Topping DX7 Pro DAC and Headphone Amp Reviewed

[Triamping]

After research I have found that no such thing exists as an LME 47920 inside the Topping DX7 Pro. Its four times LME 49720 NA.
Some say that the LME 49720 are the headphone amps, others say that only the AD8397 are the headphone amps.
Being new here, I expect to be "carried on the shoulder of giants" when it comes to (scientific) findings and discoveries.

Courtesy of https://hometheaterhifi.com/reviews...opping-dx7pro-headphone-amplifier-dac-review/

 

[Triamping]

Has anyone here experimented/tried any one of the the following affordable OP Amps in the DX 7 Pro?
If the answer is YESS, then reply with your objective & subjective findings.
(Compatibility, Current Draw, Subjective Sound Quality after direct A/B testing, Operating Temperature)

Version Alpha 0.1

Dual OP Amp Name	Product PDF Specifications Sheet	Price for a set (2 pcs) $	Compatibility
LME 49720NA	https://www.ti.com/product/LME49720	4	Yess *
AD8397	https://www.analog.com/en/products/ad8397.html	12	Yess ** [1]
OPA2132	https://www.ti.com/product/OPA2132	18
OPA2134	https://www.ti.com/product/OPA2134	12
OPA2107	https://www.ti.com/product/OPA2107	64
OPA2228	https://www.ti.com/product/OPA2228	28
OPA2244	https://www.ti.com/product/OPA2244	6
OPA2277	https://www.ti.com/product/OPA2277	12
OPA1612	https://www.ti.com/product/OPA1612	16	Yess [1]
LT1364	https://www.analog.com/en/products/lt1364.html	18
LT1490	https://www.analog.com/en/products/lt1490.html	10
SS3602	https://sparkoslabs.com/product/dual-discrete-op-amp-ss3602/	159	Yess *** [1]
OSH-DHB	https://staccatoaudio.com/offer/	159	? **** [1]

* swappable default OPAmp in DX7 Pro.
** unswappable default headphone Amp in DX 7 Pro.
*** SparkoS Discrete Dual OpAmps, runs hot at 70~80 degrees Celcius.
**** Staccato Discrete Dual OpAmps.

 

[Veri]

I'm starting to understand why Topping just removed the swappable buffer op-amp from both their new DAC and amps products. It's a cute gimmick but this is starting to devolve too much into tube nervosa. NE5532 are great, LME49720 are a bit better although rumoured to be sensitive to EMI, OPA1656 are really good too. Swapping in all those exotic op-amps or discrete abominations is not going to change the sound for the better. Really.

 

[Triamping]

Does anyone know how this little Windows 10 option "Sound Enhancements" affects our Topping DX7 Pro DAC device?
Can anyone explain what happens in Windows 10, as well as in the DAC, if this setting is enabled?
Do you have it on or off and, more importantly why do you have it on or off?

The English text in that Windows 10 property window could be interpreted in two ways:
A - "Allow" any extra signal bandwith to be processed, do not stop extra data, let full communications take place by the audio device.
B - "Change" the signal in such a way, that signal alterations take place that could result in a subjectively perceived sound enhancement.

 

[Veri]

Does anyone know how this little Windows 10 option "Sound Enhancements" affects our Topping DX7 Pro DAC device?
Can anyone explain what happens in Windows 10, as well as in the DAC, if this setting is enabled?
Do you have it on or off and, more importantly why do you have it on or off?

The English text in that Windows 10 property window could be interpreted in two ways:
A - "Allow" any extra signal bandwith to be processed, do not stop extra data, let full communications take place by the audio device.
B - "Change" the signal in such a way, that signal alterations take place that could result in a subjectively perceived sound enhancement.

It will disable all system effects like bass boost or limiter or other such things, should any be activated. However, it will disable all system APOs including the ones you installed like EqualizerAPO which you might actually want on.

 

[Bust3r]

Hi all,
First post!
I'm here to see if anyone knows which OPAMPS (either one or both) to change for the RCA out on the DX7 pro? I have one Burson V5i that I want to throw in but cant find out which OPAMP to swap, or if I need to swap both. I believe they are in the back, but there's 2, so do I swap both OPAMPS, or can I just swap one? But which one? I'm assuming one is for the RCA out and one if for the XLR out?

 

[gvl]

Are the original opamps damaged so they need to be replaced?

 

[kiyu]

Hi all,
First post!
I'm here to see if anyone knows which OPAMPS (either one or both) to change for the RCA out on the DX7 pro? I have one Burson V5i that I want to throw in but cant find out which OPAMP to swap, or if I need to swap both. I believe they are in the back, but there's 2, so do I swap both OPAMPS, or can I just swap one? But which one? I'm assuming one is for the RCA out and one if for the XLR out?

2 on the back are for RCA and XLR
2 on front are for the headphone amplifier

 

[Bust3r]

Are the original opamps damaged so they need to be replaced?

Hi, thanks for the reply, everything is good, its a brand new unit and so far works as intended. I got the unit to swap out the opamps in it, but aren't expecting the Burson replacements for a while. I do have one, but have since found out I need two for each headphone and line out.

Would I have to keep them ALL identical, do you know? If I wanted to use Burson V5i for line out and Burson vivids for the headphones, would that work?

 

[Bust3r]

2 on the back are for RCA and XLR
2 on front are for the headphone amplifier

Excellent, thanks!
Do they have to all be the same (all 4 opamps)?

 

[kiyu]

Excellent, thanks!
Do they have to all be the same (all 4 opamps)?

I will go with Pair,
or 2 for rca/xlr or 2 for headphones, or 4 for all ,

 

[kiyu]

btw burson v6 doesn't fit on the chasi so you would have to leave it open, which is a big risk.. don't get those

 

[Bust3r]

btw burson v6 doesn't fit on the chasi so you would have to leave it open, which is a big risk.. don't get those

I planned on using the extensions that burson sells for them, Its either that or get 3 more V5i to replace all stock opamps.

 

[gvl]

Hi, thanks for the reply, everything is good, its a brand new unit and so far works as intended. I got the unit to swap out the opamps in it, but aren't expecting the Burson replacements for a while. I do have one, but have since found out I need two for each headphone and line out.

Would I have to keep them ALL identical, do you know? If I wanted to use Burson V5i for line out and Burson vivids for the headphones, would that work?

In such a case leave them alone, this is the best advice, no kidding.

 

[Bust3r]

In such a case leave them alone, this is the best advice, no kidding.

Interesting, the whole point of being able to swap out opamps is to swap them out, its a very popular practice. I've done it a few times, without issue.

 

[gvl]

Interesting, the whole point of being able to swap out opamps is to swap them out, its a very popular practice. I've done it a few times, without issue.

Swap them out to just swap them out? This DAC performs close to the limits of today’s technology. Swapping out the opamps is very unlikely to bring any technical improvement, and even if it does it won’t be audible. If the sound is actually different after the swap and it’s not a placebo, then with good certainty you degraded the technical performance of an already excellent product. Not to mention it’s possible to introduce other issues like oscillation at high frequencies by blindly doing the swap and not doing technical validation. So why bother?

 

[Bust3r]

Swap them out to just swap them out? This DAC performs close to the limits of today’s technology. Swapping out the opamps is very unlikely to bring any technical improvement, and even if it does it won’t be audible. If the sound is actually different after the swap and it’s not a placebo, then with good certainty you degraded the technical performance of an already excellent product. Not to mention it’s possible to introduce other issues like oscillation at high frequencies by blindly doing the swap and not doing technical validation. So why bother?

Swap them and replace them, because I prefer the Burson sound to the OPA1612. I'm not a fan of those stock opamps, they're far too recessed and bassy in the midrange, while the Burson has far more clarity and and is much more natural sounding.
They make a huge improvement over an already outstanding opamp in the nu audio sound card. It tightened and deepened the bass, cleaned up and pushed the mids more forward, and brought the highs more forward are were far more airy sounding while eliminating the accentuated highs produced by the OPA1612. It was a massive improvement, that's why I do it. If Topping thought people weren't amp rolling, they wouldn't have made them swappable, I would think. Its quite popular to do with this unit as well, apparently, with al the results i've seen being online being positive. The only complaint seems to be the cover wont fit back on after replacement and there's already remedies for that.

 

[kiyu]

Swap them and replace them, because I prefer the Burson sound to the OPA1612. I'm not a fan of those stock opamps, they're far too recessed and bassy in the midrange, while the Burson has far more clarity and and is much more natural sounding.
They make a huge improvement over an already outstanding opamp in the nu audio sound card. It tightened and deepened the bass, cleaned up and pushed the mids more forward, and brought the highs more forward are were far more airy sounding while eliminating the accentuated highs produced by the OPA1612. It was a massive improvement, that's why I do it. If Topping thought people weren't amp rolling, they wouldn't have made them swappable, I would think. Its quite popular to do with this unit as well, apparently, with al the results i've seen being online being positive. The only complaint seems to be the cover wont fit back on after replacement and there's already remedies for that.

I never swap OPamps, so I can't tell, BUT... BUT... you are comparing all that with OPA1612 and Topping dx7 pro came with LME 49720 which is different to that OPA1612, not sure if better or worse, but is definitely not OPA1612

 

[kiyu]

I would love to test it with SparkosLabs SS3602 , but to d@mm expensive unfortunately. and I don't think I will hear a really big difference.

 

[Veri]

I would love to test it with SparkosLabs SS3602 , but to d@mm expensive unfortunately. and I don't think I will hear a really big difference.

Yeah would highly doubt it. Those discrete ones look nice but don't really have anything on them that should be "better".