[howdy]

I hear two "clicks" coming from the DX90 when I power it on and when I shut it down. Is that normal? What is it?

Thanks!

More than likely you are hearing the amp powering on and off.

 

[musicheaven]

I hear two "clicks" coming from the DX90 when I power it on and when I shut it down. Is that normal? What is it?

Thanks!

Totally normal it's relay based, the clicks are the relays opening up after power on and then closing when shutting down, ignore them my friend you'll get used to them

 

[Sweetmeat]

My DX90 does not seem to have a protective output relay because I hear loud power-on and power-off transients. Now I always disconnect my TG334's before switching on or off.

 

[Ivabign]

Just to confirm - there is no USB DAC function for Mac computers - even though often no driver is required for this function with other DAPs on Apple computers. 
 
Also, someone here got an email from iBasso re: another update in 2-3 weeks - what could it possibly be for? Just a change in audio characteristics? Or other bugs we aren't aware of yet?
 
Would love to hook this up to my computer to listen to my larger music collection through the DX90...

 

[jamato8]

  My DX90 does not seem to have a protective output relay because I hear loud power-on and power-off transients. Now I always disconnect my TG334's before switching on or off.

I would contact iBasso.

 

[jamato8]

  Just to confirm - there is no USB DAC function for Mac computers - even though often no driver is required for this function with other DAPs on Apple computers.
 
Also, someone here got an email from iBasso re: another update in 2-3 weeks - what could it possibly be for? Just a change in audio characteristics? Or other bugs we aren't aware of yet?
 
Would love to hook this up to my computer to listen to my larger music collection through the DX90...

None yet. I asked about this but becasue they write the program, the normal "mac doesn't need drivers for USB", doesn't hold. Hopefully they will eventually get a driver for mac.
 
From what I read, the new FW would try and get as close ot the original sound as possible. For those who like the current new FW, they would be happy and so on. This is my take.

 

[borrego]

I also like the SQ of the new firmware with the slow roll-off. There is more ambient effect now.

 

[T.R.A.N.C.E.]

I feel the slow roll off filter to make the sound every so slightly hazy and blurred. I now prefer the sharp roll off filter. While I feel the older firmware still sounded uniquely great and the slow roll off is more emotional sometimes, I also feel the new sharp roll off filter is the closest to the recording or reference and it has become my favorite of the three 

 
Btw, Ive gone back and forth between firmwares 3 times now, lol.

 

[headwhacker]

  I feel the slow roll off filter to make the sound every so slightly hazy and blurred. I now prefer the sharp roll off filter. While I feel the older firmware still sounded uniquely great and the slow roll off is more emotional sometimes, I also feel the new sharp roll off filter is the closest to the recording or reference and it has become my favorite of the three 

 
Btw, Ive gone back and forth between firmwares 3 times now, lol.

 
lol, you flip so easily. I have been comparing the slow and sharp roll off on 2.0.5 and while on few tracks the slow roll off makes the sound brighter over the sharp roll off I really like the presentation of the slow roll off.
 
I think the hazy and blurred effect you are experiencing is because the slow roll off fills the empty space in between instruments or elements in the sound stage.
 
The first time I listen with the slow roll of on, I though the instrument separation, soundstage was compressed and details and clarity seem to suffer. But after playing several tracks I'm very much familiar with I still hear the same details/nuisance and can still pick up every element in the sound stage and the virtual size/room didn't shrink at all. It's just the small gaps and spaces in between are filled which makes the overall sound so airy and imo more natural and does sound too digital.
 
I can't revert back to the original firmware since I'm using a Mac to do more comparisons but I think the new FW with the slow roll off filter just added some air and didn't remove much compared to the old FW.

 

[goodvibes]

I feel there is less nuance with the fast roll. If I had bass heavy or less informative phones, I may feel differently but to me fast roll just sounds flatter and more analytic where a natural flow or harmonic is not connecting the notes as well as slow roll does.

 

[Pottsy2]

Where did the bass and imaging go? 2.0.5 sounds boring, flat and "cheap". The slow roll off seems to have more of an effect on some tracks than others - to evaluate it I used a track of a person counting from a test disc. The filter switches in and out immediately with an audible "click". The very high frequencies are rolled off with the filter on "slow" and the background tape hiss changes noticeably (with the slow filter making it sound like I have a sock in my ears). It makes the voice sound less clear, with the "esses" slightly muted.
 
Quickly back to 2.0.0 and all is well again. I don't care about the UI - 99% of the time the screen is off and music is on.

 

[headwhacker]

  Where did the bass and imaging go? 2.0.5 sounds boring, flat and "cheap". The slow roll off seems to have more of an effect on some tracks than others - to evaluate it I used a track of a person counting from a test disc. The filter switches in and out immediately with an audible "click". The very high frequencies are rolled off with the filter on "slow" and the background tape hiss changes noticeably (with the slow filter making it sound like I have a sock in my ears). It makes the voice sound less clear, with the "esses" slightly muted.
 
Quickly back to 2.0.0 and all is well again. I don't care about the UI - 99% of the time the screen is off and music is on.

 
True the effect is more prominent on some tracks than the others. But perhaps we are on the opposite spectrum of SQ preference, you described exactly the opposite of what I like. Yeah I like it because it's much flatter, the bass is only there when it's needed the voice sounded more natural, I hear texture (nasal passage/ breathing) which may sound less clear. Also that esses, it is indeed tamed on 2.0.5 which sounded piercing to me with the old FW. Imaging is still there but there are no empty spaces in between so that may contribute to the perception that imaging and separation is gone.

 

[M-13]

I like the new firmware, and also the ability to choose filters. I missed this feature as I usually prefer the sharp filter with my Sabre implementations. I did so with the Concero and also now with the Ibasso.
 
Pre-ringing is the artifact I would rather eliminate instead of phase incoherence. For those of you new to this, you guys should go educate yourselves about inherent artifacts created by modern sigma-delta conversions. I believe Resonessence had a nice long article explaining it somewhere on their site.
 
And I found it for you guys:
 
http://resonessencelabs.com/digital-filters/

 

[jamato8]

It is so interesting how this FW has generated such opposite opinions, in general. If each FW can satisfy each person's desire for what they hear, perfect! Very interesting. 

 

[goodvibes]

I like the new FW but if it moved a little back tonally while keeping it's boogie factor, I wouldn't complain. The player was real good with the original FW but didn't quite connect me as much as I wanted at times. The new one does but I understand some of the other takes.