[barleyguy]

Quote:

The idea of an iPod DAC is just absolutely silly to me, especially if it isn't portable. If I'm sitting at home I'm not going to sit by a wall to plug my DAC in, I'll listen through my computer.

 


Quote:

I agree 100 percent. 

 
I agree too.  That's what I do now with a D10.  But I think that product is aimed at people who use iPads instead of computers.  I've never met any of those people, but they theoretically exist.

 

[AaronAnderson]

Quote:

This simply makes no sense. As someone who is probably the most skeptical poster here the difference in DACs is easily heard from any onboard audio. Onboard audio has gotten to be decently lately, but it still has too much hum and interference to be ideal.

Agree. Onboard PC audio usually has a horrible amount of hiss/hum. 
 

 

[barleyguy]

Quote:

Agree. Onboard PC audio usually has a horrible amount of hiss/hum. 
 

In most cases that's true.  My work laptop (a high end quad i7 Dell) actually has quiet onboard audio that is acceptably good, but the D10 DAC still has much better detail and soundstage.  So even in cases where the onboard audio isn't awful, IMO a good DAC will sound significantly better.
 

 

[blacknile]

Quote:

This simply makes no sense.

 

 
 
 
 

Can you quantify this statement? My conclusions come from ABX blind tests carried out by me and other three individuals. Headphones used were
 
-Audio Technica ATH-M50
-Beyerdynamic DT770 80ohm
-Shure SE530
-Alessandro MS1
-AKG K240 MKII
 
The music used was exclusively composed of lossless FLAC files ripped from CDs using EAC secure mode. Tracks encompassed jazz rock electronica and classical genres. This was to test a wide range of conditions. OS was Windows 7 and player was foobar2000 with wasapi.
 
None of the people participating in the experiment were able to pick the iBasso dac/amp over the Dell's integrated sound chip.
 
Note1: we haven't used high impedance headphones. Maximum impedance was 80ohm (DT770). Results might differ when using >80ohm impedance headphones.
Note2: the computer was NOT being used for any other tasks while testing the tracks. Maybe the interference you refer to come from multitasking? Not sure. 
 
I am perfectly aware that many dacs DO improve over integrated cards etc. In fact, I own other two standalone DACs myself which improved on my former set-up by a margin (these are no dac/amps though). What I'm claiming here is this specific product, the iBasso, is a waste of money according to my experience - IF you're aiming to improve on the embedded Intel soundchip of a modern Desktop PC. 
 

 

[Chronos]

Dunno about your headphones or the D2+ so I can't comment on your experiences.  I own a D2 Viper with Denon AH-D7000's, the difference is night and day.  If you can't hear the difference then you don't belong on head-fi.  In fact, even my non-audiophile friends hear the difference.  

 

[qusp]

thats a bit harsh, cant say that i feel your attitude belongs on head-fi

 

[blacknile]

Quote:

 If you can't hear the difference then you don't belong on head-fi.  In fact, even my non-audiophile friends hear the difference.  

 
Your post really needs no further comments. Let me summarise:
 
-You don't own the specific item we're discussing
-You don't own the headphones I discussed
-You haven't done any serious tests to back up your claims
 
Still you feel the need to "contribute" to the post with your useless and rude comments. That says it all really.
 
People like you unfortunately make this forum a place for amateurs and fanboys, mostly.  
 
 

 

[Willakan]

Quote:

Dunno about your headphones or the D2+ so I can't comment on your experiences.  I own a D2 Viper with Denon AH-D7000's, the difference is night and day.  If you can't hear the difference then you don't belong on head-fi.  In fact, even my non-audiophile friends hear the difference.  

Deeply elitist people such as yourself should not be allowed to have opinions, let alone when you can't back them up.

 
 

 

[Chronos]

Wow.  I guess I pissed off a bunch of you with my comment.  Rightly so, I'll apologize for the comment, I don't mean to offend.  Let me clarify what I mean.  I'm specifically addressing the comment: " iBasso, is a waste of money according to my experience " 
 
And like I said earlier, I cannot make any comment on your experiences, but according to my experiences the difference IS dramatically better with the ibasso amp.  It is so much so that the average layperson can hear the difference with and without the amp.  This is a forum for audiophiles, which is why I made the comment, that if even the average layperson (my friends, and girlfriend) can tell the difference but you can't, then how can you claim to be an audiophile? But I do apologize for my words, they were a bit blunt.  
 
To Blacknile:  You're right I don't own your equipment or headphones and I never claimed to.  I already said those were your experiences, these are mine.  I dont' need any serious tests to back it up, I own a ibasso D2 amp, I own lesser amps, and I own a pair of headphones, I have over 3 years on my ibasso D2.  That is enough serious testing to know.  Even then I don't need 3 years, the difference was dramatic enough to hear from the very first moment.  
 
Besides, your comment about the ibasso being a waste of money doesn't need to be the end all opinion on them.  I'm simply offering my own experiences that completely contradicts yours.  That in itself is useful enough.  And about being rude, like i said, I don't mean to offend, the difference is just that apparent for myself and everyone I know who are not audiophiles.
 
To Willakan:  Same to you what I said to blacknile about the rude comments.  Sorry to say but i'm not an elitist, when there is nothing to be elitist about.  And I can back up my opinions, not that I need to.  An opinion is just that, its my view on something and it doesn't need to be based on anything else.  But aside from that, owning the amp for 3+ years with many highend headphones, and low end amps is enough to back it up.  Not that it was necessary.
 
 
Take what you want from my comments, but they're meant for the readers who are seeking opinions on these products, and you have yours and I'll have mine.  At least readers will have both.
 
 

 

[Chronos]

 
People like you unfortunately make this forum a place for amateurs and fanboys, mostly.  
 
 

You can call me an amateur and fanboy.  And I can call you a hater, but I won't.  We simply differ in our opinions about ONE product, which makes neither of us anything.  And about the amateur comment, I may not post much, but you also have no idea how many cans and amps I've owned and tried extensively

 

[blacknile]

Quote:

Besides, your comment about the ibasso being a waste of money doesn't need to be the end all opinion on them.  I'm simply offering my own experiences that completely contradicts yours.  That in itself is useful enough.  And about being rude, like i said, I don't mean to offend, the difference is just that apparent for myself and everyone I know who are not audiophiles.

I never said that my opinion is the "end all" opinion on the subject. I said that using
 
-my ears
-other two people's ears
-my music
-my initial equipment (headphones, desktop computer's sound card)
 
the Ibasso d2+ boa did not provide significant benefits. I have used a reasonably accepted objective method to  prove it. Have you done the same?
 
For this specific use case (DAC/AMP to bypass this PC's soundcard) the iBasso D2+ boa represents a waste of money in my findings. I cannot say ANYTHING about how good it is when used with other ears and equipment (notebooks, netbooks, mp3 players). For other people with particularly poor sound cards, it might be good. With my specific equipment, it wasn't.
 
Also: I don't care about definitions. How do you define an audiophile? Me and my friends are music lovers. For about 20 years we've been relentlessly trying out and comparing hi-fi equipment at the sole purpose of increasing musical enjoyment: we have sold and purchased turntables, phono stages, integrated amplifiers, speakers, speaker cables, interconnects, CD players, DACs, 180g lps, SACDs, headphone amplifiers, headphones, mains conditioners etc. Have you? If you're in an expensive hobby like this, you cannot trust hi-fi magazines and forums only. You need to test with your own ears. Because many people will try to sell you hot air - or some functionalities of some products simply won't make any difference with your listening conditions. That's what blind tests are for. 
 
You cannot call me a hater: I just posted my opinion and did not attack yours. You immediately attacked what you didn't agree with. You are the hater. Best regards.

 

[Chronos]

You're "objective testing" is as "objective" as mine.  I have used My Ears, other people's ears, my music, my initial equipment, for 3 YEARS.  The same as your method, but much longer in duration and on a daily basis.  If you want to call that objective, well the fact that i've been using my equipment for the 3 years would mean I have done much more testing than you have.  But you know what, to call your method objective is simply flawed.  In the end, you are taking your perceived opinion, as well as your friend's, and they are just that, opinions.  
 
And good, you're not saying anything about other people's experiences, and neither am I.  We are on agreement here and both expressing our own experiences.
 
I don't need to have sold or traded turntables.  I didn't realize this turned in to a who's the bigger audiophile contest.  I was simply responding to you indirectly calling me an amateur and clarifying what I meant by, even the average layperson could tell the difference between the ibasso amp and no amp with the same headphones and equipment.   
 
Who said I was trusting hi-fi magazines, forums, and hot air? My opinions are based off nothing except my own experiences with the amp in question.  I'm not a fanboy as you claimed already.  Why is that so difficult to understand?
 
"You cannot call me a hater.... You are the hater. Best regards"
This was my statement:  "And I can call you a hater, but I won't.  We simply differ in our opinions about ONE product, which makes neither of us anything."  You must've misread... so I have nothing to say about that, but if anything its pretty clear which one of us is resorting to name calling instead of an intellectual discussion.  Best regards.  =)
 
 
Originally Posted by blacknile /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Quote:

I never said that my opinion is the "end all" opinion on the subject. I said that using
 
-my ears
-other two people's ears
-my music
-my initial equipment (headphones, desktop computer's sound card)
 
the Ibasso d2+ boa did not provide significant benefits. I have used a reasonably accepted objective method to  prove it. Have you done the same?
 
For this specific use case (DAC/AMP to bypass this PC's soundcard) the iBasso D2+ boa represents a waste of money in my findings. I cannot say ANYTHING about how good it is when used with other ears and equipment (notebooks, netbooks, mp3 players). For other people with particularly poor sound cards, it might be good. With my specific equipment, it wasn't.
 
Also: I don't care about definitions. How do you define an audiophile? Me and my friends are music lovers. For about 20 years we've been relentlessly trying out and comparing hi-fi equipment at the sole purpose of increasing musical enjoyment: we have sold and purchased turntables, phono stages, integrated amplifiers, speakers, speaker cables, interconnects, CD players, DACs, 180g lps, SACDs, headphone amplifiers, headphones, mains conditioners etc. Have you? If you're in an expensive hobby like this, you cannot trust hi-fi magazines and forums only. You need to test with your own ears. Because many people will try to sell you hot air - or some functionalities of some products simply won't make any difference with your listening conditions. That's what blind tests are for. 
 
You cannot call me a hater: I just posted my opinion and did not attack yours. You immediately attacked what you didn't agree with. You are the hater. Best regards.

 

 

[ExpatinJapan]

Yay!, arguing on the interwebz.
 
+10 points for gryffindor!

 

[AaronAnderson]

Good Christ. Everyone calm down. I'm ordering one. The end.

 

[Mad Max]

 
Quote:

Yay!, arguing on the interwebz.
 
+10 points for Slytherin!

 
Fixed your typo.