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In terms of features, I’m just impressed that Topping could just fit all the features of the A30 Pro/D30 Pro and more into the smaller EX5. Technical With a wider stage width and achieving a marginally clearer soundscape, the DX5 opened up into a more dynamic sounding component. Bluetooth particularly in light of their cost. But the EX5 is a step in the right direction, for 350 you get a sturdy build neutral and powerful performance MQA Bluetooth and plenty of outputs for most people.
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Tonality is also similar between the 2 devices, where they both have an upper midrange and lower treble recession. Doubling down on this quality ended up creating an even drier overall midrange presentation. A couple years ago I tried the Topping D50 and I didn't like that one at all. It was just too anemic sounding. Then I bought the RME ADI-2 (V1) DAC and although it sounded a lot better than the D50, I thought the treble had an overpowering nature to it. Although there is a difference between the softest and loudest tones, the EX5 slightly amplifies softer and gentler tones, presenting them with less finesse than expected. Although the EX5 can play loud, the slew rate of the amplifier is not fast enough to present those emotional crescendos normally found in orchestral recordings. DAC Technicalities are strong and up with the best of the category, the DX5 is offering high conversion fidelity, great transparency, crystalline clarity, excellent extension at both ends of the spectrum, it is detailed and resolving but without sounding analytical.Also more interesting is there's no separate op amp for the RCA output. they share the same headphone amp output. When listening to high pitched percussion instruments or the higher piano register the sound decaying is realistic without losing weight and becoming thinner or splashy. I believe that only allowing menu access with the use of the remote control might have been a missed opportunity, particularly with the output mode. OK now john tried to personally attach me by identifying all my accounts but he failed. At least one account he listed was not mine.
Topping X ShenzenAudio EX5 Review – Minimalist audiophiles
Soundstage imaging is sharper and more precise in the DX5 but the Aurora is of grander scale and more holographic The DX5 is a step forward for Topping both for the much improved sound quality and the brand new design. This allows the vocal range to be more euphonic and liquid. Instrument timbre on the other hand is less planted, however, harmonic overtones are richer, giving instruments a comparatively brighter overall character.In reality maybe it's fine --- After all TPA6120A2 has a lot of power, and can power RCA + XLR simultaneously without any issues. The capacitive load issues (if your speaker/preamp/amp has AC coupled input) may also be fine thanks to the zobel network used in the L30 architecture. But just something you need to be aware of.
EX5 user manual and drivers for Windows 10-TOPPING EX5 user manual and drivers for Windows 10-TOPPING
The easiest way to change the settings is with the provided remote control having a dedicated button for almost all the available functions of the DX5. The DX5 is maybe the best sounding Topping DAC up to date with the most engaging character among its predecessors. Not boring, clinical or artificial, this is carefully tuned to offer an analogue-like experience with some great factor of enjoyment and emotional depth. While the lower treble is slightly recessed, the mid-treble is present and has a good amount of clarity. This lends cymbals a crystalline and brilliant quality. Cymbal hits also have an edgy quality that gives it a bit more bite. Going into the upper treble though, the air frequencies are rolled off. Cleaner, faster, more tight and punchier bass, greater dynamics while treble is a bit more extended and resolving yet smooth and not bright.Using the included remote control, the menu options can be accessed. One of these menu options is the output mode, which can be changed from O-H, O-1 to O-3. These are different outputs that will either use the EX5 as a headphone amplifier or have different combinations of pre-outs, which include single-ended only, XLR only, or both. 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. Due to the more rolled-off quality of the upper treble range, the soundstage is not particularly expansive. Directionality is acceptable, and the entire soundscape is optimally used provided that the headphones can present images within the entire soundstage.
Topping DX5 | Headphone Reviews and Discussion - Head-Fi.org Topping DX5 | Headphone Reviews and Discussion - Head-Fi.org
Please keep in mind that these are rough estimates and shipments can be delayed due to unforeseen circumstances, like postal strikes or severe weather. The main difference lies in the naturalness of the timbre and the more musical character of the DX5 when compared to the EX5. 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.Sending music from a smartphone via streaming services as Qobuz and Tidal worked as a charm and LDAC codec sounded almost indistinguishable to its USB connection if a 16-bit PCM lossless files was being played. Bottom line is that EX5 performed very good in here, exactly as good as their top-of-the-line D90SE. Topping device does not use a switch power supply that produces both +15V and -15V rails like their competitor SMSL does. So it makes it very hard to deliver -15V rail in a cheap way. On Premium devices they could use premium components such as larger inductors/discrete DC-DC converters, etc. However on this cost saving device they can't. So they just use discrete charge pump followed by a tps5430 to step down into -12.3V.
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