Topping D90 III Sabre Review and Comparisons

Topping D90 III Sabre DAC was introduced to the market last year. At that time it was the latest and greatest standalone DAC that Topping had ever made. While there are few newer models that came out recently – today we will focus on this Sabre version and what it brings.

Build and Features

Topping D90 III Sabre carries the same high-quality build and design pioneered with model D90SE a few years ago. It might not be as new and exciting as it once was, but it’s sure equally well-built and has that good sturdy feel to it. If there’s a complaint to be made here – it’s that it feels odd that the more affordable D70 series got redesigned, and equipped with a new color display with a more attractive UI, while D90 is still rocking the old style. An odd decision on Topping’s part, but it is what it is.

Inside, two flagship Sabre ES9039SPRO DAC chips are used. Those are paired with XMOS XU-316 USB signal processor, and Bluetooth 5.1 receiver for a very rich file format support. This includes PCM up to 768 kHz, DSD512, and even MQA.

Connectivity

In the back, we find a very rich selection of digital inputs: USB, optical Toslink, Coaxial SPDIF, AES, and IIS. When it comes to analog outputs, we have both single-ended RCAs and balanced XLRs onboard. There’s a choice of two different output levels: standard 2.1V/4.2V or elevated 2.6V/5.2V. But outputs can also be set to a variable level, which attenuates volume in fine steps. This means that D90 III can be used and connected directly to a power amplifier if you wish to do so. I always advise not to do that, because if you aim for rich tone and good soundstage, this DAC deserves better attenuation and preamplification that can be found either with a separate preamplifier or with a good integrated amplifier. A small remote control is included in the box too so that adds to the overall convenience.

Lastly, the power inlet is a full-sized IEC that will accept 110/220 V AC, depending on the region you’re in. This means that the whole power supply is located inside of the box, so there is no need, and no way really, to purchase aftermarket power supplies as a way to upgrade your sound.

Sound

Topping D90 III Sabre sounds exactly like what you would expect when a competent team of engineers uses a high-quality Sabre DAC chip. We’re talking about very neutral tonality, precise and highly revealing sound. All notes are etched with great precision, and you’ll never hear anything that even remotely resembles muddiness, softness, or haze. The good thing is that Topping managed to find a fine line that never crosses into unpleasant oversharpened sound – something that could happen with older models when the brand was very young. The house sound is maturing and that’s a good thing.

Moving to dynamics, we’re talking about very fast and very lively sound with great dynamics. Any beat or fast-paced rhythm is followed with absolute ease. This Topping sounds punchy too, with a very good kick in the bassline, and vigor across the frequency spectrum. I can’t imagine anyone getting bored while listening to music through this DAC.

Finally, soundstaging is competent. Instrument separation is great, a dark background is present, and the soundstage size is reasonably developed. Not as huge as with some R2Rs or simply higher-end DACs but still quite decent. Flat-sounding Topping DACs are obviously a thing of the past.

Comparisons

Topping D70 Pro Octo is a DAC that sits slightly lower in Topping’s line and it is appropriately priced almost three hundred dollars less. It’s a great-sounding DAC nonetheless with the same set of features, and ironically newer color display with a more modern UI. This DAC matched the sound fidelity of the older D90LE and D90SE with ease so it was an easy recomendation. Pitted directly to the D90 III Sabre, you do notice that the D70 Pro Octo can’t fully match its transparency and dynamics. The difference is not big but the pricier newcomer is slightly better on all accounts – detail retrieval, dynamics, and soundstaging. It’s also more forward-sounding compared to the slightly laid-back and warmer D70 Pro Octo. These character differences aside, I find D90 III to be a better performer. The only question left is – is it almost fifty percent better sounding since that is the difference in their pricing? The answer is simple- it’s not. A performance gap exists but it’s definitely smaller than that.

SMSL SU-10 is another highly capable DAC that is priced the same and comes with a very comparable set of features. So we won’t waste time talking about all of those similarities. Let’s immediately jump to sonic differences instead. SMSL SU-10 sounds warmer throughout the frequency spectrum and it’s softer sounding DAC overall. D90 III is more neutral, with a tidier and quicker bassline, and more etched tone edges. SU-10 also creates a slightly bigger soundstage and lusher midrange, but the tones are less focused and less pinpointed. To cut the story short – here we’re talking about two DACs of equal but different qualities. SMSL SU-10 is more to my taste but which one would you prefer, or which one would fare better in your particular setup, is something I can’t help you with.

Topping D90LE is a previous Topping flagship that I don’t have with me anymore so this is not a direct comparison. I can still tell you this one – D90LE was fully matched by both D70 Pro Octo and D70 Pro Sabre. The first one of these two D70s I still have with me and as you can see in the first comparison, D90 III improves on its dynamics and clarity – so the logical conclusion to draw from this is that it equally improves on D90LE. That difference is once again not big and if you already own a D90LE or SE, I think you shouldn’t sweat about the new D90 III but wait for a bigger performance jump.

Conclusion

Topping D90 III Sabre is a very good product and a decent evolution on the older model. It’s one of the best-sounding DACs below one thousand US dollars too.