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AnchorsUponUs
2
Aug 17, 2018
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logicSorry for the noob question - does this run Balanced and SE out? I imagine so... just want to check...
For the price point, the only thing I see as comparable is the NFB R2R 11 - thoughts on which way to go? Powering some HD6xx. Thanks!
For the price point, the only thing I see as comparable is the NFB R2R 11 - thoughts on which way to go? Powering some HD6xx. Thanks!
logic
87
Aug 17, 2018
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AnchorsUponUsJust look at the front panel: you'll see both a standard single-ended 6.35mm output, and a balanced 4-pin XLR output.
My HD6xx cans sound great with the DX7s, but I don't have any direct experience with Audio-GD's product lineup, so can't help you there. FWIW, there's a long discussion on R-2R DACs and measurement over here if you're interested in reading about some of the trade-offs you'll make with one of those: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/measurement-of-r2r-dac.2202/
My HD6xx cans sound great with the DX7s, but I don't have any direct experience with Audio-GD's product lineup, so can't help you there. FWIW, there's a long discussion on R-2R DACs and measurement over here if you're interested in reading about some of the trade-offs you'll make with one of those: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/measurement-of-r2r-dac.2202/
coolhand
40
Aug 18, 2018
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AnchorsUponUsSince you mentioned HD6XX and R2R11 ,.if this is the primary HP you will be using I would recommend DX7s since HD650/6XX doesn't pair well with R2R11 (primary source)
I own Topping D50 single ended ver. of DX7s ,both running 2 x ES9038Q2M and OPA1612 and my HD650 pairs better with D50
AnchorsUponUs
2
Aug 18, 2018
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coolhandThat's great to know, also gives the option of moving to balanced later w/o upgrading amps. My 6xx won't be here until October =( and the DX7 is ending so soon! Would you recommend waiting to see what type of DAC/AMPS become available on MD instead of just popping on the DX7?
Also, it seems that both DMS and Zeos really like the R2R 11 - I haven't heard them (or others on Reddit / Head-Fi) mention this brand hence my curiosity. Any reason some obscure Chinese dac/amp is so popular but something like Topping gets no love?
Also, while on the topic of powering the 6xx, was thinking of getting a pair for a family member as a gift also, and have researched down to the Origen G2 or the Fulla 2 as a starting amp. Reco either of those or something else? I was thinking the same for myself as a starter for 3-6 months also... oh and maybe the Magni 3 (but then no dac?) - this hobby really is a money pit...
Also, it seems that both DMS and Zeos really like the R2R 11 - I haven't heard them (or others on Reddit / Head-Fi) mention this brand hence my curiosity. Any reason some obscure Chinese dac/amp is so popular but something like Topping gets no love?
Also, while on the topic of powering the 6xx, was thinking of getting a pair for a family member as a gift also, and have researched down to the Origen G2 or the Fulla 2 as a starting amp. Reco either of those or something else? I was thinking the same for myself as a starter for 3-6 months also... oh and maybe the Magni 3 (but then no dac?) - this hobby really is a money pit...
gatticus
13
Aug 18, 2018
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AnchorsUponUsR2R dacs are exotic. People get excited about exotic/rare stuff. This is a "boring" ESS dac/TI opamp setup. Not very flashy, but I'm picking one up because its a very well performing reference implementation of the aforementioned chips for a very good price. AFAIK there aren't any balanced amp/dac options that are cheaper than this.
coolhand
40
Aug 18, 2018
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AnchorsUponUsR2R11 have slightly different sound signature NOS (organic,coherent ) vs. Delta Sigma ( clean,analytical,dry) both DAC's are on the warm side but I prefer my R2R11 with my HD58x and the most of my cans
BTW, if I had to choose between HD650 or HD58x ,Jubilee hands down
OrigenG2 is a joke (Zeos is a a salesman/comedian )
AnchorsUponUs
2
Aug 18, 2018
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coolhandThanks for the info. What might you suggest for first dac/amp combo then around $100 as a gift? I’ve got the Schiit factory near me here in LA so was considering going in expecting to be sold a stack or two.
Jackula
1743
Aug 19, 2018
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coolhandJust FYI, whether NOS is not synonymous with R2R and neither is OS with Delta Sigma. You can certainly run oversampling with R2R, and it's not that uncommon.
The Dragonfly Black is a good $100 entry product that can be used OTG and has MQA support. If you need a bit more power then there's the Schiit Fulla but the SQ is inferior to the DFB.
The Dragonfly Black is a good $100 entry product that can be used OTG and has MQA support. If you need a bit more power then there's the Schiit Fulla but the SQ is inferior to the DFB.
coolhand
40
Aug 19, 2018
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JackulaCorrect ,NOS as "True "NOS (0pamp-less ) vs. Delta Sigma (opamp heaven )
@ AnchorsUponUs,..if your budget is $100 then OrigenG2 is not a bad option but if you willing to look around you can pick up used Schiit Magni ,Modi stack for few bucks more
@ AnchorsUponUs,..if your budget is $100 then OrigenG2 is not a bad option but if you willing to look around you can pick up used Schiit Magni ,Modi stack for few bucks more
logic
87
Nov 6, 2018
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REVMADAs luck would have it, I own both a DX7s, and a Jot with the multibit DAC.
Functionally, the Jot is a very simple device from the user's perspective; the two DACs (or phono input) are simple add-on boards with fixed filter configurations, there's only simple input/gain/volume control, an on/off switch, and no visualization at all. It's a fairly beefy headphone amp that happens to have a DAC in it. Gets kinda hot when it's on, but basically plug-and-go.
The DX7s has quite a bit more going on; there's an interactive display so you can see what's coming into the device at any given moment, you have control over the ESS filters, output switching is saner (to me), it has a real standby mode, etc. It's a well-featured DAC that happens to have a middle of the road headphone amp attached to it. More to tweak. :)
For me, the DX7s quickly became my daily driver, and the Jot lives in another room for occasional use (with higher-impedence cans). I'm planning on mating the THX AAA headphone amp to the DX7s once mine ships, and I suspect my desk setup will be "finished" at that point.
It might be worth reading reviews (and discussion) of both, to get a sense of what's important to you (click through the threads, you'll find more charts; in particular, the DX7s is a very old review, so you end up having to go much further in the thread to find things like SINAD):
Jotunheim: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/review-and-measurements-of-schiit-jotunheim-and-ifi-idsd-black-label-dacs-and-headphone-amps.3717/
DX7s: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/review-and-measurements-of-topping-dx7s-dac-and-headphone-amp.2378/
There's also a bunch of threads on head-fi.org and superbestaudiofriends.org about both of them, I'd suggest spending some time with those as well.
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tl;dr: this (as well as the predecessor, the DX7) is one of the forum's gold-standard DACs, especially at this price point. It uses a pair of the current (as of mid-2018) flagship ESS dual-channel DAC chipset (ES9038Q2M) in what seems to be a well-implemented device, and the amp has plenty of power for most headphones (and can easily pair with an external amp if you need more).
Ergonomically, the unit is built exceptionally well: it's much smaller than I expected given what it's capable of, doesn't get nearly as hot as my Schiit Jotunheim, it doesn't have that "cheap hobby electronics project box" look that seems to be in fashion with some companies, and the information screen is far more useful than I originally thought it would be (ensuring that the software I'm using is, in fact, outputting what I think it is, other general debugging of the rest of the system).
"Something something INCREDIBLY FLUID SOUND ahem cough EXPANSIVE SOUNDSTAGE mumble mumble AUDIOPHILE SHINY WHATSITS" Ugh, I hate audio reviews so much. It sounds good and I like it. I've paired a few different headphones with it at this point (HD-6xx, E-MU Teaks, Focal Clear, bunch of random others), and it has done it's job exactly as I'd hoped.
Random tidbits for people who buy this:
Since Google seems to hate Topping's website, and I can never remember it off the top of my head: it's http://en.tpdz.net/ . There is a firmware update there for this device (and most of their other DACs); you should probably make sure you're up-to-date when you get it (USB problems have been reported with older firmware).
Something I wish someone had told me when I first started using this is that of the three output modes (Headphones-only, DAC-only, and HP+DAC), DAC-only does not have volume control. If you want to be able to control the volume via the knob on the front of the unit, the headphone output needs to be active. Not a big deal, but was annoying until I figured out what was going on. :)
You should also know that there is an optional remote for the DX7s that wasn't released when the unit originally shipped; it's a well-made, hefty little thing, and can be a useful addition depending on where you've mounted the unit. I picked mine up from Aliexpress: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Remote-control-for-TOPPING-DX7s-DAC-Headphone-amplifier/32891839661.html