TOPPING DX5 Lite! Coming soon!

[Joffy1780]

It's the RC-15A, same as the one supplied with the E30 DAC. The range is ok but you have to be pretty much facing the display; more than about 20 degrees out and it'll ignore you. I have my DAC at an angle so I can use it when I'm lying on the bed.

Thank you.
Sounds much the same as the SMSL remote then. Looks like whichever I choose I'm not going to be able to hide it behind my sofa
Not a big deal, I guess, there are worse problems to have.

 

[Chester]

I just find it so hard to get excited by their products these days. When things like the D10 came out for £100 that could also act as a DDC, it was a total game changer. More high performing/generic looking products, that you then have to play QC Lottery with is not for me anymore.

If most of us are honest, we’re not just in this hobby for the raw performance. Performance first, sure, but we enjoy the design, features and experience products offer. These conveyor belt iterations leave me a bit meh.

 

[threni]

I just find it so hard to get excited by their products these days. When things like the D10 came out for £100 that could also act as a DDC, it was a total game changer. More high performing/generic looking products, that you then have to play QC Lottery with is not for me anymore.

If most of us are honest, we’re not just in this hobby for the raw performance. Performance first, sure, but we enjoy the design, features and experience products offer. These conveyor belt iterations leave me a bit meh.

Performance IS experience, though. For a DAC, I mean. I don't care what it looks like. You might. But for what it's worth, the E30 looks good to me. The design is "small, metal box, clear display you can dim, works first time & every time". Features - again, I can't knock it. I only use USB in and PCM format files. I can't tell the difference between the filters - nobody can, can they - they're all way above the hearing range of all but the most golden-eared human. I paid less than £100 for it and it's just worked, every day. Conveyer belt? Well, look at Android smartphones. Many manufacturers, churning out many phones a year. At this point they're commodities; who gets excited about a phone? They have a job to do and their job is to do it and stay out of the way...like a DAC. This is how capitalism works, right? You're tooled up to build, so make loads and someone will like the particular size/cpu power/camera capability/build quality (ie metal vs glass vs plastic) combo - something you'd miss if you only built one model a year. You only need one DAC per system - I'm always amused by the "I've got DAC x but now DAC y is out...". You've got a DAC! Go and play some music!

QC lottery? Well, I guess that depends on how seriously one takes the recent spate of "taking complaints about Topping seriously" (This is related to the recent Two Minutes Hate about Topping, right?). There's simply no way of determining from posts on the internet who widespread a problem is. Go to google and search Reddit for any phone brand, any part of a phone and the word faulty. For example "reddit pixel 6a faulty screen". Better not buy a pixel 6a, right? Keep going. Let me know when you find a phone that won't develop a cracked screen, or burst into flames the moment you pick it up.

What solution are you proposing? Don't buy cheap hifi? Don't but Topping hardware? Don't buy anything made in China? Don't buy anything made less than 5 years ago?

If you're talking about every product ever made by anyone at any price point then I probably agree with you. It's a bit crap that no matter what you buy and from there you have limited rights. I get stuff from Amazon generally because at least there you have a year to return stuff. It's a lot worse in many places. You'll hear people say you get two years in the EU. Well, I'm in the EU and just try it. It's hard work. And you'll generally (in my experience/people I've spoken to/read about online) get a refurb. There's no requirement for you to get your money back, or a new one. You may or may not find this acceptable. I'd buy more expensive stuff if I thought I was going to be supported for a number of years related to the cost, but it's like DAC performance; no relationship between price and quality.

 

[pacman]

Don't but Topping hardware?

Yes

 

[Sal1950]

I’m always a fan of a balanced option. Boycott MQA!!!

Given that MQA has been shown to be of no sonic benefit and little more than a DRM scam, I'd say that's a good deal

MQA is just about done, stick a fork in it.

 

[SiW]

Is the 4 pin XLR on the front giving actual balanced output?

 

[staticV3]

Is the 4 pin XLR on the front giving actual balanced output?

No. The 1/4" jack and the 4pin XLR jack both output the same, single-ended signal. The XLR HP out is there for convenience, not for more power.

 

[SiW]

No. The 1/4" jack and the 4pin XLR jack both output the same, single-ended signal. The XLR HP out is there for convenience, not for more power.

Same as EX5 which is a shame.

 

[Bleib]

Ordered one

 

[metalrufflez]

Ordered one

Same here.

Shame its backordered until Mid April from Shenzhen Audio. But welp, got a good price with loyalty points, so, I'll wait.

 

[Bleib]

Same here.

Shame its backordered until Mid April from Shenzhen Audio. But welp, got a good price with loyalty points, so, I'll wait.

hifigo for me, I've ordered through them before.. no idea when it will arrive though

 

[Bleib]

@JohnYang1997
Would it be possible to get a firmware update which allows the automatic screen-off happen faster than 30 seconds? Preferably if I could decide it on my own from 1 to 30s.

 

[SuicideSquid]

I’m always a fan of a balanced option. Boycott MQA!!!
I would boycott Tidal if I could get a Qobuz option on my Tesla screen. JayZ does not need any more money.

Tidal pays better rates to artists than Spotify. And I'd rather JayZ have my money than Daniel Ek or Tim Cook.

I hope Topping does this with a few other models - I have no use for MQA.

 

[Ahmonge]

I hope Topping does this with a few other models - I have no use for MQA

Topping did that before with its DACs: D90SE vs. D90LE

 

[little-endian]

Looks like it may be a good deal. It has the ESS 9068AS, and same XU216, all same as non-lite, except for no MQA, according to Apos website.

Whether this is an advantage over the ES9038Q2M used in the DX3 Pro+ and EX5 is yet to be found out though as the datasheets at ESS don't mention the de-emphasis support via S/PDIF for their newer chips anymore.

About $150 more than the DX3 Pro+. Gives you balanced in/out. Not terrible but not worth it for this user.

The prive/value - ratio of the DX3 Pro+ looks a lot better. Only reason I gave it a try with the EX5 now instead is that I hate those tiny, mechanically horrible 3.5mm headphone jacks. No idea why out of all decent models, they opted for that one on the DX3 Pro+, sigh.

 

[Fregly]

I like that it has a balance adjustment. Is that a first for Topping?

 

[Bleib]

DX5 Lite version V1.10 firmware update (NOT for DX5)​

DX5 Lite version V1.12 firmware update (NOT for DX5)-TOPPING

New firmware out for the lite