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Review and Measurements of Topping DX3Pro DAC and Headphone Amp

Stein

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OK. they are different. If it's distortion, you can pre-process the audio and maybe it can be even out. If it's noise, whatever you do result to noise itself.
Amir included the linearity tests in his initial measurement, so I don't understand what your argument is about.
 

pauze

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My remote came with a battery. Bought off Aliexpress, seller Aoshida-Hifi. It had one of those plastic tabs under the lid to prevent the battery from making contact until pulled.
 

Stein

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I can't speak of Amir's past measurements, you'll have to lay those side by side for me if you wish criticise them. My impression of the Topping DX3Pro, taken all its measurements together is, that the linearity measurements are a small compromise(If we're looking at the complete package) for the casual listener, which I'm pretty sure is the target audience given the appearance of the unit and the price.
 
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THW

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I’m not learned when it comes to this sort of thing but didn’t he say that that is the result of the higher noise floor and not distortion/error and thus is affecting linearity measurements? I’m quite sure I saw that bit in the review

I’m also quite sure he did say that he prefers not to see noise but noise is overall not as undesirable as distortion
 

Varenyk

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Could someone help me figure out how to pair the remote?

My unit just came in today and I got a 2032 battery for it but I can't figure out how to connect the remote control to the unit.
 

Thomas savage

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OK. I can't publish the data for Google's dongle because it's classified. But @SMSL-Mandy certainly posted their data in the D1 review, but their concern is never answered.

In this thread, people are questioning about @amirm's double standard on linearity. In a scientific point of view, 16 bit noise vs 16 bit distortion simply does not matter. Both of them means after 16bits there's no resolution and all data are garbage. This means you get no benefit from hi-res. Why ditching others while recommending this? The concern is not answered as well.
Right there’s is the issue.

If you turned this around, google published their measurements then along comes amir saying he’s done some classified tests that contradict Google’s test, he throws some mud but never publishes his findings or indeed any relating methodology information. Not very helpful or constructive really, indeed you could say in that scenario amir would be acting unprofessionally,, hell google might even throw some lawyers at amir lol

As for the rest , there’s measurements , you read them , understand them and draw you own conclusions but certainly we are all here to discuss them. Nothings being brushed under the carpet as seems to be your insinuation.

I don’t believe there is any benefit to hires playback but let’s not go there ha ha
 

pauze

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More fun in relay click testing land: I've hooked my phone back up to the unit and am playing via UAPP. I get a click when I play my first song, but switching between tracks of different sample rates, I don't hear any clicks. I even have my ear up against the case when switching - it's literally silent, but the new sample rate flashes on the screen and it begins playing. Pausing the music does not trigger a standby click. It takes exiting the app completely for the standby click to get triggered. I also note that UAPP will wake up the unit when launched, which is nice.

Note that I'm completely ignorant with how such things are implemented in Android, let alone how it's done in Windows with its myriad of user settings. If the minimum amount of tolerable clicking is at first song and standby, it seems that the Windows implementation is 100% fixable in theory, it's just whether Topping can get its firmware dev to implement it right.
 

Thomas savage

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That's not the real issue. what @amirm was trying to do is to
- condemn Google for not publishing their measurement. (which I think is ridiculous. reasons given above)
- condemn me for working for Google thus share Google's sin (which is even more ridiculous)

I listed two public issues and reserve the right of express my additional personal opinion (based on a private issue).
I don't think I have anything to be blamed for.

What you said "If you turned this around ... he throws some mud ..." simply doesn't applies to Google's case at all --- Google does not question @amirm's study. I believe the company simply doesn't care about what he posted at all.
I was just following your logic as was amir imo

In reality of course google dose not care about a handful of nutty audio buffs online.

You are free to think and express what you like, if you have ambitions for those contributions to offer something constructive you so far have failed but there’s no sin in that.
 

yue

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taken all its measurements together is, that the linearity measurements are a small compromise(If we're looking at the complete package) for the casual listener,

for casual listeners (or even serious ones) you don't get more on the best and most expensive DAC discussed here compare to a traditional non hi-res DAC. Almost all artifacts discussed in this forum are below hearing range unless you amplify them by a great amount.

As far as I understand almost all things discussed in this forum is purely engineering perspective. In reality a mass produced DAC (such as the one in your macbook pro or iPhone) is good enough and you won't tell the difference in blind testing.

I’m also quite sure he did say that he prefers not to see noise but noise is overall not as undesirable as distortion

noise is much harder to diagnose and fix than distortion most of the time.
 

Stein

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for casual listeners (or even serious ones) you don't get more on the best and most expensive DAC discussed here compare to a traditional non hi-res DAC. Almost all artifacts discussed in this forum are below hearing range unless you amplify them by a great amount.

As far as I understand almost all things discussed in this forum is purely engineering perspective. In reality a mass produced DAC (such as the one in your macbook pro or iPhone) is good enough and you won't tell the difference in blind testing.



noise is much harder to diagnose and fix than distortion most of the time.

Yes, and some units have serious engineering issues like the Audio-gd NFB-27.38.
I don't understand why you keep arguing if you think it makes no audible difference.
It really casts doubt on your motives. I've no better way to phrase how I feel about all of this.
 
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THW

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Iv have a number of DAC’s click when changing inputs etc but I’m not that experienced so I don’t knock w how normal it is.

When it’s happened it’s never bothard me.

If you ask me this whole clicking thing is blown completely out of proportion

I just think it’s hilarious to say the product is bad because of that one flaw
 

Stein

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Iv have a number of DAC’s click when changing inputs etc but I’m not that experienced so I don’t knock w how normal it is.

When it’s happened it’s never bothard me.

My Audient ID4(Mic preamp) does it too when I switch bitrate options, never bothered me.
And the clicking issue on the Topping DX3Pro stopped for me after I installed the drivers.

I'm not saying this to trivialize everyone's concerns here, but Topping has taken note of the issue and they're working on a solution.
 

Krunok

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if you have music with low volume, or simply set your dac to output in very low volume, you'll have a very small signal with a lot of noise.
In this case, if your amp amplifies it to make the singal amplitude as high as normal volume, it will also amplify the noise floor, and the noise certainly becomes audible.

In most usage scenarios your amp doesn't amplifiy signal to "normal" volume when your DAC is set to "very low volume". I'm having my Topping D10 connected directly to my 180W Rotel amp and things are certainly not happening like that. I never heard any noise coming from speakers, no matter which volume level is set on DAC (volume is controlled via Volumio with XMOS chip in D10).
 

Varenyk

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Could someone help me figure out how to pair the remote?

My unit just came in today and I got a 2032 battery for it but I can't figure out how to connect the remote control to the unit.

Scrolled through this forum, looks like I also received a lemon.

I'm using VLC Player for my music and this unit clicks upon every single song.

My remote control also doesn't work. At all. I tried two different batteries with no luck so I'm running this digital metronome of a device without any additional functionality.


I'm not particularly upset but this is partially my own fault for buying into Amir's single gushing review without waiting a month or two for other people to pitch in their two cents.

Do I contact Topping or the guy on Ebay who sold it to me to get a working remote?
 

Krunok

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I’m not learned when it comes to this sort of thing but didn’t he say that that is the result of the higher noise floor and not distortion/error and thus is affecting linearity measurements?

Yes, he did say that. The only problem I see with that explanation is that "higher" noise floor is not shown in any other measured parameters (106dB SINAD, 116dB dynamic range, ..)
 

Bigsy

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Scrolled through this forum, looks like I also received a lemon.

I'm using VLC Player for my music and this unit clicks upon every single song.

My remote control also doesn't work. At all. I tried two different batteries with no luck so I'm running this digital metronome of a device without any additional functionality.

I'm not particularly upset but this is partially my own fault for buying into Amir's single gushing review without waiting a month or two for other people to pitch in their two cents.

Do I contact Topping or the guy on Ebay who sold it to me to get a working remote?
Bottom 2 buttons don't work on mine but the aliexpress seller was just going to send me another.

I asked them to hold off anyway as as it stands the unit is trash in my eyes and will be returned if no firmware fix materialises soon.
 

Klenfo

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I just think it’s hilarious to say the product is bad because of that one flaw
Device not bad at all and sound very good. But 90% users will use this DAC as default device in windows and hear
continuous 'strange sound' from device everywhere. In browsers - open new page - click-click. Play/stop any sound - click-click, etc. Of course if you use it for music only it is not a big problem. So I guess this issue should be fixed in new firmware
In my remote does not work 'Mute' button only and I do not know should it work or not... Should 'mute' button work?
EDIT: Yes Mute work in mode when use volume control. And does not work in 'DAC' mode. So it's normal. No problem with remote
 
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nebula

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In my remote does not work 'Mute' button only and I do not know should it work or not... Should 'mute' button work?
It works fine for me. I guess some people are getting duds. (I assume everyone figured out how to place the battery between the two metal contacts, positive side up)
 
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