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Topping DX5 Review (DAC & HP Amp)

Rate this product:

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 16 4.3%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 8 2.1%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther)

    Votes: 89 23.7%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 262 69.9%

  • Total voters
    375

respice finem

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Do you think these people are not turning OFF their OLED display and that causes the burn-in? How sensitive are these OLED displays to burn-in? I don't think I have a OLED display @ home and so I have no experience with them.
I can only say my RME ADI2-DAC v.2 (also OLED AFAIK) has zero burn-in so far, BUT I have "auto dark" enabled, so the display is active only a few seconds when it's needed. If the Topping also has this feature, I would simply enable it.
 

avoidwork

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Well, it is a bit cheap. And, if I may say so, it certainly looks as good if not better than the DX3, but that's just an opinion, and like other things, everyone has one of those.

I'm not really getting what folks are expecting at this price point, in the fit and finish department.
a 4.4mm jack, & something that looks more professional than* a plastic toy. that's the oled from the d50! i had one, it sucked... just the oled i mean.
 

anmpr1

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Do you think these people are not turning OFF their OLED display and that causes the burn-in? How sensitive are these OLED displays to burn-in? I don't think I have a OLED display @ home and so I have no experience with them.
I can see that it's time to dig out the After Dark floppies from the back of your PC parts drawer. Although maybe Topping could include a copy of Dazzle. Dazzle was freeware, I think, and wouldn't cost them anything. Topping might have to pay royalties to Grace Slick for the flying toasters! :)


after dark.jpg
dazzle.jpg
 

Doodski

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I can only say my RME ADI2-DAC v.2 (also OLED AFAIK) has zero burn-in so far, BUT I have "auto dark" enabled, so the display is active only a few seconds when it's needed. If the Topping also has this feature, I would simply enable it.
I read the owners manual and it has auto OFF for the display.
 
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dsnyder0cnn

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Probably not the place for this comment, but seeing yet another “DAC/headphone amp” made me ponder the use case for these prolific little boxes.
What do most people use as a source? Computer? Streamer? Phone to Bluetooth?
How do they listen?
Headphones tethered by a cable? Speakers via separate amp?
I would love for Topping to finally offer a compact, high performance replacement for my ugly, mediocre, big box receiver.
I have the DX3 Pro+ in my current desktop setup. RCA outputs go to a pair of active speakers (iLoud Micro Monitors) and I have a pair of HiFiMan HE400se headphones connected to the 1/8 in jack. The iLoud monitors are great for Zoom calls while working from home, but I kind-of hate how they sound for music; that's where the headphones come in. The DX3 Pro+ makes it easy to switch from active speakers to headphones.

My plan is to upgrade to an E50 + L50 + PA5 stack and go with passive speakers…perhaps the Audience "The ONE".
 

anmpr1

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How sensitive are these OLED displays to burn-in? I don't think I have a OLED display @ home and so I have no experience with them.
I use a Galaxy S6 Curve that is about 7 years old, still working, featuring an OLED screen. It doesn't have anything like burn-in. So I don't know how it is, generally speaking.
 

Koeitje

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Probably not the place for this comment, but seeing yet another “DAC/headphone amp” made me ponder the use case for these prolific little boxes.
What do most people use as a source? Computer? Streamer? Phone to Bluetooth?
How do they listen?
Headphones tethered by a cable? Speakers via separate amp?
I would love for Topping to finally offer a compact, high performance replacement for my ugly, mediocre, big box receiver.
Making a surround receiver is exponentially more difficult than making one of these. Both in terms of resources required and the technical challenges.
 

avoidwork

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I use a Galaxy S6 Curve that is about 7 years old, still working, featuring an OLED screen. It doesn't have anything like burn-in. So I don't know how it is, generally speaking.
those are wildly different screens. the topping is low res (giant pixels) & just white. my d50s had some retention issues after a few weeks of use as primary dac. you can turn off the screen, but then why have it at all?
 

KxDx

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Yes. Personally, I would certainly buy a reasonably sized and priced multiple-HDMI-input two-channel digital amplifier with a splitter/through HDMI out. (Using the digital out on the TV for music isn't an option, as that means having to keep it on.)
Marantz Nr1200, although i don't know if it's better performance wise than its sibling Denon HRA800, which didn't measure great at all.

I have the original AKM version NR1200 but my understanding is they've switched to ESS DACs for current production due to the fire.
 

anphex

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Shenzhenaudio just sent me a sparkly mail with this new gadget "now available". The timing makes sense now looking at this review. :D


BUT. This is no innovation, just a tiny upgrade to the prior generation and a new item in the more or less same portfolio. Topping/Shenzhenaudio, come knocking at my door when you get multichannel done.
 
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nessism

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Looks like another great product from Topping.

Maybe a dumb question, but how come some units, amps mostly, have vent holes and others don't? I'm happily using a D/A 30 Pro setup, and the amp, with venting holes, gives off a fair bit of Q. This unit looks quite compact with a lot going on inside the case, so I'm wondering how hot it runs?
 

mrbungle

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Probably not the place for this comment, but seeing yet another “DAC/headphone amp” made me ponder the use case for these prolific little boxes.
What do most people use as a source? Computer? Streamer? Phone to Bluetooth?
How do they listen?
Headphones tethered by a cable? Speakers via separate amp?
I would love for Topping to finally offer a compact, high performance replacement for my ugly, mediocre, big box receiver.
I use my Dx7pro for my bedside setup. Raspberry Pi as source for Roon, Bluetooth is convenient for AppleTV. Only headphones.
Like the new design.
 

gerG

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Nice! Thanks Amir!
I immediately noticed the relatively large volume control. That has become one of my main criteria for gear that I use to control volume on headphones or a speaker system. The volcon is the most used control, and it should be easy to access without having to even look at the unit.

From a pragmatic perspective, the round ends of the case will keep me from standing the unit on end (unless they make a stand). This makes it less appealing for desktop use.

Does anybody remember the Yamaha DP-50u? It was way ahead of its time, and remains a paradigm for desktop DAC design. Topping and others should study that design when thinking about a desktop type component.

As a front end unit that I would set on the table next to my listening chair, it would do fine. Well, maybe. Can it withstand a scotch spill?
 

Doodski

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Maybe a dumb question, but how come some units, amps mostly, have vent holes and others don't? I'm happily using a D/A 30 Pro setup, and the amp, with venting holes, gives off a fair bit of Q. This unit looks quite compact with a lot going on inside the case, so I'm wondering how hot it runs?
The vent holes are for dissipating the heat given off by the electronics inside. Some electronics are less efficient than others and so you see some with vent holes and some without. It's a inherent thing about circuit designs that some give off more heat than others. :D No worries unless you smell dust burning or plastic melting. :facepalm: Really hot for domestic/consumer electronics is about 85C and for the next grade up at 105C and then the next grade goes to about 130C. I worked building downhole tools for measuring in oil well drill holes and they measured up to a calibrated 177C. @ 177C the qualifying of the electronic components had a success rate of about 15% and the rest failed from the heat in the calibrated test oven.
 

muslhead

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Crazy responses. People were begging for oled displays on other devices that did not have it. Topping listened and now they are getting bashed for it. ASR at its finest.
Cant please all the people all the time.
Nice review (Amir) and release (Topping)
 

gmoney

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You guys sure that's a OLED? Really doesn't look like one to me from the pictures.
 

TheTalbotHound

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Does anyone know why no manufacturer has yet managed to completely get rid of the IMD hump on the 9068AS chip when they themselves have been able to remove it completely on products based on any other ESS chip i've seen? Is there something fundamentally different about the design of the 9068AS chip? If so, do we know what that difference is?
 
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