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NEW! iBasso D-Zero Mk2

Nov 8, 2014 at 7:00 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 334
HiFlight

HiFlight

Headphoneus Supremus
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I have recently had the opportunity to evaluate the new iBasso D-Zero Mk2. The Mk2 replaces the earlier entry-level D-Zero and incorporates a number of changes from the original. Below are several pictures of the new version along with the specifications as published by iBasso after which I will post some of my impressions of the Mk2.

Power Source：Built-in 4.2V Li-polymer battery
Frequency Response: 17Hz~20 KHz +/- 1.0dB (DAC) 17Hz~100 KHz +/- 1.0dB (AMP)
Signal to Noise Ratio：108dB (DAC line out), 102dB (Amp)
Total Harmonic Distortion: 0.002%@1kHz/0dB (DAC line out), 0.003%@1kHz/-10dBV (AMP)
Output Power：Up to 120mW+120mW into 16Ω
Output Impedance: <0.5ohm
Gain: +3dB/ +9dB (AMP)
Battery Life: 120 Hours (AMP)
Battery Charge Time: 5 Hours
External Power supply: 5V DC
Recommended Headphone Impedance: 8~300Ω
Case dimension: 2.17W x 3.98L x 0.44H (inch)
55W x 101L x 11H (mm)
Weight: 95g or 3.35oz
Certificates: FCC, CE, RoHS






The Mk2 differs from the original D-Zero significantly in a number of ways, most notably that instead of amplification by single opamp chips, the architecture is now OP+Buffer, similar to most higher-end amplifiers. The other notable feature is that when using the Mk2 as an amplifier only, battery life is approximately 120 hours. That is no misprint, 120 hours!. The Mk2 can be used as a standalone amplifier, a standalone DAC or a USB DAC/Amp. The Mk2 now uses one Wolfson WMB8740 DAC chip for each channel. The on/off switch is a 3 position switch, with the center position being the off position. When the switch is placed to the left, only the amplifier section is activated and with the switch fully to the right, both USB DAC input and amplifier are enabled. There is a tiny blue LED on the front to indicate when the amp is powered to either of the on positions. On the rear of the amp is a red LED to indicate charging and an amber LED to indicate USB input. One can also use both the DAC and amp while it is charging, essentially enabling the unit to function as a desktop DAC/amp.

The battery is a 1500 mAh LiPo cell with an integrated charging system. Charging is switchable on or off while connected to USB. While I don't know if this will be the case with all of the Mk2's, the volume control on my unit maintained perfect channel balance all the way down to zero volume.

The Mk2 can also be used as an amplifier for OTG-enabled devices using the included OTG cable and is capable of supporting 24bit/96kHZ files. As my Galaxy 4 Mini does not support OTG, I was unable to evaluate how well this feature performs.

As the pictures depict, the size and thinness makes it ideal for strapping (straps included) to an iphone, android phone or the DX50/90.

I have spent quite some time listening via both USB and from my DX90 line-out and also using my Tera-Player as a source. The sound belies its position as an entry-level device with bass that is both deep and well-controlled. Highs are detailed and clear with very natural vocal and instrumental timbre. Overall, the sound is warm and expansive. I did not notice sibilance or hiss with any of my phones. I used my Sony F1 and Oppo PM-1 for over-ear listening and my LAB 1, Parterre and Heaven VI IEM's. I also listened with my modified PortaPro and Blox Anv3 earbuds. In all cases, the Mk2 vastly outperformed what I would consider to be an "entry-level" device and feel that it can compete without apology with portable amplifiers costing well above entry level devices.

MSRP for the Mk2 will be $119 USD and it will be available from the iBasso website this coming Monday, the 10th of November.
 
Nov 8, 2014 at 8:54 PM Post #2 of 334
Please note that I accidentally posted this in the incorrect forum. I have asked a moderator to move it to the Portable Headphone Amplifier forum where it properly belongs.
 
Nov 8, 2014 at 9:01 PM Post #3 of 334
I have this and am working on a review which should be ready soon. Listening to them right now with the SE846 and it is damn good. 
 
For $119 it is an absolute steal. 
 
Nov 8, 2014 at 9:06 PM Post #4 of 334
lin0003 said:
I have this and am working on a review which should be ready soon. Listening to them right now with the SE846 and it is damn good. 

For $119 it is an absolute steal. 
Click to expand...


I am very impressed with how well it scales with my TOTL IEM's. It certainly doesn't sound like an "entry-level" amp!!! The play time is unbelievable. I have always enjoyed the somewhat lush sound of the Wolfson DAC chip.
 
Nov 8, 2014 at 9:50 PM Post #5 of 334
The end plates remind me of JDS C421. Looks good I had pictured the old D Zero. (which I have)
 
Nov 12, 2014 at 9:44 AM Post #6 of 334
I have an iFI iDSD that I had intended to use "mobile" with my DX90, but it is SUCH a great DAC, that I've taken to using it with my desktop setup almost exclusively now. I was going to buy a second one for portable but they were back-ordered until now.

As amazing as the iDSD Micro sounds, it IS a bit bulky for travel size considerations... If anyone has an iDSD Micro that they can compare the MK2 against, I'd be keenly interested to hear their impressions of the two in contrast. I would primarily use super.fi3 or Vmoda Bass-Freq iems while traveling, and modded Koss Porta Pros in hotel or hospital break rooms if that helps narrow down what to try for classes of headphones/iems. If by chance you happen to have Sennheiser HD-650s as well, I'd love to know if the MK2 has enough power to drive them WELL like the iDSD Micro does mine... Not a requirement since I don't use them while traveling, but it seems that little amps are becoming more and more efficient all the time, so I wouldn't be surprised at all at this point...

Thanks for the initial impressions guys! You've definitely piqued my interests here.

Sincerely,

Ken N.
 
Nov 12, 2014 at 10:05 AM Post #7 of 334
hiflight said:
I have recently had the opportunity evaluate the new iBasso D-Zero Mk2. The Mk2 replaces the earlier entry-level D-Zero and incorporates a number of changes from the original. Below are several pictures of the new version along with the specifications as published by iBasso after which I will post some of my impressions of the Mk2.

Power Source：Built-in 4.2V Li-polymer battery
Frequency Response: 17Hz~20 KHz +/- 1.0dB (DAC) 17Hz~100 KHz +/- 1.0dB (AMP)
Signal to Noise Ratio：108dB (DAC line out), 102dB (Amp)
Total Harmonic Distortion: 0.002%@1kHz/0dB (DAC line out), 0.003%@1kHz/-10dBV (AMP)
Output Power：Up to 120mW+120mW into 16Ω
Output Impedance: <0.5ohm
Gain: +3dB/ +9dB (AMP)
Battery Life: 120 Hours (AMP)
Battery Charge Time: 5 Hours
External Power supply: 5V DC
Recommended Headphone Impedance: 8~300Ω
Case dimension: 2.17W x 3.98L x 0.44H (inch)
55W x 101L x 11H (mm)
Weight: 95g or 3.35oz
Certificates: FCC, CE, RoHS






The Mk2 differs from the original D-Zero significantly in a number of ways, most notably that instead of amplification by single opamp chips, the architecture is now OP+Buffer, similar to most higher-end amplifiers. The other notable feature is that when using the Mk2 as an amplifier only, battery life is approximately 120 hours. That is no misprint, 120 hours!. The Mk2 can be used as a standalone amplifier, a standalone DAC or a USB DAC/Amp. The Mk2 now uses one Wolfson WMB8740 DAC chip for each channel. The on/off switch is a 3 position switch, with the center position being the off position. When the switch is placed to the left, only the amplifier section is activated and with the switch fully to the right, both USB DAC input and amplifier are enabled. There is a tiny blue LED on the front to indicate when the amp is powered to either of the on positions. On the rear of the amp is a red LED to indicate charging and an amber LED to indicate USB input. One can also use both the DAC and amp while it is charging, essentially enabling the unit to function as a desktop DAC/amp.

The battery is a 1500 mAh LiPo cell with an integrated charging system. Charging is switchable on or off while connected to USB. While I don't know if this will be the case with all of the Mk2's, the volume control on my unit maintained perfect channel balance all the way down to zero volume.

The Mk2 can also be used as an amplifier for OTG-enabled devices using the included OTG cable and is cable of supporting 24bit/96kHZ files. As my Galaxy 4 Mini does not support OTG, I was unable to evaluate how well this feature performs.

As the pictures depict, the size and thinness makes it ideal for strapping (straps included) to an iphone, android phone or the DX50/90.

I have spent quite some time listening via both USB and from my DX90 line-out and also using my Tera-Player as a source. The sound belies its position as an entry-level device with bass that is both deep and well-controlled. Highs are detailed and clear with very natural vocal and instrumental timbre. Overall, the sound is warm and expansive. I did not notice sibilance or hiss with any of my phones. I used my Sony F1 and Oppo PM-1 for over-ear listening and my LAB 1, Parterre and Heaven VI IEM's. I also listened with my modified PortaPro and Blox Anv3 earbuds. In all cases, the Mk2 vastly outperformed what I would consider to be an "entry-level" device and feel that it can compete without apology with portable amplifiers costing well above entry level devices.

MSRP for the Mk2 will be $119 USD and it will be available from the iBasso website this coming Monday, the 10th of November.
Click to expand...


HiFlight,

How did you connect the MK2 to your DX90? Coax, SPDiF, or another way? And while you report the MK2's DAC as exceeding "entry-level", do you find it to be equal, "equal-but-different", superior, or inferior to the DX90's internal dual mono DAC? If used as AMP-only, how would you rate the power and clarity vs a FIIO? I have an e17 that I use as a plain amp via line-out of the DX90 so I can set the volume to a supposedly bit-perfect 255 volume level and adjust to comfortable listening volume on the FIIO instead. I find the DAC in the DX90 to be slightly more detailed than the e17. But the e17 is great compared to my iPad or iPhone DACs so I use it as both an amp and DAC with them, so not saying it is bad, just that to me, the DX90's DAC is that GOOD.

Great first impression! Thank you very much for sharing.

Ken N.
 
Nov 12, 2014 at 6:35 PM Post #8 of 334
knorris908 said:
HiFlight,

How did you connect the MK2 to your DX90? Coax, SPDiF, or another way? And while you report the MK2's DAC as exceeding "entry-level", do you find it to be equal, "equal-but-different", superior, or inferior to the DX90's internal dual mono DAC? If used as AMP-only, how would you rate the power and clarity vs a FIIO? I have an e17 that I use as a plain amp via line-out of the DX90 so I can set the volume to a supposedly bit-perfect 255 volume level and adjust to comfortable listening volume on the FIIO instead. I find the DAC in the DX90 to be slightly more detailed than the e17. But the e17 is great compared to my iPad or iPhone DACs so I use it as both an amp and DAC with them, so not saying it is bad, just that to me, the DX90's DAC is that GOOD.

Great first impression! Thank you very much for sharing.

Ken N.
Click to expand...


The Wolfson DAC in the Mk2 is presents a slightly warmer SQ than does the more neutral ES DAC in the DX90. Whether the Mk2 SQ is better than the internal amp in the DX-90 will be a matter of personal preference. The DX-90 has about the same output power as the Mk2. I seldom use an external amp with my DX-90, but if one does choose to use the Mk2, it would have to be via the DX-90 line-out to the Mk2 Aux Input as there are no coax or optical inputs on the Mk2. I have never owned a FiiO, but I can say that there is plenty of power and headroom available to drive even challenging phones.

The DX90 will likely still present 24bit files just fine with somewhat less than full volume as the DX90 uses a 32-bit processor. That said, the best signal to noise ratio is usually obtained by setting the source output to a high level and control the volume with the external amp. You will likely also find the DACs in the DX-90 to be a little more neutral than those of the Mk2 as the ES9018 DAC chips are typically considered to me a rather detailed and analytic chip as compared to the warmer and smoother Wolfson WM8740.
 
Nov 12, 2014 at 11:33 PM Post #9 of 334
Interesting, you notice it has deep and controlled bass, have you try it whit SD-2? (based on your signature)
 
Nov 13, 2014 at 9:52 AM Post #10 of 334
palermo said:
Interesting, you notice it has deep and controlled bass, have you try it whit SD-2? (based on your signature)
Click to expand...
palermo said:
Interesting, you notice it has deep and controlled bass, have you try it whit SD-2? (based on your signature)
Click to expand...


Unfortunately, my SD-2 suffered a cracked body and is back at InEar for repair, however there is no doubt in my mind that the Mk2 + SD-2 will make a superb pairing.
 
Nov 17, 2014 at 3:21 PM Post #11 of 334
Thanks for the impressions! 
 
The ibasso manual mentions you can use it as only as a line out, but I'm trying to make sure that's right. Can you bypass the amp? 
 
I've never heard a dual dac. Do you think having a dac per channel improves upon the sound, if its implemented well? I'd like to get a different sound signature than my E07k (and was hoping for something with a saber dac) but this looks mighty tempting. Have you heard the WM8740? Is the WMB8740 the same? (I'm so over my head here, and I've read that the implementation is as important as which dac is used.) .
 
Seems to make an excellent replacement for the E17, except for the lack of display, though I haven't heard either. 
 
Thanks for putting this on my radar. 
 
Nov 17, 2014 at 6:53 PM Post #13 of 334
imackler said:
  Thanks for the impressions! 
 
The ibasso manual mentions you can use it as only as a line out, but I'm trying to make sure that's right. Can you bypass the amp? 
 
I've never heard a dual dac. Do you think having a dac per channel improves upon the sound, if its implemented well? I'd like to get a different sound signature than my E07k (and was hoping for something with a saber dac) but this looks mighty tempting. Have you heard the WM8740? Is the WMB8740 the same? (I'm so over my head here, and I've read that the implementation is as important as which dac is used.) .
 
Seems to make an excellent replacement for the E17, except for the lack of display, though I haven't heard either. 
 
Thanks for putting this on my radar. 
Click to expand...


I can only answer your first question: I also have the e17, and I can tell you 2 things:  [1] Noticeable difference (Improvement) from the straight PC/iPad/iPhone in terms of improvement of clarity and instrument separation with the e17.  [2] Definite improvement over the e17 going to the iFi iDSD Micro.  So since at least on paper it looks like the MK2 should offer a similar step-up from the e17, though I'm guess with different characteristics, you should enjoy a discernable improvement over your e17 as well.  But the e17 is no slouch, so I wouldn't count on "Night and day" increase in power since the FIIO holds its own nicely against almost every headphone I've heard it with short of my Sennheiser HD-650s, WHICH IT WILL POWER, and provide enough volume, but just isn't quite as "full" a sound as I get with the iDSD Micro.  So if you get a good, full sound with the MK2 on a high-demand set like the MK2, I'd say you made out pretty well.
 
Let me know how you like it, as I am once again looking for a portable DAC/AMP that I can connect DIGITALLY to my DX90, Samsung YP-P2,(Dream!) iPads, and iPhones, since I've made the iDSD Micro a "permanent DAC" in the home theater audio chain.  (Yes, it's THAT good!)  But $$-wise, I will have to wait until after all the Christmas gifts get paid-off before I look to grab a second Micro, so likely not until June/July.  ;-)
 
Nov 18, 2014 at 10:27 PM Post #14 of 334
Friend of mine have previous product. It not bad at all, but it lack of bass authority and fullness compare to JDSLabs C5D. I am an ex owner C5D, so I wonder how these new one D-Zero compare to C5D. Based on specs, it has opamp+buffer design on amp section, moreover it applied dual DAC. Sounds more superior than C5D 
eek.gif

If I not mistake, WM8740 need dual opamp for differential to single ended signal conversion. So, double DAC means double dual opamp, and also double single opamp+buff. I appreciate iBasso to do this job done with low price tag.
 
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