The Topping D Series D90 III Sabre is a high-performance DAC designed for audiophiles who demand precision, flexibility, and top-tier sound quality. At its core is the ES9039PRO DAC chip, delivering ultra-low distortion and an incredibly detailed listening experience. Full MQA decoding ensures that you can stream studio-quality audio from services like Tidal. Connectivity is a major highlight, with USB, optical, coaxial, AES, and IIS inputs, making it easy to integrate with various audio sources. Bluetooth 5.1 with LDAC, aptX HD, and AAC add the convenience of high-resolution wireless streaming. The DAC also supports PCM up to 768kHz and DSD512, catering to hi-res music enthusiasts. For system integration, the D90 III Sabre offers both RCA and XLR outputs, with selectable output modes for DAC-only or preamp functionality. Whether you're pairing it with an amplifier, powered speakers, or a headphone setup, this DAC delivers clean, accurate, and immersive sound tailored to your needs.
The Topping D Series D90 III Sabre is a high-performance DAC designed for audiophiles who demand precision, flexibility, and top-tier sound quality. At its core is the ES9039PRO DAC chip, delivering ultra-low distortion and an incredibly detailed listening experience. Full MQA decoding ensures that you can stream studio-quality audio from services like Tidal. Connectivity is a major highlight, with USB, optical, coaxial, AES, and IIS inputs, making it easy to integrate with various audio sources. Bluetooth 5.1 with LDAC, aptX HD, and AAC add the convenience of high-resolution wireless streaming. The DAC also supports PCM up to 768kHz and DSD512, catering to hi-res music enthusiasts. For system integration, the D90 III Sabre offers both RCA and XLR outputs, with selectable output modes for DAC-only or preamp functionality. Whether you're pairing it with an amplifier, powered speakers, or a headphone setup, this DAC delivers clean, accurate, and immersive sound tailored to your needs.
The Topping D Series D90 III Sabre is a high-performance DAC designed for audiophiles who demand precision, flexibility, and top-tier sound quality. At its core is the ES9039PRO DAC chip, delivering ultra-low distortion and an incredibly detailed listening experience. Full MQA decoding ensures that you can stream studio-quality audio from services like Tidal. Connectivity is a major highlight, with USB, optical, coaxial, AES, and IIS inputs, making it easy to integrate with various audio sources. Bluetooth 5.1 with LDAC, aptX HD, and AAC add the convenience of high-resolution wireless streaming. The DAC also supports PCM up to 768kHz and DSD512, catering to hi-res music enthusiasts. For system integration, the D90 III Sabre offers both RCA and XLR outputs, with selectable output modes for DAC-only or preamp functionality. Whether you're pairing it with an amplifier, powered speakers, or a headphone setup, this DAC delivers clean, accurate, and immersive sound tailored to your needs.
The Topping D Series D90 III Sabre is a high-performance DAC designed for audiophiles who demand precision, flexibility, and top-tier sound quality. At its core is the ES9039PRO DAC chip, delivering ultra-low distortion and an incredibly detailed listening experience. Full MQA decoding ensures that you can stream studio-quality audio from services like Tidal. Connectivity is a major highlight, with USB, optical, coaxial, AES, and IIS inputs, making it easy to integrate with various audio sources. Bluetooth 5.1 with LDAC, aptX HD, and AAC add the convenience of high-resolution wireless streaming. The DAC also supports PCM up to 768kHz and DSD512, catering to hi-res music enthusiasts. For system integration, the D90 III Sabre offers both RCA and XLR outputs, with selectable output modes for DAC-only or preamp functionality. Whether you're pairing it with an amplifier, powered speakers, or a headphone setup, this DAC delivers clean, accurate, and immersive sound tailored to your needs.
Last updated at 06/27/2026 19:42:39
Topping D90 III Discrete Digital to Analog Convertor (DAC) (Silver)
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Topping D90 III DISCRETE DAC Silver
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TOPPING D90 III Discrete 1-bit Fully Balanced DAC Silver
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originally posted on apos.audio
Topping D90/A90 is an excellent, extremely high value audiophile set. Shipped directly from Topping or their first tier seller in China. Package arrived crushed on one end that luckily turned out to be where the provided very good Fanmusic C006 balanced cable for bridging the set was packed and crushed its box with no damage to the cable. If it had been any other side of the package the DAC and headamp would have received damage. Not Apos' fault and if it had been worse I'm sure Apos would have dealt with it in a completely satisfactory manner. At the end all is okay and Apos has been great with dealing with supply delay issues concerning the purchase. Service is first rate. Apos is building a very well deserved excellent reputation for a state-side supplier of this ... MoreTopping D90/A90 is an excellent, extremely high value audiophile set. Shipped directly from Topping or their first tier seller in China. Package arrived crushed on one end that luckily turned out to be where the provided very good Fanmusic C006 balanced cable for bridging the set was packed and crushed its box with no damage to the cable. If it had been any other side of the package the DAC and headamp would have received damage. Not Apos' fault and if it had been worse I'm sure Apos would have dealt with it in a completely satisfactory manner. At the end all is okay and Apos has been great with dealing with supply delay issues concerning the purchase. Service is first rate. Apos is building a very well deserved excellent reputation for a state-side supplier of this kind of worthy hifi equipment. Apos will be the first place I'll check in the future for supplying this kind of hardware.
originally posted on apos.audio
The D90 is a very versatile unit. I have tried out most formats and inputs and enjoyed listening to them all. It's silence is exceedingly silent. I usually work with DACs in the < $500 range so I do not know how it compares to +$1000 competition but it certainly does well against my other DACs. I like the display and the interface is good if not great. Some buttons on the remote do nothing (it is used across multiple products) and some configuration options are not available via the remote. Nothing that detracts from daily use. I like that you can disable some features such as volume and Bluetooth. I tested Bluetooth support with my LG phone which has the latest codecs and it performed well. The only way they could improve it is make it $100 less. APOS was great, ... MoreThe D90 is a very versatile unit. I have tried out most formats and inputs and enjoyed listening to them all. It's silence is exceedingly silent. I usually work with DACs in the < $500 range so I do not know how it compares to +$1000 competition but it certainly does well against my other DACs. I like the display and the interface is good if not great. Some buttons on the remote do nothing (it is used across multiple products) and some configuration options are not available via the remote. Nothing that detracts from daily use. I like that you can disable some features such as volume and Bluetooth. I tested Bluetooth support with my LG phone which has the latest codecs and it performed well. The only way they could improve it is make it $100 less. APOS was great, quick and helpful. I would use them again.
originally posted on apos.audio
Please read my review about the Topping A90 amp as well. Pairing Topping D90 DAC MQA and A90 amp is a sweet combination/design.After many other iterations, I made the jump to Topping's matched A 90 AMP & D90 DAC set and the extra $100 for MQA. Build quality & form factor are great. I wanted XLR balanced connections and a 4 pin XLR balanced headphone connections.Output levels are more than enough (use high gain on the A90 amp and never higher than "8" or "9" AM on the volume dial). More than enough power for all my headphones and iem. LED screen on the D90 DAC is easy to read & to "see"/confirm if your music source is actually producing PCM, MQA, 44kHz, 96kHz, and 192 kHz. The balanced cables needed are a bit of a scam (price wise) but they make for a "tidy" set ... MorePlease read my review about the Topping A90 amp as well. Pairing Topping D90 DAC MQA and A90 amp is a sweet combination/design.After many other iterations, I made the jump to Topping's matched A 90 AMP & D90 DAC set and the extra $100 for MQA. Build quality & form factor are great. I wanted XLR balanced connections and a 4 pin XLR balanced headphone connections.Output levels are more than enough (use high gain on the A90 amp and never higher than "8" or "9" AM on the volume dial). More than enough power for all my headphones and iem. LED screen on the D90 DAC is easy to read & to "see"/confirm if your music source is actually producing PCM, MQA, 44kHz, 96kHz, and 192 kHz. The balanced cables needed are a bit of a scam (price wise) but they make for a "tidy" set up.You can only achieve MQA via a USB cable (I'd recommend buying a better cable than what Topping includes, Really Topping?). If you're not wedded to MQA, you can connect pretty much any way you want (BT, optical, IIS, AES). Again, you will not have MQA results without a USB cable connection. The MQA world is young and too expensive. Depending on TIDAL or Qobuz, or other music sources that offer MQA files, you're stepping into smaller catalogs of music and a significant monthly subscription ($20 - way too much - for TIDAL; $15 for Qobuz). Additionally, the standards for MQA, HiRes, and other iterations is a bit maddening.If you're new to music sources, MQA files, and how to get MQA results, it takes patience and study. This isn't quite "plug & play". Apos or Topping are not the best when it comes to support. I attribute this to audiophile equipment in these categories are niche and they don't have the staff resources or ability to provide great support? Fortunately, you can learn some via established YouTube reviewers.The interface / handshake between your music source settings and device settings may take patience to set up, depending on what you use: Mac OS or Windows.Topping sent a D90 MQA version V1.24 firmware update - oy. What a mess. VERY kludgy process. Again, some YouTube reviewers can help to a degree. All said, I love the results, sound, power, build quality, design but if this is your first entry into headphone amps & DACs, do so knowing it will take time to learn and utilize the system.That said, it is worth the $1200+ cost if you use headphone a lot. Obviously, you'll be investing in headphones, price ranges widely from sub $200 to as much as you want to spend. All told, I've invested over $5000.00 in headphones, custom length balanced cables, quality surge protection... to make it worth this DAC AMP pair.To me, the beauty of A90 & D90 MQA with good open backs headphones and iem is the ability to listen to incredible music while not overwhelming my home (my wife and I office at home). For the most part, I love MQA results (but consider the long term cost of $20.00 a month for TIDAL) and I use headphones about 3-4 hours M-F and some days up to 6 hours unless I'm alone at my home office, then I use my stereo, not headphones.I'd encourage subscribing and getting to know YouTube reviewers: Z REviews (Zeos Pantera) , Currawong (Amos Barnett), Josh Valour. Very helpful in this headphone world and all have reviewed these Topping units.Last, the audiophile world -- in this case the headphone world -- is a wonderful, lovely, and fun hobby-experience. Start with a budget. If you're new, it takes some time and you'll buy, sell, trade up, and learn what you like. If it isn't fun, you may need to rethink why you're into this stuff :-)
Topping D90 III Discrete Digital to Analog Convertor (DAC) (Silver)
Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a small commission for purchases made through this link at no extra cost to you. This helps support our site. Thank you!
Topping D90 III DISCRETE DAC Silver
Free delivery
TOPPING D90 III Discrete 1-bit Fully Balanced DAC Silver
Free delivery
Topping D90/A90 is an excellent, extremely high value audiophile set. Shipped directly from Topping or their first tier seller in China. Package arrived crushed on one end that luckily turned out to be where the provided very good Fanmusic C006 balanced cable for bridging the set was packed and crushed its box with no damage to the cable. If it had been any other side of the package the DAC and headamp would have received damage. Not Apos' fault and if it had been worse I'm sure Apos would have dealt with it in a completely satisfactory manner. At the end all is okay and Apos has been great with dealing with supply delay issues concerning the purchase. Service is first rate. Apos is building a very well deserved excellent reputation for a state-side supplier of this ... MoreTopping D90/A90 is an excellent, extremely high value audiophile set. Shipped directly from Topping or their first tier seller in China. Package arrived crushed on one end that luckily turned out to be where the provided very good Fanmusic C006 balanced cable for bridging the set was packed and crushed its box with no damage to the cable. If it had been any other side of the package the DAC and headamp would have received damage. Not Apos' fault and if it had been worse I'm sure Apos would have dealt with it in a completely satisfactory manner. At the end all is okay and Apos has been great with dealing with supply delay issues concerning the purchase. Service is first rate. Apos is building a very well deserved excellent reputation for a state-side supplier of this kind of worthy hifi equipment. Apos will be the first place I'll check in the future for supplying this kind of hardware.
The D90 is a very versatile unit. I have tried out most formats and inputs and enjoyed listening to them all. It's silence is exceedingly silent. I usually work with DACs in the < $500 range so I do not know how it compares to +$1000 competition but it certainly does well against my other DACs. I like the display and the interface is good if not great. Some buttons on the remote do nothing (it is used across multiple products) and some configuration options are not available via the remote. Nothing that detracts from daily use. I like that you can disable some features such as volume and Bluetooth. I tested Bluetooth support with my LG phone which has the latest codecs and it performed well. The only way they could improve it is make it $100 less. APOS was great, ... MoreThe D90 is a very versatile unit. I have tried out most formats and inputs and enjoyed listening to them all. It's silence is exceedingly silent. I usually work with DACs in the < $500 range so I do not know how it compares to +$1000 competition but it certainly does well against my other DACs. I like the display and the interface is good if not great. Some buttons on the remote do nothing (it is used across multiple products) and some configuration options are not available via the remote. Nothing that detracts from daily use. I like that you can disable some features such as volume and Bluetooth. I tested Bluetooth support with my LG phone which has the latest codecs and it performed well. The only way they could improve it is make it $100 less. APOS was great, quick and helpful. I would use them again.
Please read my review about the Topping A90 amp as well. Pairing Topping D90 DAC MQA and A90 amp is a sweet combination/design.After many other iterations, I made the jump to Topping's matched A 90 AMP & D90 DAC set and the extra $100 for MQA. Build quality & form factor are great. I wanted XLR balanced connections and a 4 pin XLR balanced headphone connections.Output levels are more than enough (use high gain on the A90 amp and never higher than "8" or "9" AM on the volume dial). More than enough power for all my headphones and iem. LED screen on the D90 DAC is easy to read & to "see"/confirm if your music source is actually producing PCM, MQA, 44kHz, 96kHz, and 192 kHz. The balanced cables needed are a bit of a scam (price wise) but they make for a "tidy" set ... MorePlease read my review about the Topping A90 amp as well. Pairing Topping D90 DAC MQA and A90 amp is a sweet combination/design.After many other iterations, I made the jump to Topping's matched A 90 AMP & D90 DAC set and the extra $100 for MQA. Build quality & form factor are great. I wanted XLR balanced connections and a 4 pin XLR balanced headphone connections.Output levels are more than enough (use high gain on the A90 amp and never higher than "8" or "9" AM on the volume dial). More than enough power for all my headphones and iem. LED screen on the D90 DAC is easy to read & to "see"/confirm if your music source is actually producing PCM, MQA, 44kHz, 96kHz, and 192 kHz. The balanced cables needed are a bit of a scam (price wise) but they make for a "tidy" set up.You can only achieve MQA via a USB cable (I'd recommend buying a better cable than what Topping includes, Really Topping?). If you're not wedded to MQA, you can connect pretty much any way you want (BT, optical, IIS, AES). Again, you will not have MQA results without a USB cable connection. The MQA world is young and too expensive. Depending on TIDAL or Qobuz, or other music sources that offer MQA files, you're stepping into smaller catalogs of music and a significant monthly subscription ($20 - way too much - for TIDAL; $15 for Qobuz). Additionally, the standards for MQA, HiRes, and other iterations is a bit maddening.If you're new to music sources, MQA files, and how to get MQA results, it takes patience and study. This isn't quite "plug & play". Apos or Topping are not the best when it comes to support. I attribute this to audiophile equipment in these categories are niche and they don't have the staff resources or ability to provide great support? Fortunately, you can learn some via established YouTube reviewers.The interface / handshake between your music source settings and device settings may take patience to set up, depending on what you use: Mac OS or Windows.Topping sent a D90 MQA version V1.24 firmware update - oy. What a mess. VERY kludgy process. Again, some YouTube reviewers can help to a degree. All said, I love the results, sound, power, build quality, design but if this is your first entry into headphone amps & DACs, do so knowing it will take time to learn and utilize the system.That said, it is worth the $1200+ cost if you use headphone a lot. Obviously, you'll be investing in headphones, price ranges widely from sub $200 to as much as you want to spend. All told, I've invested over $5000.00 in headphones, custom length balanced cables, quality surge protection... to make it worth this DAC AMP pair.To me, the beauty of A90 & D90 MQA with good open backs headphones and iem is the ability to listen to incredible music while not overwhelming my home (my wife and I office at home). For the most part, I love MQA results (but consider the long term cost of $20.00 a month for TIDAL) and I use headphones about 3-4 hours M-F and some days up to 6 hours unless I'm alone at my home office, then I use my stereo, not headphones.I'd encourage subscribing and getting to know YouTube reviewers: Z REviews (Zeos Pantera) , Currawong (Amos Barnett), Josh Valour. Very helpful in this headphone world and all have reviewed these Topping units.Last, the audiophile world -- in this case the headphone world -- is a wonderful, lovely, and fun hobby-experience. Start with a budget. If you're new, it takes some time and you'll buy, sell, trade up, and learn what you like. If it isn't fun, you may need to rethink why you're into this stuff :-)
Superlative kit. Extraordinary detail and quietude. Excellent lateral soundstage. Possibly lacking the last word in depth but the tone and timbre are ravishing. IAnd to pay thousands $$$ more for a bit of depth, well, you can if you want to. Instruments present in real space with tonal density making the term eerily "holographic" and real. At times, the unit can seem a bit analytical where it emphasizes leading edges. but it's more dependent on recording quality than an endemic attribute of the unit and decay is absolutely present. I couldn't be more pleased with my purchase. The only remaining issue is reliability. Will this unit work reliably for years as my other DACs have in the past? If it proves reliable, then I must confess this piece to be a GIANT killer. ... MoreSuperlative kit. Extraordinary detail and quietude. Excellent lateral soundstage. Possibly lacking the last word in depth but the tone and timbre are ravishing. IAnd to pay thousands $$$ more for a bit of depth, well, you can if you want to. Instruments present in real space with tonal density making the term eerily "holographic" and real. At times, the unit can seem a bit analytical where it emphasizes leading edges. but it's more dependent on recording quality than an endemic attribute of the unit and decay is absolutely present. I couldn't be more pleased with my purchase. The only remaining issue is reliability. Will this unit work reliably for years as my other DACs have in the past? If it proves reliable, then I must confess this piece to be a GIANT killer. It's that good.
I ordered the Topping D90 MQA DAC in December of 2020. However, I did not receive my unit until one month later due to the manufacturing delays that were caused by the dwindling supply of the AKM AK4499 chip after the fire at the AKM Nobeoka City semiconductor factory. Despite my anxiety and uncertainty during the wait, the team at Apos Audio including Dyl, John, and Ryan constantly communicated developments until my DAC was finally shipped. Shipping from China to USA, after a month of waiting, literally took 2 days. I received a shipping update email on a Saturday and found the DAC at my door on Monday afternoon. It had actually arrived at around 10 a.m. that morning, but I did not know that it had just been sitting there because DHL never knocked on the door nor ... MoreI ordered the Topping D90 MQA DAC in December of 2020. However, I did not receive my unit until one month later due to the manufacturing delays that were caused by the dwindling supply of the AKM AK4499 chip after the fire at the AKM Nobeoka City semiconductor factory. Despite my anxiety and uncertainty during the wait, the team at Apos Audio including Dyl, John, and Ryan constantly communicated developments until my DAC was finally shipped. Shipping from China to USA, after a month of waiting, literally took 2 days. I received a shipping update email on a Saturday and found the DAC at my door on Monday afternoon. It had actually arrived at around 10 a.m. that morning, but I did not know that it had just been sitting there because DHL never knocked on the door nor did they wait for a signature; that’s another story ;-(. Anyway, my jaw almost dropped to the floor in laughter. Needless to say, the folks at Apos Audio are truly part of an A+ team and they have a customer for life because they know that the key to running a successful business is to always provide excellent customer service come rain or sunshine.The D90 MQA DAC sounds great and is absolutely worth the upgrade compared to plugging my headphones directly into my computer. I compared the DACs in my D90 MQA and the venerable Bluesound Node 2i by listening to both through my A90, and while both sound excellent for the money, the D90 most certainly produces a bigger and clearer sound stage at a matched volume. The music definitely sounds more punchy, crisp, nuanced, and expansive with a clearer separation of vocals and instruments on the the D90. There is also no discernible distortion at any reasonable volume level. I hope to have many years of enjoyment matching it with other gear. Thanks to Apos Audio we have an excellent and honest audio gear service provider, a true rarity in this day, that is faithfully serving audio enthusiasts.
I had been buying and selling quite a few $300 and under USB DACs to compare with my Arcam rDAC (wolfson Chips) which I have been content with for 4-5 years. I got interested in comparing as I begun to use Amazon Prime Music HD streaming which has at minimum CD quality and goes up to 24/192 on some tracks. ...I bought a Topping D50s from Apos, and it was ok, but not better or worse than the Arcam, just different. With the Apos 30 day return policy, I decided to pull the plug on the D90MQA. I honestly felt it would perhaps be better than the D50s and Arcam, but again, different sounding, not clearly better sounding. ----With Corona and the economy, I really didn't want to drop $800 on a DAC. I just figured, I would try and expected it to be Ok, but not good enough ... MoreI had been buying and selling quite a few $300 and under USB DACs to compare with my Arcam rDAC (wolfson Chips) which I have been content with for 4-5 years. I got interested in comparing as I begun to use Amazon Prime Music HD streaming which has at minimum CD quality and goes up to 24/192 on some tracks. ...I bought a Topping D50s from Apos, and it was ok, but not better or worse than the Arcam, just different. With the Apos 30 day return policy, I decided to pull the plug on the D90MQA. I honestly felt it would perhaps be better than the D50s and Arcam, but again, different sounding, not clearly better sounding. ----With Corona and the economy, I really didn't want to drop $800 on a DAC. I just figured, I would try and expected it to be Ok, but not good enough for me to keep and shell out the $800. The D90 is just on another level as the D50s and my long time Arcam unit. Best example I could give is, I would give good odds I could pick out the D90 vs either the D50s or Arcam in a blind test. The difference is that clear and wide. -- Buying from Apos was great! During this C-19 period, pretty much all the companies I have had to reach out to, have forgotten what customer service is about. I am talking, simple non-response to my requests. Apos, was right on top of the 2 or 3 inquires I made. They even upgraded my shipping and refunded me $20 for their minor shipping delay without me even asking. ----Bottom line. If you have $1000 to spend on a DAC, I think you will be hard pressed to find a better sounding one than the D90. Just the same, I would strongly recommend purchasing from Apos, they are on top of it and provide exceptional customer support.
The Topping D90 allowed me to listen to SACDs at high resolution. Nowadays, SACD players become rare. Usually, you use a Bluray player that supports SACD. Some players have analog outputs, but mostly stream the DSD layer via HDMI. Listening to the DSD layer of SACDs using headphones can be achieved using D90. My setup includes a Sony Bluray player UBP1100ES, a D90, an A90, and a pair of Audeze LCD i4s. The DSD signals in the HDMI is converted by an HDMI to IIS converter. I notice that the DSD polarity from the converter is correct. However, PCM signals are inverted. D90 provides the settings to change the polarity just for PCMs, which works perfectly with this setup. Additionally, I can also use a Fiio M15 for music from other various sources. This is a very compact ... MoreThe Topping D90 allowed me to listen to SACDs at high resolution. Nowadays, SACD players become rare. Usually, you use a Bluray player that supports SACD. Some players have analog outputs, but mostly stream the DSD layer via HDMI. Listening to the DSD layer of SACDs using headphones can be achieved using D90. My setup includes a Sony Bluray player UBP1100ES, a D90, an A90, and a pair of Audeze LCD i4s. The DSD signals in the HDMI is converted by an HDMI to IIS converter. I notice that the DSD polarity from the converter is correct. However, PCM signals are inverted. D90 provides the settings to change the polarity just for PCMs, which works perfectly with this setup. Additionally, I can also use a Fiio M15 for music from other various sources. This is a very compact and versatile setup for all my music listening needs.
Nice build quality and very versatile when it comes to input options. Ran the unit 24/7 for a week with a usb input source. Running a MacBook Pro using Amarra/iTunes with ALAC files from redbook CDs. USB input sound was flat. Instruments and vocals were not natural. Sounded like someone hung a sheet across the room in front of my speakers. Compared with 3 other DACs I have and was definitely disappointed in the D90’s sound. Ran optical toslink from the same MacBook to the D90 and the sound was SIGNIFICANTLY better. Definitely the USB input that’s the weak link but that is the input I’ll be using. Guess it’s true that just because a DAC measures perfectly it does not guarantee it sounds musical.I really wanted this beautiful little Swiss Army knife of a DAC to work ... MoreNice build quality and very versatile when it comes to input options. Ran the unit 24/7 for a week with a usb input source. Running a MacBook Pro using Amarra/iTunes with ALAC files from redbook CDs. USB input sound was flat. Instruments and vocals were not natural. Sounded like someone hung a sheet across the room in front of my speakers. Compared with 3 other DACs I have and was definitely disappointed in the D90’s sound. Ran optical toslink from the same MacBook to the D90 and the sound was SIGNIFICANTLY better. Definitely the USB input that’s the weak link but that is the input I’ll be using. Guess it’s true that just because a DAC measures perfectly it does not guarantee it sounds musical.I really wanted this beautiful little Swiss Army knife of a DAC to work out for me but ended up returning it.Apos was awesome. Quick responses to questions prior to purchase, very helpful with questions while I had the unit, and a pleasure to deal with during the return process. Dyl was great. I definitely would not hesitate to buy another product from Apos. No phone support but don’t let that stop you from shopping with them. The online chat and email support is excellent.
Summary: I have a Bluesound Node 2i and was looking for a significant improvement of its DAC section. I could hear no improvement of the Topping D90 over the Node 2i. Not even in a good system in an acoustically treated room. They were equally good devices. In the end, I returned the D90 and decided to live with the Node 2i. Also, Apos customer service is fantastic.Longer Review: The Topping D90 is a good DAC. It can float solid images inside and outside the speaker plane, creating an immersive listening experience. It resolves detail: the hair of a slightly overdriven guitar and the blat and spittle of a horn instrument are obvious. The bass is as quick as I’ve ever heard. The background is completely black.These sonic attributes are also true of the Bluesound ... MoreSummary: I have a Bluesound Node 2i and was looking for a significant improvement of its DAC section. I could hear no improvement of the Topping D90 over the Node 2i. Not even in a good system in an acoustically treated room. They were equally good devices. In the end, I returned the D90 and decided to live with the Node 2i. Also, Apos customer service is fantastic.Longer Review: The Topping D90 is a good DAC. It can float solid images inside and outside the speaker plane, creating an immersive listening experience. It resolves detail: the hair of a slightly overdriven guitar and the blat and spittle of a horn instrument are obvious. The bass is as quick as I’ve ever heard. The background is completely black.These sonic attributes are also true of the Bluesound Node 2i. I mention this because I was looking to upgrade the DAC of the 2i, for less than $1000, and I wanted the upgrade to wow me. So, I read scores of reviews of the D90, and other DACs from Chord, Denafrips, Schit, etc. I found only a few reviews that compared these DACs to the Node 2i, and the reviewers said they could not hear a difference. But they weren’t professional reviews, and it wasn’t always clear whether the reviewers were comparing on resolving hifis. After all, differences not apparent on mid-fi could appear on hi-fi, and on whatever-fi my system is. So, this review is for those of us who already have a Node 2i, and wonder if its DAC section can be improved upon, at least by the Topping D90.I connected the D90 to my 2i via coax, and both of them via rca to a tubed Melos SHA Gold preamp, into VTL 100w monoblocks running in triode, connected to Golden Ear Triton 2’s, in an acoustically treated room. I also compared the two DACs plugging AKG 701 headphones into the Melos. I streamed using Amazon Music HD, with mostly hi-res tracks at 24/96 or 24/192, but at least 16/44. Although I have the MQA version of the D90, I did not test MQA. My hearing is still good, for my age (58).At first, I was quite impressed with the D90, but somewhat for the wrong reasons. I listened to it exclusively at first as soon as it arrived, and I was pleased by the quickness and tightness of the rhythm and the depth of the soundstage. I played many of my favorite tracks and thought I finally achieved unbloated bass and some soundstage depth (I always had good soundstage width, outside of the plane of the speakers, even 180 degrees on the best recordings, with the Node 2i, and it was still there with the D90).But then, the social scientist in me wondered how much of me being pleased was truly the D90’s performing better, or me just paying unusually close attention to my new purchase. So, I A/B’d (but not blind) the Node 2i and D90 for an hour on both speakers and headphones. (In pure DAC mode, both D90 and 2i are already volume matched.) As much as I wanted the D90 to be LOTS better, it just wasn’t; it seemed only a little better. Whatever detail I thought I hadn’t noticed before until the D90 came along, I could hear it in the 2i when paying equally close attention. Then, I tried a more rigorous, blind A/B/X test, having my daughter switch back and forth without telling me which DAC was selected. And ever so slightly, but consistently, I liked the 2i better than the D90. I was really surprised, and disappointed, as I wanted the D90 to win. They were very similar on most tracks, and I had to strain to hear a difference, but what I heard was more presence and detail on the 2i. Every other sonic attribute was the same across the two DACs. (Yes, I also tried the six different modes/filters on the D90, and could hear no difference among them.) So, I returned the D90.One last note on Apos. Their customer service is very good, as they communicated frequently as to the status of my purchase. They made the return easy and free with an emailed prepaid shipping label. The only thing I was a little disappointed on is when I first contacted them and asked for a recommendation of something clearly better than my Node 2i, and they assured me the Topping D90 was, without providing any supporting arguments. I now wonder if that salesperson ever made the comparison. But given the 30-day return policy, I took a chance anyway. I would purchase from them again if they have the gear I want.
This is the second DAC that I have owned. My first DAC, was the small but capable FiiO K3 AMP/DAC. It was a good budget entry into the world of HiFi audio and it showed me that good equipment can make a difference with midrange headphones. I was kind of skeptical about hifi audio, due to A/B tests that showed that people can't hear a difference. But I think those tests tend to focus more on things like lossy vs lossless audio and minute differences in equipment like cables. I did believe that good equipment has an appreciable difference, like headphones that don't distort bass, or being able to resolve more frequencies. These are very noticeable things.When I bought the D90/A90 combo, I was very curious to see if this was going to bring a huge improvement or not. I ... MoreThis is the second DAC that I have owned. My first DAC, was the small but capable FiiO K3 AMP/DAC. It was a good budget entry into the world of HiFi audio and it showed me that good equipment can make a difference with midrange headphones. I was kind of skeptical about hifi audio, due to A/B tests that showed that people can't hear a difference. But I think those tests tend to focus more on things like lossy vs lossless audio and minute differences in equipment like cables. I did believe that good equipment has an appreciable difference, like headphones that don't distort bass, or being able to resolve more frequencies. These are very noticeable things.When I bought the D90/A90 combo, I was very curious to see if this was going to bring a huge improvement or not. I read many reviews and even spoke to some audio enthusiasts online before I went ahead to buy it. I was reassured by many, and especially one review that said that this DAC compares favorably to DACs that are in the 1000-6400 USD dollar range. And if I was disappointed, I can always return it.I have to say that I was amazed that my Drop Sennheiser 6XX sound amazing (using the SE connector); playing Tidal tracks via my MacBookPro by USB. I can hear every instrument clearly. Every cymbal tap, every bass drum kick, doesn't sound muddled or tinny. Stereo separation is very distinct, but staging is probably limited by my headphones. I thought the K3 opened up music, but the D90 shows me that every part of the music experience is there to be resolved.The unit itself has a lot of inputs, Coax, AES, I2S via HDMI connector, Bluetooth with every protocol up to LDAC (AAC, aptX (basic to the 3rd gen, SBC), USB, Toslink, RCA, XLR.Outputs include XLR, 4.4 balanced female port, and the standard phono jack for SE connectors.It's very versatile, and the screen tells you info about the digital signal it's playing back.I have the MQA version, and while I don't know if MQA is a great format compared to say hi quality FLAC, so far I have no complaints.It does get a bit warm after hours of use, but that's expected.I have the silver version and it is a well polished, beautiful, smooth silver finish. It will look good where you ever place it.The remote control is rather plain looking and it does the job, but I wish it was tailored for the D90 rather than a generic one where some buttons don't do anything.Overall this a great product, and I tested this unit in combination with the A90 amp, a 2019 16" MacBook Pro using the stock USB cable, a Drop Sennheiser 6xx midrange open-back headphone using the standard unbalanced connector with phono jack adapter. I played YouTube videos, and tracks from Tidal, participated in Zoom meetings, played stuff from my iPhone via USB Lightning Adapter, and Bluetooth (presumably using the AAC codec since that's the best iOS supports). I tested this on using low volume to less than moderate volume so that I don't rely on loudness to influence my analysis.I hope that when I get an XLR cable for my headphones, that I can enjoy even better audio.
