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Review and Measurements of Topping DX3Pro DAC and Headphone Amp

kukocz

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Agreed, it is virtually always the case that dissatisfaction results in more airtime than satisfaction; having said that if there is considerable vocalization of dissatisfaction with a new product there likely are some issues to be resolved (hopefully in FW/drivers, in a V2 of the product if not amenable to SW fix).

As to me, so far having a lot of fun with my DX3Pro listening from Tidal. It shares ear time (USB and Bluetooth) with my DX7S/MD-THX 789 and D50/Atom stacks (both through USB) and subjectively holds its own rather well. So far no reliability issues. Clicks only when changing sample rates, and since I am listening to my headphones when this happens the only one that might be bothered is the dog.

Chalk me up as one of the “silent majority”.
What is your subjective feeling about listening experience and differences between DX3 Pro, D50 and Dx7s? Is there a big difference between these dacs?
 

noobie

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What is your subjective feeling about listening experience and differences between DX3 Pro, D50 and Dx7s? Is there a big difference between these dacs?
Well, this is an objective, not subjective, site, so I will refrain from making any real observations, other than to say that my Sundara, Aeon Flow, and Elex all sound great with any of these. Maybe the DX3PRO is a tad “warmer”, and the DX7S/789 combo with all balanced maybe is a tad “fuller”, but since these are all sighted and not carefully volume matched observations I am more likely hearing what I think I should hear than what is really being presented.

To me, if I was to be stranded on a desert island with just one of these setups, I would be happy with any of them... Maybe a slight bias towards the DX7S/789, but only because the 789 provides balanced, SE, and SE IEM outputs, so a bit more flexibility - obviously while being stranded with one DAC/Amp combo is acceptable, no self-respecting castaway would allow himself to be alone on a desert island without a host of headphones and IEMs.
 
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Veri

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What is your subjective feeling about listening experience and differences between DX3 Pro, D50 and Dx7s? Is there a big difference between these dacs?
I think Amir basically always uses his DX3 now for listening, since it's a tiny, convenient do-it-all machine with sufficient power and great dac section. What more does a person need..
 

chrisliuboy

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It might be placebo or just dumb, but ive been not using the dx3 for a day because i have planned to return it and got it packed (controller not worrking), since Paypal is taking time to give me the instructions to send it back i decided to unpack it and use it meanwhile. I used my own power supply 12V@2A because I didnt want to unroll the stock one and well, the bass i feel like improved a fucking lot. Maybe its placebo of my ears not using it for a day, or maybe im right and it actually improves quite a bit. Sennheiser HD580 here, from lacking some bass and lots of sub-bass to having fine bass and some sub-bass

I know the lacking are on the headphone side, but still i wanted to talk about the improvement i felt the power supply did.
Not on the 12v part, but Dx3 always make me feel lacking some punchy in the bass area using some easy to drive headphones like cd900st than my old Dac, but definitely more clarity after some A-B testing. Some say it's AKM chip signature sound, I haven't used many DAC so IDK.
 
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Rollingsound514

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I tested the Logitech Harmony set up for the DX3 today. It works properly and will switch inputs for you without messing it up. I've got USB for my HTPC (Tidal) hooked up and the Optical hooked up to the TV and the Harmony Hub switches between the two activities perfectly now. Seems to want to turn off my TV when switching activities but that has nothing to do with the DX3 lol.
 

Poultrygeist

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Press "Line Out" button on remote or click rapidly twice unity's button until it shows "DAC" and volume on display. Be carefull, if you press twice one more time or press "Line Out" on remote twice it'll change to fixed 0db output.

When the display shows "DAC" and volume, it's on "pre-amp" mode with volume control. It's the first DAC mode. When shows frequency, it's on fixed 0db mode, which is second.

If you don't want to deal with these DAC modes, you can choose the blinking headphone mode which outputs both 3.5mm and RCA with volume control. With the remote, just press the center button in the middle of round volume and arrows button.

Thank you
 

Rollingsound514

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The MX3 is significantly cheaper and has a power amp, are the components in the mx3 THAT much cheaper than those in the dx3 which is only dac and preamp? I don't know just curious
 

yue

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The MX3 is significantly cheaper and has a power amp, are the components in the mx3 THAT much cheaper than those in the dx3 which is only dac and preamp? I don't know just curious
MX3 uses SA9023 interface + PCM5102A DAC chip so it's much cheaper than the xu208+dual ak4493 combination.

The former combo was widely used (such as Objective DAC or JDS Elements). They are fully transparent and good enough. But people believe "the better spec the better" so they trust the latter more, even though I don't think people can reliably tell the difference between the two.

But bear in mind that MX3 does not have a DAC line out --- the signal is always amplified (either via headphone amp or power amp). The headphone amp outputs 10Vpp, and may far beyond your need (either use it as a normal DAC output, or use as a headphone amp).

If it has a lower gain (such as 1X gain) I would seriously considering buying it. If it measures well (by means of utilizing the maximum potential of PCM5102A), it will basically beat many more expensive products (ODAC+O2 combo, JDS Elements, etc).
 

la2ygoo

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yue

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MX3 uses SA9023 interface + PCM5102A DAC chip so it's much cheaper than the xu208+dual ak4493 combination.

BTW, with that said, usually the cost to manufacture a DAC is very low. AK4493 is around $5 each. xu208 costs $7.5. Various analog components (OPA1612, OPA2140 op-amp) are all sub $5. AK4118 bluetooth receiver is around $2.

PCM5102A is half the price of AK4493, and cost around $2. so if you compare MX3 and DX3, their raw material costs don't differ too much. The actual component price makes up very little in the total device price.

Another example. ES9038Pro is roughly $74. ES9038Q2M is $13.8. Dual ES9038Q2M costs $27, so less than $50 difference. But usually ES9038Pro devices have much higher price than ES9038Q2M devices (for instance, compare $1300 SMSL VMV D1 and $250 dual chip SMSL SU-8), whereas other costs (power, firmware/driver dev, pcb, etc) are almost the same.

So I would say DX3 is 2x the price of MX3 is solely because premium grade devices sell for a premium price. That's where the profits come from.

Today's DAC chips are so good that even PCM5102A is way beyond human hearing range, and why it's chosen for Objective DAC. But people want better spec products. That's why there's premium grade products selling for 5x-10x the price:)
 
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noel_fs

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BTW, with that said, usually the cost to manufacture a DAC is very low. AK4493 is around $5 each. xu208 costs $7.5. Various analog components (OPA1612, OPA2140 op-amp) are all sub $5. AK4118 bluetooth receiver is around $2.

PCM5102A is half the price of AK4493, and cost around $2. so if you compare MX3 and DX3, their raw material costs don't differ too much. The actual component price makes up very little in the total device price.

Another example. ES9038Pro is roughly $74. ES9038Q2M is $13.8. Dual ES9038Q2M costs $27, so less than $50 difference. But usually ES9038Pro devices have much higher price than ES9038Q2M devices (for instance, compare $1300 SMSL VMV D1 and $250 dual chip SMSL SU-8), whereas other costs (power, firmware/driver dev, pcb, etc) are almost the same.

So I would say DX3 is 2x the price of MX3 is solely because premium grade devices sell for a premium price. That's where the profits come from.

Today's DAC chips are so good that even PCM5102A is way beyond human hearing range, and why it's chosen for Objective DAC. But people want better spec products. That's why there's premium grade products selling for 5x-10x the price:)
I mean, DX3 has better specs and still 3x power, so if we are considering power too i think its a reasonable price keeping in mind there are not many comparable options out there (only stack khadas+atom, and its not avaliable for the same price outside US). Of course if you are gonna use low impedance headphones and you are not a obsessed person, mx3 its fine, you get all you need. But if you want that extra, dx3 has it, and if you want a actual speaker amp you already have a respectable dac+preamp right there.

Each device is aimed at different mindsets. Ease or hobby.
 

Megatronic

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Got my dx3 pro today. Revision 1.04 its latest firmware? What settings with headphones should I use? Max rate 384hz 32 bit or other sample rate like 24 bit 48hz? And how can i set 768hz rate? Only have 384hz max, its ok?
 
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Veri

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Got my dx3 pro today. Revision 1.04 its latest firmware? What settings with headphones should I use? Max rate 384hz 32 bit or other sample rate like 24 bit 48hz? And how can i set 768hz rate? Only have 384hz max, its ok?
I use 32-bit 44Khz. For movies I use mpc-hc with Exclusive mode (48Khz) which sets the sample rate automatically so it can stay on 44KHz at all times.

Works fine.
 

aka_Z

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I'm looking for DAC for active loudspeakers and this one looks ok. I've already checked web page month ago but now is down? What happened to http://en.tpdz.net? Hopefully does not mean that company is gone as well.
 
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