Topping DX3 Pro+ Review (DAC & Headphone Amp)

[EJ3]

Would like to see a Class D 2.1 power amp with approx. 100W output each channel

I would say 2.2. That has been my standard since 1990. (when I was involved in 5.2 as well as 2.2) Now it is 2.2 only.

 

[BDWoody]

Stop pls testing Topping again and again. Enough is enough.

That's enough for you in this thread.

 

[threni]

Those are quite bad, too much stress on the jacks, Get the hanging ones.

Exactly. Those 3.5mm sockets are always the first thing to go!

 

[sarumbear]

Exactly. Those 3.5mm sockets are always the first thing to go!

3.5mm sockets was the norm on tens of million mobile phones and for some still are. I can’t find the source now but a reliability study of mobile phones I read showed the 3.5mm socket failure way down in the list of parts that fail.

 

[haen]

Hmm, I was just looking for something that will provide me an external volume knob and a headphone output that could be plugged in between my PC and a pair of active monitors. This DX3 Pro+ seems small enough to be placed on the stand of my monitor (the space is premium here...) and it looks 'inconspicuous' enough. I thought about JDS Atom Amp+, but it does not allow to switch between speakers and headphones, and then there is very nice looking JDS Element II (plastic, I know, still...), but it costs over two times more than DX3 Pro+ and switching between headphones and speakers is rather cumbersome (a button placed on the back that also is used to turn off the device). I actually don't care about the display, but it seems that it can switched to the mode where only the input selector is shown. And actually I have just one headphones that have 3.5mm jack so that's all good. Balanced outputs would be nice, but I suppose they are rarely seen on smaller devices.

I think there is only one thing that makes me hesitant to pull the trigger on this one. From the manual:

In general I would like to have it set up in the following way:
- connect DX3 Pro+ to my PC as a USB audio device,
- connect my headphones to the front jack,
- connect a pair of active speakers to the output RCA on the back,
- use the volume knob on DX3 Pro+ to adjust the volume on whatever output is used at the moment,
- (likely) adjust the volume on the speakers so they 'match' more or less the volume as heard on the headphones (my previous speakers had a volume knob and a headphones output jack, but each time I connected headphones I needed to crank up the volume and then when I disconnected them I need to remember to decrease the volume before)
- switch between headphones/speakers using the remote or the volume knob.

Now, the manual says something about two modes for Line Out output channel, one called 'DAC' and the other 'Pre-Amp'. For the 'DAC' mode the volume knob does not work, but I would like to understand why I would want to use one mode or another. Does it mean that in 'Pre-Amp' mode the device won't work as a DAC and I couldn't use the USB input, i.e. I would need to use SPDIF or Bluetooth inputs? I don't think that my built-in sound card is bad (probably not great either) but it does not have digital outputs, only an analog one.

 

[amirm]

No. Preamp mode just means variable output vs fixed.

 

[EJ3]

Topping really, really needs to make a phono preamp. @JohnYang1997 thoughts?

AND ADC capabilities.

 

[Woody Stool]

Two questions:
- Does this have a remote? The original DX3Pro did.
- Where can I buy one in the USA with some confidence in case it fails? My original DX3Pro had the failure that the original model became somewhat known for.

 

[amirm]

Yes it has a remote.

 

[phoenixdogfan]

A real high performance, high value, no nonsense kind of product. Anyone looking to get into the hobby can just buy this, a set of HD 650s and be set for years.

 

[PeteL]

3.5mm sockets was the norm on tens of million mobile phones and for some still are. I can’t find the source now but a reliability study of mobile phones I read showed the 3.5mm socket failure way down in the list of parts that fail.

It's not exactly the same for front jacks on a desktop product where you use big 1/4" plug, combined with an inline adapter. It creates a lever and it's quite heavy. You can easily bang on them unintentionally too. I personally seen many fail even tough it may not be the main failure on smart phones, the Use Case is different. If the Jack is trough hole of course it won't happen, but generally speaking, I don't know about this one, many still only use surface mount connectors, with or without snaps. They are quite fragile, in most device that comes at a budget. It's just piece of mind to not add extra lever weight, don't mean it'll fail. But I'm sure if you've been around electronic products a lot, yes, connectors are one of the key parts that can fail on a product. really I do not need statistics to know that.

 

[haen]

For anyone interested:
- the product page: https://www.tpdz.net/productinfo/711796.html,
- the manual: https://www.tpdz.net/newsinfo/557383.html (here - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Z52_EfyyuJUqsLoZoq6qtqFxT5h5vtof/edit - is a direct link to PDF I've found in some shop, should be the same I suppose...).

 

[NiagaraPete]

I just ordered a DX3 pro now I’m thinking I should have gone for the DX7 pro.

 

[sarumbear]

It's not exactly the same for front jacks on a desktop product where you use big 1/4" plug, combined with an inline adapter. It creates a lever and it's quite heavy. You can easily bang on them unintentionally too. I personally seen many fail even tough it may not be the main failure on smart phones, the Use Case is different. If the Jack is trough hole of course it won't happen, but generally speaking, I don't know about this one, many still only use surface mount connectors, with or without snaps. They are quite fragile, in most device that comes at a budget. It's just piece of mind to not add extra lever weight, don't mean it'll fail. But I'm sure if you've been around electronic products a lot, yes, connectors are one of the key parts that can fail on a product. really I do not need statistics to know that.

I thought the adapter is normally to convert the 3.5mm to 1/4”? Most headphones I saw came with 3.5mm plug with a screw on adapter.

 

[PeteL]

I thought the adapter is normally to convert the 3.5mm to 1/4”? Most headphones I saw came with 3.5mm plug with a screw on adapter.

In this case the front jack is 3.5mm... So the other way around is the problematic case, the question was about 1/4 inch terminated headphones. They are out there.

Use This instead.

 

[ShiZo]

Can this be used with optical from my television to active speakers?

 

[gvl]

Can this be used with optical from my television to active speakers?

Yes, if your speakers have balanced inputs and you don’t need a headphone amp consider the E50 instead. There’s some history of Topping DACs having issues locking on certain TV optical outputs however.

 

[HammerSandwich]

I prefer 1/4" jacks for the reasons others have posted. Not only is the bigger jack more mechanically stable, any adapter sticks out less & supports less weight. Just look at both adapters & consider what each needs to hold.

Want less stress, you use an adapter cable instead of a plug. However, cables from 3.5mm male to 1/4" female are rarer & more expensive than the reverse type. Putting only 3.5mm in a desktop device is lose/lose for the buyer.

So, we all look at this new device which provides plenty of functions & incredible performance at only $200, and we nitpick a bunch of tiny details. As usual. Sorry, @JohnYang1997! You do fantastic work, and I'm sure this is frustrating to read over & over. Give us a version with 1/4" on front & balanced in the back, for $249, and we'll stop complaining, I promise. About everything except display color, obviously.

 

[Electric Donkey]

I was going to buy this for my iBasso sr2, but the review shows clipping at low impedances unfortunately, like the EX5. Anyone know a better alternative for low impedance headphones?

 

[NiagaraPete]

Maybe the DX7 pro