Help with new DAC.

[snowsurfer]

Hello everyone!

I hope that these type of requests are welcome here, I need a little bit of help in my path to better audio.

So currently I use a Schiit Fulla 2 on my PC, which replaced a FiiO e17 due to mostly the better (?) headphone amp and the pot. The rest of my desktop system is JBL LSR305 speakers, AKG551, AKG451 and Bose QC20 (seldom use these at my desk, they are for my frequent travels).

The Fulla 2 is definitely the weak link here, the pot was not very good since day one (noisy at 1/4), now it is terrible, and I get strange sound filtrations on the JBLs when I game or do video editing. This did not happen with the FiiO, btw. It doesn't help that minijack to double XLR unbalanced cables I could find range from majestically terrible to quite bad. I also get some persistent assymetric clicks from time to time, which disappear when I unplug the USB power to the Fulla and plug it back in again. So not a nice picture at all.

So I now seek a DAC with a very good headphone amp and preamp with volume control to balanced XLR outs, and from what I've been reading here the Topping DX7s seems like a good choice for this. Next upgrade will be headphones, I am looking into something a step up from my 551s (read: something that actually sounds decent with rock too), like maybe the 7xx or the HD600s, and I am also looking in getting some decent IEMs (current candidate iBasso IT01s) too.

I listen to lots of types of music and also game with this setup. Even though I like the 551s with acoustic tracks, on the Fulla 2 they can be so bright that I have a specific EQ profile for them in Foobar (no such EQ for games though...) and I want a combo that will handle rougher rock tracks better.

Would you agree that the Topping DX7s would be a good choice for my next upgrade, considering my needs, and, if not, would you be able to suggest a similarly priced alternative (I really don't want to spend over 450€ on the DAC/hAmp/pAmp)? Maybe I could stretch to something like the isi Audio microDSD, but this one does not have XLR out so I think it is a no go (unless you think I can get same quality using its RCA out with RCA to XLR cables, I am quite new to XLR general). How important is a fully balanced desktop system anyway? The cable runs are very short, I don't know whether there is much advantage to it (considering the use)?

Thanks for any help you can provide!

 

[bravomail]

read, buddy!

 

[amirm]

Topping is good because it has balanced out to drive your LSR305 speakers. You can test its headphone out to see if you are happy with it.

Alternatively you can get SMSL SU-8 and then get a headphone amplifier like JDS Labs Atom for $99. You will get a better headphone stage but a tiny display that his hard to see compared to DX7s.

At to XLR, you don't need its extra length of cable feature. What it is good for is reduce chances of ground loops which can be tough to get rid of, once you are hit by them.

 

[Webninja]

I'm currently using the DX7s to JBL 305 via XLR. I'm very happy with the DX7s, great unit, looks good, clean read out and no weird glitchy sounds that I had when running the Lyr2 (I know... I know).

 

[snowsurfer]

Thanks for your replies, I guess I'm on the right track. Interesting to hear about the SMSL with JDS Labs Atom, I would have expected the DX7s to have a better headphone stage.

 

[snowsurfer]

Alternatively you can get SMSL SU-8 and then get a headphone amplifier like JDS Labs Atom for $99. You will get a better headphone stage but a tiny display that his hard to see compared to DX7s.

At to XLR, you don't need its extra length of cable feature. What it is good for is reduce chances of ground loops which can be tough to get rid of, once you are hit by them.

So I ended up ordering the SMSL from Shenzhen Audio yesterday, will report back once it arrives. No Atom yet though since they are not available in EU and the customs hassle is too much of a pain. Will hold on to the Fulla 2 until I can get the Atom locally, but at least this should improve the signal that arrives to my JBL monitors.

Also got a pair of Mogami XLR cables, these are supposed to be decent but not audiophile snake oil, I think...