It replaces EX5 with its great design, very good performance, and extensive feature list, earning the HFN Recommendation Award from us! So yes, this DAC/AMP goes directly in my recommendation list, and if you’re out for a dongle DAC , you should definitely try this one first, or at least add it to your list.

DX3 pro+ - topping

The unit also comes with a remote controller. It is not necessary to control the SMSL C200, as you can do it using just the volume knob, but it does make things easier and more convenient. It’s made of plastic and it has the following buttons: power, up, down, left, right, enter, input, FN (used to switch outputs and, when long pressed, to set the screen to automatically switch off), mute, raise and reduce volume. Features & Specs

Design & Build

I have really enjoyed using the EarMen Colibri. I was a bit afraid of its size but in reality, it’s still small and it doesn’t bother you at all when on the go.

DAC/AMP Combo Recommendations - Headfonia Reviews DAC/AMP Combo Recommendations - Headfonia Reviews

With its low output impedance plus high and low gain settings, the headphone amp section of the DX3 Pro+ is a great match for a wide array of headphones and IEMs. Listening on the Hifiman Sundara, the DX3 Pro+ is dynamic yet subtle, detailed but smooth. There’s gobs of power available and I found myself listening at around -25dB in high gain mode. Levels on the DT990 Pro were about the same, maybe a couple of notches higher at -24dB to -23dB. If you want reference quality sound from a transportable unit, the Angel now is one of the main units to look at. It plays (more than) well with everything I hooked up to it, and it does so without a sweat!

I had to turn the subwoofer gain up a tiny bit - around 2-3 degrees of the rotary gain control. The mids are more forward. Vocals, once again, are beyond imaginably good! Listening to Lindsey Webster singing "Those Three Words", it seems like she's in my listening room! Vocals are very, very smooth. Now I hear the 'velvet sound' of the AKM DAC chips in the DX3 Pro. Treble is a little further away. Pausing the music and holding my ear to the speakers and subwoofer, all are 'dark' with no interference noise. Soundstage is a little narrower than the D50 (as was the case with my headphones system), and instrument separation is less too. Overall, the sound is very musical and great for me as I work from home a lot so it's lovely to listen to for several hours a day. It's nicer to listen to for long periods - less fatiguing.

TOPPING DX3 Pro+ USB DAC Headphone Amp, USB/Optical/Coaxial

For a device this small, the SMSL C200 is quite versatile and offers a lot of input and output options. Not only can you use USB, but there are also optical and coaxial ports as well as Bluetooth. Speaking of which, you get Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity with SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX and LDAC codecs, which makes the C200 able to deliver great sound quality even without using the wires. You can select both the input and the output, though you can’t differentiate between balanced and unbalanced (and that’s reasonable). The switch from ESS to AKM has provided relief from intermodulation distortion that we have been seeing in so many DACs. Yes, there is a slight rise in noise as levels get down, impacting linearity measurements. That is a very worthwhile trade off in my book and I am glad Topping has made the change. The xDuoo XD-05 BAL is a brilliant DAC/AMP, taking advantage of all the features introduced in previous generations: versatile design, complete I/O, excellent sound.First thing’s first – DX3 Pro can run quite a lot of different headphones on the market with ease, but dont get too excited – it won’t drive everything. Very demanding headphones, especially planar magnetic one’s surely need something even more powerful, like the A90. The DX3 Pro+ Bluetooth connection will pair instantly to a known device and in my test stayed connected for 10 meters behind two walls. From USB to Bluetooth the volume is slightly lower by around 3dB.

TOPPING DX3 Pro+ Headphone Amp/DAC Online in India TOPPING DX3 Pro+ Headphone Amp/DAC Online in India

On top of the device itself and the Bluetooth antenna, which you need to install manually, the SMSL C200’s box comes with a rather slim set of accessories which only includes the remote control, a USB to USB-C cable and the power cable. There are also a manual and a warranty card. Design & Build The DX3 Pro+ is basically a plug and play device with both MAC and Windows computers. However, some ASIO functionality requires the installation of the customized Thesycon ASIO driver for Windows. Basic functions are easy to operate using the multi-function dial on the device while everything else is simply done via the remote.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. Usage is around 90% on PC thru USB and 10% on gaming console thru optical. RCA possibly with turntable but it would be somewhat niche activity. PC usage includes roughly equal parts of gaming, movies and music listening from a very wide range of genres. Thankfully, the DX3 Pro+ comes with a remote for raising and lowering the volume plus changing the settings as mentioned above. The volume changes in 1db increments from -99dB to -10dB before switching to 0.5dB per turn until it maxes out at 0dB. So yes, this DAC/AMP goes directly in our recommendation list, and if you’re out for a TOTL on the cheap, you should definitely try this one first, or at least add it to your list. For Bluetooth 5.0, the DX3 Pro+ utilizes a Qualcomm QCC5152 chip with support for LDAC, aptX LL and aptX HD. Unlike a lot of Bluetooth DACs, the built-in DAC on the QCC5152 is bypassed and the signal is decoded by the ES9038Q2M.