Topping NX7 Review

Technology & Power

 

The NX7 features a portabilized version of Topping’s well-loved NFCA technology. Nested Feedback Composite Amplifier architecture provides excellent performance, ultra-low THD+N, and a superbly high dynamic range while also maintaining an ultra-low noise.

The numbers on paper are unbelievably good. We couldn’t see these kinds of numbers in full-size desktop amps 2 years ago, and high-end wasn’t even close to this point then. Now we have this fidelity, this power in a device that is small enough to fit in your pocket. What a progression. 

Topping NX7 features a 3-stage gain. The low gain is set to -13.8 dB for better compatibility with sensitive In-Ear Monitors. There is no IEM on the planet earth it would have trouble feeding. The medium gain is set to 0dB and the high gain is +13.9 dB. As for exactly how much power we are talking about, let’s take a closer look. 

The NX7 is crazy powerful. It can feed 1400mW into 32Ω and 180mW into 300Ω, which means that it won’t have trouble feeding 99 percent of all the cans on the market. It is also impressively clean. No background noise with my Edition XS with the gain set to H and it is dead quiet with my 10Ω IEMs. Note that setting the gain to H costs you half of the total playback time.

Speaking of the battery, let’s elaborate; the NX7 has a 4000mAh built-in battery and offers 20 hours of usage at L gain. At medium gain, playback time drops to around 18 hours depending on the volume you listen to, while at the high gain, consumption increases significantly, causing the playtime to drop to around 10 hours. The 4000mAh battery takes about 3 hours to fully recharge.

As for the intended use, if you have a DAP that you want to use with your headphones and it’s lacking in power, you can add the NX7 to the equation. Put your DAP in LO mode and pair it with the NX7. That’s it. Problem solved.

Let’s say you have Mojo 2 but you don’t think it’s feeding your headphones well enough, but you don’t want to give up that great FPGA EQ feature and switch to a different device. So you get an NX7, problem solved.

Although the use cases vary, it’s comforting to know that whatever you pair the NX7 with, it won’t be a bottleneck. It won’t affect the sound signature of your favorite DAP. It won’t saturate or change what you already love about your equipment. It is as transparent as it gets.

Topping NX7 – Performance

The NX7 is transparent, clean, and resolving. It amplifies the sound without introducing any hiss or signature alterations. It stays clean and clear even when pushing the technical limits of my Edition XS planar headphones. I paired it with the Mojo 2 and Topping G5 and fed the 58X, Edition XS and Moondrop Void. The medium gain was more than enough for all of the above. The NX7 reflected the sources as-is, and the background was quiet.

It did not affect the technical capabilities of my two favorite devices. It also does not get hot during operation. I paired it with Shanling M3 Ultra, together they became a sweet stack that struck fear into the non-audiophile crowd looking like a bomb. As for who it is really, I’d say that DAP users would benefit from it the most. 

Many of my audiophile friends just get a DAP and use it both outside and at home. Some of them are reluctant to buy full-size headphones because they worry about power. The NX7 is perfect for this kind of scenario. Using the NX7 with your phone’s 3.5mm out won’t make much sense, fidelity-wise, because the NX7 is a very capable, technically advanced unit and your phone’s DAC is basically an insult compared to it, haha.

You can also pair it with high-performance dongles, like the Moonriver 2. It would be a bit bulkier compared to a DAP stack but you aren’t going to use your hard-to-drive open-back headphones on a bus anyway.

Last Words

The NX7 is an excellent product and is well worthy of an award. Being able to achieve this level of transparency on a portable device is not an easy task. The NX7 does its job perfectly, it is built well, features a big battery, and is as portable as it gets while offering nearly as much power as a full-size desktop amplifier.

It is a niche product with a limited use case but it is light years ahead of something like FiiO’s E12 or JDS’ C5. There’s hardly any competition for it on the market, at the moment. Great job, Topping, once again.

 

Page 1: Topping, NX7, Packaging & Accessories, Design & Build Quality

Page 2: Technology & Power, Performance, Last Words

 

4.5/5 - (275 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.

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