[14christ]

Battery issues is something I've been hearing about. It might be software-related, but I cannot confirm for sure. As a non-smartphone manufacturer, getting these things right is extremely complicated. What Samsung has been focusing for decade(s) is just a fraction of what iBasso has to focus to manufacture one of these fine DAPs.

I did the research for my review, and from what I have found out, there is no single DAP on the market that has a more responsive and advanced custom Android ROM than iBasso's DX300 series. The thing doesn't lag at all!

Yes, I agree that the double tap wake up function isn't always quick and responsive, but when it comes to the Android system itself, there's no competition. I might be wrong to say this as there have been numerous DAPs released since DX300's release, but at that time almost every DAP available was embarrassingly behind the DX300. People always complain about the screen and responsiveness of Android being slow on DAPs, DX300 most certainly changed that! I'm pretty sure @Whitigir can agree.


I think that this particular part of your message is offensive (whether meant as a joke or not). Consumers can be quite ignorant. There are PEOPLE behind every single one of these products. Humans and human brains... not robots that are magically making these devices work. If you think that software engineering and everything about creating one of these complex smartphone devices is easy, go ahead and make one yourself. Make it perfect, make no mistakes. I'm harsh, but you can't say stuff like this. The only thing the customer thinks about is his/her ass. @Paul - iBasso and his team work very hard to improve their products. It takes hundreds of hours to fix these software issues. Be respectful!

Soon we are going to see people bashing manufacturers for not offering the latest SoCs (the flagship ones used in the latest-released smartphones)... then consumers are going to be asking for 4k cameras on their DAPs.

Give these people a break and support them. If you can help them, do so. But software engineering in a custom device such as a DAP is far from easy. It's a custom Android ROM!

I definitely agree. There is a proper way to report bugs or issues with a device.

 

[Whitigir]

@voja i am used to sluggish interface and responds in many other DAP. I am perfectly fine with 2Max. Moving up to Dx300 and 3Max, is like moving from a wheelchair to a bullet train in speed

 

[14christ]

@voja i am used to sluggish interface and responds in many other DAP. I am perfectly fine with 2Max. Moving up to Dx300 and 3Max, is like moving from a wheelchair to a bullet train in speed

That's the number one reason I'm in the market for a new DAP. I love my Hiby R5S but its frustratingly slow and small. I've got large hands so the 4" screen is a challenge to navigate properly through.

My main focus for the next DAP in my lineup is larger screen, faster processor.

 

[behemothkat]

I did the research for my review, and from what I have found out, there is no single DAP on the market that has a more responsive and advanced custom Android ROM than iBasso's DX300 series. The thing doesn't lag at all!

Thanks for the great post! The only above quoted part I disagree: IMHO, almost all Android 9 based DAPs use modern SoCs, so, extremely fast. And only few DAP manufacturers among of whole DAP range enrich their Android implementations with fancy functionality, e.g system implementation of EQ, etc., rest are on moreless the same functionality.

 

[DarginMahkum]

if it is a simple sleep issue i would understand but it is not that simple. again my base comparison is dx300 which has the same chip as max. it is the inferior responsiveness of the screen when compared to dx300. obviously, i am beginning to think you and some people here has a product worship issue here and not many would highlight the flakiness of the hardware and software. didnt have any issue with channel imbalance on all my daps except this. which if you compare it with those that have channel imbalance are all low end products. darkvoice, xduoo xd05 and most other cheap staff. i cannot compare a TOTL product with entry level product. again even fiio q5s does not have channel imbalance.

As someone that was banned from 2MAX thread because of some harsh criticism, I would also say that the channel imbalance is normal for analogue pots. I have it also on my XI Audio amplifier. For other DAPs like Hiby and DX300, the control is digital so you don't have that "problem". Also A&K uses digital control. Needless to say, analogue control is the preferred and less frequent one by audiophiles. They have a point or not is another thing but this is what people prefer over digital control.

 

[14christ]

As someone that was banned from 2MAX thread because of some harsh criticism, I would also say that the channel imbalance is normal for analogue pots. I have it also on my XI Audio amplifier. For other DAPs like Hiby and DX300, the control is digital so you don't have that "problem". Also A&K uses digital control. Needless to say, analogue control is the preferred and less frequent one by audiophiles. They have a point or not is another thing but this is what people prefer over digital control.

Why analogue over digital control? Does it affect the sound quality?

 

[behemothkat]

Why analogue over digital control? Does it affect the sound quality?

Digital works as preamp.

 

[jamato8]

Why analogue over digital control? Does it affect the sound quality?

Yes, when you vary an analog volume control you are not changing the bits in the digital domain, with digital, the lower the volume, the lower the bits and measurements change. I have found like like digital from 80 to 90. Now analog if using a resistive strip, as many do, sound better the higher up the volume you go but it isn't the same as digital and isn't as perceptible as digital and not the same, in affecting bits, as digital does. And then there are analog ladder volume controls and other types. Then there is shunt, which I like but I use if differently from what is normally meant by shunt. So short answer, I think, in general that analog is a purer way to go for the end result.

 

[14christ]

Yes, when you vary an analog volume control you are not changing the bits in the digital domain, with digital, the lower the volume, the lower the bits and measurements change. I have found like like digital from 80 to 90. Now analog if using a resistive strip, as many do, sound better the higher up the volume you go but it isn't the same as digital and isn't as perceptible as digital and not the same, in affecting bits, as digital does. And then there are analog ladder volume controls and other types. Then there is shunt, which I like but I use if differently from what is normally meant by shunt. So short answer, I think, in general that analog is a purer way to go for the end result.

Interesting!! This is all news to me. My device is digital which makes sense as the higher the volume the more dynamic the sound becomes. So cool. Learn something new everyday!

Thank you

 

[jamato8]

75 hours in. Damn this is good. You can float off into the music. :^) Best I have heard. Using Utopia, SR2 and the IT07 as desired. Micron 256GB card.

 

[aaf evo]

75 hours in. Damn this is good. You can float off into the music. :^) Best I have heard. Using Utopia, SR2 and the IT07 as desired. Micron 256GB card.

Have you tried your 1266 TC from it?

 

[jamato8]

Have you tried your 1266 TC from it?

Not yet.

 

[Maxx134]

didnt have any issue with channel imbalance on all my daps except this

I edited my post to be more sensitive to users who are unsatisfied. Nobody wants to be unsatisfied and we all hope to not have issues.
That being said yes this volume control is understated because it has way more channels than simpler units.

Think about this analog pot has 4 balance channels, plus the single ended channels all at once!

Battery issues is something I've been hearing about. It might be software-related, but I cannot confirm for sure. As a non-smartphone manufacturer, getting these things right is extremely complicated. What Samsung has been focusing for decade(s) is just a fraction of what iBasso has to focus to manufacture one of these fine DAPs

Yes there is no other brand daps that deal with 3 batteries at same time have to be managed...

From ifi audio:

Volume control – Channel imbalance? (short & detailed)
Short explanation:

An analogue volume control delivers better sound quality than digital volume controls. In case of a small channel imbalance at very low volume settings, please adjust the hip-dac so the volume control is at 12 o’clock for normal listening levels. See below for more detail.

Detailed explanation:

The hip-dac uses an analogue volume control, specifically a dual-track potentiometer. Being analogue differentiates it from the digital volume control built into DAC chips as it ensures ‘bit perfect’ signal integrity.

Digital volume controls alter the original music information (digital data), and often loose effective resolution (bits) even at moderate attenuation; analogue volume controls are free from this defect.

One minor downside of using dual-track analogue volume controls is that there is sometimes a slight mechanical mis-tracking between the two channels. This can cause minor channel imbalance at 9 o’ clock or lower volume settings, making one channel louder.

https://ifi-audio.com/faqs/volume-control-channel-imbalance-short-detailed/

This is very useful information and how important the volume control is.

 

[Whitigir]

Analog is the purest and most performance oriented controls. But everything has it pros and cons. The good things is that Ibasso allows both systems to have it own volume controls. People don’t know how hard it is to put in an analog pot for these stuff.

1/ you need to match it by measurements, at a certain %, and then allows 20% tolerances of variations. Sometimes matching doesn’t mean it doesn’t have channel imbalances either , and that comes down to the physical contact between the wipers and the resistive film strips....

2/ yes, these components are also dedicated components. It can be damaged by shipping itself, or even if you dropped it on a hard concrete floor and bye bye goes your pots. But once you have it put on a board, it is all fine

3/ because of the tolerances and variations, some pots is working better than another, no 2 pots have the same behaviors, they almost have their own personality. At some range, they work as best as they can, and at some %, they can give a little congested soundstage, degradations on textures....etc...but if you can’t tell the differences, then do not worry about it. A sure thing is that Dynamic will always be maximized since it is all analog and no bits being deducted by algorithms

Ibasso has done a lot to bring it to us, the enthusiasts.

So, there are ways to judge the analog pots. I found it to be as followings.

1/ if a slightest channel imbalances happened, the soundstage is a little deformed, and congested, depends on how big the differences are.

2/ Due to the #1, we can try and find out at what portion % the analog pot that we have is optimized. It is all about the soundstage, but compared to what ? Compare it to Bypass itself Of course

3/ in order to check this properly, critically listen from your player, put DAC volume to the lowest possible, and max out the analog pot 100%. Then increase DAC volume to comfortable level. Pick your favorite track to observe. The soundstage should be the most balanced, and largest in this mode as you don’t have it effected by the analog pot aka (ByPass)

4/ Now, try it from different turn , down to 80% analog pot, up that DAC volume. Do you hear any shifting from soundstage ? If a little bit, then that is fine, how far does this shifting go to ? Like between 80-100% ? Try and find out.

5/ keeps doing it with every 20% increments and note it down. You will see at a certain portion, the analog pot will have the largest soundstage and very balanced as if it was being bypassed. If so, try and find the lowest possible values that you can have your analog pot to maximize the soundstage in references to bypass

Now, Finely adjust your DAC. Typical Sigm-Delta IC chips works the best when they are anything over 60% in digital volume, and into 90%, if the full scale didn’t get deducted by firmware. If full-scale is deducted by firmware, then 60-100% will be the range of it optimized setting.

Now, try to find the differences between your DAC volume at a certain increments from beyond 60% for example, and into 80% while leaving analog pot at the optimized setting. Is there observable differences in Dynamic delivery ? If so, which is the better number ?

Finally , you will be able to find the optimized range of your DAC volume and Analog volume pot. When you found it, I actually recommend to limited adjusting the analog pot, just use the digital volume instead. That is because digital volume doesn’t degrade, but analog pot and it resistive films will get degraded overtime.

Yeah, very complicated stuff. But if it is too complicated , just to hell with it. Set DAC to 80, and turn Analog pot to a position where there is no balanced deformity, and try adjusting the DAC volume instead of analog pot to keep it longevity

I can say a sure thing is that the AK4499EQ and Ibasso implementations of DAC digital volume is very well done. The dynamic degradations are negligible even down to 20-30%.

 

[Whitigir]

75 hours in. Damn this is good. You can float off into the music. :^) Best I have heard. Using Utopia, SR2 and the IT07 as desired. Micron 256GB card.

Agreed very much, about 75 hours and the 3MTi is already very dynamic with crazy imagings, vividity, textures fidelity, and that is coming from HD800s. It is crazily capable for a little player.