Topping DX5 Review (DAC & HP Amp)

[worms]

Follow up...
Hi, I've had DX5 and SMSL M500 MKII (I think this is the same has Sabaj A20D but in a different outfit) and SMSL D300 . I've return the DX5 mainly because of user experience having to disconnect DX5 from the mains by power switch to access full menu option doesn't make sense to me. Sometimes when switching power on I get a message that is updating CPLD even if not connected to USB that's strange, even with the firmware 1.40. The M500 MKII as a better chip and some more options to play around with sound. I really liked the design on DX5.
After all I'm keeping M500 MKII around.
Now Purely Subjective.
As for sound I think (subjectively of course) their different the M500 as a more dimensional?!?! sound (voices a little forward) but between the speakers, DX5 seems more 2D sound but maybe wider. D300 for me was less clinical and less harsh.

Hi.
Can you compare the stage and instrument separation between DX5 and M500II?
I care about more depth ?
Which one will provide more thrill in music ?

 

[Veri]

Hi.
Can you compare the stage and instrument separation between DX5 and M500II?
I care about more depth ?
Which one will provide more thrill in music ?

The DX5 has a speed similar to the K11, and better stereo, but not as good as the K7, for the moment, well, and that depth seems to be missing.
I mark these are just my impressions and I could be wrong,

I fear you are wrong. You are putting all your effort into hearing a "tonality". A good functioning DAC over 96-100dB SINAD is extremely unliky to present any "tonality" whatsoever, as long as it's not rolling off frequencies on either side of the audible band..

 

[evernessince]

Unfortunately I'm getting a jumping volume issue with the volume knob on the DX5 after only 1 and 1/2 years of use. Manufacturer doesn't seem to want to spend parts for me to repair it and I don't really want to be out of the unit for 3-4 months to ship the unit back to China. This is one of the concerns I had when I first bought this unit and I very much doubt I'll be buying from one of these Chinese brands again regardless of how good their objective performance is. This is the 2nd issue I've had with this unit, the first (random shutdowns of the DAC / AMP) was fixed by a firmware update. When I buy a premium product I expect it to work for a long period of time and not act like a junk IoT device that needs constant updates to fix bugs and then still goes on to have issues anyways.

 

[pacman]

Unfortunately I'm getting a jumping volume issue with the volume knob on the DX5 after only 1 and 1/2 years of use. Manufacturer doesn't seem to want to spend parts for me to repair it and I don't really want to be out of the unit for 3-4 months to ship the unit back to China. This is one of the concerns I had when I first bought this unit and I very much doubt I'll be buying from one of these Chinese brands again regardless of how good their objective performance is. This is the 2nd issue I've had with this unit, the first (random shutdowns of the DAC / AMP) was fixed by a firmware update. When I buy a premium product I expect it to work for a long period of time and not act like a junk IoT device that needs constant updates to fix bugs and then still goes on to have issues anyways.

Had the exact same problem with a U$ 400 DX7 Pro years ago. Mine just stopped working after a while with issues with volume knob.

Topping was, is and always will be a bad manufacturer. The hype with this brand came from this forum and a few sponsored youtubers and hopelly is fading.

 

[MbphotoX]

Considering buying a DX5 lite and have got a few questions:

I want to connect my Yamaha HS5 (studio monitors) to it and drive my headphones (Beyer DT990 250 Ohm, Beyer DT1990 pro, Grado RS2e) with the amp fed by my computer.
(Probably would be using an optical/SPDIF cable, because that completely eliminates any interference from the computer side, as opposed to USB, right?!)

Is it possible to keep the Yammies switched on and drive only the headphones with the pre-out muted? My current headphone amp cannot mute the pre-outs.. (and I have massive intereference issues from my computer, even after installing an ART DTI)

Can the DX5 also control the volume of the Studio Monitors or is this simply a Line-Out at full voltage?

cheers

 

[staticV3]

Probably would be using an optical/SPDIF cable, because that completely eliminates any interference from the computer side, as opposed to USB, right?!

Right.

Is it possible to keep the Yammies switched on and drive only the headphones with the pre-out muted?

Yes:


In the future, please read the User Manual before asking product related questions.
Chances are, it'll answer them.

Can the DX5 also control the volume of the Studio Monitors or is this simply a Line-Out at full voltage?

 

[evernessince]

Had the exact same problem with a U$ 400 DX7 Pro years ago. Mine just stopped working after a while with issues with volume knob.

Topping was, is and always will be a bad manufacturer. The hype with this brand came from this forum and a few sponsored youtubers and hopelly is fading.

That's wild, especially given the price of the unit.

 

[worms]

Today I was to return after testing DX5, I asked about the failure rate of these products, and the gentleman pointed out to me with his hand the package with DX7pro+. For me, this is reason enough to go in a different direction.
Time to take the Fiio K9, R7, R9, Aune s9c for testing.

 

[Justin44]

Today I was to return after testing DX5, I asked about the failure rate of these products, and the gentleman pointed out to me with his hand the package with DX7pro+. For me, this is reason enough to go in a different direction.
Time to take the Fiio K9, R7, R9, Aune s9c for testing.

You will find similar failure rates for those products too if you look around, electronics fail especially these days when everything is built worse. Even the strong eagle loving American Schiit products have failures and horror stories.

 

[Asma]

I've had about 10 Topping products over the years, half of them had some kind of problem. I think they should pay more attention to quality and test each device after it comes off the production line.

 

[TheShield]

Is this amp a big upgrade over the DX3 Pro + and SMSL C-200?

 

[TheShield]

Today I was to return after testing DX5, I asked about the failure rate of these products, and the gentleman pointed out to me with his hand the package with DX7pro+. For me, this is reason enough to go in a different direction.
Time to take the Fiio K9, R7, R9, Aune s9c for testing.

So he was saying that the DX7 Pro + had a high failure rate? Fiio makes very good stuff with low failure rate. Same with ifi. I would choose those brands over Topping.

 

[Bleib]

Is this amp a big upgrade over the DX3 Pro + and SMSL C-200?

I don't think so. I prefer c200 over them all. The remote is better, responds better

 

[TheShield]

I don't think so. I prefer c200 over them all. The remote is better, responds better

Thanks. I’m just seeing what out there would be a considerable step up from the C200 and DX3 Pro with balanced out.

 

[MbphotoX]

Thanks. I’m just seeing what out there would be a considerable step up from the C200 and DX3 Pro with balanced out.

what do you mean by step up?

you won't get an audible improvement, since they are already completely transparent.

better haptics, a nice volume knob? better remote?
there certainly should be stuff out there, at much higher prices.

 

[TheShield]

what do you mean by step up?

you won't get an audible improvement, since they are already completely transparent.

better haptics, a nice volume knob? better remote?
there certainly should be stuff out there, at much higher prices.

I have nothing against the sound quality of the C-200 (I think it's quite good). But just curious how much better you can get from DACs for sound quality and what DACs would sound even better than the C-200. I shouldn't be spending more money anyways.

I would like to her a DAC through a true balanced output just so I could compare.

 

[MbphotoX]

I have nothing against the sound quality of the C-200 (I think it's quite good). But just curious how much better you can get from DACs for sound quality and what DACs would sound even better than the C-200. I shouldn't be spending more money anyways.

I would like to her a DAC through a true balanced output just so I could compare.

You are on Audiosciencereview, yet you're asking about different sounding DACs?!

A DAC is not supposed to alter the sound in any way, ever!
Even 0.50ç DACs manage that these days.

Once your DAC is audibly transparent, there's no reason in searching for another DAC. They simply don't have a "sound".

Even Headphone amps don't make any difference, unless they alter the signal (e.g. tubes, NOS, too high output impedance, etc.) or cannot provide enough power to reach the desired volume without clipping/distorting.

 

[TheShield]

You are on Audiosciencereview, yet you're asking about different sounding DACs?!

A DAC is not supposed to alter the sound in any way, ever!
Even 0.50ç DACs manage that these days.

Once your DAC is audibly transparent, there's no reason in searching for another DAC. They simply don't have a "sound".

Even Headphone amps don't make any difference, unless they alter the signal (e.g. tubes, NOS, too high output impedance, etc.) or cannot provide enough power to reach the desired volume without clipping/distorting.

That's what I thought but then I read a user on here who said that he had the C-200 and he upgraded to a much more expensive DAC and the sound quality was night and day between the two.

 

[staticV3]

That's what I thought but then I read a user on here who said that he had the C-200 and he upgraded to a much more expensive DAC and the sound quality was night and day between the two.

Did that user compare the two DACs with matched output voltage and Nyquist filters, and without knowing which DAC was playing?

If not, then the result cannot be taken seriously.

 

[TheShield]

Did that user compare the two DACs with matched output voltage and Nyquist filters, and without knowing which DAC was playing?

If not, then the result cannot be taken seriously.

I don’t believe he compared the two DACs. I will have to try to find that post.