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Review and Measurements of Topping DX3Pro DAC and Headphone Amp

da Choge

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I hate to ask, because it certainly has been answered somewhere in this monolithic thread, but too lazy to read it from the beginning. Does plugging a headphone into the front jack mute the rear analog RCA outputs? (Already found the answer to my other question; the rear outputs can be either fixed or variable - Yay !!!).

- john
 

lucadoc

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I hate to ask, because it certainly has been answered somewhere in this monolithic thread, but too lazy to read it from the beginning. Does plugging a headphone into the front jack mute the rear analog RCA outputs? (Already found the answer to my other question; the rear outputs can be either fixed or variable - Yay !!!).

- john
No, it's not automatic
 

da Choge

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Is there a modification coming out? I read in the questions and answers for the DX3 post on Amazon, there is some reference to a modified unit that may be coming out in May or June of this year. Is that just heresay or is there any validity to it?
 
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EfectoHall

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Is there a modification coming out? I read in the questions and answers for the DX3 post on Amazon, that a modified unit was coming out in May or June of this year. Is that just a rumor or any validity to it?
Don't tell me that, I just ordered mine at Amazon
 

da Choge

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Don't tell me that, I just ordered mine at Amazon
In the "Question and Answers" section of the unit sold directly by Shenzhen on Amazon, there is a statement that a "new version" may be coming out in May or June of this year. I don't know if it's total rumor or if there's something to it.
 

EfectoHall

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In the "Question and Answers" section of the unit sold directly by Shenzhen on Amazon, there is a statement that a "new version" may be coming out in May or June of this year. I don't know if it's total rumor or if there's something to it.
If I saw it, but the user who answers does not have any information on the profile, and in Neweeg also found nothing, as in the news, the pag of topping, puts soon dx3 Pro with date of 2018-9-7, so not to think.
 

da Choge

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. . . so not to think.
nticris:

I want this unit too (it has just about everything I want). But I am concerned about the reports of failures/shutdowns (and ultimate failure of the OpAmp), and it doesn't sound like Topping has completely rectified the issues. Did you order yours from Divlpoetry (Prime) or Shenzhen?
 

EfectoHall

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nticris:

Quiero esta unidad también (tiene casi todo lo que quiero). Pero me preocupan los informes de fallas / paradas (y la falla final de la OpAmp), y no suena como si Topping haya corregido completamente los problemas. ¿ Ordenó el suyo a Divlpoetry (Prime) o Shenzhen ?

I am from Spain, so my English is bad, I use the translator, I have asked for Amazon Spain, because if there any problem can be returned without problem.
 

da Choge

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I am from Spain, so my English is bad, I use the translator, I have asked for Amazon Spain, because if there any problem can be returned without problem.

My thoughts too - In the USA, Amazon Prime allows returns in 30 days. So even though the vendor for Prime may have not have the most current serial number units, I'm thinking of going with them. Good luck with your DX3 Pro !!!

- john
 

EfectoHall

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Mis pensamientos también: en los EE. UU., Amazon Prime permite devoluciones en 30 días. Entonces, aunque el proveedor de Prime no tenga las unidades de número de serie más actuales, estoy pensando en ir con ellas. Buena suerte con tu DX3 Pro !!!

- john

Ojalá le venga bien, por suerte aquí Amazon le devuelve las cosas incluso si es un año, si tiene problemas con el producto que habla con el servicio al cliente y lo hace regresar, saludos.
 

peterq

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I used my unit about a week, mostly usb and bt mode, no problem until now except relay clicking noise in bt mode.
 

EfectoHall

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My thoughts too - In the USA, Amazon Prime allows returns in 30 days. So even though the vendor for Prime may have not have the most current serial number units, I'm thinking of going with them. Good luck with your DX3 Pro !!!

- john

I talked with topping and they told me this, so I'll still be late

Thank you for contacting TOPPING support. We are happy to assist.

Yes we have a plan to have DX3Pro V2 several months ago, but we don't know when it will finish. So we will keep selling current version until we finish.

Best Regards!
----------------------------------
TOPPING service
 
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I talked with topping and they told me this, so I'll still be late

Thank you for contacting TOPPING support. We are happy to assist.

Yes we have a plan to have DX3Pro V2 several months ago, but we don't know when it will finish. So we will keep selling the current version until we finish.

Best Regards!
----------------------------------
TOPPING service

Damn, they really said this? This sounds a bit fishy though? Didn't the DX3 come out only a few months ago, and they are already working on a new one? Could @TP-Wong possibly comment on this?

Now that Chinese New Year celebrations are over I was going to re-attempt to purchase the DX3 from Shenzen Audio after I cancelled my initial order, but if a new version is coming out then I might as well wait.
 

JohnYang1997

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Damn, they really said this? This sounds a bit fishy though? Didn't the DX3 come out only a few months ago, and they are already working on a new one? Could @TP-Wong possibly comment on this?

Now that Chinese New Year celebrations are over I was going to re-attempt to purchase the DX3 from Shenzen Audio after I cancelled my initial order, but if a new version is coming out then I might as well wait.
Might take half a year to a year. You never know. They should let the d70 come out first then newer dx3.
 

JohnYang1997

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Received topping d30 and dx3pro. And also the smsl m3 I have for two weeks and smsl su-8 I returned two weeks ago.
Did some measurements, dac out no load
THD at 1khz at max volume, at -16db and -18db
THD at 6666hz at max volume, at -16db and -18db
Also pink spectrum NID multitone at max and -18db

Dx3pro is the best so far similar thd at max volume as su-8. But the distortion just gets lower and lower at lower amplitude. -12db to -18db is the range that perform the best.
my m3 is modded by removing the volume pot and swapped the opamp resulting much better than low frequency distortion than stock.
d30 comes in with very similar performance as my modded m3 but slightly worse, probably because they used opa2134 for this which is not even as good as 5534.
Will wait my opa1656 arrive and swap the opamp for all of them.
So far, they perform very well at lower volume way way better than su8. Will update with graphs soon.
 

JohnYang1997

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Did the listening tests. Using my method not very "scientific" but I can definitely tell the difference. So for you who would think this is in my head then do so, I'm fine with your opinion.

Let's get into the sound comparison. I'm using er2se and My own headphone amplifier which has less than 0.00005% thd from 20-10khz and less than 0.0001% imd, also has more than 2.7W of output power with 16ohm load.

First of all, all these three sound much more similar than comparing to su-8. I call at least sounds correct/right to me.
All comparison is done at -16dBFS as the best measurements.

Firstly, the smsl m3, clean sounding, a tad bright, neutral sounding, as a baseline here. Not too wide soundstage, image is ok, not very upfront or very solid, but average to good. I can call great even if I only listen to m3. Will add comparison description in the next two sections.

Now dx3pro, sounds clearer, bass is a bit more solid. It just overall has a more transparent feeling, and little bit less congested. In comparison m3 has a layer of glare in the highs, I would say it feels around 8k (6-10k). A non-focused glare of brightness. And the sound stage is just a little more closed in and congested. Dx3pro is comfortably wide and deep. Very nice. The glare of m3 bothers me a bit and sometimes it is somewhat addictive.

The d30, which uses the same chip as m3, cs4398. It's actually sounds least like m3. I mean. They are still very close. But
d30 has a somewhat glassy type of sound which is similar to the glare of dx3pro but foused. Not like a layer but crafted in each texture. It's feels like at something at around 2khz and 6khz. And m3 sounds softer in texture. Kinda sounds like digital filtering problem but will investigate later. Everything is a bit more fluid than thet should. D30 overall sounds less like a cs4398 I remembered (from m3 and focusrite forte) and a bit more like pcm1794. Still sounds good tho. I some what prefer this over m3.

Now comparing dx3pro and d30, dx3pro is the clear winner. It just sounds a bit better in every aspect. It is smooth and clean and clear and sounds wide but natural way. D30 in comparison is a little warmer , thick and juicy. Kinda like a vacuum tube sound but only like 10%.

Overall, d30 is the most warm sounding one, dx3pro is in between and m3 is the most bright sounding one.
D30 is similar solid as dx3pro but dx3pro is more precise in the imaging. M3 is little soft and slightly congested.
Just for overall listening, i feel dx3pro is the best, it is more transparent sounding in every way. And d30 come close the second and m3 is the third.
They do sound very similar but I do hear consistent difference.

Possible downside of dx3pro, in comparison, it can sound lean and hollow, due to the precise imagine and transparency in all frequency range, also the natural larger soundstage. D30 has more meat to the sound.

M3 performs pretty good on its own, at -16db the total harmonic distortion (not plus noise) is a less than 0.0001% from 1khz to 6666hz. It is still less than 0.0002% at lower range. Very nice. Sound is crystal clear without any muddiness. But dx3pro is superior in terms of cleanness and transparency and soundstage.

Another thing I want to say is listening the dac is like looking through a window, you will hear the transparency and openness when it's there. Does that mean dx3pro is perfect? Idk, probably not. Because the best scenario is like open the window. But it's not far off.
 

JohnYang1997

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Now to the headphone amp section of dx3pro. It's a competent headphone amp. But not perfect.
It's clean clear powerful.
But due to digital volume control the noise is always there. It's audibles with final heaven V which is 117db/mw. Even with my own amp's attenuation, i can still hear noise at 9 o clock. Ideally it will be dead silent with 125db/mw iem.
The sound overall is accuracy without obvious coloration. The difference between my amp and this amp is smaller than the dac comparison. If I'm not paying attention they sound identical. But there is a little bit of fatnees thickness and fuzziness to the sound.
So overall I rate the dac section higher than the amp. But the amp is very good too, especially when pairing less sensitive stuff.
 
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Veri

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Did the listening tests. Using my method not very "scientific" but I can definitely tell the difference. So for you who would think this is in my head then do so, I'm fine with your opinion.

:D

So overall I rate the dac section higher than the amp. But the amp is very good too, especially when pairing less sensitive stuff.

So, pretty great all in one device for sure. Not many devices pair superb dac with really good amp. For most this will suffice I'm sure.
For HD650 for example I think DX3 is basically all you'd ever need.
 

JohnYang1997

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:D



So, pretty great all in one device for sure. Not many devices pair superb dac with really good amp. For most this will suffice I'm sure.
For HD650 for example I think DX3 is basically all you'd ever need.
Agreed. For hd650, it's very suitable.
 
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