Topping DX3 Pro+ ES9038Q2M Bluetooth 5.0 LDAC Audio Decoder DSD512 DAC AMP NFCA Headphone Amplifier Pre Amplifier (Black)

For $200, it's really hard to beat this DAC. I like to listen to music at work, but the PC audio of my work computer is awful. I had a portable DAC+AMP, but it finally bit the dust. I rolled the dice on this, and I'm incredibly surprised.First of all, this was pretty much plug-and-play. Set up just involved plugging in the USB and power, and turning it on. In my experience, most USB DAC setups in Windows can be finnicky to say the least- more so true the cheaper the device. Even though it was playing fine out-of-the-box, I did install the drivers from the website afterwards and then upgraded the firmware, and again it was hassle-free.The sound is very good, if not a little uninteresting. It's clear, clean, and very neutral. Which is certainly fine, but so unremarkable it's hard to comment about it. But hey, that's a pass in my books. It does support very high PCM and DSD bitrates, which for the price is phenomenal.The amp is serviceable. I doubt anyone who's considering a $200 desktop amp has a pair of Sennheiser HE1s, so for its target audience, it's certainly powerful enough to drive a decent pair of headphones. With that said, anything with more impedance than a set of mid-range cans, and I would have my doubts.I did try the bluetooth capability on my Pixel 6 Pro. The sound was very very clear and clean- there were no hiss or static coming through, and the stream was at a high quality bitrate with LDAC enabled. There was of course a bit of lag, but it wasn't atypical of most BT playback.The display is easy to see. The wheel is stiff and clicky, so there's little chance of bumping into the knob and rupturing your eardrums. It's reasonably small, enough to fit most desk spaces. Generally, the build quality seems to be really good considering the cost. Wherever they cut the corners, it wasn't on the case.There are a few very minor annoyances. The power supply is very short, and since it's a 15v power supply, it's a somewhat odd voltage to replace. I also wish that there were more buttons, so that I don't have to rely on the clicker as much.Overall, it's a fantastic buy- especially for an audiophile that's a beginner, someone on a budget, or just looking for a DAC+AMP that punches well above its weight class.

Top Tier Product! Thank you for the DX3 Pro+. I use this as a DAC to not have to use the on board audio on my gaming PC. The audio quality and performance of this has been nothing but stellar. I have been on the fence for a couple years trying to decide if i want a DAC let alone if I would even enjoy the quality... all I can say is why the F didn't I do this a long time ago.

I've purchased a few items from Topping though Amazon, also recommended to friends. I'm a very experienced audio enthusiast, also been involved with sales of some of the best audio gear in the world. I'm continually astonished how Topping can produce such high quality products that perform so well at very affordable prices. The manufacturers of kilo-buck bling products continually denigrate many Chinese manufacturers as being poorly made as well as producing sub-par sound quality, which isn't true, at least in the case of Topping. Disassembling this unit shows high quality surface mount components with what appears to be the same standard of assembly that the bling boys use. You didn't think that those laser etched faceplates and jewel like appearance was free, now, did you?

I wanted something that would either let me have an active pre-out and headphone at the same time, or switch between them without having to unplug the headphones. This provides that.After reading the ASR review I decided to try this.There are two issues that are causing me to pack it up after only an hour.First, the power cord is only 3 feet. Literally every other one I've used is 6 feet. It doesn't reach my power strip. It's ridiculously short.Second, the volume knob is clicky with high tension, and each click is +1dB. So you have to turn and turn and turn to go from low to high. I much prefer more standard volume knobs that go from about 7:30 to 4:30 (as a clock dial), so I can turn it all the way down quickly if needed.I'm going to try the L30+E30 stack instead.

Pros: Easy set up, initially excellent conversion, and nice choices of sound profile customization.Cons: stopped working after 7 months. Be prepared to ship it back to China for repairs, or to be out $225 (199 + tx).My mistake for not doing a thorough search of the failure and defect rate of Topping equipment.

This dac/headphone amplifier is an excellent value. I found it very easy to set up and use. The sound quality is incredible, very linear, ruler straight neutrality. It is a very small unit that is perfect for desk top use and build quality is superb. I hear details in the music that I never heard before. Check out Audio Science review about the DX 3 Pro

I am very happy with this DAC. Very clean sound and an abundance of connection options. It has more features than I really know what to do with. I am using it in conjunction with the Topping PA3x stereo amplifier and use both of the devices as the audio "amplifier" for my computer. Could not be happier with the setup! Highly recommended!