My iBasso DX100 has had over 100 hours burn in
. I have noticed significant changes during this period, especially this morning.
I have performed my prerequisite battery management routine that I do with every phone, tablet and now on the DX100. After receiving the device I drain the battery down to 10% and recharge. The next charge is at 5% and on the third charge, I let it drain completely and charge for 8+ hours. This advice was passed on to me by friend who is an owner of a battery manufacturing company in China, I should add Battery University.com states otherwise.
My battery have now settled and this morning I have manged to listen to FLAC files of the whole albums of Piece by Piece- Katie Melua and We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things- Jason Mraz. About 1hrs 30mins of listening and have noticed only a 4% drop in battery to 96% from a fully charge one. Admittedly, I only use the DX100 as source only, negating, perhaps the extra power usage if the DX100 when utilized as a PMP.
My listening of the DX100 as mentioned above is as a source, with the Triad L3 taking the duties of amplification.
DX100 > 3.5mm to RCA silver/gold i/c (specially made for the DX100) > Triad L3 > different cables and IEM s :-
The most noticeable this morning was that the sound has relaxed significantly, losing most of the edginess that was apparent since new. Of course, this edginess brought a very exciting signature to a new DX100, making it sound very clean and clear, but ultimately fatiguing after extended periods of listening.
Micro details are now much more apparent, nuances such as hearing singers breath, some via their nose as they sing, reverberations to voices and instrument, smacking of the lips, pulling from the mic, finger clicking etc.
For example Coyote- Jason Mraz, the childrens' choir near the end of the song, now individual little voices are heard and how they sing lagging the music. How you can sense they are having a good time and really rocking out singing that part, as I can notice minute shifting movements in the little voices as if the children are nodding their heads to the music. Also the girl who tries to eat the mic in the last 30 secs of the song. You can really sense the enthusiasm in her taking over and how she is singing louder and moving towards the mic. My girls do the same at Kara-Oke
.
Decay to notes have at last shown itself and this is very important to me as without decay, the music is lifeless. With decay, the music now brings so much more character to the individual instruments and thus adding more realism to the performance. With this, pitch and rhythm, and drive to the music is heightened that you can't stop yourself tapping you feet to the music.
The soundstage always impressive from new was the width, the depth less so. With burn in the depth has indeed deepened and along with it are the multitude of layers extending to the very back of the venue. Imaging with in the soundstage is rock solid, no shifting whatsoever, unless it was engineered in. The brain is very good at remembering positions!!!
A criticism that I would level on the DX100 is, I am still not finding the sound signature rich and full enough for my personal taste. However, with the changes I have noticed above, I am still in hope that it will happen on the DX100, as it is such an excellent DAP for retrieving detail and information, and I am sure richness to music is in the recording!
Very happy with it thus far
....I think so anyway
. Well it is poor quality from the phone, so nevermind!
