Topping DX3 Pro+ Review

Topping DX3 Pro+

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Bluetooth & LDAC

The DX3 Pro+ comes equipped with one of Qualcomm’s premium tier chipsets, the QCC5125. The QCC5125 supports AAC, SBC, AptX, AptX LL, AptX HD and LDAC. LDAC is far superior to other codecs, capable of streaming 990kpbs and if you have an Android device, there is a good possibility that it supports LDAC streaming. Note that Apple devices do not support LDAC or aptX codecs and are only capable of AAC. It is great to see a 200 USD all-in-one device supporting LDAC. It is not every day we see high-quality codecs in this price bracket. 

For absolute best wireless sound quality, Topping states that they bypassed the built-in decoder of the QCC5125 and connected it directly to the ES9038Q2M. I paired the DX3 Pro+ with my Xiaomi F2 Pro smartphone. The process was quite straightforward and hassle-free. My phone detected the LDAC codec immediately and was ready to stream. I used Tidal and the results were quite satisfactory. I’ll talk about the sound in the upcoming section but let me give you a spoiler, it sounds really damn good. 

Sound

The sound signature of the DX3 Pro+ has all the characteristics of the ES9038Q2M DAC chip and offers very good performance with the NFCA amp module. The unit sounds neutral, detailed, and reflects the source as it is. Dynamism and PRaT is on-point. This is the best all-in-one device that I’ve listened to for under 200 USD, period. I paired it with my active near-field reference monitors, a couple of headphones, and earphones. My daily driver, Monarch MKII sounds fantastic with the unit. The signature is similar to other ES9038Q2M equipped units from SMSL & Topping. The ES9038Q2M is a wildly popular DAC chip and it’s not hard to understand why.

Topping-DX3-Pro

Low

The low range has authority, punch, and impact. The bass response changes depending on the unit you pair the DAC with. It would not be wrong to say that the DAC reflects the sound signature as it is. My daily driver IEM, Monarch MK2 has a lifted bass range and with this pairing, I hear an impactful, bodied bass with good texture. The PRaT feels really good, the attack and decay feel fast, the dynamic driver inside of the IEM feels like a BA, it recovers swiftly from the stroke and this is purely the DAC’s success. The resolution and clarity are certainly impressive, especially with my modded 58X. I have a grill-less (dampens and filters removed) 58X and it has a somewhat slower bass response, with good body, and pairing it with this DAC improves its dynamism and PRaT by a good margin. The bass feels more relaxed, more resolute, tidier, and faster when paired with the DX3 Pro+. 

Mid

The midrange is clean, articulate, and detailed. The timbre feels neutral and natural, with no coloration, no saturation. Micro-details are pronounced beautifully, female and male vocals shine with the DX3 Pro+. Especially when paired with an equally capable headphone, such as Hifiman’s Deva, gets us a resolving, open, transparent midrange reproduction. With the DX3 Pro+, the guitars sound wonderfully detailed, the note weight doesn’t feel thin or thick, it reflects the pairing as it is. The stage is wide, even with IEMs that feature a narrow soundstage gets a boost when paired with the Topping’s latest wonder. Astrotec’s Volans are a great example of this. My active reference monitors really like this DAC, it is wonderful to listen to artists like Buika, Diana Krall, Steve Strauss. Well done!

High

Treble follows the midrange. It is clean, extended, and resolving. The DAC has no problem reaching the top octave with precision. No sharp edges or sibilance. The upper mid-to-low treble transition is smooth and natural, hi-hats and crashes extend beautifully without any harshness. The treble region feels accurate and on-point, especially in this price bracket. If you’re a new hobbyist, you will have a hard time finding a replacement or an upgrade for the unit. It managed to impress me and I have a 2k USD setup right next to it. Oh man, Topping & SMSL really are eyeing the throne of the western brands.

Technical Capability & Wireless Performance

As I mentioned in the previous chapter, the DAC offers a great PRaT, dynamism, and resolution when combined with an equally capable headphone or an IEM. It also scales really well when combined with mid-to-high-end IEMs, such as the Monarch MK2 which retails at 999 USD. It does not feel like a bottleneck despite there being a whopping 800 USD difference between them. The DX3 Pro+ is an impressive piece of equipment and I am very happy that we now can get this kind of performance under 200 bucks. Back to the technical evaluation, the unit offers a wide and relatively deep stage with a very good sense of air. The positioning of the instruments feels accurate. Nina Simone’s wonderful track, ‘Sinnerman’ sounds brilliant with a great sense of rhythm. It is safe to say that the DX3 Pro+ is a serious contender and I really do recommend you to give this one a go, before getting a pricier unit.

As for the wireless performance, I tested the unit extensively in different modes and streamed a couple of songs via my active reference monitors and headphones through the LDAC codec. I was really impressed by the sound quality and technical capability. The sound quality was quite good, the details and the dynamics were impressive. I expected a decrease in sound quality, albeit not drastically, but the actual decrease was much less than I expected. The unit almost sounds the same, especially if you’re planning on using streaming services exclusively. Very good!

Topping-DX3-Pro

Comparisons

SMSL SU-6 & SH-6 Stack ($289 USD)

SMSL’s ESS9038Q2M equipped high-performance budget stack did manage to impress us with its complete package, great sound, and brilliant wireless performance. The DX3 Pro+ is a worthy rival, despite offering a smaller footprint. The performance is similar, the stack and the DX3 Pro+ have a good implementation of the chip ES9038Q2M and both of the manufacturers have quite a bit of expertise in the area. Sound-wise, to my ears, the SMSL stacks feel slightly airier on the treble and upper mids, however, the difference is almost indistinguishable. Both of the devices offer a great set of features and in short, I think the only decision you have to make here is whether you want an AIO device or whether you want 2 separate devices. You can’t go wrong with either.

K5Pro ESS ($209 USD)

Just like the K5Pro ESS, DX3 Pro+ is also an AIO device that features the same DAC. Topping managed to impress me with its fantastic sound quality and wireless capability in a budget package. It can be used as a separate DAC and PRE. Furthermore, it can dish out 1.8W into a 32-ohm load so power-wise it is quite a feat under 200 bucks. Sound-wise, DX3 Pro+ feels more spacious, slightly more resolving, and articulate compared to the K5Pro ESS. The DX3 Pro+ has a slightly more energetic and vivid presentation. The technical side of the DX3 Pro+ feels more solid, the unit offers better dynamism and PRaT as well. K5Pro ESS offers a proper 6.3mm HPO instead of the 3.5mm HPO of Topping. 

Conclusion

Considering the current market conditions, the DX3 Pro+ comes out as a very competitive and well-priced device. It offers an incredible price-performance ratio, especially compared to past years, with many good features combined in a small package and affordable price. If you are a beginner to the hobby and want to buy a DAC & AMP, this product should be one of your first choices. If you have been in the hobby for a long time, I would definitely recommend listening to this product to see how much equipment under 200 dollars has improved. 

Page 1: Topping Company, Topping DX3 Pro+, Packaging & Accessories, Design & Build Quality, Controls & UI, Power

Page 2: Bluetooth & LDAC, Sound Quality, Technical Capability & Wireless Performance, Comparisons, Conclusion

4.5/5 - (289 votes)
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Long time Tech Enthusiast, an ambitious petrol-head, Yagiz likes his gadgets and always finds new ways into the tinkerer's world. He tries to improve anything and everything he gets his hands onto. Loves an occasional shine on the rocks.

28 Comments

  • Reply February 22, 2022

    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?

    • Reply February 22, 2022

      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.

  • Reply February 22, 2022

    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?

    • Reply February 22, 2022

      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!

      • Reply February 22, 2022

        Tangerine Dreaming

        Thank you for the review!

      • Reply April 20, 2022

        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+?

      • Reply September 4, 2022

        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.

  • Reply February 22, 2022

    Charles

    Awesome review, thanks!!

  • Reply February 23, 2022

    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?

  • Reply February 23, 2022

    Paul

    Nice review. I bought one for christmas. Glad to read i made a good choice. Keep up the good work Yagiz.

  • Reply February 23, 2022

    Zaiden

    Hello. How does this amp/dac compare to the Topping DX7 Pro?

  • Reply April 5, 2022

    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?

    • Reply October 3, 2022

      Yagiz

      Your current setup is decent, the improvement would not be game-changing. I would aim for Topping DX5 to combine with the Ananda.

  • Reply August 19, 2022

    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.

    • Reply August 19, 2022

      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.

  • Reply August 19, 2022

    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.

    • Reply August 22, 2022

      Yagiz

      Glad to hear that Tony!

  • Reply September 14, 2022

    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!

    • Reply September 18, 2022

      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!

  • Reply September 19, 2022

    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.

    • Reply October 3, 2022

      Yagiz

      Indeed, excellent in terms of price/performance.

  • Reply October 2, 2022

    Tommy

    Topping DX3Pro+ enough power for beyerdynamic dt 770 pro 80 ohm?

    • Reply October 3, 2022

      Yagiz

      Yes, plenty!

  • Reply December 7, 2022

    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?

  • Reply December 12, 2022

    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.

  • Reply September 6, 2023

    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.

  • Reply January 16, 2024

    Hakan Sapmaz

    Hi Yagiz,

    I plan to have dt 880 600 ohm version and wandering if my d3x pro plus can drive them..

    • Reply January 22, 2024

      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.

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