TOPPINGD10s DAC Mini USB DAC XMOS XU208 ES9038Q2M DSD256 PCM 384kHz Hi-Res Audio Desktop Audio Decoder (Silver)

DAC tech certainly has come a long way is a short time. And the Topping D10s proves it.First, I'll say that it took my D10s about 30 hours of burn-in to smooth the rough edges in the treble. Vocals, high string notes and overtones, etc. had scratchy, static quality, that burn-in smoothed out beautifully. Now, the treble is clean and focused.Second, I've read other reviews that state that this DAC keeps tight control of the bass, and they're right. One of the most taxing and revealing bass tests is Reference Recordings "Copland 100 - Fanfare for the Common Man & the 4th Movement of Symphony No.4". The bass drum thwacks are monstrous and monumental, and they can easily be splattered and distorted. With the D10s, they boom, thunder, and shake, without the least bit of messiness. You even can sense the vibration of the drum head, something easily lost in a lesser DAC. I haven't made up my mind whether the D10s deemphasizes the bass. At this point, I would say bass doesn't "bloom" as much with the D10s than with other DACs. Whether that's a good or bad thing probably depends more on your taste in music genres.Third, build quality seem great, however, mine rattles (found this out when I unboxed). To me, it sounds like the circuit board is not fixed as tightly as it's supposed to be. Now, I'm not shaking the D10s; it's remained in the same spot since I connected it to my rig, but if there are micro-vibrations from the electronics inside, not having a secure circuit board may be problematic. Hey, Topping, a little help here!The D10s is not perfect. With large choral recordings, the voices tend to blend together and get slightly distorted at the forte level and above, as the DAC has trouble picking out all the individual voices, though on well recorded choral pieces it does well. Also, the question becomes is it the D10s or the microphones, recording or mastering.With jazz, this DAC sings. Details galore. Tenors saxes are reedy and breathy. With ride cymbals, you can delineate whether the stick strike is closer to the bell or further out on the bow by the timbre. Pianos, which tend to be tough to record, are rendered just like they were recorded. And, we've already covered bass. Which brings me to another point: the D10s is super accurate; if the recording is bad, what comes out of this DAC, will accurately reflect that badness.My go to DAC is an Anedio D2, a boutique DAC that made some waves about 8 years ago. It is an ESS Sabre-based DAC that is extremely well-implemented. Highs are detailed and distortion-free, mids are sweet and bass blooms but is controlled. Comparing it to the D10s, the D10s loses hands-down (maybe too strong a word) in the treble range, is more than slightly bested (but not much more) in the mids, and as for bass, my judgement right now is that the D10s has more control than the D2, (though I'm still trying to determine if the D10s is bass-shy or not).My point is that the D10s is a steal is $99. It's performance is not of the giant-killer ilk, but to get this much performance for such a small price, is shocking. But I'll take it!And you should, too!

Thanks to Zeos for the recommendation first off. Listening through my older mac mini -> D10 -> RCA -> Outlaw RR2150. I must say, I have a USB input on my Outlaw, the D10 sounds better. The separation and clarity of the music is very impressive. My Outlaw DAC is a Burr Brown from a few years ago and is no slouch either. Now I have two USB inputs and I've got a couple of different sources to feed them. Very pleased with this addition.The unit itself is dead simple. No switches, no on/off button, it is USB powered. Just works right out of the box. When your computer comes on, the D10 turns on. Nice warm orange display. Not dim, but not overly bright either. Beautiful aluminum metal case. Fits nicely with my silver stereo equipment. This is my first separate DAC, I'm very pleased with the price and the quality.*in the picture* sorry for the computer glare. also, i haven't peeled the plastic from the display yet.

Can't believe what a sonic difference changing a DAC can be. Superb low level resolution. Built like it's worth many times the money. Nicely lite digits. Op Amp is in a socket, so it can be swapped with other brands.

Great sounding DAC. Was getting PC noise so I DIYed a USB chord that separates data from the power. It now sounds even better, lively and more dynamic than the E30 in my other system (but still need it for its preamp function.)

Nice DAC that works well on a Raspberry Pi