Topping DX5II Balanced DAC and Headphone Amp Review

[Morla]

This time the PEQ Settings were kept. Great.

 

[JIW]

I have no other software running. I will reboot my Mac, but I did make sure I didn't have Qobuz or @CuriousAli 's Keep Mac Audio Alive app running. I have tested Low and High gain settings on the DX5 II as well.

Edit: Restarted my Mac, and the popping is still present. False alarm but it was legit gone for me, and I really did check to make sure I had no other apps running.

I have had that happen on occasion. Restarting Firefox stopped it, so that might have been the culprit.

 

[ziggurcat]

I have had that happen on occasion. Restarting Firefox stopped it, so that might have been the culprit.

Which begs the question: what about that caused it to stop?

Edit:

And the popping is gone again. Definitely do not have any apps running in the BG, and I did nothing other than enable/disable some settings in the DX5 II (inputs, gain setting, switching between outputs, and doing the SPDIF mode switching to regress the one issue I found). @JIW in case you missed my edit.

 

[JIW]

Which begs the question: what about that caused it to stop?

Firefox kept sending some audio data after playing some content, probably.

 

[ziggurcat]

Firefox kept sending some audio data after playing some content, probably.

Can you also check one other thing?

In the Audio MIDI app: set the DX5 II to also play the Alerts and Sound Effects.

On the DX5 II: Select the USB input.

On the Mac: Go to System Settings > Sound and play an alert sound. Observe the volume level as the alert sound plays.

Next, on the DX5 II, select the OPT input then set your PO100 (or Aggregate/Multi-Output Device if you have set that up) as the output device for the Alerts and Sound Effects in the Audio MIDI app.

On the Mac, go back to System Settings > Sound and play an alert sound. Observe the volume level as the alert sound plays.

For me, the alert sound is louder/clearer-sounding when using the OPT input. This will be easier to detect if you use headphones. This doesn't seem to affect playing any music from any source (local files or a web-based source like Bandcamp), this seems like it's specific to the alert sounds.

Edit:

I have also noticed that if I run @CuriousAli 's Keep Mac Audio Alive app or Qobuz, and play the system sound using the USB input on the DX5 II, the volume level of the system alert sound matches the volume level when playing the alert sound using the OPT input on the DX5 II. It could be that because of the data streaming pop, it cuts off enough of the system alert sound at the start, making it less audible?

 

[JIW]

Can you also check one other thing?

In the Audio MIDI app: set the DX5 II to also play the Alerts and Sound Effects.

On the DX5 II: Select the USB input.

On the Mac: Go to System Settings > Sound and play an alert sound. Observe the volume level as the alert sound plays.

Next, on the DX5 II, select the OPT input then set your PO100 (or Aggregate/Multi-Output Device if you have set that up) as the output device for the Alerts and Sound Effects in the Audio MIDI app.

On the Mac, go back to System Settings > Sound and play an alert sound. Observe the volume level as the alert sound plays.

For me, the alert sound is louder/clearer-sounding when using the OPT input. This will be easier to detect if you use headphones. This doesn't seem to affect playing any music from any source (local files or a web-based source like Bandcamp), this seems like it's specific to the alert sounds.

I have returned the PO100 since using the Keep Mac Audio Alive app works well enough for me.

 

[ziggurcat]

I have returned the PO100 since using the Keep Mac Audio Alive app works well enough for me.

Apologies, I made another edit -- if Keep Mac or Qobuz is running, the alert sound volume level is the same as OPT when using the USB input. I suspect that the data streaming issue cuts off enough of the system alert sound at the beginning to make it less audible.

 

[CuriousAli]

Apologies, I made another edit -- if Keep Mac or Qobuz is running, the alert sound volume level is the same as OPT when using the USB input. I suspect that the data streaming issue cuts off enough of the system alert sound at the beginning to make it less audible.

That delay in playback that cuts system alert sounds is there to prevent pops or at least reduce their loudness, but it fails in many cases so the pops get audible.
Using Keep Mac Audio Alive prevents sleep/suspend of the device so there shouldn't be any delay or pop.

 

[Morla]

Sidenote on what a stupid situation usb dac volume control using android is https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/242221770. After 3 years or so it was finally fixed for Pixel Phones. Samsung gets it with android 17 (maybe).

 

[ziggurcat]

That delay in playback that cuts system alert sounds is there to prevent pops or at least reduce their loudness, but it fails in many cases so the pops get audible.
Using Keep Mac Audio Alive prevents sleep/suspend of the device so there shouldn't be any delay or pop.

Yeah, without using the OPT input or running your app/Qobuz, some of those system alerts don't even play (all you hear is the popping), so I believe that is why the volume level is so different using USB.

And as it stands right now, the popping hasn't gone away again, so I have no idea what was done for it to disappear on me twice. I think it's telling that it came back after a computer restart rather than a DX5 II power cycle.

 

[rocksteady]

Could you clarify what you mean? can you show me an example?

The are lots of examples, such as the recent Fosi ZH3, and on the other price scale, the Benchmark DAC2/3 HGC, which, despite its 1/2 rack form, boasts no less than 2x Analogue INS and 3x OUTS! I was initially tempted by the Fosi, but I'm not too enamored of the overall design and its Headphone Amp section isn't particularly powerful, as well as lacking a XLR-4 output, which is essential for my small modified - or otherwise - Headphones collection...

 

[KokoCollie]

The are lots of examples, such as the recent Fosi ZH3, and on the other price scale, the Benchmark DAC2/3 HGC, which, despite its 1/2 rack form, boasts no less than 2x Analogue INS and 3x OUTS! I was initially tempted by the Fosi, but I'm not too enamored of the overall design and its Headphone Amp section isn't particularly powerful, as well as lacking a XLR-4 output, which is essential for my small modified - or otherwise - Headphones collection...

Still struggling to imagine the scenario you’re describing.

Are you trying to say that you’d appreciate an ‘analogue-in’ on the DX5 II so that you can have some external device acting as the DAC, and to use the DX5 II exclusively as a headphone amplifier?

 

[rocksteady]

Nope, that wouldn't be the scenario I would have in mind. An Analogue IN would enable the use of a Phono Stage, for example. Or, also a possibility, an integrated Vintage CD player with a particularly interesting DAC architecture, such as early Philips Multibit. Or even an early Philips Bitstream machine or derivate, such as the CD 850.

Are you trying to say that you’d appreciate an ‘analogue-in’ on the DX5 II so that you can have some external device acting as the DAC, and to use the DX5 II exclusively as a headphone amplifier?

 

[Highvoltage]

My SPDIF popping issue seems to be completely cured by the last firmware. (Win11)
However i can't figure out how to make the DX5 to go to standby mode automatically and to wake from it.

I set the Trigger mode to Signal. I don't send any audio to the channel, and it never goes standby, and if i manually stand-by it, it never wakes from it even with the loudest blast of input.

EDIT:
If i unplug the Toslink cable , it goes to standby, and if i plug it back, it wakes. So it seems some data is being sent continuously to the device even if there is no audio stream present.
EDIT2:
Seems like i have answered my question, SPDIF by nature always sends a data stream even if it is just zeroes, so the auto-standby mode will not work in OPT mode...
Would be nice to have a feature that detects audio instead of data stream

 

[Morla]

Nope, that wouldn't be the scenario I would have in mind. An Analogue IN would enable the use of a Phono Stage, for example. Or, also a possibility, an integrated Vintage CD player with a particularly interesting DAC architecture, such as early Philips Multibit. Or even an early Philips Bitstream machine or derivate, such as the CD 850.

So you actually want the dac to also work as adc. I mean topping offers https://www.topping.store/products/topping-e2x2-otg-usb-audio-interface you can use the 2 inputs as line in (even has headphone out). Add a mobile and.. voilà. (And maybe off-topic here)

 

[ziggurcat]

My SPDIF popping issue seems to be completely cured by the last firmware. (Win11)
However i can't figure out how to make the DX5 to go to standby mode automatically and to wake from it.

I set the Trigger mode to Signal. I don't send any audio to the channel, and it never goes standby, and if i manually stand-by it, it never wakes from it even with the loudest blast of input.

EDIT:
If i unplug the Toslink cable , it goes to standby, and if i plug it back, it wakes. So it seems some data is being sent continuously to the device even if there is no audio stream present.
EDIT2:
Seems like i have answered my question, SPDIF by nature always sends a data stream even if it is just zeroes, so the auto-standby mode will not work in OPT mode...
Would be nice to have a feature that detects audio instead of data stream

I'm not sure what the issue is since my DX5 II goes into standby mode all of the time, and I use the OPT input. I'm on Mac, though.

 

[wavetrade]

I'm not sure what the issue is since my DX5 II goes into standby mode all of the time, and I use the OPT input. I'm on Mac, though.

I am curious as well. My DX5II is hooked up to my mac mini via usb and my Tv via optical. It has been going to sleep consistently and wakes up without problem. If I wake it by turning on the TV it wakes in optical mode. If I wiggle the mouse before starting the TV it wakes in USB mode. I have actually been pleased with this aspect of the DX5II.

 

[ziggurcat]

I am curious as well. My DX5II is hooked up to my mac mini via usb and my Tv via optical. It has been going to sleep consistently and wakes up without problem. If I wake it by turning on the TV it wakes in optical mode. If I wiggle the mouse before starting the TV it wakes in USB mode. I have actually been pleased with this aspect of the DX5II.

My best guess is it's a power/energy setting on their computer.

 

[JIW]

After some more correspondence with Topping on the popping, this is the reply I got today.

We have tested the device on multiple Mac computers in different locations, but were unable to consistently reproduce the issue.
Under macOS, when no audio is playing, the system may automatically suspend the USB audio data stream in order to reduce power consumption. When audio playback resumes, the USB data stream is re-established, and at that moment the DAC may produce a slight transient sound (such as a pop or click) at the analog output.
Due to differences in USB controllers and power-management strategies among various Mac models, this behavior does not occur on all Macs.
We will continue to investigate whether there is a fundamental solution to this behavior. If there are any updates or new findings, we will contact you again.

It seems all we can do now is wait and see if they find a way to fix it in the devices and see if new models do not have these issues.

 

[ziggurcat]

Has anyone noticed their DX5 II not coming out of standby mode after a certain amount of time? It's something that happened on a test FW they gave me, and was fixed. It has happened to me twice this week on v1.93. A power cycle with the back switch "corrects" it. I hope it is not a sign that my screen is dying.

I'm using the OPT input (but USB is also active in the settings).