[ack_0220]

I've tried feeding my speakers with the iBasso and used it as a pre-amp. Not bad actually..... I guess it needs time to burn it to give it a fair review. I am not going to comment on the amplifier for now. As for the DAC, i actually did a comparison with my Citypulse DA7.2x. For your information, the DA7.2x is a DAC plus headphone amplifier and i see the iBasso as a Headphone amplifier plus DAC.

I output both to my powered speakers as a pre-amp, playing a dynamic test drum solo and a few jazz sampler from Chesky record. First of all, the iBasso sounded very bright and lack of bass, the bass drums just don't vibrate as deep as it should, where as the DA7.2x had this covered. Overall, the iBasso just lack the warmth but very focus, instrument seperation are better with the iBasso and it also manage to drive the speakers louder without distortion. I would say the iBasso is strong at its amplifier but weaker on the digital to analog conversion.

Don't get me wrong, i still think that the iBasso DAC is pretty good, man just look at the size of it for start. The Citypulse is 10 times larger than it and it is a dedicated DAC and cost twice as much...i am actually quite impress with the iBasso DAC. Not the best around but certainly useful as a portable. I am more interested in seeing how it perform as an amp. I'll let this thing burn in for a while and hope for the best.

 

[kamal007]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rickio /img/forum/go_quote.gif Just got the ibasso D2, cool lookin little amp compared it briefly to my go vibe petite and portaphile v2* maxxed, dont know how to make that little 2 so I put a * there hehehe Well needs burn for sure but my quick impressions... Well I am comparing to portaphile which I really have liked a lot. Portaphile is crisper and clearer, very smooth. Go vibe is warmer fuller sound compared to the Portaphile and the go vibe dac seems very strong crisp and defining compared to the ibasso D2 Dac right now. I don't really know how to describe the sound but the go vibe petite dac is really good compared to it's straight amp and the ibasso amp to dac is not as big a change compared to the go vibe petite. comparing the two dacs the go vibes seems simply stronger. that does not sound like a good description but its just crisper and louder, very good all around. the ibasso has a little bit of a rounder deeper bass, but just a bit and its only been on not even hour. so i guess it means not much yet hehehe but the biggest difference right now seems to be the dac right now. both sound great but go vibe petite seems better as far as the dac is concerned. Just amp I think ibasso is better because of its deeper bass right now. both go vibe petite and ibasso D2 are to my ears warm sounding and I am comparing to portaphile. But warm in a good way especially with alo 780 right now. I think ibasso is a tiny bit less warm then go vibes petite. as i said my sense of warmth comes from my comparing to portaphile and i also have a go vibe v7 as well and that is even brighter then the portaphile which I always felt was perfect. I also own a Hornet and I prefer the Portaphile. The other details is go vibe is smaller but then again I now have the option to roll the opamps so in the long run, considering... I think the ibasso has more potential simply as I can roll the opamps. The differences are not major, but I would like to hear other comments on the Dac etc also time will tell more...

the petite is smaller? can you post some pics comparing them?

 

[Rickio]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kamal007 /img/forum/go_quote.gif the petite is smaller? can you post some pics comparing them?

snapped these real quick. Yup go vibe petite is smaller. I connected the power cord to the D2 and it sounded better, but compared DAC between the two and Petite is not just a little bit better.

It just is better and somehow I don't remember the unburned petite sounding this bad. So either they change substantially or petite just sounds better. Dac that is, stock.

honestly i only had this a few hours so what ever it sounds like is still up in the air but the petite did sound better right from the start. So let's see what happens here.

 

[kamal007]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rickio /img/forum/go_quote.gif snapped these real quick. Yup go vibe petite is smaller. I connected the power cord to the D2 and it sounded better, but compared DAC between the two and Petite is not just a little bit better. It just is better and somehow I don't remember the unburned petite sounding this bad. So either they change substantially or petite just sounds better. Dac that is, stock. honestly i only had this a few hours so what ever it sounds like is still up in the air but the petite did sound better right from the start. So let's see what happens here.

Thanks for the nice pics. Definitely let the D2 to be fully burned in and do compare them both since they really compete well in the under $250 portable amp/dac combo.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

My D2 comparison thread, for those interested: http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f5/min...-lyrix-306883/

 

[jamato8]

Knowing how long the Predator takes to burn-in, due to its large cap, which the Viper does not have but still knowing from experience that these things take time due to the low current being used, I think the Viper needs a few more hundred hours to know where it will really end up. Good review though and I know it isn't always easy going back and forth.

 

[Double Edge]

Just reporting in from an objective view. I have been listening to un-amped sound via a vanilla soundblaster2 and ipod for years now through my 240s' until recently reading about the D1 pairing well with AKGs. Seeing that the D2 had just started shipping with a reduced price and nicer DAC, I went ahead and ordered. The sound that I get from my AKG 240s' with the D2 and ASIO4ALL is pretty amazing I must say. There is new fidelity that is so clear it makes me nauseous at times when hearing some electronics that use a box wave. My two complaints is that the cans get some light static sound when the amp is plugged in via usb and the power is off. Also the left audio channel is weak at low amp volumes.

Honestly I was skeptical that an amp would make any kind of difference other than the logic of it hammered into my brain from the electrical engineering classes I have been in. Now hearing it in person, I can only imagine what my library will sound like when I get the k701s I have ordered

 

[ack_0220]

Hi guys,

I still have this problem with my D2.....when i plug in the power cord, i hear a static sound whether power on or off when i put it into low gain. Without the power cord, everything is working greatly. Is this normal?

 

[jamato8]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ack_0220 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hi guys, I still have this problem with my D2.....when i plug in the power cord, i hear a static sound whether power on or off when i put it into low gain. Without the power cord, everything is working greatly. Is this normal?

It appears that the charging chip used by iBasso does put out some interference when in use and the battery is between the boards. For some reason I don't have this problem but I am not using IEM's right now either. I can hear it on high gain but nothing on low or maybe it is the other way around but either way it is very minimal.

 

[tk3]

I like the form factor of the D2, seems like it would mate pretty well with some of the iPods.
I don't see where this "as small as possible" fixation that some people have comes from, it's not logical.
Unless it's so small like a SuperMicro IV where you can adhere it to the top of the iPod or something, the iPod would just stick out if you bind them together with elastics.

 

[jamato8]

The screws on my D2 are allen wrench not torx as some have posted.

 

[MONVMENTVM]

Just got my D2 today and I must say that I really like it. I get this static thing too but I don't hear it at all when listening to music.

Anyway the sound is awesome.

Btw. I opened the D2 with an allen wrench too I had on my leatherman. The right size is 1/16.

 

[ack_0220]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamato8 /img/forum/go_quote.gif It appears that the charging chip used by iBasso does put out some interference when in use and the battery is between the boards. For some reason I don't have this problem but I am not using IEM's right now either. I can hear it on high gain but nothing on low or maybe it is the other way around but either way it is very minimal.

THe thing is, i hear very loud static on low gain even when the D2 is playing music when the power is pluged in. Is this normal? Should i consult iBasso about it?

 

[Jaw007]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamato8 /img/forum/go_quote.gif The screws on my D2 are allen wrench not torx as some have posted.

Is the allen wrench metric ?Also what size,or number is the wrench?

 

[Rickio]

I don't hear any static and only hear a click when going from low to high gain but not going from high to low.

It's totally clean sound, other then needing burn in and sounding a bit off, like bass and treble need tightening and smoothing out.