iBasso DC06

Prelude:

IBasso is one of my favorite brands, which I have not hidden since the days of the good old DX160. From the very beginning I have been observing and admiring the DC series, having models such as DC01,02,03,04,05 in my collection and finally the culmination of iBasso's hard work, the DC06 model. Let's look at some technical issues first.

Techniques:
iBasso DC06 specification:

-dimensions: 50 x 23 mm (length x width)
-weight: 23g
-DAC chip: dual ESS ES9219C
-PCM support: up to 32-bit/384kHz
-DSD support: up to 256, native
-MQA support: 16x

-Output characteristics 4.4mm (balanced)
-output voltage (32 Ω): 3.2 Vrms
-output voltage (300 Ω): 4 Vrms
-frequency response: 20 Hz - 40 kHz
-THD+N (32Ω): 0.0005%
-THD+N (300Ω): 0.00035%
-SNR: 123 dB
-dynamic range: 123 dB
-output impedance: less than 0.5 Ω

-Output characteristics 3.5mm (single ended)
-output voltage (32 Ω): 2 Vrms
-frequency response: 20 Hz - 40 kHz
-THD+N (32Ω): 0.0007%
-THD+N (300Ω): 0.00056%
-SNR: 120 dB
-dynamic range: 120 dB
-output impedance: less than 0.3 Ω

-Kit Contents:
-DAC/AMP iBasso DC06
-USB-C to USB-C cable
-USB-C to Lightning cable
-USB-C to USB-A adapter
-user manual
-Warranty Card

Execution and usability issues:



iBasso is famous for its minimalistic but beautiful designs. It was no different in the case of the DC06, it is also a black block curved at the bottom with some information about the product and the hi-res audio logo. We have in this statement a detachable high-quality braided cable in the USB C and lightning standard. A nice touch is the LED signaling the file format and full support for MQA and DSD.

Sound:

Here's a small note, please don't ask me how much better DC06 is compared to DC05 because it's a completely different project! The fact that the same DAC is used does not mean that the DC05 should compete with the DC06.

Bass: It seems to me only slightly boosted, but very coherent and well-weighted, which ultimately gives a very good presentation. We can not only hear it, but also feel it, which is very desirable in many music genres. I did not feel any shortcomings here, and as befits the iBasso, the lower bands are phenomenal.

Mid: Vocals were full and the whole range was quite even with a slightly brighter presentation with great detail. At the same time, I did not lack naturalness or emotions, this is a good and well-thought-out tuning with a very pleasant message. Both male and female voices were full of emotion and realistic message.

Treble: They appeared to me bright and full of detail, while being completely held in check with an extraordinary purity and clarity. It's a beautiful use of the greatest power of sabre systems, i.e. an amazing mountain full of emotions. At the same time, the whole sounded smooth and I had no problems with treble or sibilation.



soundstage:

Shown on a very wide plan with good depth, it really surprised me positively for a dongle, all instruments were in their place and were properly separated.

Power:

In this respect, the dc06 is a real monster and the undisputed king 320mW at 32Ohm in a dongle for PLN 519, it is real madness!

Summary:

iBasso Dc06 is definitely too cheap a product! At the price of PLN 519, it is almost a must-have item, which tempts not only with two outputs: 3.5 se and 4.4 Bal, but also with excellent sound, power and brilliant workmanship. This is a really great sabra sounding dongle and has my full recommendation. Well done to iBasso once again they showed who really deals the cards in the game! It should also be appreciated for impeccable signal purity, black background and great capabilities. The joy of the DC 06 will be found by all those who are looking for a slightly brighter and still natural sound at a quite decent price with a lot of possibilities and a truly armored housing. It is worth considering the DC06, which is a significant improvement over the previous DC05 and brings a lot of improvements in terms of both power and sound. This is definitely the best product in the DC series. Once again, I think that iBasso really stood up to the task, and the synergy with iBasso am05 or IT01X was phenomenal.

The review sample was kindly provided free of charge in exchange for my honest review.
I haven't received monetary or any other kind of compensation and I don't use affiliate links.
The DC06 costs $119 and you can buy it from here.



iBasso DC06

The DC06 is a brand new USB DAC dongle from iBasso which comes as a successor to the now discontinued DC04.
Together with the DC05, they are the two USB DAC dongles currently produced by iBasso.



Technical highlights

The DC06 features dual ESS ES9219C DAC chips, the same used in the DC05 but this time instead of a parallel configuration, they are utilized in a fully balanced architecture.
The DC06 is slightly bulkier than the DC05 not only for the 4.4mm balanced headphone output but also for the much more sophisticated and advanced circuit.
The DC06 utilizes synchronous DC-DC converter, low noise charge pump and LDO, with audiophile filter capacitors, to build an independent power supply for the amp section which is embedded to the DAC chip.
This allows the amp section to operate at its full potential, significantly raising power output at 320mW/32Ω from the balanced output.
The DC06 is also equipped with an NDK femtosecond oscillator that reduces phase noise and provides a more accurate clock for the DAC.
A separate USB 2.0 receiver is used so the DC06 is compatible with most operating systems without the need to install drivers.
The DC06 decoding capability is up to 32bit/384kHz PCM, native DSD256 and 16x MQA.



Design and build quality

The DC06 features both single ended 3.5mm and balanced 4.4mm pentaconn headphone outputs that are located at one side of the chassis together with a tiny LED that indicates the current working status.
Red is for standby, blue is DSD, green is PCM and magenta for MQA decoding.
The other side houses the USB type-C port which accepts the supplied USB type C-C cable which is of high quality with aluminum plugs and strain reliefs.
A handy USB type C to A adapter is also included and a lighting cable is available as an extra purchase.
The chassis has a rectangular shape with curved sides and is made from solid aluminium.
Hardware control buttons are not available.
The unit is rather compact (32x50mm) and not bulkier than similar USB DAC dongles like the FiiO KA3 or the Shanling UA3.



iBasso volume control application

Windows 10 and Android 5.0 and above support the UAC2.0 protocol by default.
However, for compatibility reasons, Android Smartphone manufacturers still use SRC on audio output.
When DCO6 is connected, the maximum volume is achieved.
By default, the software algorithm of the device is used to reduce the volume.
The software algorithm can reduce the volume but cannot reduce the noise floor.
Therefore, iBasso developed a UAC2.0 volume controller App to achieve 64-step hardware volume control, effectively reducing the noise floor while achieving superior audio performance.
Upon plugging the DC06 to your Android device, the UAC application will ask for permission to grant access and then you are ready to use the precise hardware volume control.



Listening impressions

The DC06 was left playing music for about 50 hours before critical evaluation.
Various IEMs have been used, including my trusty FiiO FA7S, the iBasso IT01X and Drop Etymotic ERX.
The DC06 is really powerful from the balanced output and it had absolutely no problem driving the Sennheiser HD660S with plenty of headroom while it was an excellent sonic match with it.
The single ended output is equally good but the balanced one offers more grip and improved technicalities so it should be preferably used whenever possible.
Another important thing of note is that the DC06 has a very low noise floor and it is well shielded so it doesn't pick up mobile interference.



The actual sonic performance is to be rated as excellent with a linear and well balanced sound signature supported by top technicalities.
The DC06 is transparent, broadly extended, crystal clear and detailed, as should be expected from a modern dual ESS DAC, while it sounds quite musical and engaging without being artificial or boring.
Actually the timbre is on the natural side with minimum digital glare that doesn't add the usual metallic and bright hue.
The DC06 feels at home with all kinds of music while it offers plenty of harmonic saturation and colorful overtones to sound convincing and realistic with classical music.
The Sennheiser HD660S proved to be an excellent sonic match rewarding the senses with some great moments of musical pleasure.
Like while listening to the following recording of Bach's violin concertos where the soloist was accurately centered and slightly stepped forward with the violin sounding tonally correct and saturated.
The accompanying orchestra was accurately positioned in the horizontal axis, but not that deep, while all instruments sounded clear and articulated.



The bass gets deep and well extended while the DC06 sounds physically impactful and dynamic.
Texture is not that visceral, it is on the leaner side but technicalities are great, the bass is fast, tight and well controlled with excellent definition and layering.
The mid range is clearly present, precisely defined and sounds finely articulated, as for the treble is vivid, sparkling and very resolving, touching sharpness territory but in no way edgy or harsh.
Detail retrieval is on surprisingly high level for the category, you could even call it analytical, as for the soundstage, it is widely extended and pinpoint accurate but maybe not that layered in the depth.
Nonetheless, it can easily fill your headphones with music adding some great scale of presentation with a grand imprint.



Selected comparisons

Compared to the less expensive DC05, the DC06 is a step forward into driving authority and grip while it sounds more impactful and dynamic with greater transparency, better detail retrieval and enhanced clarity.
Timbre is also a little more natural, less sharp and texture somewhat fuller but you should keep in mind that all the extra goodness is coming from the balanced output mostly, so if you don't have balanced earphones you can easily stick with the DC05 and be well satisfied with less money.



The FiiO KA3 is fitted with the higher tier ES9038Q2M DAC chip and separate RT6863D*2 amplifiers.
On the non audio related stuff, the main advantage of the KA3 is the accompanying application which offers gain selection and seven low pass filters to choose from.
Surprisingly, despite the separate amplifier modules of the KA3, the DC06 is more powerful but the KA3 manages to sound slightly more dynamic and impactful.
Texture is also more visceral on the KA3, the sound is fuller and a touch warmer with more convincing timbre and harmonic wealth.
The DC06 though, is more transparent, crystal clear and resolving with deeper detail retrieval and just a touch better positioning accuracy although the KA3 takes the lead into depth layering and overall holography.
The DC06 is more power efficient but honestly, in the end, both are just fine sounding and you will be hard pressed to choose one.
I guess it comes down to the house sound signature and whether you prefer the FiiO or the iBasso one.



In the end

Nothing much left to add here, the iBasso DC06 is a powerful USB DAC dongle with a highly transparent and technical performance, yet it sounds musical and engaging while build quality is top notch.
iBasso fans, and not only, look no further, this is the USB DAC dongle to have, especially if you own more demanding earphones.

Test playlist

Copyright - Petros Laskis 2022.