{"id":3032,"date":"2026-06-30T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-30T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gothamproaudio.com\/others\/presenting-the-shining-star-of-domestic-dac-amp-all-in-ones-the-topping-dx5-ii-combining-great-looks-and-superb-sound-quality-for-just-1999-rmb\/"},"modified":"2026-07-01T11:25:43","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T03:25:43","slug":"presenting-the-shining-star-of-domestic-dac-amp-all-in-ones-the-topping-dx5-ii-combining-great-looks-and-superb-sound-quality-for-just-1999-rmb","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gothamproaudio.com\/en\/media-coverage\/presenting-the-shining-star-of-domestic-dac-amp-all-in-ones-the-topping-dx5-ii-combining-great-looks-and-superb-sound-quality-for-just-1999-rmb\/","title":{"rendered":"Presenting the shining star of domestic DAC\/amp all\u2011in\u2011ones \u2014 the Topping DX5 II, combining great looks and superb sound quality for just 1999 RMB."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I\u2019ve had the Topping DX5 II for nearly a month now, and I still find it hard to believe that domestic little DAC\/amps have already come this far\u2026Thinking back to 2010, I was selling a pure headphone amp called the M600 in my shop, and it sold pretty well. In hindsight, that amp\u2019s main strength was its relatively steady sound \u2014 whether driving the HD600 or the DT880, it could deliver a reasonably normal scale, decently organised detail, and a sound that wasn\u2019t harsh or piercing. Yes, that alone was already quite good, because meeting all three at the same time was no small feat back then. At that time, there were plenty of cheap amps that were just plain bad \u2014 some sounded completely off, including many RA1 or Lehmann clones, which you could only describe as \u201clistening to music through a damp, worn\u2011out quilt.\u201dAs for looks and design \u2014 don\u2019t even go there. They gave you a case, what more could you ask for?<\/p>\n\n

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Then let\u2019s fast\u2011forward to today, fifteen years later. This Topping DX5 II sitting beside me catches your eye the moment you see it \u2014 clean, elegant design, with a colour scheme that fits right in with modern desktop aesthetics. The surface coating feels great to the touch and is surprisingly scratch\u2011resistant. Ergonomics are excellent \u2014 in fact, it\u2019s up there with the best domestic products and can hold its own internationally; you could even call it a \u201cno\u2011brainer\u201d in terms of ease of use. And it\u2019s not just a DAC\/amp combo \u2014 it\u2019s fully balanced. The connectivity is comprehensive: on the front you get 6.35mm, 4.4mm, and 4\u2011pin XLR outputs; on the back, optical, coaxial, and USB inputs, plus dual XLR and dual RCA outputs. All this in a compact, well\u2011rounded little machine \u2014 and how much does it cost? 1,999 RMB.Times have truly changed, my friend.<\/p>\n\n

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To be honest, for Topping as an audio brand, the DX5 itself has always been one of their flagship products. The cumulative sales of the previous generation were undoubtedly among the best in its class, and it enjoyed a very solid reputation as well. So it goes without saying that the second\u2011generation model of this series would be equally important to them and heavily focused on.In terms of hardware, the Topping DX5 II is equipped with two ES9039Q2M DAC chips, and uses a self\u2011developed I\/V conversion circuit to push the DAC performance to its limit, achieving a dynamic range of 133dB@1kHz. On the amplifier side, it adopts a three\u2011stage hybrid amplifier architecture called X\u2011Hybrid, delivering a signal\u2011to\u2011noise ratio of 133dB@1kHz and an output power of an astonishing 7600mW\u00d72@16\u03a9 \u2014 figures that simply don’t look like they belong to a device this compact. It also supports 10\u2011band high\u2011precision PEQ adjustment, with independent saving of EQ and volume settings.<\/p>\n\n

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Just talking about everything the DX5 II offers beyond sound \u2014 if I had to describe it, I\u2019d say this is a small device that has truly achieved completeness. Completeness is hard to come by, because in the past, compact machines under 2000 RMB either looked unrefined, which turned off audiophiles and made regular consumers pass at first glance; or they got the ergonomics wrong, so that even after two weeks of use, you\u2019d still have to dig out the manual to figure out some function; or they lacked certain features, making them only a part of the chain rather than a full solution. The Topping DX5 II has none of these issues \u2014 it has solved them all. Whether you\u2019re an audiophile or not, if you\u2019re an average consumer who walks in wanting a good\u2011looking, affordable, versatile device that can drive both active bookshelf speakers and headphones, with stable Bluetooth to boot \u2014 you can just pull the trigger on this one, and you\u2019ll be satisfied. Being able to bring the aesthetics, usability, and feature completeness of consumer electronics to HiFi gear is a clear sign of a very mature and powerful product proposition.<\/p>\n\n

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And as for the sound, it too achieves a certain completeness.I think it\u2019s worth comparing the DX5 II to some of the shortcomings and flaws I remember from many older sub\u20112000 RMB products. Back in the early days of DAC\/amp all\u2011in\u2011ones, manufacturers had to wrestle with a key question: should we really put serious effort into the headphone output? Because once you invest too much there, the DAC section and expandability \u2014 both in design and component choices \u2014 end up constrained. And the more frustrating part is that even if you did put serious work into the amp stage, many brands just couldn’t achieve much with it. In the end, even meeting the three basic points I mentioned earlier \u2014 a reasonably normal scale, decently organised detail, and a sound that isn\u2019t harsh or piercing \u2014 was often a struggle to achieve all at once. As a result, I\u2019d hear many devices in this class with soundstages that felt constricted, scales that never opened up, and drive that was thin and weak. Some were either too sharp and harsh, or they had this strange plasticky timbre \u2014 yes, not even just digital, but downright plastic\u2011sounding. You have to understand that manufacturers faced very different constraints in different eras, but it\u2019s still a hard truth that these low\u2011priced all\u2011in\u2011ones from years past were rarely well\u2011rounded in sound.<\/p>\n\n

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Now, with the DX5 II, the performance in terms of scale, detail, and tonal character is as follows:First, the sense of scale is quite satisfying. The soundstage isn\u2019t cramped \u2014 it\u2019s what you might call \u201cnicely open\u201d \u2014 but more importantly, there\u2019s a naturalness to it that feels completely effortless. It\u2019s not that forced stretching that gives you width but leaves an artificial imprint; instead, on first listen, you might not even notice it, which is rather interesting. Only when I A\/B it with some larger, more expensive desktop gear do I realise: \u201cWow, little guy, your scale and spatial presence are actually quite substantial!\u201d The three\u2011frequency balance follows a similar philosophy \u2014 the extension across the spectrum is excellent, yet it never tries to steal the spotlight. In other words, the whole framework of this machine punches well above its weight, while the sonic foundation remains well\u2011organised and composed. The background is clean and even \u2014 clearly beyond its class \u2014 and the presentation is neither flashy nor overbearing. It\u2019s steady, and there\u2019s even a touch of true flagship poise about it.<\/p>\n\n

Second, its level of detail is genuinely impressive for the price \u2014 the kind of excellence you notice on first listen. The bass carries a solid sense of weight, paired with a rather unrestrained vigour and punch, while relaxed, open harmonics lay down a lively atmospheric foundation. Dynamic expression also hits the mark effectively. The midrange, while unfussy, offers excellent definition of note outlines and smoothness \u2014 it never falls into the clich\u00e9 of \u201crough-sounding midrange on a budget device.\u201d And despite that smoothness, its grain texture is surprisingly good, with separation and dynamics in the midrange being both refined and precise. Meanwhile, the treble extension is crisp and transparent, providing direct support for the overall soundstage, and its retrieval of high-frequency information is also among the more substantial in its price class.<\/p>\n\n

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In terms of tonal character, the Topping DX5 II theoretically falls into the category of devices with a clean background, an open soundstage, and well\u2011extended three\u2011frequency balance \u2014 a setup that typically emphasises separation and definition of note outlines. In other words, it\u2019s not going for a tube\u2011amp flavour, but rather fits the classic solid\u2011state positioning. Yet in actual listening, you rarely perceive it as thin\u2011sounding. This is because, on one hand, the bass is given enough \u201cbreathing room\u201d \u2014 that spaciousness is well judged, providing a naturally relaxed atmospheric foundation. On the other hand, the lower midrange retains a very solid thickness, without sacrificing transient response or resolution, and the treble is neither harsh nor lean. Another factor is that the overall sound is polished to a high degree of smoothness \u2014 and once that smoothness is in place, many of the common complaints associated with budget gear, such as digital harshness or plasticky timbre, simply don\u2019t appear. Moreover, the tonality is fundamentally honest and neutral, with no tendency towards over\u2011softening or artificial colouration.<\/p>\n\n

Overall, this machine offers a wide soundstage, excellent three\u2011frequency extension, and a clean background, underpinned by a genuinely impressive sense of scale. On top of that, its detail is fine yet solid, with good resolution and definition of note outlines. It delivers strong technical performance while maintaining a sound that is serious without ever being dull \u2014 and these observations are all made relative to its own price point of 1,999 RMB. If you go on to compare it with some higher\u2011priced DAC\/amp all\u2011in\u2011ones, or even certain more expensive standalone amplifiers, you\u2019ll find it can still hold its own. Just how strong its overall sound\u2011to\u2011price ratio is should be clear from that alone.<\/p>\n\n

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This brings us to another natural question: how should a device like the Topping DX5 II be used?First, I strongly recommend using it primarily for direct headphone driving. Whether you pair it with a desktop CD player or a computer \u2014 and if it\u2019s a computer, the DX5 II is all you need \u2014 it is currently my top recommendation in this price bracket. It has two major strengths: one, its driving power is genuinely formidable; two, it\u2019s not fussy about what you plug into it \u2014 dynamic or planar over\u2011ears, or various IEMs, they all sound decent straight away. That said, after trying a range of headphones, I\u2019d still advise against pairing it with flagship\u2011level full\u2011size headphones in the five\u2011figure range, as the balance would feel a bit lopsided; some aspects of imaging density and airiness wouldn\u2019t be fully realised. Headphones from a few hundred to a few thousand yuan would be a much more natural match.Second, you can easily place it next to your computer and also hook up a pair of bookshelf speakers \u2014 a versatile setup that makes perfect sense. Its colour scheme already fits well with the popular desktop speaker aesthetics on the market today, and Topping even offers their own bookshelf speakers, so you could build a complete matching system if you like. Of course, if you\u2019re not a computer user, that\u2019s fine too \u2014 just use your phone, whether via USB or Bluetooth. The DX5 II\u2019s Bluetooth supports LDAC and is well tuned; I\u2019ve tested it multiple times with phone connections and never experienced dropouts or stuttering. The sound comes through clean and coherent \u2014 which, by the way, isn\u2019t something every compact device can pull off. Some just include Bluetooth as a checkbox feature, and without proper tuning, they tend to suffer from frequent disconnections and weird sound.Dual Hi\u2011Res certification \u2014 one for wired, one for wireless \u2014 not bad, wouldn\u2019t you say?<\/p>\n\n

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Third: using it as a pure DAC, paired with a separate headphone amp or power amp.For this purpose, I would only recommend it if you already have a system that is specifically missing a DAC. Because here\u2019s the awkward thing: if the amp and headphones you intend to pair it with are flagship\u2011level five\u2011figure gear, then this sub\u20112000\u2011yuan DAC, despite its capable performance for the price \u2014 and it does deliver fairly clean and well\u2011organised information \u2014 will still risk being the bottleneck. In that case, I\u2019d suggest you stretch your budget a bit and go for the Topping D90 III Discrete instead. It will give you a clear upgrade in refinement, smoothness, and resolving power.On the other hand, if your amplifier is in the sub\u20115000\u2011yuan range, then routing the signal through a separate DAC instead of just using the DX5 II\u2019s direct output might not be a clear win \u2014 you\u2019d really need to listen for yourself to decide which route sounds more convincing. In some cases, the direct headphone out from the DX5 II might actually give you a more cohesive sound.<\/p>\n\n

To sum it up simply: the Topping DX5 II is a fully balanced DAC\/amp all\u2011in\u2011one that delivers on looks, delivers on sound, is dead\u2011simple to operate, offers comprehensive connectivity, and boasts an outstanding sound\u2011to\u2011price ratio \u2014 all for just 1,999 RMB. Put it on your desk, plug it into a computer, a phone, or a CD player, drive over\u2011ear headphones, IEMs, or active speakers \u2014 it does it all. It\u2019s genuinely a product that I\u2019d recommend to a very, very wide range of people.<\/p>\n\n

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Source: Headphone Lin sir<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

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View Original Article<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I\u2019ve had the Topping DX5 II for nearly a month now, and I still find it hard to believe that domestic little DAC\/amps have already come this far\u2026Thinking back to 2010, I was selling a pure headphone amp called the M600 in my shop, and it sold pretty well. In hindsight, that amp\u2019s main strength […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":3031,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[145,104,130],"class_list":["post-3032","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-media-coverage","tag-dx5-ii","tag-hifi","tag-topping"],"blocksy_meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gothamproaudio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3032","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gothamproaudio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gothamproaudio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gothamproaudio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gothamproaudio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3032"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.gothamproaudio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3032\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3033,"href":"https:\/\/www.gothamproaudio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3032\/revisions\/3033"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gothamproaudio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3031"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gothamproaudio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3032"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gothamproaudio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3032"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gothamproaudio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3032"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}