I own the $1300 TOPPING DX9 15 Year Anniversary Limited Edition. I don't know if it's the best, but I’ll be, buying a second one. and possibly a third. The specs are superb with plenty of power >7000mw into 32ohms and just shy of a full watt into 300ohm!
I am able to drive the Susveras surprisingly well, though I admit that is w/ High Gain Mode on and I'm pushing it closer to -15db Volume with less headroom than with the Zahl HM1 to get to louder playback levels. The dual AKM 4499-EQ is a limited in qty and I read it’s an NOS DAC Chip variant of the AKM4499 with one article claiming two of the aforementioned DAC chips are needed to perform what one AKM4499EQ handily does using just one.
For me the dual-display screens displaying a pair of optional very retro amber glowing VU Meters from back in the day along with the Amber LEDs casting a glow through the Top glass is aesthetically pleasing to me. They have modern VU Meters as well. The CNC machined remote is absolutely a dream to use. The signal-present driven Trigger is much cleaner and requires no wire to have triggered control, but the classic way is provided too!
You are able to drive all outputs simultaneously or select whichever ones you don't wish to be employed entirely off. There's both two pairs of XLR and RCAs Outputs and three Headphone outputs; 6.3mm (Phono or TRRS) unbalanced, 4.4mm & 4-Pin XLR for balanced output. The RCA/XLR Line Out are (paradoxically) volume attenuable except if 'DAC MODE is ON' and not left in the default 'PREAMP MODE' located in the ‘Aadvanced’ menu & than only if ALL OUPUTS is 'NOT' selected.
This is due to the fact that "Outputs Mode=ALL" includes all three Headphones outputs, as well as the four pairs of output that make up both pairs of ‘RCA/XLR PREAMP-OUT’ (Variable Volume), and both pairs of ‘RCA/XLR "LINE-OUTPUTS" (FIXED 0DB OUTPUT; Again only w/ DAC MODE ON and the HP Outputs are OFF)
I've noticed some confusion regarding this so I am just letting the reader know upfront what to expect as the manual does not clarify this very well. Of course the benefit is you can output stereo sounds and incorporate a pair of subs, output up to four zones using some or all pairs of rca and xlr simultaneously and of course enjoy the headphone experience with more people or rapidly switch between up to three headphones with the caveat that the unbalanced 6.3 mm headphone output will of course be at drastically reduced amplitude/volume level due the differences between full amplitude level of single-ended (-10db) versus balanced (+4db).
- AK4499EQ DAC with 132dB dynamic range and ultra-low distortion
- Six-channel discrete NFCA high-performance headphone amplifier
- Hybrid relay volume control for high-precision adjustment
- Independent power for DAC and headphone amplifier circuits
- Aurora UI with dual 2.0-inch full-color screens
- Wide range of digital inputs and outputs
- Balance headphone jack amp out specs
- THD+N @1kHz (A-wt)
- <0.00007% @Output=550mW (32Ω)
- <0.00007% @Output=60mW (300Ω)
- THD @20-20kHz 90kBW
- <0.00050% @Output=550mW (32Ω)
- <0.00030% @Output=60mW (300Ω)
- SNR @Max OUT 1kHz (A-wt): 132dB @1kHz
- Dynamic Range @1kHz (A-wt): 132dB @1kHz
- Frequency Response
- 20Hz-20kHz (‡0.2dB)
- 20Hz-40kHz (‡0.6dB)
- Output Level
- Noise (A-wt)
- <1.3uVrms @G=L
- <4.2uVrms @G=H
- Channel Crosstalk: 121dB @1kHz
- Gain
- G=L 12.5dB (Vrms/FS)
- G=H 24.5dB (Vrms/FS)
- Channel Balance: 0.3dB
- Output Impedance: <0.1Ω
- Output power
- 10000mW × 2 @16Ω THD+N<1%
- 7080mW × 2 @32Ω THD+N<1%
- 4250mW × 2 @64Ω THD+N<1%
- 950mW × 2 @300Ω THD+N<1%
- 460mW × 2 @600Ω THD+N<1%
- Load impedance: 100Ω