Review and Measurements of Topping DX3Pro DAC and Headphone Amp

[Tucson]

The damping ratio for my current use of the Duet is a little over "7". So that is close to the "8" rule. Also, from what I understand, higher impedance headphones, such as my 600 ohm DT880s, are less effected by the damping ratio. The Duet is known to boost the HF a bit as part of that Apogee sound. I suspect this is for mixing purposes. This is with the headphone out. The line outs do not have as much of an increase there, and appears to be just a bit more accurate, and detailed. What I really want to do is have the DAC/Amp drive powered speakers. I found that I can always EQ the elevated HF with a software dynamic equalizer, such as GlissEQ.

As a note here, the DT880s also amplify the treble more, which makes pairing it with the headphones out less than ideal. The line outs in part mitigate this. It is still lite on bass, and some even call it "warm" for some reason. But it is still accurate.

 

[DATMAN]

I'd like to say thanks for all the great info here. I bought a Topping DX3 Pro and just fired it up. All seems relatively simple but I can not seem to get in into just the line out mode.

I wanted to use as just a DAC with fixed line out primarily. I can easily switch between three modes of headphone only out, headphone and DAC preamp out, and DAC pre amp out. Yet despite reading instructions 10 times I can not get it into the mode where the volume indicator (dB) goes away and I see the sample rate which it supposed to be the indicator it is in fixed line out mode. This is the display when it is sending a fixed output. I doubt the 0 gain on the volume is the same thing. Yes I have hit the line out button repeatedly and nothing changes on the display and the volume control always works. I tried tried the same using the volume knob to change the line out mode as well with no success. Is this user error or a problem with the unit?

TIA for any advice and sorry if I am being super dumb.

 

[bleachershane]

I'd like to say thanks for all the great info here. I bought a Topping DX3 Pro and just fired it up. All seems relatively simple but I can not seem to get in into just the line out mode.

I wanted to use as just a DAC with fixed line out primarily. I can easily switch between three modes of headphone only out, headphone and DAC preamp out, and DAC pre amp out. Yet despite reading instructions 10 times I can not get it into the mode where the volume indicator (dB) goes away and I see the sample rate which it supposed to be the indicator it is in fixed line out mode. This is the display when it is sending a fixed output. I doubt the 0 gain on the volume is the same thing. Yes I have hit the line out button repeatedly and nothing changes on the display and the volume control always works. I tried tried the same using the volume knob to change the line out mode as well with no success. Is this user error or a problem with the unit?

TIA for any advice and sorry if I am being super dumb.

That's quite odd if the remote is sending other commands and the unit is responding. Is it possible that just the Line Out button is not functioning on your remote? You could always do the phone camera test to see if the remote is indeed sending a signal when it's pressed.

 

[DATMAN]

Yeah, I think it must be that the unit is defective for that feature. The IR on the remote is working. I also tried the knob. I am only using the TOSLINK input that is the only input besides bluetooth I have but that should not matter. I will probably send it back but the sound is pretty darn nice. I had an ancient DAC before. Thx

 

[Guinot]

can not get it into the mode where the volume indicator (dB) goes away and I see the sample rate which it supposed to be the indicator it is in fixed line out mode.

You need to go to advance settings, it can't be done from remote any more in V2. Just unplug power (totally) press the knob and plug power again, you will boot the advance setup menu, I don't remember the exact option, but you can find it in manual to change from pre-amp to DAC mode.

 

[bleachershane]

You need to go to advance settings, it can't be done from remote any more in V2. Just unplug power (totally) press the knob and plug power again, you will boot the advance setup menu, I don't remember the exact option, but you can find it in manual to change from pre-amp to DAC mode.

Ahh, I only have version 1 still and wasn't aware that they finally implemented making getting fixed line out more difficult!

 

[DATMAN]

Thanks. I was quite optimistic after reading this and I also got the same instructions from Topping. Yet despite changing the correct setting and it sticks, the volume control is fully functional even when in d-1 (i.e. DAC mode). So I on;ly see the sample rate briefly than it goes back to showing volume i.e. dB. Changing it from d-0 to d-1 seems to do nothing. I always suspect user error but am beginning to wonder. I have another email into Topping before I likely have to return it.

I'm assuming that 0.0db on volume knob is not the same as full DAC mode or I could live with it easily enough. Thanks again.

 

[Guinot]

Thanks. I was quite optimistic after reading this and I also got the same instructions from Topping. Yet despite changing the correct setting and it sticks, the volume control is fully functional even when in d-1 (i.e. DAC mode). So I on;ly see the sample rate briefly than it goes back to showing volume i.e. dB. Changing it from d-0 to d-1 seems to do nothing. I always suspect user error but am beginning to wonder. I have another email into Topping before I likely have to return it.

I'm assuming that 0.0db on volume knob is not the same as full DAC mode or I could live with it easily enough. Thanks again.

It means DAC mode is not activated. Are you sure you confirmed setting change before exit? If you return back to adv. settings mode, do you see that DAC mode (d-1) is active?

Have you done this? (check the attachment)

 

[mateoJazz]

@DATMAN
After the operation from the instructions, switch from the line out to the headphone amplifier on the remote control and back again to line out.
Should be OK. I have the same situation.

 

[DATMAN]

mateoJazz!! Yes, that actually worked.

Today I tried a USB input and the advanced settings many times to ensure it was sticking at d-1 and it was. I just had not switched the headphone amp on and off. I was minutes from returning the unit but still had this feeling the unit was OK but I was doing something wrong. Many thanks for your tip!! I do like the unit so was bummed to return to Drop as of course there are no more that that price.

Many thanks for the help here.

 

[Tucson]

This is good news! Can you do a critical observation of the sound when the gain is boosted? I am curious as to what my problem was with this V2 of the DAC. Maybe the headphones were just underpowered, Cranking up the volume really did not help. The sibilance on the Enya album was not the fault of the DX3, or for that matter, the Duet. I suspect this is also not the case with the headphones per se. I think it was more of a mastering error, These headphones certainly can show warts and all with recorded music.

 

[DATMAN]

Tuscon,

Best to leave this task for someone else as I am not a headphone guy. Nor really into super critical listening these days. But I can tell the unit sounds good and better than my ancient DAC (over 15yrs old). When I had the gain way up before I could stick it in DAC only mode, it still sounded quite good but was not doing detailed A/B comparisons. I did not notice distortion if that was your issue.

 

[Tucson]

I understand. Thank you. With the test results that Amir had on the line outs, you should be happy with your choice of the DX3 Pro.

 

[B166ER]

Just wanted to thank Amir and the community on this thread and discussion. I went out and got the Topping DX3 and am really enjoying it!

 

[TLSX]

Hello friends, I bought the Topping DX3 PRO LDAC. I have a question to ask. What do the various modes of the PCM filter set mean? What are the tone characteristics?

 

[Wolven]

Hello friends, I bought the Topping DX3 PRO LDAC. I have a question to ask. What do the various modes of the PCM filter set mean? What are the tone characteristics?

AKM chip filters match with DX3pro filters like this:

 

[Hunts887]

I see. I should of purchased the 250 ohm version of the DT880s. It seems that many desktop amps cannot handle my high impedance headphones.



I think the DT880s would work well with the DX3 Pro. Someone correct me if I am wrong here, but I have heard the ESS SABRE chip based DACs also do boost the high frequencies a bit. The DAC used with the DX3 should not have this problem, which is good for the DT880s,

The phones have a "sterile" quality to them. They do play exactly what is there with no coloration. The small bump in the mid-high frequencies is not as much as other headphones. I understand this is a good characteristic for sound engineers to mix the music more accurately. It makes the detail in that range more apparent. I guess they can use this to more easily detect mixing glitches in that frequency range, like perhaps sibilance from the singing voice. Apparently the "bump" in mid-HF is small. I enjoy listening to this accuracy of sounds on albums. For me, who at my age is hearing impaired much above 8K, I think this "bump" does help me allot. However, I think that these phones can make certain kinds of mastering errors more apparent.

Update: I am using the line out of my DAC/Amp. Damping factor is about 7. I set to bypass with my EQ software. There is no longer any real sibilance in some of Enya's works, like Amarantine. So, compared to the headphone out, the line out performs a bit better. This makes sense. One advantage of 600 ohm headphones.

When you say you have set it to line out, what are you referring to? I now have the same amp and headphones as you and I am quite impressed with it on high gain at the moment, and I don't currently notice any degradation in performance.

 

[Tucson]

When you say you have set it to line out, what are you referring to? I now have the same amp and headphones as you and I am quite impressed with it on high gain at the moment, and I don't currently notice any degradation in performance.

When I went to line out, the small HF boost with the headphone out went away. I later confirmed this with a look at the frequency response of both. The headphone outs FR has an increase of over 0.5 DBr at 10 kHz, using reference of an undithered sine wave at 0 dBFS, 1V RMS. Naturally the line outs of a DACAmp will be of better performance, sometimes markedly. But in the Duets case, they are close I do not hear any discernable ringing or distortion with the line outs with my current configuration.

BTW This part was important to me because both the headphones, and to an extent, the audio player I use also emphasizes the high frequencies. Now the Apogee is essentially flat FR for my purposes. I used an EQ plugin to adjust for a flatter response with the headphones. Certain types of HF audio bothers me, like near 10K.

I would suggest to those here that have high impedance headphones, 600 ohm or greater, to try the line outs of the DX3 Pro. Its output impedance is 100 ohms, the same as my Apogee. Why not get the full benefit from your DAC/Amp? The reason I said "600 ohm or greater" is that the graph of the actual impedance may be above what it is labelled by the manufacturer. I think a damping factor of close to 7:1 as is with my phones is sufficient. BTW the impedance of the DT880s appears mostly to be resistance, not as much inductance and capacitance. IMO this would cause much less fouling up of the original FR when connected to the DAC/Amp.

 

[Leito360]

I have some SHP 9500 (32 Ohm). I just read that the DX3 Pro V2 has an output impedance of <10 Ohm. As I understand... should I start watching somewhere else? I was really hyped about getting a DX3...

Will i get a worse performance for my headphones using the DX3?
Should I get the MX3 instead or what other Dac/Amp solution should I get? (I'm looking for something with a line out for my speakers, that's why I don't want to go for a DAC+Atom).

 

[Ratatoskr]

I have some SHP 9500 (32 Ohm). I just read that the DX3 Pro V2 has an output impedance of <10 Ohm. As I understand... should I start watching somewhere else? I was really hyped about getting a DX3...

Will i get a worse performance for my headphones using the DX3?
Should I get the MX3 instead or what other Dac/Amp solution should I get? (I'm looking for something with a line out for my speakers, that's why I don't want to go for a DAC+Atom).

Are you talking about the Topping DX3 Pro LDAC Version 2 DAC/Amp with Bluetooth? It should have the same headphone out impedance of 1 ohm measured in the original post of this thread. So it would be fine with 32 Ohm phones.