I forgot to mention EX5 and some asked... DX5 smokes it both as an amp and as a DAC. Its on a different level with energy and transparency. Apologies to EX5 owners but I had to say it.
EX5 has darker bassy sound and laid back midrange. If mentioned reviewers can't notice clearly more forward sound of DX5 with more energetic presentation and better detail retrieval... I really don't know what to make out of it. But I stand firmly behind the claim that those are really not the same device at all.
On your recommendation, I swapped out my SMSL M400 for the 500mk2. Fully concur with your findings which brought my slightly laid back Elac Navis to life! Another great review here, apart from the dismissal of Bluetooth. To get the best out of this medium you need to use LDAC protocol @ 24bits with 990kbps. Not all phones/tablets will sustain this, but if you get the right phone, it will shock you. I have also found the fidelity can vary between phones. I now use a dedicated cheap Umidigi A11 Pro which sounds stunning, surprisingly much better than my higher specced Xaomi M11. If I had stopped exploring this medium with the Xaomi, I would have dismissed Bluetooth too. I have forfeited my Limetree/Quobuz (streamer/DAC) WiFi combo for a DAC with built in BT with an appreciable increase in SQ. No more leads/power supplies to worry about and no going back for me.....
I have also done this protocol and prefer over the network bridges I have owned SOTM 200 Ultra Neo theLimetree Bridge Raspberry pi Volumio and Tinkerboard Volumio and fanless PC with linear power supply. Try RUclips music at 24/96 at 990 Kbps in Developer Options
Thank you for one more insightful review. Seems like business for pure headphone amps gets harder in that mid price range - slowly but steadily. Just e/g, Sabaj started to refurbish it's "A" line recently with the "2022" successors. And you see, they just stripped all their bare HP amp models in favour of integrated DAC-HP solutions (A10d 2022, A20d 2022).
This review makes me hopeful that you get a chance to review the SMSL VMV D1se soon! And if I get to a point where I want a better headphone setup (I have a Schiit Modius and Xduoo MT-604 in a balanced set up, with upgraded (Russian made) tubes, for my Drop / Dan Clark Aeon Open X headphones) then I will consider this Topping DX5.
I have your headphones and the DX5, and it sounds really good to me. Bass is so powerful, and crisp. U2 Bullet the Blue Sky sounds almost startling. There's a great version of Led Zep's D'yer Mak'er covered by "Puddle of Mudd' (rediscovered) which sounds super too. My two cents, but full disclosure- this is my first real audiophile headphone setup.
I received the DX5 a couple of weeks ago and have been happy with it. I don't agree with friends that tell me the DX3PRO is just as good for half the money. The DAC in the DX5 seems to walk all over it when used in connection to an outside amp.
I thought seeing this Review the SMSL M500 MK2 will lose its Crown after owning it for only 3 Weeks and I was not even able to evaluate it here properly because one of my EL34 Tubes failed and I am currently busy burning in a new Quad of Tubes :-( So it is difficult for me to say what change in Sound is caused by my new SMSL M500 MK2 and what is down to the new Tubes. But yes, the Day will come and that the SMSL has to move over. Thanks for this Fingernail biting Review !
I wish SMSL would come out with just a simple external DAC based on the M500 mk II. Not everyone is interested in headphone listening, after all. I'm after an external DAC for my second system in the study -- something better than my Audiolab 6000A's internal DAC at an affordable price.
I've tried a number of Dac's, smsl su9, smsl do200, chord qutest and Topping E30, none could match the sound from my Shiit Modi Multibit in my system, it just sounds so rich and yet detailed, with a superb soundstage.
@@rm4474 Thanks for the suggestions. Thing is though, in my main system I have the Earmen Tradutto, which is based on the previous Sabre ES9308 (non-pro) DAC. So it's not so much the DAC chip as the implementation of it that counts. I guess I'm saying that it would be nice if SMSL would roll out a simple DAC based on the same implementation of the ES9308PRO as found in their M500 mk II.
@@nigelstones Thanks. I've checked and I see the Modi Multibit may soon be becoming available again. I may consider it as the price is good, much less than the Qutest.
With this hyper productions of dacs especially Topping and Smsl we forgot that they are not here to review it every month and their every model but to listen to music.
Appreciate your reviews! If you had one choice for a music/gaming dac/amp or combo unit, what comes to mind first? I have sundara and audeze maxwell cans.
Yet another excellent review Srboljub! Your comparison with the D30/A30 Pro was really interesting. The balanced circuitry of the A30 Pro may be the reason for its slightly better quality. Topping may have recognised that the cost saving in using single ended amplification for the DX5 would make it a more attractive option than the balanced amplification option, which would have made it more expensive, and competition for the D30/A30 Pro stack. It seems that it is already very competitive at the lower price, given the additional convenience of Bluetooth input. It may be unfair to compare the DX5 with the Earman Colibri that you reviewed recently because of their different sizes and price difference of about $100, however I would be interested to know your view on this. How much better is the X50 than the Colibri? As you said in the Colibri review, it could be used as a desktop DAC/Amp should this be required. It may be a choice for someone who would use a portable more often than a desktop device. Thank you for your excellent video review. Very well done! 👍🏼
I think that most of the difference comes with the much greater power that DX5 has on tap. Because of it, DX5 is clearly more energetic and authoritative, with quicker transients... and that especially goes for bigger cans. They do feel more closely matched when sensitive IEMs are being used. In my experience, the best desktop product will outperform the best portable one in desktop use. I suppose that bigger and more elaborate power supplies are part of the reason, and having more power headroom for headphones is another part.
I had the A90/D90SE stack. Both were damaged when moving. The D90SE doesn't power on anymore; the A90 works, but it's all scratched up. I decided to save some money and grab the DX5 from Amazon. I was very disappointed with the sound regardless of what listening device I used (KRK monitors, HD600, Sundara). In all cases, the separation of instruments was awful in comparison. But I guess it's not fair to compare it to something that costs three times as much. Since the A90 was still working, I tried the DX5 as just a DAC connected to the A90, and the DAC was really good, but I ended up returning the DX5.
Hi Srboljub! I like your reviews and your original accent;) Can you advice me on something? I have Topping MX3 but I thing I need an upgrade. What would you thing is better option: buying external DAC - Topping E30 or another all in one Topping MX5? I am using Elac Debut 6.2 at the moment and listen to all kinds of music.
MX3 doesn't benefit much from the external DAC, so I would probably go with MX5... But I have to say that I never tried it actually. Just, given how much Topping improved sound quality with every new device, I believe it could be a very decent upgrade.
@@iiWiReviews Thanks for Your time and answer. Let me ask you last question:) What would you recommend in this MX5 price range as a all in one class D unit? Maybe 2 separate units, whatever to achieve best sound for the money.
Great review! Was planing on getting the A30/D30 pro stack. Bought the A30 amp but not the DAC since it was temporarily out of stock. I still wanna get a DAC for it and to send a signal to some speakers. After watching this, would you say it's better to just skip the d30 pro and just get either the DXE or M500 mkII instead?
Great review. I have a Xduoo TA-26 amp. Wich DAC do you think will complement better the TA-26? The M500 mkii, the DX5 the SU-9n or even the Topping E50? Thank you
I would give M500 MKII a try if you like full-bodied sound... Or DX5 if you like it more on the analytical side of things. E50 and SU-9n are both a notch below in performance and I believe that SU-9n especially doesn't justify its price any more.
Do you think this is worth buying over the chord mojo 2? I am new to this stuff. Just have a dragonfly cobalt and am impressed with the sound on my DT 1990’s and Shure Se 535’s. Think the DX5 would offer a large improvement? Second quick question what headphone for IEMS would you recommend to get a step up over the Shure Se 535’s? I really like the fact the Shures isolate a lot of sound. My budget is $1,000 or less
I haven't heard Chord Mojo 2 yet so can't compare them. On the other hand I feel that DX5 is much more powerful and dynamic sounding than Cobalt. More detailed too. Newfound resolution might feel overwhelming at first, but I suppose that given few days to get used to it, I can't imagine anyone wanting to return to Cobalt.
Your impressions of the M500 Mk2 has really piqued my interest. Question: Have you ever heard Bifrost 2? Would love to get your impressions on the two DACs.
I haven't heard Bifrost 2. Schiit worldwide delivery is expensive, and with import taxes it would cost more then 1000 to get it here. They also ignored my mail about review samples... So I'll only check it out if I can find it second hand here or loan it from someone.
@@iiWiReviews Hope you get a chance to try them soon! I used to own one, got something else, and now I'm thinking about going back to the BF2. Considering trying out the M500 MK2 though.
Have you since heard the new MKiii version of the M500? I'm wondering if they've improved the headphone amp enough to justify paying $220 over the MKii?
I find M500 MKII more dynamic, more detailed, fuller and cleaner sounding. I personally prefer it. D300 on the other hand has that smooth, laid back, and very inoffensive character. I think many will love it and call it "analog sounding" but to my ears M500 MKII and its engaging sound is preferable.
Would a30 pro + m500 mkii sound top the dx5? I know the dx5 is a significantly better value. I have the Ares ii and love it. I’ll mostly be using it for headphones and iems
Another reviewer (I forgot who) compared the DX5 vs DX7 ($699?) and MX3 for $199 and said he thought 7 was better and worth it but the 5 and three sounded similar and just getting XLR wasn't worth it but if you could afford the 7 it was
Hey there! How do you think, will this DX5 outperform a stack of D70s + A30pro? I am asking because I already have D70s for my main setup, but I want to build a headphone setup too. So, have an option to order DX5 from Shenzhen and wait, or just buy A30pro for like 450 usd locally, and steal D70s from main setup for now : )
I haven't tried that stack combination... DX5 was slightly better than D30pro/A30pro but D70s is a better DAC so that would probably be a close one. That said, even if D70s / A30 pro wins, I think it wouldn't be by a big margin and DX5 is almost certainly a better bang for the buck.
DX5 and M500 MKII are better then all of those to my ears. Only D300 makes sense if you really want that mild and inoffensive sound (similar to R2R). The rest just don't make sense next to DX5 or M500 MKII anymore.
@@iiWiReviews interesting. I just bought a SMSL DO100 to go with my AO200 and I am quite happy with it for what it is. I suspect one will come across your desk eventually. For me it is a simple DAC upgrade from my Sanskrit 10th MKII that offers balanced output at $240 USD.
@@iiWiReviews I am looking forward to your review of the DO100 albeit I am not expecting anything too amazing as the DO100 is basically a balanced SU-6. That said I feel it meets my needs; I am not certain the benefits of D0200, D300, DX5 or M500 can be fully appreciated when paired with the AO200. It is a different story with your current amplifier and previous Hegel integrated. I do see the DO100 as a reasonable upgrade from both my Sanskrit 10th MKII and original Topping D30.
Hi sir I want something DAC to use with my Mackie powered speakers 1500 RMS ..I never use headphones ..I like to shake my room . Do i still need an amp inside of the DAC for better sound ? What would you recommend for a good price .Love you channel tooooo.
Great review, thanks! I was wondering if adding a dedicated Amp to use the DX5 only as a DAC could bring some real benefit or some upgrade in sound. What do you think? Thanks.
If I can get my hands on Mojo 2 I will... I think it is still not available here in my country. I didn't lool that hard caused there's lots of devices already lined up.
This unit has a issue, I read many many reports about it, an auto update fail loop that makes the unit useless, do you know any fix from topping about how to avoid it or fix it before happening... For overseas buyers that is a nightmare, that issue and the mqa problems are holding me to get this unit, any recommendation about a unit whit same connections and clean warm sound, thanks
Yes it does. It happened to my unit too. I talked about it here: ruclips.net/video/kHrFz48mVAs/видео.html It's such a pity because so far I haven't heard anything equally good for this price. Hoping something will come along soon.
DAC chip ES9068AS instead of ES9038Q2M, opamps OPA1612 instead of LM4562, better caps, .. . Most people do not hear difference though, so good we have Srboljub to review these things :).
I just this weekend experienced the KEF LS50 speakers again after some years. I would say that they are making women into girls, just like in your description. So it can for sure be the speakers that cannot hold up the body, with timing, more than the DAC adding texture to cover things up. KEF LS50 have base but not in the same time space as voices and instruments in general as I see it. Adding "sand" or "grain" is not the solution, ever so tempting. In my experience my Topping E30 creates a hole in the stereo perspective that I cannot understand. Perhaps imperfections in the Amp? Hard to say. But the so called AIR is sort of deliberate? Spatial effekt....that I hate. I love perfect mono more than any cool stereo effect.
what I hate is that you do not include B-roll of you going through the functions of each dac amp...talking about it without going thru the feature set lets not fully understand these features or lack thereof, you dont like. Pick them up and show us these dac amps up close and let us see what makes em tick.
Too bad the Product Design team IMHO... gives us an extra unattractive wrapper. Sadly, it sounds sounds, from your review, like a very promising unit I would like, but from my perspective Form must Follow Function. And since I'd have to be starring at it when listening unless I have my eyes closed. In my case if my eyes are closed I'm sleeping. Maybe that is the reason it is more inexpensive as the MKII they cut corners on Visual Appeal to keep the $ down.
good review but with every new unit you review, you are getting in love and punishing the previous as saying new one is slightly better so it's much better which shows you as fickle
Ares II was my main and favorite DAC for more than a year... until M500 MKII came along... And that one is now still my favourite after this review, which I said in the video. I don't see that as being fickle. Just few hours ago I uploaded the video about new Hidizs MM2 in-ears that I consider being downgrade to the old MS2 model. I guess it might seem that way if you skip reviews that were mild and watch the ones of really good devices.
Do you find MQA files to sound better then any true uncompressed Hi-Res? To my ears, both local hi-res FLAC files and Qobuz uncompressed Hi-Res streaming sound better than Tidal Hi-Res MQA. So MQA to me only sounds better than standard resolution on Tidal, but it's beaten by any uncompressed Hi-Res format out there. And it seems that most people I've talked to agree with that assessment.
I forgot to mention EX5 and some asked... DX5 smokes it both as an amp and as a DAC. Its on a different level with energy and transparency. Apologies to EX5 owners but I had to say it.
Well, this is the first as many reviewers comented EX5 and DX5 sound the same, only the enclosure is different.
EX5 has darker bassy sound and laid back midrange. If mentioned reviewers can't notice clearly more forward sound of DX5 with more energetic presentation and better detail retrieval... I really don't know what to make out of it. But I stand firmly behind the claim that those are really not the same device at all.
DX5 looks ugly though!
@@PavlosPapageorgiou I like what it looks like... not squared box
The KING of reviewers right here! Excellent review as always. TY!
Another excellent review, you’ve gotten so good at expressing the sonic qualities of each component you review.
I bought the smsl M500 mk II and also sold my Aries 2 from your earlier review and i am very happy
Glad to hear you also liked it. 👍 Total overachiver.
Love your reviews, no one can talk about the sonic qualities as you!
Honest, informative and comprehensive review.
Keep rock'in these reviews iiWi
Keep up the good work pal .Greetings from Athens ,GREECE.
Good thing SMSL M500 MKII is king because I literally just bought it 3 days ago. LOL!
Thanks for yet again perfect review!
Thank you my friend and hope the knee replacement worked out well, sending prayers!
For measurement review, amir's audioscience review is the best. For application review this channel is the best
On your recommendation, I swapped out my SMSL M400 for the 500mk2. Fully concur with your findings which brought my slightly laid back Elac Navis to life!
Another great review here, apart from the dismissal of Bluetooth. To get the best out of this medium you need to use LDAC protocol @ 24bits with 990kbps. Not all phones/tablets will sustain this, but if you get the right phone, it will shock you. I have also found the fidelity can vary between phones. I now use a dedicated cheap Umidigi A11 Pro which sounds stunning, surprisingly much better than my higher specced Xaomi M11. If I had stopped exploring this medium with the Xaomi, I would have dismissed Bluetooth too.
I have forfeited my Limetree/Quobuz (streamer/DAC) WiFi combo for a DAC with built in BT with an appreciable increase in SQ. No more leads/power supplies to worry about and no going back for me.....
I have also done this protocol and prefer over the network bridges I have owned SOTM 200 Ultra Neo theLimetree Bridge Raspberry pi Volumio and Tinkerboard Volumio and fanless PC with linear power supply. Try RUclips music at 24/96 at 990 Kbps in Developer Options
@@johncahill985 "Try RUclips music at 24/96 at 990 Kbps in Developer Options" Interesting, can you do a tutorial on that? thanks in advance
@@rommermendoza2325 Yes you can do that and will do a video but not all devices play 990 which is the key to a good sound
Thank you for one more insightful review. Seems like business for pure headphone amps gets harder in that mid price range - slowly but steadily. Just e/g, Sabaj started to refurbish it's "A" line recently with the "2022" successors. And you see, they just stripped all their bare HP amp models in favour of integrated DAC-HP solutions (A10d 2022, A20d 2022).
This review makes me hopeful that you get a chance to review the SMSL VMV D1se soon! And if I get to a point where I want a better headphone setup (I have a Schiit Modius and Xduoo MT-604 in a balanced set up, with upgraded (Russian made) tubes, for my Drop / Dan Clark Aeon Open X headphones) then I will consider this Topping DX5.
I have your headphones and the DX5, and it sounds really good to me. Bass is so powerful, and crisp. U2 Bullet the Blue Sky sounds almost startling. There's a great version of Led Zep's D'yer Mak'er covered by "Puddle of Mudd' (rediscovered) which sounds super too. My two cents, but full disclosure- this is my first real audiophile headphone setup.
I received the DX5 a couple of weeks ago and have been happy with it. I don't agree with friends that tell me the DX3PRO is just as good for half the money. The DAC in the DX5 seems to walk all over it when used in connection to an outside amp.
Trust your ears, they're right and you're friends are not. 😊
I thought seeing this Review the SMSL M500 MK2 will lose its Crown after owning it for only 3 Weeks and I was not even able to evaluate it here properly because one of my EL34 Tubes failed and I am currently busy burning in a new Quad of Tubes :-(
So it is difficult for me to say what change in Sound is caused by my new SMSL M500 MK2 and what is down to the new Tubes.
But yes, the Day will come and that the SMSL has to move over.
Thanks for this Fingernail biting Review !
I wish SMSL would come out with just a simple external DAC based on the M500 mk II. Not everyone is interested in headphone listening, after all. I'm after an external DAC for my second system in the study -- something better than my Audiolab 6000A's internal DAC at an affordable price.
Maybe consider SMSL SU-9 or SU-9n both use the same ES9038PRO D/A chip as the M500 MKII
So agree with you John, I am currently looking for stand alone external dac. I might consider Chord Qutest.
I've tried a number of Dac's, smsl su9, smsl do200, chord qutest and Topping E30, none could match the sound from my Shiit Modi Multibit in my system, it just sounds so rich and yet detailed, with a superb soundstage.
@@rm4474 Thanks for the suggestions. Thing is though, in my main system I have the Earmen Tradutto, which is based on the previous Sabre ES9308 (non-pro) DAC. So it's not so much the DAC chip as the implementation of it that counts. I guess I'm saying that it would be nice if SMSL would roll out a simple DAC based on the same implementation of the ES9308PRO as found in their M500 mk II.
@@nigelstones Thanks. I've checked and I see the Modi Multibit may soon be becoming available again. I may consider it as the price is good, much less than the Qutest.
With this hyper productions of dacs especially Topping and Smsl we forgot that they are not here to review it every month and their every model but to listen to music.
Appreciate your reviews! If you had one choice for a music/gaming dac/amp or combo unit, what comes to mind first? I have sundara and audeze maxwell cans.
Yet another excellent review Srboljub! Your comparison with the D30/A30 Pro was really interesting. The balanced circuitry of the A30 Pro may be the reason for its slightly better quality. Topping may have recognised that the cost saving in using single ended amplification for the DX5 would make it a more attractive option than the balanced amplification option, which would have made it more expensive, and competition for the D30/A30 Pro stack. It seems that it is already very competitive at the lower price, given the additional convenience of Bluetooth input. It may be unfair to compare the DX5 with the Earman Colibri that you reviewed recently because of their different sizes and price difference of about $100, however I would be interested to know your view on this. How much better is the X50 than the Colibri? As you said in the Colibri review, it could be used as a desktop DAC/Amp should this be required. It may be a choice for someone who would use a portable more often than a desktop device. Thank you for your excellent video review. Very well done! 👍🏼
I think that most of the difference comes with the much greater power that DX5 has on tap. Because of it, DX5 is clearly more energetic and authoritative, with quicker transients... and that especially goes for bigger cans. They do feel more closely matched when sensitive IEMs are being used. In my experience, the best desktop product will outperform the best portable one in desktop use. I suppose that bigger and more elaborate power supplies are part of the reason, and having more power headroom for headphones is another part.
I had the A90/D90SE stack. Both were damaged when moving. The D90SE doesn't power on anymore; the A90 works, but it's all scratched up. I decided to save some money and grab the DX5 from Amazon. I was very disappointed with the sound regardless of what listening device I used (KRK monitors, HD600, Sundara). In all cases, the separation of instruments was awful in comparison. But I guess it's not fair to compare it to something that costs three times as much. Since the A90 was still working, I tried the DX5 as just a DAC connected to the A90, and the DAC was really good, but I ended up returning the DX5.
Great review.
Hi Srboljub! I like your reviews and your original accent;) Can you advice me on something? I have Topping MX3 but I thing I need an upgrade. What would you thing is better option: buying external DAC - Topping E30 or another all in one Topping MX5? I am using Elac Debut 6.2 at the moment and listen to all kinds of music.
MX3 doesn't benefit much from the external DAC, so I would probably go with MX5... But I have to say that I never tried it actually. Just, given how much Topping improved sound quality with every new device, I believe it could be a very decent upgrade.
@@iiWiReviews Thanks for Your time and answer. Let me ask you last question:) What would you recommend in this MX5 price range as a all in one class D unit? Maybe 2 separate units, whatever to achieve best sound for the money.
great review i really needed :)
Topping DX5 or SMSL M500 MK III (3) for headphone amp?
Great review! Was planing on getting the A30/D30 pro stack. Bought the A30 amp but not the DAC since it was temporarily out of stock. I still wanna get a DAC for it and to send a signal to some speakers. After watching this, would you say it's better to just skip the d30 pro and just get either the DXE or M500 mkII instead?
Yes, at least in my opinion. Go for DX5 if you like quick sound and edges with great contrast... And with M500 MKII if you value full-bodied sound.
Great review. I have a Xduoo TA-26 amp. Wich DAC do you think will complement better the TA-26? The M500 mkii, the DX5 the SU-9n or even the Topping E50? Thank you
I would give M500 MKII a try if you like full-bodied sound... Or DX5 if you like it more on the analytical side of things. E50 and SU-9n are both a notch below in performance and I believe that SU-9n especially doesn't justify its price any more.
Thank you. I will try the M500 mkii. If the "body" is too much for my tubes than i will give the DX5 a go 😉
Do you think this is worth buying over the chord mojo 2?
I am new to this stuff. Just have a dragonfly cobalt and am impressed with the sound on my DT 1990’s and Shure Se 535’s. Think the DX5 would offer a large improvement?
Second quick question what headphone for IEMS would you recommend to get a step up over the Shure Se 535’s? I really like the fact the Shures isolate a lot of sound. My budget is $1,000 or less
I haven't heard Chord Mojo 2 yet so can't compare them. On the other hand I feel that DX5 is much more powerful and dynamic sounding than Cobalt. More detailed too. Newfound resolution might feel overwhelming at first, but I suppose that given few days to get used to it, I can't imagine anyone wanting to return to Cobalt.
Thank you very much.
How would you compare this to the IFI Zen DAC V2?
I have an Topping E50 and you revewed it not long ago. What do you think about the E50 compared to the DX5?
Your impressions of the M500 Mk2 has really piqued my interest. Question: Have you ever heard Bifrost 2? Would love to get your impressions on the two DACs.
I haven't heard Bifrost 2. Schiit worldwide delivery is expensive, and with import taxes it would cost more then 1000 to get it here. They also ignored my mail about review samples... So I'll only check it out if I can find it second hand here or loan it from someone.
@@iiWiReviews Hope you get a chance to try them soon! I used to own one, got something else, and now I'm thinking about going back to the BF2. Considering trying out the M500 MK2 though.
Have you since heard the new MKiii version of the M500? I'm wondering if they've improved the headphone amp enough to justify paying $220 over the MKii?
I haven't. SMSL makes too many models so I just couldn't get them all.
Great review. Can you share your impressions on SMSL D300 vs SMSL M500Mk2? Thanks
I find M500 MKII more dynamic, more detailed, fuller and cleaner sounding. I personally prefer it.
D300 on the other hand has that smooth, laid back, and very inoffensive character. I think many will love it and call it "analog sounding" but to my ears M500 MKII and its engaging sound is preferable.
Which device would you buy EverSolo DAC-Z6 or Topping DX5?
Would a30 pro + m500 mkii sound top the dx5? I know the dx5 is a significantly better value. I have the Ares ii and love it. I’ll mostly be using it for headphones and iems
Another reviewer (I forgot who) compared the DX5 vs DX7 ($699?) and MX3 for $199 and said he thought 7 was better and worth it but the 5 and three sounded similar and just getting XLR wasn't worth it but if you could afford the 7 it was
Does the dx5 have a setting to use both the lineout for xlr and rca at the same time?
How does this compare as a DAC to the Topping E30 II?
Have you heard Toping D90se? That can be very interesting to compare.
Hey there! How do you think, will this DX5 outperform a stack of D70s + A30pro? I am asking because I already have D70s for my main setup, but I want to build a headphone setup too. So, have an option to order DX5 from Shenzhen and wait, or just buy A30pro for like 450 usd locally, and steal D70s from main setup for now : )
I haven't tried that stack combination... DX5 was slightly better than D30pro/A30pro but D70s is a better DAC so that would probably be a close one. That said, even if D70s / A30 pro wins, I think it wouldn't be by a big margin and DX5 is almost certainly a better bang for the buck.
For someone looking for just a DAC at the $400 - $450 range how does the DX5 compare to the SU-9, SU-9n, D300 or AO200 (for a few dollars more)?
DX5 and M500 MKII are better then all of those to my ears. Only D300 makes sense if you really want that mild and inoffensive sound (similar to R2R). The rest just don't make sense next to DX5 or M500 MKII anymore.
@@iiWiReviews interesting. I just bought a SMSL DO100 to go with my AO200 and I am quite happy with it for what it is. I suspect one will come across your desk eventually. For me it is a simple DAC upgrade from my Sanskrit 10th MKII that offers balanced output at $240 USD.
Yeah DO100 review is coming in the next few weeks, together with HO100...
@@iiWiReviews I am looking forward to your review of the DO100 albeit I am not expecting anything too amazing as the DO100 is basically a balanced SU-6. That said I feel it meets my needs; I am not certain the benefits of D0200, D300, DX5 or M500 can be fully appreciated when paired with the AO200. It is a different story with your current amplifier and previous Hegel integrated. I do see the DO100 as a reasonable upgrade from both my Sanskrit 10th MKII and original Topping D30.
Hi sir I want something DAC to use with my Mackie powered speakers 1500 RMS ..I never use headphones ..I like to shake my room . Do i still need an amp inside of the DAC for better sound ? What would you recommend for a good price .Love you channel tooooo.
Thanks! If you don't use headphones then you don't need the amplifier part... Just DAC line-level output to hook to your speakers. Cheers!
hi, i owned a KEF lsx, will I get sound improvement if i using Topping DX5 from my pc -> topping dx5 -> kef lsx ?
between smsl do100 and topping dx5 is there much difference in sound quality?
is it worth it for me to upgrade do100 to dx5 ?
Great review, thanks! I was wondering if adding a dedicated Amp to use the DX5 only as a DAC could bring some real benefit or some upgrade in sound. What do you think? Thanks.
Only if you want some specific sound, for example tube aml... Otherwise it doesn't make much sense because DX5 has a great amp.
@@iiWiReviews Thank you! I really appreciate your comments.
I would be very interested to see how this compares to the Fiio K9 ess or akm version.
Which preamp would you suggest for desktop environment?
Can you compare SMSL M500 MKII and chord mojo 2?
If I can get my hands on Mojo 2 I will... I think it is still not available here in my country. I didn't lool that hard caused there's lots of devices already lined up.
This unit has a issue, I read many many reports about it, an auto update fail loop that makes the unit useless, do you know any fix from topping about how to avoid it or fix it before happening... For overseas buyers that is a nightmare, that issue and the mqa problems are holding me to get this unit, any recommendation about a unit whit same connections and clean warm sound, thanks
Yes it does. It happened to my unit too. I talked about it here: ruclips.net/video/kHrFz48mVAs/видео.html
It's such a pity because so far I haven't heard anything equally good for this price. Hoping something will come along soon.
Is SMSL D1SE a class higher than these two DACs (SMSL M500 MK2 & Topping DX5)?
It should be, on paper at least. I haven't heard it yet so can't say for sure.
@@iiWiReviews can't wait you review it 👍
I bet the Topping DX5 and the Topping D90se are pretty close in performance too?
I have the D90se... When iiWi was describing the DX5 as a DAC I thought he was speaking about my D90se 😀
@@larrywe3320 Probably very close in performance. I have the D70s.
What’s the difference bw the DX5 and EX5 to justify the $100 price premium?
DX5 just smokes it on all fronts. I would say it's even better then the price difference suggests.
DAC chip ES9068AS instead of ES9038Q2M, opamps OPA1612 instead of LM4562, better caps, .. . Most people do not hear difference though, so good we have Srboljub to review these things :).
Hi, any idea this compares to the old dx7 pro?
I haven't heard that one.
I just this weekend experienced the KEF LS50 speakers again after some years. I would say that they are making women into girls, just like in your description. So it can for sure be the speakers that cannot hold up the body, with timing, more than the DAC adding texture to cover things up.
KEF LS50 have base but not in the same time space as voices and instruments in general as I see it.
Adding "sand" or "grain" is not the solution, ever so tempting. In my experience my Topping E30 creates a hole in the stereo perspective that I cannot understand. Perhaps imperfections in the Amp? Hard to say. But the so called AIR is sort of deliberate? Spatial effekt....that I hate. I love perfect mono more than any cool stereo effect.
what I hate is that you do not include B-roll of you going through the functions of each dac amp...talking about it without going thru the feature set lets not fully understand these features or lack thereof, you dont like. Pick them up and show us these dac amps up close and let us see what makes em tick.
Too bad the Product Design team IMHO... gives us an extra unattractive wrapper. Sadly, it sounds sounds, from your review, like a very promising unit I would like, but from my perspective Form must Follow Function. And since I'd have to be starring at it when listening unless I have my eyes closed. In my case if my eyes are closed I'm sleeping. Maybe that is the reason it is more inexpensive as the MKII they cut corners on Visual Appeal to keep the $ down.
And here I am thinking this is one nice looking device. I guess we all have different tastes when it comes to that.
@@iiWiReviews beauty is, as always, in the eye of the beholder...
good review but with every new unit you review, you are getting in love and punishing the previous as saying new one is slightly better so it's much better which shows you as fickle
Ares II was my main and favorite DAC for more than a year... until M500 MKII came along... And that one is now still my favourite after this review, which I said in the video. I don't see that as being fickle.
Just few hours ago I uploaded the video about new Hidizs MM2 in-ears that I consider being downgrade to the old MS2 model.
I guess it might seem that way if you skip reviews that were mild and watch the ones of really good devices.
ok...MK2 is OUT ...MK3 IS coming in..for a $100 more
Merci !
Audiophiles enjoy MQA not because it's "lossy", but for how it sounds.
Do you find MQA files to sound better then any true uncompressed Hi-Res? To my ears, both local hi-res FLAC files and Qobuz uncompressed Hi-Res streaming sound better than Tidal Hi-Res MQA.
So MQA to me only sounds better than standard resolution on Tidal, but it's beaten by any uncompressed Hi-Res format out there. And it seems that most people I've talked to agree with that assessment.
First