Shenzhenaudio Topping EX5 Review (DAC and Headphone Amplifier)

[Berwhale]

I don't think that anybody seriously retooled their production lines around MQA, except for maybe when it first launched, but other than that, most companies simply just included DACs in their products, which could do MQA, and it was as simple as including the software on the X-MOS side.

I think you are underestimating the significant re-engineering required to add a blue LED to a DAC

 

[Jimster480]

I think you are underestimating the significant re-engineering required to add a blue LED to a DAC

lmao you are right; those Blue LED's are both rare and require very specific wiring which is not even common knowledge amongst normal engineers.

 

[Atanasi]

lmao you are right; those Blue LED's are both rare and require very specific wiring which is not even common knowledge amongst normal engineers.

Blue LEDs are a groundbreaking invention. Three physicists were awarded a Nobel Prize in Physics in 2014 because of blue LEDs.

 

[Jimster480]

Blue LEDs are a groundbreaking invention. Three physicists were awarded a Nobel Prize in Physics in 2014 because of blue LEDs.

You are actually correct about this, they are the basis of all white LED's today.

 

[Lupin]

I think you are underestimating the significant re-engineering required to add a blue LED to a DAC

Just solder a blue LED in an existing DAC and call it a day.

I'm absolutely convinced that pro MQA people will say that the music sounds better when they see the blue LED even when the DAC is rigged to always have the blue LED on even when the source is an 320Kbps MP3 file.

 

[Chromatischism]

Just solder a blue LED in an existing DAC and call it a day.

I'm absolutely convinced that pro MQA people will say that the music sounds better when they see the blue LED even when the DAC is rigged to always have the blue LED on even when the source is an 320Kbps MP3 file.

Hey, those hood stickers add horsepower dontcha know...

 

[Vitt]

I am trying to troubleshoot optical input to this unit because I am interested in testing it. I plugged a toslink cable into the motherboard, and Windows recognises the digital optical output. The red light was visible on the other end of the cable. I did the test tones and it was responsive in Windows. However when I plug it into the EX5, the screen is flashing 'OPT' and it has no output. Is the cable or the DAC at fault here? I have taken care not to bend the cable much.

I have tried reinstalling Windows drivers, Topping drivers, uninstalling and reinstalling Equalizer APO and reconfiguring the APO.

I also tried a different PC which is using Windows 10. It also recognised the optical output connected and indicated that the test tones were working, yet the EX5 continued to flash 'OPT'.

Also is there a way to have the screen show volume all the time instead of sample rate?

 

[Everett T]

I am trying to troubleshoot optical input to this unit because I am interested in testing it. I plugged a toslink cable into the motherboard, and Windows recognises the digital optical output. The red light was visible on the other end of the cable. I did the test tones and it was responsive in Windows. However when I plug it into the EX5, the screen is flashing 'OPT' and it has no output. Is the cable or the DAC at fault here? I have taken care not to bend the cable much.

I have tried reinstalling Windows drivers, Topping drivers, uninstalling and reinstalling Equalizer APO and reconfiguring the APO.
I also tried a different PC which is using Windows 10. It also recognised the optical output connected and indicated that the test tones were working, yet the EX5 continued to flash 'OPT'.

Also is there a way to have the screen show volume all the time instead of sample rate?

Set your output to PCM, uncheck Dolby and DTS, and uncheck sample rates past 96 for optical. Why aren't you using USB, that would be the preferred method.

 

[Vitt]

Set your output to PCM

Is PCM in the device options pictured? I could not find it. I have tried every combination of those tick boxes and nothing has changed.

Weirdly, if I have optical plugged in while using USB, the sample rate displayed 44.1 instead of 96 in windows, but I could not reproduce this again. At least it seems like the DAC is being affected in some way by the optical.

I wanted to explore if optical has lower latency than USB.

 

[Everett T]

Is PCM in the device options pictured? I could not find it. I have tried every combination of those tick boxes and nothing has changed.

Weirdly, if I have optical plugged in while using USB, the sample rate displayed 44.1 instead of 96 in windows, but I could not reproduce this again. At least it seems like the DAC is being affected in some way by the optical.

I wanted to explore if optical has lower latency than USB.

Uncheck all digital formats as you can't decode any over optical with this DAC. USB gets you high rez and I wouldn't worry about latency in a typical setup, IMHO. You can measure it to see though.

I can't recall the answer to your question about displaying volume instead of sample rate, but there is a section in the manual with regards to the display options.

 

[Vitt]

Right, I did uncheck DTS, Dolby Digital, and Microsoft encoded formats, and 192kHz sample rate. However the DAC is not recognising optical from my PC or another at all, and remains flashing 'OPT'. None of the dropdown options in advanced>default format>dropdown menu change this either.

 

[Everett T]

Right, I did uncheck DTS, Dolby Digital, and Microsoft encoded formats, and 192kHz sample rate. However the DAC is not recognising optical from my PC or another at all, and remains flashing 'OPT'. None of the dropdown options in advanced>default format>dropdown menu change this either.

What is under the advanced tab, I don't have a PC with realtek to see the settings options. Also, under windows settings what do you have the optical port set to output?

 

[Vitt]

Here's the pic from earlier, the advanced tab has the dropdown menu from 16-24 bit, and 44.1-192 khz. https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...ments/ex5-optical-troubleshooting-png.367319/. I have tried all of them. Everything in that picture is what I have available in windows for the optical output device.

 

[Everett T]

Here's the pic from earlier, the advanced tab has the dropdown menu from 16-24 bit, and 44.1-192 khz. https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...ments/ex5-optical-troubleshooting-png.367319/. I have tried all of them. Everything in that picture is what I have available in windows for the optical output device.

When you right click on your volume go to sound settings, then to optical..

 

[Vitt]

All I've got is in this pic attached.

Even when digital output is selected, the 'USB' indicator is solid on the DAC, so it registers something there. But with 'OPT', it keeps flashing no matter what I do. I don't have another toslink cable to test, but I tested on another w10 pc and had the same result. Could the cable be broken despite the red light showing on the other side?

 

[Berwhale]

I wanted to explore if optical has lower latency than USB.

Adding an electro-optical-electro conversion to the signal path seems unlikely to achieve your goal.

 

[Berwhale]

Could the cable be broken despite the red light showing on the other side?

Yes, it could be.

FWIW, I used my Topping D50s attached to my PC with Toslink for several months due to a ground loop issue. I solved the issue permanently by replacing my D50s/A50s with the EX5 which is has balanced outputs and broke the loop between my PC and monitors. More recently, I have driven the EX5 from a Chromecast audio using Toslink (whilst still attached to my PC via USB) and that worked fine.

 

[Berwhale]

Ok, thanks. This is the only thing I found for your controller that may help you, as your problem isn't unique for it

https://www.minitool.com/news/realtek-digital-output.html

I think you quoted the wrong post

 

[Everett T]

I think you quoted the wrong post

Thanks, multitasking gone wrong.

 

[Everett T]

All I've got is in this pic attached.

Even when digital output is selected, the 'USB' indicator is solid on the DAC, so it registers something there. But with 'OPT', it keeps flashing no matter what I do. I don't have another toslink cable to test, but I tested on another w10 pc and had the same result. Could the cable be broken despite the red light showing on the other side?

Ok, thanks. This is the only thing I found for your controller that may help you, as your problem isn't unique for it

https://www.minitool.com/news/realtek-digital-output.html