iBasso DX100:24 bit for bit, PG 1> Reviews & Impressions, Downloads, VIDEO, NEW Firmware 1.4.2.

[kryten123]

Well, I am not too big to admit I may have jumped the gun earlier with my impressions of the DX100.
I have been listening to it pretty much continually and even though my Cowon is very good, the DX100 is Soooo much better.
 
I was initially expecting to be floored by the DX100 as soon as I powered it up and was extremely disappointed when I wasnt. Since then I have slowly learnt that the DX100's magic is in its subtleness - songs that you thought you knew, suddenly sound new as you discover intricacies you weren't aware of before.
 
Somehow (and I cant quite find the words yet) the DX100 is just leaps ahead of any other DAP I have heard before. The soundstage is so much bigger (but not unnaturally so) and has a 3D'ness I've never heard in my music before. The instruments sound much more Real, fuller and weightier. I cant believe how good drum kits sound - every part of the drum kit sounds very different and obviously distinct from the other parts of the kit. Cymbals are incredibly brassy
 
I know this is a well used cliche but I have found it to be very true of the DX100...I have heard things in tracks that I know well that I have never heard or noticed before, as they have not been as obvious.
For example:
Hoe Down by Steve Martin  - has a Tambourine in it that is set quite a way back in the centre - I've never really noticed it before and certainly never associated it as a tambourine.
Leviathan Bound by Shearwater - I had no idea that the keyboard instrument being played was a Harpsichord - it is so obvious now!
 
Also unlike the J3 I have not had the urge to turn on, let alone, play with the EQ settings
 
With the DX100, I never want to turn my music off...there is always something new to hear 

 
 
My setup is
FLAC (16\24bit) -> DX100 (v1.1.7) EQ Off -> JH16Pro

 

[Somnambulist]

Good to hear. Initial impressions are always nice but the ones after a device has been lived with for a while are the ones that really count the most. Enjoy!

 

[spkrs01]

I was waiting on this review from you! I was holding from commenting your earlier thoughts as I was waiting for this.......
 
If you had the original DX100 without the updates, you would have been floored by it on day one! However, the impressiveness of it would not have lasted. It would have been fatiguing being constantly bombarded by the etched detail.
 
With the latest updates, now this is high-end stuff, it is not immediately impressive but the correctness of the sonics is something one learns to appreciate. All the subtle details and nuances that appears as if magically is so mesmerising. My personal favorite of the DX100 with it's latest update is it's portrayal of palpability. Images are now rock solid..............No other DAP can convey this element as well as the DX100! 
 
Quote:

Well, I am not too big to admit I may have jumped the gun earlier with my impressions of the DX100.
I have been listening to it pretty much continually and even though my Cowon is very good, the DX100 is Soooo much better.
 
 

 

[Roffensian]

Quote:

.... so planning to play around with a few things.

 
Here's what I have done this morning, focused on just one album to make it a little less painful - disconnected and rebooted after every step
 
1) Tried CopyInOrder again - still reversed
2) Deleted album from DX100 and then tried loading using a codec converter (converted from wma to flac for what it's worth) - still reversed even though files converted / copied in order
3) Numerous edits to the tags using mp3tag - added album art, changed track listings to three characters (as per the DX100 format), changed the WM/TRACK tag - all still reversed
4) Deleted one track from the album (last track) and then added it back after disconnect / reboot - showed as the first track, not the last one, i.e. reversed.
5) As #4, but this time deleted the first track and added it back.  This time it appeared as the first track
 
This suggests to me, that on my DX100 (though why it should be different I have no clue) the load order does matter as Sorensiim suggested, but it shows the most recently loaded first, not the first loaded.
 
If that's correct then all I have to do to get everything to show correctly is find a tool like LoadInOrder that supports loading in reverse order

 

[spkrs01]

I am still wondering why some owners have so much problems with music files......and especially albums playing in the right order?

 

[Roffensian]

Quote:

 
 
This suggests to me, that on my DX100 (though why it should be different I have no clue) the load order does matter as Sorensiim suggested, but it shows the most recently loaded first, not the first loaded.
 
If that's correct then all I have to do to get everything to show correctly is find a tool like LoadInOrder that supports loading in reverse order

 
Not quite that simple apparently.
 
I ran the CopyInOrder routine using the generate batch file option and then manually edited the file using Excel - sorted to put all of the move commands together and then reversed the move commands.  Copied back to Notepad to be able to save the file without the quotes that Excel adds and then ran the batch file.  Everything is still reversed, but the one file that I manually tested is still playing first which suggest that it has something to do with the file creation timestamp????
 
Next step, which will have to wait is to try and copy the files rather than move using the same process because that should create a new date created timestamp, but I have to move all off of the DX100 to make room to copy them back.

 

[lee730]

Strange. I don't have such issues generally. All I can recommend you do is make playlists for each of your albums and songs and that way you can put them in the exact order you want them to play and they will. Problem solved and it is a one time deal. I much prefer playlist organization anyways as that is how I access all my music. Give it a shot it will keep you from pulling your hair out. Then make sure to have a back up of your playlists on your PC so you never have to go through the process again other than adding more overtime. Also playlist view seems quite a bit more responsive than any other music view.
 

 

[Roffensian]

Quote:

Strange. I don't have such issues generally. All I can recommend you do is make playlists for each of your albums and songs and that way you can put them in the exact order you want them to play and they will. Problem solved and it is a one time deal. I much prefer playlist organization anyways as that is how I access all my music. Give it a shot it will keep you from pulling your hair out. Then make sure to have a back up of your playlists on your PC so you never have to go through the process again other than adding more overtime. Also playlist view seems quite a bit more responsive than any other music view.
 

 
Yeah, had thought of that, just a PITA to have to create a bunch of playlists to solve a vendor issue, and I'm stubborn!!!
 
I just find it really weird that it's so inconsistent for people using the same versions of the code - that makes no sense.

 

[kryten123]

Quote:

With the latest updates, now this is high-end stuff, it is not immediately impressive but the correctness of the sonics is something one learns to appreciate. All the subtle details and nuances that appears as if magically is so mesmerising. 
 

I have to agree...its been like an awakening...hearing new things in my music. I just wish I had the words to really describe what I am hearing.

 

[kryten123]

Quote:

I am still wondering why some owners have so much problems with music files......and especially albums playing in the right order?

 
I feel like I have been incredibly lucky that I too am not having these play issues. There has to some fundamental difference in the way we have tagged our music.

 

[Somnambulist]

Or iBasso are somehow messing up the firmware on some models but not others lol.
Quote:

 
I feel like I have been incredibly lucky that I too am not having these play issues. There has to some fundamental difference in the way we have tagged our music.

 

[kryten123]

Quote:

Or iBasso are somehow messing up the firmware on some models but not others lol.

I'm not sure how - a firmware version should be the same no matter which unit it is installed on. I dont know if its possible on those units, but it might be worth re-installing the firmware...dont know if this has already been tried? 

 

[figgie]

Quote:

Strange. I don't have such issues generally. All I can recommend you do is make play lists for each of your albums and songs and that way you can put them in the exact order you want them to play and they will. Problem solved and it is a one time deal. I much prefer play list organization anyways as that is how I access all my music. Give it a shot it will keep you from pulling your hair out. Then make sure to have a back up of your play lists on your PC so you never have to go through the process again other than adding more overtime. Also play list view seems quite a bit more responsive than any other music view.
 

With all due respect I am going to be critical here.
 
a play list is a band aid to something that is inherently broke, regardless of how spectacular it sounds.
 
There is zero reason for the player to mess up files like that. a basic folder structure should be more than enough for even the most rudimentary players to play without mp3 tags (the DX100 not withstanding apparently). Hell for it to be transcribing _ (underscores) into space is the epitome of GIGO programming (Garbage In, Garbage Out). There should be ZERO transcription. The text, be it file name or MP3 tags should be displayed as read not read, transcribed then displayed which is what is happening in all the broken examples.
 
Does it sound great! Yes.
 
But the none sense User experience with having to jump hoops to read albums correctly is preposterous.

 

[figgie]

Quote:

I'm not sure how - a firmware version should be the same no matter which unit it is installed on. I dont know if its possible on those units, but it might be worth re-installing the firmware...dont know if this has already been tried? 

It is actually
 
how?
 
They do there QA test on some (say out of 100, they select 20) using a "special firmware" (ie updated to fix things) and then forget to factory reset to the golden firmware.
 
Why do I say that?
 
Every single chinese development house does it. Hell I remember clearly that Shoshico did that with the connected TV from insignia (Tivo interface) and another firm did it with Blu-ray player firmware where they forgot to factory reset, so the user would see the network information from the development house internal NETWORK!!! Wi-fi router names and all!!

 

[temporaryname]

It is actually

how?

They do there QA test on some (say out of 100, they select 20) using a "special firmware" (ie updated to fix things) and then forget to factory reset to the golden firmware.

Why do I say that?

Every single chinese development house does it. Hell I remember clearly that Shoshico did that with the connected TV from insignia (Tivo interface) and another firm did it with Blu-ray player firmware where they forgot to factory reset, so the user would see the network information from the development house internal NETWORK!!! Wi-fi router names and all!!

Lol.

That is all...