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Shenzhenaudio Topping EX5 Review (DAC and Headphone Amplifier)

gonzoucab

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When topping coffe maker?
 

Emlin

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I'm gonna imagine when I see MQA, it just says "Much Quality Audio" which refers to the gear (not the codec) :)

Then your imagination will be lossy and require you to pay money in the future for it. Sorry about that.
 

virtua

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Are the RCA and XLR outputs switchable?
 

amarsicola

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We just want 3rd harmonic distortion level in stereo with this info: name of the dac, graph.
Not much indeed.
"Bunch" doesn't say anything
 

martijn86

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Has to be the next step. Dac (possibly with headamp) that can either have PEQ set with phone app or loaded via USB as you suggest.
Imagine a topping DAC that throws the MQA license in the trash and adds a Dirac Live license.
 

Vict0r

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Imagine a topping DAC that throws the MQA license in the trash and adds a Dirac Live license.

This please, Topping. An all in one DAC/AMP with a proper headphone amp, XLR outs for active monitors and built in Dirac. Add a proper sub-out while you're at it. Oh sweet holy mother of fidelity... Bring it!!
 

Chrise36

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DSP is easy and the results are not very convincing.
I would like to see a SOTA analog PEQ and active crossover from TOPPING.
 

Francis Vaughan

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DSP is easy and the results are not very convincing.
I would like to see a SOTA analog PEQ and active crossover from TOPPING.

There is exactly no intrinsic difference. Mathematically you can create any analog PEQ section in digital, and within the capabilities of the DAC to resolve, the results will be perfect. Further, there are things you can do in the digital domain that cannot be done in the analog. Maybe the necessary imperfection in the analog implementation create systems some people like. Done right both analog and digital can achieve essentially transparent results. Done wrong and either can be a problem. Cheap digital can be a problem, just as cheap analog can be. In the modern world digital is nearly free, whereas analog is always going to be significant effort. Modern processing power avoids the compromises that may have beset older digital systems. If we demand SOTA, digital wipes the floor with analog. The one place where analog is worth considering is when latency is an issue. For domestic systems this is rarely a problem.
 

virtua

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@JohnYang1997 I noticed earlier in the thread you mentioned that the amplifier circuit that the EX5 uses is a simplified and adapted L30 circuit, would the difference in amplifier performance between the L30 and the EX5 (50mv SNR, THD vs power) be due to a compromise in the amplifier circuit vs the L30 or more a difference in added system noise due to the EX5 having an inbuilt power supply, DAC etc vs the L30 just being a standalone amplifier?

Regardless, this is a fantastic product and being able to finally see something like this available is awesome.
 

JohnYang1997

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@JohnYang1997 I noticed earlier in the thread you mentioned that the amplifier circuit that the EX5 uses is a simplified and adapted L30 circuit, would the difference in amplifier performance between the L30 and the EX5 (50mv SNR, THD vs power) be due to a compromise in the amplifier circuit vs the L30 or more a difference in added system noise due to the EX5 having an inbuilt power supply, DAC etc vs the L30 just being a standalone amplifier?

Regardless, this is a fantastic product and being able to finally see something like this available is awesome.
Due to the adaptation of combining the dac and the amp.
 
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