Shenzhenaudio Topping EX5 Review (DAC and Headphone Amplifier)

[maxxevv]

On paper it is good, thats why i bought it, but man, the difference exist and it is very noticible. Just hearing single sound like some kick drum and by comparing them It is clear for me that EX5 sound is muffled and there is less impact, energy given than with THX. Reviews on youtube are similar to my EXperience.

Have you level matched your tests / comparisons ?

 

[Zensō]

Have you level matched your tests / comparisons ?

This does seem like a instance of mis-matched levels mixed with a bit of expectation bias fed by YouTube reviewers. No offense intended, we’ve all been there.

 

[bellyofthebizd]

Have you level matched your tests / comparisons ?

Yes

 

[maxxevv]

Yes

Like how?
A volmeter ? A calibrated microphone for volume matching?

 

[bellyofthebizd]

Like how?
A volmeter ? A calibrated microphone for volume matching?

Hey, i'm not a OP with pro equipment, i'm just a listener, i would tell you 10 out of 10 in blind test which amp is which.

And YES my, conclusions are subjective but they are similar to some reviews of this product.

 

[Walter]

Hey, i'm not a OP with pro equipment, i'm just a listener, i would tell you 10 out of 10 in blind test which amp is which.

And YES my, conclusions are subjective but they are similar to some reviews of this product.

That is what makes them even more suspect. Nobody here is saying that you are lying--just that:

• The only way to be truly sure is with blind testing
• Unless you have actually performed a blind test, you can't be sure what the results would be. I know that is frustrating, but many of us here were "converted" to this way of thinking after taking blind tests we were sure we could pass, and finding out we were wrong. (Mine was the complete and utter failure to tell any difference between 24/192, 24/96, 16/44.1, and 320 kbps MP3 after sighted testing had me convinced I that only the two highest rates sounded identical to me.)
• If it really is so obvious that you can get it 10/10 times, it probably means there is a problem with the unit or some kind of very specific equipment mismatch
• Time after time, testing has shown that even tiny differences in volume can cause the louder device to consistently be preferred, even in blind tests. It takes a voltmeter to match closely enough to be really, really sure. (Yep, I've been caught out by that, also.)

You are not going to convince anyone with subjective assessments--not to say they are not valid, just not of much real value to others. That is why this site is called Audio Science Review. Now, if your results were actually verified in a blind test, there are plenty of users here who would be happy to help you determine the cause.

 

[bellyofthebizd]

That is what makes them even more suspect. Nobody here is saying that you are lying--just that:

• The only way to be truly sure is with blind testing
• Unless you have actually performed a blind test, you can't be sure what the results would be. I know that is frustrating, but many of us here were "converted" to this way of thinking after taking blind tests we were sure we could pass, and finding out we were wrong. (Mine was the complete and utter failure to tell any difference between 24/192, 24/96, 16/44.1, and 320 kbps MP3 after sighted testing had me convinced I that only the two highest rates sounded identical to me.)
• If it really is so obvious that you can get it 10/10 times, it probably means there is a problem with the unit or some kind of very specific equipment mismatch
• Time after time, testing has shown that even tiny differences in volume can cause the louder device to consistently be preferred, even in blind tests. It takes a voltmeter to match closely enough to be really, really sure. (Yep, I've been caught out by that, also.)

You are not going to convince anyone with subjective assessments--not to say they are not valid, just not of much real value to others. That is why this site is called Audio Science Review. Now, if your results were actually verified in a blind test, there are plenty of users here who would be happy to help you determine the cause.

"not of much real value to others" - hmm let's speak for yourself, i always consider someone else opinion, especially when that person have no interest in selling the product.

 

[BDWoody]

Reviews on youtube are similar to my EXperience.

And YES my, conclusions are subjective but they are similar to some reviews of this product.

Almost like you heard what you expected to hear.

This is why controlled testing is part of gathering useful info. Without controls, the results aren't going to get much traction around here. What you've given is anecdote that seems unlikely given the measurements, so this falls in the 'extraordinary claims need extraordinary evidence' category.

We are less about opinions, and more about evidence, which is part of what makes this place different. Lots of places to go for endless anecdotes...here it can often lead to sorrow.

 

[Walter]

"not of much real value to others" - hmm let's speak for yourself, i always consider someone else opinion, especially when that person have no interest in selling the product.

I was apparently not clear. It if that opinion was uninformed and caused you to make a poor decision, then it was of no value. I never said nobody took note of them. I definitely do, especially from people like Amir or Erin or even John Yang (especially when he praises a competing product), who I know have heard a lot of equipment and are on the lookout for confirmation bias. I recently read on this site a review where someone was talking about how good their new speakers (I think it was) sounded. Then three months later he posted that he had sold them because what he originally considered a minor imperfection just kept bothering him more and more. So, anyone who purchased based upon his original subjective comments certainly got no value from them.

Edit: If you are saying that others' subjective comments are of entertainment vaule to you, as in you enjoy reading them even when they are of no other value, then I admit that in that context, my comment was wrong.

 

[Walter]

...here it can often lead to sorrow.

 

[usern]

so yeah, i've compared this one with THX789 and big no...
EX5 is somehow muddier, there is a lack of transparency, cleanness, less umph in bass, less dynamic than THX.
Drop made trully excellent amp, shame it didn't made dac which will be popular as THX with balanced outputs. I'm returning EX5. Now i'm thinking over either getting d10 balanced, SU from SMSL (a little bit too pricey) or stay with E1DA.

Some E1DA models do DSP too. Maybe it's altering FR or adding that "2nd harmonic tube emulation"

Spoiler

 

[Walter]

Some E1DA models do DSP too. Maybe it's altering FR or adding that "2nd harmonic tube emulation"

Very good point! @bellyofthebizd, was it an E1DA PowerDac? (Or do they have other models with DSP?)

 

[bellyofthebizd]

Very good point! @bellyofthebizd, was it an E1DA PowerDac? (Or do they have other models with DSP?)

I'm talking about Ex5 being worst. E1da is superb for a dongle

 

[Walter]

I'm talking about Ex5 being worst. E1da is superb for a dongle

The point being made is that since you were using the E1DA as a DAC into the THX HP amp, it might be the E1DA causing the sound difference you experienced. So I am asking if you are using a model that has built-in DSP, as that could certainly account for a very definite difference in sound if it was EQed to other than flat.

 

[Hydrav]

On paper it is good, thats why i bought it, but man, the difference exist and it is very noticible. Just hearing single sound like some kick drum and by comparing them It is clear for me that EX5 sound is muffled and there is less impact, energy given than with THX. Reviews on youtube are similar to my EXperience.

You compared the two using a properly set up ABX test?

EDIT: My bad, point was already raised previously.

 

[MCH]

Guys, don't get it, why is this cheaper than the d30 pro? Any reported issues? Any feature difference i am missing?
Is this the best bang for the buck balaced dac as of today?

 

[Walter]

Guys, don't get it, why is this cheaper than the d30 pro? Any reported issues? Any feature difference i am missing?
Is this the best bang for the buck balaced dac as of today?

I know the Topping D30 Pro has a very good preamp section, with noise levels that decrease as the volume is reduced. Does this, also?

 

[MCH]

Ah true, i see johnyang's comment now, thanks!

 

[MRC01]

I'm getting strange behavior with my EX5. In short, it properly senses the audio sampling rate ONLY with the USB input. With the coax input, the EX5 display always shows 44.1 kHz even when the digital audio is at a different rate. It plays it fine, so either it's resampling it to 44.1, or the display is not showing the correct rate. When I plug that same coax cable into a different DAC, it auto-senses and shows the proper sampling rate.

USB works as expected, this is specific to the coax input. I ran the Windows app to confirm the EX5 has the latest firmware (1.65).

Update: looks like the problem is my sound card. I plugged the EX5 coax into my disc player and the EX5 properly switched sample rates to match the incoming audio stream... I'll post the solution when I figure it out.

 

[MRC01]

The mystery deepens. I have a source playing digital audio at 96 kHz. If I plug that source into my DAC, it shows the proper sampling rate 96 kHz and the music plays. Both my DAC and my DEQ2496 show the proper rate and play it. If I take that same digital cable, unplug it from the DAC and plug it into the EX5, the EX5 shows 48 kHz while playing the music just fine.

As the EX5 is playing the 96k audio stream just fine, it is either resampling the audio, or its display is wrong. I don't think the EX5 ever resamples. So it must be a display bug, showing the wrong sampling frequency. Weird.

My DAC and DEQ2496 have been working flawlessly for years. And I've tested/measured them at all sample rates. This is definitely an EX5 problem.