Topping DX7 Pro DAC and Headphone Amp Reviewed

[gvl]

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.

There is no need to reiterate the nonsense you read on other audio forums and marketing materials here on ASR. We’ve all read and ignored it already.

 

[Bust3r]

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

True, I swore I read they were OPA1612 OPAMPs, apparently I misread. They sound very similar though, and quite confident the bursons will be a dramatic improvement in the DX7 as the V5i was over the stock sound card OPAMP.

 

[Veri]

True, I swore I read they were OPA1612 OPAMPs, apparently I misread. They sound very similar though, and quite confident the bursons will be a dramatic improvement in the DX7 as the V5i was over the stock sound card OPAMP.

"Dramatic" changes either go hand in hand with extreme change in distortion, or placebo.

 

[Bust3r]

"Dramatic" changes either go hand in hand with extreme change in distortion, or placebo.

there's definitely an audible difference in sound, and certainly not a placebo effect or people wouldn't be doing it. There is an audibly marked improvement in sound from the stock OPAMPs to the bursons. No, not all OPAMPs will have the same effect when trying different ones. This is a very encouraged practice by the very companies that make swappable OPAMP units. Trust your ears as well as graphs, not just the data on the sheets only.

 

[Veri]

there's definitely an audible difference in sound, and certainly not a placebo effect or people wouldn't be doing it. There is an audibly marked improvement in sound from the stock OPAMPs to the bursons. No, not all OPAMPs will have the same effect when trying different ones. This is a very encouraged practice by the very companies that make swappable OPAMP units. Trust your ears as well as graphs, not just the data on the sheets only.

"definitely audible" "trust your ears" gosh, think you missed the science part in this website. Plenty of other forums to perpetuate the eternal audiophile bullshit.

FYI Topping placed these DIP buffer amps for the DIY enthusiasts who love that kinda thing and they'll actually stop doing that in new products precisely for all the myths and bullshits around op-amp swapping. Swapping a little buffer can't possibly have such a drastic effect.

Rolling Op-amps in Gustard H20 Headphone Amplifier

I reviewed the Gustard H20 which is a high-end headphone amplifier yesterday. Its owner kindly sent me some high-end op-amps to "roll" in there to see what difference it makes. The task was pretty easy. The top screws come out of the H20 and if you tilt the unit, the lid falls out exposing...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Rolling (replacing) Op-amps in Topping D10 DAC

This is a study of whether changing op-amps in a DAC makes a measurable difference. Taking a lead form "rolling" tubes in tube products, a trend has started in replacing op-amps -- sometimes with much difficulty -- to improve performance of solid state products like DACs. A few months ago I...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[gvl]

Audio memory is very short. Unless you have 2 units side by side one modded one not and an AB switch operated by someone else, going by memory how something sounded before you swapped the opamps is a slippery path to truth.

 

[Bust3r]

"definitely audible" "trust your ears" gosh, think you missed the science part in this website. Plenty of other forums to perpetuate the eternal audiophile bullshit.

FYI Topping placed these DIP buffer amps for the DIY enthusiasts who love that kinda thing and they'll actually stop doing that in new products precisely for all the myths and bullshits around op-amp swapping. Swapping a little buffer can't possibly have such a drastic effect.

Rolling Op-amps in Gustard H20 Headphone Amplifier

I reviewed the Gustard H20 which is a high-end headphone amplifier yesterday. Its owner kindly sent me some high-end op-amps to "roll" in there to see what difference it makes. The task was pretty easy. The top screws come out of the H20 and if you tilt the unit, the lid falls out exposing...

www.audiosciencereview.com

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...rolling-replacing-op-amps-in-topping-d10-dac.

Have you done this before or heard the difference? I'm thinking you havent, and put up negative user experiences to try to prove a point. People aren't concerned about jitter and measurements when swapping opamps. You guys might be, but outside of this particular forum, they could care less.
Basically you're telling me that Burson audio, which specializes in sound engineering, is a fluke company that has no business being in business, because of the products they create and sell don't make a difference at all in any equipment and it's all placebo - because of measurements and the possibility of jitter being introduced by using said products.

 

[Bust3r]

Audio memory is very short. Unless you have 2 units side by side one modded one not and an AB switch operated by someone else, going by memory how something sounded before you swapped the opamps is a slippery path to truth.

I dont have 2 sound cards to test side by side but it takes less than 5 mins to swap. Tough crowd here, sheesh.

 

[Martin]

I dont have 2 sound cards to test side by side but it takes less than 5 mins to swap. Tough crowd here, sheesh.

Audio memory is measured in seconds. Any “differences” heard after 5 minutes are imagined.

Martin

 

[gvl]

I dont have 2 sound cards to test side by side but it takes less than 5 mins to swap. Tough crowd here, sheesh.

The myths are busted here on a regular basis

 

[gvl]

Basically you're telling me that Burson audio, which specializes in sound engineering, is a fluke company that has no business being in business, because of the products they create and sell don't make a difference at all in any equipment and it's all placebo - because of measurements and the possibility of jitter being introduced by using said products.

I wouldn’t go as far as calling them that, but they surely don’t mind to make a buck or two off these opamps swapping myths.

 

[Veri]

Have you done this before or heard the difference? I'm thinking you havent, and put up negative user experiences to try to prove a point. People aren't concerned about jitter and measurements when swapping opamps. You guys might be, but outside of this particular forum, they could care less.
Basically you're telling me that Burson audio, which specializes in sound engineering, is a fluke company that has no business being in business, because of the products they create and sell don't make a difference at all in any equipment and it's all placebo - because of measurements and the possibility of jitter being introduced by using said products.

Burson sent me a loaner amp once through another forum so yes I did experience the whole DIY op-amp frenzy. I think the stock NE ones were quite good really, not sure what the exotic ones supposedly improve. Like I said, the distortion profile doesn't change enough for anything to be so dramatic, unless you drive the amp into clipping or oscillation. Our ears are way too forgiving to hear other, minute changes. That's the truth I experienced, your truth might be different but it's not universal or "obvious", that I can tell you...

Also why do audiophiles usually think us critics just hide in the background and scorn products without even giving them a chance. I've tried plenty of audio products.. kept only a few..

 

[Bust3r]

Audio memory is measured in seconds. Any “differences” heard after 5 minutes are imagined.

Martin

I'm sure theres some truth to that but wouldn't call it foolproof. Not even close. I've played bass 17 yrs and have been in many sound engineering studios. When you've played and studied music a good part of your life, you know what sounds different to you. What you guys are disagreeing on is what a graph tells you, not what your ears do. As stated, jitter and measurements are not being considered here. If that's all you guys are going to concerned about, then I'm in the wrong place.
If I can make a recording of the swap sound difference, you guys will finally get to hear what I'm referring to. It's like you guys can't trust your ears because a graph doesn't match up with what you think you should be hearing.
No one is getting duped and tricked into buying OPAMPs. If you guys don't normally do this/have never done this, or better yet, have no idea what the sound difference is, then why bother replying? That goes for anyone replying here.

It was a simple question, and it's turned into....this. All I asked was if it would WORK - not to be berated and told my ears are useless, this chart will tell you everything, etc,.

 

[Bust3r]

The myths are busted here on a regular basis

Of I had 2 sound cards I'd have busted your myth right back

 

[Veri]

No one is getting duped and tricked into buying OPAMPs. If you guys don't normally do this/have never done this, or better yet, have no idea what the sound difference is, then why bother replying?

You're pretty gullible if you don't understand that's the entire trick, selling these fancy big discrete op-amps. Burson loans out and basically gives them for free in return for an "honest review". I've never seen as many Burson posts on Reddit and head-fi before as I do now, so all that free marketing must really start paying off for them! If you look at what they charge for a single pair of duals, I reckon they make darn good profit, too...

 

[gvl]

Of I had 2 sound cards I'd have busted your myth right back

Not before you had a helper who’d switch between them without you seeing which one is playing.

 

[earlevel]

there's definitely an audible difference in sound, and certainly not a placebo effect or people wouldn't be doing it.

I'm not going to tell you what you can or can't hear, but I have to rib you about this comment...hm, what else can we say...

"Green markers definitely produce better sounds for CDs, or people wouldn't be doing it."

"Buying $2000 interconnects is certainly worth the money, or people wouldn't be doing it."

"Burning in cables has an audible effect, or people wouldn't be doing it."

I don't know how many people are using this, but it must work or people wouldn't be doing it:

LessLoss Blackbody - Optimize Your Audio Space with Ambient Field Conditioning

Transform your listening environment with the LessLoss Blackbody, an ambient field conditioner designed to refine your audio space. By altering electromagnetic interactions, it enhances sound quality, depth, and realism, offering a pristine listening experience for audiophiles and music...

www.lessloss.com

 

[Triamping]

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.

@kiyu, can you elaborate for me why you would love to test it with SparkosLabs SS3602 Dual OPAmps? I'm openminded.
Why SparkosLabs OPAmps and not one of many many other (newest 2021 make) high fidelity cheap/expensive OPAmps?

 

[Triamping]

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
Some people will discourage you. Some people will encourage you.
I'm only going to answer your questions, without any encouragement NOR discouragement.

"Would I have to keep them ALL identical, do you know?"
As far as I know, NO, they do not all need to be identical.
You can, if you like, create a sine wave from 18 Hz to 22Khz FLAC or DSD file, (dual mono so both channels are identical). And make some of the songs you know mono so both channels are identical for this test. Then swap only one channel with the "awesome/new/discrete OpAmp" replacement, and then do some A/B testing by listening to similarities and differences between L/R channel. Then finally swap the OPAmps from Left to the Right channel and repeat the A/B testing to be sure what you heard as a slight/significant difference actually came through the OPAmps replacement (and not headphone Left driver or right driver etc). Then you can decide to buy one more OPAmps to complete the pair.

"Do they have to all be the same (all 4 opamps)?"
You can put any Dual 8 pins OPAmp pair on the RCA/XLR pair, and any Dual 8 pins OPAmp pair on the Headphone out.

Once you've completed the above A/B test, report back to share your results with me.
I'm sure its going to be a learnful experience for you and for me and anyone else interested / open minded to your findings.

Some say that the SparkosLabs Discrete OPAmps are vastly nicer lifelike sounding than the BURSON Audio, however, I have not tested that myself, but keep in mind that the SparkosLabs running at Class A all the time can get quite hot (70 to 80 degrees some measured with an IR camera) so proper ventilation or custom aluminium heatsinks would be not a bad idea on those...

(One way to achieve more ventilation is to drill 100 tiny holes, with a metal drill hex bit of say 3mm, small but pretty neat, on a precisely drawn pencil mesh pattern, on the top and bottom aluminium plate for aesthetics. When you take out the PCB you should have plenty room to give the unit a ventilation mod. But, never water plants with a watervapour if the plants are nearby or hanging above household appliances connected to live mains.)

My 2 cents.

 

[kiyu]

@kiyu, can you elaborate for me why you would love to test it with SparkosLabs SS3602 Dual OPAmps? I'm openminded.
Why SparkosLabs OPAmps and not one of many many other (newest 2021 make) high fidelity cheap/expensive OPAmps?

unfortunately, I don't know many OPamps, more than burson V6, V5, OPA1612 maybe a few more, but no more than those. but yeah probably would be many many more options than those, but I don't know others. that's all

I need to send back my Dx7 pro to china, but I guess 1 of the opamps (LME 47920 originals) is failing , because like 90% of the time that I switch from P+L to PO , I lost the left channel on my headphones... if I go back to P+L something fixed the issue sometimes left channel only work in RCA/xlr but not in headphone ... really strange issue.