[PinkyPowers]

The Face of Experience – A Review of the iBasso DX220
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[singleended5863]

Even with sensitive IEMs? I'm done with hiss.

Nope. Hisses have never existed with Spartan, Phantom and even Angie II IMO.

 

[PinkyPowers]

Even with sensitive IEMs? I'm done with hiss.

I just tried DX220 with AMP9 using Spartan and Noble Encore. There is indeed some low-level hiss, even on Low Gain. There is noticeably less with N6ii. I'm pretty sure it still has some, but it's VERY quiet.

AMP9 is not what I would call overly noisy, though. Its hiss is easy to miss when music is playing.

 

[kissmevn]

Set Native. Also check here.

Thanks, I also set that and everything like in your image. But still no sound, though... I also couldn't locate the cpu wak option

 

[Snowball0906]

May I know

Yes, I like the Nii but it's not as good as the DX220...especially now that I have one of the few DX220-EX's with the AMP8EX. The Nii doesn't come close.

The one I was speaking about is the Sony DMP-Z1. I recently auditioned it on Long Island and was blown away.

Yes, it's that good. Is it worth the money though...? That's debatable. It's not something you can carry with you on a trip, or back and forth to work, but to me, it might be the best sounding DAP I've ever heard.

However, at $9k after taxes...that's not even realistic. If you have that much money to burn on a quasi-portable unit...imagine how much you'd spend on the home audio?

Ahhh...dare to dream...lol

May I know what is the different between dx220 amp 8 and dx220 ex and amp 8 ex?

 

[panasonicst60]

May I know

May I know what is the different between dx220 amp 8 and dx220 ex and amp 8 ex?

Don't go down that rabbit hole...it's a diy upgrade of the dx220 and the amp. It does improve sound quite a bit
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/dx200-220-amp8-amp1-ex-modifications.898918/

 

[Snowball0906]

Don't go down that rabbit hole...it's a diy upgrade of the dx220 and the amp. It does improve sound quite a bit
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/dx200-220-amp8-amp1-ex-modifications.898918/

Thank you! I saw that you had modded your dx220 too. How was it? Hehe

 

[icefalkon]

May I know

May I know what is the different between dx220 amp 8 and dx220 ex and amp 8 ex?

Well Snow...in a nutshell it's like this...

The EX mod brings an already fantastic DAP to the level beyond the next level. Everything from the soundstage to clarity, to depth, to the coherence of instruments in songs sound better. To say that the modification makes the sound tighter isn't quite true...it makes it more alive! I've been with iBasso since the very beginning...the iconic DX100 and this combination of DX228-EX is as good as it gets. When I first heard it, and there's a thread for it here...I was so floored that I fell into using food analogies lol. I have to stop now...the rabbit hole is calling...

 

[fokta]

Well you can't just tease us like that... What was it?! Have you compared dx220 to the n6ii?

lol...

Better try it urself...
Each of us who tried it, have different perspective about Hiss in each device.

U know my impression about DX221 vs N6II

 

[jmills8]

lol...

Better try it urself...
Each of us who tried it, have different perspective about Hiss in each device.

U know my impression about DX221 vs N6II

Norah Jones then dx221 , Robert Plant then N6II.

 

[dhc0329]

As for me dx221 is most resolving but not too exiciting. Sure, dx228 is loud but no personality.
I would choice dx229 over the other two but it has its own drawback beside the hiss.
The smoothness is good but tends to give you sense of bloatedness as if there is no sharpness
in defining each notes although it actually has the details. Neutron PEQ helps alot in this respect,
but there is a still buttery after taste.. Neverthless for a grand this device is not bad.

 

[Jester0fTortuga]

Yes absolutely.

I'll give this a shot then and report back

 

[DeejayAlex73]

I saw on Youtube a comparison between Ibasso DX220 and Fiio M11. Even the reviewer gave M11 the winner. But are we sure that M11 is better than Ibasso DX220? To me it honestly seems a bit strange, considering the audio DACs Ibasso owns. Does anyone have to comment?
I have now ordered Ibasso DX220 and we have yet to arrive, but it seems strange to me that they say which M11 audio quality is better.

 

[icefalkon]

As for me dx221 is most resolving but not too exiciting. Sure, dx228 is loud but no personality.
I would choice dx229 over the other two but it has its own drawback beside the hiss.
The smoothness is good but tends to give you sense of bloatedness as if there is no sharpness
in defining each notes although it actually has the details. Neutron PEQ helps alot in this respect,
but there is a still buttery after taste.. Neverthless for a grand this device is not bad.

I couldn't disagree more.

The AMP9 module is fantastic, the AMP8 is more than just loud, it gives a much wider soundstage, brings out the detail in rock that makes your leg keep time, and do the "air guitar". As for your impression of AMP1MKii...wow...lol. Talk about not hearing what others have. Including myself.

Bloatedness? Lack of sharpness...? I'm hearing none of that at all. As for Neutron's PEQ, I personally don't use it, but enjoy the app. Buttery aftertaste?

Dude, for a "grand" this device is ridiculous. lol

FiiO M11 is not "bad"...

From what you wrote, taken as a whole, I would surmise that you haven't burned in anything. The sounds you say you hear are distinctive of a unit and AMP module that have not been sufficiently burned in.

Everyone's ears are different though.

I'm curious what other DAP you think is better than "not bad" for the price point, flexibility, customization?

 

[icefalkon]

I saw on Youtube a comparison between Ibasso DX220 and Fiio M11. Even the reviewer gave M11 the winner. But are we sure that M11 is better than Ibasso DX220? To me it honestly seems a bit strange, considering the audio DACs Ibasso owns. Does anyone have to comment?
I have now ordered Ibasso DX220 and we have yet to arrive, but it seems strange to me that they say which M11 audio quality is better.

In most of those, the M11 is held against a DX220 that hasn't been burned-in sufficiently or are coming from people who already prefer the FiiO house sound over the iBasso sound. There's one particular Head-fi'er here who has made claims as to the superiority of the M11 under the veil of being unbiased...but that's nonsense. Every iBasso product the guy has reviewed has "lost" to a FiiO device. Most of us know who that is...

When looking at videos, and reviews, take it with a grain of salt and listen yourself. I'm happy you pulled the trigger and ordered a DX220. Burn it in for 100+ hours and you'll hear a difference that will make you happy you made the choice!

Enjoy the music.