DX220 A new view to your music. *** LATEST FW: 1.19 Local *** Link for User Guide 1st Page.

[mattiav]

Has anyone started to stream from WiFi with either Tidal or Quboz and can this be done from only Android Mango? What about playing from downloads? Is the battery drain much more rapid with WiFi streaming? Has anyone streamed through optical out from DX220 to an external DAC? Is this even possible?

Tidal streaming works fine - with the updated firmware, original firmware has a lot of clicks and pops. Haven’t tested the optical out so cannot comment. You’ll need the Tidal app (or stream tidal via UAPP), Mango is for local playback far as I can tell.

Battery does drain more with WiFi, can’t comment on how much more.

 

[udesign48]

Would you guys please ask Lurker to make a modified DX100 firmware? lol

 

[jmills8]

Actually it was a smaller shop that's also in Mongkok.

Right shop

 

[gannjunior]

hey guys,
Just realized amp8 voices are little bit backwarded than the " optimum equilbrium".
I was appreciating a sacd Deep purple live, and ok, their instruments are the perfect field of the amp8 but i had the impression voices were a step back so I took from the drawer the amp3 and i realized, there, vocals sounded higher. (Ok, amp3 instruments reproduction does not reaches amp8 and for the hard rock genre amp8 Is better but i noticed this and i wanted to share my consideration with all of you. What about your thought?).

Next week i'll try with 220 too but i don't expect substantial change regarding this..

 

[fzman]

I would like to have a few words for "update ROMs" here. As you might guess, a software update or improvement only costs time and the development effort. Hardware on the other hand brings further costs of the components, and not easily tweaked. So for a company developing audio devices, software tweaks and improvements nearly free of charge to tweak the software for the best possible outcome.

Also the companies are not just taking an evaluation board, modifying/adding components to it and throwing it infront of you. They go through lots of iterations and with proper measurement devices to find the optimal sound. For example, if your analogue department, clocks has their limitations, no matter how much you push your DACs, you will not see any improvements.

I see it very highly unlikely for anyone to come up and say "hey, I improved the sound with a simple software update". It is very highly unlikely that the company (e.g. iBasso) has forgotten something leaving room for an obvious sound improvement through software, as long as you are not enabling a feature of the DAC chip which might have been disabled due to power consumption requirements. But that needs real deep register level hacking of the DAC chips and this information is, for example in case of ESS chips, is only available under NDA (non-disclosure agreement). Also you need to have the source code to that part of the driver.

So, any claim that a simple tweaked firmware would improve the sound quality is very very.... VERY... unlikely. Software experience can be improved, yes. Hardware can be tweaked yes. But sound quality improvement through simple software update? As said, unlikely.

I see 3 different parts in your comment, which is very thorough, clearly worded, and interesting. I am neither a software nor a hardware engineer, but I think there is a possible counterargument. (I am open to the possibility that I am completely wrong, but want to put it out there anyway, in order to learn from it).

1. Software upgrades are essentially free.--true but many audio companies that make products like high-end daps, streamers, dacs, etc. may not have the software engineering resources to produce optimal code, rather than merely good or good-enough code.

2. iBasso (or any manufacturer for that matter, this is more a generic argument, than iBasso-specific) has already made sure their software is great, since they have already done so with their hardware. The only area for improvements could come from dac-feature level unlocks/changes, and regular folks can't do that as they do not have the proprietary info needed to do so. --if software does not matter, why is there Android OS and Mango OS, side by side in the same device? Maybe OS and firmware are sufficiently 'different' so that this argument does not need to be made. I confess I do not know-but would like to hear arguments pro and con.

3. Sometimes it can be easier to see a problem/fix/improvement from the outside, as it can bring a new perspective. Additionally, products have to be actually released, and fall into budget constraints. So, even though software fixes are essentially free,

...reminds me of an old joke.... The Dean is complaining to the Science department that they always ask for huge budgets for lots of expensive equipment and labs. The Math Department, only ever requests money for paper, pencils and erasers... While the Philosophy Department does not even ask for erasers!....

Anway, while code changes do not require costly board prototypes be designed, made, stuffed and tested (wonder how much of this vs simulations actually occurs), I am pretty sure software folks get paid pretty well for their time-so, NOT FREE!

 

[DarginMahkum]

I see 3 different parts in your comment, which is very thorough, clearly worded, and interesting. I am neither a software nor a hardware engineer, but I think there is a possible counterargument. (I am open to the possibility that I am completely wrong, but want to put it out there anyway, in order to learn from it).

1. Software upgrades are essentially free.--true but many audio companies that make products like high-end daps, streamers, dacs, etc. may not have the software engineering resources to produce optimal code, rather than merely good or good-enough code.

2. iBasso (or any manufacturer for that matter, this is more a generic argument, than iBasso-specific) has already made sure their software is great, since they have already done so with their hardware. The only area for improvements could come from dac-feature level unlocks/changes, and regular folks can't do that as they do not have the proprietary info needed to do so. --if software does not matter, why is there Android OS and Mango OS, side by side in the same device? Maybe OS and firmware are sufficiently 'different' so that this argument does not need to be made. I confess I do not know-but would like to hear arguments pro and con.

3. Sometimes it can be easier to see a problem/fix/improvement from the outside, as it can bring a new perspective. Additionally, products have to be actually released, and fall into budget constraints. So, even though software fixes are essentially free,

...reminds me of an old joke.... The Dean is complaining to the Science department that they always ask for huge budgets for lots of expensive equipment and labs. The Math Department, only ever requests money for paper, pencils and erasers... While the Philosophy Department does not even ask for erasers!....

Anway, while code changes do not require costly board prototypes be designed, made, stuffed and tested (wonder how much of this vs simulations actually occurs), I am pretty sure software folks get paid pretty well for their time-so, NOT FREE!

I cannot prove that a teapot is not rotating around the earth but it is highly unlikely. I am saying it is not impossible. Yes, some astronaut might have been a tea addict and might have taken a teapot with him, so that he can prepare his favorite tea mix during the space walk but he might have lost it during the mission and that teapot might have been rotating around the world in an orbit since then. Every 333 years, if you look at the sky with one eye and tilt you head 33 on an exact location on earth you might see the teapot.

You might possibly calculate some parameters to realise this scenario and even realise it, but it is a very unlikely real life scenario. That is what I mean. Anyone who says he improves the sound via software updates has to give me really convincing answers for such a claim. Another thing is, for example if you enable some disabled parts of your DAC (if you have the means to see and modify these), you really have to be sure that your DAPs power circuitary is able to provide enough power to run it smoothly.

Again: I am not saying it is impossible. I am saying highly unlikely.

 

[ValeryPaul]

Would anyone please tell me how to get apps like Youtube and Tidal onto the dx220? I would very much appreciate it! Thank you.

 

[DarginMahkum]

Would anyone please tell me how to get apps like Youtube and Tidal onto the dx220? I would very much appreciate it! Thank you.

I think the best method would be to use the Lurker firmware:

https://github.com/Lurker00/DX220-Firmware-Add-on/releases

 

[fzman]

Every 333 years, if you look at the sky with one eye and tilt you head 33

My analog-loving friends tell me that looking at 45 will sound even better-especially if it is half tea-d mastered!

 

[alan_g]

Would anyone please tell me how to get apps like Youtube and Tidal onto the dx220? I would very much appreciate it! Thank you.

There is apk pure installed you should be able to get them from there, if not install lurker firmware which includes Google play store

 

[abitdeef]

Firmware upgrades/changes can definitely alter sound. Usually no, but anyone who's rockboxed their ipod or say their sansa clip+ can easily hear the difference from the stock firmware.

Is this some software tweaks of the lpf, or some added dsp effects running in the background, or just a cleaner optimization of the software in general?

Idk, but sometimes firmware upgrades do noticeably change the sound signature. Although in the case of lurker, or rockbox you're totally bypassing the vanilla firmware.
I'm very happy with the sound from my dx220. I don't think I'll be changing anything. Although I am starting to feel some amp8 envy.

 

[Paul - iBasso]

Our latest Firmware is ready for OTA update! Connect to the WiFi and enjoy the update, then Yes, Enjoy the Music.

Update takes about 10 minutes so be sure and let it finish. Once downloaded you will need to tap on update.

It will also be available on our Download site for updating by SD micro card.

 

[panasonicst60]

@lurker we will need you new firmware . So if I flash the newest official fw I will have to wait for Lurker to release an update correct?

 

[udesign48]

Our latest Firmware is ready for OTA update! Connect to the WiFi and enjoy the update, then Yes, Enjoy the Music.

Update takes about 10 minutes so be sure and let it finish. Once downloaded you will need to tap on update.

It will also be available on our Download site for updating by SD micro card.

Hi Paul, while I appreciated modded firmware from Fidelizer Audio, it would be still great if iBasso officially updates DX100 one last time with proper programming methods.
No one thinks programming job done on DX100 is good enough. It has too many problems with loading sd card. Why does it need to scan every time you boot? and why is it so slow? and why no USB DAC mode?

 

[bahamot]

Have some high res jazz...