Topping Professional E2x2 - A new challenger! - USB Audio Interface Review
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- Опубліковано 8 чер 2024
- In this video I test the E2x2 from Topping Professional. This is a new contender in the audio interface space whose main selling point is the headphone output.
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00:00 Intro
00:42 Hardware Overview
03:08 Internals
03:55 Ergonomics and usability
05:14 Mic Input Performance
06:27 Mic Preamp Performance
07:53 Mic Input Impedance
08:29 Line Input Performance
09:08 Main Output Performance
10:06 HP Output Performance
11:54 Software Overview
13:55 Direct Monitoring Latency
14:13 Round Trip Latency
14:43 Verdict
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Additional Info:
According to a mail I got from Topping Pro, the input impedance has been increased to 1.5 kOhm in the second batch run. That would be a nice improvement, just be aware that depending on your point of purchase you might or might not end up with the newer batch.
Wow. That's great. Couple days ago at aliexpress seller didn't tell me anything useful about this. Thanks for sharing!
Julian, you do an amazing job reviewing these audio interfaces. Thankyou so much. Do you know if Topping will release a 4x4 audio interface as well?
@@tstein88 I have heard rumors about a 4x4 and it seems likely that they would release such a version. But I have no further info on that.
@@JulianKrause 已经确定会在今天发布了
This is an excellent channel thank you , topping is a rising brand but i would like to see uad apollo twins results in your channel too.
I'm surprised that Julian still hasn't made a website for his stats. Would love to have it for quick reference.
or just a spreadsheet
I'm not, 90% of people can't even be bothered to Subscribe or even like this video so they don't deserve it, me included.
no youtube ad revenue if you just get all the stats from a spreadsheet
@@lwrncl8329 Patreon or UA-cam membership and then put it behind a paywall. That would be perfect and help those out who are serious about this gear
That would be great!
Julian you always do the best reviews! Thanks ever so much for another amazingly detailed and insightful review!
I know most of you won't care, but I bought a Topping E2x2 to test on Linux and it works out of the box. I haven't tried it on Ubuntu interim versions, LTS releases or other Debian derivatives, but on distros like Fedora and Solus it works out of the box without issues.
EDIT: I can also confirm that the gain range on the mic input is really weird. It jumps up suddenly when you approach the end of the dial, so it does make it more difficult to set appropriate gain staging. The headphone output power is unheard of for a audio interface. The numbers remind me of the Objective 2 amp, where that amp was somewhere around 613 mW @ 32 ohms, and this isn't that far off. While more power doesn't hurt and does help for songs mastered at a low volume, it does become a bit silly when headphone amps pursue this chase of more power than what is necessary for the vast majority of headphones on the market.
I just want to reply to say that I'm interested in the Linux support, as I will use my AI exclusively on Linux.
Best interface review channel in the history of the internet
Man, honestly cool to see Topping jump to the interface world. Their DAC/Headphone amps are exceptional so I'm not too surprised to see it kill at those specs.
Let's see if FIIO and the others decide to make the same jump.
Amazing! Thanks for your job, I have waited its review for a long time.
Your review is worth its weight in gold for Topping. Calling attention to very fixable, but serious, shortcomings is just what a newcomer to a market needs. I hope they take your observations seriously, Julian. Ergonomics, particularly, are poor and though expensive to change, do not involve major engineering time. Given your careful review, I would expect a much-improved line of interfaces from Topping in the near future.
Excellent job!
Excellent review once again! Thank you Julian.
As always, wonderfully thorough and objective as possible. Very nice to see how a device's performance aspects compare in your charts. Thank you, Julian.
Awesome work Julian, as always. I was looking forward to this review. I am glad it was purchased by you privately. No special tweaked review versions.
Nice review! I rarely watch UA-cam but your reviews are an exception. Well done!
The work you do is amazing…Have been recommending your channel to all my musician friends…I learned a lot that I’ll take into my gear choosing for life
Hi Julian, Im not that into audio gear and am currently learning about how I can upgrade my current setup. Your videos are a great for me beacause of your easy to understand explanations while having more in depth analysis than most reviewers. Always thankful for your videos when I come across one!
The work you provide to us audio heads is priceless....I appreciate all your efforts with your reviews. Keep them coming my friend!
I am digging this Topping E2x2....but a 2x4 or 4x4 would be dope too.
Great review. Thank you, Julian.
Outstanding technical review! I too am a fan of having an on-off switch and LED Meters. No need to have the audio interface powered up if not in use. I have a MOTU M4, and I am extremely happy with it. I'd certainly consider one of these Toppings if I find myself in need of another interface. Good Job Julian!
Thank you. As always a topping presentation.
Your hack at 4:15 made my day. I have never laughed so much at a sound interface presentation. Remove the knob and you can operate the volume control without any problems. Great solution. From then on I had problems to follow your, as always, excellent presentation. Thank you, you are so great.
Keep up the fantastic work. I think we all, all subscribers, appreciate this more than you can think of.
One question, does it make sense to use the Sound Device Mix Pre 3 Mark II or 6 Mark II as a pure sound interface?
Yes, because of the 32bit ... yes I know 32 bit float ... but that just appeals to me. Best regards from Bavaria
Topping has been KILLING it in the audiophile DAC and amp market for for years, so I'm really excited for them to be getting into pro audio interfaces as well. Let's hope they revolutionize this market too!
Thanks Julian. You are the best.
Yeah, nice to see the first interface with flawless headphone output, hope this will raise the bar and other manufacturer follow.
for ergonomics, you may put a small volume knob on it.
Wow - this is an amazing value interface for the money. A real contender in a busy market!
I was just about to place the order for a Motu M2/4 for my 37 ohm Slate VSX headphones when I saw this. Immediately ordered the Topping. It's perfect for my setup at such a great price! ILY
I also trust them because of the DX3 Pro+
Hi Julian.. Fluid Audio also interesting too. Your review will help alot of musician. Thank you Julian
Thank you i have been looking for a good audio interface and thanks to you i have finally found one i think fits my setup.
I have several highend headphones and iems aswell as 2 presonus eris 8xl studio monitors and my electovoice microphone has been difficult to drive with cheaper interfaces.
I come here to watch interface reviews!
That looks awesome
Thanks very much for this Julian! Really valuable to get totally unbiased measurements and impressions.
I'm very familiar with Topping, being a headphone enthusiast. Their M.O. for headphone amps is spectacular technical numbers, but with things like quality control, design, user experience and customer support being a relative afterthought. Not necessarily terrible, just much less of a point of emphasis. That can translate into them reviewing well, among the reviewers who get free test units and only live with them for a day, but not necessarily being good value in the long run. Their technical spec superiority is more placebo than anything, because it's well beyond human perception (or as relates to power output, is well beyond safe listening levels).
This unit fits those expectations for the most part, although the fact that the mic numbers are just "good" rather than "great" (especially that frequency response at high gain, yikes) suggests that this is more of a "why not" product for Topping, rather than an aggressive attempt to assert themselves in this market. They have a lot of the parts already, and maybe even a surplus of chips from older generation headphone amps. Those chips are only "average" for a headphone amp, but still exceptional for a an audio interface, so there's a niche for them to carve out as "the audio interface with the best headphone amp".
This functional and simple design of the enclosure and basic quality of life feature like a power switch make this such a nice device.
i have to plugout my audient iD4 type C cable to restart it when linux has issues or want to power it down , specific switch for IEM vs high resistance headphone makes so much sense , more devices should do this
Wow Topping making audio interfaces. Should be exciting seeing if they are going to push this tech forward. Need more inputs, optical and coaxial.
Julian you are my Superman
Wunderbar. 👍
Julian, I love your approach to all things sound. I found you first while trying to understand the headphone-to-box impedance mismatching problem. Now I feel like I'm ready for another bite of knowledge. 🤔
Please bear with me for being a total noob. My kids showed me, during COVID, how much UA-cam evolved between 2014 and 2020! Now it looks like a basic skill everyone will need. (Even dads!)
Please explain how to think of the chain of gear that comes after the microphone. I can see I need an audio interface with very low noise and prolly twice as many mic ports as I think I could ever need... Right now I'm thinking of the SSL-12. But then I realized you could come at this as "portable..." Tascam DR-70D... And then I finally realized I will be producing and storing and doing version control on SOUND FILES! 🤦♂️ Thank goodness I'm not recording/mixing music!
I guess the assumption is that files go on the computer to get edited in the DAW... But then I realized I could look at the Rodecaster Pro II, which seems to be a mashup of interface plus file storage plus some in-box processing... Does that connect to DAW or am I still pulling files down to a dedicated device? Don't we have cloud solutions for all this storage? Or is this another round of filing systems? I really don't want to build another RAID box. I thought that was over with...?🤪
Then I realized I am again looking at a string of components -- like audio playback. And then I realized I'm such a noob that I have no idea. Do I just plug a SSD into the interface and call it good (for sound files) or do I need to think again? (I liked the SSL-12 because it has an ADAT port and 32bit float... Forward-compatible enough for me to climb the learning curve before the technology changes away? But am I seeing this food chain fully?)
Yesterday, I saw somebody plug their microphone into their CAMERA and I about fell outta my chair! SD card? Really?! (don't tell me about lav mics...) So I need an overview before this gets completely outta control?! 🤪🙏👀
I learned on actual film. But I assume nothing from then is still true.
Great review as always. Can you also review some Sound Blaster audio interfaces like the Sound Blaster X5 and the G6?
Thanks!
I was just considering selling my motu m2 but was struggling to find a good replacement with better pre amps, but topping e4x4 has ticked all the boxes, assuming it performs the same as the e2x2. Thanks again for all your hard work! I couldn't make an educated purchase without you!
The headphone output gain's a great thing other manufacturers should pick up on. Many times, we've been unable to push the volume on high impedance headphones. I love that the software it has, comes with a slew of monitoring and boosting options. It seems the manufacturer really wanted to help you see what's happening directly with your recording, real-time and on playback. The preamps are looks like a clean performer too.
Danke!
Gleichfalls, vielen lieben Dank Reiner!!
Best review I've seen. Thanks. Just wondering about your perspective on class a transistor amps. My understanding is that with an isolated toroidal transformer per channel and large capacitor overhead they can quickly respond to changes in volume. Could you add a dynamic range response time/impulse derived cross talk response graph to the amp part of the review or is it pointless?
Been a long time since I asked them to make an audio interface. Glad it measures well (Topping reliability issues aside)
great review as always julian. are the mic input and preamp noise measurements really comparable between models? it seems the measurements are at minimum and maximum gain, the ranges of which vary model to model. is there a way to standardize and compare units at a typical gain of say +30dB?
Very interesting! I think this fills a niche that's historically been pretty underserved, that being the headphone enthusiast on a budget that's getting interested in home recording or content creation and thus has a need for a real interface, but isn't satisfied with many of the options in the sub-$200 category. Obviously connecting a dedicated headphone amp to an interface's outputs has always been a solid option, but I'd imagine theres got to be more than a handful of people who, for whatever reason, just prefer a more compact/all-in-one solution. Or maybe needs something a bit more portable.
Curious to see if we get more offerings like this down the road, hopefully with more extensive and robust I/O options. Or personally, I'd be very interested in a hyper-portable solution (similar to those new Zoom interfaces or the iRig line) with just like a single input, solid headphone amp, and proper ASIO driver.
what would we do without you, always top :)
It would be interesting to add the Apollo interfaces, to see what results are obtained.
Good job!!!!🙋🏻♂️
Your audio interface videos have been a lifesaver! Do you have any plans on trying out the ART USB interface? I've been seeing them in all the places that sell interfaces, and I know they have kind of a niche following for certain analog gear, but I can't find ANY info anywhere about whether their audio interfaces are any good. Apparently most people don't realize they even exist? But they're very affordable and can even do 32-bit, which (even if it's unnecessary) is rare at that price-range, so that makes me curious if they're kind of a sleeper.
Amazing! Thanks for your job,
If the microphone is using Bate58a, is there a big difference in the experience of topping e22 and id14?
Great audio interface!!! 😮 price/quality the Best.
Your reviews are so good. If they come out with a slightly more upscale version similar in build to their a30pro i might finally retire my 2i2 2nd gen :)
Upgrade to a Presonus Studio 24C
@@Jason75913 The 24C unfortunately doesn't have the headphone out performance that I'm looking for.
You do the best audio hardware reviews anywhere! Thanks for another one. Were you hoping the Topping would “top” the charts too? 😂
2:54 definitely something to get excited about! so julian. thoughts, this or the new scarlet gen 4s?
Different prices different needs.
Hi Julian it was a wonderful review.Can you please review the new scarlet 2i2 4th gen mic pre amp please.I just wanted to know how is stacking up with topping , motu and other devices.Thanks.
Nice to see topping enter the market. They do a heck of a job with the numbers. I'd like to see inserts and midi connectivity but it's exciting to see a company that competes on price and specs in the market. I would expect/hope to see updates and new models at the same rate as their other hardware.
does the brand offer a headphone amplifier that matches the quality of the one in inisde the interface? Pretty awesome.
Hey Julian, Which interface has the lowest RTL? based on your reviews lowest I saw was Focusrite Scarlett Solo. Is there any other interface that can provide even lower RTL?
Overall this is much better not only among its price range but higher. Wish they'll come with more outputs
Hello Julian, what audio Interface would you recommend in the value for price category for electric guirar recording? Focusrite 4i4 4th gen, or this one, or something different?
Definitely nice to see something with better headphone output. There are definitely some headphones out there that won't get enough juice from the Topping but 99% of use cases should be covered here. For example, the Heddphones would want more.
I always thought that E1DA would be the first in Chifi to make it to pro Audio, but not surprised a larger company like Topping made it to here first~ Would love to see more high performing Chifi Interfaces. I'll consider it when they make a 2x4 or 4x4 interface. Topping does have quality control issues across a broad number of products making the reliability not particularly good in the pro audio scene.
Topping DAC's and headphone amps have great technical measurements. Would a Topping DAC and headphone amp actually perform better than an audio interface for monitoring playback from a DAW?
Hi Julian, I have been intensively watching your videos and still unsure if what audio interface I should consider as an upgrade from my M-Audio Air 192/4. Can you please suggest me Audio Interface that checks all these boxes:
1) Atleast two mic inputs (to record my guitar in stereo)
2) Less preamp noise (as I also use a sm58)
3) good headphones output power (that can drive headphones like dt770)
4) good dynamic range
5) works with windows pc (and also with Mac if I make any future upgrades to apple)
6) good microphone gain levels
I hope you understand my concern abd please help me out, much respect for your knowledge 🙌🏻
I love you!
I love power switches!
No one is topping this review!
Rim shoot 🥁
Ba-dum-tsss
Hey Julian! Do you think you could do a review of the Allen & Heath CQ-20B?
Hey, I don't know if you ever reviewed the portable audio interfaces by Donner but I would really love to know if they perform as well as the portable Zoom 24 audio interface
"topping on the cake" OMEGALUl :P
1:50 the Arturia 16Rig has a gain setting in the software, at least that's what I think it does under the hood. You can select a resistance range for your headphones between < 50, 50 < 150 and > 150.
Let's hope you'll have a chance to test some Schiit Audio DACs for their headphone support quality...
are you going to review the neumann mt48? i would love to see how it compares to everything!
Any idea where to buy this in europe?
Toppings ali store does not ship to Germany and can't find any alternative shops.
Would be super interesting if you could measure the Headphone output on the Yamaha MG10XU too. I feel like it's almost up there with the E2x2 with a 300ohm load. Possibly. Would love to know though!
Oooh this is interesting
Topping is good for cheap DAC. And now making audio interface!
Hmm... Surprisingly good newcomer. It definitely has some "Motu M" vibes in design. I hope they will make second revision one day (maybe after your video, who knows).
Hey there, I am currently searching an audio interface. I have a Rode M3 which I mainly want to use for voice chat and maybe some podcast recordings. Most impotent for me is the headphone quality. Mainly using Dt700 Pro X, Dt990 Edition and Kiwi Ears Orchestra IEM's.
Its kinda hard to decide on all this devices, while being not really deep into this. Have you any suggestions for me? My max budged I would estimate about +/- 250€.
Would you say that the headphone amp on this is worth using over a babyface pro fs? Would it be worth buying this just for the headphone amp instead of my baby face? Hope you can respond! Thanks 🙏🏼
Julian, you are helping them ! We want more headphone ports and mix perimeters ?
Performer headset-Mix engineer headset-other musicians headsets-producer headset etc...
@@lamasteve6905Kind of asking a lot from an entry level interface
two channel minimum two headphone outs Mix Bluetooth ? two line in's now levels for mix software mix and rout to headsets ! Then 4 in 4 out plus two for speakers ? Or just make some more headset ports ! Great start Julian said great headset so give us 4 headsets and routing software @@_BangDroid_
wow! Is this really such a good interface?
Hi Julian , Hope you are well. I am using windows 10 did download the software still no lights on the e2x2 what should I do ?
Where we can buy it and whats the price? Btw will u test universal audio apollo?
can't wait for more interfaces to get AES67 and built-in DSP
This interface is a driver nightmare... Popping like crazy with highest Buffer in windows 11
This thing giving me Black Lion Audio vibe.
I'd love to see a review from Amir from AudioScienceReview, I've used his reviews buy chi-fi products due its measurements.
Julian, how does the headphone output compare to a JDS Labs Atom? I'm currently using my Atom connected into my interface/dac, but if the Topping E2x2 is on par or better than the Atom, then I will upgrading and decluttering my desk all in one swoop.
The Atom+ has around double the power of the E2X2
It would nominally be a bit of a downgrade, but you should still be fine with any kind of normal headphones that aren't insensitive vintage 600 ohm jobs (e.g. K240DF) or particularly punishing planars (e.g. HE6). It's at least on par with the trusty O2 amp.
Unless you do need the extra power, E2x2 will do just fine and even better in noise performance.
Hi Julian,
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
So, a great headphone amp with a nice 2-channel audio interface built in? This is really interesting! Might be the right device for me! I wish the roundtrip latency was a bit better, this is also pretty important for me. My main application would be practicing/recording electric bass/guitar with software amp simulation plugins via a 600 Ohm Beyerdynamic DT880, and driving the same headphone for casual and critical listening.
Hello! how good works your set? Dt 880 get enough power? I just want buy same gear as you, but saw this guy say topping amps l30 and a90 is "piercing" ua-cam.com/video/iDaUsS2rFrk/v-deo.htmlsi=sUIi_iI57-MZjxCb 10:55
Can you agree this with e2x2? Thanks
Where to buy it in Germany?
Hey, right now I don't think you can buy it in Germany. I bought it from Aliexpess and I expect it to be available at audiophonics.fr at some point in the future.
Yamaha MG 10XU review please...output via USB...please, please! I have a MOTU, DBX 486, Behringer UV1 and a Scarlett...I think the 10XU beats them all...what do you think?
Hi Julian, would you consider reviewing any interfaces by the company ESI?
Indeed, they are interesting looking - very cheap.
Hi, what you think about iCon Duo44 Dyna interface?
would it make sense to use e2x2 instead of my Apollo Twin headphone amp or is Apollo better?
Great review, what are your monitors that you have on your desk?
KEF iQ1 speakers :)
@@JulianKrause These are passive speakers? what powers them?
Wow, they got _better than datasheet_ dynamic range out of the codec's ADC, that's remarkable. (I never would have guessed that it could be ahead of the CS4272 by this much.) 900 ohms Zin is definitely too low though, and the noise generated when adjusting levels seems to bother some people.
DAC performance is probably limited by the chip, at 115 dB(A) DR and -100 dB THD+N it's exactly hitting its specs.
The headphone amplifier section is the star of the show as expected. It beats a Topping DX1 and scores roughly like an O2 amp with a bit more _oomph,_ definitely not at all shabby.
The _chipfuscation_ seems a bit silly when you can comfortably count the number of potential candidates on one hand (and that's with woodworking accidents already included). And speaking of counting, 30 pins narrows it down a lot more...
We really are living in a golden age for good inexpensive audio interfaces right now. Only a few years ago I preferred a contraption involving a used small external mixer (first a Behringer, later a Mackie 402VLZ4) run into an Asus Xonar D1 over the likes of a 2nd gen Scarlett... it sure was cheaper and not a whole lot worse. Mind you, this may still be a good option for those who have solid onboard audio. A bunch of sub-$100 audio interfaces have converters that don't even compare to an ALC1200 ADC, let alone an ALC1220.
Yeah, glad the CS4272 times are over, although I have the feeling it will still stick around in the one or other product. It's definitely crazy how good of an audio quality you can get these days for little money.
Also the THD+N. E2x2 achieved -110dB THD+N for the input.
Yep, 900R input impedance is way too low.
@@johnyang799 Looks more like 105ish tops to me, or right around the chip spec of -102 dB at -1 dBFS. Again, probably as much as you can possibly ask for under these circumstances.
BTW, are you _the_ John Yang...?
@@JulianKrause I mean, I certainly don't mind the CS4272 if it's being squeezed out as well as we've seen in recent years, topping out at 111-112 dB(A) on the input. It was only 106ish back then.
The output also definitely requires some attention to ultrasonic noise suppression (the Minifuse headphone out really upset Amir's AP, and you don't want to be looking at a Behringer UMCxxxHD output on a scope either).
What DAC is inside this interface? I know motu uses a really nice dac, I wonder which one is better?
Nice professional review but please do include the product DRIVER review too. Its like no matter how great the product but if the driver is not detected or working with some DAW then its something bad.
when will you review the Apollo Twin X?
A new interface! Since it's marketed on the headphone output I am definitely interested how it compares to the MOTU M2.
Same!! Would it perform better that the motu for the hd800?
muuuuuch better in all cases@@nhbjhbbhbhgvb
@@nhbjhbbhbhgvbI would think so, the M2 wasn’t good enough for me with HD600’s… I’m ready to try this thing.
Julian, everyone knows you're the Marques Brownlee of audio interfaces, but given your remarkable skills as an audio tech analyst, I reckon you should start reviewing other kinds of audio gear, both professional and Hi Fi.
How good is the sound quality of the preamps?
guys i need a help please! :) what is better in terms of audio quality, perfomence and better chipset, audient id4 mk2 or this topping E2x2 ?? i have a home studio with presonus 5xt monitor and dt 880pro 250 ohm headphones, a audient id4 is enough to full power my headphones? I wouldn't want to buy an interface that could be damaged in a short time