Topping DX7 Pro+ Review (DAC & HP Amp)

[Music1969]

Since you already have the D10 Pro just get the A90D if that is what you want?
Otherwise get the THX AAA 789 or Monoprice 887 since those are the other amps closer to the A90D. The THX style Amps drive more current similar to the A90D.

Better is SMSL SP400 with AAA 888 and resistor ladder volume control - no channel imbalance issues

Good to 12 ohms

SMSL SP400 Review (headphone amp)

This is a review and detailed measurements of the SMSL SP400 balanced THX headphone amplifier. It was kindly sent to me by one of their dealers, shenzhenaudio. It costs US $630 from them. The SP400 makes an attempt at luxury with glossy plexiglass top and digital display: As you see, there...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[poxymoron]

I gave it a fine because I don’t see great price to performance here. At this point all amps and dacs from topping are textbook perfect and the only thing to wish for is good power output.

A Topping A90d with an smsl DO100 will give you about the same I/O, same SOTA measurements and a ton more power.

BTW: I really like the 12 Ohm power vs distortion measurement. Most amps have a significant drop on power after 16 ohms.

I always wondered why my A30 Pro doesn’t get really loud with m Planars and it’s for that very reason

Depends on what price to performance you're comparing it to.
CHORD Hugo TT2 for example, at almost 10 times the price of the DX7 Pro+.

 

[InfiniteNacho]

Newbie here, been lurking for a while deciding when to get my first nice set of gear....Realistically, what would I get out of a D90SE/A90D combo over this for 2X the price? Just more power to headphones? Based on this, it seems like it's got more than enough power without distortion. Does the lack of balanced out really matter?

Sorry for the basic questions, just trying to understand the circumstances that would lead to going for the stack instead.

 

[juliangst]

Newbie here, been lurking for a while deciding when to get my first nice set of gear....Realistically, what would I get out of a D90SE/A90D combo over this for 2X the price? Just more power to headphones? Based on this, it seems like it's got more than enough power without distortion. Does the lack of balanced out really matter?

Sorry for the basic questions, just trying to understand the circumstances that would lead to going for the stack instead.

Basically just more power. If you get low impedance planars like Dan Clark Aeon or Hifiman Susvara, you really need that power.
Most amps run out of headroom with those low impedance headphones because they cannot provide enough current.
the A90D still has more than 10V at 12 Ohm so it should be future proof for any hard to drive headphones.

 

[InfiniteNacho]

Basically just more power. If you get low impedance planars like Dan Clark Aeon or Hifiman Susvara, you really need that power.
Most amps run out of headroom with those low impedance headphones because they cannot provide enough current.
the A90D still has more than 10V at 12 Ohm so it should be future proof for any hard to drive headphones.

Thanks for the reply. Is that a concern here? Also, this doesn't have balanced out for DAC or HP, right? Does that matter?

 

[MediumRare]

@JohnYang1997 congratulations on another home run! My (early adopter) DX7 Pro is now feeling a little sad. Complimentary upgrade, maybe?

Now, for your next trick, if you could make an amp with 200 WPC into 8 ohms Topping will own the audio industry.

 

[bumelant]

It is a wonderful product indeed, but could we finally get from Topping some better experience?:
1) Metal remotes that are on par with the quality of the sound
2) Streamer with proper remote and display? With digital volume control & output for Genelec and a nice DAC & headphone amp builtin
3) Programable equalization / FIR filters per output
4) I personally wound't mind a proper CD transport.

Thank you

 

[Billy Budapest]

This is kind of an end game, exit ramp product but it certainly doesn’t come cheap.

 

[Billy Budapest]

Looks and performs really nice.

Kind of low power at 32 ohm, I would like to see at least 3W at that load for hifiman aryas and EDXSs eqed to Harman, and DCAs Aeons, considering the price devices like this should, in my opinion, aim to power those kind of planar headphones that might be what a potential buyer of this price bracket be looking into too.

You aren’t going to need 3 Watts for any headphone.

 

[MediumRare]

It is a wonderful product indeed, but could we finally get from Topping some better experience?:

3) Programable equalization / FIR filters per output

Thank you

+1

Re: "streamer", please just add WiFi as a source.

 

[juliangst]

You aren’t going to need 3 Watts for any headphone.

My aeon noire are getting about 2W and it’s not enough at all. I have to crank up my Topping A30 Pro to 3PM on some tracks.
The Stealth and Hifiman susvara need even more power than that.

 

[juliangst]

It is a wonderful product indeed, but could we finally get from Topping some better experience?:
1) Metal remotes that are on par with the quality of the sound
2) Streamer with proper remote and display? With digital volume control & output for Genelec and a nice DAC & headphone amp builtin
3) Programable equalization / FIR filters per output
4) I personally wound't mind a proper CD transport.

Thank you

I can do all of this with my Raspberry Pi running MoOde with camillaDSP. What we need is more multichannel DACs like the Topping DM7.
A 4 channel DAC would be useful for subwoofer integration. They could even implement a simple high and low pass filter on the device itself.

 

[Billy Budapest]

My aeon noire are getting about 2W and it’s not enough at all. I have to crank up my Topping A30 Pro to 3PM on some tracks.
The Stealth and Hifiman susvara need even more power than that.

Well, that’s crazy amounts of power even for planar magnetics. I have had Audeze (LCD-2 and Sine DX) and Oppo (PM-1 and PM-3) planar magnetics and they did fine with far less than one watt. How loud are you listening to them?

 

[juliangst]

Well, that’s crazy amounts of power even for planar magnetics. I have had Audeze (LCD-2 and Sine DX) and Oppo (PM-1 and PM-3) planar magnetics and they did fine with far less than one watt. How loud are you listening to them?

I‘m not listening extremely loud. Maybe 70dB or sometimes 80 for a short time.
Also keep in mind that the LCD2 are 101dB sensitive. Therefore they almost need 10 times less power than the Aeons

 

[restorer-john]

@JohnYang1997 congratulations on another home run! My (early adopter) DX7 Pro is now feeling a little sad. Complimentary upgrade, maybe?

Now, for your next trick, if you could make an amp with 200 WPC into 8 ohms Topping will own the audio industry.

No home runs whatsoever for Topping.

They need to get their house in order with failed products before anyone should be recommending their stuff.

 

[Jukka]

"not chart topping"

Error in power formula, should be "Power = Volt * Current/impedance".

 

[Jimbob54]

Here's the max output power vs load for every Topping AIO currently sold:
View attachment 228156
Note that I used WolfX-700's data, because he does high res sweeps at four different loads.

Good work- if I have understood this correctly if you want a Topping AIO for 20ish ohm or less planars and want to go deaf, get the DX3 pro+? This DUT highest output for the higher impedance cans?

 

[ToriCatcher]

The real appeal in my eyes is that this level of IMD nullifies the need for a preamp.

 

[staticV3]

Realistically, what would I get out of a D90SE/A90D combo over this for 2X the price? Just more power to headphones?

Here's how much more power you would get from the D10B+A90D ($740) vs the DX7Pro+ ($700):

 

[staticV3]

Good work- if I have understood this correctly if you want a Topping AIO for 20ish ohm or less planars and want to go deaf, get the DX3 pro+? This DUT highest output for the higher impedance cans?

yup!