Topping DX5II Balanced DAC and Headphone Amp Review

[Viper780]

tried it with my DCA Aeon2 Noire balanced 4.4mm Out, -6dB (to loud for me - but should be roughly the same loudness) and no I don't hear any clipping or disortion.
Not even while playing with the volume knob.

Played from spotify (lossless) on windows

 

[MarioBoi]

Playing on tidal and bizarrely it clips even when adjusting the volume on windows - ive tried all the software fixes but it may just be second time unlucky with my unit. Same behavior using other inputs (bluetooth)

 

[BeeKay]

Playing on tidal and bizarrely it clips even when adjusting the volume on windows - ive tried all the software fixes but it may just be second time unlucky with my unit. Same behavior using other inputs (bluetooth)

Tried a different (clean) computer to rule out the driver is messed up?

 

[ziggurcat]

Limit to your love by James Blake (0:55 when bass starts), HD6xx and normal listening volume (low gain and -15db)

Switch the DC detection sensitivity from High to Low, and see if that changes anything. -15dB for headphones with a 103dB sensitivity is pretty loud, too. Mine are mid-90s in the sensitivity department, and -35dB on the volume scale is incredibly loud to me (low gain). A lot of these issues wouldn't happen if people didn't keep trying to destroy their ear drums.

 

[MarioBoi]

Switch the DC detection sensitivity from High to Low, and see if that changes anything. -15dB for headphones with a 103dB sensitivity is pretty loud, too. Mine are mid-90s in the sensitivity department, and -35dB on the volume scale is incredibly loud to me (low gain). A lot of these issues wouldn't happen if people didn't keep trying to destroy their ear drums.

Of course I don't listen at that volume all the time it was just the point at which i could hear it. And this is for a track that is basically just sub-bass. DC detection unfortunately didn't help

Tried a different (clean) computer to rule out the driver is messed up?

Yea same issue using the BT input (no driver there)

 

[Timbo2]

Limit to your love by James Blake (0:55 when bass starts), HD6xx and normal listening volume (low gain and -15db)

Are you using PEQ?

 

[ziggurcat]

Of course I don't listen at that volume all the time it was just the point at which i could hear it. And this is for a track that is basically just sub-bass. DC detection unfortunately didn't help

Yea same issue using the BT input (no driver there)

Are you able to try a different pair of headphones? It would at least rule out the HPA if it was fine with a different pair.

 

[MarioBoi]

Are you using PEQ?

no PEQ - uninstalled the driver as well

Are you able to try a different pair of headphones? It would at least rule out the HPA if it was fine with a different pair.

yea unfortunately same issue with my speakers (on LO BAL)

 

[ziggurcat]

no PEQ - uninstalled the driver as well

yea unfortunately same issue with my speakers (on LO BAL)

Is the line "Is it truth or dare" supposed to sound garbled?

 

[Viper780]

Do you have any other AMP to try? Like a Audiointerface or mobile DAC+AMP?

 

[Dk33145]

Of course I don't listen at that volume all the time it was just the point at which i could hear it. And this is for a track that is basically just sub-bass. DC detection unfortunately didn't help

Yea same issue using the BT input (no driver there)

For me, there is a very slight clipping in the vocal when the bass comes on, the bass itself is clean as a whistle. This could just as easily be inherent in the recording itself. You can easily verify this by listening on another device. This used to drive me crazy: on "No time to die" at the crescendo, you hear quite a bit of clipping of the bass drums but I tried 3 sets of DAC + Headphone combos and they all sound the same, so you got to go take it up with the sound engineers. The issue with audiophile equipment is that it makes these recording flaws that much more noticeable.

 

[MarioBoi]

I've tried with a D70 Octo and it exhibits the same behavior during sub bass heavy tracks (clipping when turning the volume knob on the DAC itself but also using windows to change volume!). I'm going to try to reach out to Topping to get the bottom of this... Removing my computer from the equation also induces the same issue (using bluetooth)

edit: attached is a 45hz sine tone which exhibits the same behavior

 

[JIW]

I've tried with a D70 Octo and it exhibits the same behavior during sub bass heavy tracks (clipping when turning the volume knob on the DAC itself but also using windows to change volume!). I'm going to try to reach out to Topping to get the bottom of this... Removing my computer from the equation also induces the same issue (using bluetooth)

edit: attached is a 45hz sine tone which exhibits the same behavior

Due to the digital volume control there is a jump in level for every turn. When there is a continuous high level signal present and there is no muting, this will lead to some noise. I only get pops or cracks when using sine waves both on the DX5 II and using macOS volume control.

 

[melowman]

Yes, fast gain modulation create a fair amount of distortion, that’s just how it works.
Maybe some manufacturers do apply some smoothing (= LPF) to the gain modulation, maybe Topping does not apply any, but all in all I wouldn’t worry about that at all.

 

[ziggurcat]

yea unfortunately same issue with my speakers (on LO BAL)

I'm wondering if it's just the song itself? I listened to it through my phone as well via a TRN Black Pearl (and there's some pretty heavy PEQ applied to the low end), and that section starting at 0:55 sounds the same as it does via the HPA/LO outputs on my DX5 II.

And it's the same for me through my main HT system (miniDSP Flex + Buckeye NCx500 with Wharfedale Lintons and HSU ULS-15 MK2 subwoofer), which was personally calibrated by the wonderful OCA, so it's pretty dialed in.

 

[polkacik]

Limit to your love by James Blake (0:55 when bass starts), HD6xx and normal listening volume (low gain and -15db)

tried that on my
HE400se on Balanced Hi gain (till about -20dB) and in Lo gain (-10 dB)
DT797 pv (basically DT770 w/ mic) SingleEnded till -10dB Lo gain

both seems an OK. However there was minor resonance in my left driver - there is an PCB for microphone located behind driver, and i think thats causing it.
using stock windows driver.

neverthless to say, listening at these levels was ear-deafening experience

 

[Bauhaus]

Switch the DC detection sensitivity from High to Low

what is it for this setting ?

 

[staticV3]

what is it for this setting ?

See here: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...30-ii-review-headphone-amp.36027/post-1870257

Sensitivity: High will trigger more easily, perhaps too much.

 

[JOCoin]

Good news for DX5ii owners who use headphones. A user here had noted that the product page now lists crossfeed as a feature. I had emailed topping service to confirm this and received this back.

"Dear Sir,

Thank you for contacting TOPPING support. We are happy to assist.
Yes, we will add this feature later. The firmware hasn't been officially released yet, so it's not available at the moment. Please wait about a month; we will add this feature in a firmware update on the official website."

 

[BeeKay]

Good news for DX5ii owners who use headphones

Thought this was kind of mandatory?