Review on 🎧 Topping E30 USB DAC AK4493 Chip: HiFi Audio Decoder with Remote Control (Black) by David Stewart

I am interested in this product as a preamplifier for my media center which takes a Toslink signal from the TV which is converted to analog and fed into my Crown XLS1502 amplifier driving a pair of JBL Studio 530's but im Preamp mode (the only mode with volume control) it falls apart completely. The sound is harsh and tiring to my ear. It's really disappointing because I need to be able to control the volume on this device and because it sounds awful in preamp mode, it's useless for any use case that requires volume control. Incidentally, the remote had an uneven connection at 8 feet from my media center. It's hardly worth bringing up, though, because if you're buying this unit for a remote control, don't! Sounds terrible. IA/B compared this unit to the old Pioneer Elite 49TX and it wasn't even compared. I tried running it through a 49TX amp instead of a Crown xls1502 and it still sounded bad. I just couldn't do anything. trying to make this unit sound good in preamp mode and I just couldn't. In DAC mode it sounds pretty good. Almost as good as the 49TX. I give it 1 star because it is sold as a DAC with a preamp and sounds terrible when used with a preamp. I really wanted to like this device. It would fit perfectly into my entertainment channel. Spring. It's hardly worth bringing up, though, because if you're buying this unit for a remote control, don't! Sounds terrible. IA/B compared this unit to the old Pioneer Elite 49TX and it wasn't even compared. I tried running it through a 49TX amp instead of a Crown xls1502 and it still sounded bad. I just couldn't do anything. trying to make this unit sound good in preamp mode and I just couldn't. In DAC mode it sounds pretty good. Almost as good as the 49TX. I give it 1 star because it is sold as a DAC with a preamp and sounds terrible when used with a preamp. I so wanted to like this machine. It would fit perfectly into my entertainment channel. Spring. It's hardly worth bringing up, though, because if you're buying this unit for a remote control, don't! Sounds terrible. IA/B compared this unit to the old Pioneer Elite 49TX and it wasn't even compared. I tried running it through a 49TX amp instead of a Crown xls1502 and it still sounded bad. I just couldn't do anything. trying to make this unit sound good in preamp mode and I just couldn't. In DAC mode it sounds pretty good. Almost as good as the 49TX. I give it 1 star because it is sold as a DAC with a preamp and sounds terrible when used with a preamp. I really wanted to like this device. It would fit perfectly into my entertainment channel. Spring. I tried running it through a 49TX amp instead of a Crown xls1502 and it still sounded bad. There was simply nothing I could do to make this unit sound good in preamp mode and I just couldn't. In DAC mode it sounds quite normal. Almost as good as 49TX. I give it 1 star because it is sold as a DAC with a preamp and sounds terrible when used with a preamp. I really wanted to like this device. It would fit perfectly into my entertainment channel. Spring. I have tried, running it through a 49TX amp instead of a Crown xls1502 and it still sounded bad. There was simply nothing I could do to make this unit sound good in preamp mode and I just couldn't. In DAC mode it sounds quite normal. Almost as good as 49TX. I give it 1 star because it is sold as a DAC with a preamp and sounds terrible when used with a preamp. I really wanted to like this device. It would fit perfectly into my entertainment channel. Spring. It would fit perfectly into my entertainment channel. Spring. It would fit perfectly into my entertainment channel. Spring. to make this unit sound good in preamp mode and I just couldn't. In DAC mode it sounds quite normal. Almost as good as 49TX. I give it 1 star because it is sold as a DAC with a preamp and sounds terrible when used with a preamp. I really wanted to like this device. It would fit perfectly into my entertainment channel. Spring. It would fit perfectly into my entertainment channel. Spring. It would fit perfectly into my entertainment channel. Spring. to make this unit sound good in preamp mode and I just couldn't. In DAC mode it sounds quite normal. Almost as good as 49TX. I give it 1 star because it is sold as a DAC with a preamp and sounds terrible when used with a preamp. I really wanted to like this device. It would fit perfectly into my entertainment channel. Spring. It would fit perfectly into my entertainment channel. Spring. It would fit perfectly into my entertainment channel. Spring. It would fit perfectly into my entertainment channel. Spring. It would fit perfectly into my entertainment channel. Spring. It would fit perfectly into my entertainment channel. Spring. It would fit perfectly into my entertainment channel. Spring. It would fit perfectly into my entertainment channel. Spring. It would fit perfectly into my entertainment channel. Spring.