[jerick70]

 

[ctaxxxx]

The Sony MDR-Z1R sound amazing with these! I thought a warmer amp wouldn't suit an already dark headphone, but it sounds smoother AND more detailed at the same time. The treble is definitely the most noticeable difference compared to AMP4, which has more bite.

Tomorrow I'll be listening with the Hyla CE-5 iem at work. Definitely expecting great synergy, as I felt AMP4 was a little bright with them. The Oriolus as well, but those already sound great with AMP4.

 

[aaf evo]

Not sure if the 4S hype train has died but someone is selling theirs for $150 in source classifieds.

 

[KEV G]

Amp 8 is about 100 miles away from me and closing lol. Sounds like everyone that has received their orders so far are very very happy, like your pictures @Whitigir
I’ll only have one eye on my work this morning as the other one will be on the tracking looking forward to it even more now after all of your thoughts so far. Keep em coming, cheers

 

[Lurker0]

Or are people upsampling their music to DSD512? Does that affect sound quality?

It is not just upsampling. You may think about delta-sigma DAC as a "PCM-to-DSD" converter, followed by PWM and then analog filter. Any such a DAC does a similar "upsample" inside. So, if you have converted PCM into DSD512 using a proper software, you have done the most complicated job of the DAC, but with higher quality. You don't limit the quality by having to do the job in real time. This is very similar to FPGA-based DACs, but, again, without the need for real-time calculations.

I've put "upsample" into quotation marks, because this process, actually, involves restoring the initial waveform in digital format, exactly according to Kotelnikov's theorem proof. I mean it: not Shannon, because, Shannon, unlike Kotelnikov, didn't use sinc function in his proof

 

[Lurker0]

@Whitigir: Forgot to mention, that DSD can be well compressed by WavPack, and Neutron claims to support it (I never tried myself).

 

[rogerzz]

can someone please do a comparison between amp5 and amp7? Thanks

 

[swesko]

can someone please do a comparison between amp5 and amp7? Thanks

hehei have the same question since i own the 5 and would like to order the 7

 

[Whitigir]

It is not just upsampling. You may think about delta-sigma DAC as a "PCM-to-DSD" converter, followed by PWM and then analog filter. Any such a DAC does a similar "upsample" inside. So, if you have converted PCM into DSD512 using a proper software, you have done the most complicated job of the DAC, but with higher quality. You don't limit the quality by having to do the job in real time. This is very similar to FPGA-based DACs, but, again, without the need for real-time calculations.

I've put "upsample" into quotation marks, because this process, actually, involves restoring the initial waveform in digital format, exactly according to Kotelnikov's theorem proof. I mean it: not Shannon, because, Shannon, unlike Kotelnikov, didn't use sinc function in his proof

This is correct. However, the DAC usually use the Sigma-Delta upto probably 16X. I am not sure about the newest ES9028Pro or ES9038Pro. The DSD512 is basically Sigma-Delta modulating of 512X of the PCM 44.1 from PCM.

Native DSD, the higher the frequency, the higher the dynamic range achieved, or the better the performances. The D64 claimed to be able to achieve 100kHz, but why going to D512 ? That is because of quantization noises and errors. The higher the samples, the more these noises are pushed further out of the human-range with the less errors. Theoretically, portable players may have top-tier DAC chips, but their processing power are limited by the given form and power consumption, and therefore, using Native DSD will help the portable platform to be able to perform it best.

In my short experiments, not only DX200 with ESS9028Pro, but also my LKS-004 with ESS9038Pro are both loving DSD512, and will perform at it best.

However, there are Pros, there are also Cons. Native DSD512 sounds better than 216 in my opinion. Especially on DX200, and we will get to discuss more as more people will adapt ? D512 takes too much spaces, like an average of 1.3Gb per track. Then without the correct filters applied, it can degrade the sound, or achieving too much noises that it could blow the Tweeters on loud speakers or damaging your headphones for examples. Jriver allows to customize your own upconvert to DSD256 and have yet to support DSD512. I do know Xivero is a simple 1 click conversion that sounds just so good at an affordable pricing.

Then Native DSD512 is not just simply....passing through a filter capacitors-array. The matter is how it does so. They are extremely large files and sensitive to Jitters. If not done correctly, it would be ugly. So, for DX200 to be able to do this beautifully ? The DX200 is wonderfully engineered and built without hardware limitations and firmware is updating on monthly basis. Then, remind me again why $3,000 players like AK SP1000 can not ? Time will answer. It could simply be a software (which maybe corrected by firmware, or it could be hardware limitations* which forces you to upgrade the player!)

*remember when Paul stated ?* DX200 is built with very high-end and expensive parts and that he was able to keep the cost down to an impossibly low for us! It took me this long to realize this statement, and by far, it is true!!! I have tried virtually all things that I could, and Dx200 keeps surprising me !

The next player in the market to support Native DSD512 is Looto Paw Gold Touch.....while DX200 has been able to do this all along for the past 18 months! Ibasso not only care about our hobby, sound quality, but Ibasso is also the innovative leader in the market.

Hearing is believing ! Use Xivero and upsample your PCM into D512 and play by DX200 in Pure Mango Mode, you will hear what DX200 full capability is for portability !! Because not all the good theories will have good results. However, once you try this, you will get hooked just as much as I am....now, I need Huge Storage!

**your DX200 will get very superbly warm**, just take it out of the pouch and lay somewhere Cool! My unit and Amp8 can play this wonderfully, able to drive my Hd800S with authority (please mind you how hard it is to drive Hd800S), and charging to full when plugged in.....but it gets very very warm. Get a mini-fan to blow it cool ? LoL!

 

[Whitigir]

Not sure if the 4S hype train has died but someone is selling theirs for $150 in source classifieds.

That is incorrect! Amp4S was good back at release and was the best in the past, there were 0 Hypes. Given it performances at limited release, people craved for it. Luckily, Ibasso released another Amp8 and now IMO, the Amp8 has much better performances than 4S as I am using Hd800S to Observe. However. Amp4S is still not something you shall look down at, and under-estimate to call it “hype”. It carries another different sound signature than Amp8, and it shows it limitations at driving my HD800s in comparison to Amp8. However, there would be real uses for it with IEMs as they are easier to drive. But it doesn’t meant that it should be listed at a rip-off price either.

We, the enthusiasts, with our hobby, is so lucky to have Ibasso, and the wonderful CEO @Paul - iBasso . He has a different direction than the “oh, because it sound good, so it is expensive!”

 

[icefalkon]

That is incorrect! Amp4S was good back at release and was the best in the past, there were 0 Hypes. Given it performances at limited release, people craved for it. Luckily, Ibasso released another Amp8 and now IMO, the Amp8 has much better performances than 4S as I am using Hd800S to Observe. However. Amp4S is still not something you shall look down at, and under-estimate to call it “hype”. It carries another different sound signature than Amp8, and it shows it limitations at driving my HD800s in comparison to Amp8. However, there would be real uses for it with IEMs as they are easier to drive. But it doesn’t meant that it should be listed at a rip-off price either.

We, the enthusiasts, with our hobby, is so lucky to have Ibasso, and the wonderful CEO @Paul - iBasso . He has a different direction than the “oh, because it sound good, so it is expensive!”

Damn Whiti...I want whatever vitamins you’re taking. I don’t think the guy was putting our favorite brand down... I think he’s just letting everyone know it’s for sale.

 

[vilhelm44]

So does the DX200 and Amp8 come close to the SQ of the WM1Z? I've been eyeing up a DX200 for a while now and this will probably have me pulling the trigger.

 

[edwardsean]

So does the DX200 and Amp8 come close to the SQ of the WM1Z? I've been eyeing up a DX200 for a while now and this will probably have me pulling the trigger.

Same here. Currently, I'm using an Onkyo DPX1 for my quick-n-dirty-grab-n-go w/ Audeze LCD i4.
I've looked at the whole field of DAPs but I need both Tidal streaming and Viper4Android, and nothing seemed like anything more than a lateral move or a small step up.
If DX200 + Amp8 is a jump up then I'm in. O' heck I think I'm already headed to the iBasso site now....

 

[Whitigir]

So does the DX200 and Amp8 come close to the SQ of the WM1Z? I've been eyeing up a DX200 for a while now and this will probably have me pulling the trigger.

Much has been said, and detailed, what else is there to give ? I am playing Native DSD512+Amp8+Hd800S for 2 hours now, plugged in, and 100% on battery scale

Same here. Currently, I'm using an Onkyo DPX1 for my quick-n-dirty-grab-n-go w/ Audeze LCD i4.
I've looked at the whole field of DAPs but I need both Tidal streaming and Viper4Android, and nothing seemed like anything more than a lateral move or a small step up.
If DX200 + Amp8 is a jump up then I'm in. O' heck I think I'm already headed to the iBasso site now....

Give the Dx200 + Amp8 a chance, or find some cheap Amp3-4-4s and observe for yourself. Just a reminder, the Stock Amp1 is very “boring and clinical”

 

[twister6]

Mush has been said, and detailed, what else is there to give ?


Give the Dx200 + Amp8 a chance, or find some cheap Amp3-4-4s and observe for yourself. Just a reminder, the Stock Amp1 is very “boring and cynical”

Don't you just love auto-correct, cynical => clinical