Audiophilepure

Turning to the back panel, the D90 III Discrete offers everything you’d expect from a high-end DAC, with connectivity that covers a wide range of setups. All of the unit’s inputs and outputs are located on the rear panel. The D90 III Discrete has unbalanced RCA and balanced XLR outputs. The inputs are USB-B, optical, coaxial, AES, and IIS. The quality of the connectors is great, as you would expect from Topping. The sockets feel rigid and durable without any wobble. For added convenience, you also get 12V trigger I&O.

Overall, the D90 III Discrete feels like a solid and reliable DAC. The sturdy materials, rich I/O options, and user-friendly layout make it a solid option in the market. That said, I can’t help but feel that Topping missed an opportunity to update the design to match their newer, more aggressive monoblock aesthetic. This feels particularly relevant considering their new flagship D900, which uses a similar PSRM module but doubles the 16-phase design to 32-phase for even greater performance and sports a more modern and premium look. While this decision might be a way to differentiate the two products, I would have preferred a sleeker, more contemporary iteration for the D90 III Discrete.

Every one of my reviews starts with a straightforward yet profoundly simple premise: “If it’s interesting to me, it’ll be interesting to you”, with my pedantic brain focusing on the concentration of quality while keeping the enthusiasm unbottled.

Regardless of technology, novel ideas, or price tag, many modern DACs can still sound harsh and one-dimensional. This is often closely associated with streamlined manufacturing, which Abendrot escapes by all means, drawing its design choices from an impressive track record working with some of the most renowned studios worldwide.

Regular readers of my reviews will be aware that my listening reference is, first of all, live music, and that my experience is that analog reproduction using a first-class turntable, cartridge and phono stage generally does the best job of recreating the illusion of live music in one’s listening room.  My experience with Redbook CD is that the format from the last fifteen years or so can give satisfaction, particularly with pop music and jazz, but that they lack the air and micro-detail in orchestral and other classical music contexts.  Even with pop and jazz, analog can sound warmer and more natural and relaxed.  The amount of difference we hear between Redbook and analog can be very system dependent and certainly less noticeable on a less resolving system.  The DSD/SACD formats changed the digital game to a fair degree, but I generally still prefer analog.  Looking ahead, I will say that the EMM Labs DA2i has advanced the state of the format noticeably.

https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php

For someone looking for a quality streamer and a serious pair of mono amps as a nice little just-add-speakers system, a PecanPi+ Streamer Premium and a pair of Starkrimson Mono amplifiers, at just under $4000, represent a solid value.

The PecanPi+ Streamer Premium’s no-frills approach is admittedly a bit weird in the current hi-fi landscape, one where there’s a push to offer as many features in a single product as possible. But that allows it to pack the latest AKM Velvetsound chip under the hood and keep under $1500. That it also incorporates a great touch screen and top-notch audio circuitry is very unusual at this price level; few bare-bones network streamers at a comparable price offer that.

https://www.monoandstereo.com/abendrot-colt-dac-review/

Every one of my reviews starts with a straightforward yet profoundly simple premise: “If it’s interesting to me, it’ll be interesting to you”, with my pedantic brain focusing on the concentration of quality while keeping the enthusiasm unbottled.

Regardless of technology, novel ideas, or price tag, many modern DACs can still sound harsh and one-dimensional. This is often closely associated with streamlined manufacturing, which Abendrot escapes by all means, drawing its design choices from an impressive track record working with some of the most renowned studios worldwide.