[Morbideath]

If anyone cares to read impressions, i have a very brief one.
Now running 3Max TI, burning in at 95 hours. This is hands down THE BEST dap I've heard. I owned three WM1Zs, heavily modded differently by different parties, DMP-Z1 modded by Whitigir, and dx220 Max. Having demoed 3Max SS in a store sitting next to my doorstep, I took the plunge into TI. Now feeding this Titanium monster with Neutron (64bit processing, dithering, oversampling 16x, NOS filter, high gain and dac clocking at 75). There's no match for any players out there as far as I've tried. Being a native Chinese, i didn't expect Ibasso to pull this far either, so I'm not biased.
One Ring To Rule Them All.

 

[newworld666]

It's really strange .. That a firm doesn't want to sell an item if it was that good....
A 100 units looks somewhere ridiculous. Which definitely hold me from pulling to trigger to buy even if I was on time.
Anyway, I would never buy an item, which has as if no chance to make it repaired/replaced if something wrong happens in a first few years. It's not a jewel or something unbreakable.

Ibasso is not alone in this case, even Sony with the non-repairable IER-Z1R made me had a terrible experience of small series with no guarantee, I am afraid that the high-end Hires world will stay for a long time a very small market and unsecured for buyers.

 

[gentzen]

It's really strange .. That a firm doesn't want to sell an item if it was that good....
A 100 units looks somewhere ridiculous. Which definitely hold me from pulling to trigger to buy even if I was on time.
Anyway, I would never buy an item, which has as if no chance to make it repaired/replaced if something wrong happens in a first few years. It's not a jewel or something unbreakable.

Ibasso is not alone in this case, even Sony with the non-repairable IER-Z1R made me had a terrible experience of small series with no guarantee, I am afraid that the high-end Hires world will stay for a long time a very small market and unsecured for buyers.

In truth, the short run was due to the DACs: AK4499EQ became EOL because of the fire in its facilities in China. So, iBasso could only make as many units as the number of AKM DACS it had ordered in the first place.

As for future repairs, short of the DAC which is no longer manufactured, all other elements are available out there, so repairs can be made in the future.

 

[behemothkat]

In truth, the short run was due to the DACs: AK4499EQ became EOL because of the fire in its facilities in China. So, iBasso could only make as many units as the number of AKM DACS it had ordered in the first place.

As for future repairs, short of the DAC which is no longer manufactured, all other elements are available out there, so repairs can be made in the future.

Not in China, it was factory in Nobeoka, Miyazaki, Japan.

 

[gentzen]

Not in China, it was factory in Nobeoka, Miyazaki, Japan.

Sloppy homework, my bad you are right.

 

[Whitigir]

Not in China, it was factory in Nobeoka, Miyazaki, Japan.

Yepe! AKM is Totally Japan

 

[newworld666]

In truth, the short run was due to the DACs: AK4499EQ became EOL because of the fire in its facilities in China. So, iBasso could only make as many units as the number of AKM DACS it had ordered in the first place.

As for future repairs, short of the DAC which is no longer manufactured, all other elements are available out there, so repairs can be made in the future.

Maybe .. or maybe not ..
Dx220max was already a small series !!! before AKM issues
And I doubt that any smd component of the motherboard can be fixed, even connectors is not really simple to change securely.

 

[Whitigir]

Maybe .. or maybe not ..
Dx220max was already a small series !!! before AKM issues
And I doubt that any smd component of the motherboard can be fixed, even connectors is not really simple to change securely.

Connector can be changed securely, you just need a skillful person to do so. Everything is serviceable , but no chips = no products. Every makers suffer, even BMW can’t produce

220Max was a limited run because parts were also being discontinued, the SOC being used in the 220Max was a Rockchip that was 6-7 years old or so.

Even Titanium as a premium Metal is being hard to source. I read that Cayin wouldn’t be making any Titanium version of their up coming players due to that as well. It could be just a marketing strategy or so. But the fact is that Covid is shutting down many places global wise, and every industry suffer is facts….beside the other accidents like fires, or flood …etc

 

[gentzen]

Maybe .. or maybe not ..
Dx220max was already a small series !!! before AKM issues
And I doubt that any smd component of the motherboard can be fixed, even connectors is not really simple to change securely.

People with solid soldiering skills change/upgrade caps/resistors routinely.

But, beyond this the question of, why a company would make a limited run of a flagship device: unit base profit and/or large turnover are not the sole drivers of production. Uniqueness/exclusivity for flagship products, added to high-end quality, also builds up a brand name, which certainly helps with sales of middle-end units, especially if allied to component shortage (as mentioned by myself and others) and high price. Although no doubt there would have been more buyers of the Ti edition than actually possible, there still might not have been a great many more at $4000 (if you factor in tax and duties for sending outside China). For instance, how many in total actually own SP2k?

But with Ti (and SS) high-end sound's fame spreading, iBasso consolidated a move into high-end, first made via 220 Max. Factor this into a more mass-produced prospective DX320/DX400 product.

 

[DaYooper]

It's really strange .. That a firm doesn't want to sell an item if it was that good....
A 100 units looks somewhere ridiculous. Which definitely hold me from pulling to trigger to buy even if I was on time.
Anyway, I would never buy an item, which has as if no chance to make it repaired/replaced if something wrong happens in a first few years. It's not a jewel or something unbreakable.

Ibasso is not alone in this case, even Sony with the non-repairable IER-Z1R made me had a terrible experience of small series with no guarantee, I am afraid that the high-end Hires world will stay for a long time a very small market and unsecured for buyers.

Clearly, you don't agree with the esoteric or abstract concept of collector series of products. That's ok though because as a collector I'll have access to the devices you don't want.

 

[efftee]

What , really ? What did you change ? Lol!!

You forgot I had to send my 3MTi back for an exchange because the right channel is faulty and sticky on/off button?! You’re just so completely obsessed with your 3MTi, the world could end and you’d still plugged in blissfully haha!

Let me say I have been most impressed with ibasso's service, if nothing else; they actually prepared a full replacement unit and consigned it to DHL before even receiving my faulty unit! If not for the super long weekend in China, I would have received it yesterday, as it is, a spanking new 3MTi is scheduled to reach me tomorrow. Very happy.

 

[Morbideath]

But with Ti (and SS) high-end sound's fame spreading, iBasso consolidated a move into high-end, first made via 220 Max. Factor this into a more mass-produced prospective DX320/DX400 product.

If I haven’t owned 220 Max before (thx to Whiti’s poison) I won’t consider moving onto 300 max TI. To most, it’s a big investment and a deep rabbit hole.
Pursuing Ti is hard, even in China with 50 units allocation, as I asked 4 dealers here managing to spare a quota.
All the efforts and funds are worthy. I know the sound of 220 max very well, what drove me off in the end is the laggy operations and the absence of physical media buttons. Having tried SS for 10 min, I know TI shall be the one. No need for demo or impressions, I just know it.
"One ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them"

 

[newworld666]

Clearly, you don't agree with the esoteric or abstract concept of collector series of products. That's ok though because as a collector I'll have access to the devices you don't want.

I agree .. I am totally hermetic about collector series, particularly for DAP's ...
I am using them mostly on the way without taking care of them, in pockets full of stuffs, I just need the best sound and most comfortable DAP to use available.

Now I am waiting for FIIO M17, maybe it will offer lower SQ, but for 3000$ I prefer to be sure within 2 or 3 years any issue will be fixed

 

[Whitigir]

I agree .. I am totally hermetic about collector series, particularly for DAP's ...
I am using them mostly on the way without taking care of them, in pockets full of stuffs, I just need the best sound and most comfortable DAP to use available.

Now I am waiting for FIIO M17, maybe it will offer lower SQ, but for 3000$ I prefer to be sure within 2 or 3 years any issue will be fixed

And what can’t be fixed with Ibasso players ? Everything is new and serviceable, except the AK4499EQ. Unless you meant the ES9038Pros are available and can be serviced where as AK4499EQ isn’t

 

[newworld666]

And what can’t be fixed with Ibasso players ? Everything is new and serviceable, except the AK4499EQ. Unless you meant the ES9038Pros are available and can be serviced where as AK4499EQ isn’t

I was more or less thinking of being able to a simple standard exchange of the motherboard ... and no solder done by a tired Chinese employee to try to fix something on it.