[SeaBeef]

Hi all,

Recently bought a Topping D10S DAC to use as an optical bridge for my iPhone to Helix DSP. The Apple Lightning to USB3 Camera Kit is proving very troublesome. I’ve been told the only fix is the solder a permanent 5V power cable to the USB cable, however I don’t want to do this as it will be a cluster of cables everywhere.

Just wondering if anyone out there has used an alternative USB adapter instead of the Apple one, with success?

Cheers

 

[dumdum]

Hi all,

Recently bought a Topping D10S DAC to use as an optical bridge for my iPhone to Helix DSP. The Apple Lightning to USB3 Camera Kit is proving very troublesome. I’ve been told the only fix is the solder a permanent 5V power cable to the USB cable, however I don’t want to do this as it will be a cluster of cables everywhere.

Just wondering if anyone out there has used an alternative USB adapter instead of the Apple one, with success?

Cheers

Lots of people will tell you they have used lots of other adaptors, none are built as well as the Apple that I’ve seen

The Smsl PO100 is a small usb to digital converter and works very well with no extra wires soldered or fitted… and it’s cheap as chips! <$40… £34 on Amazon in the uk, so less than a 1/3 of a topping 🥰

 

[Selkec]

All you need to do is use this 5v buck converter and get a lightening cable extension and hide it all inside the dash or console. There’s no reason to keep it all out in the open.

Buck Converter 12v to 5v, DROK 5A... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01NALDSJ0?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

 

[SeaBeef]

The Smsl PO100 is a small usb to digital converter and works very well with no extra wires soldered or fitted… and it’s cheap as chips! <$40… £34 on Amazon in the uk, so less than a 1/3 of a topping

Ordered! Cheers

 

[SeaBeef]

All you need to do is use this 5v buck converter and get a lightening cable extension and hide it all inside the dash or console.

Even using that converter plugged into the CCK3, I don’t think it will work due to the design of the CCK3. Pretty sure the power input on the CCK3 only charges the phone, not the device connected to the CCK3 via USB. How do I know? Because I had a 5V 4.5A connected to the CCK3 input and it still didn’t work.

Also I have a feeling that converter would put out a digital noise which wouldn’t be ideal around audio

 

[Granite]

I bought an s21ultra for permanent car duty to see if I can get around this. The camera adapter from apple is trash.

 

[RickWilson]

Even using that converter plugged into the CCK3, I don’t think it will work due to the design of the CCK3. Pretty sure the power input on the CCK3 only charges the phone, not the device connected to the CCK3 via USB. How do I know? Because I had a 5V 4.5A connected to the CCK3 input and it still didn’t work.

Also I have a feeling that converter would put out a digital noise which wouldn’t be ideal around audio

you can peep my build log. My D10S runs of 2.3 amps from my trucks USB to an Apple CCK3. Literally have had zero issues with my set up.

your topping might be defective? Have you tried using it on a desktop to confirm it works with a wall outlet and cck3?

 

[Selkec]

Even using that converter plugged into the CCK3, I don’t think it will work due to the design of the CCK3. Pretty sure the power input on the CCK3 only charges the phone, not the device connected to the CCK3 via USB. How do I know? Because I had a 5V 4.5A connected to the CCK3 input and it still didn’t work.

Also I have a feeling that converter would put out a digital noise which wouldn’t be ideal around audio

I have that converter connected not a topping d10 using cck3 and haven’t had any issues with it. I chose that 5v because it has the fast charge chip in it and most don’t. And it was recommended on this forum a few years ago because of that. That chip is probably what makes it charge the phone and power at the same time.

 

[Selkec]

Also I have a feeling that converter would put out a digital noise which wouldn’t be ideal around audio

What does the digital noise sound like?

 

[nadams5755]

Pretty sure the power input on the CCK3 only charges the phone, not the device connected to the CCK3 via USB. How do I know? Because I had a 5V 4.5A connected to the CCK3 input and it still didn’t work.

the apple cck3 will provide power to the usb accessories. as well.

showing this in a video below. the udac5's LED will be solid white when it's on and powered correctly. it will flash blue when it's not. when it's powered correctly, it will show as an output device in ios.

 

[SeaBeef]

your topping might be defective? Have you tried using it on a desktop to confirm it works with a wall outlet and cck3?

I tested on my laptop running off its battery and it worked every single time.

I was only testing the D10S with analog RCA out. Maybe it will work using optical out as a bridge. D10S may potentially require less power as a bridge rather than as a DAC. Will test this theory

 

[SeaBeef]

What does the digital noise sound like?

https://gearspace.com/board/attachments/music-computers/305228d1345119416-digital-hash-noise-digitial-noise.mp3

 

[Selkec]

Oh ok. Definitely is dead quiet. None of that issue

 

[dumdum]

the apple cck3 will provide power to the usb accessories. as well.

showing this in a video below. the udac5's LED will be solid white when it's on and powered correctly. it will flash blue when it's not. when it's powered correctly, it will show as an output device in ios.

It depends on the current draw of the device and also the age of the cck3, it’s not as simple as that…

The cck3 had its firmware modified that made it a bit too power hungry to provide the current to run the topping d10s, I have one old unit that is updated and will run a topping d10s, the newer models wont

But if you only want a usb to spdif digital converter you can use the item I listed above, it does an identical job to the topping, just with less current draw 👍🏼

if anyone wants to run a topping from a cck3

here’s a technical drawing from my own fair hand! 😂

 

[Selkec]

I tested on my laptop running off its battery and it worked every single time.

I was only testing the D10S with analog RCA out. Maybe it will work using optical out as a bridge. D10S may potentially require less power as a bridge rather than as a DAC. Will test this theory

It will. That’s my exact setup

It depends on the current draw of the device and also the age of the cck3, it’s not as simple as that…

The cck3 had its firmware modified that made it a bit too power hungry to provide the current to run the topping d10s, I have one old unit that is updated and will run a topping d10s, the newer models wont

But if you only want a usb to spdif digital converter you can use the item I listed above, it does an identical job to the topping, just with less current draw 👍🏼

if anyone wants to run a topping from a cck3

here’s a technical drawing from my own fair hand! 😂

View attachment 342619

I bought my cck3 earlier in 2021. Shortly after the same week it took a software update also. It’s worked with any iPhone I’ve tried from an SE to the bigger 13 ‘max. Using that Buck converter I listed has always powered my topping d10s and d10b and charged the phone. There’s a couple long threads on this in this forum. It’s where I got the idea and what converter to get. Maybe dumdum is right also with newer model cck3 I don’t think he is ever wrong. He’s one of the good ones 😉

 

[dumdum]

It will. That’s my exact setup


I bought my cck3 earlier in 2021. Shortly after the same week it took a software update also. It’s worked with any iPhone I’ve tried from an SE to the bigger 13 ‘max. Using that Buck converter I listed has always powered my topping d10s and d10b and charged the phone. There’s a couple long threads on this in this forum. It’s where I got the idea and what converter to get. Maybe dumdum is right also with newer model cck3 I don’t think he is ever wrong. He’s one of the good ones 😉

I think it maybe a bit hit and miss then as the one I have that did work was 2019, I sold it one of our team lads as I was building his car for the euros that fatefully got cancelled, after that I bought another and it wouldnt, hence my little modification

There is actually a French shop that sells a specific lead for the external power supply with a male and female usb b and a usb a for power input, it’s designed to fit just before the topping…

I modded my lead before I knew of it… but as usb a are so easy to lay hands on it was easy to make and solder up

 

[dumdum]

as to the other point. I only use a d10s as a digital bridge and it seems to suffer voltage drop, the optical port will light up red and then go out, rinse and repeat…

the dac is active as is the coax even if just using optical, you can literally use all three at the same time to different rooms if required 👍🏼

 

[SeaBeef]

Okay so as suspected, D10S is working perfectly fine with the CCK3 if using as an optical bridge only. I was previously testing RCA out which would not work.

Obviously the D10S in optical bridge mode draws a lot less power than if using as a DAC, and the CCK3 powers it fine as an optical bridge. The CCK3 will will even power the D10S in optical bridge mode without the lightning cable connected! This makes me wonder if the smaller Apple to USB adapter (no lightning port) will work or not. I don’t need my phone charging by cable as it sits on a wireless charger.

Either way, I have since purchased a SMSL PO100 as dumdum suggested, so I’ll be using that instead of the D10S, as it does the same thing at 1/10th of the size. The SMSL PO100 also works with the CCK3 without lightning cable connected.