Topping D50 III compared to other budget DACs - Who will win?

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00:00 Intro
00:50 Features
04:43 Sound
07:49 vs SMSL D6S
11:48 Let's place it
14:01 Final thoughts

Room test system:
Eversolo DMP-A8, Allo DigiOne Signature

Head-Fi:

#hifi #audiophile #dac #stereo

[sloboat]

The audiophile joke was classic. Excellent

[오늘도잔잔하게]

You are the best reviewer. Thank you for the wonderful review. I hope many people subscribe and like your videos.😍😍

[minutemanpressofalexandria]

based on your review i purchased this along with a Topping P50 power supply and it is sublime. thanks for the review.

[andrewweis]

Your observations about the sound quality of this DAC using a cheap wall wart power supply are very intriguing. Recently I discovered Topping makes a linear power supply (P50) for this DAC and the DX3 Pro+ which is what I have. It costs $129 in the US which is only $20 more than the iFi you mentioned and it’s a substantial brick not a wall wart. When I first heard the DX3 Pro+ I was stunned by its clarity and neutrality. It caused me to question whether my audiophile preferences were just listening to colorations, for $200. Reviews I read said the tonality of the DX3 Pro+ were on the cold side of neutral. Quite possible, I thought but not so sure. At any rate I bought the P50 which I thought was a bargain for $129 and it made a really big difference and one could state that with the power supply it deserves, the DX3 Pro+ is definitely no longer on the cool side of neutral, it’s just neutral, period. I can therefore say without hesitation if this DAC you reviewed is that good with a cheap power supply, it is in reality an even better DAC and Topping has created an inexpensive upgrade option which I suspect makes it quite a bit more formidable.

[therealboofighter]

I bought a D50s, it is my first DAC separate. I really like it and so far don’t see the need to upgrade. Your video was one of the reasons I went with it. Thank you.

[Driving_Somewhere]

Greetings from Singapore. Than you for providing uncommon insight into the relative sound quality levels at each price point!! Invaluable info!!

[chrisflywheel]

Great review. As I commented before, using the Topping D50 III with a decent audiophile linear power supply will let it sound way better, especially regarding bass and impulse response!

[DeDovla]

D50 III as a DAC is currently the one to beat for sure at the 200-250$ price point. The inclusion of a PEQ is what sets it apart from others like the D6-S or DO100 Pro. Do note that PEQ is only available on USB and supports 32bit and up to 192kHz sampling.
Someone that might want to use HDMI ARC can look at the newly released DO100 Pro from SMSL. I think it's better than the D6-S because of the HDMI ARC support and also it has 2x9039Q2M instead of 1x9039Q2M and apparantely a 4v/5v switch which the D6-S doesn't have.

For combo units as someone already mentioned SMSL DL200 or C200 great value for money. You can even buy a headphone amp on top and run it TRS to TRS/XLR if you feel the one inside the unit is lacking as the DACs are good on their own.

[jeffa]

I bought the topping D50 III because it has good solid reviews and it has volume control on the front as well as remote.
My track record of misplacing remotes is stellar! 😅
I enjoyed your review.

[rm-mastering]

That sounds very truthful and honest opinion. I agree there is not much differences in economical similarities in general just a touch of flavour as I've observed with 1K dacs. Well respected.

[HarriGary]

Thank you again for your great descriptions of what you hear and your sincere opinion of this product.

I am really enjoying your song recommendations, watching with Tidal open and listening to some great new tunes. My vision isn't so great and it's kind of hard to read the titles on the screen. If it wouldn't be too much trouble I would greatly appreciate it if you could add a list to the description of your videos. I think a lot of people like me would find great new music that way.

Keep up the good work man.

[dannytantri]

Hi from Australia! I've been following you for a while and have always enjoyed your take on products. I'm really interested to hear your take on wiim amp. I know it's been reviewed elsewhere your review always hits the spot for me. 😅

[bassebassesen]

Good review reader
Saw you in Greece, was going to give you praise, but didn't have time until you were gone. And yes, im going to use it for bluetooth; )

[jdplus]

Always nice to return and listen to your easy listening critiques . Very low key and informative. I always wonder how my original topping D90 sounds vs many of your newer DAC reviews, and worth upgrading .It is bass strong and I can’t afford the denafrips which probably is the more musical sound and soundstage I like .

[nw]

Would be great to compare d50 iii+ a50 iii stack to new hifiman ef500, which is 460$ combo unit with streamer. So price is similar. DS vs R2R.

[petrpulpytel]

Great review as always Srboljub👍 many thanks... It should be interesting how this dac stands against older higher tier dacs like Tradutto for example, which costs now 400, - I mean, if the technology goes so fast, that older dacs (pricier) can compete with the new ones..

[Ymedia]

What are the differences in sound? If choosing between topping d50iii or e70 Velvet, is it worth the extra cost?

[thomasb.]

You nailed it! That’s exactly the type of info we’re looking for : what are my best options according to your experience/ expertise for x or z budget ? Always Happy to hear news from your channel 😊
Oh btw : have you had any info about the DAP Hiby R4 ?

[johnjolly]

Thanks for the review!
I would like to see a comparison with the Geshelli J2S base model & Aune X8.
Then do the power supply upgrade & OpAmp rolling

[BadMonkeyFinger_Audio]

May I ask - how does this Topping D50 III compare to the SMSL Sanskrit 10th Mk2?