Quality Reputation: Topping vs. SMSL

[Henryk]

A long time ago, gosh like only 4 years but still, there were some differences in chips, some popping issues, etc. Nowadays, DACs are pretty much at peak tech and all the same. Go for features! I waited for the DX5ii's PEQ, and glad I did.

Thanks for that!

 

[jmdesignz2]

Both units are way past the threshold of audibility where noise and distortion is concerned. The choice should come down to factors such as functionality, connectivity, reliability and aesthetics. Personally, I would rate the PEQ capability of the DX5 II over the supposedly better DAC IC in the SMSL.

I don't own any SMSL products (I have been close to purchasing some in the past), but I do own a Topping A50s/D50s/P50 stack, and EX5 and the DX5 II that arrived yesterday. I've had no issues with any of them (I appreciate that it's early days with the DX5 II!).

Gratuitous shot of my new DX5 II on my desk ...

View attachment 467937

what is that rack and where did you get it?

 

[Berwhale]

what is that rack and where did you get it?

It's the large version here: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005008494598188.html

I have 2. It's dual purpose

I removed a layer and put it back on the desktop stack after taking the photo (the extra shelf was free'd up by mounting the switch on it's side)

 

[Antagron]

Does anyone know if Topping has any plans for a phone app to do what Topping tune does on a computer?

 

[olds1959special]

My SMSL PA200 died and I’m trying to get help from the company. My Topping A70 Pro still works. My SMSL DACs have been rock solid.

 

[Antagron]

My SMSL PA200 died and I’m trying to get help from the company. My Topping A70 Pro still works. My SMSL DACs have been rock solid.

While they were both working, did you note any differences between how they sounded?

 

[serpet]

I won't clutter this thread with stories about the crappy Topping DX5 II and its manufacturer, who deserves nothing but contempt.But I recommend reading and watching a video of it in action for those who believe Chinese fairy tales and decide to buy it. Do you want to throw away $300 on this Chinese piece of crap?Take a chance! Maybe you'll get lucky and it won't break in two days like mine, but a little later.

Topping DX5 II

You probably meant whatever comes after 2.10 :D 2.07 is stable for me. Maybe worth upgrading to that and skip 2.10 for whatever comes next (which is what I'm doing). I updated from 1.93 to 2.07 - 2.10 the display crashed, and in Auto mode, it turns on after 30 sec. when playing in pause. I...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[jmdesignz2]

I won't clutter this thread with stories about the crappy Topping DX5 II and its manufacturer, who deserves nothing but contempt.But I recommend reading and watching a video of it in action for those who believe Chinese fairy tales and decide to buy it. Do you want to throw away $300 on this Chinese piece of crap?Take a chance! Maybe you'll get lucky and it won't break in two days like mine, but a little later.

Topping DX5 II

You probably meant whatever comes after 2.10 :D 2.07 is stable for me. Maybe worth upgrading to that and skip 2.10 for whatever comes next (which is what I'm doing). I updated from 1.93 to 2.07 - 2.10 the display crashed, and in Auto mode, it turns on after 30 sec. when playing in pause. I...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Mine has been fine
if yours broke in two days, why did you not return it?
Seems a bit unfair indictment of a product if you were not able to return it / exchange it for a working product

 

[EJ3]

Mine has been fine
if yours broke in two days, why did you not return it?
Seems a bit unfair indictment of a product if you were not able to return it / exchange it for a working product

Perhaps the difficulty in dealing with it (all the TIME involved)?
If something like that where to happen to me (it has), I would simply want my money back & never buy from them again.
(Yes, I have done that). If no money back, then no buy from that company again.
Either way, I do not buy from that company again.
I do not want a repaired product or another new product. Just my money back.
Your personal policies may be different but those are mine.

 

[jmdesignz2]

Perhaps the difficulty in dealing with it (all the TIME involved)?
If something like that where to happen to me (it has), I would simply want my money back & never buy from them again.
(Yes, I have done that). If no money back, then no buy from that company again.
Either way, I do not buy from that company again.
I do not want a repaired product or another new product. Just my money back.
Your personal policies may be different but those are mine.

Time involved? Where did you purchase yours that does not have a return policy longer than 2 days? Your story sounds very hard to believe

That post you linked was from a person posting in Cyrillic Russian who purchased off Aliexpress. Their story sounds a bit shaky too.

TLDR - buy only from places that have a standard 30 day or longer return policy AND from manufacturers that have support in your local area

 

[serpet]

Mine has been fine
if yours broke in two days, why did you not return it?
Seems a bit unfair indictment of a product if you were not able to return it / exchange it for a working product

Hello!
Why haven't I returned the Topping DX5 II?
Well, probably because you didn't send me $50 to cover the postage. )))
It's not a lot of money, of course, but it's still a shame.
I don't just pick money from the ground; I earn it honestly and without cheating anyone, unlike Topping.
Or do you think it's fair for the seller and manufacturer to shift the postage costs onto the buyer for returning a defective product? Especially since the defect is obvious and clearly audible. (If you watched the video and carefully read my post, which I linked, of course.)
I don't think so. So, without much success, I continue to argue with AliExpress and the seller, appealing to their conscience and asking them to send me a paid tracking number for the shipment.
In the meantime, I'm listening to the music as is and saving up for the Luxin X8, which I might buy to replace the Topping DX5 II. Especially at -30dB, it works fine, there's no crackling, and I still have 8 months of warranty left. So I'll have time to return it. )
Perhaps I was too harsh and categorical about the Topping DX5 II.
Apparently, a two-month dispute and proving an obvious defect has undermined my mental health. )))
But basically, it's true!
And that Topping doesn't care about its customers! (I can't even contact them to discuss the problem or complain.)
And that they use cheap components in their products, chasing profit at the expense of quality. (They even omitted the name of the op amps, apparently to avoid user hate.)
And that their build quality and soldering are terrible. (As evidenced by user photos.)
In general, I'm happy with the functionality and sound of the Topping DX5 II.
It's just a shame they didn't build it by hand, but with their left foot. )))
If I'm wrong, please disagree. I'm fine with reasonable criticism and always acknowledge my mistakes, rather than making excuses like Topping.
I'm glad you're lucky and your Topping DX5 II is working well and making you happy!
I hope it lasts a long time.
But you and other Topping DX5 II owners should still run the tests on this website to make sure there's no defect.

https://reference-audio-analyzer.pro/hp-product-reject.php

I also didn't immediately hear the sound defect, which was probably there from the start. (
Sorry for the long text. I hope you'll read it and that my time wasn't wasted.

Good luck to you and all Topping DX5 II owners!
I wish you no breakdowns, excellent sound, and a wonderful mood! )))

Spoiler: На Русском языке.

Здравствуйте!
Почему Я не вернул Topping DX5 II?
Ну наверное потому, что Вы не прислали мне 50$ что бы оплатить почтовые расходы. )))
Не большие деньги конечно, но всё равно обидно.
Я деньги не с земли подбираю, а честно зарабатываю никого не обманывая, в отличии от Topping.
Или вы считаете, что со стороны продавца и производителя справедливо переложить почтовые расходы на покупателя, за возврат бракованного изделия? Тем более, что дефект очевиден и прекрасно слышен. (Если Вы конечно посмотрели видео и внимательно прочитали мой пост, на который я оставил ссылку).
Я так не считаю. По этому без особого успеха, продолжаю ругаться с алиэкспресс и продавцом, взываю их к совести и прошу прислать мне оплаченный почтовый трек на отправку.
А пока слушаю как есть и коплю деньги на Luxin X8, который возможно приобрету в замен Topping DX5 II. Тем более на -30dB , он работает нормально, треска не слышно, а в переди еще 8 месяцев гарантии. Так, что успею вернуть. )
Возможно Я очень резко и категорично отозвался о Topping DX5 II.
Видимо двухмесячный спор и доказывание наличие очевидного дефекта подорвали моё психическое здоровье. )))
Но в основном то, это правда!
И то, что Topping наплевать на покупателей! (Нет даже связи с ними, чтобы обсудить проблему или пожаловаться.)
И то, что они используют дешевые комплектующие в своих изделиях, гонясь за прибылью в ущерб качеству. (Даже затерли наименование операционных усилителей, видимо чтобы избежать хейта пользователей.)
И то, что у них ужасное качество сборки и пайки. (О чём свидетельствуют фото пользователей.)
В принципе Я доволен функционалом и звуком Topping DX5 II.
Жаль только, что сделали они его не руками, а левой ногой. )))
Если Я не прав, возразите. Я нормально отношусь к обоснованной критике и всегда соглашаюсь со своими ошибками, а не нахожу отговорки как топинг.
Рад, что Вам повезло и Ваш Topping DX5 II хорошо работает и радует Вас!
Надеюсь проработает долгое время.
Но вы и другие владельцы Topping DX5 II всё таки пройдите тесты с этого сайта, чтобы убедится, что нет дефекта.

https://reference-audio-analyzer.pro/#gsc.tab=0

Я тоже не сразу услышал дефект звука, который видимо был изначально. (
Извиняюсь за длинный текст. Надеюсь Вы всё же его прочитаете и Я потратил время не зря.
Удачи Вам и всем владельцам Topping DX5 II!
Отсутствия поломок,отличного звука и прекрасного настроения! )))

 

[serpet]

Time involved? Where did you purchase yours that does not have a return policy longer than 2 days? Your story sounds very hard to believe

That post you linked was from a person posting in Cyrillic Russian who purchased off Aliexpress. Their story sounds a bit shaky too.

TLDR - buy only from places that have a standard 30 day or longer return policy AND from manufacturers that have support in your local area

The post, written in Russian Cyrillic and which you consider implausible, is apparently based on your belief that Russians are liars, thieves, and murderers (I won't argue with a racist. God be your judge). It was written specifically for me, since I'm also Russian. But miraculously, you managed to read it. I also want to point out that only your wife and children should be taught where and how to buy. Unless, of course, you have any, which I highly doubt. I also want to point out that the sales rules are the same for both online and offline stores.

A man bought his topping in a Russian store, discovered a defect, and they exchanged it for a working one, without a word or a cent to send it to China for inspection. Because that's the seller's problem, not the buyer's.

Unlike a Chinese store where they're willing to sell you their own mother just to save a dollar.

Spoiler: На русском языке.

Пост который был написан на русской кириллице и который вы считаете не правдоподобным, видимо основываясь на том, что по вашему мнению русские лжецы, воры и убийцы (Не стану спорить с расистом. Бог вам судья). Был написан лично мне, так как я тоже русский. Но вы о чудо всё же смогли его прочесть. Так же хочу заметить, что учить где и как нужно покупать стоит только своих жену и детей. Если конечно они у вас есть, в чем сильно сомневаюсь. А так же довожу, что правила продажи едины как для онлайн так и офлайн магазина.
Человек купил свой топинг в русском магазине, обнаружил дефект и ему сделали обмен на исправный, не слово не говоря и не взяв ни цента, что бы отправить в топинг в китай на экспертизу. Так как это проблема продавца, а не покупателя.
В отличии от китайского магазина где "мать родную готовы продать" лишь бы сэкономить доллар.

 

[Chr1]

Not sure if you are being patriotic. Somewhat questionable in itself, I would suggest.
Definitely being hypocritical.

Your last sentence is the most racist here yet.

 

[Sokel]

This hobby is supposed to be for fun, maybe some people (and companies) should take a step back and rethink?
Every time I see anger and frustration for something that is obviously a gamble (buying from far east with the entirely different mentality) I can't help but shake my head.

Want rock solid, care free warranty? Buy from stores that honor them or have the obligation to do so.
Don't want to pay the tiny premium? That's on you.

 

[serpet]

Not sure if you are being patriotic. Somewhat questionable in itself, I would suggest.
Definitely being hypocritical.

Your last sentence is the most racist here yet.

Russians aren't racist! They hate everyone equally! But they hate themselves more than anyone else! )))

 

[Chanur]

These stories are what is keeping me from returning this Fiio K9 ESS Pro. It sounds flawless and works perfectly. It's also built like it will last decades. It was 50% more than the DX5II though. So I could get savings by doing so. How ever it seems a lot of people have reported issues.

 

[serpet]

DX5 II version V2.14 firmware update - Topping audio

TOPPING, born in 2008, has evolved into a beloved global HIFI brand favored by users worldwide. We firmly believe that higher-quality music playback devices are essential for truly showcasing the allure of music. By investing extensively in professional technology and exceptional industrial...

www.toppingaudio.com

You can install it. It didn't explode, it works! )))
Even the menu settings were intact.
But the left channel still crackles in the bass.