• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

Topping DX7 Pro+ Review (DAC & HP Amp)

Rate this DAC & HP Amp

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 8 2.2%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 10 2.7%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther

    Votes: 56 15.4%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 290 79.7%

  • Total voters
    364

JanesJr1

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Joined
Jun 9, 2021
Messages
505
Likes
450
Location
MA
@formantzero makes sense actually. The DX5 is awful at driving high loads. It can do about 125mW at 13Ω before hard clipping. See here and here.
Now, that should still leave you with 113dB SPL peak output.
That's fairly loud, but only if your tracks are mastered well. If they're high DR recordings and perhaps not normalized, then I can see how volume might be lacking.
I appreciate you, staticv3, in always helping to make subjective discussions to become more objective and measurements based!
 

djgras

Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2022
Messages
37
Likes
8
I wonder how it compares to the Gustard R26 just out
 

Veri

Master Contributor
Joined
Feb 6, 2018
Messages
9,596
Likes
12,036
And to the iFi Pro iDSD Signature?

Here but not published yet :( https://reference-audio-analyzer.pro/en/title-report.php?id=3065#gsc.tab=0
https://reference-audio-analyzer.pro/en/report/amp/ifi-pro-idsd-single-solide-state.php#gsc.tab=0 doesn't look good though, <90dB SNR

I wonder how it compares to the Gustard R26 just out
https://www.l7audiolab.com/f/gustard-r26 ~16-bit performance so really quite "meh".
 

Robbo99999

Master Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Jan 23, 2020
Messages
6,874
Likes
6,672
Location
UK
I wish Topping makes a DAC with parametric EQ.
A Topping gaming DAC with parametric EQ (20 bands max for best flexibility and ability to apply parametric EQ to both channels independently for channel matching) and a good implementation of Virtual 7.1 Surround Sound would be pretty cool, if really quite niche (especially if going to the extremes I listed in the brackets) - it would satisfy the audiophile gamer!
 

Hxx

Member
Joined
Apr 20, 2021
Messages
77
Likes
58
A Topping gaming DAC with parametric EQ (20 bands max for best flexibility and ability to apply parametric EQ to both channels independently for channel matching) and a good implementation of Virtual 7.1 Surround Sound would be pretty cool, if really quite niche (especially if going to the extremes I listed in the brackets) - it would satisfy the audiophile gamer!
second this i would be all over that like white on rice
 

Robbo99999

Master Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Jan 23, 2020
Messages
6,874
Likes
6,672
Location
UK
second this i would be all over that like white on rice
Ha, well that's two of us, maybe there's some more out there! :D
 

Snix

Member
Joined
Sep 16, 2022
Messages
55
Likes
55
Sighhhhh....

I am using the old one (DX7 Pro, without "+").
Love it, even though I don't use its headphone output anymore.
And this new baby... I prolly, highly likely won't ever be able to tell the difference in sound quality whatsoever...

But I WANT it lol
 

iWazzmatazz

New Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2021
Messages
3
Likes
0
Location
UK
Can somone conffirm that 4 pin XLR and 4.4mm fully balanced headphone out? Or is it just for the convenience as Passion for Sound reported??
 

Attachments

  • 4K.png
    4K.png
    911.5 KB · Views: 70

staticV3

Master Contributor
Joined
Aug 29, 2019
Messages
7,535
Likes
12,002
Can somone conffirm that 4 pin XLR and 4.4mm fully balanced headphone out? Or is it just for the convenience as Passion for Sound reported??
The Bal ports carry the same SE signal as the SE ports. They're just there for convenience.
 

maros.zr

Member
Joined
Apr 26, 2022
Messages
5
Likes
1
loooks amazing but still wondering if 50% up of the price comparing to new DX5 is reasonable (in Europe, DX70pro+ is 699€ vs 449€ for DX5). In addition, MQA is a big wish for me as well (a Tidal fan).

Does anyone have a chance to compare both DX5 and DX7pro+?
 

massimodec

Member
Joined
Sep 14, 2022
Messages
15
Likes
3
Good review, as usual, and astonishing measures though !
How is the sound ? somebody has a musical report to give ?
Classical, and jazz... :)
 
Last edited:

HappyMetalGuy

Active Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2022
Messages
150
Likes
110
Location
Portugal
loooks amazing but still wondering if 50% up of the price comparing to new DX5 is reasonable (in Europe, DX70pro+ is 699€ vs 449€ for DX5). In addition, MQA is a big wish for me as well (a Tidal fan).

Does anyone have a chance to compare both DX5 and DX7pro+?
Good review, as usual, and astonishing measures though !
How is the sound ? somebody has a musical report to give ?
Classical, and jazz... :)
From a measure point of view this is a transparent DAC no emphasis on any frequency at all. I personally tested one against SMSL D300 and M500 MKII and they sound very similar. Saying that, and "subjectively" I liked DX7 the most when in valve sound mode, I ended choosing M500 MKII because of price the ease of use and it seem to image a little better (voice locked in the middle). Then to get the sound I like I have the Q-Acoustic 3030i and a Ayima A08. So, in the end you can say I like a little warmth. I would discard MQA since it adds some distortion that can be sometimes perceived as details with less revealing DAC's. You can analyze mqa tracks on musicope yourself and see what I mean. The pictures below are from the same song 1. Tidal MQA, 2. Tidal HiFi (cd), 3. My CD and 4º Qobuz. (Of course I've tested many tracks by now and the results are allways the same). I wish Tidal would add a Hi-Res tier but with no MQA so people could choose. Ultimatly I really think most of the music consumed today just needs CD quality the dinamic ranges don't even need 90DB and if Nyquist is correct then why more than 44kHz.
1663435719153.png
1663436154551.png

1663438078010.png
qobuz.png
 

Jimster480

Major Contributor
Joined
Jan 26, 2018
Messages
2,880
Likes
2,032
Location
Tampa Bay
From a measure point of view this is a transparent DAC no emphasis on any frequency at all. I personally tested one against SMSL D300 and M500 MKII and they sound very similar. Saying that, and "subjectively" I liked DX7 the most when in valve sound mode, I ended choosing M500 MKII because of price the ease of use and it seem to image a little better (voice locked in the middle). Then to get the sound I like I have the Q-Acoustic 3030i and a Ayima A08. So, in the end you can say I like a little warmth. I would discard MQA since it adds some distortion that can be sometimes perceived as details with less revealing DAC's. You can analyze mqa tracks on musicope yourself and see what I mean. The pictures below are from the same song 1. Tidal MQA, 2. Tidal HiFi (cd), 3. My CD and 4º Qobuz. (Of course I've tested many tracks by now and the results are allways the same). I wish Tidal would add a Hi-Res tier but with no MQA so people could choose. Ultimatly I really think most of the music consumed today just needs CD quality the dinamic ranges don't even need 90DB and if Nyquist is correct then why more than 44kHz.
View attachment 233929View attachment 233930
View attachment 233933View attachment 233934
What are you using to unfold the mqa? The new DX7 doesn't have mqa.
 

HappyMetalGuy

Active Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2022
Messages
150
Likes
110
Location
Portugal
What are you using to unfold the mqa? The new DX7 doesn't have mqa.
The above pictures are from musicscope analisys of the flac (mqa), flac Hi-Res and Flac CD files. I own the SMSL M500 MKII and a subscription of Tidal (HiFi) previous I had HiFi Plus.
 

Jimster480

Major Contributor
Joined
Jan 26, 2018
Messages
2,880
Likes
2,032
Location
Tampa Bay
The above pictures are from musicscope analisys of the flac (mqa), flac Hi-Res and Flac CD files. I own the SMSL M500 MKII and a subscription of Tidal (HiFi) previous I had HiFi Plus.
Yea but did you have it setup in Exclusive mode with Hardware MQA unfolding? Because I noticed that if I don't have that checked, the MQA sounds either the same or worse vs normal Hifi.
 
Top Bottom