Topping DX7s Balanced DAC/Amp Reviews | Drop

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Topping DX7s Balanced DAC/Amp

Audiophile

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Topping DX7s Balanced DAC/Amp

LordHiler

Mar 20, 2019

Verified Buyer

I don't want to make claims my ears can't back up, so I'll try to keep this straight forward and clear: the Topping DX7s is excellent as both a DAC and a headphone AMP. I have a FiiO M9 which has dual AK4490 dacs and a fully balanced output, and the Topping DX7s which has dual ESS 9038 Sabre dacs, also with a fully balanced output. I am listening primarily with my Sennheiser Massdrop HD6XX headphones and a custom cable with a 2.5mm trrs balanced termination. I have a high quality adapter from 2.5mm to 4-pin XLR for the Topping. First, both dacs sound excellent on a range of sources, all FLAC, from 16/44.1 to 24/192 in a wide range of genres including jazz, classical, blues, pop, punk, alternative, classic rock, metal, newage, and others. I am not disappointed with either. However, subjectively, the DX7s has more detail, is more neutral in its presentation, and has a wider soundstage. In comparison, while still very detailed, the FiiO m9 with its AK4490 chips is more organic and natural sounding, a little more intimate, and slightly warmer. Again, both are excellent, it comes down to preference. Build quality, settings, and I/O on the Topping are all absolutely top notch. I have no complaints. I like an organic, natural presentation, so I USUALLY run the balanced XLR outputs of the Topping into the balanced inputs of a Loxjie P20 which I've upgraded with a better power supply and two NOS Sylvania Gold Brand 5670 tubes and for my money and listening preferences that combination is absolutely euphoric. I definitely want to try it with the RDAC whenever that becomes available but that is more idol curiosity than a real need to improve my listening environment. I will listen straight from the Topping when the music I'm listening to is already unnaturally warm or at all muddy, and it is a great source in those cases where neutral analytical detail is the order of the day. I hope that helps!

(Edited)

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fdaniels_sa

May 22, 2019

LordHilerHi. Which power supply are you using for the P20?

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LordHiler

May 24, 2019

fdaniels_saIt's an "UpBright" 12v 5A 60W power supply from Amazon. It looks like a laptop brick. Works fantastically well! - $15.99

fingerslinger

Oct 2, 2019

LordHilerNeed a little help. Did you experience clipping/distortion at high volumes through the P20? If so, did the power supply fix that? Which exact PS did you get? I am having this issue and I am pretty sure it's clipping due to the input voltage being too high for the P20. I can plug the same headphones into a different solid state amp or the amp output of the DX7s and get perfectly clear sound at similar and much louder volume. Any help would be appreciated!

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LordHiler

Oct 13, 2019

fingerslingerFingerslinger, I'm very sorry I missed this and didn't get back to you sooner. I never had clipping and still don't. In fact, one of the things that has amazed me about the P20 is just how clean it is regardless of power level. The stock power supply doesn't supply enough current to overcome the startup surge and that worried me, hence the replacement. The power supply I'm using is the "UpBright" 12v 5A 60W power supply from Amazon. It looks like a laptop brick. Works fantastically well! - $15.99 I would think any similarly rated power supply would do. Perhaps my better experience is because of my tubes, which were a marked improvement over the stock ones. I am actually no longer using the DX7s, I've swapped it for the Airist Audio R-2R DAC which for my listening was a big step up - bearing in mind that what I just said is entirely subjective and I do not think it is any cleaner (maybe less so even) than the DX7. That said, the output voltage of the Airist R-2R is higher than the DX7 and I'm still not getting clipping. I suspect the issue may be your tubes, or even a defective P20. I hope you get it sorted out!

fingerslinger

Oct 16, 2019

LordHilerThanks. That's good info. I am using GE NOS/JAN 5670W matched tubes. I would think they would be fine, but we shall see. I should also note that I first noticed the issue with low impedance/high sensitivity headphones at high(er) volumes.