DAC Choices - $5,000 to $7,000

@c_avila1 

It is my understanding that the PCB's were re-designed to allow for capacitor upgrades. The PCB's are supposed to be stiffer, for one thing, and if I remember right, he said they were going to be elevated, but I might be wrong. Benjamin said he is going to try several types of capacitors, including "exotic" ones. That's all I remember. That said, I'm guessing that any capacitor on the circuit board can be upgraded.

Okay...

I have to ask even though this is supposed to be a $5K to $7K DAC Discussion. Please bear with me.

Has anyone tried a Topping DAC?

They seem to be all the rage in some circles. Audio Science Review rates its measurements of the D90 very highly:  (https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?attachments/best-usb-dac-review-and-tested-2020-p...) and one very respected tube amp designer from a northern state apparently is using an E30 ($150 brand new) and says it sounds pretty good.

Now, I can understand that power supplies and analog out design are critical and lead to higher cost; but if you can afford a $7,000 DAC, don't you owe it to yourself to try one a cheap one just in case?

Heck, you probably spend more than that taking your significant other out to dinner for no especially special occasion. 

I mean no disrespect, but if you do not try something, how do you know? Otherwise, is it not like Primaluna suggesting that, because their Preamp weighs 50 pounds, it is better than an ARC, BAT, CJ, Don Sachs, VTL, etc.?

Please accept this question as an honest ask.

Thanks for listening,

Dsper 

@dsper I keep thinking about buying that dac for a computer system and would certainly put it in the main rig for testing if I had.  That said, I did try another ASR darling, the Matrix X-Sabre Pro and found it kind of grey, boring, and uninvolving.  I had four dacs on home trial at the time and it was the only one I didn't want to listen to.  It wasn't bad per se, it just didn't move me.  

Obviously that doesn't say anything about the Toppings, but that is my experience in relying solely on measurements to make a purchasing decision.

@dsper, I did exactly as you suggested last year; sold my Bricasti M3 and tried the ASR darlings RME ADI2 FS and Topping D90.  I don't have anything bad to say about either of them; for the money I would recommend either.  The RME was my favorite of the two and I almost decided to keep it longer term until I was lucky enough to stumble on a Mystique V3 Balanced.   

In my system the D90 offered great dynamics, a black background, and amazing resolution.    As a device to simply analyze every last bit of detail on my favorite recordings it was great.  That being said, for my musical tastes and system preference (Pass Amp, Spendor Speakers) I found the D90 to be too forward and fatiguing for my tastes; I had to lower my listening levels and ultimately my listening time when using it.   I had problems enjoying the music through all of the analytical detail on the majority of the recordings I listen to.  Other folks who prefer that type of sound get a killer deal for its MSRP.

In comparison, I find the Mystique V3 simply plays music in my system and that is what it's all about for me and am happy to pay the difference.   Yes, I A/Bed the Mystique and RME in my system (I returned the D90) and preferred the Mystique enough to pony up the $$.  Again these are my tastes and experiences in my system...    If I need a reasonably priced musical sounding DAC again in the future between upgrades or for a different system, I would be very happy to bring the RME back into my house.