Topping DX7 Pro DAC and Headphone Amp Reviewed

[Veri]

Never saw headphones with such a jack !

It's Sony's standard for balanced. Much more robust connector than 2.5mm, it's becoming more popular. HD660 has 4.4mm cable included. iFi's new products will all have 4.4mm balanced output. And this DX7 Pro has it.

 

[Alou]

Most of the pro Headphones i use are 1/4 so never "investigated" into other connections,thanks for the info!

 

[Bjoran]

Never saw headphones with such a jack !

As @Veri wrote it is Sony's standard for balanced, using the Pentaconn plug.
I am using my Sennheiser HD660s with the included 3 m cable with the 4.4 mm plug, connected to my Topping DX7 Pro.
The connection is mechanically very stable and the sound coming out from the DX7 Pro is stunning.

 

[Bjoran]

Hi Alou, thanks for the quick reply, the format isn't the issue as the TV decodes it and uses PCM for the digital sound out (OPT), like I said that setup worked without any issues with the D50 for quite some time, and I had several dropouts with the DX7 in a 5 minute musical scene...

I've now completely powered it off and will let it rest a bit as I'm not sure if I fully powered it down after configuring, just used standby.

And just for comparison, using USB with Roon there don't seem to be any issues (yet), even hit it with some DSD512 upsampling.

I had the same problem after I replaced the coax cable with a better one when the DX7 Pro was in standby.
After a power off/waited a few minutes/power on, the dropouts did not show up again.

 

[Alou]

I had the same problem after I replaced the coax cable with a better one when the DX7 Pro was in standby.
After a power off/waited a few minutes/power on, the dropouts did not show up again.

Well that might be the case but he is using an optical connection.

 

[ramzi]

I had the same problem after I replaced the coax cable with a better one when the DX7 Pro was in standby.
After a power off/waited a few minutes/power on, the dropouts did not show up again.

I've been trying various combinations over the last hour, factory reset, power off, reseating cables, switching DAC to SYNC, all with the same results:
Playing anything on the TV results in pretty often short dropouts where the display switches between ----kHz and 48kHz

Everything else is the same and worked perfectly with the D50, feels bad man...

 

[Alou]

Can you try with something else as a source ?DVD or blueray player ?
Lets first see if the problem is from the source or not.
The fiber optic cable does not matter as long as it is not bended to the point to cause light diffractions.

 

[ramzi]

Can you try with something else as a source ?DVD or blueray player ?
Lets first see if the problem is from the source or not.
The fiber optic cable does not matter as long as it is not bended to the point to cause light diffractions.

Good point, ironically I'm pretty sure I got rid of everything that had a Toslink connection except the TV...

I've emailed Topping so hoping to hear from them, I really hope I don't have a borked unit, as USB playback seems to work smooth as butter.

 

[Alou]

Try to disconnect usb and then try or see the device settings from the windows audio panel (or MAC) to be set at 48khz.
Maybe the USB input has priority over optical and locks with the windows driver.

 

[ramzi]

Try to disconnect usb and then try or see the device settings from the windows audio panel (or MAC) to be set at 48khz.
Maybe the USB input has priority over optical and locks with the windows driver.

I can't believe I didn't try that when I was testing everything

I was almost going to say it works, but seems it only improves the issue, watched for several minutes with zero dropouts and then 2 in a row...

BTW. the USB is connected to a Linux machine and is controlled by Roon.

 

[Alou]

Try with a any source that has optical out besides your TV to see if the optical in is ok,even an old cd player.
Does the tv have coax to try ?

 

[ramzi]

Try with a any source that has optical out besides your TV to see if the optical in is ok,even an old cd player.
Does the tv have coax to try ?

Trying to find a source with optical out from a friend, no coax, unfortunately LG gives you 3 options on their OLEDs: ARC, Toslink and 3.5mm

 

[Alou]

Ok do that but also check again the menu of the TV outputs (digital out) to see if its linear pcm etc.
Also check with various tv programs some have just stereo.
I know it worked with the d50 but you never know,had a similar issue long time ago eventhough was pcm the audio data packets were not in a linear pcm format.
Now you made me wonder to check with mine ,when i get home tonight!

 

[Alou]

I checked the LG oled series online manual and there seems to be some setting to control the external device through the optical or hdmi port.
Maybe some data is misleading the dx7pro ,try through the menu (digital audio out) to disable LG sync sound to off and passtrhough pcm earc off.
And offcourse sound out to PCM not auto.


see here :
http://kr.eguide.lgappstv.com/manua...45__settings__sound__aisound_k_u_b__enga.html

 

[ramzi]

Yep, that's pretty much how it's been configured since the start, like this image:
https://linx.li/3x9khgtr.png

 

[NielsMayer]

Heya people, so my DX7 Pro just got here as an upgrade to my trusty D50.

I have it configured like this atm, connected to an integrated amp:
AUTO (OFF), Output (LO), LO Mode (DAC), Line Out (RCA), BT (OFF), PCM FIR (MODE5)

I seem to have an issue with OPT, it's configured as OPT->RCA (DAC mode), but when playing some video content on the TV (OPT source), I get dropouts where the display shows ---kHz and then comes back with 48kHz, like it lost connection for a second or something...
I never had that issue with the D50.

Just wondering if anyone else using OPT saw dropouts like that?

Is it a Samsung TV??

My cheap/discounted/dropped-in-shipping/accepted/discounted-some-more 4k samsung does this on optical out. I'd have returned it, but given that it ended up less than $200 plus some tactfully placed electrical tape over the cracks , and mostly works, i'd rather keep it and not use optical as use the money to buy a nice DAC like the DX7Pro.... The Samsung 4k also did it with the Topping DX7s.

Dx7Pro, like Dx7, doesn't seem to have the problem going into an old terratec pci card optical, nor does the optical output on the terratec cause dropouts. Of course it is an old card, only capable of doing 96k. (but with a great UI! #Mudita24 ).

I'm not the only one complaining about the optical out on Samsung TV's

https://eu.community.samsung.com/t5/TV/Audio-dropouts-over-optical-output/td-p/475215

 

[Bjoran]

Yep, that's pretty much how it's been configured since the start, like this image:
https://linx.li/3x9khgtr.png

Have you tried the opposite, setting LG Sound Sync to On?
Anyway, when I Google 'oled toslink dropouts' I get 160000 results, so this fault seems to be a common one, not only for LG.

 

[Alou]

Well got mine today,built quality of the chassis is super!
Just powered it up,everything works fine checked all inputs and outs except BT (i dont care about BT at this point) ,took me about 3 minutes to discover why the remote was not working(batteries not included LOL).
Sound is very good but not so much difference from the D10, better bass for sure but i will check the next few days,i always start with lower quality material such as streaming internet and then move up to the higher quality recordings,i check things the reverse way.
But from a half hour listening point its day and night as i thought from the D10.

The preamp is quite good as well ,my previous set up was a D10 RCA out to a Grace m902 and then XLR out to a pair of monoblock amps.
I did this with out the Grace now just the DX7pro and sounds almost as good.
DX7 was detected as D10 first ,had to remove and reinstall the driver and now is detected as just Topping USB DAC but in the driver panel info its a DX7pro.

Volume knob is in steps and clicks every step ,like stepped attenuation but i am sure its not since its digital volume yet feels exactly like the stepped one on the Grace.

So question here what is the default DAC filter setting ?It was at 3 when powered it up initially and switched to 1 but dont know for sure and I am too lazy to play with filters ,i always leave them at OEM default.

 

[Alou]

Ok in the manual its says 3 is default so left it there,not that changing filters is very noticeable tough!

 

[Alou]

After listening for 3 hours now directly connected to my monoblocks via xlr balanced all i can say is that DX7 is also a Great Preamp!!