Ibasso D4 / T3 Review Thread - Page 7

i just got an email from iBasso this morning that the T3D will be available in 5 days.

i think digital volume controls are generally more reliable, with less chance of low-volume imbalances or general failure.

there may be other advantages, as well.

Ah... Just emailed them about that as well...

Good, five more days to make up my mind... And read more impressions, again quite interested in how the gain settings influence the sound output...

Thanks for the response. I'll be curious to hear how fine the stepping is on the T3D's volume control. I'm hoping there will be a large enough number of clicks between 0 and max volume to eliminate the only con I can foresee with that setup.

for portable applications, i also prefer the rocker action on a digital control to the slider wheel.. it's easier to manage when fumbling around for it in a pocket.

Hi. I've researched and found out that the T3 is a better amp than the D2+, at half the price. With my budget barely above the T3's price, is it worth it for me to get it? I sure hope it can drive my cans (K518 DJ and HD 238) pretty well... if not, maybe I'll find another thing to buy, and it's the Shure SRH 440.

I received my D4 yesterday. It took only 4 days to get here from China. Wow! My rs1i won't get here until Monday, so I don't have any good cans to try it with, but this thing actually made my brother's Bose QC3 (yeah I know) phones sound smooth and is a HUGE improvment.

paulybatz, I'm confused - do you rate the amp on the D4 ahead of the T3 ?

The amp in the T3 is very close to the amp section in the D4 "Mamba". If you do not need an USB DAC nor the ability to roll op-amps stick with the T3. The T3 is smaller, has four levels of gain and its battery lasts much longer.

I'll probably be picking up a D4 in the next couple weeks. I do have one question that no one has seemed to address (unimportant as it may be):

The product page says "Comes with extra enclosure (black color)..." and the checkout page has gray as the only color option. Does this really mean what it sounds like? They include an entire extra black enclosure with the gray one as shipped? It seems like it would be difficult to swap them around. I'm not complaining though. That would be pretty awesome.

On a similar note, does anyone have pics to post of theirs? Possibly some size comparison shots (next to an iPod or laptop)? I'm excited to see what it looks like in action!

Yes, they have a habit of giving an extra case, very unusual but nice. So you get a grey and a black case. It is easy to swap the case as the PCB just slide out when you take the end plates off.

I think it depends upon what you are powering. If the phones are current demanding, or voltage needed for high impedance, headphones will do better with the D4. For easy to drive phones, my opinion is that they do sound a little different but both do an excellent job. It comes down to a matter of taste and that is something only an individual can decide. IMHO, YMMV. :^)

Thanks Jamato - I only own one pair of genuinely hard-to-drive phones, and I am under no illusions that I would use those with a portable amp. Of the remainder, even the 501 can be used straight from a DAP if you are prepared to crank the volume up. I know the T3 is aimed at IEMs, but it will be interesting to see how I fare with fullsize cans - this is an inexpensive toe in the water for me, so I wont be too concerned if it doesnt work out.