Topping DX3 Pro+ Review (DAC & Headphone Amp)

[Smitty2k1]

Go into settings and disable the display, it's a big failure point according to reports here. The resale value will be shot if some of the display lines goes kaput.

Frankly the resale value on budget devices like this is pretty slim anyways. I got a refurb unit from Apos for $150

 

[DarrylG]

Frankly the resale value on budget devices like this is pretty slim anyways. I got a refurb unit from Apos for $150

Assuming you're in the US, how long did it take to get to you?

 

[davidrf]

Go into settings and disable the display, it's a big failure point according to reports here. The resale value will be shot if some of the display lines goes kaput.

That's the first thing I did. I find it annyoing anyways.

Anyway, what settings should I use on the Windows sound panel? Is 32bit 192khz ok?

 

[Smitty2k1]

Assuming you're in the US, how long did it take to get to you?

Like 3 days maybe?

 

[tvih]

The device arrived today. Very early impressions are of course positive - though had to hunt my apartment for AAA batteries right off the bat for the remote control since it didn't come with any. Not really using those in much of anything these days. Turning the device on one thing's like I expected - I wish there was a dimmer option for the display. Even the dimmest option is quite bright for my taste.

Seems that the top volume for any kind of extended listening would seem to be at -20 volume setting at low gain with my K702s. I suppose that should be enough "headroom" given how the volume control works (-50 being barely audible). Would rather keep it at low gain in order to not blow up my ears or the headphones by accident. Although I suppose that could still happen by accidentally changing the gain to high with the volume set accidentally set too high... (I can be quite "clumsy" at times.)

One "interesting" random thing I noticed while playing a game today - using DTS Headphone:X with the previous USB DAC for some reason the directional audio seemed more "up and down" than "front to rear". As in if something was in front of me, it sounded like it was coming from above me, and similarly rear->below. With the DX3P+ it's correctly front to rear.

 

[JRS]

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.

Just saw this. If you haven't done so, you should check at the Sudara review. About a page into the comments. you will find an attachment with the filter parameters needed to optimize performance. (This is a config file for use with APO Eq, but these can also be entered manually into the PEQ software of your choice.

That slightly anemic bass you mention is firmed up quite nicely with a 10dB boost at around 30 Hz. The filter set also addresses the occasional sibilance that IME can be rather nasty on some recordings.

 

[DarrylG]

Like 3 days maybe?

Wow, ok. That's surprising. I assume they're customer returns, but I think I might prefer to have one that has been checked over.

 

[Hifidan]

Hi, I just got the DX3 Pro+ and I just cant get into the set up menu. The instructions are not clear. Hold the knob after power down. Does it mean holding the knob and unplugging ... I cant seem to get it. Help please.
Thanks

 

[staticV3]

Hi, I just got the DX3 Pro+ and I just cant get into the set up menu. The instructions are not clear. Hold the knob after power down. Does it mean holding the knob and unplugging ... I cant seem to get it. Help please.
Thanks

Power off the unit.
Press down and hold the volume knob.
Turn the unit on while the holding down the knob.

 

[JRS]

Power off the unit.
Press down and hold the volume knob.
Turn the unit on while the holding down the knob.

I case this is not clear, powering on means plugging the power supply in. It made me crazy, and several others as well, so not alone if the instruction set left you baffled.

 

[Rick63]

Regarding changing the display on the unit: You don't have to go into the menu to turn it off or change brightness, just hit the button on the remote until you get to L-A (the button that looks like a half moon cookie -). It then will go out after 30 seconds.

 

[tvih]

Regarding changing the display on the unit: You don't have to go into the menu to turn it off or change brightness, just hit the button on the remote until you get to L-A (the button that looks like a half moon cookie -). It then will go out after 30 seconds.

Ah, that's actually nice. Takes care of my brightness complaint. From the instructions I took "no operation" to mean not even a signal rather than no use of remote or the volume pot. Well, trying it now the "USB" light still stays on, but at least the orange stuff's gone.

 

[Hifidan]

Thanks everyone, I finally got it.

 

[Rainman]

Hello, I have also received my unit but am a little disappointed with the headphone output. I am on the verge of returning it.

If I compare the headphone output directly connected to my headphones and my headphones connected to an amplifier that operates in Pure Direct (Yamaha) or Source Direct (Denon) modes and is fed from the linear output from the DX3 Pro+, the difference in sound quality is huge. Sound coming from the amplifiers via linear out is really good, but coming directly from the Headphone out is really lacking bass and sounds much more flat / compact (hard to describe as I would count me as an audio greenhorn) without the same power/dynamics.

I am using some old Sennheiser HD558 Headphones (50 Ohm, 112 dB @1 kHz/1 Vrms) with an 3.5 to 6.3 mm Adapter that should do well with the device as far as I understand. The lack of bass and quality is the same in high and normal gain mode and with all the different PCM filter settings. Both using USB and optical input.

Anyone experiencing the same issues? Or am I doing something wrong here?

 

[audiofun]

Hello, I have also received my unit but am a little disappointed with the headphone output. I am on the verge of returning it.

If I compare the headphone output directly connected to my headphones and my headphones connected to an amplifier that operates in Pure Direct (Yamaha) or Source Direct (Denon) modes and is fed from the linear output from the DX3 Pro+, the difference in sound quality is huge. Sound coming from the amplifiers via linear out is really good, but coming directly from the Headphone out is really lacking bass and sounds much more flat / compact (hard to describe as I would count me as an audio greenhorn) without the same power/dynamics.

I am using some old Sennheiser HD558 Headphones (50 Ohm, 112 dB @1 kHz/1 Vrms) with an 3.5 to 6.3 mm Adapter that should do well with the device as far as I understand. The lack of bass and quality is the same in high and normal gain mode and with all the different PCM filter settings. Both using USB and optical input.

Anyone experiencing the same issues? Or am I doing something wrong here?

The Frequency-Response of the HP out is super flat. So either your other equipments have serious issues, or you're not testing under the same condition.

 

[Veri]

Hello, I have also received my unit but am a little disappointed with the headphone output. I am on the verge of returning it.

If I compare the headphone output directly connected to my headphones and my headphones connected to an amplifier that operates in Pure Direct (Yamaha) or Source Direct (Denon) modes and is fed from the linear output from the DX3 Pro+, the difference in sound quality is huge. Sound coming from the amplifiers via linear out is really good, but coming directly from the Headphone out is really lacking bass and sounds much more flat / compact (hard to describe as I would count me as an audio greenhorn) without the same power/dynamics.

I am using some old Sennheiser HD558 Headphones (50 Ohm, 112 dB @1 kHz/1 Vrms)

Compared to? If your other device has a high output impedance, that highly impacts the bass (boosts/muddies it).

 

[Rainman]

Compared to? If your other device has a high output impedance, that highly impacts the bass (boosts/muddies it).

- Headphones connected to the DX3 Pro+ HP out directly
compared to
- the same Headphones connected to an Amplifier that itself is connected to the DX3 Pro+ via Linear Out.

Amplifier (Yamaha R-N803D) Phone Out has an output impedance of 470 Ohm (@ 8 Ohm load, 470 mV output level), and a frequency reponse of 0+-1.0 dB in Pure Direct mode

DX3 Pro+ Headphone specs are < 0.1 Ohm output impedance and +-0.3/+-0.7 dB frequency response

So is the DX3 Pro+ not able to provide the same sound experience or would that change with different headphones (e.g. having higher impedance than 50 Ohms?)

 

[Veri]

Amplifier (Yamaha R-N803D) Phone Out has an output impedance of 470 Ohm

This explains all the differences you are hearing the DX3 just doesn't inflate any frequency response. See for example difference between amp close to 0 ohm and 120 ohm https://diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com/tutorials/how-to-interpret-graphs/impedance/

 

[Tortimer]

I'm tripping ball right now, just received my DX3 pro+ to use through line out with my Presonus eris 5 + temblor t8 sub. I plug the USB to my PC and hell breaks loose. HUGE interference issues through the line out. I can't even move the mouse without hearing huge interference, pops and bangs. I use a power cord with surge protection but apparently my pc has terrible USB port isolation. If I change to my laptop everything works fine. Is there any magic solution for being able to "clean" the interference from a USB port?

EDIT: I will switch to toslink, fuck USB ports

 

[tvih]

I'm tripping ball right now, just received my DX3 pro+ to use through line out with my Presonus eris 5 + temblor t8 sub. I plug the USB to my PC and hell breaks loose. HUGE interference issues through the line out. I can't even move the mouse without hearing huge interference, pops and bangs. I use a power cord with surge protection but apparently my pc has terrible USB port isolation. If I change to my laptop everything works fine. Is there any magic solution for being able to "clean" the interference from a USB port?

EDIT: I will switch to toslink, fuck USB ports

Yikes. I've had sound interference from mouse movement etc. from motherboard analog audio outs in my previous computer builds, but never via USB that I can recall. Has to be something quite wonky going on for them to lack isolation to that degree.

-

On a separate note now that I have a DAC with more than one input the lack of TOSLINK out on my current motherboard is unfortunate, as that would allow me to use line out and headphones with different inputs and thus different automated EQ settings in Windows. I always forget to do it manually.