[Taz777]

Does it makes sense to upgrade the power cable on D90 DAC? Will it; or i should say, CAN a better power cable improve the sound quality of a headphone DAC?

I don't think you'd notice any difference. I am using an 'audiophile' 3-pin IEC kettle mains cable with my D90 but that's simply because I bought several a couple of years ago as they are very well built and a shorter length (1.2 metres) than usual. I don't notice any difference in sound quality versus a generic IEC kettle cable.

I am firm believer in cables making a difference to sound quality in some situations that I have first-hand experience of, but in this case I don't think it matters.

 

[Abodh]

I don't think you'd notice any difference. I am using an 'audiophile' 3-pin IEC kettle mains cable with my D90 but that's simply because I bought several a couple of years ago as they are very well built and a shorter length (1.2 metres) than usual. I don't notice any difference in sound quality versus a generic IEC kettle cable.

I am firm believer in cables making a difference to sound quality in some situations that I have first-hand experience of, but in this case I don't think it matters.

Awesome! Thanks a lot for thequick help! Really appreciate it!
cheers!

 

[hmscott]

ARRIVED..



Upgraded to 1.24 version And Testing..

Best Regards

Sisco

I see you've got a Dunu IEM cable plugged in. Which model? I'm using a DK2001 with my A90 / D90 MQA and they are amazing.

The DK2001 in ear fit can be painful for me after hours, the back of my ear canal gets sore, I've reduced that pain effect with different eartips - AZLA SednaEarFit ML - but I think a 2 or 3 level tip might help push the painful pressure up off of the ear so I am going to search for those next. Any tips on eartips you've found work with the Dunu IEM's would be appreciated.

As much as I like the swappable cable ends - I bought the whole set and use 4.4mm mostly - I find the cable itself can be improved upon and have swapped in KB EAR 16 core Copper and KB EAR 16 core Silver cables - both have interesting effect on the DK2001 sound vs stock cable.

I may get the next cable up in the Dunu series of connector swap cables, just about to start looking at what is affordable - the KB EAR cables are outstanding quality for $29-$39 so tough to beat for their sound improvement nature on a budget.

I've also found that putting the D90 MQA into PRE mode @ -30db allows me to set the A90 to M Gain and H Gain range and I get improved sound qualities in both over L Gain, something I'd love to have confirmed by another owner.

The DK2001 is very sensitive and even in L gain it helps to run the D90 MQA in PRE mode dropping down to -15dB / -12dB / -3dB to give more range on the A90 volume dial in L Gain.

I use XLR cables to connect the D90 MQA to the A90 and upgraded audiophile USB cable to connect to my PC. The stock USB cable is shrill on my test tracks as compared to the upgraded cable btw.

Are you using a Windows PC or Mac to drive the D90? The 1.24 firmware is only needed for Macintosh - there was a bug only in the MQA version of the D90 MQA on Macintosh. I updated as well just in case I ever need to connect up a Mac to my D90 MQA in the future.

How goes the testing?

 

[John Massaria]

Ok I had my D90 for a few months- LOVE it. But I had a quick question regarding PCM when using my disc player- I always thought bitstream is what you want not PCM so why is this DAC set to PCM when using COAX- isnt that just resampling the crappy DAC in my DVD spinner? Thanks for any and all answers... I know PCM is uncompressed audio but isnt it being handled by the CD PLAYER and then resampled by D90 or am I crazy

 

[HarveyKrisz]

Is there any issues with D90 Mqa versions on Mac os? Heard lot of people complaining on windows with the d90 bad usb design. I’m planing to buy one.

 

[Dionysus]

Is there any issues with D90 Mqa versions on Mac os? Heard lot of people complaining on windows with the d90 bad usb design. I’m planing to buy one.

I have zero issues using a Mac Mini on either Catalina or Big Sur using the Topping D90 MQA and THX 789.

 

[davesa]

in my opinion no, an upgraded power cord would not improve the sound. The cable in the wall is the same as it was, and changing the last 6 feet will not somehow alter the sound. The Topping already has a nicely engineered power supply, to ensure the device gets good, clean power and you could use that effort and money to try new pads on your headphones as an example, or even different cables to your amp or headphones that carry the analog signal.

 

[NickedWicked]

After waiting a delay of 2 weeks I finally got my D90/A90 pair. Installed the newest drivers and v1.24 firmware, disabled BT and enabled DAC modem, filter on mode 1 (linear as possible) not a fan of the cheap XLR ports other than that they feel really heavy and sturdy.

Quick impressions paired up with a ZMF Auteur: Wow, listening to some Stevie Wonder, Pink Floyd, Miles Davis and Daft Punk I instantly noticed the insane clarity and void black noisefloor as well as some small faults with some really good vinyl recordings I pulled off Rutracker. Lows are expressive, tight and felt, mids are very neutral, not pushed forward like I'm somewhat used to but rather sit in the middle, not too laidback either, vocals sound pretty spectacular sometimes, highs sounds great as well, air, detail it's all there.

I will post pics as well as detailed impressions and comparisons with my current setup later this week.

 

[m-i-c-k-e-y]

So coming from an ADI-2 Pro + V281, how was it?

 

[NickedWicked]

So coming from an ADI-2 Pro + V281, how was it?

In terms of technicalities and performance I find it to be right up there, perhaps even better.

I can’t say for sure yet, honeymoon period, confirmation bias etc. All in all it sounds excellent right off the bat.

Will have to test different configurations such as D90/V281 and ADI-2 Pro/A90 to get some idea of the nuances of every individual unit.

EDIT: added a pic of the 2 setups next to each other.

 

[m-i-c-k-e-y]

For half the price, that's great!

Happy sleepless nights!

 

[Dionysus]

I have owned the D90 MQA now for around 2 months and have paired it to my THX 789 and my main driver the 800s. This pairing has been one of my favorites in this hobby, and I've been in it now for a decade plus.
The D90 is extremely resolving, the air between musical notes is beautifully rendered. The bass is tight not muddied in any way and full of texture. Mids are excellent and neutral relative to some of the best setups I have heard and frankly hard to beat, without really breaking the bank.
Its hard to imagine things being orders of magnitude better, its always been a chase to find what might be a better thing looming, and that last 5% is always hard to justify that diminishing return.For now im very pleased with this setup.

 

[TRÚTER]

I've had the Topping D90 for a week. There is a huge issue with it: the USB implementation is terrible, at least on Windows PCs.

When you use USB input, and audio playback stops, a few seconds later, you will hear a very faint pop. This is the USB driver ceasing transmission and going to "sleep" in order to save power. Why is it doing this? It's a desktop DAC!

Note that I also have an iFi Micro iDSD Black Label, which also exhibited this problem. However, after numerous people complained about this, iFi released a special firmware (5.1b) that disabled sleep mode. This actually fixed the problem for me. Why am I mentioning this? As it turns out, the USB control panel for both the Topping and iFi devices are eerily similar:



In addition, with the USB cable plugged in, I could hear faint noise on my headphones when I turned up the volume knob all the way. My Grado GS3000e uses 32-ohm drivers, so they're more sensitive to that, but it shows that the Topping D90's USB noise filtering isn't ideal.

All of these issues were fixed by disconnecting the USB cable and using optical input, which always sends a signal even when there's no audio playback. I don't have a USB decrapifier like a Schiit Wyrd or an iFi iPurifier3, so I don't know whether that would also be a remedy. I also haven't tested the other input methods like AES. However, as many PCs have optical out on their motherboard, I would advise anyone getting the Topping D90 to at least consider using optical instead of USB.

You installed the Drivers....I don't have that problem with the installed drivers.Ah sorry I see.

 

[MRHiFiReviews]

Hey, friends my thoughts on the Topping A90 paired with the Topping D90! I hope you enjoy the video.

 

[sajunky]

There is a design problem with A90, you should be aware. Read my comment in a A90 thread: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/topping-a90.927412/post-15746300