Hey Paul, hope you are well, recently I saw some of your videos on mixing with headphones and they were very informative and maybe life saving on my side, nevertheless I have a question for you if you are so kind to answer: I’m currently writing trailer music (trying) and need to mix my own stuff, so, since I own a pair of DT 990 pro 250ohm, as a starting point, would these cans (with proper Harman curve calibration) and a Topping E2x2 be a good fit for a low budget guy like me? (With or without Realphones) Thank you
@mariobengalita2454 topping e2x2 will help a lot but definitely move to planars. Beyers colour the low end, especially the ones that need a big bass lift for harman Hifiman Ananda nano and topping e2x2 will allow you to hear everything you need to, especially considering trailer music will normally require a lot of low end
Wow, it's interesting what happen, because Topping is very very known for it's hifi amplifiers... and now they took a step to service musicians, it's so cool!
Great video! Fellow DX1 owner here, currently using it for high-impedance headphones. I am switching from the Behringer UMC404HD (great preamps, bad AD conversion...) to the e4x4 as my main interface. I am trying to reach a better sound quality in my recording, and based on the measurements you shared the Topping is hard to beat for the price, not only regarding the headphone amp, but more importantly the inputs and AD conversion. Also, they have a couple of dealers in Europe at the moment, and I bought the e4x4 from France. Thanks for sharing!
I had to buy a new interface because i wanted something solid in term of headphones output for my LCD-X, so i went for the E1x2OTG. I have to say that i'm not disappointed at all, and in my DAW the perfs are even better than I expected. Living in China i paid the E1x2OTG the equivalent of 97.97 GBP which at this price range there is nothing much to say. So it is nice to see a company that care about quality which is for me a bit ironical when you know where it is coming from... ;-)
Although I've been thinking about it for some time you helped me decide to get a decent headphone amplifier. Because of my residential circumstances I am almost exclusively listening to headphones. I recently got the Neumann NDH 30 cans and since I want to get the best out of them I got today the Topping A30 Pro. It sounds truly amazing. Really makes me see how crappy the headphone amp in my cheap Scarlett interface is. I connected the balanced monitor outputs on the interface to the balanced inputs on the A30 Pro and it works great. The topping cost me the Aussie equivalent of little under 200 pounds which I feel is great value for that level of quality. Thanks heaps.
After reading users comments the Audio Science Review page on the e2x2, which is the same as the e4x4 with just fewer inputs and outputs, I feel that Topping still has a lot of work to do to polish up their software experience. The main thing these two devices have going for them is the headphone amps, which sound way better than several pro expensive interfaces on the market. But multiple comments about how hard it was use the input gain knobs themselves (difficult to grip), paired with that the gain control was rather difficult to control and certain popular mics (87 bete) couldn't get enough gain level to power them. Others had major software bugs with the sample rate always jumping to 44.1K even if you were choosing another option. And others couldn't seem to get out of a loop of it always wanting to download updates, but those would never take. It seems like Topping is on their way to a decent product at a good price point, but they aren't ready for prime time just yet.
Oh, and a rep from Topping was popping in and out of the thread. It sounds like they will be adding more interfaces with more or fewer options. All kind of with the DAC that he seemed to admit was a tier just below the RME FS models, or a Prisim. Which all that could still be really good! And he said their plan was to step up the DAC at some point to be even better. So maybe they are hoping to improve the experience with these models first before going to that ultra pro level? He also said they are just Ali Express for now but are looking into distributors for USA and elsewhere. I'm certain that will raise the price, but he seemed to acknowledge that a more local resale option is better for everyone.
I've been using it for months and had no issues.. At all. Windows and Mac. Maybe these were issues when e2x2 first came out but I've been able to record at any sample rate and also playback at 192. From my user experience there is nothing to polish up on as everything works 🤷♂️ This can even power austrian audio oc818 no bother which is a very hungry mic and I don't get the issue with the gain pots. Maybe they fixed a lot of things before releasing e4x4. Dunno
@@PaulThird that's good to hear. I'm sure you could come across the thread. It really does seem like an ideal mobile interface for ITB mixing with headphones.
@@PaulThirdhi, but what about the DAC quality for nearfield ( or other ones) listening monitor ? Too low max dBu out ? And what about latency and drivers stability ?
Great video! I was thinking of getting the L30 ll to add to my 18i20 gen 2, but I’ve also been entertaining the idea of putting together a portable rig. I was coming to the conclusion that I was probably gonna have to make two separate purchases until this video. How do the L30 ll and the E4x4 compare sonically? Are they identical? Do you prefer one over the other? I use slate vsx btw, thanks 🙏🏾
L30ii is just an amp which is bottlenecked by whatever dac it's connected to. If it's just an amp you are looking for then l30ii is arguably the best on the market.. period. E4x4 is the full package as its an interface and doesn't require mains power like the L30ii. If you have a top end DAC then I would always recommend l30ii but if you mix on headphones with a budget/mid tier interface and 4 pre's is gonna be enough then I'd definitely recommend the e4x4 as its gonna make your life easier. Depends on exactly what you want
@@robertfontaine3650 Sorry, just saw this! Yes, I am a drummer. Haven’t recorded a full kit with the 18i20 since I moved a couple of years back though. At this point, I record mostly vocals and production when I can. For drums, I record with a Roland td25kv triggering Superior Drummer 3. My Gen 2 is fine for recording drums from what I remember though. The pres are pretty clean like most budget interfaces and the noise floor isn’t crazy. At the time I was in an unfinished basement and new to recording, but I was able to get pretty clean drums so long as I didn’t push the gain like crazy lol. But, I saw a review on the UMC 204HD a few days back and the reviewer deemed it his best-value interface. He said it was due to the Midas pres, low noise floor, and affordability. Assuming all of that is included in Behringer’s UMC1820 interface (their 8-channel), that may be a good option for you too. Knowing what I know now though, I'd save for something more expensive like an RME or Metric Halo for the all-around conversion. But I know if I NEED to record 8 channels of acoustic drums I can get the job done with my Gen 2. I believe Jacob Collier recorded his first album on an 18i20 Gen 2 and I think Louis Cole has one and still uses his to this day. So for now if it works for them, works for me lol. Sorry for the crazy long response, have a good one 🙏🏾✌️🏾
I have heard a bunch of very good measuring interfaces. Some priced well over 3000 EUR. What I can safely say is that they all sounded a bit different. sometimes more stressed then their competitors but more detailed and the other way around. I own an x6 which sounds good but I hate it for all the quirks I have been through with it. So I decided to get a second one and tested an apogee symphony MK2 I/0 16x16, a prism titan, a rme fire face UFxIII and the new Motu 828 (2024). quess which landed in my rack? It was the Motu 828. Maybe it was due to the style I am mixing the most, which is rock and metal. But that's how it ended for me...
Hey man, nice video as always. I was thinking of buying a headphone amp from Topping, and I own an ID14 mkIII. Do you think if I go out the Audient to the Topping amp, it will be better than the interfaces headphone amp? Or should I not buy a headphone amp, but this topping interface instead? (I'm asking in the context of headphone mixing)
If you go id14 out to topping L30ii hp amp then I'd say quality wise it's basically the same. L30ii is arguably the best hp amp on the market but with e4x4 you don't have to use up your line outs and you get 2 hp amps, not one.
Hi Paul, thank you for this review. Just like to ask about your experience listening to the Hifi man headphones with this audio interface.Did you mix a session with this interface? Appreciate your feedback and input. Thank you.
Well, this is insane. On first glance one of the benefits of the RMEs (for small producer means) is that they offer XLR outs. But practically that shouldn't be an issue. In case someone has monitors that don't offer a TRS in you can buy a TRS (6,3) to XLR cable (or an adapter) and that should solve the problem without downside (for ~10 Bucks per adapter or cable) - as far as I know. Those are not very common, but they exist. If the quality is what your experience with Topping suggests, that's a bargain everyone starting out should take advantage of in my opinion.
Yeah, hopefully their QC is good. That's my only concern but I've never had an issue with a topping product to date so I can't see past this interface for a home studio unless you want the expandability, then audient may look more appealing with adat. Plus they only sell it via one shop so it's not like they are churning out boatloads so my hope is that they keep the quality at a premium
@@PaulThird Yes. In my mindset expandability is not really a start-out concern for low-budget producers. You want (XLR) inputs, optional phantom power, enough outputs for one or two sets of monitors, low latency monitoring and a decent headphone amp. So the only thing (at first glance) I noticed is the lack of XLR outs. Thus, in a homestudio setup with let's say the small iLoud MTMs as monitors, you may think you can't connect them to that interface (if you're starting out). It really checks all the essential boxes (partially abundantly so).
This has me wondering, what’s happening to my M50x’s when monitoring through my Apollo twin X? Is this a bad combination? I’ve always thought it sounded kinda brittle in the highs and flabby in the lows, compared to listening through my Mac’s headphone amp.
I don't rate apollo DAC due to it sounding muddy to my ears. Headphone amp isn't the best quality either. For headphones I'd always reccomend a DAC amp like topping dx7 pro+
The e2x2 (£150) are available on Scan Computers ebay shop & website now. I think this exact unit but with their better spec DACs would corner the budget interface market, even if it were a £100 extra for the two channel model.
@@PaulThirdThat's good to know. There were some comments on Amir's review wanting it for measurement purposes so I suppose they're going by the figures rather than what's audible, and worrying about the DAC when using loopback.
@PaulThird Can you confirm if the headphone outputs have individual level controls? A bit hard to tell based on the pictures and I really need a device with two seperate level controls (one is driving a set of VU)
@@PaulThird Thanks for the reply Been working through your videos. I am kind of stuck between looking at this or looking at the DX7 Pro+ as I am mixing on headphones. Ultimately I need to drive two outputs simultaneously but with seperate level control. That could be a Headphone and line level out and the second output is a calibrate/set then leave alone. Any further thoughts.
It seems nice and Id like to buy it. But I cant buy from aliexpress since they doesnt ship it to my country. Do you have any info on when they will be seliing this on different sites like amazon?
Hi Paul, Currently I am using Arturia Minifuse 1 for HD 560S I want to upgrade to HD 660S2 and since the Arturia amplifier is weak for them - I ordered Topping e2x2. Please tell me which DAC amplifier will be the next level after e2x2 for HD660s2? And how big will the difference in sound be and how will the sound differ? I just listen to music and use headphones as my main Windows audio output device - no recording, playing guitar or anything like that
I'm guessing most of us have dedicated headphones amps at this point. Am I the only one who misses Midi and Inserts. I have plenty of hardware in my little rack an no inserts means I have to add a mixer into the rack for real time audio. Software effects and the latency that goes with them is crap for realtime. My old umc404hd has terrible specs but its got the inserts and midi to hook it up with all my other gear. It would be nice to see some digital ports beyond the USB C for adding ports an devices.
If you want inserts and midi, as well. As a high grade hp amp then you really need to invest at least over a grand on your interface. Probably something like an RME ufx iii
Paul, what do you think about adding something like a CRANBORNE AUDIO CAMDEN EC1 PREAMP/SIGNAL PROCESSOR/HEADPHONE MIXER to an existing interface, like the SSL2?
You can always track whatever you'd like with the x8, but then mix through the topping with headphones. The Apollo doesn't need to be the interface you monitor through in your DAW, but as long as you have it connected to your computer via USB, you'd maintain your DSP plugin access.
Yeah that's true but if you use the X8 for any analog gear then you can't use it for that purpose as the I/O in the daw has to see the X8 as the main interface That's where toppings dx7 pro+ comes in handy as it has optical and coaxial spdif inputs so I use the X6 as the main interface but monitor through the Dx7 pro+ via coaxial Spdif (X6 doesn't offer optical spdif) My hope is that topping make a monster interface with the pre's and ADC of E4x4, DAC of DX7 pro+ or DX9, full adat expandability, and if they managed to add the remote control capability of the DAC like DX7 + it's flagship Bluetooth .... Would absolutely destroy the market
Very surprised by this review. I would have to hear it to believe it. Typically the headphone amps and mic preamps are areas even high end AD/DAs disappoint.
That's because they don't have the technology in the first place. Topping made their career making the best headphone amps and DAC's on the market, THEN they got into the interface market. That's the big difference between topping and the rest.
thank you so much for this video! However, I temporarely live in the UK and due to brexit it's not possible to order anything that exceeds 135£ from Aliexpress. I wrote a message to Topping, let's see if they can do something
@@PaulThird Hi Paul! I've just sent them an email, let's see what they can do for me. I also would like to ask you something if that is possible. I'm a sound designer and my current setup is: -Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 (2nd gen) - byedynamic DT770 pro (250Ω) - a cheap portable headphone amplifier from ESYNic (costs around 30€). Lately I wanted to resell my current audio interface and I can't decide between the Topping E4x4 and an Audient id14 MKII. The topping option is really appealing because of the excellent HP amp (I mainly work on headphones), but, do you think this will still be much better than the combo Audient id14 MKII + my current amplifier? I never had problems with my ESYNic, I can't hear any background noise and I can reach high levels of gain with it. Do you still think that the Topping E4x4 would be a much better option for me?
So this can power 300ohm Sen, HD600s, at early mix stages and u can actually hear the kick drum, snare, or hat loud enough to actually mix them? Because honestly my 6i6 focusrite with 100% headphone output I can barely hear the components to mix. 100% this will work?
@@PaulThird the gods have spoken, gotta say though now this has finally arrived so has slate VSX. 🤣. Which if it lives up to the hype renders my HD600s pointless.
Is the e1x2 still suitable for mixing and mastering for headphones with 250 ohm's Or are all series the same from topping audio interface and specs but Les more inputs
Pity that it's not suitable for low impedance headphones. Pretty high THD for as well so not the cleanest either. Crossfeed feature may be handy but id say you made the right decision to get rid
it feel wrong to order a product from aliexpress, its always been a scam site for me. and definitly that you dont get what you bought. is it safe to say that what you want from topping is what you get quility product???
Depends on whether you want the expandability as the ID24 has adat in and out. E4x4 gives you 2 high quality professional grade headphone amps without sacrificing line outs with a seperate headphone amp. You also get 2 extra mic pres and zero latency direct monitoring on the unit with monitor mix in the software. Depends on your needs but if 4 inputs are enough then I'd say e4x4
@@PaulThird Great points, for my use I want a travel set up, so I can go on work away holidays and mix abroad (as well as mix on headphones at home when I'm not in my studio). As I wouldn't be recording much an E2x2 would have the benefit of not having to carry separate units and still have a great headphone amp. I might have to get one then!!! Thanks for your hard work informing us all on these gems, you're a legend!!
Aliexpress has been quite good for customer service in my experience. If something arrives, that is nothing like it's advertised to be, I've been refunded the full amount and not even asked to return the product... probably because it's too expensive to return... this is for cheaper items... I've brought audio equipment, and it's come and been what it is said to be, so I haven't had any experience when it's not, in regards to more expensive items
i have tested Topping L50 and 600$ Aune headphones amplifiers and they are not even close to stock head amp in RME UFX II. The two main questions is Asio and stability. Typically cheap interfaces offers use Asio4All. For the money you can get Audient MK2 series but it is working bad with planar headphones (id4 and id14 distorts sound on high volume). Also China supports russian agression on Ukraine 💙💛 so I will definitely skip this one. RME and UAD still the best and solid solutions IMHO
That doesn't make any logical sense as the L50 is completely linear, has all the power required and is one of the best measuring hp amps on the market. There's not ANY logical reason for the UFX II amp to be better. Emrah had the UFX II and still used a hp amp with it 👀 he actually has an adi-2 pro FS now and still bought an A70 pro. He's completely OTT though Apollo hp amps aren't great and the drivers in the topping have been solid for me on e4x4, dx7 pro+ & dx1. However RME will always win the driver stability battle. That's a given.
I completely agree, the stability of the RME drivers is beyond praise and this is of great importance when choosing an interface! But unfortunately Paul has already advertised Realphones, a Russian company, so it hardly matters to him that China supports Russian aggression. It's a pity, I like his videos
@@oleskiyashko2901 be serious..realphones ?? What difference does the paltry tax they pay to Putin make. If they even reside in Russia now. Why not go and volunteer in Ukraine or fundraise yourself rather than hassle random RU-vidrs.
@@PaulThird I forgot, so I didn't write it in my original comment 😆 but I remember now: Studio 24c. How are the preamps on this one? I use high Ohm headphones anyway.
Super clean. I'd definitely give it a look as I couldn't go back to using the revelator io24. Preamps and headphone amp are shit. You'll probably find that the studio 24c uses the same hp amp in the revelator io24 as that's how they keep costs down. Most manufacturers use the same hp amp for all their interfaces. Pretty standard practice. On my video it's genuinely just topping > lauten atlantis > compression and de-esser in studio one That's it. No eq, no rx. It's super low noise. Very clinical
@@PaulThird Is it possible for you to do a poll on youtube question how many people actually listened to music in atmos? Would be interesting, what do you think?