This review is spot on, the D90 is just so well balanced and pure sounding. I've had the Hugo TT2 in my system and I prefer the D90. It has similar spacial resolution, but is more liquid and laid back. Definitely the Goldilocks DAC for me.

Wow, you prefer D90 compared to a TT2, that is quite a statement! Interesting

Wow, do you have some more arguments? Because I’m between the chord qutest(but it has no volume control or remote), the rme adi-2 and the topping d90. And this is actually what I wanted to hear😇
I would really appreciate your extra respons, kind regards, David Dam

Hi David. I went through a long Chord phase. Hugo, Hugo 2 then Hugo TT2. I would say the D90 is right on par with the Hugo 2 but much more easy listening. I personally find Chord very "in your face" and bright. When I had the TT2 briefly, it was like laboratory equipment. I thought I'd bought an X-Ray machine not a DAC (I guess finding the right synergy is key). The D90 stage size is closer to the TT2 than the Hugo 2 which is a good thing. But scale and impact is closer to the Hugo 2, just a lot more balanced sounding, never bright or brittle. I've also had the ADI-2... it's a swiss army knife, but in my honest opinion the D90 purely as a DAC smokes it. I've heard people on forums post that they are the same... or should sound similar. Nope, the D90 actually replaced my ADI-2. If I need EQ I just use Jriver. I hope this helps!

I’ve compared the chord Hugo 2 with the topping d90(mqa version) side by side in my speaker system. And I have to be honest (at least with my system and ears) that the chord Hugo 2 has much more depth, a better soundstage and a more natural and realistic/organic sound overall. It also has more clarity and there is much more space between the instruments, the lower register is also more tight. Every time I switched back to the topping d90 it sounded a little more compressed and pushed and it was just more flat. As if there was a blanket over it.
I also tested mqa files via tidal on the topping d90 and unfortunately that was a real disappointment too because playing the same mqa files and even non mqa files on the chord Hugo 2 sounded so much better! I’ve never expected this and I really wanted to be the right choice having the topping d90 but I can’t live with having that much of a better sound with the chord.

Ps I borrowed the chord Hugo 2 from my brother. And I’m now in doubt to purchase the chord Hugo 2 since i need the pre amp function. Because the qutest has the same chip they say.

These are just my findings! Because the topping d90 is an excellent product for the money! But if you put just a little more money for let’s say a chord Qutest together with a cheap passive pre amp you got so much more! And you really don’t have to care about an mqa decoder yes or no because that wasn’t an improvement at all.
I was very surprised knowing that you found the chord Hugo 2 less nice than the topping d90. I think that has something to do with the clarity and transparent sound of the chord! But in the end for me anyway I can listen with chord on a much lower volume level and still hearing all the details.

Really appreciate all this feedback!! Thank you so much this is really good to know. Now I’m almost sure that it’s gonna be a topping d90. What do you think about the Gustard a22 ? In some YouTube videos (I know that’s very difficult to hear) sounds it very amazing, bigger sound stage and more clarity. Big plus is that it’s a good pre amp for my power amp (than the d90, they say) but it has not mqa.
Do you use a streamer? Which one? I only use tidal(mqa) so maybe it’s already with a phone as upnp receiver..? Kind regards David

I don't stream unfortunately, I just have a PC I converted into a dedicated server/renderer. I noticed the A22 vs D90 test on youtube as well. In the comment section Sebastian Cruzze said he preferred the D90, and given he was there in person, I reckon that's a good indicator. No doubt the A22 has it's own strengths though. I liked the way it sounded in that clip too, although you'd have to be there to know for sure. If you don't want to budget for a preamp in the future, the A22 could be killer value for you... I reckon which ever you choose you'll be happy, the AKM4499 is sublime. Best of luck David!

I received the topping d90 today and I’m very pleased with the sound! Superb quality and I hear details that I didn’t hear before that well. Only problem is that the remote control needs to be pointed straight to the dac and in a straight position otherwise it doesn’t work that’s pretty shitty since I use it in my living room and my amp and everything are not really in front of me. Is this normal?

Btw: I use this dac also as a pre amp but I think you were suggesting the gustard a22 In the case right? Why is that if I may ask?

Hopefully you wanna take some time to answer my questions. Really appreciate it!:)

Kind regards and have a nice weekend!

Make sure to have some fresh batteries, I don't remember if it comes with some or not. Yeah, infrared works this way, my other equipment is more or less the same. Depends a lot on your setup if a better preamp could improve some sonics. D90 is more than enough as a preamp and if you need a better one, Topping is currently working on their P90 preamp to be used with D90, it will be released this year and later on they will develop a power amp as well.

I have the D90 MQA, Border Patrol, and Nu Audio sound card. If I group 'em as one zone output & use my preamp to toggle/switch between inputs (volume level matched for each source) there's not much notable differences between the 'sound' of the DACs. The Topping sounds slightly 'sharper' or 'more detailed' or 'crisp' on MQA recordings. I gather that's likely due to the difference in the quality of MQA processing...not sure? Border Patrol...possibly more warmth? The Nu Audio sound care...a bit cooler? Even with those tonal descriptions...I don't know that I would be able to make any notable distinction in a blind test (A/B/C comparison of all 3). I certainly couldn't readily do so with the flip of a switch between each DAC output. In fact...I became confused as to which DAC was playing, at times, as they sounded relatively similar. I'm wondering if a DAC is a DAC? I was surprised because I'd thought there was a distinct difference upon initial listening...but I think it was likely because I listened to each output individually vs. grouped/zone mode with the same track playing simultaneously at a similar volume level. I think the differences in gain can be misperceived as 'better'. I could be wrong...I'll continue to listen over time...as I've just received the Topping model this week. Each DAC sounds wonderful at any rate...well...I must clarify...my thoughts are based on the (3) options that I've noted here. YMMV depending upon what you have on hand but I think I've reached the point of diminishing returns in the realm of quality DACs.

Sorry to say this but MQA is pretty much null in 2023 and on...

What about a 1000$ DAC shoot out?
I'm dreaming of a comparison between Topping D90 and RME ADI-2 FS, Mytek Liberty and Chord Qutest

You just gave me an idea, thank you....Developing.....

Was on the fence to combo this and the A90 for a little while, so I came here for answers. Sandu V. kindly replied to my questions and because of him, I've now owned the A90 & D90 stack for a week now.

I've considered getting just the A90 and maybe a Modius to save some money but Sandu put me off that. For me this combo is replacing Schiit stack Modi 3 & Magnius 3+ combo. I can no longer listen to the Schiit stack anymore. Originally the idea was to have the A90 and D90 replace the Schiit stack at home, and bring the Schiit stack to the office for use with Elegias. But after listening to the Topping combo for a week, the Schiit Stack sounds tinny and thin to me. I've had to put away the Magni and bring my TA20 to the office just to not feel like I am enduring bad sound in the office.

At one point I had Voicemeeter output to both the Schiit stack and Topping stacks at the same time to better test the differences. The Topping stack is definitely less sibilant compared to the Schiit stack, much smoother. For example in John Mayer's Neon, the intro and Mayer's first few words can get very painful on the Schiit stack with DT1990 headphones, whereas the Topping stack glides over it somewhat.

I notice the biggest difference between the two setups when listening to more complicated tracks like anything by Kygo, or duets with harmony, where there are numerous layers of music going on. The Topping delivers all of the layers with detail, it is very easy to discern all the different layers in the track, and the Topping does this with enjoyable slam and impact, also making it seem like the headphones appear wider. In fact they are not any less wide than my dual-tube xDuoo TA 20.

In comparison the Schiit Stack also can deliver detail in a very clear way. But below the first few layers, everything else in the background is recessed and starts to mush together. Making the music sound a bit thinner and tinny.

I'm glad I took Sandu's recommendation and went all out, I'm rediscovering all my headphones I own with various music. Maybe this will be the last Dac and Amp that I buy, that is until I find an acceptable DAC/AMP solution for the office situation. I guess the Elegia's don't need much but the DX7pro really doesn't have much power if I ever want to use it to drive anything else...

Hi, I just bought the DT 1990 and am looking to purchase the topping 90 stack. But isn't the d90/a90 stack way overkill for the dt 1990? I think these headphones max out at 200mw@250ohms. I'm completely new to this so feel free me. I also have a Yamaha A-S801 integrated amp that powers my kef q100. Can you or anyone tell me how I can use the D90 as a dac for the yamaha to run the speakers if that is even possible? If possible please let me know what cables I need to connect the stack with the amp for best quality. My source is my PC using amazon music, spotify and possibly tidal down the road. Thanks in advance!

Overkill? In terms of power, perhaps yes, medium gain noon position for me on the DT1990s. You also can't use the balanced out which a lot of the cost is put in. If you might not want to run other headphones in balanced anytime soon maybe go with the L30/E30. The A90 does have BT and MQA though if those are things you can use.

You can connect your integrated amp from the D90 or any other dac through RCA.

DAC => Split RCA to headphone amp and speaker amp, or
DAC => balanced out to headphone amp, RCA out to speaker amp

Thank you so much for the quick reply and insight. I ended up ordering the topping a90/d90 stack because they would look nice on my desk and to satisfy my ridiculous curiosity since I wasted hours obsessing over what to buy. Hopefully, it all stops here, with headphone amp and dac anyway.

Hi Arthur,
Quite a post, I'm impressed!

On one hand I feel guilty I made you buy the D90 + A90, on another hand I know this is a world-class stack without obvious flaws or imperfections. It has everything from detail, transparency, gobs of power and of course a lot naturalness ans sweet harmonics. I hope it will serve you well for a long period of time. Keep rocking!

Haha no need to feel guilty, I can't be happier with the purchase, I don't want to stop listening to absolutely everything and rediscover what my headphones can do. Thank you for your earnest suggestion!

Hi Sandu,

Thanks for the review.
This is partly why I bought the set D90 + A90
My old set (the smsl m9 and the atom amp) is a good set that I still enjoy, this set is now in the back room (:

But what a difference, I did not expect this, what a beautiful warm and natural sound these devices have paired together!
The bass is awesome and the distinctive character of every instrument is so clearly audible.
I love classical music and I can't stop listening, it sounds great with my Focal clear headphone
I Will enjoy this set for years!

Hi,
Glad I could help and yes, D90 + A90 is a world class combo that is hard to beat. Those two can put to shame even costlier units. A90 obliterated everything up to my Benchmark HPA4 in terms of linearity and detail. Enjoy!

Could you review the TOPPING E30? I think I will click one on 28th, March.https://www.aliexpress.com/item/400...

Yes, I will, it's incoming.

You really weren't kidding about the soundstage on this thing!

It’s a great sounding dac! That’s for sure!
Only thing: is it normal that the remote control needs to be pointed straight to the dac in one straight line otherwise it doesn’t work?

Sadly, infrared remotes are working only this way - straight line. My Element X and HPA4 are doing the same.

Haha, amazing right? :)

Can you comment on whether or not there would be a decrease in performance through the RCA output?

Hey Dave. Just voltage is decreasing from 4 to 2V and the cross-talk in increasing, normal behavior for a SE output. Sound quality wise, both sound almost identical

I have topping d90 and smsl sp200. I plug rca and xlr interconnect to both device, but i dont know why the sound of xlr more lower than rca. I use 6.3mm output from sp200 using hd650. Do you know why?

Maybe the SP200 is lowering the gain on the XLR input? You need to try another source with SP200 to be sure about this.

Also, when doing comparison do you get a chance to compare these Chi - fi dacs" to the dacs from "major" companies, for example : Chord Dave & Hugo TT2, IFI IDSD PRO, MSB, Total Dac, Aqua Audio, Acuphase, etc just to name a few?

Sorry, but that is impossible. I have limited resources and time and sadly I do not own and cannot borrow such world class equipment. However, I do promise to have higher performance DACs (and much more expensive ones) around here Very soon.

Dear Sandu,

Have you had a chance to listen to the new Gustard A22 dac, which uses 2 AKM 4499 chips, and with dedicated audio transformer for both digital and analog stages? And if not, would be great to hear your opinion soon! Kind regards

Hi Kot,
Thanks for pointing me towards it. I will check it and maybe I can audition one at my place

By the way: https://soundnews.net/sourc...
Enjoy!

wow I did not expect that , I just bought d70 and thought it was really good, could not imagine this surpass it by alot ... amazing !

Sorry for bringing the sad news to you, but D90 is something else, mainly because of that speed/slam improvement and because of the extended FR of D90.

If you some of you still reading this topic. I bought
MATRIX ELEMENT H USB 3.0 card for PC which i using for a year. Than something come on my mind to try. I switch to external power and use 3x Lithium ion batteries ~3.8V (9-12V) from laptop to power XMOS USB card inside D90 and this way, D90 sound even more natural and push D90 for another lvl. That`s not only mine opinion but also all ppl who come, tell the same. I don`t have 9-12V Linear power supply to try, that should also give same effect or even better.

Hi,as for using it only with power amp and speakers,with it's volume,which one would you think it's better between DX7 Pro and D90 and how do they compare? Thank you

DX7 PRO lacks body and emotion in comparison with D90, I would get the D90 without thinking twice.

Got it...after the dx7 pro.now I'm thinking of other opamps than lme49720!

Hey there, darku! Remember me? 10 years ago I bought an Audiostyle Carat Ruby DAC/headphones amp from you and it is still going strong (after I switched its' power supply about 2 months ago). The thing is I want an upgrade and I cannot get in touch with you since CG forum is long dead. So I can get either the RME ADI-2 DAC FS, Chord Hugo 1 or Topping D90 for about the same price. I have a pair of Senn 6XX, but I don't do much listening through them these days, I prefer my speaker system - Creek Destiny 2 + Martin Logan 35xti (+ the said Carat Ruby). The ruby is quite resolute, but I think in 10 years things have evolved and I would hope for a wider, more defined soundstage (instrument sepparation). What advice cand you give me? Thanks a lot!

Hi Adrian,

A long time passed since anybody called me by my old nickname. Yep, that's me and I remember the old Ruby Burr-Brown powered DACs, plenty of naturalness in those, but not a lot of technicalities by today's standards. Stay away from Hugo 1, it isn't worth it today. Hugo 2 is better but sounds too up-front in a loudspeaker setup. Never tried an ADI-2 FS either, RME suggested to buy one if I want to review it, so I passed on that superb offer. If you want the same warmth, but a more technical sound and much more detail oriented, I would go with a Topping D90 or SMSL M400.

So you definitely recommend D90 over Hugo 1 (even though I cand get the Hugo1 used for about 2800 lei vs 3400 D90 new) ? I will go with whatever you say then. But what about the Matrix X Sabre Pro ?

Forgot to reply you back, sorry for that. I would get the D90 over the Hugo1 any time of the day. The technical parts of Hugo1 are great, but it sounds claustrophobic and closed-in with loudspeakers. D90 is at least as detailed and as fast, but without the shortcommings of the Hugo1. X-Sabre Pro would be better than both, but it is also a lot more expensive. I had one for about 2 years, amazing piece of kit and it can directly power amplifiers with ease (since it goes way past 4.5V on its XLR output, presumably it can go up to 15V).

What do you think about the new Topping Pre90, do you think it will improve the sound of the D90 since it has a real preamp section?

This is my favorite channel when it comes to audio reviews. After watching your review of the D90 and A90, I went along and bought the combo. I have connected my Macbook Pro 16 inch to the D90 trough the USB-C port. I use the D90 in dac mode. I have downloaded the EQmac to tweak my HD650 a bit. But whatever i do with the eq-app, nothing happens to the sound. What am I missing? I use TIDAL.

Hey mate, welcome on board! I personally don't EQ my headphones, like at all. There is always a drawback, you win something, but your lose signal purity which is killing it for me. Software EQ has nothing to do with your DAC or headphone amplifier, it has to do with the EQmac which isn't properly working for you, is there an enable and disable button for it?

I found your review is amazing and is there possible a review on SMSL new release M400 for comparison? Both are using the same chips and around the same pricing and I cant decide between them.