contrailcowboy
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- Joined
- May 17, 2018
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After reading the review on this forum, I purchased a DX7s. One caveat with this DAC: it doesn't work with an Apple Airport Express. Apple has basically abandoned this product line so this may matter less in the future but it was a disappointment for me. The symptoms are glitches/silences in the sound. The DX7s seems to have some pop protection and it sounds as if this is being invoked periodically.
The airport express worked well with my previous DAC (ironically, a schiit modi multibit). Since the DX7s w/ airport express was the first device I tested, I initially believed my DX7s to be faulty, but that does not appear to be the case.
Here are configurations I tested:
with a new Toslink to Mini-Toslink cable between the Airport Express/DX7s -- same problem
with a standard Toslink-Toslink and Mini Toslink adapter (different brand of cable) -- same problem
with another Airport express device (same model) -- same problem
with my television's optical output connected to the DX7s -- works fine
with a PS3's optical output connected to the DX7s -- works fine
believing that perhaps it was the 1/8" analog/mini toslink combo jack that Apple uses, I tested connecting a Macbook Pro with the same jack to the DX7s -- it worked fine
finally just to make sure there wasn't something wrong with both the Airport Express units, I tested them with both the Modi Multibit and a sound bar I own with optical input -- both worked fine.
Clearly, the problem is some kind of bizarre incompatibility between the Airport Express units and the Topping DX7s. I wrote to Topping asking them about it, this is what I got back:
Based on this, my best guess is that the DX7s' pop protection circuitry is a little too trigger-happy. I hope this helps anyone else considering buying this DAC.
The airport express worked well with my previous DAC (ironically, a schiit modi multibit). Since the DX7s w/ airport express was the first device I tested, I initially believed my DX7s to be faulty, but that does not appear to be the case.
Here are configurations I tested:
with a new Toslink to Mini-Toslink cable between the Airport Express/DX7s -- same problem
with a standard Toslink-Toslink and Mini Toslink adapter (different brand of cable) -- same problem
with another Airport express device (same model) -- same problem
with my television's optical output connected to the DX7s -- works fine
with a PS3's optical output connected to the DX7s -- works fine
believing that perhaps it was the 1/8" analog/mini toslink combo jack that Apple uses, I tested connecting a Macbook Pro with the same jack to the DX7s -- it worked fine
finally just to make sure there wasn't something wrong with both the Airport Express units, I tested them with both the Modi Multibit and a sound bar I own with optical input -- both worked fine.
Clearly, the problem is some kind of bizarre incompatibility between the Airport Express units and the Topping DX7s. I wrote to Topping asking them about it, this is what I got back:
We believe this is compatibility problems between DX7s and airport express. We had received report of this before and test airport express from our customer. Our test shows that signal of airport express is not standardized enough and it will often break and recover very quickly, which cause slow volume increase function of DX7s active, then the result is even successfully connect them, volume of DX7s will shut down suddenly and then slowly increase. Therefore, we do not recommend DX7s working with airport express.
Based on this, my best guess is that the DX7s' pop protection circuitry is a little too trigger-happy. I hope this helps anyone else considering buying this DAC.