staticV3
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What d'ya think?Soooo.... Is this actually true or a load of bollocks?
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Topping DX5II Balanced DAC and Headphone Amp Review
- Thread starter amirm
- Start date
GroeneLeeuw
Active Member
I wouldn´t book a Q&A session with him for advice.
Might as well walk across the street and ask my 70+ year old woman neighbour who knows sh.it or cares about DAC/HA amps.
She´ll offer me a cup of thee or coffee because she´s a really nice lady, that I´ll gladly accept and chat about the weather.
Might as well walk across the street and ask my 70+ year old woman neighbour who knows sh.it or cares about DAC/HA amps.
She´ll offer me a cup of thee or coffee because she´s a really nice lady, that I´ll gladly accept and chat about the weather.
Pierun
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the latter actually. Both are identical when it comes to sound, albeit the 6.35mm socket is less issue prone igFrom this review:
"The two balanced outputs from the dx 5, the 4.4mm and XLR sounds a little bit crisper and a little bit more detailed than the 6.3mm socket. The sound from the 6.3mm socket is not at all bad, but you can hear that the circuit has been optimized for the balanced outputs so that's the circuit I would use if you can."
Soooo.... Is this actually true or a load of bollocks?
ziggurcat
Major Contributor
From this review:
"The two balanced outputs from the dx 5, the 4.4mm and XLR sounds a little bit crisper and a little bit more detailed than the 6.3mm socket. The sound from the 6.3mm socket is not at all bad, but you can hear that the circuit has been optimized for the balanced outputs so that's the circuit I would use if you can."
Soooo.... Is this actually true or a load of bollocks?
About the only thing you'll notice between SE vs. BAL is the BAL output will be a little bit louder, but there won't be any difference in the quality of the sound.
SnakeLord
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It simply provides more power and plays louder. After switching to balanced you might indeed think that the "quality" of the sound got "better" because suddenly your brain starts to focus on those dominating hard hitting instruments and vocals but in fact it only got louder...From this review:
Soooo.... Is this actually true or a load of bollocks?
This guy is the worst of them all, well, at least Top3.
All they care is $$$ while acting like they do an objective product review, telling all kind of audiophile fairytails nonsense and trying to make you buy another product which you dont need. Basically all of those "review" influencer youtube channels are there to present products, thats about it. You can imagine how "objective" those reviews are.
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So would this be a good setup for my HD700's and a pair of active Beolab 3 speakers? I need something that is bulletproof when it comes to remembering volume between outputs as the Beolab 3 speakers are very sensitive and would get destroyed if played at 100%. I just needs something that is set and forget for those
Any other better options out there?
I'm currently running a V-DAC and a Lovely Cube (Lehmann Black Cube Linear clone).
Any other better options out there?
I'm currently running a V-DAC and a Lovely Cube (Lehmann Black Cube Linear clone).
GroeneLeeuw
Active Member
Have ordered 1 in black a few days ago directly from Topping, it´s on my way to me.
It will replace a Topping EX5 which I will move to my 2nd set.
I´ve been going around thinking that I´ll make changes to my sets.
I have 2 sets as follows:
1st- Rotel RA-1592 + Eversolo DMP-A6 + EX5(basically only for the HPA) + Focal Vestia N4
2nd - Denon PMA-1600ne + Focal Chorus 726 + Laptop Win11 as mobile source
I hardly use my 2nd set, I could sell as I won´t miss it.
My future plans would involve using either 1 of the 2 Topping DAC/HPA or the DMP-A6 as pre-amp and add a class D power amp.
However I move forward, the DMP-A6 would stay as source, the Focal N4 would stay as well, I bought them in 2025.
The Rotel amp could go.
Which would be the better pre-amp, the DAC/HPAs or the DMP-A6?
Or should I consider something else as pre-amp?
It will replace a Topping EX5 which I will move to my 2nd set.
I´ve been going around thinking that I´ll make changes to my sets.
I have 2 sets as follows:
1st- Rotel RA-1592 + Eversolo DMP-A6 + EX5(basically only for the HPA) + Focal Vestia N4
2nd - Denon PMA-1600ne + Focal Chorus 726 + Laptop Win11 as mobile source
I hardly use my 2nd set, I could sell as I won´t miss it.
My future plans would involve using either 1 of the 2 Topping DAC/HPA or the DMP-A6 as pre-amp and add a class D power amp.
However I move forward, the DMP-A6 would stay as source, the Focal N4 would stay as well, I bought them in 2025.
The Rotel amp could go.
Which would be the better pre-amp, the DAC/HPAs or the DMP-A6?
Or should I consider something else as pre-amp?
VuhoaphanX
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Hey guys,
Lately, I have been having issues with the standby mode on the Topping DX5II. Sometimes I couldn't wake it up by using the remote, and it also refused to pick up USB signal from my PC. I had to flip the power switch off and on again to get it working.
Therefore, I tried updating the firmware to the latest version 2.14, hoping this could fix my issue. I followed exactly the instruction on Topping official website. However, the update process somehow failed and now it shows "No firmware".
Is my device bricked? Can I re-flash the firmware using tools?
Any help would be very appreciated!
Mario1969
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check the USB cable, check the USB port on your computer, maybe the cable is loose
ziggurcat
Major Contributor
As it has been mentioned, check the USB cable, but did you unzip the folder you download from the site, and only drag the individual FW file over or did you inadvertently drag the whole folder over?
Also, I have had my own DX5 II not come out of standby mode before (it's been an issue since FW v1.93 for me). I have reported it to Topping, but because it happens so infrequently (maybe once every 2-3 weeks, if that), and there's no definitive steps to reproduce (yet), they haven't really done anything to resolve that problem.
VuhoaphanX
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I tried other cables and USB ports but nothing worked.
Now when I plug the DAC to my PC, it just prompts me to format the disk.
ziggurcat
Major Contributor
I would contact Topping.
VuhoaphanX
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I'm currently using the USB cable that comes with the DAC
I swear that I only copied the FW file over. Actually I've already update the FW several times before and have had no issues. The FW before my update attempt was 2.10.
Maybe my unit was defective. I've experienced a boot loop with Topping logo once before, but a FW update fixed it.
ziggurcat
Major Contributor
So with that format disk pop-up you are getting, is that just after connecting a USB cable or is that what shows up when you put the unit into the mode to update FW (i.e. pressing down the front knob while flipping the power switch on the back)?
Is the 12V trigger always on when the Topping is powered/out of standby? I want to trigger some speaker with the trigger signal, but only when I play sound out of them. They will be connected to the RCA ports, but I will also be using headphones, where the speakers should optimally be off. Currently it looks like the 12V signal is always on, meaning the speakers will also be turned on, even though I am playing through headphones.
It would be a really nice feature to be able to select when the trigger should be ON.
It would be a really nice feature to be able to select when the trigger should be ON.
Topping strikes again, as many products as topping sends Amir to be evaluated, they should have a presence on this forum like Luxsin.
ziggurcat
Major Contributor
If you have a 12v trigger cable, and a power amp with a 12v trigger input, you could easily test that out.
I dont own the Topping yet, thus why I am asking
ziggurcat
Major Contributor
I dont own the Topping yet, thus why I am asking
I can easily test that out this evening, and get back to you.
Thank you! If it is always on, which I suspect, it would be nice if Topping could implement this feature. Worst case, it is just a hardwired 12V buck that creates that 12V signal, in which case it can't be controlled.
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