Help me with my desktop setup: Topping MX3 or PA3+DX3?

[villason]

Currently running:

Receiver: Onkyo A-9010
Speakers: Zensor 1s,
Sub: XXLS400.
Headphones: Senns HD595

My problem is the Onkyo takes too much space so I am looking for a mini class D amp setup. I narrowed it down to two options:

1) MX3

Pros:
- Everything integrated in a small device.
- Has a subwoofer output.
- Ridiculously cheap.

Cons:
- Subpar performance but not bad at all. No idea if the performance is better or worse than what I have.
- May be a limiting factor in a future headphone upgrade (I like the DT 1990 Pros)

2) DX3 + PA3

Pros:
- Stellar performance in the headphone department.
- I expect similar speaker performance if not slightly better.

Cons:
- Two devices.
- 3X the price.
- I need to do a mess to connect the subwoofer with an special connector. Risk of burning down the house as a Class D amp may have grounding issues with this kind of connection.

Any suggestion/thoughts? Any alternative?

Cheers.

 

[JohnBooty]

I really enjoy my DX3+PA3 combo. Can't compare directly to MX3.

For a lot of people the DX3 Pro would be more or less "endgame." Some would laugh at that but I think many more would feel no need to take things much farther.

PA3 will get louder than DX3, but for desktop/nearfield this shouldn't really be a factor, I doubt the DX3's gonna run out of steam when you're 2 feet away.

- I need to do a mess to connect the subwoofer with an special connector. Risk of burning down the house as a Class D amp may have grounding issues with this kind of connection.

What sort of connection are you pondering?

I'd slap a pair of RCA splitters (1 male to 2 female) splitters on the DX3 Pro's outputs. One L+R pair goes to the PA3, one pair to the subwoofer. Get the relative volumes of the PA3 and subwoofer dialed in and then leave them there; then use the DX3 Pro as the volume control. (You could also vary the PA3 volume to act as a bit of a tone control. Turn the PA3 down a bit and turn the DX3 Pro up for a bassier sound. Do the opposite for less of a bass tilt)

Alternately you could use the sub's high-level inputs.

 

[villason]

I really enjoy my DX3+PA3 combo. Can't compare directly to MX3.

For a lot of people the DX3 Pro would be more or less "endgame." Some would laugh at that but I think many more would feel no need to take things much farther.

PA3 will get louder than DX3, but for desktop/nearfield this shouldn't really be a factor, I doubt the DX3's gonna run out of steam when you're 2 feet away.



What sort of connection are you pondering?

I'd slap a pair of RCA splitters (1 male to 2 female) splitters on the DX3 Pro's outputs. One L+R pair goes to the PA3, one pair to the subwoofer. Get the relative volumes of the PA3 and subwoofer dialed in and then leave them there; then use the DX3 Pro as the volume control. (You could also vary the PA3 volume to act as a bit of a tone control. Turn the PA3 down a bit and turn the DX3 Pro up for a bassier sound. Do the opposite for less of a bass tilt)

Alternately you could use the sub's high-level inputs.

The recommended approach by the manufacturer:

https://rel.net/how-to-connect-a-rel-to-a-class-d-amp/

 

[JohnBooty]

Huh. Well, that was educational. Just use the RCA method then. =)

 

[maskatuoklis]

@villason What did you choose eventually?