[HAL]

The new Topping E70 Velvet DAC is using the latest version of the AKM AK4499 32bit stereo ladder dac with my headphone setup.  My favorite sounding and measuring DAC to date in another system.

The prices is $450.  Has balanced and single ended outputs, so will work well with my Borbely Audio Headphone amp. 

Happy Holiday's!

[viggen]

I received this a week ago and just dropped it off at UPS for return.  Not that it isn't good.  In fact, it's great for its price.  If my dac budget were $1k, I would've kept this.

[HAL]

I am confused.  The E70 Velvet DAC is $450 shipped.

[viggen]

Yes, and I tried a bunch of sub $1k dacs over the past few years and E70 V is my fave.  But, my current dac is MSRP around $3k.

[HAL]

Received the Topping E70 Velvet DAC today.  Now to get it setup in the headphone rig.

[Kw6]

Cool let us know! I recently got the SMSL D300 and so shocked at it's performance.

[HAL]

Right out of the box the E70 Velvet DAC sounds really good! 

Now to let it do a 24 hour run-in for more listening.

[HAL]

I did max out the iCan volume control and used the E70 V digital control.  Sounds much better to me than the iCan volume control at the same approximate setting. 

The E70 V has 0.5dB/step settings, so would need a voltage output check to make them exactly the same.

The remote works well and sets the filter in the DAC for 6 different types.  The F-4 setting is minimum phase slow rolloff that I prefer.

Will check more tomorrow after some time.

[HAL]

The E70 V DAC has been running for days with the iFi iCan headphone amp.

Sounds great to me with no noise background and all instruments sound natural.  That is with my preferred minimum phase filter in the AK4499 DAC F-4 selected. 

Will be testing it with other headphone amps as from past trials the Borbely Audio HPA is a better sounding setup.  Since the E70 V has a digital 0.5dB/step attenuator, I can just direct drive the HPA and use the DAC as the volume control.  Just need a good input resistor to ground for the HPA.

This should be interesting.

[Kw6]

If not using a computer I highly recommend a streaming transport like iFi Zen stream! Will elevate your DAC to new heights.

[viggen]

Agree with your findings.  The volume control works great and prefer filter 4.  This is the first Topping dac where I can actually hear a diff between the filters.

[HAL]

My HAL MS-6 Music Server sounded better than the iFi streamer when compared using an external USB DAC.   I play HiRez files and do not really stream.

[Kw6]

Ok thanks Hal!