Topping G5 Review (Portable DAC & HP Amp)

[RHO]

The 'specs' say USB in. Analogue out. Looks pretty straightforward to me.

Someone has botched something...

Yes, I see it now. At the top of the chart.

 

[RHO]

There's something odd,compare Amir's and Topping measurements below.
It's like being a different device.

View attachment 224547

Amir

View attachment 224548


Topping

You're comparing THD+N to THD.

 

[BostonJack]

I gotta say, I kind of have a little trouble getting past that as well. Despite the sacred, mostly theoretical 20K shibboleth, most music and recordings have little to no content that high, and most of us couldn't hear it even if it was there. But 7 kHz?I

I.Want. I can't hear much above 8k and absolutely zero about 10k. It would have to be a rifle shot or an explosion of some sort. Now, what is a good IEM in the under $200 bracket to pair with this? I love my HD6XX headphones, but they are awkward to transport. this might be my ultimate travel/work remote solution.

Love you, Topping! Send an autographed photo, please! Your Fanboy

 

[juliangst]

Looks really nice. But it doesn’t make me regret buying the NX7. The NX7 has 300mW more and gives me the same functionality when I connect my BTR5 to it. Doesn’t look as nice tho

 

[Sokel]

You're comparing THD+N to THD.

Yep,and thank you for pointing out,sometimes this can be misguided too.
I stand corrected!


Edit:Edited the post too.

 

[wwenze]

The only "hitch" is the slower roll off in the DAC filter. I almost knocked the overall rating lower but once I listened to the G5, I could not go there. Performance is too good to give it any score other than top of the line. You get to disagree otherwise by voting in the poll.

But aren't these products already at the level of inaudibility to begin with?

Is slow roll off filter audible?

 

[Palladium]

Is it possible to devise a test method with the AP analyzer to test BT LDAC to analog outputs?

 

[Georgrig]

Does it have an MFi (Made For iPhone) certification? If not, the DAC part is unusable when combined with an iPhone. I remember the NX4 before this had the exact same issue. Topping skimped on the certification..

I know they provide a lightning cable. But an iOS update can break the compatibility if the device is not Apple certified.

 

[Atanasi]

Is it possible to devise a test method with the AP analyzer to test BT LDAC to analog outputs?

LDAC transmitter like Fiio BTA30 Pro could be chained in between.

 

[GXAlan]

If the digital filter is -12 dB at 20 kHz, how does the multitone test show the 20kHz component still at 0 dB? Shouldn’t that show signs of the roll off? What happens if you generate a 64 tone signal with more signal in the high frequencies where we would expect to see the roll off?

 

[theREALdotnet]

If the digital filter is -12 dB at 20 kHz, how does the multitone test show the 20kHz component still at 0 dB? Shouldn’t that show signs of the roll off? What happens if you generate a 64 tone signal with more signal in the high frequencies where we would expect to see the roll off?

The multi-tone test is done at 192kHz sample rate, the filter won’t matter there.

 

[GXAlan]

The multi-tone test is done at 192kHz sample rate, the filter won’t matter there.

Makes sense. Why don’t we run multitone at 44.1 and 192? Not just for this product but others going forward? It seems like it would be helpful.

@amirm

 

[staticV3]

Now, what is a good IEM in the under $200 bracket to pair with this?

No IEM remotely warrants an Amp as powerful as the G5.
Good IEMs under $200: Moondrop Kato, 7Hz Timeless

 

[FrantzM]

One can dream ... if ever, Topping find ways and ( incentives?) to produce an AVR or Pre/Pro...

 

[staticV3]

Is it possible to devise a test method with the AP analyzer to test BT LDAC to analog outputs?

WolfX-700 did a bunch of measurments once via USB, once via LDAC:
https://www.l7audiolab.com/f/topping-g5/

 

[Heulpic]

A rolloff like that is not remotely high fidelity. -14dB at 20kHz is a bad joke. The pioneers of digital would be rolling in their graves.

But, kill that much HF and your THD will look fabulous....

@amirm How can you give a product with such a brutally bad (and clearly faulty) HF response such high marks? It makes no sense. And that is at 44.1kHz. This is what they claim:

View attachment 224533

What's going on? It's either faulty, your tests are botched, or they are lying with their claims.

The spec. are @ 96kHz

 

[SuicideSquid]

At 18Khz it's -0.6dB, and so it's pretty gradual. Doubt it would be noticeable.

If you're an adult man, it's almost guaranteed you can't hear above 18kHz. Even if you can, there's no musical content in that range - there's a reason why lossy codecs tend to junk everything above 13kHz.

Also where's this 7khz number coming from that people are throwing around? Looks to me like rolloff starts around 18kHz.

 

[SuicideSquid]

A rolloff like that is not remotely high fidelity. -14dB at 20kHz is a bad joke. The pioneers of digital would be rolling in their graves.

But, kill that much HF and your THD will look fabulous....

Have you had your hearing tested recently?

I'm willing to bet a considerable sum that you cannot hear anything between 18 and 20kHz, let alone detect a -12dB rolloff between those ranges.

 

[dtaylo1066]

Lookls like the line out is fixed, which is OK, but would be neat if the volume also allowed it to work as a preamp with variable out.

 

[dtaylo1066]

Half the price of Mojo2 but without EQ. With EQ it could have been a Mojo beater.