[Abodh]

I've heard that the D90 in DAC mode + THX 887 will clip on the "3" gain setting on the 887. Any chance someone can confirm that? Does this combo give you enough control over super low-impedance IEMs/headphones in the "I" setting? About where would the volume dial end up?

I'm in need of a upgrade for a workstation and seriously debating between the D90+A90, D90+THX, and the RME ADI-2 FS. It's just crazy how much value there is in the market around $1K now compared to a couple years ago.

Yes,
D90 outputs 4v on balanced and 2v on rca output

THX amps have 7v input for gain 1 and 2 but 3v input on gain 3.


If you don’t need the third gain, you can save $200 by going with THX+D90. Or just use D90 single ended output if you don’t mind it.

if you need the third gain and balanced interconnects then D90+A90 would be the way to go.
Both THX or A90 are here to stay, so you can sell them at good price if you need to.

 

[jsmiller58]

I've heard that the D90 in DAC mode + THX 887 will clip on the "3" gain setting on the 887. Any chance someone can confirm that? Does this combo give you enough control over super low-impedance IEMs/headphones in the "I" setting? About where would the volume dial end up?

I'm in need of a upgrade for a workstation and seriously debating between the D90+A90, D90+THX, and the RME ADI-2 FS. It's just crazy how much value there is in the market around $1K now compared to a couple years ago.

I have a D90 on the way So I can’t exactly say... I have the 789 rather than 887, currently paired to the D7Xs. I was worried about clipping on the highest gain setting, so on the advice of the designer of the 787 I have the DAC volume set to -6dB to address the potential of clipping when my ap is on high gain. Maybe something like this will help, though I am not sure how to do this on the the D90...

 

[Abodh]

I have a D90 on the way So I can’t exactly say... I have the 789 rather than 887, currently paired to the D7Xs. I was worried about clipping on the highest gain setting, so on the advice of the designer of the 787 I have the DAC volume set to -6dB to address the potential of clipping when my ap is on high gain. Maybe something like this will help, though I am not sure how to do this on the the D90...

I don’t understand the recommendation of lowering theDAC output volume!
Given we only need to worry about clipping on Gain 3.
Lowering the DAC volume sets you back on the amp output gain as well. So essentially Gain 2 output = Gain 3 output with Dac volume at -6db.

This is really a dumb recommendation from developers.

 

[jsmiller58]

I don’t understand the recommendation of lowering theDAC output volume!
Given we only need to worry about clipping on Gain 3.
Lowering the DAC volume sets you back on the amp output gain as well. So essentially Gain 2 output = Gain 3 output with Dac volume at -6db.

This is really a dumb recommendation from developers.

Possibly it was a dumb recommendation. It was a safe level to avoid clipping on the highest gain setting, and I wanted a set it and forget it level. If I was never going to use the highest gain setting then I think 0dB would be fine.

 

[Abodh]

Almost all my music listening is via Tidal, and an ever increasing number of albums on Tidal are encoded with MQA. Some reviewers noted this material sounded better with hardware decoding (for the majority without a hardware decoder, the Tidal app uses software to decode MQA); others just hate any form of MQA. For my uses, I thought it was worth taking a shot on the MQA version. For people who do not use Tidal at all, or not extensively, I don't think there is much, if any, reason to get the MQA version.

I bought the MQA version just to compare and argue about how bad the MQA sounds. :/

 

[Chu]

Yes,
D90 outputs 4v on balanced and 2v on rca output

THX amps have 7v input for gain 1 and 2 but 3v input on gain 3.


If you don’t need the third gain, you can save $200 by going with THX+D90. Or just use D90 single ended output if you don’t mind it.

if you need the third gain and balanced interconnects then D90+A90 would be the way to go.
Both THX or A90 are here to stay, so you can sell them at good price if you need to.

Thanks for the confirmation. So how loud can these drive something like a 600ohm Beyer at the "II" setting? Does the "I" setting give you enough control over 8 ohm super-low-impedance IEMs?

 

[auronthas]

So how loud can these drive something like a 600ohm Beyer at the "II" setting? Does the "I" setting give you enough control over 8 ohm super-low-impedance IEMs?

I don't have Beyer DT990 Premium. But my HD650 and HE4XX, at medium gain setting, dial to 12 to 1 o'clock is good enough for me, classical music may be 2 o'clock.

For your low impedance and sensitivity IEM, strongly recommend to connect direct to your source. I can hear clipping/distortion at 9 o'clock,low gain.

 

[hmscott]

I've heard that the D90 in DAC mode + THX 887 will clip on the "3" gain setting on the 887. Any chance someone can confirm that? Does this combo give you enough control over super low-impedance IEMs/headphones in the "I" setting? About where would the volume dial end up?

I'm in need of a upgrade for a workstation and seriously debating between the D90+A90, D90+THX, and the RME ADI-2 FS. It's just crazy how much value there is in the market around $1K now compared to a couple years ago.

Any of those would be an awesome set up, I don't think you'll go wrong with any of them.

I picked the D90 MQA / A90 as the timing was right - I'd been waiting for the A90 for a while and the MQA version of the D90 release happened in between.

If you already have the AMP you can run the D90 in PRE mode and reduce the output - IDK how much it would take to stop clipping.

Perhaps too much output reduction trimmed on the D90 PRE mode could cut into the resolution or reduce the fidelity of the source material, but I'm at -15dB right now for the KZ AS16 on the D90 / A90 and switching back and forth between DAC and PRE modes for other IEM's / headphones to check the fidelity and I'm not hearing any loss of details or soundstage.

Possibly it was a dumb recommendation. It was a safe level to avoid clipping on the highest gain setting, and I wanted a set it and forget it level. If I was never going to use the highest gain setting then I think 0dB would be fine.

The D90 output is matched well across the L / M / H gain settings of the A90, but for a couple of sensitive IEM's - the KZ AS16 and DK2001 for example - there isn't much room at the bottom of the volume dial in L Gain with the D90 feeding the A90 in DAC mode - fixed output.

It only takes a few seconds to set the D90 into PRE mode and trim the output -5dB to -15dB depending on the IEM, problem solved without any audible difference between PRE / DAC modes from my listening.

I don't have any 600ohm headphones yet, still in the cart, but for those there might be a need to return to DAC mode from PRE +0.0dB mode - I'll report on that later.

For now I've left the D90 in PRE mode as I'm breaking in the AS16 / DK2001, right now at -15dB - depends on the source material audio heat which I could turn down there too - at the source.

I've jumped back and forth between DAC and PRE mode's and I don't hear any resolution loss, or soundstage loss, so whatever the D90 is doing it's using "spare bits" and not affecting the media data.

I bought the MQA version just to compare and argue about how bad the MQA sounds. :/

Exactly, we've got the choice - with or without MQA - if MQA keeps growing then we are covered, otherwise if we ever find a source where FLAC sounds better than MQA we've got something to complain about to the Mastering Studio responsible for the MQA release.

Please let us know when you find a MQA / FLAC pairing where you hear one as "better" than the other through the D90 MQA.

 

[auronthas]

Close-up of D90 /A90 stack, lovely combo... musically and aesthetically.

D90

A90

 

[Dionysus]

I use the D90 MQA with the Drop THX 789 with a Mac Mini zero issue. I own the SP200 but returned it because of the need for its front 3.5mm se inputs. Have you considered the THX 789 from Drop, I couldn't tell any sound signature difference and I auditioned them both, before I shipped back the SP200.

 

[jsmiller58]

I have a pretty old driver (4.47) and trying to prepare my system for my D90 that I have coming in...

Trying to download firmware and driver updates from the Topping website... tpzd.net/newsinfo/374859.html

I select 4.82 drivers

my Malwarebytes complains it is a suspicious site.

i add it to the trusted sites

click again

select download

my router complains (uses Trend Micro firewall) that “This site contains malware”

Anyone else experiencing this?

 

[hmscott]

I have a pretty old driver (4.47) and trying to prepare my system for my D90 that I have coming in...

Trying to download firmware and driver updates from the Topping website... tpzd.net/newsinfo/374859.html

I select 4.82 drivers

my Malwarebytes complains it is a suspicious site.

i add it to the trusted sites

click again

select download

my router complains (uses Trend Micro firewall) that “This site contains malware”

Anyone else experiencing this?

False positives aren't unusual for rarified sites and rarely seen files, there's usually a default cut-off - if we haven't see it enough it might be bad - or if there is no independent verification that a site or file is good it is assumed suspect.

I've been running 4.82 driver download from Topping since it released, no problems.

http://www.tpdz.net/newsinfo/374859.html
http://www.tphifi.net/drivers/topping_usbaudio_setup_v4.82.0.zip

If you have the D90 MQA model there is a firmware update for Macintosh owners - I installed it even though I don't have any Macintoshes - it's a simple fix to a problem found with D90 MQA vs D90 - and the install is easy.

http://www.tpdz.net/newsinfo/396959.html
http://www.tphifi.net/drivers/d90mqafw123.zip

 

[jsmiller58]

False positives aren't unusual for rarified sites and rarely seen files, there's usually a default cut-off - if we haven't see it enough it might be bad - or if there is no independent verification that a site or file is good it is assumed suspect.

I've been running 4.82 driver download from Topping since it released, no problems.

http://www.tpdz.net/newsinfo/374859.html
http://www.tphifi.net/drivers/topping_usbaudio_setup_v4.82.0.zip

If you have the D90 MQA model there is a firmware update for Macintosh owners - I installed it even though I don't have any Macintoshes - it's a simple fix to a problem found with D90 MQA vs D90 - and the install is easy.

http://www.tpdz.net/newsinfo/396959.html
http://www.tphifi.net/drivers/d90mqafw123.zip

Thanks!

 

[NickedWicked]

Has anyone compared the D90/A90 stack with a RME ADI-2 Pro FS? I've been looking at reviews scientifically and subjectively and Topping certainly doesn't disappoint, delivering the same kind of performance as a Benchmark DAC3 + HPA4 stack for a fraction of the cost.

I love the RME ADI-2 Pro FS to death and I've been using it along with a Violectric V281. Although I've been thinking about stepping it down to just a new RME ADI-2 Pro FS R, so that it will just be a single unit to listen to headphones and monitors as well as getting input from both my PC as well as the TV in one unit, especially now that it has a remote as well.

The V281 has an edge over the ADI-2 amp section but it's just too small for me to care so it will have to go (with pain in my chest admittedly). Then I saw the Topping D90/A90 combo, having a ton of features, femtosecond clock, great connectivity and ofcourse the (according to ASR anyway) SOTA performance.

I may just have to try this stack in the very near future.

 

[Gefell]

I've heard that the D90 in DAC mode + THX 887 will clip on the "3" gain setting on the 887. Any chance someone can confirm that? Does this combo give you enough control over super low-impedance IEMs/headphones in the "I" setting? About where would the volume dial end up?

I'm in need of a upgrade for a workstation and seriously debating between the D90+A90, D90+THX, and the RME ADI-2 FS. It's just crazy how much value there is in the market around $1K now compared to a couple years ago.

So I don't have a D90, but I do own an 887. My 887 clips in the high gain ( mode 3) out of my Prism Sound Lyra2's XLR, so I suspect it will clip out of the D90 XLR. XLR is 4v & RCA is 2v. Assuming the 887 has the same design as the Drop version... there was a post on the drop version describing why their stage 3 will clip if more than 2.1v is received. https://drop.com/buy/drop-thx-aaa-789-linear-amplifier/talk/2170291

You should be able to use all 3 stages with RCA or stage 1/2 with XLR. For what it's worth, I use Shure 846/215s out of the low gain on the 887 and it was dead quiet and had plenty of room on the dial both ways. My Audeze 4z which are less efficient, I use on stage 2 about 11 o clock and it's plenty loud.