After reviewing about ~18 Topping DACs, it was time to move on and check out something else. I neglected most Topping releases for almost two years, and the biggest reason is that although there were a few improvements in the newest generation of Topping units, their sound didn’t evolve as much as I hoped. With every Topping release, I was getting the same chips, clocking system, power supply, and output stages – just newer cases and a wider feature set, and I didn’t like that part. There was a feeling that Topping hit a ceiling, and that was my cue to move on and explore different brands. When their DX9 hit my test bench, it lit a spark of hope as it finally sounded different compared to their past offerings. When I explored their first single-bit DAC, the D90 III Discrete, a month ago, I finally realized that they are no longer copying themselves but are trying to expand their knowledge. Today, I will test probably their most different-sounding DAC to date, which is brand new on the inside and sounds worlds apart from what they did before. This is their very first R2R ladder DAC called Centaurus, made in collaboration with Holo Audio. It goes for $999 (you can get it from here) and will later be compared with the Topping D90 III Discrete and Gustard X26 III, so let’s check it out in the usual fashion!
