Review: Topping D90 DAC

Firstly I would like to thank Topping for sending me this sample to review.

*disclaimer: This sample was provided for the purpose of writing a review, no incentive was given to write a favourable review. All opinions expressed are my own subjective findings

Gear Used:
TV > D90 (optical) > Rotel RB-06 > B&W 606
PC > D90 USB > Keces S3 > HE-500 / HE6SE
Pixel 3a (LDAC) > D90 > Rotel RB-06 > B&W 606

Tech Specs:
http://www.tpdz.net/productinfo/398270.html

Price: $699 Standard – $799 MQA Compatible

TOPPING D90 MQA AK4499 Digital to Analog Convertor (DAC)

Packaging, Build Quality and Accessories:

The D90 comes in the new style of Topping packaging, a sleek matte black box with only Topping written on the top. It feels quite premium and is very strong, lift off the top of the box and the D90 is held tightly in place by a foam insert, there are separate slots for the accessories. I really like the new packaging, it makes the products feel a little more premium.

Again like the DX7 Pro, the D90 is much sleeker than earlier Topping products, the case is perfectly machined and shaped, and it feels very solid. The inputs on the back are all of excellent quality and the front display is clear and easy to read. There is a power button on the front along with selection buttons that also act as volume up/down in pre-amp mode. Topping are really working hard to make good looking, great sounding bits of kit.

Accessory wise you get a remote control, Bluetooth antenna, power cable and USB cable. To be fair there isn’t anything else needed so that’s good.

Features:

The D90 is a DAC and it can also be used as a pre-amp, you can change between fixed and variable output easily. It has USB / I2S / Coaxial / Optical / AES and Bluetooh inputs. The last one is something that Topping are putting in to a few of their models and they are using the latest codecs for the best fidelity playback whilst wireless.

The DAC has digital filters (AK4499) which is fairly common, sound differences are subtle but you can fine tune it to your liking. There are single ended and balanced outputs.

Sound:

For the most part I left the D90 in mode 3, I did try the other filters and as previously put they make a small difference. I have also mainly been using the D90 in my hifi system as it fits perfectly into the system. However you use the D90, it will allow you to forget about getting the best out of your source and let you focus on components downstream. The D90 has got to be one of the most linear and detailed DACs that I have listened to. It is incredibly faithful to the recording, completely getting out of the way of the music, which is what I want a DAC to do. It does not flatter you with false warmth, it purely presents the music in a neutral manner.

There is width and depth to the soundstage, there is hard hitting bass, defined midrange and sparkling highs, whichever input you use. Bluetooth is of course the least faithful, however don’t let that make you not use it. The D90 manages to lose very little when used in Bluetooth mode, and it is by far the best implementation I have heard.

We are definitely at that point with DACs where the D90 provides, in my opinion, all the fidelity you could possibly want out of a digital source. Distortion levels are way beyond the capability of our hearing, the frequency response is as flat as you can get, all wrapped up in a neat package. As far as standalone DACs go, if you don’t need network streaming capabilities, the D90 should suit most peoples needs. The sound is never forced, it is grain free and crystal clear. There is also never any glare up top, Toppings implementation of this particular AKM4499 chip is superb as it is analytical but not clinical or cold.

Suffice to say the D90 is an excellent, true to source DAC. It will fit neatly into any system, the pre-amp mode works excellently in any hifi setup with a power amp, yet the pure DAC mode can be hooked up to any headphone amp or integrated amp without issue. The digital filters allow you to tune the sound to a small degree. Pair this DAC with the new A90 amp and you will have a reference point but also an enjoyable system that will power 99% of headphones on the market today.

Conclusion:

The price point for the D90 is exceptionally good if you take into consideration how well it performs. It doesn’t have tons of bells and whistles but it does have a superb bluetooth implementation which many don’t. Sound wise the D90 delivers a true to source sound that is detailed, open and neutral, but without a cold or clinical tonality. If you want a DAC that you can forget about, the D90 is excellent, it lets you focus on the components further downstream.

Sound Perfection Rating: 10/10 (I cannot fault it, in general or for the price)