Topping DX5 Review (DAC & HP Amp)

[dsnyder0cnn]

Does anyone know why no manufacturer has yet managed to completely get rid of the IMD hump on the 9068AS chip when they have been able to remove it completely on products based on any other ESS chip i've seen? Is there something fundamentally different about the design of the 9068AS chip? If so, do we know what that difference is?

Looks like Topping came very close with the E50…

DX5 should be similar after the firmware update.

 

[galanakop]

neither. genelec 8330 is better driven by digital in so there's no audio quality loss due to AD.

neither of the products has digital out.

hd650 is easy to drive and their much cheaper product (DX3 Pro+) can do the work fairly well.

Thanks. Do you have anything to suggest for my speakers but also my headphones for use in usb -pc ???

 

[Merkurio]

They don't do soundstage here, maybe because it can't be evaluated by SINAD .
I was testing with friends, about a year ago a group of mid priced dacs, SMSL and Topping are not shown as the best regarding soundstage. I don't know why, maybe components&topology they use in output stage. Anyway... properly setup planar speakers (Magnepan, MartinLogan) are useful tool for soundstage, easy to spot a difference .... less sidewalls reflections by default.

"Seriously bro, my placebo is way more real than their SINAD”.

 

[audiofun]

Thanks. Do you have anything to suggest for my speakers but also my headphones for use in usb -pc ???

If you don't mind separate device:
1. Today SMSL released SMSL PO100 and it's only $35. It should work as a USB->SPDIF digital interface to your monitor. You don't really need a DAC for that because as discussed by many people above, having a DAC degrade audio performance for your monitor.
2. I already suggest a DAC-headphone amplifier combo unit (Topping DX3Pro+) that is not only super good, but also fairly cheap. In real world however, HD650 don't really need an amplifier as it needs very little power. If your phone/computer's headphone jack is loud enough and is noise free, you won't get improved performance with external headphone amplifier.

 

[dsnyder0cnn]

In real world however, HD650 don't really need an amplifier as it needs very little power. If your phone/computer's headphone jack is loud enough and is noise free, you won't get improved performance with external headphone amplifier.

We should ask Amir to measure SINAD and power, etc. for a typical phone/computer's headphone jack. I would be surprised to learn that the DX3 Pro+ and DX5 fail to provide improved performance over such devices.

 

[Doodski]

We should ask Amir to measure SINAD and power, etc. for a typical phone/computer's headphone jack. I would be surprised to learn that the DX3 Pro+ and DX5 fail to provide improved performance over such devices.

@amirm tested a Z390 motherboard from Gigabyte.

 

[Rottmannash]

We should ask Amir to measure SINAD and power, etc. for a typical phone/computer's headphone jack. I would be surprised to learn that the DX3 Pro+ and DX5 fail to provide improved performance over such devices.

I believe he may have measured the output from his Samsung smartphone once?

 

[GabeM]

Thank you @amirm for your awesome work! Have you considered measuring the Burson Playmate 2? I'm torn between purchasing it and a few of topping's offerings, and it would be great to see if it can "measure" up. Topping sort of owns this affordable-yet-great audio realm, and I think it would be nice to see some competition, if of course it can compete. Class-A, powerful, great design and features, and most importantly, a rumoured fantastic pre-amp... sounds like it would be an interesting alternative...

edit: Is there any objective data for the pre-amps of dacs and amps, or would it be necessary? Do pre-amps between say the burson playmate and topping ex5 have any real measurable/audible differences?

 

[Observer]

"Seriously bro, my placebo is way more real than their SINAD”.

Well, good for you.
My placebo got reset every time I plug back my "old" unit.

 

[dsnyder0cnn]

Thank you @amirm for your awesome work! Have you considered measuring the Burson Playmate 2? I'm torn between purchasing it and a few of topping's offerings, and it would be great to see if it can "measure" up. Topping sort of owns this affordable-yet-great audio realm, and I think it would be nice to see some competition, if of course it can compete. Class-A, powerful, great design and features, and most importantly, a rumoured fantastic pre-amp... sounds like it would be an interesting alternative...

Please have one drop-shipped to Amir so that we can all find out. ;-)
It looks quite nice, especially with the metal remote. But, I'll be astonished if it offers anywhere near the objective performance of the Topping DX5. If the differences are great enough to be audible is another matter…

 

[TheTalbotHound]

Looks like Topping came very close with the E50…

View attachment 196371

DX5 should be similar after the firmware update.

Not according to L7AudioLab's measurements. My question from before still does not have an answer. If only ESS provided better documentation.

 

[BigSweeny]

Please have one drop-shipped to Amir so that we can all find out. ;-)
It looks quite nice, especially with the metal remote. But, I'll be astonished if it offers anywhere near the objective performance of the Topping DX5. If the differences are great enough to be audible is another matter…

I would also be astonished if it offered anywhere near the performance. The 'audible differences' are there according to the headfonia review which has a few interesting takes:

Burson Playmate 2 review

Burson Audio has released a slick new version of their entry-level DAC/pre-amp/headphone amp, the $544 USD Burson Playmate 2.

www.headfonia.com

As for IEMs, well, this really isn’t the unit for you. Both the Grado GR10 and Meze 12 Classics exposed a noticeable noise floor in the Playmate 2 – it seems that this is a full-sized headphone situation only.

The Playmate 2 gives a beautifully detailed performance that is nuanced, revealing and yet with just enough hint of Class-A lushness to imparts a nice sense of immersion into your music collection. This isn’t a warts-and-all, starkly revealing amplifier like the THX-based amps of the world, nor the Topping A90 – this is a real lean-back and ‘bliss-out’ sort of affair. I like it.

with the pluck of the bass guitar sounding absolutely spot-on – it sounds analogue, for want of a better word – exactly what we’re looking for out of a digital device, right?

the Playmate 2 is better suited to those looking for a lusher, retrained and ‘musical’ sound rather than those of you looking for a microscopic look into the nuances of a recording. Don’t get me wrong – the detail is all in there, but it’s not force-fed into your brain. The Playmate 2 is a good option for leaning-sounding or more neutral headphones, but potentially too laid-back for smoother, warmer headphones like the Sennheiser HD650, which it tends to ‘smear’ into a thicker, more intimate presentation rather than giving you a more spacious, airy experience.

I would guess some form of distortion is happening to get that kind of sound signature as described in the review. It sounds like when people praise tube amps. If you're into that kind of sound signature then that's cool.

As for getting back onto the topic of the DX5; I like the design more when I see it in videos rather than on the screen. It looks like a good option if you need more power than the EX5 but want/need perfect channel matching which isn't a guarantee with the E50+L50 stack at the same price. It's kind of in a weird spot from a financial point of view IMO, I'm not sure how many people would actually need the power over an EX5 for an extra $130~. The EX5 has also been on the market for a while and tried and tested.

 

[dsnyder0cnn]

but want/need perfect channel matching which isn't a guarantee with the E50+L50 stack at the same price.

If perfect channel matching is a concern (not for me), volume adjustments can be done on the E50. This would only be an issue when attenuation greater than -54 dB is required. Thankfully, my headphones want a lot more power than that.

 

[Dac-man]

I wonder if the version Amazon sells of this unit match the results I’ve achieved from the E50 from Amazon?


https://audiosciencereview.com/foru...ng-e50-review-balanced-dac.26219/post-1138229

 

[PeteL]

More features won't come free.

PreSonus® Revelator io44 | Interfaces

PreSonus® Revelator io44, Black

www.presonus.com

Is this enough features or what? 2 bills.

 

[galgogergo]

Not remotely a coincidence and I hope to see many more of these non-coincidences... My only regret is that I didn't know about ASR and just how good almost everything Topping makes is before I'd already stumped for a D90SE and an A90. Could theoretically (*) have saved some cash and bought cheaper items like this DX5.

*Theoretically because went and bought an RME ADI-2 and a second A90 after getting into ASR reviews in a big way. Oh well! At least I'll never blow money on a Dave or a Bartok now. There's that.

What do you find the ADI-2 compared to the D90s to be like, soundwise?
eg: more open, better/worse imaging, etcetc. I know the parameters are perfect, but still. (So we're the parameters of my Apollo Twin X Duo which O had to sell because I felt it compressed the sound somehow. Or maybe I got a bad unit, I don't know, but beside the measurements, I also like to hear the stuff)
Thanks!

 

[AlephAlpha001]

What do you find the ADI-2 compared to the D90s to be like, soundwise?

I have absolutely no problems recommending both of them. Can't fault either of them. I've never attempted Blind A/B testing and to further confuse the issue the ADI-2 sits at my workstation where I use it with Sennheiser HD800S. The D90SE is over by the sofa and I've been using Hifiman Arya with it. Both DACS XLR into Topping A90. The A90 with the ADI-2 is totally unnecessary except that I've got a mind to buy the Susvara.

All other things being equal, and not having my acquisitive try everything quirks when getting into a new hobby (it is for me), the RME is pretty much a one-stop shop. Sorry I can't say much about sound. I just know that I can listen to both for long periods without fatigue and all is good. Going forward I think I'll be indulging my acquisitiveness more with transducers. I feel kind of happy and sorted with DACs.

Addendum: WRT your impression that your Apollo Twin X Duo sounded ‘compressed’.. definitely none of that with the ADI or Topping. If you were using the other recording/mixing features of the Apollo as well as the DAC, then based on my *very* limited experience I’d say RME ADI-2 Pro + RME whatever interface / mike pre-amp kit and you’re sorted. Non-practicing EE from way back and while I’m totally out of the loop these days, the RME manuals and general vibe gives me that Old HP Feeling.

 

[TheTalbotHound]

Not according to L7AudioLab's measurements. My question from before still does not have an answer. If only ESS provided better documentation.

By the way are the differences between L7's unit and amir's unit just down to unit variation? It would be nice to have some kind of confirmation of which version is more prevalent, since we only have 2 measurements rn and they both look different.

 

[RHO]

By the way are the differences between L7's unit and amir's unit just down to unit variation? It would be nice to have some kind of confirmation of which version is more prevalent, since we only have 2 measurements rn and they both look different.

Measurements of Topping DX5 USBDAC/HeadphoneAMP(Prototype) - L7Audiolab

台式设备 本站的测量文中，已经很久没有来自Topping的消息了，上一篇测量还是Measurements of Topping PA5 PowerAMP……在拓品群里也是各种“拓品完蛋啦”的调侃。还好，前阵子我拿到了 Topping DX5,拓品看来距离“完蛋啦”还有时间……

www.l7audiolab.com

 

[NTK]

By the way are the differences between L7's unit and amir's unit just down to unit variation? It would be nice to have some kind of confirmation of which version is more prevalent, since we only have 2 measurements rn and they both look different.

The measurements by Amir and WolfX-700 don't look that different to me.