Topping DX1 Mini Stereo DAC Headphone Amplifier Combo - 280mW x2 Powerful Output Two-Stage GAIN Switch USB Chargable Discrete LNRD AK4493S XU208 384kHz/32bit Native DSD256 HiFi Home Audio (Black)

excellent little device. Sound was crystal clear and easy to setup, just plug and play with the USB cable and you are good to go. Worked well with all my IEM's and my dt 770's 250ohm.

Very detailed and yet smooth. Makes good improvement over desktop sound.

Two months in, and I have this DAC + Amp combo paired with an Aune AR5000 as my headphones. I had a pretty decent sound system before with the audio interface my high end motherboard offered, but as I'm sure you know, in order to get the most out of higher end headphones with stricter ohm impedance and thus higher requirements to properly drive, you need to get an amp no matter what. Since my finances were somewhat limited at the time, I needed a budget option for an amp and a DAC. I'd already tried and returned so many models, but this one stands out as the holy grail somehow. I've already recommended it to a few friends, who all stand by the quality of this system.==THE GOOD==The Topping DX1 is a beautiful, little device that is USB-powered, and supports both 6. 35mm and 3.5mm headphone output; I have tested both and they are of equal performance. The quality of the case looks professional, the system does not overheat, and the volume adjustment knob moves satisfyingly smooth. The AK4493S is a pretty good sound chip at the price range, and I can't complain. This is just a solid device all around that works as advertised, and downloading the drivers is a must.==THE BAD==If you are using this DAC + Amp combo on a Windows platform, not only will you have to configure the device to disable the Windows "sound enhancement" and properly configure the audio frequency and fidelity, but you will need to accept the fact that some applications just do not register this device. The most common culprits are not the ones you'd expect. For example, in gaming, Fortnite does not recognize this device and will not play audio through it, while Marvel Rivals detects it just fine. For audio listening, Winamp, Audacity, and WACUP do not register this device, while Spotify and YouTube pick up the device just fine.I'm sure a simple driver update by Topping would fix this issue, and I sincerely hope they are willing to read this review, but until then, it is my one complaint. There is no reason why this device shouldn't work on every application, especially the ones specifically designed with music listening in mind. Would I recommend it? Yes, as long as you are willing to switch back and forth whenever you find an application that doesn't recognize it... a bit cumbersome.After Topping fixes the driver issue, this will be an amazing device.

this little guy punches way above it's weight class / price. have to set gain to high for headphones, but i don't listen to music super loud so not a problem.

The caveat is that while Topping DX1 works spectacularly with my Bose Acoustimass mini cube speakers DX1 fails miserably with my Sony SS CS5 bookshelf speakers. If anything, I would have expected exactly the opposite since audiophiles hate Acoustimass while mostly liking the CS5.Before I explain the above in detail, let me describe what I love about the feature set of the DX1:You don't pay for unwanted/unnecessary features. Specifically, DX1 doesn't have optical or coax input, no Bluetooth, no external power brick, no LED to display bit rate or mode, no remote control, and no on/off switch.Long story short, the DX1 sound signature is slightly on the bright side. Which makes it OK with dark or warm speakers (e.g. Bose Acoustimass) but NOT OK with bright speakers like the Sony SS CS5 (not only are the Sony bright, but CS5 has a super tweeter making it really bright).With dark/warm speakers, DX1 produces sound which is smooth as silk yet detailed (without any harshness) and full of harmonics.With bright speakers DX1 sound is harsh, sibilant and fatiguing.DX1 and Bose Acoustimass is great with sustained notes/chords (fermata). Vocals and instrumentals are so detailed that I sometimes get actual chills which has never happened before. With that thought in mind here are some Youtube videos I auditioned with DX1:1) More Than Words (Extreme) ~ 2 male vocalists, solo acoustic guitar2) Hot & Cold (Kai, Seulgi, Jeno, Karina) ~ smooth vocals3) Instant Crush (Daft Punk) ~ chill EDM ~ male faux falsetto4) Twist In My Sobriety - extended version (Tanita Tikaram) ~ female low register5) Calm Down - (Rema with Selena Gomez) ~ Mesmerizing vocalsMy hifi setup:Laptop->Topping DX1->[upgraded]Aiyima A3 Pro->Aiyima A07->Bose Acoustimass 7

It's difficult to find an affordable USB powered DAC coupled with a proper headphone amp. The little dongle types just don't have the power or headroom. This one is a little bigger and more expensive than I wanted but it's the one that does the job. Now, I wasn't all that impressed with the ability to drive my Sennheiser HD 6XX 300 ohm phones bit it did great with a pair of 32 ohm ATH-M40x from Audio-Technica. I use a Schiit Magni+ for the HD 6XX and comparing those phones with the Magni and the DX1 is a pretty clear indicator to me that the DX1 is good, but not that good (I think this is due to limits on the USB power available). Meanwhile the M40x sounds great on both amps because they are low ohm phones. If you use IEMS you might get away with a cheaper dongle type from FiiO or whatever, but for over the ear cans the DX1 is a good piece of kit if you need to drive off USB power.

It's a simple product that does one thing and does it well. It is simply an AD/DA converter/amplifier for headphones. Coming out of my older MBP, there is not enough gain/volume for the Slate VSX headphones and software. The VSX are a game-changer for mixing and mastering audio. This extra gain for the headphones adds clarity in addition to volume. I bought this after many, many recommendations from the user group. IT's the cheapest for the quality.