Topping DX7 Pro DAC and Headphone Amp Reviewed

[NielsMayer]

MQA is crap as is a lossy format (and PROPRIETARY!), just like mp3 (at least mp3 is an open format). Much of MQA is pure marketing.

If it were lossless like FLAC, then ok, but it is not.

Either way, you can already use MQA as long you got a PC, they have a software it supports now.

I agree, and I'm hoping that other sites like Qobuz step up their game on Linux (which they stopped supporting within my free trial period so i unsubscribed) so that I no longer am dependent on Tidal and MQA.

However for the time being I am.

Nonetheless, trigger pulled on DX7Pro and buggy SMSL M500 going back via Amazon Prime free returns.... Probably never a good idea to wait for a new generation AKM DAC and XMOS implementations as there's bound to be problems that'll get sorted out in subsequent versions... So not waiting for D90 or MQA. Probably better to get the last and most refined of the ESS9038PRO's...

 

[Gradius]

I will probably pull the trigger in favour of DX7 PRO too.

 

[Gradius]

I think the laptop/smartphone needs to have bluetooth 5.0 for better streaming/sound quality?

Source:
https://www.amarinfotech.com/differences-comparisons-bluetooth-5-vs-4-2.html

 

[Gradius]

It would also be interesting to see of swapping in OPA 1612 changes anything more than subjectively.

I'll try to see if I can identify the i/v stage op-amp to satisfy curiosity.

Well, I tried many OPAs and LME49720NA too, I can say (IMHO) them ALL aren't that good compared to discrete ones.

About LME49720NA, they sounds harsh, metalic, and a bit artificial, compared to Bursons OPAMPs (I use them on my modded Asus STX).

I want to try the Sparko's too, they are even better (and expensive too) as somes whom tried both (Bursons and Sparko) pointed out.

Someone did some measurements (see attached).

 

[dmac6419]

What color should I get black or silver?

 

[bigjacko]

Consider E1DA 9038s, no hump and dirt cheap or upcoming single ended variant.

Can the E1DA 9038 be used as a dac? I thought it only got amp output. If you can use it as dac how to do use it?

 

[WhiteCoatGeek]

How does the amplifier section of DX7 Pro compare to the one in D7S? Output numbers listed on website are significantly different.

 

[veeceem]

Just did a quick search while waiting for mine to arrive:
No need to have bluetooth 5.0 to stream music at best quality to DX7 Pro
Check your phone website/spec. As long as it supports "aptX HD or LDAC". You're all good mine supports both

 

[Veri]

Can the E1DA 9038 be used as a dac? I thought it only got amp output. If you can use it as dac how to do use it?

You can use 9038s as DAC via 2.5mm> 2x XLR cable. You can use upcoming 9038d as DAC via 3.5mm>RCA cable. The upcoming 9038d will also have 'DAC' mode specifically so it might be better suited than the current balanced one. But yeah it's totally possible.

 

[bigjacko]

You can use 9038s as DAC via 2.5mm> 2x XLR cable. You can use upcoming 9038d as DAC via 3.5mm>RCA cable. The upcoming 9038d will also have 'DAC' mode specifically so it might be better suited than the current balanced one. But yeah it's totally possible.

But is the E1DA 9038 a dac amp combo? Is there going to be impedance issue?

 

[Veri]

Is there going to be impedance issue?

No.

 

[bigjacko]

No.

Can it be used as single ended? I have seen the video that he connected to single ended headphone.

 

[Veri]

Can it be used as single ended? I have seen the video that he connected to single ended headphone.

No no that is upcoming product. The current version is balanced! SE is in development https://e1dashz.wixsite.com/index/9038d
But I propose that we stop the off topic discussion, sorry you can go to 9038s balanced thread for info.

 

[Jave]

@amirm - any plans to post RCA out measurements?
I have seen this XLR to RCA cable:
https://www.amazon.com/Monoprice-XLR-Male-RCA-Cable/dp/B001VLW398

Is it smart\safe\any reason to use with the DX7 to Geshelli Archel2?

 

[Veri]

@amirm - any plans to post RCA out measurements?
I have seen this XLR to RCA cable:
https://www.amazon.com/Monoprice-XLR-Male-RCA-Cable/dp/B001VLW398

Is it smart\safe\any reason to use with the DX7 to Geshelli Archel2?

Also - I ordered one but am not sure when is it supposed to be released/shipped?

Why use a XLR to RCA cable? RCA is 1-pin, XLR is 3-pin, so XLR>RCA will not give any benefit or louder signal, it's the same as going straight from the RCA output... even worse, some XLR to RCA will short one output pin which, depending on how much the DAC likes that, can lower performance and possibly drastically increase distortion.

Don't go XLR to RCA for no reason.

 

[Jave]

Why use a XLR to RCA cable? RCA is 1-pin, XLR is 3-pin, so XLR>RCA will not give any benefit or louder signal, it's the same as going straight from the RCA output... even worse, some XLR to RCA will short one output pin which, depending on how much the DAC likes that, can lower performance and possibly drastically increase distortion.

Don't go XLR to RCA for no reason.

Why will give no benefit \ will be the same?

 

[Veri]

Why will give no benefit \ will be the same?

XLR has + and - signal, and one pin for ground.
RCA has only one pin for signal that's it. RCA cannot take more than either + or - from XLR.

There is no point to use XLR output to go into RCA input. It's the SAME as RCA output.

XLR has more pins than RCA, this you understand yes?

 

[Jave]

XLR has + and - signal, and one pin for ground.
RCA has only one pin for signal that's it. RCA cannot take more than either + or - from XLR.

There is no point to use XLR output to go into RCA input. It's the SAME as RCA output.

XLR has more pins than RCA, this you understand yes?

So the actual same conversion happens in the device I assume, for the RCA connectors.
So why would such a simple conversion lower the signal's fidelity?

 

[Veri]

So the actual same conversion happens in the device I assume, for the RCA connectors.

Yes

So why would such a simple conversion lower the signal's fidelity?

You can check out the Okto thread for more discussion about it, Okto heavily argued against using XLR to RCA adapters since they either short out one pin (can cause distortion on DAC side) or they leave one pin floating (harmless, but you can get ground loops without common mode rejection).

I simply don't understand why you would want to connect the XLR output to your RCA input. There's absolutely zero reason to.

 

[ryohnosuke]

@amirm - any plans to post RCA out measurements?
I have seen this XLR to RCA cable:
https://www.amazon.com/Monoprice-XLR-Male-RCA-Cable/dp/B001VLW398

Is it smart\safe\any reason to use with the DX7 to Geshelli Archel2?

Also - I ordered one but am not sure when is it supposed to be released/shipped?

Noooo. XLR to RCA could burn your DAC (RCA to XLR is safe) Check the manual or ask for support if it can be done safely.