[Joong]

Hi,

Did you try Toslink from the Topping ? I can't hear any difference. Both Tos and coax better than USB though,

Why do you use a 1.5 A linear power while the stock power was 1A ?

I did. they are the same and better than USB but almost shrilling point in high with coaxial/toslink.
Yes, I am using 1.5 A.
The stock power block is switched power supply and generates lots of noise.
[edit] After some break-in time, the shrilling highs has gone and far more detailed sound than USB input.

 

[daftcombo]

Hi Joong,

What break-in are you about (in your last post edit) ? DAC break-in ? How long did you use it before you felt a change? (not sure those things ever happen for a DAC, but some companies do pre-break-in so why not).

In the past days I've made further comparisons between my DACs. To begin with, none of them delivers as organic a sound as my Technics MKII with Ortofon SuperOM 20 + Musical Fidelity MX-VINYL phono stage. But I don't have a top cartridge and the DAC X7 definitely delivers more details. My main issue (plugged in coaxial) is that horns and cymbals are shrill, and that vocals are not clear. This might well be a decay issue, as was also reported for the Gustard X20 (praised nevertheless).

It could also be that my speakers are pretty bright, and that the X7 is too revealing. Some recordings are harsh on the cymbals with the NAD D1050 also. It just seems even drier with the X7.

I'd like to try EQing but don't know where to start. Sibilance frequency range? Not sure an EQ would be sufficient though, but I don't want to get a de-esser!

 

[Joong]

Hi Joong,

What break-in are you about (in your last post edit) ? DAC break-in ? How long did you use it before you felt a change? (not sure those things ever happen for a DAC, but some companies do pre-break-in so why not).

In the past days I've made further comparisons between my DACs. To begin with, none of them delivers as organic a sound as my Technics MKII with Ortofon SuperOM 20 + Musical Fidelity MX-VINYL phono stage. But I don't have a top cartridge and the DAC X7 definitely delivers more details. My main issue (plugged in coaxial) is that horns and cymbals are shrill, and that vocals are not clear. This might well be a decay issue, as was also reported for the Gustard X20 (praised nevertheless).

It could also be that my speakers are pretty bright, and that the X7 is too revealing. Some recordings are harsh on the cymbals with the NAD D1050 also. It just seems even drier with the X7.

I'd like to try EQing but don't know where to start. Sibilance frequency range? Not sure an EQ would be sufficient though, but I don't want to get a de-esser!

I am back from long trip.
The break-in was about 1 week during which I changed from coaxial and optical cable so that actually the effect was some combination of actual break-in of dac and cable change.
Now I am changing from usual USB to ifi-gemini usb and listening to Saint-Saens Cello concerto.
What I am hearing is really revealing with lots of details without shrilling.
The break-in is technically a thermal equilibrium among the components where those bias points can be drifted and seeking the most stable point as time goes by.
I think that the actual break-in is one of universal and in the mean time brain function is also seeking the same stable point.
As whole the end result can be favorable because all those uncertain and unresolved things are finally understood by your brain in the form of resolved state(?) as time passes by.
Of course those statement is my subjective opinion.

 

[daftcombo]

Hi Joong,

Thank you for your reply.

I have to take back what I said about this DAC.

I bought a pair of 3-way speakers six months ago and was happy with them, with an Apogee Duet 2 DAC.

A few weeks ago, I tried the DAC X7 and started to think that some stuff was harsh sounding, especially violins and trumpets on classical and cymbals on rock. I accused the DAC.

Back to the Duet, the shrill feel was still there. It took me time to realize that my speakers were the guilty part. They opened up to the point of becoming harsh in the treble department. A bit of EQing with Q=1 at 1.3 kHz, 13.750 kHz and 20 kHz seemt to solve my problem.


Nevertheless, there is definitely a difference between both DACs in terms of decay. Notes don't last as long. The X7 is drier than the Duet. It seems to be commonplace with chinese DAC, like the Gustard X20, from what I read on forums. The effect is sensible on male vocals, violins and trumpets, which don't feel as "analog" as with the Duet.


I'll receive a new pair of headphones soon and will report. I liked the sound with the AKG K701 already.

 

[Joong]

Hi Joong,

Thank you for your reply.

I have to take back what I said about this DAC.

I bought a pair of 3-way speakers six months ago and was happy with them, with an Apogee Duet 2 DAC.

A few weeks ago, I tried the DAC X7 and started to think that some stuff was harsh sounding, especially violins and trumpets on classical and cymbals on rock. I accused the DAC.

Back to the Duet, the shrill feel was still there. It took me time to realize that my speakers were the guilty part. They opened up to the point of becoming harsh in the treble department. A bit of EQing with Q=1 at 1.3 kHz, 13.750 kHz and 20 kHz seemt to solve my problem.


Nevertheless, there is definitely a difference between both DACs in terms of decay. Notes don't last as long. The X7 is drier than the Duet. It seems to be commonplace with chinese DAC, like the Gustard X20, from what I read on forums. The effect is sensible on male vocals, violins and trumpets, which don't feel as "analog" as with the Duet.


I'll receive a new pair of headphones soon and will report. I liked the sound with the AKG K701 already.

If you love analog sound, then you can try Nighthawk headphones that sound really organic tones with high dynamics and linearity.

 

[daftcombo]

Thanks for the tip!

I'll try to find them somewhere to have a listen.

 

[Joong]

Yesterday I added ifi gemini usb cable between ifi nano iusb3.0 and topping d10, and was very surprised at what I was listening to He560v3 through X7!!!
Liquidity, and really liquidty that is really adequate word that I can choose.
X7 is a budge master piece for me now.
We do not only listen to phones through dac but to system that includes cables and every connected component by them.

PC->usual usb3.0 cable->ifi nano iUSB3.0->ifi Gemini usb cable->topping d10->monster DFO400 optical cable->X7->yulong a18->balanced stock cable->he560v3

 

[RTI_MD]

Yesterday I added ifi gemini usb cable between ifi nano iusb3.0 and topping d10, and was very surprised at what I was listening to He560v3 through X7!!!
Liquidity, and really liquidty that is really adequate word that I can choose.
X7 is a budge master piece for me now.
We do not only listen to phones through dac but to system that includes cables and every connected component

WOW, I guess that usb cable was soaked in snake oil for at least 3 days. Mate I bet you won’t hear any difference if someone changes that cable without you knowing it...

 

[daftcombo]

Yesterday I added ifi gemini usb cable between ifi nano iusb3.0 and topping d10, and was very surprised at what I was listening to He560v3 through X7!!!
Liquidity, and really liquidty that is really adequate word that I can choose.
X7 is a budge master piece for me now.
We do not only listen to phones through dac but to system that includes cables and every connected component by them.

PC->usual usb3.0 cable->ifi nano iUSB3.0->ifi Gemini usb cable->topping d10->monster DFO400 optical cable->X7->yulong a18->balanced stock cable->he560v3

Hi Joong,

I hear you but with all that gear in-between, with the ifi and the yulong, you have a few thousands $$$ on the table and it better sound good!

I don't have an headphones amp to begin with. Could you test the X7 head amp directly please?

 

[Joong]

WOW, I guess that usb cable was soaked in snake oil for at least 3 days. Mate I bet you won’t hear any difference if someone changes that cable without you knowing it...

You are probably right in that the first day of the cable the sound was so so or even worse than with my previous usb cable (usual commodity one).
One day later it reveals what I said.
It might be better today after work listening.

 

[Joong]

Hi Joong,

I hear you but with all that gear in-between, with the ifi and the yulong, you have a few thousands $$$ on the table and it better sound good!

I don't have an headphones amp to begin with. Could you test the X7 head amp directly please?

It will be interesting to see that the system (or the whole) is greater than the sum of its parts which includes of course the cable.
I will

 

[Joong]

The hardware layout and components are promising, whereas their treatment of software like USB handling is miserable and their choice of old XMOS chip was mistaken.
It seems that they didn't try to save by choosing low cost components.
It has AK4118 receiver chip that handles spdif which has no parity or CRC check process so that it can have less jitters than USB.
I think that when you bypass the USB it might be a good dac which can be an excellent nodal component of low cost end-game audio system.

 

[daftcombo]

Interesting!

I've been using the S/PDIF in only, from the Topping D10 and from my Marantz CD6003. I tried the USB for a few minutes but thought it was poor.

It's super detailed, my complain is about decay. Your headphones amp is probably mellowing it. That's why I'm curious about you pluging the headphones directly in the DAC hole.

 

[crabdog]

I received a faulty unit so haven't been able to do any further testing on the X7. However, I am enjoying the D2160 a lot. Love being able to stream Spotify from my phone to my speakers so easily and having a DAC ready if needed too!

 

[Joong]

Interesting!

I've been using the S/PDIF in only, from the Topping D10 and from my Marantz CD6003. I tried the USB for a few minutes but thought it was poor.

It's super detailed, my complain is about decay. Your headphones amp is probably mellowing it. That's why I'm curious about you pluging the headphones directly in the DAC hole.

@daftcombo, I will do as you indicates.
But now I try to stay where I get, until I can find what really it means.
Because the subjective feeling of this liquidness of sound can be changing over time, and I need to find what it is really.