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Topping DX3 Pro+ Review (DAC & Headphone Amp)

Limopard said:
As far as I understood low impedance can be a problem with the DX3 when paired with low sensitivity. The Dan Clark Stealth Amir used is an extreme example with just 88 db/mW - Amir still rated the combination as "usable". The Oppo is at 96 db/mw (appr. perceived twice as loud at the same input power) and should work ok.

In the measurements of the Stealth it needs 549 mV for 94dBSPL while the Oppo only needs 138 mV.
Click to expand...
Sooo... pairing this with the recently-reviewed FiiO FD5 could be an issue?

ETA: Misunderstood the plot, I think. A low numerical value indicates high sensitivity, whereas a high numerical value indicates low sensitivity. Right?
 
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GoMrPickles said:
Sooo... pairing this with the recently-reviewed FiiO FD5 could be an issue?

ETA: Misunderstood the plot, I think. A low numerical value indicates high sensitivity, whereas a high numerical value indicates low sensitivity. Right?
Click to expand...
Correct. They are 109dB@1mW. You could blow your head off with the FiiO FD5 before running out of power from the DX3.

I love the sound of beryllium drivers, but I'm not sure what I think about shoving it into my ears. I guess it's only a potential problem if you shove them up your nose by mistake. Thankfully, it's been a while since I've had that much to drink. :p
 
As direct correlation of the measurements and the magic of "the price" the Dx3-pro+ was purchased from Aoshida via Amazon. Previously had a modded Xonar STX with clock manually replaced and higher value(in capacitance) electrolytics, etc. Really it is nice to have this as an option versus overpriced internal PC sound cards.

When we replay the universe, ahem, listen to music; timing is everything. Browsing the datasheet of ES9038Q2M yields that a 100Mhz clock is the max with DVCC 3.3v with DVDD 1.2v for the digital core. That is to say DVDD is regulated from DVCC on the pcb somewhere. SO that 3.3v is ready the MCLK. Just wondering what the designation of the MCLK is on this pcb. Would on even dare to place a .1 ppm 100Mhz TCXO in situ, manually? This is my first post so it is hoped no were broken.
 
First time with a USB headphone amp/DAC. As of right now I'm just using it as a headphone amp. I like the build quality and size of the unit. I'm using a USB connection to my PC to stream music and playback of local files. Should I be controlling volume within windows and set the DX3 Pro+ to max? Should I set windows volume to max and adjust volume on the DX3 Pro+? Does it matter?
 
Smitty2k1 said:
First time with a USB headphone amp/DAC. As of right now I'm just using it as a headphone amp. I like the build quality and size of the unit. I'm using a USB connection to my PC to stream music and playback of local files. Should I be controlling volume within windows and set the DX3 Pro+ to max? Should I set windows volume to max and adjust volume on the DX3 Pro+? Does it matter?
Click to expand...
I prefer to control the volume on the DX3 Pro+, but I'm running in exclusive mode. This comes from years of not trusting the O/S mixer on Windows. :)
 
Smitty2k1 said:
First time with a USB headphone amp/DAC. As of right now I'm just using it as a headphone amp. I like the build quality and size of the unit. I'm using a USB connection to my PC to stream music and playback of local files. Should I be controlling volume within windows and set the DX3 Pro+ to max? Should I set windows volume to max and adjust volume on the DX3 Pro+? Does it matter?
Click to expand...
Personal preference, but I'd prefer to keep the volume lower on the DX3 Pro+ and reach for the volume knob if I need to turn it up or down. Setting the DAC/amp to max is just *waiting* for some crappy website to auto-play a video at max system volume, and then you'll need new ears.
 
GoMrPickles said:
Personal preference, but I'd prefer to keep the volume lower on the DX3 Pro+ and reach for the volume knob if I need to turn it up or down. Setting the DAC/amp to max is just *waiting* for some crappy website to auto-play a video at max system volume, and then you'll need new ears.
Click to expand...
Sometimes new driver installs can max out volume settings too, so yes, use the DAC to control the volume and not the other way around
 
Hi everyone. Fairly new to the hobby of headphones and brand new to the forum (as I found it through exhaustive Google searches for reviews). I only bought my first set of decent headphones in mid February with some DT 770 Pro 80Ohms, but knew I would benefit from upgrading away from using my aging Scarlett 2i2 2nd gen as a headphone amp/DAC. I even went to the Schiit store in Newhall, CA to try out my new headphones on their equipment and almost walked away with a Modi+Magni Heresy that day, but they were out of Modi's so my impulse purchase was thwarted. The only thing holding me back from putting down a deposit was I wanted something that I knew would easily allow me to switch between headphones and powered desktop speakers.

The DX3 Pro+ seemed like a great all-in-one option, and just last week I saw Apos offering the the Topping unit bundled with a Hifiman Sundara that I couldn't say no to. I just received the package yesterday. Wow. What a beautiful pairing. My only other experience in HiFi has been my vintage Yamaha integrated amp that I purchased about 8 years ago (and has been in the repair shop for about six weeks now) and those are known for being very transparent, so I wasn't worried about all the "sterile" comments I was hearing regarding the Topping. The Sundara's are so wonderfully musical coming out of the headphone amp, I've actually caught myself bobbing my head along to the music several times to tracks I've listened to dozens of times over the last few weeks. The only, and I mean ONLY criticism I have - and this is of no fault to Topping - is that the Sundara's could stand to benefit from the tiniest boost in the low frequencies, and in my modest setup of an iPad running Amazon Music though Lightning to USB straight into the DX3, I'm not seeing any way to implement an EQ. The Sundara's don't need it, I just want it (I get a pretty satisfying thump out of the 770's). If anyone can offer a solution to that I would be most grateful. Otherwise, happy to finally post here instead of just lurking.

Cheers.
 
kinda have more question for anyone who own l30/e30 also own dx3 pro+ ..

how is it? sidegrade or downgrade from L30/E30? i kinda want to change from l30/e30 to dx3 pro+ for more simple setup, currently my cans is blessing 2 & sundara
 
GoMrPickles said:
but I'd prefer to keep the volume lower on the DX3 Pro+ and reach for the volume knob if I need to turn it up or down.
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You fundamentally adjust the handle, and not the remote control? And is there a fundamental difference in the quality of adjustment, other than ease of use?
 
Without reading through the entire 51 pages of this thread, I'm wondering how many are using the DX3 Pro+ as a preamp for a pair of active monitors and how it's working out for them?

Also, is there any reason why it shouldn't perform as well as my L30 as a preamp?
 
conuss said:
You fundamentally adjust the handle, and not the remote control? And is there a fundamental difference in the quality of adjustment, other than ease of use?
Click to expand...
Haha, yes, I reach for the physical volume knob. There's no difference in using the remote or volume knob.

In terms of sound quality with DAC/amp volume and system volume, there are probably some mathematical differences in terms of noise levels. But they're certainly not anything I'd ever be able to hear. I tend to keep system volume at max, music player volume at 50%, and DX3 Pro+ at ~-35 dB. Works for me, and obv also depends on the headphones (or speakers) you're using. If were to keep the music player volume at max also, I have to keep the the DX3 Pro+ at such low levels that things start getting funky. (With other not-as-good amps, things like low-level channel imbalances would creep in.)
 
Anyone has a problem with the unit cutting off sound randomly and in need to be reset? It started happening like once a week, but it seem to be progressing, which is concerning.
 
Rick63 said:
Without reading through the entire 51 pages of this thread, I'm wondering how many are using the DX3 Pro+ as a preamp for a pair of active monitors and how it's working out for them?

Also, is there any reason why it shouldn't perform as well as my L30 as a preamp?
Click to expand...
I just got my DX3 Pro+ and am just using it as a DAC+HP amp at the moment but am window shopping for powered monitors to pair it with. Likely the Kali LP-6 v2. Not sure why the DX3 Pro+ wouldn't be a good fit.
 
dsnyder0cnn said:
I have not tried it, but I can't think of any reason why a USB cable would not work. That said, a Raspberry Pi (if you can find one) running Shairport Sync works very nicely as an AirPlay transport to feed the Topping DX3 Pro+ and similar DACs via USB.
Click to expand...
Made an account here just to respond to this.

when I first got my dx3 pro+ I spent two days trying to get my unit to work and eventually came to the conclusion it was just a faulty unit that wouldn’t function through usb.(optical worked) I tried drivers, bios changes etc, nothing worked.

then after I put in a replacement request, on a whim I asked a friend if he had a usb printer cable, the kind that this unit uses. I didn’t bother at first cause I too couldn’t imagine a brand new cable in the box being the issue but my friend dropped off an old cable of the same type and the unit booted up and connected to my pc with zero issues. Still using his old cable a few months in.

so yah, long story short, faulty cables are another box to check when it comes to quality control issues. So far no actually issues with my unit yet.
 
Iamvoo said:
faulty cables are another box to check when it comes to quality control issues.
Click to expand...
Sorry to hear that you had to deal with that. I don't recall seeing a cable in the box. LOL. I guess I was so excited that I just yanked the unit and SMPS out, connected to an existing cable and never looked back.
 
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