Topping DX3 Pro+ Review (DAC & Headphone Amp)

[pacorabanna]

Indeed you misunderstood. You just need to get into Settings mode: Power cord unplugged. Pressed in button while you plug in power cord. You should be in settings mode. If not try again until you do.
Then you cycle thru each settings with one press. Turn the know to select the value you need. Press/hold knob to save/exit.

Thank you for your guidance, it worked! I was able to enter settings mode and perform the required adjustments.
However, not having a remote and needing to manually change settings each time is somewhat inconvenient for me. While the sound quality does improve with the gain set to high, I'm not entirely satisfied with the DAC, especially when paired with my HE6se headphones. As a result, I'm considering returning the unit.

 

[amanieux]

is topping dx3 pro + still relevant today or is there something better for the price or similar at a lower price ?

 

[Kaiju]

is topping dx3 pro + still relevant today or is there something better for the price or similar at a lower price ?

 

[Jophantazy]

Hello everyone! I have been using the DX3pro+ for IEMs for two years. I recently wanted to connect a TV to improve the sound coming out of the TV. Fortunately, I read on this forum that the device does not really work well with the TV with a simple optical connection. That's why I was looking for a solution. I bought a 5 meter better quality audio coax cable and a digital to digital converter. This converter converts an optical digital signal to a coaxial digital signal. So the TV optical into the converter, and the coax from the converter into the DX3pro+. I mean it, the audio transmission works fine, so the device works perfectly with this solution.

Anyway, I'm satisfied with the sound of the DX3pro+ after I got it running properly (100+ hours) , it gives a full-bodied and quality sound for IEMs. I recommend it!

 

[Rick63]

I've been using mine as a dac/preamp for a pair of powered monitors for about a year with TV sound via optical, and I've never had a single issue.

 

[PjV]

is topping dx3 pro + still relevant today or is there something better for the price or similar at a lower price ?

I just ordered the FiiO K11, it has USB-C, not USB-B. It is also 40 euro cheaper (amazon.nl).
(I do hope the logo lighting can be switched off)

 

[PjV]

I just ordered the FiiO K11, it has USB-C, not USB-B. It is also 40 euro cheaper (amazon.nl).
(I do hope the logo lighting can be switched off)

The device arrived today.
The sound probably can’t be faulted, but there are clicks/pops when skipping tracks.

 

[Anarchaotic]

The device arrived today.
The sound probably can’t be faulted, but there are clicks/pops when skipping tracks.

Thanks for this! I was considering the K11, and honestly it seems everything within this price range will work more or less the same.

 

[celo]

The device arrived today.
The sound probably can’t be faulted, but there are clicks/pops when skipping tracks.

What is the reason (in general) for clicks/pops when skipping tracks? I occasionally have that too but I blame the cabling (not the cables itself but maybe touching cables, etc.).

 

[PjV]

What is the reason (in general) for clicks/pops when skipping tracks? I occasionally have that too but I blame the cabling (not the cables itself but maybe touching cables, etc.).

I didn’t know, so I asked chatgpt:

Clicks and pops when skipping tracks in a media player often occur due to the following reasons:

1. Abrupt Audio Transitions:
   • When the media player switches between tracks, the audio output may jump from one sample value to another without a smooth transition. This abrupt change creates a sharp discontinuity in the audio signal, which manifests as a click or pop.
2. Lack of Proper Crossfading:
   • Many media players use crossfading to blend the end of one track with the beginning of another. Without this, the sudden start or stop of a track can lead to audible artifacts.
3. Buffering Issues:
   • If the audio buffer is not properly managed when changing tracks, it can lead to gaps or abrupt playback, causing clicks or pops.
4. Improper Handling of Digital Audio Formats:
   • Some media players may not handle track transitions seamlessly due to differences in audio formats (e.g., sample rate or bit depth) between tracks, requiring a reinitialization of the audio stream.
5. Hardware Driver or Latency Issues:
   • Audio hardware or drivers might introduce artifacts during track changes if they do not process the transitions smoothly, especially if the hardware has high latency or poor support for rapid changes.
6. Signal Processing Artifacts:
   • If the media player uses effects or signal processing (like equalization or compression), these can sometimes introduce artifacts when tracks are switched.
7. DC Offset:
   • A DC offset (non-zero baseline in the audio signal) in one or both tracks can lead to a click when playback begins or ends abruptly.

Based on its answer I expected point 5 in my situation (recently changed to the FiiO which then introduced the click/pops).
I tried disabling upsampling (to 24/96) and the clicks/pops are gone; maybe it is a combination of 5 and 6 in my situation?

 

[Citrus91]

Hi, I am using my dx3 pro+ via usb from smartphone/tidal with my Sennheiser HD560s. I think about to place a tube amplifier between (Fosi Audio P2 50€ + better tubes 30€?) these two. Make this sense?

I do not need more power, but maybe the sound will win some points?

 

[Killingbeans]

What kind of points?

A well engineered tube amp will be audibly indistinguishable from a solid state one.

A tube amp, that's designed to distort on purpose, is essentially the same as a fuzz pedal with the gain/level turned nearly all the way down. If that's the points you're looking for, then go ahead.

You can probably get the same effect in software, or by building a dirt cheap slightly overloaded buffer amp on a piece of prefboard.

But then you won't have the cozy glowing tubes to look at

 

[Citrus91]

I asking because I don't know.

Do you understand me right? I will not replace the dx3 pro+, I will the tube amplifier between the dx3 and the headphone. But I do not know if kascade of amplifiers is a good idea!?!

Sound improvements: A little bit warmer, better dynamic and soundstage...

 

[phoenixsong]

I asking because I don't know.

Do you understand me right? I will not replace the dx3 pro+, I will the tube amplifier between the dx3 and the headphone. But I do not know if kascade of amplifiers is a good idea!?!

Sound improvements: A little bit warmer, better dynamic and soundstage...

Killingbeans understood you perfectly, and they answered you perfectly too. In my opinion there might be some language or knowledge barrier involved, so I hope you can understand
Anyway, based on how tube amps affect sound, and coming from a transparent HD560s set up myself + having heard tube amps in the past, I'd say warmer maybe/debatable, but better dynamics and soundstage are a definite no

 

[Citrus91]

Killingbeans understood you perfectly, and they answered you perfectly too. In my opinion there might be some language or knowledge barrier involved, so I hope you can understand
Anyway, based on how tube amps affect sound, and coming from a transparent HD560s set up myself + having heard tube amps in the past, I'd say warmer maybe/debatable, but better dynamics and soundstage are a definite no

Ok, thank you for explanation. Yes, maybe some "barrier" involved ;-)

An other idea was to add another headphone. The hifiman edition xs (310€) for example.Or just simple a fideleo X2 (100€)?

So, you have the same setup like mine. Are their others ideas for improvements on your side?

 

[Killingbeans]

Do you understand me right? I will not replace the dx3 pro+, I will the tube amplifier between the dx3 and the headphone. But I do not know if kascade of amplifiers is a good idea!?!

Yes, I do understand. And no, cascading headphone amplifiers isn't necessarily a problem, but it depends on a lot of factors.

A better choice would be to use the DX3 purely as a DAC/preamp and connect its line level output to the input of the tube amp.

Sound improvements: A little bit warmer, better dynamic and soundstage...

Some say that the distortion profile of a non-linear tube amp give "warmth" to the music, and others say it's nonsense. It also seems that this "warmth" only applies to simple types of music that becomes more "full" from the added harmonics, while more complex and busy music (the good stuff) doesn't benefit from this, but rather just sounds annoying.

As far as I'm concerned distortion is distortion, in the sense that I don't believe tubes do anything special that can't be done with other typologies.

Dynamics and soundstage is 100% the recording/mastering and the headphones + you brain. Your audio electronics have now way to influence those two things.

 

[Citrus91]

A better choice would be to use the DX3 purely as a DAC/preamp and connect its line level output to the input of the tube amp.

Exactly, this was the idea: smartphone > dx3 > tube amp > headphone.

 

[Killingbeans]

Well, the specs of the Fosi Audio P2 says max THD of 0.03%. That's roughly -70dB. Very doubtful that this will be enough to result in any "tube magic".

You'd probably need -30dB or worse to reach something that can be labeled as "characteristic" distortion, unless you have specific training in detecting it.

Honestly, nearly every time I've seen "real tube magic" being confirmed, it's in all likelihood simply the result of a high and/or non-linear output impedance interacting with an equally non-linear load impedance, giving the risk of audible skewing of the frequency response of the system as a whole. Just a really cumbersomeway of doing mild tone controls, and nothing more.

I'm not the one to police fun and experimentation, but personally I'd much rather just get a good neutral headphone and add the "warmth" through PEQ when I so desire.

 

[Citrus91]

I'm not the one to police fun and experimentation, but personally I'd much rather just get a good neutral headphone and add the "warmth" through PEQ when I so desire.

Thank you for your explanation.

What means "PEQ"? Equalizer?

 

[staticV3]

What means "PEQ"? Equalizer?

Parametric Equalizer