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Since a few people brought it up already, here is my 2c about DX320, AMP13, and EMI/RF interference. When dealing with a modular design, you have a very limited room to play with, trying to fit a single NuTube on a small board, which, btw, the reason why output is SE since you need two modules for a balanced signal path. DX240 can’t even support that, and it was a challenge to stuff AMP9 in those chassis, thus it never happened. But here with DX320 you have just enough room for a single module, amplifier circuit, and two headphone jacks.
When integrating NuTubes in a non-modular design, you have more room to play with, to build the DAP around NuTubes in order to have a better isolation and shielding and to have some kind of a suspension for shock absorption. I’m referring to N8ii where you have bigger chassis with a separate isolated compartment like a Faraday Cage, keeping tube modules away from the rest of the ckt, suspended in a separate shockproof enclosure. With DX320, we have a slim modular design with a limited room on a module board and a small pocket of space where the module goes in.
With wifi off, I found no issues related to EMI/RF. When wifi is on and I’m streaming, I do hear intermittent mild crackling. With the type of music I’m listening to, this crackling gets drowned in sound, but in some songs with quieter passages, I can hear it. It is exactly the same as I hear with SP2000T in NuTube or SS/NuTube hybrid modes, and that DAP is not even modular. I’m not making excuses for iBasso, just being realistic. DX320 was not designed around NuTubes, it was designed with a capability of a modular expansion with NuTube being one of the optional modules.
Now, regarding the sound of AMP13, it actually exceeded my expectations. Personally, I was never a big fan of AMP9 because I use a lot of IEMs, with some being quite sensitive, and the noise floor of AMP9 was too much for those. Here, I’m VERY surprised to hear a low noise floor and almost pitch-black background on BOTH of the outputs and even while testing sensitive IEMs like Andromeda. I went through Andro, Phoenix, Traillii, Jewel, and of course IT07, trying both 3.5mm outputs in high gain, and there is NO hissing. You do hear a bit of a tube ringing every time you insert iems and start playing, but that ringing fades away after a few seconds. And when streaming, I do get some intermittent crackling, and unfortunately that doesn’t go away. Maybe someone will come up with a clever shielding cover that will fit over the NuTube module.
I guess it is part of a compromise because a modular design has its limitations. But IMHO, the sound quality of AMP13 outweighs these cons. AMP13 brings out a natural liquid tonality infused with a hi-res technical performance of ROHM DACs. This organic hi-res sound performance and a big holographic soundstage is so addictive, I don’t even mind using 4.4mm to 3.5mm adapter (using DDHifi DJ44C) since most of my cables are 4.4mm terminated. And for me personally, I stream a lot of Amazon Music HD and Tidal, mostly EDM and Top40, so intermittent EMI crackling is not an issue, but I can see how it could be for some playing classical or instrumental music, unless you download it for off-line listening and can turn the wifi off. For a local playback with wireless radio off, it is not an issue.
When integrating NuTubes in a non-modular design, you have more room to play with, to build the DAP around NuTubes in order to have a better isolation and shielding and to have some kind of a suspension for shock absorption. I’m referring to N8ii where you have bigger chassis with a separate isolated compartment like a Faraday Cage, keeping tube modules away from the rest of the ckt, suspended in a separate shockproof enclosure. With DX320, we have a slim modular design with a limited room on a module board and a small pocket of space where the module goes in.
With wifi off, I found no issues related to EMI/RF. When wifi is on and I’m streaming, I do hear intermittent mild crackling. With the type of music I’m listening to, this crackling gets drowned in sound, but in some songs with quieter passages, I can hear it. It is exactly the same as I hear with SP2000T in NuTube or SS/NuTube hybrid modes, and that DAP is not even modular. I’m not making excuses for iBasso, just being realistic. DX320 was not designed around NuTubes, it was designed with a capability of a modular expansion with NuTube being one of the optional modules.
Now, regarding the sound of AMP13, it actually exceeded my expectations. Personally, I was never a big fan of AMP9 because I use a lot of IEMs, with some being quite sensitive, and the noise floor of AMP9 was too much for those. Here, I’m VERY surprised to hear a low noise floor and almost pitch-black background on BOTH of the outputs and even while testing sensitive IEMs like Andromeda. I went through Andro, Phoenix, Traillii, Jewel, and of course IT07, trying both 3.5mm outputs in high gain, and there is NO hissing. You do hear a bit of a tube ringing every time you insert iems and start playing, but that ringing fades away after a few seconds. And when streaming, I do get some intermittent crackling, and unfortunately that doesn’t go away. Maybe someone will come up with a clever shielding cover that will fit over the NuTube module.
I guess it is part of a compromise because a modular design has its limitations. But IMHO, the sound quality of AMP13 outweighs these cons. AMP13 brings out a natural liquid tonality infused with a hi-res technical performance of ROHM DACs. This organic hi-res sound performance and a big holographic soundstage is so addictive, I don’t even mind using 4.4mm to 3.5mm adapter (using DDHifi DJ44C) since most of my cables are 4.4mm terminated. And for me personally, I stream a lot of Amazon Music HD and Tidal, mostly EDM and Top40, so intermittent EMI crackling is not an issue, but I can see how it could be for some playing classical or instrumental music, unless you download it for off-line listening and can turn the wifi off. For a local playback with wireless radio off, it is not an issue.
Some other daps have audio performance mode where they kill/disable a bunch of background processes to save resources. Here, you actually reboot to load either full Android 11 or Mango/Linux OS.