Topping E30 Review - Lots of DAC Here

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Recommended Speaker List

Around $100 (These prices will fluctuate between $75 - $150)
Pioneer AJ First Gen - Laid Back

Around $200

Around $400

Around $500

Around $600

Recommended Amp List

Around $130

Around $400

[nickelbut]

Speakers second. Amp third and dac fourth. Although some cheap amps sound good when replacing their internal dacs. That said the number one thing to making a system sound great is the Room. A dedicated room with proper build and treatment makes all the difference.

[derekf]

Here at the CAM we don't feel that audio equipment should cost as much as an out of pocket or out of network Colonoscopy (medication cost, doctor fee, facility fee, anesthesia fee).

[cablebrain]

About Apos: I purchased the E30 DAC from them when it first came out. It was priced at $130 at the time. Apos seemed to think that the delivery of the product was taking too long (although I was fine with the time it took and never contacted them). They unexpectedly knocked off $30 from the price. So I ended up getting the E30 for $100. I have never heard of such a thing happening. If I were to ever buy a product that they carried, I would certainly buy it from THEM.

I felt guilty not having mentioned this before now. They deserved credit for this kindness. Thanks Apos.

The E30 is definitely better than my aging Onkyo TX-SR 805 A/V receiver's internal DAC; it's smoother, less hard sounding. I'll be happy with it until I upgrade my system.

[welderfixer]

@cheapaudioman Thanks for all of your honest and detailed reviews. DACs like all other audio gear - hard to choose one. With nearly zero local HiFi retailers anymore I guess we'll have rely on dealers like Apos for the buy-try-return shopping way of life now. I bet the UPS executives are livin' large these days on the shipping $. 😁

[boborman]

I just got my e30 last night i actually learned something thanks, time for you to review a cheap tube amp.

[JarrettWalksOttawa]

Review starts at 5 min after the ad for Apos Audio.

[ujean]

Great video. You are indeed the chief of cheap audio!

[thomasward]

Another great review, I"m wondering if the Topping will pair better with my Cambridge Amp and speakers since they are warm, or would the Schitt Modi 3+ work better?

[Panslapper]

....so no hazing on the glazing save some for Got the E30, very sweet bit of kit!

[TheFriday]

Does it sound better than the DAC in the Emotiva? I have the Emotiva PreAmp PT-100

[mattkalis]

I love my E30. I have it plugged into my TA100. I would agree that it sounds a little too analytical with my B1+ speakers (the detail is phenomenal, though!). Switching to the bowers and Wilkins M1 brings just enough warmth to make it sound great.

Anyone know what codes to use to program a Comcast X1 remote to the E30?

[aa]

This is an okay dac. Not that smooth but detailed. It's not a good preamp

[robertwilson]

You spent half the review talking about your sponsor.Could you buy me a topping E30 to compensate me for my time?

[edholmwood]

I have one and like it very much. I use it as a DAC for Audirvana going into my Reisong A10 tube amp. Sounds very good plus, BONUS!! I now have a remote volume. Winner, winner...

[cdyow]

I own a Topping DX3 Pro that I use for my headphone set-up. But in the future I plan on going the 2 channel Sony route + Elacs, and I'll drop my Topping "on top" as a a preamp so I can run optical in from my tv, and usb in from my iMac where all my Flac files live. And still have the Sony's phono inputs available for my U-Turn turntable that's supposed to ship the end of Feb.

[ziggy]

review the smsl sanskrit 10th and have it in a shootout with the topping

[kenzilla]

Hi Randy. I have a suggestion that might be worth for you to look into. Why not make a chart/rank of all the dacs and speakers you have reviewed and will review in the future. That way it will be easier for us to track the products you have tested and could help us choose the proper gear to add to our systems at the right price for us. I hope you can do this since the number of products you have reviewed is getting more and harder to find in your videos. Your videos are really helpful especially to us who are not able to test them personally. More power to you.

[mattyj]

When you review the ifi Zen and ifi Zen blue Please let us know if it is the same DAC chip? If the Zen blue is good I won’t have to purchase a streamer. I can continue to just use my IPad. Fingers crossed.

[wojciechczupta]

can you recommend 100 USD dac with optical and bluetooth interfaces?

[Grimior]

Way to much B.S. juat wanted to see a review on this dac. Moving on