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Most of the time it was playing tunes as an all-in-one combo driving plenty of headphones, ranging from IEMs, portable over-ears, to desktop dynamic and planar-magnetic headphones. I have also used it in the living room, driving directly a power amplifier of my choice (it was either a Benchmark AHB2 or KECES S300) and a pair of KEF Reference 3 loudspeakers. Later on, I left its preamp duties to the Topping PRE90 or to a Benchmark HPA4, driving the same power amplifiers and loudspeakers.
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so you were the person who found the parts substitution on the SMSL M500 DAC where they swapped the OPA1612 to the LM49720 part? This is considerably higher than the 1.3W into 32Ω on the EX5. In reality, though, both amplifiers can realistically power all the headphones in my collection. Performance However, if you are looking to see if DX5 offers the same level of SQ in a smaller box, the answer is yes.The dynamic range ends up being more pronounced with the XA-10, where it has more control over gentler passages, presenting them with more finesse. They are both equally engaging when talking about crescendos though. There is no need to listen to a few songs, because I will be arriving at the same conclusion all over again that I’m dealing with a highly detailed Delta-Sigma DAC, something that would be unthinkable a few years ago.
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The NFCA headphone amplifier circuit of the DX5 is fully optimized specifically for this model, ensuring very low noise and distortion. But if you can afford it, then for the best possible performance, a good quality external headphone amplifier can make the difference and is highly recommended. From testing, pairing is fast and painless since all you have to do is select the Bluetooth as the input source by pressing the volume knob then after connecting to it using your mobile device or laptop it will automatically reconnect next time as long as both devices are turned on. EX5 is an extremely IEM friendly combo and you could use it directly with power amplifiers in a stereo setup, without the need of an active or passive power conditioner. As you can expect, every other IEM, portable or desktop headphone behaved exactly the same and a slightly more sensitive Natural Sound NS-17 bookshelf loudspeaker didn’t increase the noise in my room. EX5 might be small and cute, but it fights AC noise with ferocity and it’s very good at that. I’m impressed!
The Aurora is a touch more musical, engaging, full bodied and visceral but in exchange not as clear sounding as the DX5 which is technically a bit superior with a more controlled and firmer bass, deeper detail retrieval, more extended but not sharp highs and superior overall definition. To return your product, you should mail your product to: 4F 405, Building F, No.2 Shangxue Science and Technology North, Bantian Street, Longgang Dist, ShenZhen, 518129 Guangdong, China
Topping DX5 Review - Headfonia Reviews Topping DX5 Review - Headfonia Reviews
The DX5 is not sterile, there is a touch of warmth and lushness, not very pronounced but still enough to make for an engaging and organic sound signature. The amplifier section of the 2 devices though is quite different, where the XA-10 is equipped with a class A headphone amplifier section capable of 4W into 32Ω through the balanced outputs, and 3W into 32Ω through the single-ended output. For everyday use, the remote should be enough but for hidden controls such as lineout mode and phase polarity, one should go through the setup menu which is accessible by pushing the volume while flipping the unit on. By default, the screen on the EX5 is empty save for information on the input currently being played. Turning the volume knob will first show the sample rate, and then subsequent turns will change the volume levels. When I first saw the EX5, I was impressed at how many features Topping has managed to cram into such a small form factor.Why this is interesting? Well. For rear XLR output. it gets the XLR + phase signal from the class AB headphone amplifier discussed in 3). and the - phase signal is from the inverting signal of a regular op amp 4). Sound quality is quite close to the wired connection, there is a loss in technicalities and refinement plus a touch of edginess to the sound but still very good. DACs: Topping EX5, Burson Timekeeper 3i, Musician Aquarius, Audiobyte HydraVox & HydraZap, Matrix Audio Element X, Gold Note DS-10 Plus & PSU-10 Evo, Gustard X26 PRO, X16, Topping D90SE With the power available on tap with the EX5, it can practically drive a majority of headphones available on the market. However, the less expansive soundstage of the EX5 will not complement some headphones that are already on the more closed-in side of things. The EX5 and DX5 have balanced line outputs, the DX3 doesn't. Balanced line outputs can help remove or avoid ground loops...
SH-6 DAC/amp combo - Reviews - Head-Fi.org S.M.S.L SU-6/SH-6 DAC/amp combo - Reviews - Head-Fi.org
The DX5 adds a high resolution wireless Bluetooth reception but the headphone amplifier is considerably less powerful than the Aurora but it is more suitable for sensitive earphones thanks to the gain setting and the low noise. Headphone Amps: Flux Lab Acoustics Volot, Benchmark HPA4, Singxer SA-1, Burson Soloist 3X, Musician Andromeda, SMSL SP400, Topping A90, Gustard H16On slower acoustic female songs, the rich nature and breathiness of the singer’s voice come across even with the more distant than expected and overall lean projection in the midrange. Although for gentler-sounding instruments such as piano, while it doesn’t get muted nor lose detail, doing a symphony with a violin will make it seem less emphasized. With a wider stage width and achieving a marginally clearer soundscape, the DX5 opened up into a more dynamic sounding component. Bluetooth Making sure that whatever they did to the DX5 is to imbue desirability and not a simple distraction, Topping has announced it with not just one, but two design awards in tow. While this is a flattering achievement, I got worried at first looking at online renders if the new chassis had been overdone. The lower treble on the XA-10 is more prominent but still ends up being more glossed over comparatively. The more elevated lower treble region continues onto the upper treble region, allowing the XA-10 to present a bit more air, while not being shrill in a real sense.
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