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Topping DX7 Pro DAC and Headphone Amp Reviewed

MediumRare

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No. That is the level you may use with a very sensitive IEM. That is the only time that measurement matters.
Makes sense. So - for 114 ohms impedance, for example ;) - what's the best "ranking measure" to use?
 

JohnYang1997

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Hmmm, I'm looking at the THD+N% v Power graph and at every point the SINAD is a little better with Balanced, so what am I missing?
Because when measuring the level is doubled. So you CAN have sqrt 2 better snr but when you listen to music you keep volume the same, hence sqrt 2 worse snr in real world.
 

JohnYang1997

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I'm totally fine with a D7 Pro and $50 less price tag.
It's just so happened they chose to make ak4497 standalone dac, d70. It's like competing with themselves if both products use same dac section. And there are always people prefer all in one solution. So they still have the dx product line. There will be ak4499 d90 in the future should be just the dac
 

gvl

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It's just so happened they chose to make ak4497 standalone dac, d70. It's like competing with themselves if both products use same dac section. And there are always people prefer all in one solution. So they still have the dx product line. There will be ak4499 d90 in the future should be just the dac

I understand there is an explanation yet I'm still unhappy. I suspect that the AKM solution can't get to the same level of performance as the 9038 Pro, not that it matters in real life, but it does here.
 

JohnYang1997

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I understand there is an explanation yet I'm still unhappy. I suspect that the AKM solution can't get to the same level of performance as the 9038 Pro, not that it matters in real life, but it does here.
I assume d90 will be better in performance than dx7pro but more pricey.
 

Tks

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It finally lands!

Performs a bit better than I expected, but within the range for a product in it's price point compared to recent offerings. The biggest shame though is that output impedance. It seems for whatever reason the failures of the V1 DX3Pro have scared them in making the devices with sub 1-ohm output impedance. The only thing is, I doubt that was the problem and seemed to be solder failures (or with some images I've seen, parts not being soldered to the PCB at all).

A great all in one. I really wonder though how the Bluetooth input performs >_>
 

BostonJack

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Would someone comment please on this DAC/amp's suitability as a DAC/pre-amp driving modest cable lengths (10 ft) to powered studio monitors (via balanced XLR)? Would there be operational problems like glitches to high power, or is the voltage output too low? Output impedance high enough to cause filtering effects in conjunction with the cable capacitance? It seems like a really amazing piece of equipment and a very simple DAC/amp -> powered monitor system appeals to me. Thanks! [its Friday and my brain is tired.]
 

August

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I kind of wish they skipped the mediocre built-in headphone amp and kept the price lower. What's the point to bundle a SOTA DAC with a just "okay" amp and force the people to pay for the feature they will likely never use?

The D50, D70 and the upcoming D90 are ready for this.
 

MediumRare

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Would someone comment please on this DAC/amp's suitability as a DAC/pre-amp driving modest cable lengths (10 ft) to powered studio monitors (via balanced XLR)?
IMO it's perfect. SOTA DAC and 4 Vrms XLR is standard.
 

gvl

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@amirm - is there a setting to disable ASRC or jitter correction like that in the Matrix DACs? Do you have permission to peek inside to see if the DAC chip has a heat sink? 9038Pro need to dissipate up to 500mW. The nudes on the Topping web-site don't show a heat sink.
 
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gvl

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Do we know if Topping parallels DAC chip channels to improve performance in the DX7 Pro? If there is no heat sink then probably not.
 

KMN

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Is the dashboard measurement taken with the unit powered off the AC or USB? If it can be powered off USB, will the AES input still work while it is being used like that? This looks really fantastic for the money.
 
OP
amirm

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Would someone comment please on this DAC/amp's suitability as a DAC/pre-amp driving modest cable lengths (10 ft) to powered studio monitors (via balanced XLR)? Would there be operational problems like glitches to high power, or is the voltage output too low?
10 foot is nothing. You will be fine.
 
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