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Topping DX3 Pro+ Review (DAC & Headphone Amp)

JRS

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Mine is on the way from Audiophonics. Hopefully it will be a good match with my Sundaras. Its my first headphone hifi setup. The low ohm thing is a bit concerning but there was not a whole lot of options for a ~€200 combo in EU. I dont listen at very high levels anyway.
I just bought Sundara's myself, and believe it's a match made in heaven--I ran the numbers, with an output of 1.5 Watts into 33 ohms, we can afford the 6-8dB of bass EQ and still drive comfortably to 110dB. That we can do it thru a single unit w/ great specs, an excellent DAC with multiple inputs including BT, and a sticker of $200 is downright nuts of a good deal. It seems almost a crime.

Plus if you want to upgrade to separate amp, or are doing dbl duty as a pre in a stereo rig, this is it. Sure balanced outs be nice, but given the target audience this is a minor concession.
 
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Miiman

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I just bought Sundara's myself, and believe it's a match made in heaven--I ran the numbers, with an output of 1.5 Watts into 33 ohms, we can afford the 6-8dB of bass EQ and still drive comfortably to 110dB. That we can do it thru a single unit w/ great specs, an excellent DAC with multiple inputs including BT, and a sticker of $200 is downright nuts of a good deal. It seems almost a crime.
That great! Now i feel less worried. It really seems like a very nice unit for for sure!
 

Kitarist

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Guys how much of an improvement it would be switching from pc motherboard audio to this in terms of sound quality (details etc...). From the "scientific" tests it seems its really great but really curious about real life performance. Even tho Topping is known to produce great products for a great price :)
 

Doodski

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Guys how much of an improvement it would be switching from pc motherboard audio to this in terms of sound quality (details etc...). From the "scientific" tests it seems its really great but really curious about real life performance. Even tho Topping is known to produce great products for a great price :)
It depends on your motherboard's onboard audio stuff. The newer better motherboard audio stuff is getting better with each iteration and they can stand up fairly well to a good DAC like the Topping DX3 Pro. Where you might have issue is with the amount of power the motherboard can output. I use a 3 year old ASUS ROG Z390E with decent onboard audio circuitry but it is lacking on power output. At max volume which I use all the time some music has a very low level and is not loud enough. I need more power and a DX3 Pro would have more power output.
 

Miiman

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Guys how much of an improvement it would be switching from pc motherboard audio to this in terms of sound quality (details etc...). From the "scientific" tests it seems its really great but really curious about real life performance. Even tho Topping is known to produce great products for a great price :)
I have only listened to one such switch. It was from a motherboard to a Chord Mojo. To my ears the sound/dynamics were more controlled, tighter and better clarity in the hights as well. But all motherboards have different quality audio-circuitry build in and it also depends on the headphones ofc. I myself will switch from a motherboard output to the Topping DX3 Pro+. Will be interesting to hear how much of a difference there will be. My motherboard has max power of 7mw! into 33ohms so powerwise it will be a big step up.
 
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Hxx

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Guys how much of an improvement it would be switching from pc motherboard audio to this in terms of sound quality (details etc...). From the "scientific" tests it seems its really great but really curious about real life performance. Even tho Topping is known to produce great products for a great price :)
i switched to this dx3 pro+ for mainly gaming. my board is/was fairly premium with a nice onboard audio setup i thought. The issue i had was noise. The amplitude was okay for the most part but the noise floor was definitely elevated to a point where it wasnt bothersome but somewhat noticeable. So switching to this unit, the noise floor is nonexistent and also amplitude is 5x better. Also audio streaming via bluetooth was a very welcome bonus compared to my previous setup. Using a Tygr300r and an AKG K702 so running mid 90s db sensitivity headphones. I think the upgrade was worth it even though i wasnt completely unhappy with my previous onboard setup.
 

Kitarist

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How does this one compare to EX5 model or if its worth spending a bit more and get something in the 400 500 range?
 
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Xenio

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I'm currently using a DX3-pro V2 into a Hypex Ncore amp (Audiophonics, based on 252 module) and have no complaints. Will be swapping it for the Pro+ as soon as it arrives. I am using a pot-in-a-box in between the DX3 and the amp which is probably not ideal from a noise point of view but it is more convenient - I've set it so when the DX3 is at full volume that's as loud as I typically want to go and my usual use is in the 0 to -20dB range which I find I like more than remembering where to go in the -30 to -50 range, plus I can't accidentally go to neighbour annoying levels.
So the pot in a box is just here to reduce the maximum volume ?
Thanks for this answer, it's perfectly the one I wanted :)
 

dawit123

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What are the differences DX3 Pro+ vs non plus version? Besides ESS vs AKM chips?
 

lecriquet

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Question concerning the remote: Does one need to be perfectly in aligned with the DAC to control it? Or is it permissive enough to get signal from anywhere on the couch, 3m away from the DAC?
 
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Question concerning the remote: Does one need to be perfectly in aligned with the DAC to control it? Or is it permissive enough to get signal from anywhere on the couch, 3m away from the DAC?
It does need line of sight, it's a IR remote. I just did a test 6 meters away (20 feet-ish) and it worked good. 3 meters will not be a problem if it has line of sight. Off center will work also, just don't block the path with something, like putting it in a cabinet.
 
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