[arbiter76]

How does this DAC work wired with iPhone?

Hopefully you have the lighting edition Topping G5 that comes with the cable to plug IPhone in?

this is the way.

 

[ExTubeGamer]

What about using the Topping G5 as a desktop DAC? I could use the 3.5mm output to feed a few amplifiers.

 

[0fricks]

You could, but then you're bypassing a large part of the point for this product - the amp. You could probably find a portable DAC/amp that's much smaller but just as good at the DAC part and just leave it in and not worry about a battery. Not sure how this operates, but some constantly charge and discharge the battery when plugged in all the time which kills the battery pretty quick.

 

[ExTubeGamer]

You could, but then you're bypassing a large part of the point for this product - the amp. You could probably find a portable DAC/amp that's much smaller but just as good at the DAC part and just leave it in and not worry about a battery. Not sure how this operates, but some constantly charge and discharge the battery when plugged in all the time which kills the battery pretty quick.

I would not be bypassing the amp since it would be a pre-amp then.

I am trying to do the same with a Fiio Q3 now.

 

[kfotheringham]

I would not be bypassing the amp since it would be a pre-amp then.

I am trying to do the same with a Fiio Q3 now.

I have both the G5 and the L30 II. For a desktop system, I prefer using a TempoTec BHDpro as the Dac plugged in via 3.5mm to the L30 II. But YMMV.

 

[0fricks]

True that you're not bypassing the amp completely, I just meant you're not benefiting from the gobs of power this amp offers in a portable form factor, which is really the reason for it's existence. It might help if you explain the reasoning, like if you need the preamp or you're looking for something to pull double duty at home and on the go. Otherwise I personally consider them two separate use cases and would even prefer a Schiit Modi over juggling a G5 in and out of my desktop setup.

 

[ExTubeGamer]

True that you're not bypassing the amp completely, I just meant you're not benefiting from the gobs of power this amp offers in a portable form factor, which is really the reason for it's existence. It might help if you explain the reasoning, like if you need the preamp or you're looking for something to pull double duty at home and on the go. Otherwise I personally consider them two separate use cases and would even prefer a Schiit Modi over juggling a G5 in and out of my desktop setup.

I think I might just buy a Questyle M15 to use as my main DAC. I did try to use a few dongle dac's in my chain and i really think i need a maximum resolution neutral DAC.

 

[taipan254]

I think I might just buy a Questyle M15 to use as my main DAC. I did try to use a few dongle dac's in my chain and i really think i need a maximum resolution neutral DAC.

The DAC itself is not great. Using the G5's DAC with native content and relying on the G5 for filtering, the DAC is very disappointing. The best I can get the G5 to sound is by using it with PGGB-RT upsampling via Foobar. While this KICKS ASS at home with my Gustard X26Pro, it basically gets the G5 to an acceptable level for me. It is a very thin sounding DAC with what sounds like a really bad output stage.

The headphone amplifier section is the real star of the show here. It provides great power and clarity for what it is (a single-ended NFCA amp). I'm probably going to sell my unit, and try out the Shanling H7.

 

[JeanPaul Petrosyan]

The DAC itself is not great. Using the G5's DAC with native content and relying on the G5 for filtering, the DAC is very disappointing. The best I can get the G5 to sound is by using it with PGGB-RT upsampling via Foobar. While this KICKS ASS at home with my Gustard X26Pro, it basically gets the G5 to an acceptable level for me. It is a very thin sounding DAC with what sounds like a really bad output stage.

The headphone amplifier section is the real star of the show here. It provides great power and clarity for what it is (a single-ended NFCA amp). I'm probably going to sell my unit, and try out the Shanling H7.

What's the prevalent native sample rate of the music files in your library? If G5 seems to benefit that much from upsampling in your experience, I wonder if it can be attributed (partially, at least) to it's reconstruction filter with a suboptimal degree of attenuation at Nyquist frequency which may result in aliasing?
Are you curious to try out the reconstruction filter option G5 was initially released with, by any chance? It should alleviate the abovementioned issue, if present, and it also produced a simewhat less thin sound going by the subjective impressions of mine.

 

[taipan254]

What's the prevalent native sample rate of the music files in your library? If G5 seems to benefit that much from upsampling in your experience, I wonder if it can be attributed (partially, at least) to it's reconstruction filter with a suboptimal degree of attenuation at Nyquist frequency which may result in aliasing?
Are you curious to try out the reconstruction filter option G5 was initially released with, by any chance? It should alleviate the abovementioned issue, if present, and it also produced a simewhat less thin sound going by the subjective impressions of mine.

• PCM - redbook to 24 / 192
• I agree - I think the filters in the G5 are not too great to begin with given how much improvement I hear going from its internal filters to PGGB-RT
• I likely will not roll-back the firmware - I think it is already up-to-date, and I am aware of the fiasco that occurred with the G5 at launch and Amir's intervention to get the filters fixed... At this point, I still am not getting the quality I want out of my laptop set-up, so I think I may just try a new DAC / AMP combo
• The Amp on this thing rocks though - no question about that... sounds great with other DACs feeding it!

 

[arbiter76]

What's the prevalent native sample rate of the music files in your library? If G5 seems to benefit that much from upsampling in your experience, I wonder if it can be attributed (partially, at least) to it's reconstruction filter with a suboptimal degree of attenuation at Nyquist frequency which may result in aliasing?
Are you curious to try out the reconstruction filter option G5 was initially released with, by any chance? It should alleviate the abovementioned issue, if present, and it also produced a simewhat less thin sound going by the subjective impressions of mine.

I can still hear the aliasing with my FLACs but it's almost invisible compared to the 9038q2m and 9218 DACs. whenever something is not sounding thin everything sounds exceptional and the amp helps a lot. the frequency of stuff sounding thin is low though with my audio flow. Most of the thinness comes from terrible mics, recording and I guess mastering and possibly OPUS codec that YT uses. it's just jarring as hell when the audio gets thin as if it changed hardware or something.

 

[JeanPaul Petrosyan]

I can still hear the aliasing with my FLACs but it's almost invisible compared to the 9038q2m and 9218 DACs. whenever something is not sounding thin everything sounds exceptional and the amp helps a lot. the frequency of stuff sounding thin is low though with my audio flow. Most of the thinness comes from terrible mics, recording and I guess mastering and possibly OPUS codec that YT uses. it's just jarring as hell when the audio gets thin as if it changed hardware or something.

You're not the first person here to mention hearing aliasing. Despite talking about it from a theoretical standpoint I myself have absolutely no idea about how aliasing should/could present itself in practice or, to be exact, how we perceive it's effects. Do you mind describing what you hear as aliasing?

>OPUS codec that YT uses

You're talking about YouTube (Music), right? Am I not that much of a weirdo to listen to such low quality formatted music with audiophile grade gear? Though in my case I haven't been bothering with anything better at all for the past year and a half.

• PCM - redbook to 24 / 192
• I agree - I think the filters in the G5 are not too great to begin with given how much improvement I hear going from its internal filters to PGGB-RT
• I likely will not roll-back the firmware - I think it is already up-to-date, and I am aware of the fiasco that occurred with the G5 at launch and Amir's intervention to get the filters fixed... At this point, I still am not getting the quality I want out of my laptop set-up, so I think I may just try a new DAC / AMP combo
• The Amp on this thing rocks though - no question about that... sounds great with other DACs feeding it!

The aliasing issue should only present itself with Red Book to my understanding, but yeah, I think it may not be the only factor here.

Though I'm really starting to contemplate trying to revert to the original firmware if possible. Do we have Topping representatives on Head-Fi to reach out to and ask if that's even possible?

 

[rinderkappajoe]

You're not the first person here to mention hearing aliasing. Despite talking about it from a theoretical standpoint I myself have absolutely no idea about how aliasing should/could present itself in practice or, to be exact, how we perceive it's effects. Do you mind describing what you hear as aliasing?

>OPUS codec that YT uses

You're talking about YouTube (Music), right? Am I not that much of a weirdo to listen to such low quality formatted music with audiophile grade gear? Though in my case I haven't been bothering with anything better at all for the past year and a half.



The aliasing issue should only present itself with Red Book to my understanding, but yeah, I think it may not be the only factor here.

Though I'm really starting to contemplate trying to revert to the original firmware if possible. Do we have Topping representatives on Head-Fi to reach out to and ask if that's even possible?

Just write them an email they are quite quick to respond

service[at]tpdz.net

 

[arbiter76]

You're not the first person here to mention hearing aliasing. Despite talking about it from a theoretical standpoint I myself have absolutely no idea about how aliasing should/could present itself in practice or, to be exact, how we perceive it's effects. Do you mind describing what you hear as aliasing?

You're talking about YouTube (Music), right? Am I not that much of a weirdo to listen to such low quality formatted music with audiophile grade gear? Though in my case I haven't been bothering with anything better at all for the past year and a half.

The aliasing issue should only present itself with Red Book to my understanding, but yeah, I think it may not be the only factor here.

the best way to describe it? audio sounds jagged. 9038 is a big improvement over 9218 but 9068 is bigger from 9038. it's very subtle and I don't know if everybody can hear it. it became more prominent when I had some asahi kasei DACs where the audio is smooth and I was able to compare the differences. overall I prefer AK DACs for the warmth and smoothness but the 9068 ticks a lot of boxes itself.

I rarely listen to YT music. I have about 2 dozen files where the only copy of the song I have is opus. I also have an old phone with huge playlist and I converted all the files to opus. I also have some videos where I believe the audio is opus. opus actually sounds pretty good for 160 kbps. I'll take 160 opus any day over 128-256 mp3.

 

[arbiter76]

sup fellas. anybody here tried the zero RED? I just received mine today due to the recommendation for gaming. I also found out today some recommend the blue. lol. anyways, pair nicely with the G5 on medium gain. very nicely. I didn't expect them to be this good. neutral besides the bass. there's a bass boost but first piece of equipment I've bought and said this is just the right amount of bass without killing the rest of the sound. also, good for gaming. RED makes the BLON 03 sound tinny in comparison. the only win the 03s have is they're still the most comfortable IEM I have. also, I just made a comment about the aliasing I can hear from ESS DACs. so far I haven't heard much in these but they only have 5h on them and I'm going to burn them in tonight.