Topping's new reference-class DAC/preamp is a smart-looking technical tour de force

Topping has introduced a new member of its reference-class A series: the D900, a brand new DAC and preamp. It is claimed to "set new standards" for the sub-£2K sector, and is said to be the finest DAC that the firm has ever created.

The D900 uses Topping's own DAC design, and can be used as a pure DAC with digital sources in any audio system. It doesn't have its own headphone amplifier, but it does have a "proper" analogue preamp stage.

Topping also says that it's a match for dedicated, high performance preamplifiers, rendering a separate preamp stage unnecessary even in very high end systems.

Topping D900: key features and pricing

Topping's DAC does things differently. Instead of building its digital-to-analogue converter around bought-in chips using delta-sigma oversampling, using a ladder of resistors, or using programmable FPGA chips, the company has used its own in-house conversion with a discrete, 1-bit decoding architecture.

It utilises an ultra-fast switching logic array and promises high audio accuracy with low noise and excellent signal integrity.

This isn't the first Topping DAC to use the firm's PSRM architecture: we saw it in last year's D90 III Discrete. But the technology has been refined further, with double the elements to deliver an even faster response while preserving signal integrity.

It's also teamed with a sophisticated bespoke power supply that, according to Topping: "Enables the D900 to reproduce the original audio signal with astonishing fidelity."

The D900 is well connected, with eight cable inputs, including USB-C, USB-B, two optical and two coaxial inputs.

There's also AES/EBU input with an XLR connector and an IIS-LVDS (I2S) input with an HDMI connector that is claimed to deliver superior performance to USB and S/PDIF, especially over longer cable runs.

The USB ports and IIS-LVDS (I2S) input support PCM at up to 32-bit/768kHz and DSD512 (native) / DSD256 (DoP). Other cable inputs deliver PCM up to 24-bit/192kHz and DSD64 (DoP). Together, that means you're pretty much future-proofed for Hi-Res digital audio formats.

There's also Bluetooth with LDAC and aptX adaptive, both of which go up to 24-bit/96kHz, plus aptX HD at up to 24-bit/48kHz, and the obligatory aptX, AAC and SBC codecs for wide compatibility.

Refreshingly, when Topping says its system is sub-£2K, it doesn't mean £1,999.99. The Topping D900 has a recommended retail price of £1,799 (about $2,345 / €2,040 / AU$3,615).