[Dartin Bout]

Thanks for the confirmation. It's still a PITA to get in but I did get a visual guide from Topping when I asked. They sent it with the proviso that warranty was voided if attempted it. That being said, I have a lot of hi-res (DSD128\256\512 and 32\368\768) that DX7 Pro plays like an angel praying. It's worth the venture.

 

[DaOchin]

I was talking about SS2590. Those are the big pro version. But if you have the 3602 this is even a better fit than burson it appears, you shouldn't have any problem with them

Yep the ss3602 fit perfectly with 2 risers for me. I was considering trying the ss2590 but it looks like I would have to leave the unit open and use a different number of risers to work.

 

[AgentXXL]

It's a sad day... looks like my Topping DX7 Pro that was being returned to China for warranty repair has gone AWOL. I did insure it, but unfortunately as mentioned a few months ago, the DX7 Pro is discontinued in favor of the new DX7 Pro+. With the DX7 Pro+ no longer able to swap in other op-amps, and the case design changed as well. My OCD will cry fowl if I replace it with a DX7 Pro+ as I had the original paired with an A90 pre-amp/amp. Not to mention that the pricing on the Pro+ is higher than I paid for the DX7 Pro, and the insurance won't cover a replacement as costs have gone up due to supply chain issues.

I guess I have a couple of options. 1st choice would be to try and find one on the used market. I've done a little hunting and there's not much that I can find that's currently still for sale. The 2nd option would be to go with a D90 as that will still match nicely with the A90. 3rd would be to try and find something else that's a good DAC to pair with the A90.

I'm currently using my Fiio Q5s TC as a DAC with the A90, but it's not optimal as it's a battery operated device and is not meant to be left plugged in and charging all the time. I'm getting about 10hrs of playback time per charge so it gets charged at least once every day. I'd really like to find a used DX7 Pro, but if anyone has any other options that they pair with the A90, please let me know.

Of course now I have to wait for Canada Post to investigate before they release the payment for the insured amount. Sigh....

 

[povidlo]

It's a sad day... looks like my Topping DX7 Pro that was being returned to China for warranty repair has gone AWOL. I did insure it, but unfortunately as mentioned a few months ago, the DX7 Pro is discontinued in favor of the new DX7 Pro+. With the DX7 Pro+ no longer able to swap in other op-amps, and the case design changed as well. My OCD will cry fowl if I replace it with a DX7 Pro+ as I had the original paired with an A90 pre-amp/amp. Not to mention that the pricing on the Pro+ is higher than I paid for the DX7 Pro, and the insurance won't cover a replacement as costs have gone up due to supply chain issues.

I guess I have a couple of options. 1st choice would be to try and find one on the used market. I've done a little hunting and there's not much that I can find that's currently still for sale. The 2nd option would be to go with a D90 as that will still match nicely with the A90. 3rd would be to try and find something else that's a good DAC to pair with the A90.

I'm currently using my Fiio Q5s TC as a DAC with the A90, but it's not optimal as it's a battery operated device and is not meant to be left plugged in and charging all the time. I'm getting about 10hrs of playback time per charge so it gets charged at least once every day. I'd really like to find a used DX7 Pro, but if anyone has any other options that they pair with the A90, please let me know.

Of course now I have to wait for Canada Post to investigate before they release the payment for the insured amount. Sigh....

I'm going to be putting up my DX7 Pro with V5i op amps for sale on canuckaudiomart. Pm me if you're interested.

 

[AgentXXL]

I'm going to be putting up my DX7 Pro with V5i op amps for sale on canuckaudiomart. Pm me if you're interested.

PM sent. Thanks!

 

[AgentXXL]

Thanks to @povidlo I have a replacement DX7 Pro coming to me! While a D90 was another option, I really like the flexibility of the DX7 Pro, especially when combined with my A90. It's coming pre-modded with the Burson V5i opamps installed. Looking forward to having a more functional desktop setup again.

My only hope is that the failure in my original unit doesn't happen again. I did some searches and it has happened to others, but relatively low numbers from what I found. Alas the part that fails appears to be the main CPU/controller which is likely hard to come by as a replacement part.

 

[AgentXXL]

Just an update - the replacement DX7 Pro from @povidlo has arrived and made my OCD much happier. The sound quality with the Q5s TC was fine, but I much prefer the clean look of the DX7 Pro/A90 combo for my desktop setup. Plus not having to keep charging and then running down the battery in the Q5s TC.

Of course after I purchased his unit, my unit sent back for warranty repair has finally arrived in China. 11 weeks from me dropping it off at the post office. It'll still be a few months before it's repaired and returned. I'll have to do some comparisons with it having the stock op-amps and the replacement using Burson V5i op-amps. And then decide if I want to sell it or hold onto it as a spare.

Regardless, I'm a happy camper. And I'll be even happier on Wednesday when my new Macbook Pro arrives. The USB ports on my current unit (a 9 yr old MBPr) are flaky as heck with all the use they've seen. Now time to sit back and enjoy!

 

[AgentXXL]

And it's another sad day... I can't believe my bad luck, but the DX7 Pro I purchased from @povidlo has failed in the same manner as my original unit. Slightly different symptoms in that the audio went entirely dead but I could still increase or decrease it using the remote or the knob on the unit, but no sound output - the display showed it increasing or decreasing. I tried disconnecting my Sony IER-M9s (using a 4.4mm balanced cable) and connecting my Sennheiser HD800 to the XLR output, but still no sound output. I then powered the unit off and now, just like my original unit, it won't power back on.

I am thoroughly disgusted that Topping sold these units, with what appears to be a design fault. I have yet to contact them as I'm too angry about it, so I'll let my temper cool down before I do.

I'm back to using my Fiio Q5s TC as a DAC to feed the Topping A90, which is still working fine and I'm quite pleased with. It does a great job with my Sennheiser HD800 cans and my Sony IER-M9 IEMs.

Shenzhen Audio didn't receive my 1st DX7 Pro for another couple of weeks after it landed in China, just over 13 weeks after I shipped it. The turn-around time in repair was impressive, with Shenzhen taking about a week since they received it to make the repair. It's being shipped back to me as of yesterday, but when I receive it I'm reluctant to even connect it and potentially go through this again.

And I don't even feel comfortable putting it up for sale, knowing that it has a design fault. I did check all of my cables to make sure there were no shorts and all were fine. If anyone has any suggestions for a replacement unit from another manufacturer, please let me know. My main want is a good dual or quad DAC setup, and capable of simultaneous output over XLR and line-out.

Sigh...

 

[povidlo]

And it's another sad day... I can't believe my bad luck, but the DX7 Pro I purchased from @povidlo has failed in the same manner as my original unit. Slightly different symptoms in that the audio went entirely dead but I could still increase or decrease it using the remote or the knob on the unit, but no sound output. I tried disconnecting my Sony IER-M9s (using a 4.4mm balanced cable) and connecting my Sennheiser HD800 to the XLR output, but still no sound output. I then powered the unit off and now, just like my original unit, it won't power back on.

I am thoroughly disgusted that Topping sold these units, with what appears to be a design fault. I have yet to contact them as I'm too angry about it, so I'll let my temper cool down before I do.

I'm back to using my Fiio Q5s TC as a DAC to feed the Topping A90, which is still working fine and I'm quite pleased with. It does a great job with my Sennheiser HD800 cans and my Sony IER-M9 IEMs.

Shenzhen Audio didn't receive my 1st DX7 Pro for another couple of weeks after it landed in China, just over 13 weeks after I shipped it. The turn-around time in repair was impressive, with Shenzhen taking about a week since they received it to make the repair. It's being shipped back to me as of yesterday, but when I receive it I'm reluctant to even connect it and potentially go through this again.

And I don't even feel comfortable putting it up for sale, knowing that it has a design fault. I did check all of my cables to make sure there were no shorts and all were fine. If anyone has any suggestions for a replacement unit from another manufacturer, please let me know. My main want is a good dual or quad DAC setup, and capable of simultaneous output over XLR and line-out.

Sigh...

Wow, sorry to hear that. Hopefully someone is able to give you advice on how to try to recover it.

Try to salvage the Burson op amps if possible. There are four of them, sold for $50 USD each.

If you don't want to deal with QC and warranty issues associated with Chinese manufacturers, I'd suggest to check out Cavalli Monolith Liquid Platinum DAC. It's on sale right now for $425 USD (down from $800) + shipping. Monoprice has excellent warranty support for Canadians. No questions asked returns and replacements within warranty period, including free return shipping from and to you from California.

It's a balanced DAC with flagship AKM DAC chip. This chip is actually a dual DAC chip by itself. Not sure about simultaneous output from XLR and RCA, you could ask in the relevant thread or message Monoprice customer service.

https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=38966 (extra %15 off with promo code BF15)

 

[AgentXXL]

Wow, sorry to hear that. Hopefully someone is able to give you advice on how to try to recover it.

Try to salvage the Burson op amps if possible. There are four of them, sold for $50 USD each.

If you don't want to deal with QC and warranty issues associated with Chinese manufacturers, I'd suggest to check out Cavalli Monolith Liquid Platinum DAC. It's on sale right now for $425 USD (down from $800) + shipping. Monoprice has excellent warranty support for Canadians. No questions asked returns and replacements within warranty period, including free return shipping from and to you from California.

It's a balanced DAC with flagship AKM DAC chip. This chip is actually a dual DAC chip by itself. Not sure about simultaneous output from XLR and RCA, you could ask in the relevant thread or message Monoprice customer service.

https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=38966 (extra %15 off with promo code BF15)

Yes, I'll definitely grab the Burson op-amps. I actually was approached by Burson to evaluate their V6 op-amps, and I wanted to compare the stock LME49720 with the V5 in your unit vs the V6 Vivid. I ordered 10 of the LME49720 and they have arrived. I'm going to try and swap out the Bursons. If one of them shorted out somehow, it's possible that they are pulling the power supply down and that's why it won't turn on. A project for later today. I hope it's not the Bursons, but if it is one or more of them, I guess I'll consider myself lucky that I have the stock op-amps to try.

I've asked Shenzhen Audio if they can advise me as to what was replaced on my original unit, but we'll see if they can answer that.

 

[AgentXXL]

Wow, sorry to hear that. Hopefully someone is able to give you advice on how to try to recover it.
i
Try to salvage the Burson op amps if possible. There are four of them, sold for $50 USD each.

If you don't want to deal with QC and warranty issues associated with Chinese manufacturers, I'd suggest to check out Cavalli Monolith Liquid Platinum DAC. It's on sale right now for $425 USD (down from $800) + shipping. Monoprice has excellent warranty support for Canadians. No questions asked returns and replacements within warranty period, including free return shipping from and to you from California.

It's a balanced DAC with flagship AKM DAC chip. This chip is actually a dual DAC chip by itself. Not sure about simultaneous output from XLR and RCA, you could ask in the relevant thread or message Monoprice customer service.

https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=38966 (extra %15 off with promo code BF15)

I had a chance to disassemble the unit and swapped in the original LME 49720 op-amps. Alas the unit still won't power up. I haven't contacted Topping yet, but I'm guessing it's the cpu/microcontroller that's failed. I didn't want to waste much time on it until I've heard back from Shenzhen or Topping. Still quite perturbed by this so I haven't contacted Topping yet, but I did ask Shenzhen if they could tell me which part(s) were replaced to fix my original unit. Like most electronics these days, it's probably a complete board swap and then the defectives are sent to a re-work center to try and repair/refurbish them. We'll see what they say. BTW - if you don't mind me asking, which dealer did you purchase your DX7 Pro from?

As for a replacement DAC, the Monoprice/Cavalli unit is nice, but it lacks Bluetooth and I would like to have that as an option. And I haven't heard back from them if the unit can output to XLR balanced and RCA single-ended at the same time. I also am unable to tell the difference between the AKM DACs and the ESS DACs. I have AKM in my Fiio Q5s TC and ESS in my 2021 BTR5, and using the same IEMs on both, they both sound equally as good to my ears. I spent a fair bit of time today trying to find something that I'd be happy with and found very few options that weren't sold out (because of Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales most likely).

I'll continue hunting and wait for Shenzhen and eventually Topping to get back to me regarding the possibility of me repairing your old unit myself.

 

[povidlo]

I had a chance to disassemble the unit and swapped in the original LME 49720 op-amps. Alas the unit still won't power up. I haven't contacted Topping yet, but I'm guessing it's the cpu/microcontroller that's failed. I didn't want to waste much time on it until I've heard back from Shenzhen or Topping. Still quite perturbed by this so I haven't contacted Topping yet, but I did ask Shenzhen if they could tell me which part(s) were replaced to fix my original unit. Like most electronics these days, it's probably a complete board swap and then the defectives are sent to a re-work center to try and repair/refurbish them. We'll see what they say. BTW - if you don't mind me asking, which dealer did you purchase your DX7 Pro from?

As for a replacement DAC, the Monoprice/Cavalli unit is nice, but it lacks Bluetooth and I would like to have that as an option. And I haven't heard back from them if the unit can output to XLR balanced and RCA single-ended at the same time. I also am unable to tell the difference between the AKM DACs and the ESS DACs. I have AKM in my Fiio Q5s TC and ESS in my 2021 BTR5, and using the same IEMs on both, they both sound equally as good to my ears. I spent a fair bit of time today trying to find something that I'd be happy with and found very few options that weren't sold out (because of Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales most likely).

I'll continue hunting and wait for Shenzhen and eventually Topping to get back to me regarding the possibility of me repairing your old unit myself.

I got the unit from Amazon, it was either from Aoshida, Hifi Booster Store or another Chinese seller.

I have D90SE as well. It fits your requirements. I find its DAC section sounds better than DX7Pro. Although same chip is used, all eight of it's channels are utilized unlike for DX7Pro whereas only two channels are used.

There's always QC gample with Toppings and SMSLs of the world, but there's great price to performance/features ratio. If you dont hear a difference between a DAC in BTR5 and a DAC in DX7Pro, you can probably get away with something like SMSL DO200 MKII, or even DO100.

Hope it works out for you.

 

[AgentXXL]

I got the unit from Amazon, it was either from Aoshida, Hifi Booster Store or another Chinese seller.

I have D90SE as well. It fits your requirements. I find its DAC section sounds better than DX7Pro. Although same chip is used, all eight of it's channels are utilized unlike for DX7Pro whereas only two channels are used.

There's always QC gample with Toppings and SMSLs of the world, but there's great price to performance/features ratio. If you dont hear a difference between a DAC in BTR5 and a DAC in DX7Pro, you can probably get away with something like SMSL DO200 MKII, or even DO100.

Hope it works out for you.

I've considered the D90SE, but this experience with 2 x DX7 Pro units failing has really soured my taste on giving them (Topping) any more of my money. I just want a good reliable DAC to feed the A90 amp as it's still the best solid-state pairing I've heard with my Sennheiser HD800 cans. Even just using the single-ended line-out of my Q5s TC. I need to build a 4.4mm to dual XLR cable if I want to run balanced, but it's not worth my time as I will get another desktop DAC to replace the DX7 Pro.

 

[AgentXXL]

I've considered the D90SE, but this experience with 2 x DX7 Pro units failing has really soured my taste on giving them (Topping) any more of my money. I just want a good reliable DAC to feed the A90 amp as it's still the best solid-state pairing I've heard with my Sennheiser HD800 cans. Even just using the single-ended line-out of my Q5s TC. I need to build a 4.4mm to dual XLR cable if I want to run balanced, but it's not worth my time as I will get another desktop DAC to replace the DX7 Pro.

Update: my original DX7 Pro was repaired by Topping via the warranty I had when buying from Shenzhen Audio (2 yrs instead of 1 yr from Topping themselves). I've been using it for a couple of weeks since its return, and so far it's working fine.

I did contact Topping about the 2nd unit with the same failure and after some back and forth, they are going to send me a couple of the microcontrollers so I can repair the 2nd unit myself (1 for the repair, 1 as a spare). The MCUs are available from electronics suppliers, but N. American suppliers have no stock and a 1 yr lead time. Plus they would not have the EPROM flashed with the code used by Topping.

I do have a surface mount rework station so repairing it on my own should be a relatively simple task. I hope I never need to use the spare MCU, but nice of them to provide one. Once I have the 2nd unit repaired and tested, I'll probably put it up for sale.

I think in the long run I'll look at moving to a different DAC. I might even consider going with a D90SE, but I'll do some research and look for something else that would be a good match for the feature set of the DX7 but minus the amp section, i.e. just a DAC. My main criteria is that the DAC can do both XLR and RCA line out simultaneously. I use a Woojer haptic vest or their strap single transducer unit so that's why I need the line out at the same time as XLR for the headphone amp. My other criteria isn't as critical, but aesthetically I'd like something that won't look too out of place sitting with my Topping A90 amp, which I am still very pleased with.

Oh, and because of these failures, I've decided to pass on doing the test with the Burson op-amps. Others have reviewed them for use with the DX7 Pro, so I expect I'd have little to offer other than confirmation of what others have found. I do have the V5i's that came with the 2nd unit I purchased used, but for now they won't be installed. I want to give the stock config at least 6 months of use before making any changes.

 

[Miiksu]

@AgentXXL

My unit also did broke. Topping fixed it for me. Burson opamps are the best for this DAC. Because you can do opamp roll, this is the reason I still use this DAC.