Topping DX5II Balanced DAC and Headphone Amp Review

[uniken]

OK, but that's a hefty price tag for another device that has only 1-year warranty, don't you think?

If I buy from a local supplier here in Australia, I will be covered by our consumer laws which are fairly strong - a product must last for a reasonable length of time regardless of the manufacturer's warranty period. For a product like this a reasonable person would expect it to last for several years, and upon failure a consumer would have a right to a repair or refund from the supplier even if outside the warranty period.

My mistake was to buy from China direct which I will not be doing again.

 

[Berwhale]

I must say, this approach from Topping to ask customers to ship things back to China feels like a deliberate move to discourage warranty claims.

They could easily enter a support agreement with a US and a European electronic repair shop to provide regional support for customers. Depending on sales volumes, other regions could be considered as well.

So many small electronic repair shops function as official regional partners for different brands. The only sense I can make out of Topping not having regional partners, is that this is a deliberate move.

It's not Topping's approach, it's the retailers approach which is, as i've already mentioned, heavily influenced by the Chinese governments regulations regarding imports.

Developing distribution channels in other parts of the world takes time and money. These distribution channels then need to be paid for which elevates the local prices for the goods and undermines the attraction of purchasing the goods at a discount in the first place.

For example, I recently purchased a pair of CrinEar Daybreak IEMs directly from China via AliExpress, I paid £116 ($157). The same IEMs are sold for £179 ($241) on Amazon UK by a third party seller. I am quite happy to accept the much lower purchase price from China, on the basis that if the IEMs fail, I will have no certainty about replacing them or getting my money back. Frankly, I have had more grief from 3rd party sellers on Amazon UK than i've had from companies selling direct from China on AliExpress (to be fair my purchases on Amazon UK would exceed those on AliExpress by at least two orders of magnitude in terms of both quantity and value )

 

[tcreswick]

For those asking about Linux support, I reverse-engineered the DX5 II's control protocol and built a Linux kernel driver - desktop slider now drives the real analogue volume

 

[LiviuTM]

I must say, this approach from Topping to ask customers to ship things back to China feels like a deliberate move to discourage warranty claims.

They could easily enter a support agreement with a US and a European electronic repair shop to provide regional support for customers. Depending on sales volumes, other regions could be considered as well.

So many small electronic repair shops function as official regional partners for different brands. The only sense I can make out of Topping not having regional partners, is that this is a deliberate move.

As others said, this is the risk associated with buying electronics from overseas retailers, especially those based in China, such as Shenzhen Audio. I have nothing against them; I buy a lot of small stuff from AliExpress. But when it comes to expensive equipment, I think it's advisable to buy locally if possible.
I have my DX5 II from a local reputable retailer I used before, and it's covered by a 2-year warranty. When I wanted other audio gear not available locally, I got it from EU retailers - preferably well-known ones, such as Audiophonics or Thomann. I'm EU-based; we're lucky to be covered by pretty strong consumer protection laws.
In the end, it's a trade-off between price and peace of mind.

 

[Lambo1985]

My DX5 II now won't turn on. It is completely dead. Has this happened to anyone else?

 

[jodrim]

My DX5 II now won't turn on. It is completely dead. Has this happened to anyone else?

Topping DX5II Balanced DAC and Headphone Amp Review

I created some test filters to check the rounding behaviour... Preamp: -2.4 dB Filter 1: ON PK Fc 100 Hz Gain 1.1 dB Q 1.100 Filter 2: ON PK Fc 150 Hz Gain -2.2 dB Q 1.200 Filter 3: ON PK Fc 200 Hz Gain 3.3 dB Q 1.400 Filter 4: ON PK Fc 250 Hz Gain -4.4 dB Q 1.500 Filter 5: ON PK Fc 300 Hz...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Switched the device on and off with rear power switch and it is just black, no topping boot logo or anything and can't see the device in Windows either. The firmware upgrade screen works so I reinstalled V1.62 but I get the same black screen. Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions for how to fix this before contacting Topping?

^ Maybe if the issue I had is similar to your issue. The fix for me was to install one version older firmware. But maybe if you try reinstalling the newest one first it could come back to life.

 

[Lambo1985]

^ Maybe if the issue I had is similar to your issue. The fix for me was to install one version older firmware. But maybe if you try reinstalling the newest one first it could come back to life.

I appreciate the suggestion, but it won't even enter FW update mode.

 

[gtan]

I was about to buy the DX5 II and read about issues of hot plugging in/out the 4.4mm socket. Is this still an issue? I tend to do this and worry it will wreck my IEMs or Headphone

 

[ziggurcat]

I was about to buy the DX5 II and read about issues of hot plugging in/out the 4.4mm socket. Is this still an issue? I tend to do this and worry it will wreck my IEMs or Headphone

Generally, you shouldn't do that, so it won't matter what device you get because the risk will be the same. Also, some of the documented cases could be a human error rather than an actual problem with the connector. Lasty, there have been two hardware revisions -- one of them was a different connector, so whatever issue they may have had with the original 4.4mm connector has likely been addressed with the newer component.

 

[Lambo1985]

I was about to buy the DX5 II and read about issues of hot plugging in/out the 4.4mm socket. Is this still an issue? I tend to do this and worry it will wreck my IEMs or Headphone

FWIW, I heeded the warnings and babied my DX5II. No hot swapping or anything "dangerous" like that (ridiculous to think, I know). It still failed. I thought to myself when buying it, "The odds are in my favor that it will not fail". Yet, it did. I even joked here, asking people to pray for me. But really, it's not funny. It's a $300 USD device. I mean really... how many people have purchased this device that have had issues/fails that are NOT on ASR? - I imagine plenty. Yet still, half the people on this ASR thread have had issues. Mine completely died. All I did, was turn it off with a front button push (no audio playing through it), switched off in the back, and the next day switched on in the back and nothing happened. Dead.

Obviously, this device has a relatively high fail rate (I have now experienced it first hand). It could be a matter of time before it dies on you, too. Get something else. Something with a track record of being reliable.

 

[gtan]

I can take a chance of it failing but I can’t take a chance if it blows up my ears or my headphones or IEMs because I have a habit of hot unplugging or plugging in

Looking at other options now if not the DX5 II

 

[ziggurcat]

FWIW, I heeded the warnings and babied my DX5II. No hot swapping or anything "dangerous" like that (ridiculous to think, I know). It still failed.

Welcome to the world of consumer electronics: where devices can fail on you at any point, regardless of the manufacturer.

Obviously, this device has a relatively high fail rate

It does not.

 

[Lambo1985]

It does not.

Then why are reports so rampant all over the internet? - Consider yourself very lucky yours still works. I've been a gear junkie for over 30 years, and I've NEVER had a device just flat out die on me like the DX5II. That's a visceral reality for me.

 

[JOCoin]

I can take a chance of it failing but I can’t take a chance if it blows up my ears or my headphones or IEMs because I have a habit of hot unplugging or plugging in

Looking at other options now if not the DX5 II

If you're worried about using the 4.4mm pentacon balanced, you can buy a 4 pin XLR to 4.4 mm adapter. As long as you're plugging the 4.4mm jack into the adapter before plugging the 4 pin XLR into the DX5 ii you'd be fine. It's pretty much physically impossible to short a 4 pin XLR cable or socket. I've had a unit since launch and haven't had any issues aside from software issues with the EQ app Topping tune but that's been fixed for a long time.

 

[ziggurcat]

Then why are reports so rampant all over the internet?

It's because that's where people go to search for/report issues, so you're going to get a much higher concentration of people all in one place reporting these kinds of things. You're never really going to get an electronics forum full of people where everyone (or the majority of people posting) is free from any hardware issues.

I've been a gear junkie for over 30 years, and I've NEVER had a device just flat out die on me like the DX5II. That's a visceral reality for me.

I've had several devices fail on me -- A launch day/pre-ordered PS4 straight out of the box had an HDMI failure (the replacement was flawless), a brand new Samsung TV failed after only a few weeks (Samsung refused to replace even after 3 months of it being in/out of the repair shop), a handful of Sony TVs that suffered from dead pixels (significantly more than the "allowable" amount) after only a few days, I had a Cambridge Audio AXR100 integrated amp that suffered from some kind of failure no one could figure out... And I never had one, but there was definitely a batch of Xbox 360s that suffered from the dreaded red ring of death.

I had an LG plasma TV die after about 7 years, but my current Sony TV has been going strong for about a decade, now with no signs of it dying anytime soon. I also had a Macbook Pro laptop that had a known failure within it's main control board that never actually happened on mine, so... *shrugs*

With a few people here reporting theirs failing after 7 months, it could be that there was a production run that may have used a batch of a particular component that was unknowingly defective. If more of them pop up, it would be worth investigating when these units were manufactured (if it indicates in anywhere on the device), and the serial numbers. That doesn't mean that the DX5 II suffers from a relatively high failure rate, it just means that there was a batch of one component that was defective.

I'm sorry that yours didn't survive, but I take exception to the misinformation about this device being riddled with hardware issues. IME of being on forums, it's all pretty typical as far as failure rates go (which is within the normal rate).

And FTR: I've had two Topping MX5s fail on me, but for two very different reasons.

 

[uniken]

IME of being on forums, it's all pretty typical as far as failure rates go (which is within the normal rate).

You say that the failure rate is "within the normal rate". Please show your working.

How did you calculate:

1. Typical failure rate of electronic devices
2. Specific failure rate of DX5II

I suspect your opinion is also anecdata, based on your experience of "being on forums", and is just as likely to be misinformation as anyone else's opinion.

 

[mlmnt]

FWIW, I heeded the warnings and babied my DX5II. No hot swapping or anything "dangerous" like that (ridiculous to think, I know). It still failed. I thought to myself when buying it, "The odds are in my favor that it will not fail". Yet, it did. I even joked here, asking people to pray for me. But really, it's not funny. It's a $300 USD device. I mean really... how many people have purchased this device that have had issues/fails that are NOT on ASR? - I imagine plenty. Yet still, half the people on this ASR thread have had issues. Mine completely died. All I did, was turn it off with a front button push (no audio playing through it), switched off in the back, and the next day switched on in the back and nothing happened. Dead.

Obviously, this device has a relatively high fail rate (I have now experienced it first hand). It could be a matter of time before it dies on you, too. Get something else. Something with a track record of being reliable.

I have two DX5ii devices: one is 6 months old, the other is 2 months old , and both are working without any issues.

 

[Berwhale]

New firmware! I will attempt the update from Topping.Home for the first time, fingers crossed!

Ah, you need to installed a helper application...

I installed the helper, it upgraded my USB Drivers whilst it was at it (which required turning off the DX5 II). The upgrade was slick in Topping.Home, it rebooted the DX5 II into DCU mode and pushed the file, rebooted and confirmed the version...

My PEQ and other settings all appear to be intact

 

[ziggurcat]

New firmware! I will attempt the update from Topping.Home for the first time, fingers crossed!

View attachment 553322

Ah, you need to installed a helper application...

View attachment 553324

I installed the helper, it upgraded my USB Drivers whilst it was at it (which required turning off the DX5 II). The upgrade was slick in Topping.Home, it rebooted the DX5 II into DCU mode and pushed the file, rebooted and confirmed the version...

View attachment 553326

My PEQ and other settings all appear to be intact

I'm curious about this new feature:

*Added: The 12V trigger output can be set to Follow Power or Follow Line Output.

Does that mean that I could connect a 12v to my mini300 amp, and have it only trigger it to turn on if I switch to the LO BAL output?

 

[Berwhale]

I'm curious about this new feature:

*Added: The 12V trigger output can be set to Follow Power or Follow Line Output.

Does that mean that I could connect a 12v to my mini300 amp, and have it only trigger it to turn on if I switch to the LO BAL output?

That's how I read it and I seem to recall someone requesting this feature in this, or the other, DX5 II thread.