[Johnny Woody]

Second that the DX220 is not sluggish at all. With Tidal and all the other streaming apps, it runs like a charm without issue.

 

[mattiav]

Its responsiveness has definitely improved with firmware updates, but the DX220 is not my first choice of DAP for doing much beyond streaming or listening to music. It does sound awesome, though. Soundwise, it clearly beats any other DAP I've owned.

...what else would one want to use a DAP for? My Phone is better at all the other things an Android/iOS device can do, and everyone has a phone these days...

 

[435279]

...what else would one want to use a DAP for? My Phone is better at all the other things an Android/iOS device can do, and everyone has a phone these days...

LOL, I had literally quoted the same part of dcguy73's post and was going to write exactly the same thing.

 

[MaxD]

OK that seems like a bit of a draconian perspective. I do like to keep media in the same place, so I have audio books too (another use case) and an app for them. I could (but dont currently) see myself using it for video (more media). I tend to travel a lot and do not want to deplete my phone battery. So never say never, having said that I do note find the DX220 slow at all.

 

[fokta]

Hahaha.. its about surrendering yourself...

my DAP is to play SONG...

Well you call DX220 slow... this Baby is what then ???

But this baby has the same power as KANN Cube....

 

[tunes]

Is there a tutorial for step by step instructions for updating the DX220 with the latest firmware??

 

[Christoph]

Is there a tutorial for step by step instructions for updating the DX220 with the latest firmware??

It's not that complicated and quite intuitive.

OTA (Over The Air) update (requires WIFI connection):
For a OTA update boot in Android mode, tap 'Settings' => 'System' => 'Updater' => 'Online Update'

Firmware file:
For updating with a firmware file, download the latest firmware (currently http://www.ibasso.com/uploadfiles/download/DX220FW-OTG-v1.15.zip)
You have to unzip the content of this zip file,
inside the zip you find a readme.txt with instructions and another zip DX220-ota-full-1.15.233.zip that has to be copied to the DX220 memory.
But this is also mentioned in the enclosed readme.txt

This is the content of the readme.txt with the instructions (apart from the history of improvements):

Instructions For Firmware update:

1. Copy and paste the DX220-ota-full-1.15.233.zip to your SD card's root folder, or the DX220's internal memory.
2. Go to Android OS, press Settings-->System-->Updater-->local update, and tap the zip file.
3. The whole update will take about 10 minutes.  Reboot the DX220 after update completed. You can also choose to do a factory reset at this time to clear any artifacts from the previous firmware.

 

[tunes]

It's not that complicated and quite intuitive.

OTA (Over The Air) update (requires WIFI connection):
For a OTA update boot in Android mode, tap 'Settings' => 'System' => 'Updater' => 'Online Update'

Firmware file:
For updating with a firmware file, download the latest firmware (currently http://www.ibasso.com/uploadfiles/download/DX220FW-OTG-v1.15.zip)
You have to unzip the content of this zip file,
inside the zip you find a readme.txt with instructions and another zip DX220-ota-full-1.15.233.zip that has to be copied to the DX220 memory.
But this is also mentioned in the enclosed readme.txt

This is the content of the readme.txt with the instructions (apart from the history of improvements):

Instructions For Firmware update:

1. Copy and paste the DX220-ota-full-1.15.233.zip to your SD card's root folder, or the DX220's internal memory.
2. Go to Android OS, press Settings-->System-->Updater-->local update, and tap the zip file.
3. The whole update will take about 10 minutes.  Reboot the DX220 after update completed. You can also choose to do a factory reset at this time to clear any artifacts from the previous firmware.

Thanks for the detailed response. Does the OTA update do the same thing as manually using the firmware file?

 

[Christoph]

Thanks for the detailed response. Does the OTA update do the same thing as manually using the firmware file?

Yes, the result is the same, just a different method of installing the same software.
If you want to go back to an older firmware, this is only possible via file, not OTA.
So in case you are not satisfied for whatever reason with the latest version, you can go back to an previous version via file update.

 

[tunes]

Ok
Thanks

 

[dcguy73]

...what else would one want to use a DAP for? My Phone is better at all the other things an Android/iOS device can do, and everyone has a phone these days...

I agree! But then what purpose does having Android on the DX220 serve? Why pay the licensing fees to Google? And if it’s running a modern version of Android, why use an older processor?

With Android, we get choices. We can install any app, have the Google Play store, access any Google service, use other streaming services, etc.

But what DAP-based advantages do we get with those choices? The main purpose of this device is to sound great, right? I think Mango OS sounds better soundwise than any app or tweak I’ve tried on Android.

Why not just make the DX220 cheaper to manufacture and lower its retail price by having it run solely on Mango OS? Or do that and use better components in the DAP and keep it at the existing retail price? Or integrate a non-swappable amp with nutubes built-in and the option to use tube or SS output? So long as the DAP has all the necessary headphone jacks (like the DX160 does), why do we need swappable amps anyway?

I love my Sony NX-Z300 DAP. It runs on Sony’s custom OS that is pretty snappy, it’s much more compact than the DX220, it can be used as a DAC, and it plays music extremely well through the player or through Bluetooth. Everything is integrated smoothly. But it has no Wifi hardware, so it can’t use streaming services, download anything, or connect to a network. It has one function, to make music sound great, and it does that well.

The DX220 is a different animal. It promises to serve more than one purpose. With iBasso’s DAP, you sacrifice some speed and efficiency to run Android on an older processor, but you get more choices of how to use the device and you have the option to use Mango OS instead.

I’d be happier with the DAP if I could use Android on the DX220 to its full potential, for the device to be powerful enough to handle any app just as well as, say, an iPod Touch. I don’t love my Touch, and its sound quality doesn’t measure up to a dedicated DAP, but it has the power to do everything as well as it promises. It is a jack of all trades.

I’m playing devil’s advocate here. Maybe the next iteration of the DX220 will have the processing power to do everything well. Many other DAPs use Android. After all, even Sony switched from its custom OS to Android 9.0 for its new NX-Z500 DAP.

My point is this: I held out on buying an Android-based DAP until the DX220 came out. The early reviews I read on audiophile review sites and on Head-Fi were so positive about its functionality that I felt let down when the device did not meet my expectations. Yes, the firmware updates have improved its responsiveness, but it still isn’t quite the jack of all trades DAP I thought i was getting for $1K.

 

[Whitigir]

I agree with all the above. However, for me, I don’t find dx220 to be sluggish

I would go with ZX507, the new Walkman, but for everything that dx220 and Amp8 doing so well...I don’t have any reason to do so. I can switch between MangoOS into Android, find all the streaming I need by APK-Pure app right out of the box.....never any issues

the same as what I have here, the dx160....but for sound quality and performances, I still going to pick up DX228 combination anytime

 

[flarex3]

I am looking for a DAP to pair with Dan Clark Audio Aeon 2 Closed Headphones. DX220 with AMP8 is widely being recommended, should I pull the trigger ? On the other hand there are cheaper options like ZX507 and M11 Pro.

 

[edwardsean]

Guys. In case you're interested, AZ dropped the price of the 1TB micro card down to $229. They wouldn't issue a refund for the price drop for me, but this is a great price if you want to take advantage of it.

I gotta say, if you're using DSDs, having the 1TB is so nice. Sweet sweet storage space.

 

[singleended5863]

I am looking for a DAP to pair with Dan Clark Audio Aeon 2 Closed Headphones. DX220 with AMP8 is widely being recommended, should I pull the trigger ? On the other hand there are cheaper options like ZX507 and M11 Pro.

No doubt! DX220 with amp8-EX combination is even better.