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Topping DX3 Pro+

Hxx

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Please don't compare this to the Zen, it most likely absolutely slaughters it in every conceivable way (https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...ds/ifi-zen-dac-and-headphone-amp-review.9885/). "For $200 you can get a DAC and Amp combo that would run circles around it." That was 2 years ago, Topping has upped the game substantially since then.

This seems endgame for the vast majority of headphones. Even if for instance I had something like the Stealths, I probably would still get this. No one needs balanced and it can be a detriment (ref Benchmark's paper on this)... it does allow more power on power limited devices such as dongles but the single ended output here is more than sufficient. Only super hard to drive headphones that benefit from a crazy amount of voltage swing may benefit from more.

Yeah having a 1/4" jack would be convenient, aside from that, it likely will be an instrument grade device just like everything they've put out lately.
yeah i didnt like the zen dac despite the rave reviews on youtube. The channel imbalance just felt weird and the headphone amp is no better than some dac/amp dongle lol. My tygr 300r got loud at like 2/3 volume on power match. Also not a fan of the analog volume pot, I guess i didnt know how much i prefer digital volume and windows volume control. I got rid of it soon after i bought it . Also i dont think the "zen stack" is in the same price category being a $500 combo. But anyway super excited about this topping variant. A seller on aliexpress made me an offer for about $30 off msrp so i caved in and bought it. There is some national holiday going on in China currently but im hoping to get my hands on it in mid/late October and end this couple month long crusade of finding the perfect and cheap dac/amp for my akg k702 and tygr 300r. I almost bought the EX5 but im glad i waited.
 

cheapmessiah

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Please don't compare this to the Zen, it most likely absolutely slaughters it in every conceivable way (https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...ds/ifi-zen-dac-and-headphone-amp-review.9885/). "For $200 you can get a DAC and Amp combo that would run circles around it." That was 2 years ago, Topping has upped the game substantially since then.

This seems endgame for the vast majority of headphones. Even if for instance I had something like the Stealths, I probably would still get this. No one needs balanced and it can be a detriment (ref Benchmark's paper on this)... it does allow more power on power limited devices such as dongles but the single ended output here is more than sufficient. Only super hard to drive headphones that benefit from a crazy amount of voltage swing may benefit from more.

Yeah having a 1/4" jack would be convenient, aside from that, it likely will be an instrument grade device just like everything they've put out lately.


Im comparing it to the Zen Stack because that is a reference for me, its also the most widely available combo in europe at this price range, where we dont get schiits full catalog (or any item as of lately), and topping local availability differs from country to country (not to mention early L30 problems that might've damaged that units image), plus the dx3pro+ seems to have similar power figures to the Zen Can, and i bet it is intentional to let the L50 have its market bracket while targeting IFI specificly in europe as I believe the Zen Stack makes no sense to buy in america unless anyone is buying it just to have it.

Performance to cost wise, it has a lot of features for its price, and that price point has to come from somewhere, hopefully from smart design and not from performance cuts, using existing DX3 tooling, cramming 2 components (3 if you count the BT module) into a single chasis, using preexisting dac and amp topologies... but without measurements all of this is conjecture.

Having said that, i dont care a lot about measurements, if the unit works well and the performance is right, at its price point is going to be the refence AIO.
 

brandall10

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Sep 10, 2019
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but without measurements all of this is conjecture.... Having said that, i dont care a lot about measurements, if the unit works well and the performance is right, at its price point is going to be the refence AIO.

Performance = measurements here. Not subjective impressions. AFA conjecture, they've been instrument-grade with everything they're put out in recent memory as reviewed here, it would be unusual for them to have a miss.
 
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Budgeter

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Is the input 100-240V?
 

Paco De Lucia

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Cylphio

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Here the measurements, ordered just now.
 

Hxx

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Here the measurements, ordered just now.
sounds like it hits 2W @16ohm, 1.8W@32, 0.8W @68, and 200mw@300. thats impressive certainly more power than the EX5 .
 

MrShhh

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Oct 3, 2021
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Maybe I'm just too tired or something, but what do they mean with "Frequency response: 20Hz-20kHz / 20Hz-40kHz" under Headphone Amp Spec? 40KHz would be quite a jump.
 

Rickydenim

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Aug 16, 2020
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I have a DX3Pro Rev2 and it's been a great unit. My headphones now are all low impedance (Focal Clear) and it looks like the HP output and power on this is much improved.
I haven't really been able to compare how they sound on a 1ohm vs 10ohm output- is it really that audible?
 

Cylphio

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I have a DX3Pro Rev2 and it's been a great unit. My headphones now are all low impedance (Focal Clear) and it looks like the HP output and power on this is much improved.
I haven't really been able to compare how they sound on a 1ohm vs 10ohm output- is it really that audible?
I heard a pretty audible difference with the audient id4 with a 20 ohm out. The mids and highs are the same but the thump in the bass appoesr to be smidge more
 

RB23

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Dec 8, 2018
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If it had usb-c and PEQ built in (like Qudelix-5k) I’d order it today. Instead I’ll wait for the review and still order it.
 

Hxx

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Anyone know where these are available in the USA?

they might still drop ship lol i am not sure but they are US based.
 

Woody Stool

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Jan 3, 2019
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Thank you, ordered from Apos, I'll see how it goes and report back if the experience was bad.
 

dsnyder0cnn

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I just ordered one, my first Topping product, fingers crossed, quite excited )) Going to be using it as a dac and pre-amp for a 1978 Quad 405 and these beauties vvvv
I've not heard those big B&W's in ages. Looks like a great system. Let us know how the DX3 Pro+ works as a digital preamp. Output impedance is quite low at 20Ω, so that should be helpful.
 

dsnyder0cnn

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they might still drop ship lol i am not sure but they are US based.
I ordered mine from Apos. They are thinking it may actually ship by the end of this month (October, 2021).
 

huzidada

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yeah i didnt like the zen dac despite the rave reviews on youtube. The channel imbalance just felt weird and the headphone amp is no better than some dac/amp dongle lol. My tygr 300r got loud at like 2/3 volume on power match. Also not a fan of the analog volume pot, I guess i didnt know how much i prefer digital volume and windows volume control. I got rid of it soon after i bought it . Also i dont think the "zen stack" is in the same price category being a $500 combo. But anyway super excited about this topping variant. A seller on aliexpress made me an offer for about $30 off msrp so i caved in and bought it. There is some national holiday going on in China currently but im hoping to get my hands on it in mid/late October and end this couple month long crusade of finding the perfect and cheap dac/amp for my akg k702 and tygr 300r. I almost bought the EX5 but im glad i waited.
Did you get the Dx3 Pro then? Also got Tygr 300 R and want to know how they sound on this, because I heard they not the best for low impedance but I may be wrong
 

Hxx

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Did you get the Dx3 Pro then? Also got Tygr 300 R and want to know how they sound on this, because I heard they not the best for low impedance but I may be wrong
Yes ! I got the exact same setup for gaming . Dx3pro+ and tygr 300r. It is excellent I highly recommend the combo. The unit is so powerful I find myself keeping it in low gain which is plenty for this headphone . The tygr is a relatively low impedance but not very low being a 32 ohm unit
 
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