Can a Topping DX1 drive a Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro well?

[Vasllo]

I checked some specs and it all seems good, but I'm not completely sure if it's a good combo, because I don't understand a whole lot about audio. I feel like my B460M Plus leaves a lot on the table for my headphone, so I would like to get a better DAC and Amp (or maybe just Amp?) that wouldn't completely break the bank. Remember I live in Brazil, so the best bet is something from Aliexpress, if you're gonna suggest an alternative.

[191x7]

It should be fine.

 

What I would recommend from  AliExpress is the thing I got... AKLiam PD4.

https://www.aliexpress.com/i/1005004667582728.html

 

As for the onboard Audio, the B460M-Plus from Asus uses the Realtek S1200A. It's one of the beter audio solutions integrated on motherboards.

Way better than the Realtek 897 or 892 or such. So don't expect way better audio, just expect it to be louder and maybe a bit fuller.

[Vasllo]

1 hour ago, 191x7 said:

It should be fine.

 

What I would recommend from  AliExpress is the thing I got... AKLiam PD4.

https://www.aliexpress.com/i/1005004667582728.html

 

As for the onboard Audio, the B460M-Plus from Asus uses the Realtek S1200A. It's one of the beter audio solutions integrated on motherboards.

Way better than the Realtek 897 or 892 or such. So don't expect way better audio, just expect it to be louder and maybe a bit fuller.

The codec/DAC might be pretty good, but the (pre-)amp is weak. I went from an Asus P8P67 to a Huananzhi X99-TF and now this B460M Plus, every single change had a weaker amp than the previous, and I'm a bit sick of having to care about onboard audio in my upgrades, it limits my options. I usually focus on value, but I feel like this might be worth it and save me some money with motherboards in the future.

 

The DT770 doesn't have a lot of bass out of the box, and giving it a bit more punch makes my pre-amp clip until I lower it to about -5dB, which makes volume mediocre to good, depending on the situation. But even though volume is alright most of the time, I feel like it just can't power my headphone correctly when there's serious bass and sub-bass. I searched a bit and it looks like my headphone draws more than this onboard audio can supply in these peaks, which kills the audio a bit. I also will try out TIDAL at some point, because I hear some "artifacts" sometimes with Spotify at very high quality (320kbps).

 

Buying a (DAC)/Amp has been in the back of my mind for a while, but price and uncertainty of the results has been making me hesitate to pull the trigger.

 

Do you think it's worth buying just an amp and using the onboard DAC? I would kinda be stuck to good onboard audio-only motherboards, even though it's a part I don't usually like to skimp on. Also, the Amp I saw from Topping had L and R inputs, while my motherboard doesn't have those.

 

My first consideration was the Topping DX3+ Plus, but I thought it was too much for my headphone and didn't justify being 2x the price of the DX1 for me.

[191x7]

19 minutes ago, Vasllo said:

The codec/DAC might be pretty good, but the (pre-)amp is weak. I went from an Asus P8P67 to a Huananzhi X99-TF and now this B460M Plus, every single change had a weaker amp than the previous, and I'm a bit sick of having to care about onboard audio in my upgrades, it limits my options. I usually focus on value, but I feel like this might be worth it and save me some money with motherboards in the future.

 

The DT770 doesn't have a lot of bass out of the box, and giving it a bit more punch makes my pre-amp clip until I lower it to about -5dB, which makes volume mediocre to good, depending on the situation. But even though volume is alright most of the time, I feel like it just can't power my headphone correctly when there's serious bass and sub-bass. I searched a bit and it looks like my headphone draws more than this onboard audio can supply in these peaks, which kills the audio a bit. I also will try out TIDAL at some point, because I hear some "artifacts" sometimes with Spotify at very high quality (320kbps).

 

Buying a (DAC)/Amp has been in the back of my mind for a while, but price and uncertainty of the results has been making me hesitate to pull the trigger.

 

Do you think it's worth buying just an amp and using the onboard DAC? I would kinda be stuck to good onboard audio-only motherboards, even though it's a part I don't usually like to skimp on. Also, the Amp I saw from Topping had L and R inputs, while my motherboard doesn't have those.

 

My first consideration was the Topping DX3+ Plus, but I thought it was too much for my headphone and didn't justify being 2x the price of the DX1 for me.

Well, another good thing of having an external AMP&DAC or a stack of an AMP and a DAC is - you cah use the same AMP&DAC with your PC-s and other devices - always the same sound.

 

That's also a reason I went with the Akliam PD4. It uses type-c USB and no additional power - so it's compatible with my phones, tablets, PC and laptop.

And it's compact, easy to carry.

 

Look at a Truthear Shio too.

[saintlouisbagels]

5 hours ago, Vasllo said:

I checked some specs and it all seems good, but I'm not completely sure if it's a good combo, because I don't understand a whole lot about audio. I feel like my B460M Plus leaves a lot on the table for my headphone, so I would like to get a better DAC and Amp (or maybe just Amp?) that wouldn't completely break the bank. Remember I live in Brazil, so the best bet is something from Aliexpress, if you're gonna suggest an alternative.

What model DT 770 Pro are you getting?

At 32 Ohm, you don't need an amp.

At 80 Ohn, you still don't need an amp, but you will notice that you might have to dial up the volume slightly louder than you would a regular pair of headphones/earbuds. It should still get painfully loud, though.

At 250 Ohm you definitely need an amp. Any amplifier will do.

 

Keep in mind at audiophile products are a massive money sink. As long as you can play music at a comfortable level, and you're capable of hearing the audio with zero electronic noise, there's no reason to spend a ton of money on equipment. Buying better headphones/speakers will always be the better investment for audio improvements.

[CTR640]

DT770 80ohm is very easy to run off of mobile devices for example. I have it and it doesn't need a lot of power. 

[Vasllo]

6 hours ago, CTR640 said:

DT770 80ohm is very easy to run off of mobile devices for example. I have it and it doesn't need a lot of power. 

 

11 hours ago, saint_louis_bagels said:

What model DT 770 Pro are you getting?

At 32 Ohm, you don't need an amp.

At 80 Ohn, you still don't need an amp, but you will notice that you might have to dial up the volume slightly louder than you would a regular pair of headphones/earbuds. It should still get painfully loud, though.

At 250 Ohm you definitely need an amp. Any amplifier will do.

 

Keep in mind at audiophile products are a massive money sink. As long as you can play music at a comfortable level, and you're capable of hearing the audio with zero electronic noise, there's no reason to spend a ton of money on equipment. Buying better headphones/speakers will always be the better investment for audio improvements.

Sorry, forgot to mention, it's the 80Ohm version. It definitely doesn't get painfully loud.

I've had it for ~5 years, but still not planning to upgrade yet.

I feel like I'm missing something, specially with bass and sub-bass, but that's one of the reasons I haven't bought anything yet, I'm not sure if it'll be any better. My Asus P8P67 had great volume with it, this B460M Plus, not so much, but it's perfectly usable.

[saintlouisbagels]

45 minutes ago, Vasllo said:

Sorry, forgot to mention, it's the 80Ohm version. It definitely doesn't get painfully loud.

I've had it for ~5 years, but still not planning to upgrade yet.

I feel like I'm missing something, specially with bass and sub-bass, but that's one of the reasons I haven't bought anything yet

For the 80 Ohm, the bass should definitely improve with amplification. Again, don't go spending hundreds of dollars. Some cheap Topping or SMSL (these are newcomers), or FiiO or Schiit (these two have been in the scene for a long time) should do the trick.

 

The DT 770 Pro are definitely my favorite in my audiophile journey tbh. But that's only because of my huge head and ears. I cannot stand wearing like 99.99% of headphones.

 

You should definitely save up and look at something in the Dan Clark Audio products if you want the next-level upgrade in bass. I briefly owned their Ether C Flow headphones. It was bass heaven, and live recordings genuinely sounded like I was in the room with the band.

[Vasllo]

3 hours ago, saint_louis_bagels said:

For the 80 Ohm, the bass should definitely improve with amplification. Again, don't go spending hundreds of dollars. Some cheap Topping or SMSL (these are newcomers), or FiiO or Schiit (these two have been in the scene for a long time) should do the trick.

 

The DT 770 Pro are definitely my favorite in my audiophile journey tbh. But that's only because of my huge head and ears. I cannot stand wearing like 99.99% of headphones.

 

You should definitely save up and look at something in the Dan Clark Audio products if you want the next-level upgrade in bass. I briefly owned their Ether C Flow headphones. It was bass heaven, and live recordings genuinely sounded like I was in the room with the band.

That's what I was expecting to have, better bass and maybe better detailing in complex audios, specially when using equalizer APO to add some gain to the (sub-)bass. I don't add as much as I would like now because my pre-amp just can't handle it.

 

I first looked at the Topping DX3+ Pro as suggested by a YouTuber and audio company owner I follow, but I looked at the DX1, and it seems like more than enough. I think ~US$100 is the limit of what makes sense for my setup.

Also, I live in Brazil, so the stuff from Dan Clark is absolutely not viable for me, but I appreciate the tip anyways. I only have this DT770 Pro because an uncle of mine brought it from UK for me.

 

Also, any opinions about the AKLiam PD4 and Truthear Shio that were suggested? They're a bit cheaper than the DX1.

[saintlouisbagels]

9 hours ago, Vasllo said:

Also, any opinions about the AKLiam PD4 and Truthear Shio that were suggested? They're a bit cheaper than the DX1.

I'd personally go for the DX1 because I don't really like the idea of small dongles that kind of hang off a computer or stuff that are so lightweight that they constantly move around. I like that the DX1 is an actual component that will sit stable on a desktop setup. Unless, of course, you're precisely looking for a dongle to bring with you everywhere.

 

I also like that DX1 has RCA Line Out because this means it can be used to send a clean audio feed to external speakers.

[Vasllo]

13 hours ago, saint_louis_bagels said:

I'd personally go for the DX1 because I don't really like the idea of small dongles that kind of hang off a computer or stuff that are so lightweight that they constantly move around. I like that the DX1 is an actual component that will sit stable on a desktop setup. Unless, of course, you're precisely looking for a dongle to bring with you everywhere.

 

I also like that DX1 has RCA Line Out because this means it can be used to send a clean audio feed to external speakers.

Yeah, I just saw it'll go on sale for ~US$73, I'll get it. I considered the DX3+ Pro, but it's too much, and over twice the price on sale. Hypothetically, do you think the DX1 could also drive the 250Ohm version just fine? If my 770's ever go down in flames (it has some damages, 5 years of constant usage), I would probably replace for another pair, so I would like to know if I should just go for the 80Ohms again, or if it would be any beneficial/viable to go for the 250Ohm ones.

 

Also, this is just for my PC, I use TWS for my mobile devices.

[CTR640]

Not sure on the 250ohm version but according to reviews, the highs are a bit sharper and fatiguing. I had the 250ohm version about almost 3 years ago and I didn't like it because it fatigues quickly. If you already love your DT770 80ohm, go for it. But what about replacing the worn-out parts like the earpads and headband? Beyerdynamic provides a wide range of service parts. You can use the Tygr headband for example, also Tygr earpads or DT880 headband for example. You can make your worn-out DT770 into a new DT770. 

[Vasllo]

On 3/19/2023 at 3:22 AM, CTR640 said:

Not sure on the 250ohm version but according to reviews, the highs are a bit sharper and fatiguing. I had the 250ohm version about almost 3 years ago and I didn't like it because it fatigues quickly. If you already love your DT770 80ohm, go for it. But what about replacing the worn-out parts like the earpads and headband? Beyerdynamic provides a wide range of service parts. You can use the Tygr headband for example, also Tygr earpads or DT880 headband for example. You can make your worn-out DT770 into a new DT770. 

Well, I'll stay with the 80Ohms then, they also have a peak at 10kHz and I wouldn't want it to be any higher lol. The issue with replacement parts is that I live in Brazil, so they're hard to get and pretty expensive. I've gone through a few headbands and earpads, I found a kit with both from Aliexpress for ~US$15 that is pretty good and comfortable, I'm using one right now.

The issue is that mine has been used hard, almost daily for several hours a day for 7 years, so there's more damage than that, even with me being rather careful with it. For example, the cups somehow broke part of the flap that holds the earpads (I grinded them to avoid sharp angles), the clips that hold the headband broke as usual (I had a couple pairs 3D printed, one already broke, the screw wasn't deep enough) and the cable from the cups is a little damaged from friction with the headband clips, so I used some electrical tape to protect it.

[BlauparK]

I just wanted to hijack the thread for a moment as I was offered a really nice deal for a pair of used but almost new DT 770 pro 80 ohm, are they easier to drive than a sennheiser HD 560S or similar maybe?

 

Thanks you, regards

[saintlouisbagels]

11 hours ago, BlauparK said:

I just wanted to hijack the thread for a moment as I was offered a really nice deal for a pair of used but almost new DT 770 pro 80 ohm, are they easier to drive than a sennheiser HD 560S or similar maybe?

 

Thanks you, regards

EDIT:

Never mind, it looks like the 560S are 120ohm, so they are harder to drive. Maybe I should've checked harder instead of just 1 link. Either way, um, are you hard of hearing? From looking at your post history, it looks like you ran it in balanced, and with your amp at max with gain on, and you still didn't think it was loud enough? Sounds like you would definitely need an amp for the DT 770 Pro 80 Ohm then.

 

From quickly checking Google, most (all?) answers say the HD560S can easily be driven by smartphones, etc. which sounds like it's easier to drive than the DT 770. However, I find the 80Ohm easy to drive as well. You just need to set the volume a little higher than you would regular headphones, but for me they are still capable of getting  uncomfortably loud without an amp.

 

Are you choosing between the two headphones, or do you already own the Sennheisers?

I don't live in a quiet environment, and I love the enjoyment of a little extra hard-hitting bass, so I would choose the DT 770 Pro over most headphones. Especially since they're capable of a large soundstage, so I don't feel as though I am missing anything compared to semi/open-backed headphones. This is also independent of the fact that I have a huge head with big ears and I hate 99% of headphones, but the 770's are perfect for long listening sessions.

Edited March 22, 2023 by saint_louis_bagels

[BlauparK]

Yep I already own the 560s , maybe the DT 770 pro 80 ohm are quite similar in some regards, not so wide soundstage but still, more punchy bass from what i have heard.

Anyways I woukd like to try them, they are 80e anyways   I can sell them back if I dont like them, or keep them if I prefer them over the 560s and sell the later for the same price easily. Yep with a fiio k3 the 560s they were loud ennough, but at the limit of the unit for me on punchy tracks, so for a more closed studio like / more demaning headphone im deciding now into maybe it would have been lacking, but that's another story, don't want to contaminate the OP thread more

 

I assume then that the DT 770 pro are easier to drive than 560S or very similar in any case, thanks so much saint_louis_bagels

[CTR640]

4 hours ago, BlauparK said:

Yep I already own the 560s , maybe the DT 770 pro 80 ohm are quite similar in some regards, not so wide soundstage but still, more punchy bass from what i have heard.

Anyways I woukd like to try them, they are 80e anyways   I can sell them back if I dont like them, or keep them if I prefer them over the 560s and sell the later for the same price easily. Yep with a fiio k3 the 560s they were loud ennough, but at the limit of the unit for me on punchy tracks, so for a more closed studio like / more demaning headphone im deciding now into maybe it would have been lacking, but that's another story, don't want to contaminate the OP thread more

 

I assume then that the DT 770 pro are easier to drive than 560S or very similar in any case, thanks so much saint_louis_bagels

The HD560S and DT770 80ohm both sounds very different from other each other, nothing sounds similar. The DT770 has a wider soundstage than the HD560S and I owned the HD560S, the biggest regret I ever made. 

 

The DT770 80ohm is very easy to drive, yes. It can get very loud on mobile devices. Don't worry about that. 

[Ahoy Hoy]

On 3/17/2023 at 6:45 AM, Vasllo said:

I checked some specs and it all seems good, but I'm not completely sure if it's a good combo, because I don't understand a whole lot about audio. I feel like my B460M Plus leaves a lot on the table for my headphone, so I would like to get a better DAC and Amp (or maybe just Amp?) that wouldn't completely break the bank. Remember I live in Brazil, so the best bet is something from Aliexpress, if you're gonna suggest an alternative.

Buy the headphones plug them into the device you use them with, if its loud enough you don't need a amp, and if the audio quality sounds good enough you probably don't need a DAC. 

Technology has advanced enough that the little dongle apple gives you has a good DAC in and a decent amplifier, most modern devices are good enough out of the box. Unless your buying wired headphones which are power hungry you don't normally need any extra equipment.

In your cases spending just as much as the headphones on amps and dac is meaningless compared to just spending all the money in the first place on better headphones.

[Vasllo]

On 3/22/2023 at 10:46 AM, saint_louis_bagels said:

EDIT:

Never mind, it looks like the 560S are 120ohm, so they are harder to drive. Maybe I should've checked harder instead of just 1 link. Either way, um, are you hard of hearing? From looking at your post history, it looks like you ran it in balanced, and with your amp at max with gain on, and you still didn't think it was loud enough? Sounds like you would definitely need an amp for the DT 770 Pro 80 Ohm then.

 

From quickly checking Google, most (all?) answers say the HD560S can easily be driven by smartphones, etc. which sounds like it's easier to drive than the DT 770. However, I find the 80Ohm easy to drive as well. You just need to set the volume a little higher than you would regular headphones, but for me they are still capable of getting  uncomfortably loud without an amp.

 

Are you choosing between the two headphones, or do you already own the Sennheisers?

I don't live in a quiet environment, and I love the enjoyment of a little extra hard-hitting bass, so I would choose the DT 770 Pro over most headphones. Especially since they're capable of a large soundstage, so I don't feel as though I am missing anything compared to semi/open-backed headphones. This is also independent of the fact that I have a huge head with big ears and I hate 99% of headphones, but the 770's are perfect for long listening sessions.

To know if they're similar to drive, you should compare both impedance and sensitivity, no?

 

9 hours ago, Ahoy Hoy said:

Buy the headphones plug them into the device you use them with, if its loud enough you don't need a amp, and if the audio quality sounds good enough you probably don't need a DAC. 

Technology has advanced enough that the little dongle apple gives you has a good DAC in and a decent amplifier, most modern devices are good enough out of the box. Unless your buying wired headphones which are power hungry you don't normally need any extra equipment.

In your cases spending just as much as the headphones on amps and dac is meaningless compared to just spending all the money in the first place on better headphones.

I've already owned the headphone for ~7 years, so spending more on the headphone isn't an option.

Each frequency range requires different amounts of power, which has been making me question if I'm not missing something in the ranges that use the most power. I like some more bass than it has by default, and my pre-amp gets increasingly quiet as I add gain to bass and sub.

[rice guru]

13 hours ago, Vasllo said:

To know if they're similar to drive, you should compare both impedance and sensitivity, no?

 

I've already owned the headphone for ~7 years, so spending more on the headphone isn't an option.

Each frequency range requires different amounts of power, which has been making me question if I'm not missing something in the ranges that use the most power. I like some more bass than it has by default, and my pre-amp gets increasingly quiet as I add gain to bass and sub.

So yes your correct both impedance and sensitivity should be taken I to account as well as different frequencies being harder to power. With most headphones it's often mid bass. With beyers  especially what happens when they are not powered correctly is they either don't get very loud. Or they sound uncontrolled. This is the power you need given 80 ohms so to power 1khz a motherboard should be able to do but if you look at the chart I provided. In the mid bass region and treble it seems to peak at about 108 ohms.  https://www.headphonesty.com/headphone-power-calculator/?q=eyJpbXBlZGFuY2UiOiI4MCIsImxvdWRuZXNzIjoxMTAsInNlbnNpdGl2aXR5IjoiOTYuMyIsInNlbnNpdGl2aXR5TWVhc3VyZW1lbnQiOiJ3YXR0In0=

 

 

Which honestly doesn't make for a drastic difference 

https://www.headphonesty.com/headphone-power-calculator/?q=eyJpbXBlZGFuY2UiOiIxMDgiLCJsb3VkbmVzcyI6MTEwLCJzZW5zaXRpdml0eSI6Ijk2LjMiLCJzZW5zaXRpdml0eU1lYXN1cmVtZW50Ijoid2F0dCJ9

 

So considering it needs under 2 vrms at it's hardest to power frequencies and if you believe your motherboard really isn't cutting it, to answer your original question yes, the dx1 will be able to power your headphone.

 

Other alternatives 

Meizu hifi pro: like $15 on ali express better than apple dongle sits at 1.75 vrms. 

 

Hiby w3 sabre for $50 really good value features 2 vrms as well as a nice little akm dac.

[Vasllo]

On 3/26/2023 at 8:31 AM, rice guru said:

So yes your correct both impedance and sensitivity should be taken I to account as well as different frequencies being harder to power. With most headphones it's often mid bass. With beyers  especially what happens when they are not powered correctly is they either don't get very loud. Or they sound uncontrolled. This is the power you need given 80 ohms so to power 1khz a motherboard should be able to do but if you look at the chart I provided. In the mid bass region and treble it seems to peak at about 108 ohms.  https://www.headphonesty.com/headphone-power-calculator/?q=eyJpbXBlZGFuY2UiOiI4MCIsImxvdWRuZXNzIjoxMTAsInNlbnNpdGl2aXR5IjoiOTYuMyIsInNlbnNpdGl2aXR5TWVhc3VyZW1lbnQiOiJ3YXR0In0=

 

 

Which honestly doesn't make for a drastic difference 

https://www.headphonesty.com/headphone-power-calculator/?q=eyJpbXBlZGFuY2UiOiIxMDgiLCJsb3VkbmVzcyI6MTEwLCJzZW5zaXRpdml0eSI6Ijk2LjMiLCJzZW5zaXRpdml0eU1lYXN1cmVtZW50Ijoid2F0dCJ9

 

So considering it needs under 2 vrms at it's hardest to power frequencies and if you believe your motherboard really isn't cutting it, to answer your original question yes, the dx1 will be able to power your headphone.

 

Other alternatives 

Meizu hifi pro: like $15 on ali express better than apple dongle sits at 1.75 vrms. 

 

Hiby w3 sabre for $50 really good value features 2 vrms as well as a nice little akm dac.

Thanks a lot, that's really in-depth.

 

My DX1 arrived today, I've been testing it for a few minutes, and it seems to have changed bass indeed, it's great now. With some gain to bass (I'll try and make a better curve in the future), the pre-amp had to settle at -5dB for now, which made it pretty loud at the "low gain" setting, but not too different from my motherboard, I wanted a bit more. At "high gain", though, I'm scared to go over ~60% and blow my headphone, lol. So I think it's a win, I won't have to bother with onboard audio in my next upgrades, and I have better audio, although not a night and day difference. Not too bad for ~US$67.

[Ahoy Hoy]

15 hours ago, Vasllo said:

which made it pretty loud at the "low gain" setting, but not too different from my motherboard, I wanted a bit more. At "high gain", though, I'm scared to go over ~60% and blow my headphone,

You wont blow your headphones. To blow your headphones they will be producing a volume of just under 112dB, which at a inch from your ear drum is insanely loud and would cause hearing damage if you regularly do it for less then a minuet.

obviously you turn it up all the way and rock out, but in the grand schemes headphones are cheap and replaceable your ear isnt.

[rice guru]

16 hours ago, Vasllo said:

Thanks a lot, that's really in-depth.

 

My DX1 arrived today, I've been testing it for a few minutes, and it seems to have changed bass indeed, it's great now. With some gain to bass (I'll try and make a better curve in the future), the pre-amp had to settle at -5dB for now, which made it pretty loud at the "low gain" setting, but not too different from my motherboard, I wanted a bit more. At "high gain", though, I'm scared to go over ~60% and blow my headphone, lol. So I think it's a win, I won't have to bother with onboard audio in my next upgrades, and I have better audio, although not a night and day difference. Not too bad for ~US$67.

If the headphone allows me to I usually run high gain just don't make it too loud don't wanna give yourself hearing damage.

[Vasllo]

On 3/31/2023 at 4:50 PM, Ahoy Hoy said:

You wont blow your headphones. To blow your headphones they will be producing a volume of just under 112dB, which at a inch from your ear drum is insanely loud and would cause hearing damage if you regularly do it for less then a minuet.

obviously you turn it up all the way and rock out, but in the grand schemes headphones are cheap and replaceable your ear isnt.

On 3/31/2023 at 5:24 PM, rice guru said:

If the headphone allows me to I usually run high gain just don't make it too loud don't wanna give yourself hearing damage.

Of course, I avoid listening to anything too loud, I think I was just being overprotective with my headphones. But thanks for the advice anyways, guys.

I try to keep my hearing the best I can, I even heard a friend of mine's CRT high-frequency buzz he couldn't. Listening to loud music fatigues my hearing, I don't often hype enough to turn really loud, and for short periods only. In the trip I just came back, I was being the old man who asks to lower the volume in my friend's car haha.

[Vasllo]

Update in case anyone is interested in this combo and finds this thread in the future:

 

The difference between onboard audio (Asus B460M-Plus) and the Topping DX1 is absurd, my onboard literally cuts a frequency range and music lacks sub-bass completely, doesn't matter what I do to EQ. It's really worth it. And it does have enough power to overpower the headphone.