Subj : Topping's new DAC, headphone amp and preamp just toppled a few ke To : All From : TechnologyDaily Date : Sat Nov 08 2025 10:45:08 Topping's new DAC, headphone amp and preamp just toppled a few key players to sit with the top of the class Date: Sat, 08 Nov 2025 10:30:00 +0000 Description: Topping is absolutely determined to become a force where affordable digital audio equipment is concerned and the DX5 II proves its going the right way about it FULL STORY ======================================================================Topping DX5 II: Two-minute review The DX5 II is the product that Chinese specialist Topping hopes is going to force its name into the affordable desktop audio conversation and so its specified it accordingly and then priced it in the most aggressive manner imaginable. A selection of digital inputs and a wider selection of balanced and unbalanced outputs mean the DX5 II can function as a DAC and headphone amp, like many of the best portable DACs we recommend can, but it can also become a preamp for use with a traditional stereo system or a pair of powered speakers which your average portable DAC definitely can't do. So, this is new ground for many a headphone amp-owner. ESS Sabre digital-to-analogue conversion with a native resolution of 32bit/768kHz and DSD512 means the DX5 II is as high-resolution a device as these things ever get. A variety of finishes, each one tidily realised and each one complementing an impeccable standard of build and finish, means the DX5 II wont lower the visual tone of your system or your desktop. A selection of desktop Topping technologies designed to maximise sonic performance act as the cherry on top. And no matter if you use it as a DAC, a preamp or a headphone amp, the DX5 II has an awful lot to recommend it where sound quality is concerned. It creates a big, open soundstage and organises it carefully. Its detailed and dynamic in equal measure, and it controls low-frequency information to the point that rhythms are delivered with real positivity. Its eloquent through the midrange, and its top-to-bottom frequency response is smooth too. In fact, theres only a suggestion of overly bright treble response that represents a tiny fly in a great big vat of sonic ointment. Topping DX5 II review: Price and release date (Image credit: Future) Launched on June 10, 2025 Priced $299 / 299 / AU$499 The Topping DX5 II is on sale now, and in the UK it goes for 299. Those numbers apply in the United States too, where it sells for $299 (subject to tariff fluctuations) while in Australia it will set you back AU$499. A quick comparison then: it's a fair amount of product for the money. FiiO's pocketable BTR17 portable Bluetooth DAC/headphone amplifier sells for just a little less, at around $219 / 179 / AU$329 but it's a portable little beast rather than a 'desktop' option. The USB DAC iFi GO Bar Kensei is more, at $499 / 449 / AU$769, while the five-star iFi hip-dac 3 is less, at $199 / 199 / AU$349. All of which is a roundabout way of saying, there's certainly a market for the Topping DX5 II at this price, if it can take care of business. (Image credit: Future) Topping DX5 II review: Features ESS Sabre 32bit/768kHz and DSD512 DACs Bluetooth 5.1 with aptX Adaptive and LDAC compatibility Balanced and unbalanced outputs If Topping has attempted to build the DX5 II down to a price, its in no way obvious from the way the device is specified. There are similar products costing a fair bit more than Topping is asking that dont tick as many spec boxes. Consider the array of inputs and outputs, for instance. The DX5 II can accept digital audio information via coaxial or optical (which both top out at 24bit/192kHz), USB-B (a giddy 32bit/768kHz and DSD512), or Bluetooth 5.1 with SBC, AAC, several aptX standards (up to and including Adaptive) and LDAC. Its worth mentioning that Windows PC users will need to install a driver to make use of that USB-B socket. Once the digital audio information been converted to the analog equivalent (which Ill get to in a moment) it can come out again via single-ended stereo RCAs or balanced stereo XLRs (for connection to powered speakers or the amplifier of a traditional stereo system), or via a trio of headphone outputs balanced XLR, balanced 4.4mm and single-ended 6.3mm. Conversion to analog from digital is handled by a couple of ESS Sabre ES9038Q2M two-channel DAC chips one attends to the left channel, the other to the right. They include ESS Sabres latest Hyperstream IV architecture thats intended to suppress noise and deliver optimal dynamic range and their native 32bit/768kHz and DSD512 resolution is about as hi-res as hi-res ever gets out in the real world. To further suppress noise and distortion, Topping has developed a bespoke current-to-voltage conversion module that should also make the DX5 II compatible with a very wide selection of headphones and powered speakers. And on top of this, Topping has included its own X-Hybrid headphone amplification technology. Its a fully balanced four-channel design with three stages (discrete input, op-amp -based gain stage, discrete output). This optimised circuit topology is designed to offer extended dynamic range, optimum efficiency and low distortion and it should mean the DX5 II has no problem driving even the most uncooperative and power-hungry headphones. Now, the free Topping Tune software: it was only available for Windows PC at the time of testing, but its now also available for Mac OS users and provides access to Toppings new PEQ (parametric equaliser) algorithm that allows control of bandwidth, frequency and gain across ten definable bands. It means multiple audio profiles can be created, saved and uploaded to the DX5 II, target curves can be defined and imported and different profiles can be applied to specific inputs, so the ultimate sound of headphones or speakers can be individually tuned by the Topping. Features score: 5 / 5 (Image credit: Future) Topping DX5 II review: Sound quality Great sense of space and detail Dynamic and punchy when required A hint of top-end brightness In virtually every respect, the Topping DX5 II does straightforwardly impressive work. So much so, in fact, that I might as well deal with the one aspect where it doesnt outright excel which should leave plenty of space for me to explain just whats so likeable about it. The top of the frequency range is just a little flimsy and bright when compared to everything else thats going on underneath it. Theres an overly bright quality to the treble reproduction here, a sort of latent edginess that means the DX5 II is just slightly pickier about partnering equipment than it otherwise would be. And with that out of the way, lets get to all the good stuff. The DX5 II is an open, detailed and considered listen, with the sort of soundstaging ability that makes even a complex recording like The Birth and Death of the Day by Explosions in the Sky easy to follow on a granular level. This recording also allows the DX5 II to demonstrate its considerable dynamic headroom the distance between the moments of greatest intensity and attack, compared to the quietest and most contemplative moments, is significant. The Topping is also alert to the dynamics of harmonic variation, too and, in fact, shows a great facility for detail retrieval in every circumstance. It can identify, reveal and quite carefully contextualise even transient or minor details in a mix. And this goes a long way towards creating the sensation that youre in full receipt of everything a recording has to offer. The tonality of the low frequencies and the midrange is tidy and naturalistic, and the frequency response from the very bottom to the very top is smooth and even. Low frequencies are deep and textured, and carry a huge amount of information along with very pleasing tonal variation and theyre controlled at the point of attack, too, so rhythmic expression is assured. The DX5 II punches into bass sounds, rather than slurring, and it observes the decay of those same sounds very carefully too. The midrange is equally well-realised. The voice during a 24bit/96kHz FLAC file of Ghostpoets Off Peak Dreams is characterful and attitudinal, and theres a tremendous amount of fine detail regarding technique and tone revealed at the same time as information about intention and emotion. The Topping communicates through the midrange in the most articulate manner, and as a result voices always sound direct and positive. All of the above is true no matter what youre asking the DX5 II to do. As long as you take a moments care with your choice of headphones, as long as the system youre introducing it into doesnt share the same latent treble tendencies, its a deft and remarkably accomplished performer. Sound quality: 4.5 / 5 (Image credit: Future) Topping DX5 II review: Design 44 x 190 x 155mm (HxWxD) Black, silver or white finishes Properly built and finished Its become apparent lately that desktop is a relative term but Topping really means it when it describes the DX5 II as a desktop device. At a neat 44 x 190 x 155mm (HxWxD) it isnt going to get in the way, even if your desktop is as untidy as mine. The standard of build and finish is exemplary, and the DX5 II even feels good in a matte-finish, square-edged kind of way. The little indent around the rear of the fascia adds a tiny hint of visual interest, and the Topping looks very presentable in any of the black, silver or white finishes that are available. Design score: 5 / 5 (Image credit: Future) Topping DX5 II review: Usability and setup 2-in full-colour display Remote control handset Legible and sensible on-screen menus There are some physical controls on the fascia of the DX5 II theyre grouped to the right of the crisp, full-colour screen that occupies the centre. Three rectangular buttons take care of input selection, accessing set-up menus, and cycling through the various display options for that screen, while a larger turn/press dial takes care of volume and menu navigation. Options for the screen consist of a spectrum analyser (which is sure to remind readers of a certain age of a graphic equaliser from back in the day), a readout of volume level, file format and file resolution, or a virtual VU meter (which is one for readers of an even more certain age). Theres a choice of colour and adjustable brightness, but in every circumstance the display is legible and crisply rendered, so navigating menus is always straightforward. The Topping is also supplied with a little remote control handset that is, predictably, a lot less visually interesting and a lot less tactile than the control interface on the device itself. And unlike the DX5 II itself, theres no choice of finish available it comes in traditional black. Usability and setup score: 4.5 / 5 Topping DX5 II review: Value Judge it on the physical size of the product and the DX5 II can seem quite expensive. Consider it in terms of its specification and it suddenly seems much more realistically priced. And then think about its functionality, its flexibility and the highlights of its performance and the Topping starts to look like a bit of a bargain. Value score: 4.5 / 5 Should I buy the Topping DX5 II? Attributes Notes Rating Features Comprehensively specified it'll even work as a preamp 5/5 Design Small, svelte and useful enough to slip onto even the untidiest of desks 5/5 Sound quality Dynamic, punchy and detailed, if just a tad bright on occasion 4.5/5 Value It would be wrong to argue with the sound-per-pound value here 4.5/5 (Image credit: Future) Buy it if... You want to up your desktop audio game The difference the DX5 II can make to the sound of your laptop really needs to be heard You have a traditional audio system that could do with some digital smarts High-quality Bluetooth streaming can be yours, no matter how old-school your stereo system You have some nice headphones that need the best bringing from them The Topping is ready and able to drive the most demand and/or most high-achieving headphones around Don't buy it if... You have headphones that are lively at the top of the frequency range The resulting sound could easily be interpreted as too much of a good thing Topping DX5 II review: Also consider Its pretty plain that the iFi Zen DAC 3 is the product the DX5 II needs to topple or, at the very least, compete hard with if its going to be a viable option. The iFi is a nice-looking, properly built and handily specified device, and its capable of extremely clean, confident and full-bodied sound. Which, of course, are all things that equally apply to the Topping machine How I tested the Topping DX5 II I tried a bit of everything, basically I used the DX5 II on my desktop, connected it to my laptop via USB, and plugged in a pair of high-end IEMs via the balanced 4.4mm headphone output. I connected it to my reference stereo system using its single-ended RCAs and its balanced XLR outputs this way I was able to use it as a DAC for my CD player and, with it wirelessly connected to my smartphone, as a Bluetooth receiver. And I tried out these various roles and functions for a working week or more. First reviewed: November 2025 Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee ====================================================================== Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/audio/hi-fi/topping-dx5-ii-review --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 (Linux/64) * Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100) .