'The best of both worlds': This innovative DAC and headphone amp uses a unique processing system that basically converts your Hi-Res Audio to DSD on the fly, to give you ultra-low-distortion music — and it's packed with wired and wireless connectivity
And the best bit is that you can see the circuitry inside…
by https://www.techradar.com/author/tom-bedford · TechRadarNews By Tom Bedford published 29 April 2026
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- Topping announces the DX9 Discrete DAC and headphone amp
- Uses delta sigma processing like an integrated DAC, but in discrete components like an R2R DAC
- Going on sale for £1,299 (about $1,750, AU$2,600)
Topping Audio may not be the most prolific hi-fi company, but when it strikes, it strikes hard; a recent DAC, amp and preamp combo called the DX5 II proved that. And its latest piece of gear is just as ambitious.
The brand has announced the Topping DX9 Discrete, which is now on sale in the UK for £1,299 (about $1,750, AU$2,600) — that's not cheap, but given the tech inside, it's also kind of a bargain.
This combination DAC and headphone amp builds on its predecessor in a few key ways, most crucially introducing Topping's proprietary PSRM architecture for digital-to-audio conversion (which I'll come back to in a moment), and support for a 10-band PEQ. Thankfully, it retains the older version's design, including a cool see-through build.
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The DX9 has a display on the front that lets you monitor various factors and change settings, and it has a wide range of inputs and outputs including USB, optical, coax and HDMI, hitting up to 32-bit 768kHz PCM / DSD512 decoding.
The Topping DX9 Discrete supports Bluetooth 5.1 with LDAC, various aptX standards, AAC and SBC, and works as a headphone amplifier with six channels, capable of driving even particularly fussy cans. But easily its coolest feature is in the DAC space.
The company keeps Topping itself
As audio fans might know, picking an audio system can be hard, with many fancy techs solving one problem only to raise another. Do you go for an R2R DAC, with is discrete architecture creating a warm harmonic sound but often more distortion, or an integrated chip that has less distortion but can feel like a colder and more digital sound?
Topping thinks it can deliver the best of both worlds using its PSRM system. The uses discrete components, similar to R2R DACs, but uses them for delta-sigma processing, like an integrated chip — all through a 1-bit pipeline at extremely high sample frequencies (purportedly in the megahertz range).
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