[twister6]

Anybody tested dx200 optical out (spdif) output? I tested it last night with Micro iDSD, using extreme audio short optical cable. Sounds excellent, but for some reason in Mango app player when i skip to next/prev track it freezes. Haven't tried it under Mango OS yet. Not sure if it's something related to my setup or maybe just a bug for iBasso to take care of in the next fw update. Anybody else?

 

[koluludome]

Do you mean you hear some hissing with Katana from balanced port vs single ended? I haven't tested it yet with K10UA, these are typically a bit sensitive and as a result of higher power output of balanced port the hissing could be more noticeable. I will confirm with k10ua when test it tonight.

I can't hear hissing in single end from k10ua

 

[AndrewH13]

I cannot give you good impression because I am not good at it, but what I can say is Katana when connected to balance on DX200 really sounding better compare to Katana when pairing with Mojo.  Especially the soundstage and imaging, the detail retrieval and instrument separation with a fuller sound and very good bass texture and slam.

Thanks. Not sure fuller sound than mojo a positive but the rest sounds good . Is this true also single ended with Katana?

 

[drros]

No hiss, excellent pair up with it03 and cb12 cable. Which dap are you using now that yields hissing with this combo?

Thanks for answer! I have no dap atm, but planning to buy dx200 & it03 combo, and later flatter theese with cb12.
I also wonder if dx200 would be any good for my Beyerdynamic DT1770 250ohm.

 

[SabreToothBunny]

Can anyone who is using the 2.5mm balanced socket confirm whether their cable 'clicks' and secures into position?
My connector isn't loose by any means and the connection's secure but it doesn't seem to click the way I would expect it too.

As for the unit itself, I've been using it through the weekend; the sound is warmer than I was expecting from this thread (it's not warm as such, just the impression I got from reading was more flat-cold), noice! The presentation is very high resolution while maintaining a great musicality.
For the most part, all the IEMs I find a little 'chunky' or thick sounding with the Sony WM1Z and Acoustic Research AR-M2 sound fantastic with the DX200. Things are closer with the Lotoo Paw Gold due to it's better more aggresive treble retrieval.

The JH Audio Siren series is a great pairing through balanced out and I think the DX200 is a great alternative to the A&K AKXX0 equivalents. Tried the Angie, which hasn't sounded better through any of my other DAPs however there's a wonderful synergy with the Layla (V1 in my case). There's an almost holographic quality to the pairing while maintaining some excellent detail retrieval and a full frequency response. The tuning pots certainly allow you to tweak the low frequency response but to be frank with you I don't find the DX200's sub-200Hz response nor impact lacking anyway. Great tightness and control down there.
Another standout is certainly the Final Audio Lab 1 which has a very sweet, liquid presentation especially with vocal and choral work... though limited to single ended output. It's thick sound signiature lends itself well to the excellent airy, detail retrieval of the DX200.

Haven't encountered any UI lag through Mango myself, though I haven't used the Pure Music mode but it is certainly more responsive than the current WM1Z build.
As others have reported I have noticed my play/pause button seems to stop responding when the screen off after a certain period of time. Actually, what I've found is I can pause but can't start tracks and so have to turn the screen back on. The skip buttons don't appear to be affected by this.
Additionally, occaisionally, when I turn the screen back on the volume level also appears on screen. I can't work out if that's the unit or my fat fingers hitting the volume knob.

With regards to memory card this may have already been mentioned; I didn't want to have to reformat & copy everything again. Put in a default 256Gb FAT32 formatted card. The unit prompted for a reformat however I went into the music player settings, ran a file scan and the music showed up. I was then able to dismiss the 'format card' prompt and there haven't been any issues for me since then.

Got 3 new headphones arriving this week so over the weekend will try those along with the headphones I have here to see what pairings work.
Overall it's a hell of a lot of high-fidelity for the price. Very impressive work by Ibasso.

 

[jmills8]

Can anyone who is using the 2.5mm balanced socket confirm whether their cable 'clicks' and secures into position?
My connector isn't loose by any means and the connection's secure but it doesn't seem to click the way I would expect it too.

As for the unit itself, I've been using it through the weekend; the sound is warmer than I was expecting from this thread (it's not warm as such, just the impression I got from reading was more flat-cold), noice! The presentation is very high resolution while maintaining a great musicality.
For the most part, all the IEMs I find a little 'chunky' or thick sounding with the Sony WM1Z and Acoustic Research AR-M2 sound fantastic with the DX200. Things are closer with the Lotoo Paw Gold due to it's better more aggresive treble retrieval.

The JH Audio Siren series is a great pairing through balanced out and I think the DX200 is a great alternative to the A&K AKXX0 equivalents. Tried the Angie, which hasn't sounded better through any of my other DAPs however there's a wonderful synergy with the Layla (V1 in my case). There's an almost holographic quality to the pairing while maintaining some excellent detail retrieval and a full frequency response. The tuning pots certainly allow you to tweak the low frequency response but to be frank with you I don't find the DX200's sub-200Hz response nor impact lacking anyway. Great tightness and control down there.
Another standout is certainly the Final Audio Lab 1 which has a very sweet, liquid presentation especially with vocal and choral work... though limited to single ended output. It's thick sound signiature lends itself well to the excellent airy, detail retrieval of the DX200.

Haven't encountered any UI lag through Mango myself, though I haven't used the Pure Music mode but it is certainly more responsive than the current WM1Z build.
As others have reported I have noticed my play/pause button seems to stop responding when the screen off after a certain period of time. Actually, what I've found is I can pause but can't start tracks and so have to turn the screen back on. The skip buttons don't appear to be affected by this.
Additionally, occaisionally, when I turn the screen back on the volume level also appears on screen. I can't work out if that's the unit or my fat fingers hitting the volume knob.

With regards to memory card this may have already been mentioned; I didn't want to have to reformat & copy everything again. Put in a default 256Gb FAT32 formatted card. The unit prompted for a reformat however I went into the music player settings, ran a file scan and the music showed up. I was then able to dismiss the 'format card' prompt and there haven't been any issues for me since then.

Got 3 new headphones arriving this week so over the weekend will try those along with the headphones I have here to see what pairings work.
Overall it's a hell of a lot of high-fidelity for the price. Very impressive work by Ibasso.

So from what you have written it seems the DX200 is better than your 1Z and LPG?

 

[Joseph Lin]

Anybody tested dx200 optical out (spdif) output? I tested it last night with Micro iDSD, using extreme audio short optical cable. Sounds excellent, but for some reason in Mango app player when i skip to next/prev track it freezes. Haven't tried it under Mango OS yet. Not sure if it's something related to my setup or maybe just a bug for iBasso to take care of in the next fw update. Anybody else?

How does dx200 compare to iDSD Micro? I wonder if it will out perform iDSD SQ wise...

 

[ahossam]

Do you mean you hear some hissing with Katana from balanced port vs single ended? I haven't tested it yet with K10UA, these are typically a bit sensitive and as a result of higher power output of balanced port the hissing could be more noticeable. I will confirm with k10ua when test it tonight.

No that is not what I meant, I was trying to point out that when I'm using SE port with Katana I'm not hearing noise when wifi is active like streaming or downloading. This is not the case when I'm using balance port, I can hear some noise when wifi is active like radio interference or something like that.
 
So what I'm talking here is not about hissing, but noise from wifi when active. And when talking about hiss, no there is no hiss from Katana with DX200 single ended or balance, wifi active or not, there is no hiss. This DAP is dead silent with Katana.
 

Thanks. Not sure fuller sound than mojo a positive but the rest sounds good . Is this true also single ended with Katana?

What I mean by that is, the sound is not lean even it had spacious soundstage. With SE no you will not get that sound quality, but still, it sounds good, but I think it's worth it to invest in good quality balance cable with DX200.

 

[SabreToothBunny]

So from what you have written it seems the DX200 is better than your 1Z and LPG?

Not quite, I was referring to some specific IEMs which I found to be weaker with the WM1Z. Sorry to muddy the water but the presentation of these units is too different for me to say better. As I usually say, personal preference, IEM/headphone synergy and music choices has such a heavy weighting on these things. I usually try to assess equipment more on its deficiencies in that respect and I don't find any glaring deficiencies with any of these DAPs.

The LPG has a detailed presentation but more emphasis in the low frequeny response than the DX200. Out of all 3 it has the narrowest soundstage and the most aggresive presentation but nevertheless, for me has more in common with the WM1Z and a little less with the DX200.
I'll park it to one side as the difference in presentation between the DX200 & WM1Z is easier to describe:

The WM1Z has a very thick sound signiature, a really dense presentation.
As for the IEMs I am specifically referring to; both the Layla and Angie (and Lab 1) also have very thick signiatures.
Pair these together and for my preferences it's a bit too much with certain tracks. Details can get a little lost... or at least I can't discern them in the way I can with the DX200. Certainly for the Layla, it isn't my favourite earphone with the WM1Z anyway and this is irrispective of the tuning pot all the way down. Hands down, I prefer the DX200 as a source for the Layla and Angie... also with the Earsonics Velvet.
Where the Layla was an OK pairing for the WM1Z (with other IEMs being better) it's my favourite IEM with the DX200.

The Final Audio Lab 1 is a heavy sounding IEM which I could never describe as sounding natural. Can only use this in single-ended. It does, however, have one of the most liquid and sweet mid presentation I've heard. It has a particularly sweet mid presenation with the WM1Z but is a very heavy pairing, great for more intimately recorded tracks. The vocal presentation isn't as liquid sweet with the DX200 but the overall sound opens up considerably with this pairing. Depending on someone's music choices or preferences, I can see either having their strengths and weaknesses as a source for this. I'm not listening to the same music with these pairings.

Most of my other IEMs are great on both units; Rhapsodio Galaxy V1 and Solar. Nothing is really lacking and preference will come down to whether one likes the heavy analogue sound of the WM1Z or the more airy resolute presentation of the DX200. For me personally I am preferring both the Rhapsodios with the WM1Z because they have a more weighty presentation while maintaining excellent detail retrieval. They're a little punishing again for my preferences with the DX200.

All that said it is without a doubt the best value for money out of these DAPs considering what it delivers.

 

[jmills8]

Not quite, I was referring to some specific IEMs which I found to be weaker with the WM1Z. Sorry to muddy the water but the presentation of these units is too different for me to say better. As I usually say, personal preference, IEM/headphone synergy and music choices has such a heavy weighting on these things. I usually try to assess equipment more on its deficiencies in that respect and I don't find any glaring deficiencies with any of these DAPs.

The LPG has a detailed presentation but more emphasis in the low frequeny response than the DX200. Out of all 3 it has the narrowest soundstage and the most aggresive presentation but nevertheless, for me has more in common with the WM1Z and a little less with the DX200.
I'll park it to one side as the difference in presentation between the DX200 & WM1Z is easier to describe:

The WM1Z has a very thick sound signiature, a really dense presentation.
As for the IEMs I am specifically referring to; both the Layla and Angie (and Lab 1) also have very thick signiatures.
Pair these together and for my preferences it's a bit too much with certain tracks. Details can get a little lost... or at least I can't discern them in the way I can with the DX200. Certainly for the Layla, it isn't my favourite earphone with the WM1Z anyway and this is irrispective of the tuning pot all the way down. Hands down, I prefer the DX200 as a source for the Layla and Angie... also with the Earsonics Velvet.
Where the Layla was an OK pairing for the WM1Z (with other IEMs being better) it's my favourite IEM with the DX200.

The Final Audio Lab 1 is a heavy sounding IEM which I could never sounds natural. It does, however, have one of the most liquid and sweet mid presentation I've heard. It has a particularly sweet mid presenation with the WM1Z but is still a very heavy pairing, great for more intimately recorded tracks. The vocal presentation isn't as liquid sweet with the DX200 but the overall sound opens up considerably with this pairing. Depending on someone's music choices or preferences, I can see either having their strengths and weaknesses as a source for this. I'm not listening to the same music with these pairings.

Most of my other IEMs are great on both units; Rhapsodio Galaxy V1 and Solar. Nothing is really lacking and preference will come down to whether one likes the heavy analogue sound of the WM1Z or the more airy resolute presentation of the DX200. For me personally I am preferring both the Rhapsodios with the WM1Z because they have a more weighty presentation while maintaining excellent detail retrieval. They're a little punishing again for my preferences with the DX200.

All that said it is without a doubt the best value for money out of these DAPs considering what it delivers.

And which tracks did you listen to with all three of these daps?

 

[icefalkon]

I got HD650 and HD800 and it sound so underwhelming through the DX200 even the Hugo which I also own sound not great powering the 2 headphone.

I just don't get why anyone wants to use a portable player to drive full size headphone.

That makes two..

 

[headwhacker]

I got HD650 and HD800 and it sound so underwhelming through the DX200 even the Hugo which I also own sound not great powering the 2 headphone.

I just don't get why anyone wants to use a portable player to drive full size headphone.

 
Do you use the balanced out or the single ended? 

 

[SabreToothBunny]

And which tracks did you listen to with all three of these daps?

The WM1Z and LPG are pretty well used now. I've had the LPG a little a couple of years and the WM1Z since late November. The DX200 has probably only clocked around 50hrs these past few days.
There are a bunch of FLAC tracks which sit in a folder called "- test" on my memory cards. Currently it contains:

2Cellos - Thunderstruck (2 cellos, instrumental - also can exhibit simblance)
A$ap Rocky - *****in Problems (rap/hip-hop)
Adele - Rolling in The Deep
Aesop Rock - Zero Dark Thirty (rap)
Animals as Leaders - Ka$cade (instrumental progressive metal)
Barber - Adagio for Strings
Beastie Boys - Sabotage (rap)
Beethoven - Moonlight Sonata
Believer - Dies Irae (early operatic metal)
Black Sun Empire - Wasteland (liquid drum and bass)
Carl Orff - Scenic Cantata from Carmina Burana
Dire Straits - Money for Nothing
Elvis Presley - Always on my Mind
London Grammar - Nightcall (trip-hoppy vocal)
Mark Lanegan Band - Gravedigger's Song (folk rock)
Massive Attack - Teardrop (trip-hop)
Natacha Atlas - Leysh Nat'arak (Middle Eastern vocal)
Rob Dougan - Furious Angels (electronica)
Twelve Foot Ninja - Coming For You (progressive metal)

I don't necessarily listen to these all the way through when comparing DAPs as it's too much for my brain to remember the whole presentation of a track. I do, however, sit down to a complete run of 'Meshuggah - I' to see what I think of the overall presentation, as there's enough variation in 21mins without resorting to a full hour of an album - I completely realise this music isn't for everyone but then that's why I'm into headphones in the first place.
Generally I'm listening to a tad more classical, jazz and metal with the DX200 and electronica, opera and female vocals with the WM1Z... but there's a lot of crossover where either delivers for my musical preferences.

 

[Paul - iBasso]

The WM1Z and LPG are pretty well used now. I've had the LPG a little a couple of years and the WM1Z since late November. The DX200 has probably only clocked around 50hrs these past few days.
There are a bunch of FLAC tracks which sit in a folder called "- test" on my memory cards. Currently it contains:

2Cellos - Thunderstruck (2 cellos, instrumental - also can exhibit simblance)
A$ap Rocky - *****in Problems (rap/hip-hop)
Adele - Rolling in The Deep
Aesop Rock - Zero Dark Thirty (rap)
Animals as Leaders - Ka$cade (instrumental progressive metal)
Barber - Adagio for Strings
Beastie Boys - Sabotage (rap)
Beethoven - Moonlight Sonata
Believer - Dies Irae (early operatic metal)
Black Sun Empire - Wasteland (liquid drum and bass)
Carl Orff - Scenic Cantata from Carmina Burana
Dire Straits - Money for Nothing
Elvis Presley - Always on my Mind
London Grammar - Nightcall (trip-hoppy vocal)
Mark Lanegan Band - Gravedigger's Song (folk rock)
Massive Attack - Teardrop (trip-hop)
Natacha Atlas - Leysh Nat'arak (Middle Eastern vocal)
Rob Dougan - Furious Angels (electronica)
Twelve Foot Ninja - Coming For You (progressive metal)

I don't necessarily listen to these all the way through when comparing DAPs as it's too much for my brain to remember the whole presentation of a track. I do, however, sit down to a complete run of 'Meshuggah - I' to see what I think of the overall presentation, as there's enough variation in 21mins without resorting to a full hour of an album - I completely realise this music isn't for everyone but then that's why I'm into headphones in the first place.
Generally I'm listening to a tad more classical, jazz and metal with the DX200 and electronica, opera and female vocals with the WM1Z... but there's a lot of crossover where either delivers for my musical preferences.

Thank you for your impressions. I also look forward to what you hear when you have more hours on the DX200. You are using some very good daps.

 

[Paul - iBasso]

The Batch Tool and the latest firmware links have be put on the first page for those who would like to use it. If you do use the BT please be sure and follow the instructions. Please note that you use a different button now when plugging the DX200 into the USB when doing the update with the BT. The FW must be extracted and the .img file used for the update when using the BT. The .img file can only be used with the BT. For normal updates please continue to use the zip file from our Download site.
 
The DAC driver for the DX200 is also available for Windows on our Download site at www.ibasso.com