Verdict
The D900 takes all of the issues that Topping is excellent at and evolves them to their logical conclusion. That is actually state-of-the-art decoding and efficiency that only a few manufacturers can get wherever close to. That is the perfect system of its sort wherever close to the value
Sounds unbelievable
Good connectivity
Very effectively made and engaging
No RCA outs
Could be little reluctant to attach
Distant is a bit clunky
Key Options
Supply
USB Audio, i2S, coax, optical, AES and Bluetooth
Audio high quality
Helps PCM to 768kHz and DSD512
Connectivity
XLR outputs
Introduction
Within the area of some years, Topping has gone from being fully unparalleled to a mainstay of inexpensive hi-fi.
From not a lot over £100, the corporate presents a variety of deeply succesful digital to analogue convertors and headphone amplifiers. They’ve an unerring behavior of doing extra for lower than most of their key rivals they usually have a determinedly loyal following in consequence.
What you see right here is totally different to nearly something that Topping has constructed earlier than. Certain, it’s nonetheless a DAC (and only a DAC, I’ll come to that in the end) however the method wherein it does digital to analogue decoding is one thing pointedly totally different to nearly anything.
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The overwhelming majority of gadgets in the marketplace make use of off the shelf parts from two producers; ESS and AKM. There are then a smattering of smaller issues; Texas Devices, Wolfson and Crystal however the consequence is identical; the precise enterprise of conversion is dealt with by a set piece of silicone.
The D900 joins a tiny variety of gadgets the place there this isn’t the case. The way wherein it turns a digital sign into an analogue one is bespoke and designed to maximise the areas of efficiency that Topping feels is vital. This isn’t with out threat; Topping has a formidable repute constructed on nice implementations of ESS and AKM DACs.
The D900 is directly an argument that there is perhaps a bit extra to the enterprise of decoding being made to individuals who appear fairly settled with what there may be and a step exterior Topping’s personal consolation zone of experience. How does it fare?
Pricing
Within the UK, the D900 is accessible from a choice of retailers for £1799. It may be ordered on-line from some authorised retailers and there ought to be no subject securing one from any location within the UK. Within the USA the D900 is accessible for $1799, reflecting a bigger market and totally different gross sales mannequin. In Australia it’s out there for $3099.
It’s attainable on the time of writing to search out on-line areas transport the D900 direct from the Far East, often with a discount over the UK retail. These items is not going to have a UK guarantee nonetheless so it will be finest to watch out about doing so.
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Design
- Stable and understated
- Small however informative show
- Distant management
- Matching headphone amp
- Some gremlins connecting up
The D900 is a 3 quarter width design at 330mm. It’s completely attainable if you unbox it from the (very well thought out) packaging that you just would possibly discover it barely underwhelming however I believe that feeling ought to cross fairly rapidly.
The D900 arrives trying sober to the purpose of minimalist. I’ve to say I really feel that is the fitting method and I actually prefer it. The D900 has a quiet seriousness to it that ought to sit in most techniques very successfully. The usual of construct is superb and it whispers moderately than shouts a degree of high quality. It’s solely out there in silver.
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The principle point of interest on the entrance panel is a small show. This may present enter and incoming pattern charge data in addition to settings menus and each an quaint output VU meter and extra fashionable graphic equaliser type interface. The show isn’t terribly massive and might’t be learn at an enormous distance however it’s helpful to have when setting the D900 up.
There’s a small however no much less sturdy distant handset too. This has been a little bit of a blended bag for me in use; there have been factors the place it hasn’t been responsive in any respect, however it’s helpful to have; significantly for those who intend to make use of the D900 as a preamp in your system. The distant additionally combines with the show to simplify settings menu entry though the menu tree for this isn’t as intuitive because it might be.
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As hinted at earlier, the D900 is a DAC and never a DAC headphone amp (and that is why the D900 is a ‘D’ and never a ‘DX’). If you wish to go all in, Topping makes the solely analogue A900 to accomplice the D900 and it is a formidable trying system with sockets for any event.
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It does imply that the D900 isn’t as all singing and dancing as a few of its extra inexpensive brethren however permits it to concentrate on a smaller vary of duties. How a lot of a difficulty this might be to you is nearly actually going to depend upon what tools you’ve got kicking round already.
Getting the D900 up and operating wasn’t fully simple. It will not join in any respect to the Chord Electronics 2Go/2Yu streaming head unit over USB and fought me for a while to hook up with the often viceless Eversolo T8.
First it didn’t wish to be seen after which, as soon as it was, it proceeded to lock incorrectly, leading to garbled, excessive velocity sound. As soon as it was sorted, it stayed sorted however I needed to put the trouble in.
Specification
- Wholly bespoke digital to analogue decoding
- Broad choice of digital inputs…
- …however barely extra restricted outputs
- On board EQ
- Preamp performance
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The precept focus of the D900 is its decoding. It isn’t the primary time Topping has applied this method; that was the D90 III Discrete which makes use of a simplified model however the D900 takes it to its logical conclusion.
The system is known as PSRM which stands for Precision Stream Reconstruction Matrix. It’s a ‘1 bit’ system (a notional best that dates again to the early days of CD the place, as long as the sign is dealt with appropriately earlier than it reaches the precise decoder, it boasts the scope for wonderful measured efficiency) and incorporates discrete 1-bit modules that convert digital audio streams into analogue voltage by turning every audio pattern into a really quick practice of 1-bit pulses.
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The waveform is in flip outlined by the density of the pulses and it’s formed by an analogue reconstruction filter. This is identical as an off the shelf Delta Sigma DAC however Topping controls the complete course of moderately than shopping for in a chip that will get on with it. The place the D90 III had 16 of those modules, the D900 has 32 of them.
These modules are powered by a bespoke energy provide that employs a voltage-reference energy provide that’s purely resistive. It makes use of digital switching logic working on the nanosecond degree for optimum efficiency.
The enterprise of turning this sign right into a usable output is undertaken by a brand new, proprietary I/V conversion circuit composed of low distortion built-in op-amps and ultra-low-noise discrete parts fastidiously chosen after repeated testing.
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If this all makes your eyes glaze over, you’ll be able to concentrate on the truth that the claimed measurements (that the D900 has achieved when independently measured) are state-of-the-art.
This formidable {hardware} is made out there to an intensive choice of inputs. There are seven wired connections; two optical, two coax, one AES, one USB (on each USB-C and B connections) and an i2S connection; a really excessive efficiency choice derived from professional audio.
These are augmented by Topping’s wonderful Bluetooth implementation. Pattern charge dealing with through USB and i2S is PCM to 768kHz and DSD to 512 with different connections having decrease general pattern charge dealing with.
The state of affairs with regards outputs is rather less complete although. Output is solely through XLR with each mounted and variable degree examples fitted. Topping says it’s completely okay to make use of XLR to RCA adapters ought to it’s good to however you’ll must funds for these if that’s the best way you wish to go.
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One thing you do get is Topping Tune. This lets you modify a ten band EQ to tweak the output of the Topping to higher swimsuit the output relative to the room. What’s fairly fascinating about this software program is that Topping has elected to make it desktop software program that may be adjusted on a display screen you’ll be able to truly see with out squinting.
From there, changes are communicated over USB to the system itself. I’ve discovered Topping Tune a bit difficult to really uninstall from a Mac however, for those who personal the D900 moderately than have it flip up for overview, this ought to be much less of a difficulty.
Consistent with most Topping gadgets, the D900 has a quantity management and can be utilized as a preamp. In case you have no additional curiosity in an analogue supply, it may be used straight into an influence amp or energetic audio system to streamline your system.
Efficiency
- Actually excellent ranges of element
- Immaculate soundstage and three dimensionality
- Surprisingly tolerant of poor recordings
- Ensures you’ll be able to’t hear the cleverness
Topping’s precedence of their circuit design is low distortion and the perfect sign to noise ration they will handle; on this case a claimed harmonic distortion beneath -140dB and a signal-to-noise ratio of 131dB.
That is nice in an summary sense however what does it imply? Whenever you hearken to the elegant Fink Meets the Royal Concetgebouw Orchestra on the D900, the impact is subtly however noticeably totally different to the way it typically sounds. The opening Berlin Dawn builds from silence… however on the Topping it’s not silent. Within the seven seconds earlier than the orchestra truly begins, the D900 finds the tiniest rustling and stirring of 100 plus folks on the point of carry out. It’s buried within the noise flooring of the recording… however the D900 finds it.
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It’s not merely about these random artefacts both. Because the this observe builds and builds, there’s a logic and order to the orchestra that makes it sound like a plausible physique of musicians. Completely different devices play out from totally different sections and you may discern particular person musicians moderately than single physique of’ strings’ or ‘brass.’ It’s the distinction between a replica and a efficiency and the Topping excels at it.
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It doesn’t must be an orchestra both. Hearken to the pounding and dramatic GO! on Santigold’s Grasp of my Make-Consider and the Topping doesn’t unpick the dense ranges of manufacturing however it ensures that the entire efficiency is simply that little extra intelligible and orderly than it was earlier than.
It does this with astonishing consistency too. Mid-seventies Trojan Information outing that sounds prefer it was saved to a tape after which left on the backside of the ocean? Not an issue. Absolute perfection from Blue Notice? Delivered as meant. The Topping doesn’t alter and even tweak what you hear, it merely delivers extra of it.
What I’ve discovered most spectacular about that is how effectively it handles lower than good recordings. You may give the D900 ii by Meat Puppets; a brilliantly entertaining and vastly influential album however one that’s on no account form or kind hi-fi and the D900 does its work at opening it out and discovering element however the chaos and vitality of the album is left intact.
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This isn’t a ‘save for finest’ type DAC, it’s a genuinely participating and listenable system with all of the belongings you select to play on it.
The one most vital factor is which you can’t hear the expertise at work if you hearken to the D900. For a few of you studying this, this would possibly sound anticlimactic; why go to all the trouble? It displays that the {hardware} is a way to an finish moderately than the tip in itself.
It’s additionally value noting that to realize this as early on within the growth of the expertise is notable. Firms like Chord Electronics and dCS who additionally use bespoke decoding took moderately longer to realize the identical feat and it represents a substantial technical achievement on Topping’s half.
Must you purchase it?
The Topping represents the state-of-the-art in digital decoding and it does so at value the place nearly the whole lot else makes use of off the shelf decoding choices. This can be a style of the actually unique; part of the digital market that has, at instances, been at risk of pricing itself out of existence, at a value that isn’t too loopy. It combines this with a helpful and complete spec too
Element facets of the D900 aren’t as straightforward to reside with as some key rivals. The marginally reluctant distant, reluctance to attach the primary time and the absence of RCA connections make for a tool that’s fractionally extra demanding than some rivals and that may want a bit of additional work in your half to rise up and operating.
Remaining Ideas
There’s some gentle however real jeopardy to Topping constructing the D900. There’ll at all times be a subset of people that really feel it represents Topping someway ‘promoting out’ and constructing one thing that, even when it does measure higher, was a contradiction to the inexpensive brilliance of what the corporate has been doing up to now.
If it wasn’t truly higher, it will have appeared pointless; a tool that wasn’t any enchancment over its extra typical brethren. The truth that the corporate was prepared to take the chance and construct it ought to be counseled.
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How We Take a look at
We check each DAC we overview completely over an prolonged time frame. We use business normal exams to check options correctly. We’ll at all times inform you what we discover.
We by no means, ever, settle for cash to overview a product.
Discover out extra about how we check in our ethics coverage.
- Examined for a number of days
- Examined with actual world use
FAQs
Does the Topping D900 DAC help Bluetooth?
This mannequin does include built-in Bluetooth 5.1 help with LDAC streaming.
Full Specs
Topping D900 DAC Evaluate
Producer
–
Dimension (Dimensions)
330 x 210 x 57 MM
Launch Date
2025
Decision
x
Connectivity
Bluetooth 5.1
Audio Codecs
As much as 32-bit/768kHz PCM, DSD512, LDAC Bluetooth, SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX Adaptive
Bluetooth
Sure
Inputs
USB-C, USB-B, two optical, two coaxial, AES, IIS-LVDS
Outputs
XLR pre, XLR line
Complete Harmonic Distortion + Noise
-140 dB
