Topping E30II lite DAC Preamp - AK4493S Hi-Res XMOS XU208 DAC 32Bit/768kHz DSD512 DSD Direct Mode for USB/Coax/Opt Inputs RCA HiFi Stereo Digital Audio Decoder(Black)

Really wanted to stream my Apple music through my 2-channel stereo system. Cabled to the Topping E30ii lite via CCK lightening to USB dongle and then to my Yamaha receiver. Works perfectly and sounds great!

I’m one of those weirdos that uses active studio monitors with my TV. Previously I was using a cheap ($30) remote controlled dac that didn’t have a screen to show volume level and only had like 10 volume increments. The Topping is easily worth the price just to have more volume control, a screen, and a higher quality remote with clicks buttons. Easy 5/5 stars! The screen brightness is adjustable and even has an auto off feature. The device also automatically enters a standby mode when I turn off my TV. Excellent product. I used a RCA splitter so I can send two outputs- one to my studio monitors and another to my sub. Works amazing.Only thing I would complain about is that the remote is IR and requires to be pointed directly at the unit. Wish remote used RF instead.

Sounds great. Basically perfect with USB input, and the tiny barely measurable inaccuracies with coax and spdif input are beyond the ability of human ears to hear it, so effectively a perfect DAC in terms of sound quality. There are different filters you can try, if you want to. But why deviate from accuracy?Basically, if you don't like what you are hearing, it is the original recording, the speakers, or the room itself. That's how transparent to the source this unit is.----In terms of usability, there are a couple of caveats.1. The IR sensor for the more control is pretty limited in sensitivity. You really gotta be directly aiming that remote to get it to work consistently.2. There are no discrete input selection IR commands. For those of us who like to automate our systems, have a button (or at least an IR command available in the Harmony database) to choose a specific input (USB, COAX, or OPTICAL) is very very useful. But this unit does not have that feature. You select the input you want by stepping through the three available inputs. That means any kind of automation routine has to trust that it knows what input was last used, and how many steps to the correct input are left.Of course many of us only use one source so you can just leave it on that source and never change that. Problem solved.

It SOUNDS good, is a preamp with remote control of volume, mute & settings. It cannot be bettered at its price!

This unit seems pretty well made but the remote is really as bad as other reviews said it was. You need to be fairly close and really aim it dead on to have it work. Sound wise despite the reviews describing the sound signature as neutral I have to disagree. I found the sound signature somewhat bright and the highs sound over emphasized leading to listening fatigue on my system. I expected this to be a improvement over my KGUSS Dac K3 using Cirrus CS4398 and CS8416 chip set. After a few days of comparing what I found is the K3 is as detailed as the E30ii Lite without the added brightness. The USB on the E30ii Lite worked flawlessly no noise at all so that is a positive. For those that like that slightly bright sound this is a winner minus the limited range of the remote.

I found the sound on this to be a bit muddy in my system. I went with the Schiit modi and I think that sounds much nicer with my Focal chorus speakers and a Yamaha 2 channel receiver. YMMV

I have this DAC converting optical from my TV, & feeding the analog to my high-end stereo. Sounds good — perhaps a little bright, but I'll live.I LOVE the auto-off (after 60 seconds) and DAC (versus pre-amp) settings. Easily configurable after reading the enclosed instructions. Some other configurable PCM, DSD filter settings. Configurable display brightness.If you're looking for an entry level DAC, or just one to glom onto your TV for further amplification, this may be a worthy candidate.

My new TV has no analog audio outputs. I did not want to buy a receiver / amp combo, because I already have an external powered speaker system that takes analog inputs. This preamp perfectly solves the problem, with the remote providing volume control. Works great for us!