Really impressive how they fabricated such a tiny balanced stepped attenuator!
I wouldn't be surprised if this takes the new portable source crown, perhaps even challenging the Sony DMP in a much smaller form factor.
Allow me to share my thoughts and a lengthy post!
The 300Max TI was already competitively toward the DMP. Do notice that currently on the market, there are only 2 Specific players to have dedicated batteries for amplification circuits, and that would be
1/ DMP Z1
2/ Ibasso Maxes series
The 3rd one is an external dedicated amplifier, and that would be Cayin C9
All 3 of these devices are utilizing series batteries connection per rails, which is about 8.7 Volt for each rail
Each of these players are Unique in their own way technically speaking
1/ DMP: Pricey ! The largest piece, hence isn’t portable ! But can run directly from External PSU which can substantially benefiting to be a very transportable desktop piece, because it can flawlessly and automatically be switching between batteries/PSU without interrupting the music flows !!
2/ Maxes , oh !! So compact !! Portability on the go as a possibility, just as long as you can get a pocket or purses that fit it. The only Class A discrete amplification that doesn’t heat up like a monster, and still having that classic class A bass lines with amazing articulations
3/ Cayin C9, so compacts ! But then again, when stacking, isn’t really that portable in comparison to the Maxes, your interconnects cables will be protruding outward and interfering with the way you can fit it into the pocket. The best portability player is the MAXes, doesn’t matter what you think, it is fact, and I vouch for it. Thanks to the utilization of 18650 batteries, you can find it virtually anywhere, and hence easily replaceable. It allows a quick swapping of battery and then music is on again ! However it also dissipating a lot of heat !!! But the most unique features are the true Dual Korg Tubes.
Though, do mind me that in my opinions, I don’t really enjoy C9 Korg tubes, I rather be using N8ii Tubes, but then…again…still not much a fan of Korg tubes on any portable pieces that I have tried in my experiences.
I do definitely crave for discrete class A amplification, and I have to say that no one have pulled it off as good as Ibasso
Don’t ask me if I am not a fan of tubes, which I am, but portable players/amplifiers don’t really satisfy me. There are imperfections in it textures and the way they distort are completely different from desktop pieces… which is … honestly, fun to have for a brief moment, but fatiguing in a long run. That is why I appreciate the portable DX320 player, I do enjoy Amp13/14 for a brief moment to change flavor, but always swapping it out for the amp11/12
Ibasso is a master designer in portable discrete class A output ! They have mastered it in such a manner that it is so efficient , with little to zero heat generated / dissipated but do carry that class A signatures and performances that some one crave. Even among their variants such as amp modules, you can clearly observe the superiority between a less powerful amp11 to a more beefy Amp12. Therefore, needless to say that the 300Max Ti was Ibasso latest and most amazing, most powerful Discrete Class A output in any portable.
All of those above do hype me up toward the 320Max
Only 1 thing that do disappoint me is the way Ibasso is cycling through superseding successor. Allow me to call it for being a successor to the 300Ti. How so ? Because it is based on the ancient 220Max which carried onward to 300Max and slightly tweaked/upgraded into 300Max-Ti. It is foolish and otherwise boring to any engineers to not be improving upon base design for a new product. Yet, from time to time, I do have a convincing thought that the SOC is the same as the 320 which is the same as the 300, and which is the same as the 300 Max. With different DAC implemented, each of them will still be uniquely different from one another. However, I can not help but to technically be thinking that the 320Max is a superseded product in comparison.
So, about 20 months or so, to have another $3.5K player that would call out to my pocket ? I gotta admit that it does hurt a little.
But can I blame Ibasso for that ? I gotta say that my dirty desires and wishes came when I saw the DX320 being announced. In a way, I knew and wanted this 320Max. I am glad that Ibasso is yet and again, innovating at such pace, to bring it out to us.
So, before I can pull my finger and point at Ibasso for cycling a successor this quickly, I gotta point it at myself first. If I wasn’t excited for anything Ibasso bring, and never had that little dirty desire, then I don’t have to suffer with my pocket.
Another thing that I do admit though, is that I am very excited to see easily battery replacement on this 320Max. Yet, the last time I sold my 300Max Ti was to keep on satisfying my own desires, to move on to Cayin C9 and … etc…. As an experiments, but I knew and always answered truthfully to anyone who DM me about 300Max Ti performances. It was truly the best DAP in it category that I have ever had the opportunity of owning. It was so good that I didn’t even want to modify anything directly on it, Ibasso did an amazing job for such products ! Which makes the price totally justifiable. Trust me, when I can not help but thinking about how I could improve these portable pieces. In a sense, the 300Max Ti was boring to own, and I had to let go in order to continuing to explore.
At one time, I gave the title of being the best portable player in signature and performances for Cayin N8ii, and if people asked me about portability, I still think so, at least the N8ii has all the cards and the Jack of all trades, cramped into 1 chassis, unlike the Dx320, which you will need to swap out module, while both are having ROHM chips. I did move away from N8ii quickly due to how unfriendly Cayin is, toward supplying parts and customer relations. I have heard that it has changed since, but that lingering negativity is still with me, next to the fact that while being portable, the N8ii is a heat monster, which you don’t want to have it in your pockets unless you are running on the most efficient manners, which again will defeats the purposes of being a Jack of all trades on the go.
Therefore, it all circle back to Ibasso, and the discrete class A, with ROHM that don’t ever really heat up !!! Did I say how amazing that was ? I repeat it !!! While having the signature performances from my favorite ROHM DAC chips, which in my opinions is the best of sigma delta upto date in IC DAC developments, Ibasso never heat up to a point where you would think it is “unsafe” !!!
Finally, after all that murmuring, I am in for 320Max-Ti. I witnessed the amazing performances from 300Max Ti, and I believe Ibasso is going to pull it again with 320Max Ti. I have to admit that while modifying is fun, but it is expensive and fatiguing. After my longer journey and wrestling with many different devices, modifying, etc… the one that satisfy me the most and quenching my thirst for “upgrading in my own way” is Ibasso !! And it only happened with the latest 300Max-Ti. So I am totally stoned for the 320Max-Ti. Again, it hurts my pocket, but I can’t help it, while feeling excited.
Honestly, if Ibasso slow down a bit by innovations and productions, they will upset the users more than anything, because in a race against the competitions such as Shanling, Cayin, Hiby….etc…etc…one can never slowed down in a race right ? But one thing I can say for sure is that I have yet to be disappointed by Ibasso “innovation and creativity” when it comes to portable music players, especially for some one like me who mainly riding the 800s on the go.
If you are like me, feeling the pains in the pockets, you may want to slow down with your journey, while supporting Ibasso as much as you can (just because they do care about the technicals that dedicated to music and not just paper tigers specifications, together with listening to the customers and supporting the after sales), whenever you are ready again, you will be sure to be greeted with Ibasso continuously and tirelessly productivity.
Thank you
@Paul - iBasso and the teams for your hard work on this. I look forward to owning 320Max-Ti.
Admittedly though, I do feel a drop in Ibasso Quality Control after Covid and so on, which I do hope to see a big improvement this time around. So cheers ! Hope to see and hear the 320Max-Ti soon !! And hope to see many familiar posters around this thread!
