Top measurements, such as S/N 131dB, THD+N 0.00013% and Noise Floor 900nV or 0.9μV.
All this “sounds great”, but how is it translated into sound performance? Let’s find out!
Performance
Overall, the sound is balanced, transparent, airy, rather linear, although not boring, with good soundstage, great imaging, top dynamics and separation.
The bass is as much as it is supposed to be, and DC04PRO does not have the warmth that is sometimes present in some previous iBasso DACs. This does not mean that the low frequencies are missing, but rather the opposite; there is sufficient sub- and mostly mid-bass that leaves one more than satisfied and, most of all, the bass is taut and very well controlled.
The mids are very nicely presented, without been forward or recessed, and female as well as male vocals are very pleasing to the ears; never shouting or shy independently of how much one increases the volume. It also blends beautifully with the bass and the tremble.
The tremble is sharp and revealing, with plenty of details, without ever been harsh or hissing even in pieces that have plenty of high frequencies; you hear details that were unheard before, and the sound is crispy without though been annoying, which that alone is not a small feat.
All in all, the presentation is very well balanced, and in that sense appears to be rather linear, but it is certainly not boring; it is natural and very pleasant, something in between of analog and hi-fi sound.
What is remarkable is the transparency of DC04PRO, something which we always are coming after, but we don’t always find. Here we do!
The sound is sufficiently airy, with good soundstage, particularly in width, and if I had a complaint that might be the soundstage height and depth, although this is rather minor, and combined with the overall performance it does not really stand out.
The imaging is really great, very correct and almost holographic, while the dynamics is very broad and the separation flawless.
The power is more than sufficient, even for the most demanding and stubborn headphones and IEMs, and I can’t imagine what one would have a complaint in this department; honestly, I never considered the power of a DAC to be an issue, as people are sometimes completely unreasonable and nitpicking.
Last but not least, DC04PRO has such a low noise floor that it can be used with even the most sensitive headphones and IEMs; it always remains perfectly quiet.
All my testing was done by using the CB18 USB-C to USB-C cable, which is great and it overall elevates the performance by some margin; so, if I was buying DC04PRO, I would spend the extra money for CB18, as it certainly worth it.
Selected comparisons
One of the top DACs in the market, and one of my favorite ones, is the Questyle M15. It is beautifully made; and it has top performance and ample power. M15 is based on the flagship ES9281AC DAC chip, and it uses the famous and patented Questyle “Current Mode Amplification (CMA)” technology.
Compared to DC04PRO, M15 has a kind of a bit more linear, more hi-fi I would say, performance, which some people might prefert. DC04PRO, on the other hand, is more alive, and this is something that I personally like. Also, DC04PRO gives you the impression that has a more detailed presentation, although this might be due to its aliveness.
DC04PRO allows you to adjust the volume from the unit, while M15 does not, although it has a gain mode.
I should also mention that M15 costs almost twice as much as DC04PRO, so the latter, compared to the former, is a bargain.
Conclusion
DC04PRO is an amazing unit. It sounds uncolored, natural, organic, transparent, detailed, with good soundstage, top image, and great dynamics and separation. On top of all this, DC04PRO has an outstanding quality, for which iBasso is well known.
DC04PRO is one of the best implementations of the CS43131 chip, and one of the top DAC/AMPs in the market today. At $119.00, it is also a bargain. Certainly, a five-star performer!
Reviewer’s note: The reviewer is grateful to Paul Hu of iBasso Audio for sending him a sample of DC04PRO and to Marek Raczyński for the kind collaboration.