[Altes]

Well summed up impression. I use Z1R here and there, and I would like to add that 320 with amp12 is very dynamic with Z1R

indeed, i forgot include the amp card swapping feature of the DX320. hard to go wrong with whitigir's and NPAudio's mods that were reviewed in this thread as well.

 

[BaltColts]

After reading Altes earlier posts that we were well written, I wanted to know what firmware everyone is using. Please share your choice and why. Thanks.

 

[zanril]

Keep in mind that this listening session was not extensive and by no means exhaustive.

We basically used our "go-to" IEMs and songs. I used my Fitear Titan which is 2DD + 1BA and my friend used his japanese edition QDC 10SE.

In short:

EXN-S - very dynamic, excellent details and clarity. However voices are abit more narrow, more in your face.

CAS mod - slightly bigger soundstage esp with voices. Not as detailed, more musical and 3D.

Stock - not bad at all but the 2 mods are definitely better in different ways.

AMP 13 mod - hasn't been burned in so not a proper test.

Curious about the AMP13 mod, how’s it going for you?

 

[Tomm11]

Pardon my ignorance but how does the firmware affect the sound signature? I'm not asking for a review of the different firmware versions.
I'm asking in the technical sense, as in how the firmware works to alter the sound signature.
I've seen the posts with people being happy or upset with the tonal changes after firmware updates but I haven't read any explanation on how it alters the sound.

 

[Jefecesti]

Would someone please advise the sound and practical differences on amp11.2 and amp12?

 

[Whitigir]

Would someone please advise the sound and practical differences on amp11.2 and amp12?

Amp12 is more powerful, and have better soundstage with dedicated line out.

Amp11.2 is less powerful, also slightly less soundstage , and with a resistor implemented Line out.

 

[Jefecesti]

Amp12 is more powerful, and have better soundstage with dedicated line out.

Amp11.2 is less powerful, also slightly less soundstage , and with a resistor implemented Line out.

Thanks! =)

 

[hartphoto]

Would someone please advise the sound and practical differences on amp11.2 and amp12?

I thoroughly enjoy AMP12 much more. The points that @Whitigir made are spot on. I'll add that in my setup, either desktop to an external amp, or straight to IEMs/Headphones, there's more oomph in the low end, better detail on the top end (probably a good bit of that added power). I hardly ever put the AMP11 back into the DX320 now.

 

[hartphoto]

Pardon my ignorance but how does the firmware affect the sound signature? I'm not asking for a review of the different firmware versions.
I'm asking in the technical sense, as in how the firmware works to alter the sound signature.
I've seen the posts with people being happy or upset with the tonal changes after firmware updates but I haven't read any explanation on how it alters the sound.

We don't know the technical details of what specifically is altered between FW versions from iBasso. A way to think of it is....FW is an overall device wide 'EQ' that iBasso implements on top of their circuit designs to provide the 'iBasso Sound Signature'.

In the simplest explanation (including Mango OS, or running Android 11), a piece of the DX320 FW controls every aspect of the audio path, from reading the music file in the internal or SD memory (or incoming data stream from apps like Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, etc.) to handing that file output to the ROHM DACS, to the handoff of the DACs processing to the various AMP cards one may install in the 320.

Any change early/midway/or later in that path....can ultimately change the output at the AMP card driving the device (IEMs/headphones for example) connected to it.

Even accounting for bit perfect playback, iBasso FW influences the overall sound signature. Bit perfect playback on the DX320 will sound different than on an iBasso DX170, but also on any other manufacturer's device due to FW (and of course circuit implementation).

Very big picture overview.....

 

[Whitigir]

We don't know the technical details of what specifically is altered between FW versions from iBasso. A way to think of it is....FW is an overall device wide 'EQ' that iBasso implements on top of their circuit designs to provide the 'iBasso Sound Signature'.

In the simplest explanation (including Mango OS, or running Android 11), a piece of the DX320 FW controls every aspect of the audio path, from reading the music file in the internal or SD memory (or incoming data stream from apps like Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, etc.) to handing that file output to the ROHM DACS, to the handoff of the DACs processing to the various AMP cards one may install in the 320.

Any change early/midway/or later in that path....can ultimately change the output at the AMP card driving the device (IEMs/headphones for example) connected to it.

Even accounting for bit perfect playback, iBasso FW influences the overall sound signature. Bit perfect playback on the DX320 will sound different than on an iBasso DX170, but also on any other manufacturer's device due to FW (and of course circuit implementation).

Very big picture overview.....

There are actually no bit-perfect, because perfection doesn’t exist in our universe.

Whether firmware change the sound or not, if it does and how it does ? Those are never in clear water. There are many things that are not in clear answers. Why ? Because human are not equipped with Omni-knowledges .

Most of the time, they don’t know how to grasps the differences or measure it. Then human split into groups. One would be sitting there , being skeptical, and trolling. The other one will go out of their ways, try to find facts, whatever are causing the differences, they may and or may not be able to find it. It took many decades to prove Gravitational Waves, and many experts were just skeptical, and trolled on and on. It happens in many areas, for example, when CERN were put together, many people kept on trolling about how it will ruin the universe or the earth…etc…

Long answer short, people still don’t know why firmware changes the sound performances. All people have known is that digital is quantizing information, and reconstruction is assuming the original wave form or informations in terms of mathematical standpoints. It can never be original , because all it is, is just a very close assumption of what once was. An example is Android phones have different pictures when taken than IPhones. How is it different ? Why ? What is to measure to prove ? Etc…. All of those are waiting for the next greatest of mind to invent, to create

So my question , are you willing to innovate, invent, or create ? Or are you rather be skeptical, and troll on ? Neither is bad, but creating and invention is a lot harder than criticizing and asking.

 

[Whitigir]

For anyone is using the DDhifi adapter into 4.4mm. The weight is a bit heavy one one side while the 3.5mm is a bit soft on cramping and it contacts.

So I just used a rubber band and hold it this way, so it minimizes the torque movements up and down. This makes it easier to hold in the palm and more secured

 

[Tomm11]

There are actually no bit-perfect, because perfection doesn’t exist in our universe.

Whether firmware change the sound or not, if it does and how it does ? Those are never in clear water. There are many things that are not in clear answers. Why ? Because human are not equipped with Omni-knowledges .

Most of the time, they don’t know how to grasps the differences or measure it. Then human split into groups. One would be sitting there , being skeptical, and trolling. The other one will go out of their ways, try to find facts, whatever are causing the differences, they may and or may not be able to find it. It took many decades to prove Gravitational Waves, and many experts were just skeptical, and trolled on and on. It happens in many areas, for example, when CERN were put together, many people kept on trolling about how it will ruin the universe or the earth…etc…

Long answer short, people still don’t know why firmware changes the sound performances. All people have known is that digital is quantizing information, and reconstruction is assuming the original wave form or informations in terms of mathematical standpoints. It can never be original , because all it is, is just a very close assumption of what once was. An example is Android phones have different pictures when taken than IPhones. How is it different ? Why ? What is to measure to prove ? Etc…. All of those are waiting for the next greatest of mind to invent, to create

So my question , are you willing to innovate, invent, or create ? Or are you rather be skeptical, and troll on ? Neither is bad, but creating and invention is a lot harder than criticizing and asking.

If I recall, most people were upset with the sonic changes when iBasso released firmware that replaced the initital firmware. Some people were going back to the original firmware because they were so displeased. If it's not known why or how the firmware changes the sound, then how did iBasso "fix" the sound with a later firmware release?

 

[Whitigir]

If I recall, most people were upset with the sonic changes when iBasso released firmware that replaced the initital firmware. Some people were going back to the original firmware because they were so displeased. If it's not known why or how the firmware changes the sound, then how did iBasso "fix" the sound with a later firmware release?

I wouldn’t call it a “fix”, more like “tweaking it under people feedbacks”. I know Ibasso has many different people to give feedbacks on different variations before releases. How exactly did they tweak it ? No one know

 

[DAPpower]

I would assume they did small changes similar to something like a digital PEQ in the firmware updates.

 

[jamato8]

I wouldn’t call it a “fix”, more like “tweaking it under people feedbacks”. I know Ibasso has many different people to give feedbacks on different variations before releases. How exactly did they tweak it ? No one know

I have asked ibasso in the past about this. They don't tweak the sound but what seems to vary is how the software loads, packs for download. There are little changes (I assume) from how everything lines up on the packed firmware. That is why firmwares can vary. For anything more than that, Paul may have more information but that is what I have been told in the past and it makes sense to me.