Ibasso 1 bit Discrete portable DAC with Resistors Array D16

[LWR999]

someone has already compared D16 with hugo2 - what do you think?

I have a HugoTT2 and MScaler sitting on my home office desk. I'm 99% an IEM listener and haven't used my HugoTT2 since getting my D16 three weeks ago. I'm sure there's some measurements that tell me that the Chord is better, but it's just not as much fun, spatial and musical as the D16. If I wasn't using the Chord stack to drive my speakers, I'd probably sell it.

 

[Death_Block]

@icnaiwhimor1975
It’s extremely hard to pick a favourite, but subconsciously I’m always turning the D16 on.
The hugo2 has more attack, hotter up top, and more mid bass. The filters offer absolute minimum effect, but it helps tame the treble. I use the filter on step 3 I think from memory, warms it up a fraction.
The soundstage I find on the hugo2 more holographic and expansive; it’s taller, but very similar width with the two.
The hugo2 is very excitable, like a high energy puppy. The D16 has a lot more weight to the notes. Very smooth. Like a loyal Labrador. I wouldn’t say it’s less detailed than the hugo2, only it presents the details in a more subtle manner.
Both can be used as desktop units, hugo2 a slight advantage as it switches off the battery. But the D16 battery is far far cheaper and user replaceable. It doesn’t have a desktop mode, however it can charge and play at the same time.
It also runs very cool, the hugo2 gets quite warm. Faster charging on the D16 and longer battery life.
Also D16 is balanced vs SE of the chord, if that’s important to you.
D16 is a lot less fatiguing over longer sessions. Very smooth. The timbre is also unmatched, vs the more metallic sounding of the hugo2.
Hope that helps, feel free to ask anything more specific if you like

 

[LWR999]

I know this is the D16 thread, but I have a dilemma. I have a Cayin C9 that with some IEMs (Noble Kublai Khan, A&K x EE Odyssey) really adds something to the D16. I was always going to upgrade to the C9ii and have a trade in priced up. The C9ii is seen as an upgrade to the C9 worth doing. D16 will be my DAC for the forseeable future (famous last words). Here's my question - are there any unique synergies when the PB5 is added to the D16 that I would lose with the C9ii? I love the timbre options on the C9ii and use the options on my C9. The C9ii thread has a few people calling the C9ii the winner and they're selling their PB5, but keen to get the views here too.

 

[Whitigir]

I have a HugoTT2 and MScaler sitting on my home office desk. I'm 99% an IEM listener and haven't used my HugoTT2 since getting my D16 three weeks ago. I'm sure there's some measurements that tell me that the Chord is better, but it's just not as much fun, spatial and musical as the D16. If I wasn't using the Chord stack to drive my speakers, I'd probably sell it.

Hugo is an FPGA based DAC with just typical opamps low pass filters

D16 is both an FPGA and an analog oversampling with resistors arrays. The 1 bit resistor to resistor array is what makijg the D16 being more analog and is technically an improvement to Chord FPGA.

While being Desktop, a DAC enjoy having better output analog stage. But that is about it. Just better power to the output. The conversion stage still uses very low DC powered design as that is by physics. Mostly 3.5V to 5.5V which using a battery can completely satisfy it.

When the conversions are done right, the end results will have better sonic performances. But the output being battery powered is just very low power. Now, you will need an AMP to completely extract the sonic performances.

Try connecting D16 to your desktop amp and listen to it. Then tell us.

Amplifiers, power is everything and it has no limits. That is the only area where battery powered amp as is atm, cant compete against desktop amps

Also, I think most other DAC that has 1 bit Resistors arrays will do similar, do notice (not the kind that use opamps or transistors only)

 

[Daniel59]

The C9ii thread has a few people calling the C9ii the winner and they're selling their PB5, but keen to get the views here too.

Ironically, the L&P EA4 thread has their endorsers/owners calling the EA4 an upgrade to the C9ii. Both of these amps are 2x the price of a pb5. Of course you’re not getting twice the fidelity of those units compared to a pb5, but they are upgrades, in both power output and diversity/changeability of the Nutube sound. I purchased the EA4 a month ago after using a PB5 for a few months. There were a couple of pet peeves that annoyed me on the pb5, but sonically, there’s nothing you will miss on the PB5 if you purchase a C9ii or an EA4, aside from the PB5’s truly portable dimensions. I will still use my pb5 to stack if I’m away from my home, but at home, my EA4 is used in place of my pb5 always.

 

[Whitigir]

Wow, very nice comparison, thanks for the feedback. Have you tried DX340 with PB5 versus having D16 in the middle just to see if DX340 DAC sounds identical to D16 DAC?

Yes, the DX340 with external battery Pack and enabling DC12V super gain into PB5 do, indeed has similar characteristics of the D16. It may even outperform D16 based on personal preferences, and vice versa.

Either D16 and Dx340 will be an excellent source for being analog source.

I often look at D16 as the Daddy with warmer heart abd thicker personality, more forgiving. The Dx340 is the younger son with more agressiveness, faster attacks and decays, more neutral.

Either one is feeding my PB5 beautifully

For people that love intimidating vocal, timbres, reverberations, decays, D16 is a better choice. For people that love transparency, more modern signatures while still retaining the analogues, the 340 is an amazing choice as it also is an all in 1

 

[Loftprojection]

Yes, the DX340 with external battery Pack and enabling DC12V super gain into PB5 do, indeed has similar characteristics of the D16. It may even outperform D16 based on personal preferences, and vice versa.

Either D16 and Dx340 will be an excellent source for being analog source.

I often look at D16 as the Daddy with warmer heart abd thicker personality, more forgiving. The Dx340 is the younger son with more agressiveness, faster attacks and decays, more neutral.

Either one is feeding my PB5 beautifully

For people that love intimidating vocal, timbres, reverberations, decays, D16 is a better choice. For people that love transparency, more modern signatures while still retaining the analogues, the 340 is an amazing choice as it also is an all in 1

Wow, what a stack, amazing. If iBasso continues to come up with such great transportable devices you'll need a rack to hold them all

Thanks a lot for the good feedback. I see myself more into the D16 camp than the 340 based on your qualifiers, after all I'm an old guy so the warmer heart daddy is a good description of my musical taste! hahaha

 

[Death_Block]

If iBasso continues to come up with such great transportable devices

Buckle up, the D17 is around the corner

 

[Whitigir]

Buckle up, the D17 is around the corner

Shhh...my wallet cant handle it

 

[Daniel59]

Shhh...my wallet cant handle it

Use your piggy bank money for Amp 16 card coming real soon!

 

[TRHH]

WOW I "only" have the D16

Have a nice WE

Torben

 

[Mungam]

I am looking for desktop stand/desktop holder that I can use with my D16.

Something is this direction - see below



Torben

Fiio sells them together with their M15S and some other players, maybe someone is willing to sell their stand? I would ask in their forum.

 

[TRHH]

Fiio sells them together with their M15S and some other players, maybe someone is willing to sell their stand? I would ask in their forum.

THX, but it don't have to be the Fiio version

 

[icnaiwhimor1975]

Yes, the DX340 with external battery Pack and enabling DC12V super gain into PB5 do, indeed has similar characteristics of the D16. It may even outperform D16 based on personal preferences, and vice versa.

Either D16 and Dx340 will be an excellent source for being analog source.

Does anyone have any ideas how much of current the D16 and dx340 can output?

 

[Daniel59]

Does anyone have any ideas how much of current the D16 and dx340 can output?

“Current” as measured in Amps? I’m more interested why you’d want to know this from portable gear that runs off of a set of small batteries, but it would have to be extremely small values…..these devices only output 1-2 watts of power and under 10 Vrms output.