How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want a desktop-class DAC and headphone amp that turns any wired headphone into a high-fidelity setup and streams LDAC from your phone, choose Fanmusic Topping DX3; if you need lightweight clip-on open-ear earbuds for running, workouts and all-day wear with LDAC on the go, choose EarFun Clip Open Ear.
• Fanmusic Topping DX3 — biggest strength: A desktop DAC/amp with an ES9038Q2M decoding chip, the NFCA circuit, XMOS XU208 USB up to PCM 32bit/768kHz and DSD512, plus Bluetooth 5.0 with LDAC — it can drive both sensitive IEMs and power-hungry high-impedance headphones.
• Fanmusic Topping DX3 — biggest trade-off: It's a metal, surface-mounted desktop unit. No battery, no waterproofing, no app. It stays on your desk and depends on a wired connection or a Bluetooth source.
• EarFun Clip Open Ear — biggest strength: Clip-on open-ear earbuds with LDAC and Hi-Res audio, Bluetooth 6.0, dual-device multipoint, 40 hours total playtime and IP55 waterproofing — built for movement.
• EarFun Clip Open Ear — biggest trade-off: Open-ear design means you hear your surroundings, and there is no active noise cancellation. Bass and isolation won't match a sealed headphone on a proper desktop amp.
• Who each pick is for: DX3 for the listener who wants serious wired/desktop fidelity at home; EarFun Clip for the runner, gym-goer or commuter who wants LDAC wireless sound without blocking the world out.
The Topping DX3 Pro+ is a stationary piece of hi-fi gear. Its job is to take a digital signal — over USB, coaxial or Bluetooth 5.0 — and convert it as cleanly as possible, then amplify it for headphones or pass it on to speakers. The heart of that conversion is the ES9038Q2M chip, and it's paired with a second-generation 8-core XMOS XU208 USB interface that supports up to PCM 32bit/768kHz and native DSD512. On the Bluetooth side, the QCC5125 chipset handles LDAC, AAC, SBC, aptX, aptX LL and aptX HD, and — importantly — the built-in DAC of that Bluetooth chip is bypassed so the digital signal is handed to the ES9038Q2M instead. That's the design choice that matters most if you care about LDAC headphones and wireless sound quality.
The NFCA circuit is the other headline. Topping tuned it specifically for this unit to keep noise and distortion very low, and the stated goal is to pair well with both high-sensitivity IEMs and power-hungry high-impedance headphones. That range is the real selling point: one box that doesn't hiss with sensitive in-ears and still has the voltage swing for demanding over-ears.
Buy it if you listen at a desk or in a dedicated room, own wired headphones you want to hear properly, and want LDAC streaming from a phone or tablet to sound noticeably better than a standard Bluetooth receiver. Skip it if you need something that leaves the house — there's no battery and no water resistance here.
EarFun Clip Open Ear: Who It's For
The EarFun Clip is the opposite kind of product: a wearable. It's a clip-on open-ear earbud that hooks over the ear contour using a C-shaped bridge and a 0.55mm titanium memory wire, wrapped in soft liquid silicone. The claim behind that design is comfort — EarFun references 20,000+ flex tests and months of real-person wearing data to support the fit. I can't verify those tests, but the material and geometry tell you the intent: light, pressure-free, all-day.
Sound is built around 10.8mm custom carbon drivers, with LDAC and Hi-Res audio support on the wireless side. Directional Sound Tech is meant to push audio toward your ear canal while limiting leakage, so you still hear traffic, gym announcements or a training partner. That's the entire point of open-ear: awareness first, isolation never. There's no active noise cancellation, and the spec sheet confirms it.
Connectivity is current — Bluetooth 6.0, dual-device multipoint so you can stay paired to a laptop and phone at once, and Google Fast Pair for Android setup. Calls run through dual microphones with an AI environmental noise-cancellation algorithm to keep your voice clear over background noise. Battery is 10 hours per charge and 40 hours total with the USB-C case, and a 10-minute top-up gets you about 2.5 hours. IP55 means sweat and rain are fine, which matches the running/workout positioning. The EarFun App lets you remap controls, switch listening modes and pick EQ presets, and the controls are physical buttons — no accidental tap-triggered skips mid-run. Total weight is 49g.
Buy it if you train outdoors, want LDAC wireless audio without plugging anything in, and value hearing your surroundings. Skip it if you want deep isolation, maximum bass impact, or a soundstage driven by a dedicated amplifier.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for sound quality ceiling → Fanmusic Topping DX3. ES9038Q2M decoding, XMOS XU208 USB, DSD512 and the NFCA amp stage put it in a different class from any earbud.
• Best for battery life → EarFun Clip Open Ear. 10 hours per charge, 40 hours total, 10-minute fast charge for 2.5 hours. The DX3 has no battery at all.
• Best for wired headphones and speakers → Fanmusic Topping DX3. Four output modes, line out, pre-amp, and compatibility with the PA3s power amplifier.
• Best for workouts and weather → EarFun Clip Open Ear. IP55 waterproofing and a secure clip-on fit versus a metal desktop box that never leaves the house.
• Best for calls → EarFun Clip Open Ear. Dual mics with AI noise cancellation; the DX3 is not a calling device.
• Best for situational awareness → EarFun Clip Open Ear. Open-ear design keeps you connected to your environment.
• Best for a fixed home listening station → Fanmusic Topping DX3. USB, coaxial and Bluetooth inputs feeding a proper amp stage.
In my opinion, these aren't really competitors — they solve different problems, and the LDAC thread is what ties them together. If I had to pick one for the way most people actually listen, I'd take the EarFun Clip Open Ear. It covers running, commuting, calls and casual listening with LDAC, multipoint and 40 hours of total playtime in a package you can forget you're wearing. But if your goal is genuinely better sound from wired headphones and you listen in one place, the Fanmusic Topping DX3 is the one that will actually change how your music sounds. Buy the EarFun Clip for mobility; buy the DX3 for fidelity.
what is ldac headphones
LDAC is a Bluetooth audio codec, originally developed by Sony, that transmits more data than standard Bluetooth codecs so wireless audio can get closer to Hi-Res quality. "LDAC headphones" simply means headphones or earbuds that support that codec. Both products here support LDAC — the Topping DX3 on its Bluetooth 5.0 input, and the EarFun Clip on its Bluetooth 6.0 connection.
what is ldac codec in headphones
It's the encoding method used to send audio over Bluetooth. LDAC carries more information per second than baseline Bluetooth codecs, which is why manufacturers pair it with Hi-Res Audio claims. On the DX3, the LDAC signal from your phone bypasses the Bluetooth chip's internal DAC and goes to the ES9038Q2M for decoding; on the EarFun Clip, LDAC feeds the 10.8mm carbon drivers directly.
"LDAC support" means the device can receive (or in some cases transmit) an LDAC stream — but you only get the benefit if your source device also supports it. Android phones commonly do; some devices don't. Topping notes that if your phone, tablet or notebook supports LDAC transmission, you'll get a better experience from the DX3, and the EarFun Clip lists LDAC alongside Hi-Res Audio as a core feature.
Do I need to worry about price differences?
The spec sheets here deliberately leave pricing out, because it moves around. Check the current price on Amazon using the button on this page before deciding — the feature gap between a desktop DAC/amp and clip-on earbuds is large, and the value calculation depends entirely on whether you need a home listening station or a wearable.
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