[Luis1316]

I am not sure since I only have a HE400i as an over-ear headphone, but maybe it is easier to pick more details with an IEM than using headphones by the simple logic of the drivers being plugged directly into your ear canal.

 

[paglioz]

The balanced output only adds power, I don't really feel much of a difference to the 3.5 output since both outputs are using both DAC chips. Still, I'm mainly using the balanced output with my LZ A6 IEMs.
Well, for the UAPP part, I tried to suggest to use a Hi-Res lossless audio file instead of the streaming services. If the audio sources are generally 16bit 44.1kHz, I don't think you're going to hear differences beetwen different streaming services.
In my case (I play Hi-Res audio files from my micro SD card), I feel that UAPP sounds wider and cleaner than the default Mango Player from Ibasso.

Thanks for your words
so do you think that it should be a waste of money to change my h9i to buy an iem to be used in balanced?
sorry for my ignorance , but I don’t know if it is possible to use my h9i in balanced or do I have to change the headphones completely

 

[Luis1316]

I think you can make it balanced as long as you can find an 3.5mm output to 4.4mm output cable that suits to your headphone.

 

[DJ Core]

the problem, however, arises when I listen with the h9i the same song on qobuz in high definition and then on apple music.

i think Apple Music streams 256Kbps - 320kbps in AAC which captures amazing details compared to 320kbps MP3.So try Spotify instead which only does MP3. maybe you'll notice a difference.

it's hard to pick out the details at first...The same song in Hi-Res will generally have more clarity, details, and air around instruments. The soundstage will also seem a bit wider due to that clarity.

Personally, I got the ear to pick out the details.

you may also have reached the limit of your headphones or IEMs.There's a clear difference between compressed and uncompressed Hi-Res files.

 

[doctorjuggles]

My DX160 suddenly died since the last time I used it. Barely had more than 50 hours use in total and I used it two or three days ago and now it's totally dead.

Aside from holding down power for 10-15 seconds (which didn't work) are there any other things I can try before I contact the retailer?

 

[jamato8]

My DX160 suddenly died since the last time I used it. Barely had more than 50 hours use in total and I used it two or three days ago and now it's totally dead.

Aside from holding down power for 10-15 seconds (which didn't work) are there any other things I can try before I contact the retailer?

Leave it plugged into your computer to charge for a few hours. Not a regular charger, but the computer.

 

[doctorjuggles]

Thanks bud! Woke it up immediately! Haha. Weird little machine

 

[paglioz]

I think you can make it balanced as long as you can find an 3.5mm output to 4.4mm output cable that suits to your headphone.

I mean: the construction of an headphone that suites a balanced cable is replicable on a headphone born to be used with a single ended cable ?
i don’t know if I need to buy a 4.4 balanced cable iem or if I use an adaptor this gives only the good connection or if I can hear the differences too.

 

[CactusPete23]

I mean: the construction of an headphone that suites a balanced cable is replicable on a headphone born to be used with a single ended cable ?
i don’t know if I need to buy a 4.4 balanced cable iem or if I use an adaptor this gives only the good connection or if I can hear the differences too.

1) Almost no one here on headfi will recommend using an adapter to run 3.5mm Unbalanced Headphones on the 4.4mm balanced output from your DAP. (Or 2.5mmm on other DAPS) The reason is that it is possible to "short out" and damage the Balanced Amp Circuit doing this. So please don't buy this kind of adapter and play it safe. (Note that getting an adapter that will take a 3.5mm Unbalanced Output to allow the use of 4.4mm Balanced Cabled Headphones is 100% OK. But you will then be running them Unbalanced. This allows you to keep a balanced cable on your headphones when you use them on an unbalanced source.)

2) A lot of people say the 4.4mm Balanced Out on the DX160 sounds better than the 3.5mm jack. For sure you will have more power reserve. For me, whenever I have more power available, Iems or headphones seem to sound cleaner and better; especially the Bass. If you have to turn up the headphones on the 3.5mm output to above say 70% volume, I would expect better sound if you got balanced 4.4mm cable for your headphones.

3) Don't have your phones, so not sure how easy they are to switch to 4.4mm balanced cables. If the existing cable has a separate plug that goes into each earpiece, then you should be able to find a new Balanced 4.4mm Cable that will fit.

4)Agree with a previous comment that if you load some higher than 16/44 flac files onto the DX160, you might hear some improved quality. In some cases this is because the "Hi-Res" recordings are often remastered to a better sound quality, not just more bits of data...

Hope you can understand, since English is not your native language. Hope you enjoy the music !

 

[paglioz]

1) Almost no one here on headfi will recommend using an adapter to run 3.5mm Unbalanced Headphones on the 4.4mm balanced output from your DAP. (Or 2.5mmm on other DAPS) The reason is that it is possible to "short out" and damage the Balanced Amp Circuit doing this. So please don't buy this kind of adapter and play it safe. (Note that getting an adapter that will take a 3.5mm Unbalanced Output to allow the use of 4.4mm Balanced Cabled Headphones is 100% OK. But you will then be running them Unbalanced. This allows you to keep a balanced cable on your headphones when you use them on an unbalanced source.)

2) A lot of people say the 4.4mm Balanced Out on the DX160 sounds better than the 3.5mm jack. For sure you will have more power reserve. For me, whenever I have more power available, Iems or headphones seem to sound cleaner and better; especially the Bass. If you have to turn up the headphones on the 3.5mm output to above say 70% volume, I would expect better sound if you got balanced 4.4mm cable for your headphones.

3) Don't have your phones, so not sure how easy they are to switch to 4.4mm balanced cables. If the existing cable has a separate plug that goes into each earpiece, then you should be able to find a new Balanced 4.4mm Cable that will fit.

4)Agree with a previous comment that if you load some higher than 16/44 flac files onto the DX160, you might hear some improved quality. In some cases this is because the "Hi-Res" recordings are often remastered to a better sound quality, not just more bits of data...

Hope you can understand, since English is not your native language. Hope you enjoy the music !

thanks you have been very kind and thorough.
therefore they eliminate the possibility of using an adapter and we also eliminate the possibility of using a balanced cable because the h9i have the cable that enters a single headphone pavilion.
all that remains is the possibility of taking iems and using them with a balanced 4.4 cable.
I use the h9i at 50%. higher becomes annoying.
so if I wanted to take iem to make the most of our reader on which model should I go to stay on $ 280 with a balanced tone and not too pushed in the bass?
I prefer balanced and crystal clear midrange sound.
Thanks again

 

[dodap]

I have Win10x64 1909 and an iBasso DX160 2019 too. And could not "see" my DX160 from Windows so far despite an installed official driver. But disabling the mandatory driver signature in Windows resolved this problem. Thus I can fill my device directly from Windows and must not take my SD-Card from the device for this which I hate because of the finicky insertion and removal. Thanks for the tip.

 

[Syntrax]

I have Win10x64 1909 and an iBasso DX160 2019 too. And could not "see" my DX160 from Windows so far despite an installed official driver. But disabling the mandatory driver signature in Windows resolved this problem. Thus I can fill my device directly from Windows and must not take my SD-Card from the device for this which I hate because of the finicky insertion and removal. Thanks for the tip.

Try using a dofferent usb-c cable and you can get rid of disabling mandotory driver signing.

 

[dodap]

Try using a dofferent usb-c cable and you can get rid of disabling mandotory driver signing.

No, it was not the cable. It also was not the driver signing off. It simply was the USB configuration of the DX160: Unfortunately it always starts with charging. To change it to MTP I had to enable developer options and then change to MTP. Then it worked even on an Notebook that probably had no iBasso drivers so far. Windows installed standard drivers obviously for a portable USB device DX160.

 

[superuser1]

The previous discussion was regarding DAC mode not MTP if im not mistaken

 

[CactusPete23]

Thanks for your words
so do you think that it should be a waste of money to change my h9i to buy an iem to be used in balanced?
sorry for my ignorance , but I don’t know if it is possible to use my h9i in balanced or do I have to change the headphones completely

Are your current headphones the "Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H9i" ? I thought those were normally wireless and they have ANC (Automatic Noise Cancellation) ? IF those are what you have, I would not try to run ANC and with a balanced input, even if you could find a cable. (As the H9i's ANC circuit is UN-balanced.) Also unsure if you are listening with, or without the ANC turned on. That ANC circuit will surely affect the quality of the sound you hear. ANC has improved over the years, and it does a good job of eliminating Ambient Noise in your listening area... But even the Best ANC "colors" the sound; usually most noticeable in the high frequencies.
If your H9i, is not the B&O disregard this...

With the DX160, I would not expect to hear the best that the DX160 can do when using ANC. Though most Noise Reductions headphones can turn off that circuit, I wonder if there are still some extra circuitry that the sound has to travel through that could affect the sound quality.
Recommend you take your DX160 to an Audio store, (with some music you like on it), And try out some earphones/headphones with/without balanced cables. Or better yet, meet up with a fellow Headfi-er in your City/Area for a lunch and try out a few of his/her headphone or earphone through balanced and unbalanced. Italy should have a few !

I think there are some other forums that can recommend earphones/headphones better than this one for the DX160.