Topping DX9

Soundnews heard a full-bodied, punchy and natural low end, energized vocals, and crisp treble that remained free of ringing even during four-hour sessions. Joshua Valour found the delivery exceptionally honest, neither adding nor subtracting from the music, while Z Reviews called it the best-sounding Topping component he had heard.

The DAC section is repeatedly described as highly resolving, transparent and clear. Fresh Reviews praised its micro-detail, air between notes, depth and separation, while Old Guy Hifi found vocal texture and background instrumentation easy to follow through dense material.

Reviewers consistently heard a clean, composed signal that retained clarity as recordings became dense, dynamic or aggressive. Z Reviews found the DAC output as clean as one could need, and Joshua Valour cites extremely low 0.00007% THD alongside a 132 dB dynamic-range figure.

The DX9's CNC-machined aluminum enclosure receives unusually strong praise, with Soundnews noting the absence of plastic and extending that treatment to the bundled RC-22 remote. Fresh Reviews calls the thick, cool-running case exceptionally premium, while Old Guy Hifi describes the unit as solid, well constructed and purposeful.

Connectivity is extensive: balanced and RCA line and preamp outputs, USB, coaxial, optical, AES and I2S inputs, plus 12V trigger connections. It also supports simultaneous headphone use, includes a remote and display, and Soundnews highlights Bluetooth codec support including aptX HD, aptX LL and LDAC.

At $1,299, Soundnews calls the DX9 a steal and gives it its highest honors, citing the performance, broad functionality and included CNC remote. Joshua Valour similarly says its capability is not meaningfully matched by another product at the price, bringing costly endgame-style performance substantially closer to reach.