Yeah a bit of a bummer. I sit a couple of meters away from it so i only ever use the remote so i am not bothered with it atm atleast.
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Topping DX3 Pro+ Review (DAC & Headphone Amp)
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Transmaniacon
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Is there anything cheaper than this for a combo amp/DAC that is comparable?
pongpaktech
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What is the Vrms that corresponds to 0dBFS on the low gain headphone out?
Killingbeans
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I've been looking for that too. Even since the original DX3 Pro, but never found anything that was really comparable.
Loxjie D30 comes pretty close?
Web site says 5.5 Vpp (I assume that's at 0dBFS). So, 1.944 Vrms?
Transmaniacon
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The D30 is $260 though. I think the DX3 Pro+ is probably the cheapest option aside from something like the Fiio K3 or E10K.
dreamscene
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Similar chip based dac with an amp would be the newly updated release from Fiio, the K5Pro ESS. Same price but it does not have a remote, display and bluetooth. Might be a positive as less complications means less things to go wrong if you don't need those features on a desktop DAC/AMP. The Fiio is not yet tested by Amir.
THanks.
phoenixsong
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Should be a definite improvement from my personal experience, and also from measurements of general motherboard chips on other sites
Walter
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Yes. However, a good dongle DAC/amp will do just as well with IEMs for a lot less money, and be portable, as well.
dreamscene
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Man......
I think I don't have an audiophile ear. So as most 'new' audiophile's here, I became depressed with life and thought to waste money so I went on a spending spree, bought myself expensive $500 HiFiMan Edition XS headphones and this Topping DX3Pro+ DAC AMP that apparently paper measures the same as DAC Amps that used to cost $5,000 10 years ago. What a wasted effort that was, couldn't hear any 'better music'. My wireless Apple Airpods sound better to me. Well.....this was a short journey and lucky I got out of this 'audiophile hole' with just $700 in damages. Yes, I cleaned my ears with rubbing alcohol to make it squeaky clean, I called the electrical company and asked them when it would be the best time to run the test and they told me the afternoon as the electrical spikes are the lowest and I also made sure I suspended the dac amp on soft marshmallows so it is cushioned from earths vibrations, none of it made any difference, the Apple Airpod's sounded the same or even better.
Oh well...... at least it was a good distraction for 3 weeks reading up and staring at 'audiophile charts', watching Youtube videos measuring DB, SPL, volt this volt that lol.....kept me busy during a down period.
I think I don't have an audiophile ear. So as most 'new' audiophile's here, I became depressed with life and thought to waste money so I went on a spending spree, bought myself expensive $500 HiFiMan Edition XS headphones and this Topping DX3Pro+ DAC AMP that apparently paper measures the same as DAC Amps that used to cost $5,000 10 years ago. What a wasted effort that was, couldn't hear any 'better music'. My wireless Apple Airpods sound better to me. Well.....this was a short journey and lucky I got out of this 'audiophile hole' with just $700 in damages. Yes, I cleaned my ears with rubbing alcohol to make it squeaky clean, I called the electrical company and asked them when it would be the best time to run the test and they told me the afternoon as the electrical spikes are the lowest and I also made sure I suspended the dac amp on soft marshmallows so it is cushioned from earths vibrations, none of it made any difference, the Apple Airpod's sounded the same or even better.
Oh well...... at least it was a good distraction for 3 weeks reading up and staring at 'audiophile charts', watching Youtube videos measuring DB, SPL, volt this volt that lol.....kept me busy during a down period.
Sorry to hear that. Mayby the sound signature of the airpods is more to your likening even if the sound by mesurement is better in the hifiman setup. You did try with EQ i presume? Hifimans lacks a bit of "fullness" / low end without it i have read and experienced with my Sundaras. While i think my Sundaras sound good i dont listen to as much music as i thought i would but i do enyoy the good sound for movies and games and very handy to have the remote. So even without listening that much to music a pair of good headhphones and amp has many areas of use.
Transmaniacon
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There’s a million speakers out there because everyone has their own preferences. Sure you can look at measurements until you’re blue in the face, but ultimately you have to like how something sounds. If you like the AirPods, then great, they are designed to sound good to a large spectrum of people.
Maybe there is something else besides the Hifimans that will be an upgrade for you, you could try those nice wireless Apple headphones, I can’t remember what they are called.
dreamscene
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I will try using the EQ, thanks for the tip. I mean to my noob ears, the HiFiMan get's a little louder that's it. Maybe I am deaf because after watching Youtube videos and reading articles on the HiFiMan XS Edition....it was described as 'God send' headphones in the price range. And this Topping DAC/ Amp after 33 pages sold me on it's paper measurements 'to die for' for the price. Man lucky I didn't shell out $500 on 'Western name brand' Dac Amps like I was about to. For me, the $200 Airpod's just sound the same or even better with no Dac/Amp, straight from my iPhone. Yes, I know the HiFiMan XS Edition is technically better on 'paper and charts' and the Topping DX3Pro+ is also technically better than an iPhone but to my ears, it made no difference. A little disappointed but I will use the EQ as you said and report back.
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dreamscene
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You mean the Apple Max? I have the Airpods Pro that sells for $200.
Killingbeans
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I use a $50 pair of headphones with EQ, and I'm plenty satisfied. As long you don't push them into gross distortion, most headphones can have their "signature" removed or tailored to your liking.
Reviewers and YouTubers love to push the idea of angel choir sounding when you use a new piece of audiophile gear for the first time. Often you get that effect from pure excitement.... and then it fizzles away. It's the hunt for that fix that drives the hobby for a lot of folks.
Don't get me wrong, some headphones are better than others, but immediate enjoyment and sound quality are not guaranteed to be linked.
The features alone is enough to make me want a DX3 Pro+. If I were you, I'd stop focusing on its sound quality, and just see it as a nice little thing jam packed with functionality.
Apple is a real tech company. They probably use more psychoacoustics in their designs than most "audiophile" brands do combined.
A way to get a lot of cheap point is to elevate the bass a little. It's something most humans naturally enjoy.
dreamscene
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Man, yea I guess so. As a noob, I fell for the charts and numbers hoopla.
Killingbeans
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The audiophile hobby is an absolute minefield of superstition and alchemy.
A trend at the moment is that people see EQ as a form of sacrilege that somehow taints the experience of audio playback. It's nonsense.
EQ is not a magic bullet with no downsides, but when used correctly it can remedy some of the major issues that completely dwarf the side effects.
Charts and numbers are still useful. They can tell you whether the product can be used as a "clean slate" or has a baked in signature, although I suspect that the numbers has to be surprisingly bad before any such signatures become glaringly apparent. Mostly they simply indicate good engineering.
A trend at the moment is that people see EQ as a form of sacrilege that somehow taints the experience of audio playback. It's nonsense.
EQ is not a magic bullet with no downsides, but when used correctly it can remedy some of the major issues that completely dwarf the side effects.
Charts and numbers are still useful. They can tell you whether the product can be used as a "clean slate" or has a baked in signature, although I suspect that the numbers has to be surprisingly bad before any such signatures become glaringly apparent. Mostly they simply indicate good engineering.
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