Topping A90

TheOctopus

TheOctopus

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Any feedback on the Topping A90? A friend wants to get into computer desk streaming/listening with headphones. I love my tubes but he wants simplicity... How is the Topping? Not too sterile sounding I hope?
 
It runs neck and neck with the RME Audio ADI-2 DAC FS. There’s a bunch of video reviews on YouTube, some entertaining.

I went with the RME and really love it.

The Topping comes in 2 versions, with mqa and without. I have not heard it but have not read a bad word about these dacs I mentioned.

Best DACs of 2020 | The Master Switch
 
joeinid said:
It runs neck and neck with the RME Audio ADI-2 DAC FS. There’s a bunch of video reviews on YouTube, some entertaining.

I went with the RME and really love it.

The Topping comes in 2 versions, with mqa and without. I have not heard it but have not read a bad word about these dacs I mentioned.

Best DACs of 2020 | The Master Switch
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Looks interesting Joe.

I like the one box simplicity.





RME-ADI-2-ED-DSC_0354.jpg
 
TheOctopus said:
Oh! Nice! Thanks

Joe which headphones are you using with your RME?
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Hi Serge,

I'm not a headphone guy (yet). I bought it to use as my main dac and was quite content until the borrowed Esoteric K-01XD opportunity came up.

Depending on how long my brother lets me keep the Esoteric, will determine when I go back to the RME until I can afford my own K-01XD or N-01XD.
 
joeinid said:
Hi Serge,

I'm not a headphone guy (yet). I bought it to use as my main dac and was quite content until the borrowed Esoteric K-01XD opportunity came up.

Depending on how long my brother lets me keep the Esoteric, will determine when I go back to the RME until I can afford my own K-01XD or N-01XD.
Click to expand...

Joe,you need a pair of sennheiser HD600 in your life. :cool:

Fortunately they are once again available in a new shell design but with same drivers and sonic signature. The HD600 have been one of my longest and steadiest pieces of gear for enjoying music for the last quarter century. Speakers and headphones came and went but I’ve always kept a pair of HD600 around. They are musical, engaging and non fatiguing with any genre of music. Not expensive either.
 
Thank you for the recommendation. I actually might have an older pair kicking around somewhere. I’ll have to take a look.
 
Joe, you require some Abyss 😁.

I hear tell that there is an Esoteric for sale in this here forum 😜.
 
Randy Myers said:
Joe, you require some Abyss [emoji16].

I hear tell that there is an Esoteric for sale in this here forum [emoji12].
Click to expand...

Ha, there is one listed and being sold from a friend of mine. I’ve listened to it many times and believe he is selling it for the wrong reason.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
Randy Myers said:
Joe, you require some Abyss 😁.

I hear tell that there is an Esoteric for sale in this here forum 😜.
Click to expand...

:)

I’ve been eyeing that one am nowhere near ready plus after living with an XD version, I’d be afraid to get something different.
 
Marc is a great guy. We were friends on another forum and we actually meet in Denver when I was there helping EJ in his room. Very trustworthy. Now if we can get him to make AS his main forum :P.
 
Joe, if you have not done 3-4 hr listening sessions in headphones, then I would strongly suggest keeping the weight of the headphone in mind... It gets very annoying very quick if they are uncomfortable, put too much pressure, are loose or your neck starts to fatigue from the weight. Trust me on that. I have went through at least a dozen of headphones up to and including Focal Utopia. The over 600g headphones are good for a 20-30 min listen and after that you will start to fidget. Concentration broken, no pleasure in listening at that point as you will want to take them off.

The other very important criteria is the "universality" of a headphone. If you only listen to the best, audiophile grade recordings, then the highest resolution, "impressive" sounding headphones can be a real eye opener. If you taste in music varies (mine does, I listen to lots of music of various genres and recording qualities) then that same eye opening headphone will be a huge disappointment in long term listening satisfaction.

Hence after a dozen of great headphones from virtually all the top brands of today, I am down to 2. ZMF Auteur Blackwood with the biocellulose drivers and my trusty and all time universal Sennheiser HD600.

Of course we all hear different and not many people can do 5-6 hour marathon listening session like I quite often do... :)
 
Agreed... uncomfortable and heavy headphones can get really fatiguing.

I have tried quite a few headphones before arriving at my destination cans. I use my headphones mainly with my portable, at work and elsewhere. I do occasionally use them at home although not nearly as much any more. Here is a list of headphones I have owned; if anyone interested I would be happy to expand upon what I did and did not like about each of these.

McIntosh MHP1000, Audeze EL-8, KEF M500, Sennheiser HD800S, Mr. Speakers Ether, Focal Clear, Audeze iSINE 10, Audeze iSINE 20, Audeze LCDi4, Abyss Diana Phi; hmmmm, I feel I am missing some but that is all I can remember at this time.

The Diana model from Abyss is their more portable version. Their top model, to me, is too large and I do not believe would work well with a portable player. The Diana does! It is definitely a destination headphone for me and works beautifully with both my portable and my T+A DAC at home. They also worked very with the Bryston headphone amp that I had, but I did not use it enough and a friend had a need for it... soooo... it is now in his hands :).

It is amazing how good a nice portable can work with a top notch set of headphones. If you have any use for taking music with you I highly recommend trying a really nice portable such as the Astell & Kern models. I love my new one but also found the one I had been using for a couple years to be quite outstanding. (ps... it is still available for a really cheap price if anyone wanted to try something such as this).
 
FWIW, I have a several-months-old, like-new Topping D90 that I would consider selling for around $300 dollars or so. It was $699, IIRC.

I simply have too many dacs sitting around here...
 
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