iBasso DAP thread

I would guess that the desktop DAP is highly popular in very large cities where space is a premium, and particularly seems to be preferred in Asian markets from what I gather.

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Yeah I always forget how different markets in in other countries can be

one for sale incase you want one @Littledrummerboy :smirk:

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Does anyone own the iBasso DX240? Or have auditioned it? Any impressions? Thanks for any feedback :slight_smile:

Any long time owner of the Ibasso DX320 Max TI? I’ve been thinking about picking this up, but I just wanted to know this won’t get buggy in the long run and how reliable these are. Also need to if the battery life is good and won’t run out of battery quickly, like if you can play music all day (maybe at least 6 hours).

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Hi @SaberPunch . I never did buy an iBasso. I just could not get enough info and/or owner impressions so went all the way and bought a Lotoo PAW Gold Touch. End game for me.

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I had a LPGT. It was (and probably still is) my favorite sounding DAP I ever used. I owned a Ibasso 220 Max before and I thought the LPGT sounded better to my ears. The only reason I sold it is because I didn’t like the playlist function of it (at least from memory) I had a lot of music and I kept duplicating music in the same playlist. I also use Qobuz (streaming services) a lot nowadays for on the go listening, so streaming services is now a must for me.

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I was looking at the dx260 but being that it would be only my second DAP I opted to cool my jets a little and ordered a dx180 and when it arrives that will be my first feel for iBasso sound, even if only at an entry level. I figure worse case I get an idea for their sound and operability. Other pieces I’m scoping out are the Hiby R8 II and A&K Kann Ultra.

Streaming as a feature/ability is something that is important to me in a DAP too.

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Nice, I hope you like the new iBasso DAP. I don’t know if the new iBasso DAP are different when it comes to charging, but I always try to remember this when charging iBasso DAP:

ā€œOne thing to remember about ibasso DAPs is it has two batteries, the plug charger is for analog and the usb c is for digital. In general try to keep them charged at a similar level (eg if analog is 50% battery and digital 90%, get the analog side charged).ā€

If the newer version of iBasso DAP doesn’t require this, than that is great because I remember charging the analog more than the digital just to keep things balanced.

There is also 2 OS. 1 is mango and the other is android. To use streaming services I think you have to use android, but you should probably play with Mango first to see if you like it.

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Has anyone tried the iBasso DC-Elite dongle DAC? How does it compare to the DAPs like the DX180 or DX260?

I got no experience with it, but I read this review article and enjoy Twister6 reviews on portable gears: iBasso DC Elite – Twister6 Reviews Hopefully you find what you needed in that article.

For iBasso products, I think I gotten more interested in the iBasso D16/PB5 stack because I found a good price on the DX320 Max TI at $2200 Dx320Max Ti | Headphone Reviews and Discussion - Head-Fi.org , the guy selling the DX320 Max Ti because he got the iBasso stack. I still got my Cayin N7 and thought of just getting a portable amp to pair with it instead of a full blown upgrade and the iBasso PB5 looking really nice to me :eyes:

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Thanks, that review was very helpful!

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After some reading I pulled the trigger on a DX260. (Worst case bloom audio has a good return policy). Should be really fun to try! I’ve been without a DAP for quite a while now, and I have a lot of business travel in the next few months. So time to get back in the game

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I purchased a DX170 when it came out. I have been VERY happy with it. Just a great Inexpensive Dap.

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:eyes:

Let us know what you do

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I may be right behind you brother - I was debating 260 or 180 and opted to test the waters with a DX180 and I’ll be damned if I’m not loving this thing as much as my main rigs. I know it is new, honemymoon n all but dang, I’ve been listening with this instead of either my main rigs since I got it in and I can really appreaciate now why some go all in for portable solutions. It would not be a money saving venture but it could be a space saving and luxory of mobility venture…

I’m going to slow down a bit and enjoy the dx180 but it might not be too long before I find a use case to add a 260 to the family. And yes, I was super impressed with Bloom Audio pre-sale thru delivery.

I’ve been intersted in iBasso threads recently via pride of ownership and research etc. and have seen several flattering writeups around this setup and the top tier iBasso DAPs as well as the 260 and 180 too. My interst is more than casual curiosity.

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I’ve got an iBasso DX320 that I use with Denon D7200. I got it with AMP11 MK2 module but had issues with 3.5mm output, mailed iBasso and they sent me a replacement port for 10 EUR. I haven’t fitted it yet, tried but it needs a very tiny screwdriver that I did not have at hand. Bought a balanced 4.4 cable for the balanced output to resolve but after a while that also started having issues. I’m now still breaking in an AMP14 module. No issues so far except maybe hear some microphonics when music is not playing. AMP14 has tubes so probably that.

Battery depends on the HP and what is needed to drive them. Things like gain setting, resolution of your files, local vs streaming, is wifi on, screen on time, … also play a not unsignificant role in battery life. That said, I bought it b-stock so not sure how new battery was but I consider lucky when I get 6 hours. Somewhere between 4 to 6 hours on average with me. Note that I have it on setting that battery can’t charge beyond 80% to protect it so my hours are based on 80% battery.

Device is not pocket friendly but nice screen, decent response, android 11, quite happy there. Can drive 300 ohm, no problem. Sound wise AMP11 is very neutral and internal DAC feels fast and clean if that makes sense. I was surprised how good it was for the price, it can hold ground against a lot of 2-3k amp/dac stacks imo and streamer is also included. Pairs well with D7200 and actually very well with Meze 99 (was surprised here how much better Meze 99 was with this combo), less with HE1000V2 so seems to gel better with the dark side imo. Judge is still out on AMP14, not sure if its better that AMP11 MK2 with D7200. Haven tried anything else with it yet.

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Thanks for the your experience on the DX320!

It sounds like it got a lot of my criteria checked. I only use headphones (Onkyo A800, Sony MA900, ATH-W10VTG) and I just recently got a new headphone which is the HarmonicDyne Eris for my ā€œtransportableā€ uses. My current DAP is the Cayin N7 and the battery life on that DAP when using headphones is pretty short for me which is like maybe 3-4 hours before the battery is near dying and the that’s on DSD 64 mode. DSD 512 drains its battery really fast using headphones. The Cayin N7 is probably made more for iems rather than headphone uses, so it’s probably why the battery drain much quicker for headphones. I heard the iBasso DAPs are more of a perfect fit for people that uses headphones instead of iems. I thought about just getting a separate amp to save more battery for the Cayin N7 DAP or just get a full upgrade. I owned a DX220 max in the past, but the OS was too slow for me for the user experience. The DX220 max was really old, so I’m sure the newer model IBasso is much faster in loading folders and navigating its UI.

In terms of sound quality, I think I will probably miss the Cayin smooth sound, but people praise the iBasso DX320 MAX TI for its amazing clarity and unmatched soundstage and instrumental separation. I think I will make a decision on Friday if I’m going to the iBasso route or not.

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Anyone have a DX180 they are interested in selling? I am going to buy one, but brand new prices have jumped up a bit. I was going to get the Hiby R4 but after doing some research it looks like it just cannot drive headphones very well, and the DX180 seemed to be the next logical option. Just curious if anyone here might have one lying around somewhere they would be willing to part with :sweat_smile:

As much as I love R4, I agree that it ain’t got much muscle. I’ve got a few DAPs but have resisted getting a DX180 as I understand them to be warmer than neutral, meaning it won’t pair well with many of my favourite IEMs.

DX260 seem to go for only a few pennies more than DX180 used in the U.K., particularly with iBasso releasing the DX260 mk. II. DX260 is supposed to be closer to neutral so it’s on my RADAR.

Bloody loved the DX340 and probably will buy another at some point soon. Excellent synergy with almost all of my IEMs. They seem to hold their value though. I see them selling for close to £1k used, pretty reliably.

I decided to take a punt on the new Fiio M21 as my backup backup DAP. If it works for me, I’ll keep it and my R4, sell my R8ii and wait for a DX340 to pop up.

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