Nightshifter
100+ Head-Fier
The link doesn't work unfortunately...
Ibasso 1 bit Discrete portable DAC with Resistors Array D16
- Thread starter Whitigir
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The link doesn't work unfortunately...
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The D16 mods has been amping up for a while, after I listened, understood the signature, the desires as of where to bring the differences into the overall signature as upgrades. After each moves are careful listening and analyzations.
Originally, the D16 has a tint of Warmth, but what I love about it is the analogues, timbre density and textures. I wished for it to have better dynamics, punchiness. While it has a huge Chassis with mostly empty Spaces. I was thinking of upgrading the output coupling capacitors for Amp out. Originally it was Nichicon electrolytic. I went about and tried Kemet/Nichicon organic aluminum, but it loses out some of those kinetic energies as in too fast. I went back to audio note, cerafine, and then finally I was blessed with a pair of BlackGate!!!! The closest to BlackGate is Cerafine, and next to it is AudioNote. It resulted in improvements of more Dynamic, a bit faster in pace which also yielded better airiness/spaciousness/staging, and the timbres density.
Then I desires even more Dynamic and authorities from D16 punchiness. I went about playing with caps a bit more. I settled for Organic aluminum as I desire more speed from PSU rather than amp out stage. This brings about more spaciousness and dynamic without compromising the overall performances.
What about the Internal Connections with Copper ? even though these coppers are of good quality, but what if I could get more balances, staging, separations again ? Yes, Pure silver! and it did so immediately. Though, this pair of cables is a BICH to make, each of it has 10 wires and I needed to works on Needles pin sizes of crimping connectors (40 of them) and have to verify that they works...!
After all the upgrades, I thought I would leave it there, until the 340 arrived to me. I then went on another rush of desires to further improving the D16. By obtaining more knowledges about how 1 bit R2R is different than Multi Bit R2R and how it works. I was very confidently calling to upgrade the Channels coupling, signals passing huge stock capacitors. I didnt play around with it, because I know full and well that Jupiter Copper is the most analogues, also balanced, detailed analog coupling caps there are. It all came from the time I was playing with my Tube amp and it coupling capacitors. Once again, the Pure Copper Foil in Paper and Wax Jupiter didnt dissappoint. The D16 improved further with Timbres Density accuracy, placements and staging.
Dithyrambes
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I think we are better off waiting for that desktop dac/amp. Looks like it’s taking forever…. Twiddling my thumbs, waiting.
artkillen
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I've tried HQPlayer with it. Over USB at DSD256 (couldn't get the iBasso ASIO driver to work with HQPlayer so was limited to 256 with the WASAPI driver). I also tried over coax at DSD 128 via a Gustard U18. Also tried with PCM at the max rates USB and coax would support on the D16.
In every case, no matter which modulator I used, I found myself preferring the D16 without HQPlayer. Probably because the D16 basically converts to 1 bit just like HQPlayer, so it was overkill and double converting to use both. D16 by itself had better dynamics and more air and space. Detail retrieval was maybe a little better with HQPlayer, and layering might have been as well. But those improvements were tiny at best, maybe placebo, and they didn't outweigh the more effortless sound from the D16 by itself.
I am curious if the same would be true at DSD512, but those dang Ibasso drivers don't work with HQPlayer. I tested on speakers, headphones, and iems (Acoustic Energy AE120 MKII, HE1000se, Fiio FA19).
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Try to minimize conversion when using D16 as DAC. It natures is all PCM, even feeding DSD into the interface, the signals get to be DXD instead
@Whitigir you're the king of USB vs coax knowledge. I wonder if you know the answer to this question.
If I feed my D16 from a Cayin N7 using Cayin's coax out -- which comes via it's USB-C socket with the cable I've linked below -- would this have the same advantages over USB as a regular coax-to-coax connection? Or would it be limited by the USB-C port as source? Thanks for your thoughts!
Cable: https://a.co/d/ef6veXN
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I think N7 has thr Coax interface implemented "through" USB C. That means that cables "may be" just fine ? Unless there are clear pins out (not sure if cayin ever published those). However, I rather have Coax implemented by 3.5mm dueto larger connector surfaces
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You can't use the cable in the link, it is for Chord Mojo/Hugo2 only. As Vince pointed out, Cayin/Hiby has a proprietary implementation of Coax connection, using unused USB-C pins to bring out SPDIF signals, thus requiring a custom USB-C - Coax cable sold by either of those companies.
Also, IMHO, it is a waste of N7 resources to use it as a digital transport. I mean, it is a waste of any higher-end DAP to bypass its DAC/amp for external connection, but at the same time, you want a source with a clean implementation of digital out so the clock is clean and there is no digital jitter, etc.
I also prefer to use DX180 with a 3.5mm Coax out to drive my D16 review unit.
Thank you, this is really clear and good advice. It's odd that the cable would work with the Chord DACs and not the D16, since as far as I can tell they both use the same dual data 3.5mm coax in. But I do get your point about DAP overkill for digital transport. A mid-range iBasso sounds like it might be a good middle ground. Thanks! It was your review that sold me on the D16 so I take your advice seriously.You can't use the cable in the link, it is for Chord Mojo/Hugo2 only. As Vince pointed out, Cayin/Hiby has a proprietary implementation of Coax connection, using unused USB-C pins to bring out SPDIF signals, thus requiring a custom USB-C - Coax cable sold by either of those companies.
Also, IMHO, it is a waste of N7 resources to use it as a digital transport. I mean, it is a waste of any higher-end DAP to bypass its DAC/amp for external connection, but at the same time, you want a source with a clean implementation of digital out so the clock is clean and there is no digital jitter, etc.
I also prefer to use DX180 with a 3.5mm Coax out to drive my D16 review unit.
Thank you to you too @Whitigir - it sounds like it's not worth the risk. I'll pick up something with a 3.5mm socket as you suggest. Thanks!
Gonzi
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Is there difference in sound quality when using streaming services (Tidal, Qobuz) with DX260 coax, DX180 coax or iPhone USB as source for D16?
DX180 quite cheap at aliexpress, wondering is it worth or iphone is already good enough.
DX180 quite cheap at aliexpress, wondering is it worth or iphone is already good enough.
LWR999
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I love head-fi and it’s kilo-page discussion threads - so good. But it’s quite hard to know where to ask a question… so apologies if I’m stretching our topic a bit…
I love the sound from my D16. So much so that I use my D16 instead of my desktop setup of a Chord TT2, MScaler and Wave Storm cables. My chord stack is 90% used to drive my active Genelec 8050 speakers/7060 subwoofer and 10% headphone duties with HD800S and Rosson RAD-0
If I wanted to achieve a D16 sound signature (stage, timbre etc) but in desktop form for £5k in the new or used market, what should I get?
I love the sound from my D16. So much so that I use my D16 instead of my desktop setup of a Chord TT2, MScaler and Wave Storm cables. My chord stack is 90% used to drive my active Genelec 8050 speakers/7060 subwoofer and 10% headphone duties with HD800S and Rosson RAD-0
If I wanted to achieve a D16 sound signature (stage, timbre etc) but in desktop form for £5k in the new or used market, what should I get?
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Did you know Ibasso is working on a desktop system ? DaC and Amp ? May want to wait and see
Count me in 
LWR999
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I'm going to try my D16 running my desktop system tomorrow. If it's does with my Genelecs what it does with my IEMs vs the Chord stack with IEMs, the Chord will be up for sale. Then will use my D16 while I research the market
Do you have a special cable to convert 4.4 mm out of your D16 to dual XLR in to your Genelecs? Specialized cables usually are required when you want to use portable gear in desktop/full home system environments. I had a cable made for me to convert dual XLR outputs from my home DAC to 4.4 mm input on my EA4 headphone amp.
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