iBasso DX150. Dual dacs and interchangeable AMPs. **NEW Firmware that supports AMP9! ** New FIRMWARE 1.05 Dec 30.

[Dobrescu George]

Any idea how it is vs Fiio Q5 on 2 x AK4490? I like how Fiio implemented AKM chips - not very typical for AKM tight and fast bass, and with overall neutral tuning.
Wondering how the DX150 sounds, especially in the bass section. Would be nice to have a DAP as well if it is close to Q5 sound wise. Don't like a warm sounding AKM.

I found Q5 and X5-3 to sound nothing alike actually

X5-3 is very warm , while Q5 is very very high quality and I am having problems on differentiating Q5 from X7mkii if both are using the same AMP module

On this note, I think that the AMP module connected to DX150 will make a lot of a difference and that the DAC being AKM won't make as much of a difference as the AMP module plugged in

 

[HarlanDraka]

Mate, I would love to hear some words about how the DX150 sounds because I am really struggling between DX150, Hiby R6 and Plenue R and the only reference I have is DX200 with AMP1. If I could afford it, I'd go for DX200 without a hesitation but... :<

Cannot compare with R6 or Plenue R as I never tried them. Compared to DX200 with Amp1 the DX150 is still neutral to my ears but with a little bit more bass and sub bass. Soundstage and separation are good but a little behind DX200. Treble is more rounded. Amp6 has a more natural approach to the neutral sound of amp1.Build quality is top notch, I even prefer the dx150 look to the dx200. If you can’t go for the dx200, the dx150 will give you a good 80% of what the dx200 gives with amp1.And then there are the amp modules..As I wrote, the dx150 is a killer dap for the price

 

[seanwee]

I found Q5 and X5-3 to sound nothing alike actually

X5-3 is very warm , while Q5 is very very high quality and I am having problems on differentiating Q5 from X7mkii if both are using the same AMP module

On this note, I think that the AMP module connected to DX150 will make a lot of a difference and that the DAC being AKM won't make as much of a difference as the AMP module plugged in

That would mean the amp section of the X5iii really is holding it back significantly.

Kinda stupid, it's like pairing budget headphones with a TOTL setup

 

[Dobrescu George]

That would mean the amp section of the X5iii really is holding it back significantly.

Kinda stupid, it's like pairing budget headphones with a TOTL setup

Not exactly holding it back, but really giving it a unique signature, with a really smooth top end

 

[icefalkon]

I listened to it all day today. It sounds awesome!

 

[chaotic_angel]

I listened to it all day today. It sounds awesome!

How is the depth of the sound vs DX200 ?

 

[Gayron]

Hi everybody, does anyone have an opinion on how DX150 performs against Cayin N5II sound wise? I was really amazed about how great N5II sounded in comparison to Fiio X5III, and now I'm under impression that the N5II is sort of a killer DAP in it's segment beating even more expensive competitors in SQ. Thanks!

Also, it was mentioned above that the new FW brought a bluetooth-DAC function to DX150, does DX200 get this feature?

 

[Dobrescu George]

Hi everybody, does anyone have an opinion on how DX150 performs against Cayin N5II sound wise? I was really amazed about how great N5II sounded in comparison to Fiio X5III, and now I'm under impression that the N5II is sort of a killer DAP in it's segment beating even more expensive competitors in SQ. Thanks!

Also, it was mentioned above that the new FW brought a bluetooth-DAC function to DX150, does DX200 get this feature?

Not sure if DX200 can get that, since it sounds like a BT module thingy, but @Paul - iBasso can always surprise us

As for vs N5ii comparison, I'll be sure to write about this comparison when I review DX150. I also find N5ii to be an exellent DAP in that price area

 

[Gayron]

As for vs N5ii comparison, I'll be sure to write about this comparison when I review DX150. I also find N5ii to be an exellent DAP in that price area

I see, thanks George, when can we expect your review?

 

[jeffhawke]

Hi everybody, does anyone have an opinion on how DX150 performs against Cayin N5II sound wise? I was really amazed about how great N5II sounded in comparison to Fiio X5III, and now I'm under impression that the N5II is sort of a killer DAP in it's segment beating even more expensive competitors in SQ. Thanks!

I just got my DX150 on Friday, which I'm still burning in so can't say much yet about SQ. I also have the N5ii as part of the European review tour, so I'll try to make a quick side-by-side comparison that I will post later, even though I'm supposed to send the N5ii to the next reviewer tomorrow. So far, all I can say is that I'm less than impressed with the DX150 vs the N5ii: it's big and heavy, doesn't come with ANY kind of user instructions, not even a quick start guide, and doesn't offer a manual online for download. Even though I just received it, it did not have the latest firmware installed, and in order to have my Mac read it so I could download music on its internal memory, I had to install Android File Transfer on my desktop, as suggested by @jamato8 . Reading the microSD (only one, vs two of the N5ii) is also a challenge, it stops at around 80% and I had to rescan several times, install the new firmware, reboot, rescan again, etc. etc. I experienced a total crash, several freezes, and it was not until several rescans, the firmware update and a factory reset that it started showing album art. Unless the SQ is stellar, which I sincerely hope it is, this thing is going back where it came from, and I'll get myself the N5ii and still have some nice cash left.

 

[seanwee]

I just got my DX150 on Friday, which I'm still burning in so can't say much yet about SQ. I also have the N5ii as part of the European review tour, so I'll try to make a quick side-by-side comparison that I will post later, even though I'm supposed to send the N5ii to the next reviewer tomorrow. So far, all I can say is that I'm less than impressed with the DX150 vs the N5ii: it's big and heavy, doesn't come with ANY kind of user instructions, not even a quick start guide, and doesn't offer a manual online for download. Even though I just received it, it did not have the latest firmware installed, and in order to have my Mac read it so I could download music on its internal memory, I had to install Android File Transfer on my desktop, as suggested by @jamato8 . Reading the microSD (only one, vs two of the N5ii) is also a challenge, it stops at around 80% and I had to rescan several times, install the new firmware, reboot, rescan again, etc. etc. I experienced a total crash, several freezes, and it was not until several rescans, the firmware update and a factory reset that it started showing album art. Unless the SQ is stellar, which I sincerely hope it is, this thing is going back where it came from, and I'll get myself the N5ii and still have some nice cash left.

Some players burn in better than others and some don't improve at all in my experience. Even then the differences are very small once you volume match the two.

Look forward to your impressions !!!

 

[jeffhawke]

Some players burn in better than others and some don't improve at all in my experience. Even then the differences are very small once you volume match the two.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure too. I guess I'm trying to justify the reason why iBasso ships a burn-in cable with the DAP

 

[seanwee]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure too. I guess I'm trying to justify the reason why iBasso ships a burn-in cable with the DAP

I'm really curious how made the DX150 sound.

We know that the Q5 with 2x AK4490 DACs can sound as good as the X7ii which I really like so I really can't wait

Gotta love competition between companies. It really drives the market forward

 

[TBomb06]

Hi everybody, does anyone have an opinion on how DX150 performs against Cayin N5II sound wise? I was really amazed about how great N5II sounded in comparison to Fiio X5III, and now I'm under impression that the N5II is sort of a killer DAP in it's segment beating even more expensive competitors in SQ. Thanks!

Also, it was mentioned above that the new FW brought a bluetooth-DAC function to DX150, does DX200 get this feature?

I wrote a brief comparison a few pages back, but I will try to summarize my impressions. I know you are mainly concerned with SQ, so I will touch on that first followed by some other aspects, all of which are relative to one another (DX150 with Amp 6 vs N5ii, both balanced outputs)

Sound-wise, they are quite different. The N5ii is brighter, more analytical and has an edge in imaging and soundstage, due to a bit crisper treble. This can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on your preference and phones. With Andro, I felt the N5ii was amazing as far as soundstage, airiness and separation but it could become fatiguing after a while. The DX150 to me is more like a nice tube amp - a touch warmer, great bass response and a somewhat silky treble which makes it a good pairing with the Andro for me. Soundstage is still good but not as precise as the N5ii and the same with detail retrieval - again, this makes the listening experience less fatiguing and more enjoyable overall. The N5ii has a blacker background, especially on Low or Medium gain (I never touched High with Andro). With the DX150 there is some audible hissing with Andro even on Low gain, as well as some audible pops when switching tracks - worse on High gain but still there on Low. As I said earlier, I think the N5ii is untouchable for the sound quality you get at the price point. I would like to try the DX150 with some of the other amp cards at some point, especially the 4/4s if I ever have a chance to get my hands on one.

So, if the N5ii is arguably better or at the very least as good as the DX150 (albeit different) in sound quality - what makes the DX150 better overall to me? In short, everything else. Yes, the DX150 is noticeably larger and heavier than the N5ii. This is not a deal breaker for me personally, and the build quality of the DX150 is superb. Battery life with the DX150 is better in my experience. The touch screen of the DX150 blows the N5ii out of the water - the color accuracy and contrast is worlds better. The volume knob is better with a more tactile feel and feedback, although it is a touch easy to turn so be careful if you carry it in your pockets. UI is very responsive and snappy with the DX150. Yes, there is zero documentation that comes with the DX150 out of the box. Yes, I struggled to figure out what I was doing with it initially, but once I did it has been flawless for me. Scanning in my SD card is quick (N5ii may actually be faster) and I have had no problems. I have not tried to connect the DX150 to my MBP directly so I cannot comment on @jeffhawke 's issues there - I always put my SD card in my laptop to copy over music/firmware updates, etc. The fact that DX150s are not shipping with the latest firmware is not surprising nor should it realistically be a detractor for most people. The manufacturing and distribution process would not necessarily allow for them to go back and update devices that had already been assembled, QC'd and packaged for shipping - or possibly were already in a warehouse ready to ship. The firmware update process was quick and painless for me. Using the DX150 as an external DAC on my work computer (Windows 10) was a bit of a trick to set up initially - I wound up downloading the driver for the DX200 and it has worked well since - audio quality is perfect with no clicking or noise - but I did notice that the DX150 battery drains incredible fast when doing this.

Sorry, I know that is kind of all over the place but those are my thoughts on the two players. They're both great, both have their own strengths and weaknesses and ultimately I think it comes down to user preferences and priorities.

 

[Dobrescu George]

I see, thanks George, when can we expect your review?

I'm not sure right now, as I have quite a little biut of a backlog to catch up with. Romanian Easter is a holiday that can take two weeks to finish, but I'll do my best to catch up with my schedule