In this article, we review the Topping DX3 Pro+ DAC & AMP. It costs $199 USD from Shenzhen Audio.
Disclaimer: ShenzhenAudio sent us the Topping DX3 Pro+ for this review, free of charge. I only covered the customs fees & taxes. All thoughts and experiences with the product are naturally my own.
Topping
Topping Electronics & Technology, known as ‘TOPPING’, is based in Guangzhou, China, and was established in 2008. They design some of the best DACs and AMPs when it comes to the price-to-performance ratio. They have a dedicated R&D team of skilled engineers and audiophiles. In addition to that, they are heavily invested in the latest audio testing machinery such as the APx555 from Audio Precision. Of course, all of this means one thing for us consumers, better devices! I have used many Topping products in the past, the oldest two I remember are the TP30 and the NX1. The year was 2013 I believe. I never had any problems with their products despite using 25+ of them throughout the years. They have a really good track record, performance-wise, in my book. Today we’ll be reviewing their latest AIO unit, the DX3 Pro+. Additionally, if you want to read more on Topping, you can find all of our related reviews here.
Topping DX3 Pro+ Compact Desktop DAC & Headphone Amplifier
The Topping DX3 Pro+ dedicated web page can be found here. It costs $199 USD from Shenzhen Audio.
The Topping DX3 Pro+ is a budget-friendly, high-fidelity DAC & AMP combo that can decode PCM up to 32bit-768kHz and DSD up to DSD512, natively. It is powered by the critically acclaimed ESS Technology’s ES9038Q2M premium-tier DAC and it features Topping’s NFCA amplifier circuitry. Additionally, the DX3 Pro+ fully supports LDAC thanks to Qualcomm’s high-tier Bluetooth chipset, the QCC5125. I think the DX3 Pro+ seems like a complete unit that’s priced competitively and will be hard to match by rivals, feature-wise. Without further ado, let’s see how it performs, together.
Here are the highlights of the Topping DX3 Pro+ Desktop DAC/AMP.
- ESS Technology ES9038Q2M DAC
- Topping’s NFCA Architecture
- XMOS XU208 USB Controller (up to DSD512, PCM 768kHz)
- Qualcomm QCC5125 Bluetooth 5.0 Chipset
- LDAC / AAC / SBC / APTX / APTX LL / APTX HD Codec Support
- Remote Control Support
- DAC / PRE / HPA modes
- 1.8W @ 32 ohm Power
Packaging & Accessories
The Topping DX3 Pro+ comes in a medium-sized white rectangular box. The box design is as simple as it gets. Topping didn’t list any features or information anywhere on the box, except for a small sticker with the unit’s name and barcode on the side. Upon opening the box, you’re welcomed by the foam compartment that protects the device from damage during transportation. Removing the foam cover grants you access to the compartmentalized section where everything is neatly packed by Topping.
The accessories are as anticipated with one exclusion. Topping provides a USB-A to USB-B data USB cable, a remote, couple of manuals, an antenna, and a small power adapter. I especially like the 15V adapter because of its small size. It’s surprisingly small. If you remember, JDS’ 15vac adapters were huge and heavy. Overall, the DX3 Pro+ offers good quality accessories and the inclusion of a remote is very welcome.
Design & Build Quality
Measuring 12 x 4.0 x 16.5 (WxHxD) centimeters, the DX3 Pro+ is small and it won’t occupy much space on your desk. It features a similar design as the Topping’s D10B and it is smaller than the Topping E50. Build quality is very good as with other Topping units. The CNC milled chassis looks very nice with Topping’s signature orange font display on the front. The multifunctional volume knob is also aluminum and finished with the same, metallic black paint and I liked the feel of it. You can feel the steps and it provides satisfying physical feedback while turning. Design-wise there are a couple of differences between the D10 series, despite featuring a similar form/factor. The DX3 Pro+’s sides are curved and its front panel has hidden bolt sockets instead of visible ones on the D10 series. Its finish is smoother and the anodized matte looks better in my opinion. On another note, Topping also offers the unit in silver color and it features the same anodized finish as the black one.
The layout is interesting, Topping decided to use a 3.5mm headphone socket instead of the usual 6.3mm. I don’t really understand the logic behind this decision as almost every hobbyist has a 6.3 to 3.5 adapter. Topping may have taken this decision to save some space on the PCB. I can’t think of any other reason for the decision. Apart from the HP input, every other I/O option is located on the rear side of the DAC. From left to right we see RCA outputs, dual coaxial, optical, and USB input. We also see that the DX3Pro+ uses 15V DC power.
As expected, the build quality of the device is quite good and the device offers an aesthetic design compared to the D series. The price difference between the D10B and the DX3 Pro+ is totally negligible considering you get a much nicer-looking chassis, a great NFCA amp module, and LDAC capability along with other features. I can’t see any milling or assembly imperfections anywhere on the unit. Topping seems to have designed a very competitive product for the market with the DX3 Pro+.
Controls & UI
The DX3 Pro+ features a basic, two-color display that shows information about the active input type, sample rate, sample type, and active mode.
By default, the unit’s interface displays volume in decibels during playback, however, when you switch songs the unit briefly displays the active sample rate of the signal coming from the device you pair the DAC with. The UI is simple and informative. The unit offers limited controls via the multi-functional volume button. The included remote makes it easier to control the device and navigate between the available menus.
Let’s go over the available settings for the device. First of all, the screen brightness is adjustable. You can manually select one of the 3 brightness pre-sets or you could set it to ‘Auto’ mode and let the device do it for you. You can also switch inputs using the remote between USB/BT/OPT/COA1-2 swiftly. There is no delay, the device switches the input blazing-fast upon prompt. The DX3 Pro+ features 3 output modes. The device can be configured as a pure DAC, or as a DAC/AMP. What’s great here is Topping states that you can use both, simultaneously. Additionally, if you’re worried about volume control bit loss, topping offers a solution for that too. You can toggle on the fixed-volume DAC mode in the menu. The name of this mode is ‘m-d’. There is also an ‘m-p’ mode, it is basically a pre-amp mode and the volume is adjustable in this state. Do note that m-d and m-p modes are can only be changed in the setup menu. Accessing the setup menu is easy, you’ll have to hold the volume knob while the device is powered off then you have to power on the device while pressing down the knob. That way, the device will go straight into the setup menu where you can configure the m-d & m-p modes.
Apart from those, the Topping offers 7 PCM filters for you to choose. F-3 is the default one. The difference between the filters is very subtle but any customization is welcome, as always. Additionally, the unit offers an automatic standby feature. You can also change the gain via remote between +6 dB and +19dB. You can check all of these options from DX3 Pro+’s manual.
Power
The DX3 Pro+ is a small and compact device, however, it can dish out serious amounts of power. The device can deliver 1.8W into a 32Ω load. That’s 250 mW into 300Ω load which is really good considering the size of the DX3 Pro+. You should have no problem driving 600-ohm headphones with the unit. It can feed every can in my inventory, including the Deva planars, without breaking a sweat. On another note, the output impedance is quite low at <0.1Ω and it is safe to say that the HPO is suitable for IEMs and multi-BA earphones which are sensitive to output impedance. There is no hissing with sensitive IEMs so you’re alone with your music and the black background. Topping’s designs never cease to amaze me, especially when this grandeur performance is offered at a budget price. Great job, Topping, as usual.
The review continues on Page Two, after the click HERE or by using the jump below.
Page 2: Bluetooth and LDAC, Sound Quality, Technical Capability, Wireless Performance, Comparisons, Conclusion
Philip Elliott
How would this stack up to vintage gear, say a Marantz 1070 feeding a pair of Beyerdynamics DT 700 Pro X as that’s my reference with a Denon DCD600ne CD player?
Yagiz
Hello Philip,
If you’re happy with the sound signature of your vintage gear, I wouldn’t recommend any alterations. If you’re after more details, resolution, and better presentation technical-wise, I’d suggest trying the DX3 Pro+. It’s a capable little thing.
Tangerine Dreaming
“K5Pro ESS offers even more power and a proper 6.3mm HPO instead of the 3.5mm HPO of Topping. If you need more power, this may be a good replacement depending on your region.”
Is this really so? Even when the specs say the DX3+ has more output power on 32ohms?
Yagiz
Hello,
After your comment, I wanted to do research on this subject and by looking at the measurements of the DX3 Pro+, I learned that the true output power is 1.5w. Since objective measurements of the FiiO K5 ESS are not yet available, it is only subjectively possible to compare them in terms of raw power. To my ears, they’re both pretty powerful and drive the earphones at roughly the same level. FiiO feels a little bit more powerful but that may be due to implementation, amplifier type etc. so it’s not very logical to have that sentence in the review therefore I removed it to prevent further confusion. Thanks for pointing it out, appreciated!
Tangerine Dreaming
Thank you for the review!
Zammie
Thank you for the comprehensive review! With the features and performance here, is there any reason to be considering the Topping L30+E30 rather than the DX3 Pro+?
szoze
Actually K5Pro ESS has lower measured power at 32 Ohm (1W) and much worse signal to noise ratio (81 dB vs 117dB for DX3 Pro+). From my subjective point of view Topping is also better made and sounds better. It is also less expensive. So practically there is no reason to choose Fiio.
Charles
Awesome review, thanks!!
Tangerine Dreaming
Would you recommend the DX3 Pro+ ESS over the K5 Pro ESS, even when one has no use for the Bluetooth?
The price difference for me would be around 45-50usd, K5 being the cheaper one.
They both seem quite similar in many aspects but I really don’t know if the lower noise floor on the Topping is really worth the extra money for me. Is there any other worth while differences between the two besides the Bluetooth and Topping having a line out instead of pre out on the K5?
Paul
Nice review. I bought one for christmas. Glad to read i made a good choice. Keep up the good work Yagiz.
Zaiden
Hello. How does this amp/dac compare to the Topping DX7 Pro?
Maurice
Hi
How would the dx3 pro pair with hifiman Ananda? Currently using earmen tr-amp with my Ananda and just wondering if I could benefit from the extra power?
Yagiz
Your current setup is decent, the improvement would not be game-changing. I would aim for Topping DX5 to combine with the Ananda.
Tony Wang
Hi! Brilliant review on this compact and tiny gadget.
My only question is about its over-heated issue for me.It had turned into a sigh of “H P” on the led screen after running it about 1 hour. And it completely muted without no function. I guess it should not have performed that way. Does it perform normally? By the way, I paired it with Ayima A07 as the power amplifier. Thanks for your attention.
Yagiz
Thanks Tony,
No your device should not behave like that. I recommend updating the firmware to the latest and testing again. If your issue persists, shoot an email to [email protected] or to the shop you purchased the DAC from.
Tony Wang
Thanks for your reply.
My over-heated Issue condition updated.
After I changed a pair of new RCA cable and reset all fuction, it ,so far, behaves miraculously normal. And the temperature is as regular as it should be. What a relief! I am really fond of this clean and crystal sound! Thanks again.
Yagiz
Glad to hear that Tony!
Lee Kibbler
I enjoyed your review and learned a lot about this unit from it. My only complaint however is that you are not taking into account the newbies like myself who don’t have a clue what you’re talking about with the insider acronyms, such as PRaT and “ feels like a BA”. I’m sure all the journeyman headphone addicts know what you are saying but this new guy sure didn’t!
Yagiz
Hello Lee, thanks for reading the article.
PRaT= Pace, Rhythm & Timing / (sense of speed)
BA = Balanced Armature Driver
DD = Dynamic Driver
EST = Electrostatic Driver
There are many glossaries online, you can take a look at them to understand the articles better. Search for “audio terms glossary”.
Additionally, I wish I was a “newbie” ! You are at the very start of a beautiful journey, don’t be hasty and try to enjoy it. We hope to see you among us in future, take good care!
Terho Halme
Topping DX3Pro+ is simply an excellent DAC Amplifier. Very clean, uncolored sound, wide and straight frequency response, enough power to my Hifiman HE400se (and almost all headphones), still no hiss with sensitive IEMs (like Moondrop Aria). Have been listening it now approx. four days and nothing to complain. The best DAC Amp my money can reach.
Yagiz
Indeed, excellent in terms of price/performance.
Tommy
Topping DX3Pro+ enough power for beyerdynamic dt 770 pro 80 ohm?
Yagiz
Yes, plenty!
Robert J
I bought the Topping D3X Pro+ on Amazon’s Black Friday sale. Got it, set it up to output to my also new Fosi TB10 D (Updated) and everything was fine, until I plugged in my AT 50 headphone and heard this cracking distortion whenever there was sound playing. I tried changing the gain, changed from USB to Optical source, changed headphones to every one I have, and they are all easy to drive headphones.
I contacted Topping’s Customer Service, described my problem and they said it sounded like a defective unit. I exchanged it for a new unit, which arrived yesterday, and same problem. I even tried switching power supplies, no improvement.
Sent both units back for refund. If it weren’t for the fact that I need to use the headphone out I’d have kept them. They otherwise sounded great.
Went back to using my old Dragonfly Black, sounded good.
Anyone have any idea if I may have gotten 2 from a bad batch? Anyone else experience the problem?
jim lynch
Those of us with nice AVR’s with crap headphone jacks see the remote control as a huge plus. We can find room in our rack to stow it and sit 10 ft. away!
Thanks for the review.
Justin
Really impressed with this little unit. Just getting back into headphones after quite some time off. Old setup was k701s with a DIY stack (Millet Hybrid /w Diamond Buffers, Monica 2 DAC and STEPs PSU). Really blown away by the performance available in a small convenient package.
Running with HD560S right now and the performance for $$ is highly pleasing.
Hakan Sapmaz
Hi Yagiz,
I plan to have dt 880 600 ohm version and wandering if my d3x pro plus can drive them..
Yagiz
The DX3Pro+ can dish out 250 mW into 300 ohm load. The DT880 is one of the least sensitive headphones on the market and I would recommend something more powerful than the DX3P+ to pair with the DT880.