Topping DX5 II

[robbiekhan]

Yeah that's what I mean. Someone else with a DX5 II and access to Susvara needs to check theirs to see if the same is observed.

 

[JIW]

That's for full sine. With music is usually at -30dBFS to -12dBFS for nice recordings.
What we generally see is about 100mV to 300mV (all spectrum combined) tops for nice ones at line level although I have seen as much as 700mV for peaks or hot recordings.

The one we're talking about shows DC near 0dBFS (!) at one channel at the chart:

View attachment 461558

The question I answered was about determining full scale not level relative to it.

 

[Sokel]

The question I answered was about determining full scale not level relative to it.

I thought you would ask for it so here's with REW for double check:

About -13dBFS at 2Hz (REW's limit), straightly competing with the AC signal.
This whole DC-20Hz energy is usually at down to -60dBFS, lower at nice recordings.

 

[Sokel]

The question I answered was about determining full scale not level relative to it.

And the spectrogram for the fun of it:

Doesn't show down to DC, only down to 3Hz but you can tell the absolute mess.

 

[JIW]

I thought you would ask for it so here's with REW for double check:

View attachment 461565

About -13dBFS at 2Hz (REW's limit), straightly competing with the AC signal.
This whole DC-20Hz energy is usually at down to -60dBFS, lower at nice recordings.

This all goes back to measuring 1.7 V DC.

I tested the whole song. There were several peaks above 1.2 VDC earlier in the song and that largest 1.7 VDC peak was around 2:30 I think.

Since in single ended HPA, high gain at 0 dB, 0 dBFS corresponds to 12.1/sqrt(2) = 8.56 V RMS, the 1.7 V DC is at 20*log10(1.7/(12.1/sqrt(2))) = -14.04 dBFS. This fits pretty well with what you got.

 

[Cincyret]

This is a followup to my post #902 about PEQ on the DX5 II. I can confirm that turning off and then back on the DX5 II can shange the stored EQs (6 thru 10). Sometimes only 1 or 2 filters are changed, sometimes all are reset to 0, and there may be other types of changes.
Here's what I'd like Topping to do (yes, I know, I should get in touch with Topping, but...):
1) Fix EQs on the DX5 II so that EQ settings persist after on & off cycles.
2) Add to Topping Tunes a column in the "Device Config" section with the EQ# of each PEQ listed. For example: Airy should be labled 3, Dynamic labled 5, and constructed
EQs should have the number that appears on the device. That is, there should be a column in TT that lists the device EQ # beside the TT EQ name.
3) A BIG ASK! I'd like to see another screen (I don't use the VU & FFT screens) for EQ. Bottom one fifth shows a filter for the current EQ-left & right remote buttons cycle thru
the 10 filters. Top four fifths show the combined filter FR and the selected filter. This would be most helpful in verifying that #1 & #2 above were implemented correctly.

Here is how I am handling blown out EQs at the moment.
1) I start with no manual EQs in TT (be sure there are no blank lines between "Device Config" & "Bass 1" - this took me a while to note). And all output EQs on DX5 II are set to EQ#1. I turn off TT and the DX5 II, and then back on to check. If done correctly if you cycle thru the fixed EQs the DX5 should also cycle. And if you go into settings on the
DX5 II all the output EQs should only show 1 to 5 - no higher numbers. You should only have to do this once.
2) I have created in Local Config my 3 EQs - AKG, DCA, and Speakers.
3) To use a specific EQ from Local, I first choose the correct output (AKG=HPA SE, DCA=HPA BAL, Speakers=LO BAL) on the DX5 II, then I copy the EQ to Device Config. It should up on the DX5 II as EQ#6 with the correct filters. Enjoy untill you are ready to turn off the DX5 II. Then delete the filter on TT or wait till next time.

After about 10 times all of this gets easy! HA!!!!

 

[Sokel]

was around 2:30 I think.

Coincidently, look at where the scanner finds the largest peak. at 2:23 :

At least there's no clipping

 

[ziggurcat]

I suggest reading again ... Your comment infers that all headphones are the same loudness at the same volume setting on the amp

No it doesn't. -10dB on High gain is nearly the highest that the device can go. Even if the HPs are 83dB-sensitive, that would still be very loud.

What content are you using to test?

This is a followup to my post #902 about PEQ on the DX5 II. I can confirm that turning off and then back on the DX5 II can shange the stored EQs (6 thru 10). Sometimes only 1 or 2 filters are changed, sometimes all are reset to 0, and there may be other types of changes.

Topping has said they are coming with a fix for the PEQ bug soon (5-10 days as of July 3rd).

 

[Bleib]

Those who say it runs hot, is this when it's used as headphone amp? As a DAC it's quite cool, at least for me

 

[audiofun]

Those who say it runs hot, is this when it's used as headphone amp? As a DAC it's quite cool, at least for me

Agree. Seems topping found a way to turn on/off the hp amp circuit. When it’s on the top case is 10 Celsius degrees above the surrounding temperature. When off it’s 7. Both are measured when it’s idle. When driving a load hp amp my produce more heat than that.

 

[ObjectiveSubjectivist]

Yeah that's what I mean. Someone else with a DX5 II and access to Susvara needs to check theirs to see if the same is observed.

I no longer own susvara but I have XK Serene which uses the same drivers as susvara.
I'll check when I got my DX5ii

 

[malaire]

For me it has been upto 10°C above ambient when using single-ended headphones or line-out, but I havn't been using it for long periods yet.

 

[robbiekhan]

No it doesn't. -10dB on High gain is nearly the highest that the device can go. Even if the HPs are 83dB-sensitive, that would still be very loud.

What content are you using to test?

It wasn't loud, that's my point though, on the same amp my Aryas are actually loud on low gain at -28dB as a reference comparison. I was playing music, any music but the main test track I first played is Ratchets by HEDEGAARD. The source chain was Blusound Powernode going COAX into the DX5 II > XLR out to the Susvara.

Either the DX5 II's power isn't what it's specced up to be, or the Susvara is faulty. Now I know Hifiman has its QC issues, but on a £6000 pair of headphones??

 

[malaire]

Simple temperature test: I measured Topping DX5 II temperature every 30 minutes while playing Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 OST. Output is "HPA SE" i.e. single-ended headphones only, high gain, volume at -10.0dB, Topping DX5 II on table with no heat sources nearby.

Ambient temperature is 25-26°C and in 3 hours Topping DX5 II stabilized to 35.3°C i.e. about 10°C above ambient:

0:30 31.3°C / 1:00 33.4°C / 1:30 34.5°C / 2:00 34.9°C / 2:30 35.2°C / 3:00 35.3°C / 3:30 35.3°C / 4:00 35.3°C

 

[Roland68]

Simple temperature test: I measured Topping DX5 II temperature every 30 minutes while playing Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 OST. Output is "HPA SE" i.e. single-ended headphones only, high gain, volume at -10.0dB, Topping DX5 II on table with no heat sources nearby.

Ambient temperature is 25-26°C and in 3 hours Topping DX5 II stabilized to 35.3°C i.e. about 10°C above ambient:

0:30 31.3°C / 1:00 33.4°C / 1:30 34.5°C / 2:00 34.9°C / 2:30 35.2°C / 3:00 35.3°C / 3:30 35.3°C / 4:00 35.3°C

After 2-3 hours, this value can be considered stable. The temperature is definitely within a safe range, so no one needs to worry.
Nice that you measured and published this.

 

[BeeKay]

Those who worry about this range of temperature - check out any class-A or tube component for fun. Proper heating which is great in winter.

 

[respice finem]

Simple temperature test: I measured Topping DX5 II temperature every 30 minutes while playing Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 OST. Output is "HPA SE" i.e. single-ended headphones only, high gain, volume at -10.0dB, Topping DX5 II on table with no heat sources nearby.

Ambient temperature is 25-26°C and in 3 hours Topping DX5 II stabilized to 35.3°C i.e. about 10°C above ambient:

0:30 31.3°C / 1:00 33.4°C / 1:30 34.5°C / 2:00 34.9°C / 2:30 35.2°C / 3:00 35.3°C / 3:30 35.3°C / 4:00 35.3°C

So there is no heat issue (or, single units with a heat issue are faulty somehow).

 

[respice finem]

Those who worry about this range of temperature - check out any class-A or tube component for fun. Proper heating which is great in winter.

I have an old(ish) analog class-A HPA in my bedroom setup (Lehmann Audio Rhinelander). Never noticed it being abnormally warm despite working in high gain mode. But I haven't measured it and am now tempted to do so "just for fun".

 

[Roland68]

I have an old(ish) analog class-A HPA in my bedroom setup (Lehmann Audio Rhinelander). Never noticed it being abnormally warm despite working in high gain mode. But I haven't measured it and am now tempted to do so "just for fun".

This is not a pure Class A amplifier, but rather a Class AB amplifier, where only a small area runs in Class A and then switches to Class B at higher power.

 

[respice finem]

This is not a pure Class A amplifier, but rather a Class AB amplifier, where only a small area runs in Class A and then switches to Class B at higher power.

Are you sure it switches to B? I've never read this about this model. The high gain mode of the Rhinelander must be activated by setting two jumpers inside.
Well, if that is really the case, the test isn't really valid... On the other hand, I'll test just to know how hot it will go on the surface. In any case it can go loud: With the volume pot at 12:00, I can now hear my BD T1 Mk 2 from upstairs, and it is a high impedance headphone (IIRC closer to 1 kOhm than to the stated 600 Ohms).