

[Dhananjeyan]

I can’t say for sure but I don’t think I touched it

 

[klyrish]

Cool. Got the new HDMI cable and it's the exact same nonsense with I2s: signal is detected, no audio output.

 

[technobear]

Cool. Got the new HDMI cable and it's the exact same nonsense with I2s: signal is detected, no audio output.

OK, so, down the rabbit hole we go...

I'm afraid IIS over HDMI is a bit of a crap shoot.

This spreadsheet is useful: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1h5PMUBkldkpt1rCnAR4ZHYGZNeCe-vwIFyKWYMZWsX0/htmlview#

Someone has catalogued the various physical interfaces used by various manufacturers to transmit IIS. Just click the "I2S over HDMI" tab to see the spreadsheet for the HDMI physical link.

Now, the user manual for the TOPPING D90 labels pin 16 as "MUTE".

The TOPPING D90 is the ONLY device so far that labels this pin as "MUTE". All the other devices so far catalogued label it as "NC" (Not Connected) or "SDA".

The user manual for the X-SPDIF 2 labels pin 16 as SDA.

I cannot after much searching find an explicit definition of SDA but I suspect it relates to serial data (i.e. DSD), but not MUTE.

Pin 15 is also a puzzle. TOPPING has called it "DSD Flag". No-one else in that spreadsheet calls it that. They are either "NC" or "SDL".

I cannot after much searching find an explicit definition of SDL but I suspect it relates to serial data (i.e. DSD) and may or may not be a DSD Flag.

I think some questions need to be asked of TOPPING here as they seem to be the ones who are out of step.

 

[AudioQuality777]

It is very likely that the d90 is not compatible with X-SPDIF 2. Please ask Topping.

 

[Taz777]

It is very likely that the d90 is not compatible with X-SPDIF 2. Please ask Topping.

I think you are right. I2S seems to be pot luck. The two devices must be pin-compatible. I was lucky to get my DAP connected with only one config change on the D90 menu.

@klyrish: do you have the pinout diagram for your X-SPDIF 2? It would interesting to see which 'standard' it follows.

 

[technobear]

I think you are right. I2S seems to be pot luck. The two devices must be pin-compatible. I was lucky to get my DAP connected with only one config change on the D90 menu.

@klyrish: do you have the pinout diagram for your X-SPDIF 2? It would interesting to see which 'standard' it follows.

It's in the user manual, page 7: https://matrix-digi.com/pdf/X-SPDIF_2_Manual_EN.pdf

 

[Taz777]

It's in the user manual, page 7: https://matrix-digi.com/pdf/X-SPDIF_2_Manual_EN.pdf

Okay, so here are the pinouts of the D90 and the X-SPDIF 2:

D90:

X-SPDIF 2:

Let's see if we can collectively figure this out for @klyrish. I notice that in the manual for the X-SPDIF-2, it mentions three DIP switches on the bottom panel. They seem to slightly correspond to the D90 menu settings.

 

[marcusd]

We just published our initial impressions of the D90 which landed on our desk (albeit slowly due to lockdown).

This could well be a value for money pure DAC king.

https://headfonics.com/2020/04/topping-d90-first-contact/

 

[klyrish]

Let's see if we can collectively figure this out for @klyrish. I notice that in the manual for the X-SPDIF-2, it mentions three DIP switches on the bottom panel. They seem to slightly correspond to the D90 menu settings.

I wasn't aware of those switches on the bottom of the X-SPDIF at all. I flipped each of them and they made no difference that I'm aware of.

I appreciate the help in this thread. I'm definitely not feeling hopeful after the differences between the ports on the devices were posted but I've contacted Topping asking about this and providing a link to this thread as well. Hopefully they have good news in a few days.

In the meantime, I've been running this DAC pretty much nonstop since I got it on Monday and it has really opened up. I'd say that detail retrieval is at least on par with my Metrum Onyx, but bass and treble have better extension and the sound is so much more holographic and enveloping. The Onyx sounds kind of flat and boring in comparison now which is really disappointing due to how much I spent on that DAC.

It's definitely too early to make a final decision and I haven't heard the D90 through my GS-X mini yet since it's in the shop getting a new DACT-24 volume control put in, but I'm definitely leaning hard toward the D90 being my preferred DAC. It's shocking to me given how much I prefer the classic, NOS R2R sound, but this DAC is something special. I haven't been all that impressed with the AKM 449x series thus far but the 4499 is in a whole different league.

 

[AudioQuality777]

I wasn't aware of those switches on the bottom of the X-SPDIF at all. I flipped each of them and they made no difference that I'm aware of.

I appreciate the help in this thread. I'm definitely not feeling hopeful after the differences between the ports on the devices were posted but I've contacted Topping asking about this and providing a link to this thread as well. Hopefully they have good news in a few days.

In the meantime, I've been running this DAC pretty much nonstop since I got it on Monday and it has really opened up. I'd say that detail retrieval is at least on par with my Metrum Onyx, but bass and treble have better extension and the sound is so much more holographic and enveloping. The Onyx sounds kind of flat and boring in comparison now which is really disappointing due to how much I spent on that DAC.

It's definitely too early to make a final decision and I haven't heard the D90 through my GS-X mini yet since it's in the shop getting a new DACT-24 volume control put in, but I'm definitely leaning hard toward the D90 being my preferred DAC. It's shocking to me given how much I prefer the classic, NOS R2R sound, but this DAC is something special. I haven't been all that impressed with the AKM 449x series thus far but the 4499 is in a whole different league.

Thanks for the detailed feedback.
The Topping D90 (€ 800) outperforms the Metrum Onyx (€ 2,500). The impressive result for D90 AK4499 really differs from all previous AK44 .... it’s incomparable detail and sound density. I used at least three DACs on AK chips of the previous generation.

 

[audiobill]

We just published our initial impressions of the D90 which landed on our desk (albeit slowly due to lockdown).

This could well be a value for money pure DAC king.

https://headfonics.com/2020/04/topping-d90-first-contact/

For interested buyers there's an offer in the first section of the above review to get a 10% discount on purchase of a Topping D90 DAC.

 

[Gippy]

Turns out you're one of my man, because i would use it only optical! What optical cable you use on it?
What do you think about sound then, It's great with Optical? (Until you'll try also with Usb maybe one day?) Thanks

I don't believe in boutique cables, so I'm just using a 1.5 metre Hosa Pro cable. Input is 24/192, highest possible with the D90's AK4118 receiver chip. I don't hear any floor noise with optical. I hear floor noise and popping with USB. So as far as I'm concerned, the USB implementation on this DAC for me is trash. I'm using a Windows 7 PC. Maybe it's fixed in Windows 10 because USB audio handling for that OS is improved, I don't know. And other people might have cleaner USB power going into it, so it might be OK for them.

Optical has somewhat of a dubious reputation due to possible jitter issues. But I think the AK4118 chip is doing its job, as I don't hear anything strange.

 

[AudioQuality777]

I specially made sure once again that the D90 on Win10 has no noise on USB. Which is natural because the USB implementation in the D90 is of the highest level. The rest of the interfaces are quite a bit behind in specifications, except for iis, they sound great anyway. A modern DAC that is designed to work on a modern Win10 when using ASIO.
Perhaps the outdated Win7 is not quite suitable for the new ASIO drivers for the Topping D90.Topping v4.82

 

[F208Frank]

Topping seems to be gaining so much popularity, they must be great products.