Topping DX5 II

[Sokel]

USB not working is a downstream effect of whatever else is wrong with the unit. It doesn't need USB, as it's not a USB powered unit.

The problem is that the DX5 II doesn't even boot.

Oh, that's bad news as soon as the voltages inside seem right.
The erratic behavior of the screen in FW mode shows that something in there is probably loose, a bad joint or something?

A rough test you can do (VERY CAREFULLY, THERES MAINS POWER IN THERE) is blow some hot air at spots and see what happens, as expansion sometimes makes bad joints have momentary contact.

That's all I can think without the unit on my bench.

 

[ziggurcat]

You are on a Mac, right?

Sorry for the repeated replies to this post, the ability to edit my last response has lapsed.

Topping responded this morning with the following:

"Hi,

This seems to be due to a lack of a save function in this Mac update. This issue shouldn't occur on Windows. Thank you for your feedback; I've already reported this to the engineers and will ensure that future updates will include a save function."

Here's hoping the next TT update on MacOS doesn't remove my Target curves/Source FRs

 

[Mutex]

Sorry for the repeated replies to this post, the ability to edit my last response has lapsed.

Topping responded this morning with the following:

"Hi,

This seems to be due to a lack of a save function in this Mac update. This issue shouldn't occur on Windows. Thank you for your feedback; I've already reported this to the engineers and will ensure that future updates will include a save function."

Here's hoping the next TT update on MacOS doesn't remove my Target curves/Source FRs

Where do you usually send your mails to? [email protected]?

 

[Bleib]

Where do you usually send your mails to? [email protected]?

use that, yes

 

[ziggurcat]

Where do you usually send your mails to? [email protected]?

Exactly that e-mail address.

 

[Dk33145]

What is the HW revision of your DX5 II? Mine is 0.15, but I know there's a 0.16 revision because (I believe) they changed the 4.4mm jack component.

FWiW, the DX1 II looks excellent on paper, and you probably won't notice a difference (the only tricky thing looks like the RCA output is weird).

Mine is a 0.15 purchased directly from Topping and the 4.4mm jack has definitely survived stupidity on my part. I am carefully about it now, but I have tripped the DC protection etc., and it has been rock solid.

 

[ziggurcat]

Mine is a 0.15 purchased directly from Topping and the 4.4mm jack has definitely survived stupidity on my part. I am carefully about it now, but I have tripped the DC protection etc., and it has been rock solid.

The other thing is there's always going to be a certain percentage of manufacturing defects that aren't necessarily apparent before the unit leaves the factory.

 

[Mutex]

The other thing is there's always going to be a certain percentage of manufacturing defects that aren't necessarily apparent before the unit leaves the factory.

That's understandable. But a sudden brick after 7 months is strange. If it were something that actually wears, like a capacitor, but no, I tested them all.

 

[ziggurcat]

That's understandable. But a sudden brick after 7 months is strange. If it were something that actually wears, like a capacitor, but no, I tested them all.

That's the problem with manufacturing defects: they can rear their ugly heads at any time, often without warning. I had a brand new, day one PS4 fail on me before I even took it out of the box (it had a defective HDMI connector that was known to affect a specific manufacturing date), and I've had a couple of Topping MX5 devices fail on me within two weeks (one was a faulty volume knob that I didn't notice right away because I thought the knob was just loose by design, the other had some kind of failure in the left channel that resulted in it only outputting white noise hiss).

I also had a macbook pro laptop that famously had an issue with its main board, but that problem never materialized after 12 years of use, so sometimes you just get lucky. *shrugs*

 

[Bleib]

Mostly I've had Nvidia GPUs fail with time. In that case I've fixed a few of them in the oven:

AI:
"Baking a dead Nvidia graphics card is a last-ditch "reflow" method. It aims to melt cracked solder back into place, reviving cards with display artifacts or complete failure. Warning: This is a temporary, highly risky fix, and you should never cook food in an oven used for this process."

 

[Babs776]

Just a FYI, Topping added support to the Topping Home mobile app. You can manage all PEQ features with it.

 

[kidoman]

I could use some help.

Bought a second hand DX5 II from EBay.

I am hearing very audible bass distortion on my Xenns Top Pro when used on the DX5 II with a adapter on the 6.35 mm plug.

This is all I have tried to diagnose it:

I tested:

• Latest V2.31 firmware
• Factory reset
• Low gain
• PEQ disabled
• Crossfeed disabled
• DC Detection Sensitivity on both High and Low, with no difference
• Two different known-working 3.5-to-6.35 mm adapters
• Bluetooth from an iPhone
• USB from a Mac
• Non-Spotify material from YouTube

My previous Topping(s) were A30Pro + D30Pro. I was looking forward to using the DX5 II but it seems like my unit is a dud and I have to return it. The seller wants a "video" of the problem. I am not sure how I can provide a video of distortion being heard from a IEM (I do not have any other headphones with me at the moment.) The same IEM sound pristine when powered by my Mac's 3.5 mm jack or the Quedelix 5K.

Any chance I am missing a trick?

 

[Berwhale]

I could use some help.

Bought a second hand DX5 II from EBay.

I am hearing very audible bass distortion on my Xenns Top Pro when used on the DX5 II with a adapter on the 6.35 mm plug.

This is all I have tried to diagnose it:

I tested:

• Latest V2.31 firmware
• Factory reset
• Low gain
• PEQ disabled
• Crossfeed disabled
• DC Detection Sensitivity on both High and Low, with no difference
• Two different known-working 3.5-to-6.35 mm adapters
• Bluetooth from an iPhone
• USB from a Mac
• Non-Spotify material from YouTube

My previous Topping(s) were A30Pro + D30Pro. I was looking forward to using the DX5 II but it seems like my unit is a dud and I have to return it. The seller wants a "video" of the problem. I am not sure how I can provide a video of distortion being heard from a IEM (I do not have any other headphones with me at the moment.) The same IEM sound pristine when powered by my Mac's 3.5 mm jack or the Quedelix 5K.

Any chance I am missing a trick?

Have you tried changing the Xenns Top Pro to the 4.4mm plug and using the 4.4mm (Pentacon) socket on the DX5 II?

 

[Babs776]

I could use some help.

Bought a second hand DX5 II from EBay.

I am hearing very audible bass distortion on my Xenns Top Pro when used on the DX5 II with a adapter on the 6.35 mm plug.

This is all I have tried to diagnose it:

I tested:

• Latest V2.31 firmware
• Factory reset
• Low gain
• PEQ disabled
• Crossfeed disabled
• DC Detection Sensitivity on both High and Low, with no difference
• Two different known-working 3.5-to-6.35 mm adapters
• Bluetooth from an iPhone
• USB from a Mac
• Non-Spotify material from YouTube

My previous Topping(s) were A30Pro + D30Pro. I was looking forward to using the DX5 II but it seems like my unit is a dud and I have to return it. The seller wants a "video" of the problem. I am not sure how I can provide a video of distortion being heard from a IEM (I do not have any other headphones with me at the moment.) The same IEM sound pristine when powered by my Mac's 3.5 mm jack or the Quedelix 5K.

Any chance I am missing a trick?

At any volume? Low gain, SE output, all other outputs disabled? Have you tried adjusting the source volume?

 

[kidoman]

At any volume? Low gain, SE output, all other outputs disabled? Have you tried adjusting the source volume?

Source volume was set to 100%. This is the right move right? (I had it always set to 100% when using the D30 Pro)

It is fine till about -25db to -23db. But you can start hearing the distortion pick up and becomes evident at around -18 dB during bass heavy sequences.

Have you tried changing the Xenns Top Pro to the 4.4mm plug and using the 4.4mm (Pentacon) socket on the DX5 II?

Unfortunately I do not have the 4.4 mm plug for the Xenns with me atm. But the 6.35 mm should also be pristine right?

 

[Dk33145]

Source volume was set to 100%. This is the right move right? (I had it always set to 100% when using the D30 Pro)

It is fine till about -25db to -23db. But you can start hearing the distortion pick up and becomes evident at around -18 dB during bass heavy sequences.

Unfortunately I do not have the 4.4 mm plug for the Xenns with me atm. But the 6.35 mm should also be pristine right?

Do not do that! The 4.4 and 6.35 should not be mixed and matched like that. What kind of distortion are you hearing?

 

[kidoman]

Do not do that! The 4.4 and 6.35 should not be mixed and matched like that. What kind of distortion are you hearing?

Sorry, i meant i am using a 6.35 mm to 3.5 mm adapter (both SE). Not going from balanced to SE.

Garbled bass is the best way to describe it ... as if its clipping.

 

[Dk33145]

My dx5 ii at -25 would be far too loud for my open planars, let alone my iems and let alone at -11. It has quite a bit of power so if the bass starts to clip at these high levels I would suspect the headphones first.

 

[Babs776]

Source volume was set to 100%. This is the right move right? (I had it always set to 100% when using the D30 Pro)

It is fine till about -25db to -23db. But you can start hearing the distortion pick up and becomes evident at around -18 dB during bass heavy sequences.

Unfortunately I do not have the 4.4 mm plug for the Xenns with me atm. But the 6.35 mm should also be pristine right?

If my math is correct, that’s 104db SE and 110db balanced for -25db.

What aren’t you able to hear at levels that don’t cause hearing loss? There’s also no practical advantage or reason to use the DX5 II for IEMs unless you want and lack parametric EQ, Bluetooth on other devices.

 

[kidoman]

The only reason I was even trying those high levels is because the IEM were audibly quiter with the DX5 II vs even 70% volume on the the Mac.

With the IEM quieter compared to the laptop, I would start hearing distortion in the Xenns when connected to the DX5 II.

Having owned the A30Pro in the past (for a few years + multiple headphones like the HD800S, Arya Organic, etc.) I know what you guys mean by too much power causing audio distortion.

Which is why it was so weird for me to even understand what was happening ... and couldnt believe what I was hearing. As to why I was hearing distortion with the IEMs sounding so quite.

Even my 4 year old Quedelix 5K gets the IEM louder without any distortion.