iBasso DX170 You want your Music? It is right here. *** NEW Firmware: 1.06 Apple support and other additions! ***

[GCowan]

Has anyone had trouble with Qobuz freezing/crashing after about an hour on their DX170? I uninstalled/reinstalled the app but it still happens. I may do a factory reset - bit nervous about that. When it freezes I cannot restart the app until I restart the DX170. Anyone have any ideas? thx

 

[ruthieandjohn]

When my DX-170screen times out and goes dark while playing, to bring it back, I press the volume knob and get the very first screen, with time displayed, then have to sweep *multiple* times to get back to my screen of what’s playing. Yet on my Sony ZX500, also Android based, if it goes dark on the play screen, it comes back to the play screen.

How do I get the DX-170 to wake up to the play screen?

 

[ozjhan]

New update is very good.Please share your parametric eq settings for listening a lot of bass.

 

[Jeff Wayne]

I have an iBasso DX170 and I’m looking to connect it to a Bluetooth device. My main goal is to achieve the highest possible audio quality.

When I connect through the Bluetooth menu and use Mango, I’ve noticed that I can still adjust the volume using the volume dial on the DAP. Is this the optimal way to connect, or is there a better method?

Additionally, if this is the best approach, what volume level should I set on the DX170 to maximize quality? Should I max it out, leave it at 100%, or use a different level?

 

[1kHz]

When my DX-170screen times out and goes dark while playing, to bring it back, I press the volume knob and get the very first screen, with time displayed, then have to sweep *multiple* times to get back to my screen of what’s playing. Yet on my Sony ZX500, also Android based, if it goes dark on the play screen, it comes back to the play screen.

How do I get the DX-170 to wake up to the play screen?

Maybe turn off the always on display, turn off the lock screen or the tap to wake function. I never like these on with music players and dont have these issues. So when i press the power button knob on ibasso players i go back to the desktop or the music app i was playing.

 

[1kHz]

I have an iBasso DX170 and I’m looking to connect it to a Bluetooth device. My main goal is to achieve the highest possible audio quality.

When I connect through the Bluetooth menu and use Mango, I’ve noticed that I can still adjust the volume using the volume dial on the DAP. Is this the optimal way to connect, or is there a better method?

Additionally, if this is the best approach, what volume level should I set on the DX170 to maximize quality? Should I max it out, leave it at 100%, or use a different level?

I just use the 50-80% rule. See what sounds better to you with the external amp and external volume control. I also think in android developer mode there is an extra setting for Bluetooth volume.

 

[rlw6534]

I just use the 50-80% rule. See what sounds better to you with the external amp and external volume control. I also think in android developer mode there is an extra setting for Bluetooth volume.

It really depends on the BT device. Some have absolute volume control where the volume is synced (source at 100% and volume controlled on the receiving device) and others are independent. For independent devices it probably better to maximize the source volume and control on the receiving device, with the idea being to minimize/eliminate the bit loss associated with digital volume control.

In Android you can also disable bluetooth absolute volume in developer settings to force independent volume.

https://source.android.com/docs/core/connect/bluetooth/services

 

[Reine77]

is it possible to use DX170 as a transport to use with a dongle DAC? if so, how? If i change to usb/dac mode I can't play the songs from the DAP itself

 

[wiguro]

is it possible to use DX170 as a transport to use with a dongle DAC? if so, how? If i change to usb/dac mode I can't play the songs from the DAP itself

I used mine with Cayin RU7 without any problem. It's plug and play, don't change the mode.
USB/DAC mode should be used when you connect it to your notebook via USB and you use DX170 to play audio from your notebook.

 

[1kHz]

is it possible to use DX170 as a transport to use with a dongle DAC? if so, how? If i change to usb/dac mode I can't play the songs from the DAP itself

Yes/no, I have tried plugging in a "USB external Dac" to the usb port on the dx170 and can play music out to the connected dac. The player does not need to be in USB/Dac mode, that mode is for using "the DX170 as a Dac". Tried a few Fiio dacs, ibasso usb dacs, and apple dongle dac. Theoretically all have worked using the default player and usb audio player. But be careful some dacs will blast the volumn full tilt and the player could not control the volumn level. Make sure its dongle with a volumn controller on device, kind of makes me think it works but not perfect almost like it uses line out.

 

[Vamp898]

I have an iBasso DX170 and I’m looking to connect it to a Bluetooth device. My main goal is to achieve the highest possible audio quality.

When I connect through the Bluetooth menu and use Mango, I’ve noticed that I can still adjust the volume using the volume dial on the DAP. Is this the optimal way to connect, or is there a better method?

Additionally, if this is the best approach, what volume level should I set on the DX170 to maximize quality? Should I max it out, leave it at 100%, or use a different level?

When using Bluetooth, setting to 100% volume means "sending the signal as is". Using something below 100% means "make the signal smaller before sending".

So everything but 100% will lower the sound quality

 

[Allegro maestoso]

Hey folks,

I bought my DX170 in September of 2023 and I've used it as a desktop transport with no problems until a month or so ago when it started outputting the wrong sample rate to my DAC. The screen shows 44.1 kHz, but the DAC readout shows 96. I tried three different DACs and three different cables, but got the same result everywhere. The DX170 firmware is the latest version. I tried restoring the DAP to factory settings, but no luck.

It does output the correct sample rate through USB, but I really like S/PDIF over coaxial because I can keep the DAP charged through USB while listening through an external DAC. I tried the ddHiFi device pictured below to run power in one side and output digital signal from the other, but it's really inconsistent. I'm actually worried that trying this adapter in December may have somehow partially cooked the S/PDIF interface, and it finally gave out in February.

In the meantime, I'm using Old Reliable, a FiiO X3-II. But that's the one I like to go portable with because the battery lasts forever and the screen isn't as nice to look at on the tabletop rig. The other sad thing is I have a DX160 that I bought in 2020, but I think its battery may have quit - it shut down, never to restart again. I'll eventually jump through the hoops of melting the glue to get the back off, searching for a replacement battery, waiting for it to arrive from China, and getting it reinstalled... I love these iBasso DAPs - the displays are just shockingly good, and they feel so satisfying to hold. But the planned obsolescence is killing me. $400 for the 160, $450 for the 170, and I'm lucky to get a couple of years out of them.

I left a Contact Us message with iBasso through their website, but unsurprisingly, I have not gotten a reply.

Any advice is welcome - fixing the output issue or recommending a DAP with a good display, decent battery life, outputs coaxial digital without problems, and will last at least five years. I know it sounds like a lot to ask, but welcome to the consumer's dilemma. That little old FiiO has been incredibly durable, but I'd like something with a nice display like the iBasso DAPs.

I tried to get a shot of the sample rate LEDs on the DAC, but it's not really visible. The 2X and 48 LEDs are lit up though, even though it's a 44.1 kHz file.

Here's FiiO substituting for iBasso:

Is this adapter a DAP killer?

 

[Afiroxlty]

Firmware:

1.06

http://www.ibasso.com/uplo.../download/DX170FW-ota-v1.06.zip

DX170 New Firmware. This is the local for an SD card and also the .img firmware when using the Tool.
Improvements with this firmware:
1. Support for Apple Music V4.7.
2. Added Google Play, Gboard, and Aptoide APPs. The APPs are user deletable.
3. Improved the parametric EQ.



1.05

http://www.ibasso.com/uploadfiles/download/DX170FW-ota-v1.05.zip

1. Parametric EQ gain adjustments are now accurate to 0.1dB per step.
2. Improved support of ID3.
3. Rectified the bug that with some CUE files, the last song was not parsed.
4. Improved the Japanese song order.


1.04

http://www.ibasso.com/uploadfiles/download/DX170FW-ota-v1.04.zip

1. Improved the USB digital output compatibility.
2. Rectified the bug that the volume wheel can not control the volume of some Bluetooth devices.
3. Improved the battery saver function, now battery saver works when charging with the player powered off.
4. Rectified the bug that the Google backup doesn't function.
5. Launcher and Mango APP now support 180-degree screen rotation.


1.03

http://www.ibasso.com/uploadfiles/download/DX170FW-ota-v1.03.zip

1. Improved the USB DAC compatibility.
2. Improved the compatibility with online streaming APPs.
3. Rectified the bug that some APPs are unable to utilize Micro SD cards.
4. Rectified the bug that the lock screen password does not take effect after setting.
5. Rectified the bug that volume adjustment responds slowly when the screen is off.



This is the image firmware and the Android Tool for the DX170. Instructions are inside the zip. The reformats the internal memory of the DX170 and with the .img firmware, does a factory install. You can then update to the latest firmware as you wish.

http://www.ibasso.com/uploadfiles/download/DX170_20220708_1.00.174_32G.zip

http://www.ibasso.com/uploadfiles/download/DX170_20230715_1.05.410_32G_img.zip

http://www.ibasso.com/uploadfiles/download/RKDevTool_Release_v2.84_en.zip (Tool for 170)





An informative and helpful video review of the DX170:



MSRP 449 USD

It’s great to see iBasso continuously improving the DX170 with these firmware updates

 

[rlw6534]

It’s great to see iBasso continuously improving the DX170 with these firmware updates

You do realize that this update was almost a year ago?

 

[Zabizabo]

Hey Paul,

the device is overall more stable but still taps out me on occasion.

Here is what I have done:

1. Reset the device as per your instructions
2. Turned off animations in settings
3. Used PureAPK to install Google Play Store
4. Removed PureAPK + the Chinese thingy
5. Install UAPP using Google Play Store

Beyond that I exclusively used UAPP and nothing else. I also ran the device exclusively with BT devices for output.

Crash behavior:

1. Playback suddenly stops. Sometimes mid track, sometimes on track change.
2. BT connections seems to NOT get lost.
3. Device does not respond to power button (i.e wake up), or any button for that matter.
4. Device needs to be hard shut down by holding the power button for an extended period of time.
5. Device then drops BT connection and cold boots as you would expect via power button until the next time.

I generally see three potential sources:

1. BT implementation / Firmware issues, in case BT would in fact be the culprit/cause (which I personally do not see as too likely)
2. Some sleep/wake issues, may it be in hard- or software.
3. An actual, if minor, hardware defect (bad RAM sectors for instance?)

Any further suggestions?

Hi,

Have you received an answer from Paul? I have exactly the same problems.

Thank you