[justanut]

I am interested in the grade of titanium being used here as well. You are correct that Titanium is abundant resource on earth. However, it isn’t just about it being abundant and that make it cheaper. Titanium can only be sourced and found from ores that Are attached to most of other minerals and materials, and in very low number. For example, while gold is “premium”, it has it own ores where you can find in large chunks and easy to refine. Titanium itself does not have it own ores, but rather it is found attached to gold ores, iron ores....etc....it is more like a by products of after refining those other ores, then you can collect titanium. Let’s ask @Paul - iBasso if he has any information on the Titanium being used

But you don’t really have titanium as in Metal, or materials as a by product either, not like you are refining iron and you also have Titanium.....rather you have it in other forms that can be made to (sponge) that is very hard to refine into Metal. Then afterward, if you want to have Pure grade of titanium, there are further complications that are needed.

Now, you may have questions, if titanium is abundant, and is a by product from other ores refining , then what make it expensive ? The cost to make titanium, and the cost to get titanium purity, the higher the purity is the more expensive to produce. Then it is also being used in many industries due to it properties, in biocompatible usages, aerospace’s, space technology, mechanical .....etc.... Ok, you are right, it isn’t just at this step that Titanium is being expensive either. It is the next

When titanium is produced, it is in sheets and rods, other shapes such as a brick, you will need to special orders. But this still isn’t enough to make it expensive either.....

This final step, for example, most of titanium being used around the industry are alloy, and not pure. Because being alloys, they can be easier to produce in special shapes, sizes, etc.....But Pure titanium ? Can only be Milled into shape. You would be surprised to see how hard it is to Mill Pure Titanium, and it is visually easily seen by eyes. Grinding a chunk of Stainless Steel gives off just a bit of sparks....but try that on titanium and you have a whole hell lot of sparks that can even burn down the shop......

So****, it also needs special processing to mill Pure titanium into chassis shapes. It includes special drill bits and heads, special machines being set up, special cooling oils and liquids.....and not only that, you will need a large quantity of Bits and Heads to mill the Titanium. It is because Titanium is so hard, and yet also textile, it will wear down your heads and bits ways faster than any other materials, take stainless steel for example

Then Finally, The answer to why Titanium is being a premium materials ? Especially for chassis ? Because pure titanium is harder to produce and make, and even Harder to Mill into chassis shapes. I am highly confident that Ibasso uses ”pure titanium”, because Ibasso did so on DX200Ti

So, while you can say Titanium is plenty in earth resources, you will not be able to find things that are made of Titanium specifically being ”pure titanium” to be cheap....can you ? Again, remember, most of them are Alloys, and not Pure titanium either

Agree with what you share as always. However pure titanium does have different grading that comes with its own pros and cons. I’ve always loved Titanium, and own the Apple Watch Titanium (even though it’s actually Grade 5 alloy and not pure Ti), and a pricey grade 3 Titanium fidget spinner even lol~

Still, would have been nice if specs of the Titanium used in the case was shared.

 

[linnsondek]

Is anyone else having an issue with charging the analog battery. I was using the ibasso charger and the analog charge level does not increase. I checked the input using a battery pack (Storm 2) which provides the DC output, the watt input at 12V was only 2W. In the end I did a factory reset and the watts went up. And it is now charging normally.

 

[gentzen]

Joining the club. Late. But better late than never.

 

[zen87192]

Joining the club. Late. But better late than never.

Welcome! Glad you've joined us and are about to embark on a fabulous listening journey. You've been added to the owners list together with your unique owners number. Enjoy!

 

[Whitigir]

Any 008 yet ? Or 009 ? I want! Lol

 

[Whitigir]

Agree with what you share as always. However pure titanium does have different grading that comes with its own pros and cons. I’ve always loved Titanium, and own the Apple Watch Titanium (even though it’s actually Grade 5 alloy and not pure Ti), and a pricey grade 3 Titanium fidget spinner even lol~

Still, would have been nice if specs of the Titanium used in the case was shared.

Here is a place to buy 5N Pure titanium. Just check out the price

 

[zen87192]

Any 008 yet ? Or 009 ? I want! Lol

Unfortunately, the owners of 007 and 008 may not give up their unique numbers (too valuable and good luck numbers). In addition, the unique issue numbers given are matched to the serial numbers of the units.

 

[Whitigir]

Unfortunately, the owners of 007 and 008 may not give up their unique numbers (too valuable and good luck numbers). In addition, the unique issue numbers given are matched to the serial numbers of the units.

I don’t even see them yet, let alone trading with them lol!!

Anyways, for whoever wants to update firmware on device. Ibasso has always had this ability to do so. I made a video clip here

 

[zen87192]

I don’t even see them yet, let alone trading with them lol!!

Anyways, for whoever wants to update firmware on device. Ibasso has always had this ability to do so. I made a video clip here

Too true... probably because they don't want their numbers advertised on the forum.
Nice video.... was that your work (request) or iBasso's? You did say you were going to do a walk through instruction soon....

 

[efftee]

Agree with what you share as always. However pure titanium does have different grading that comes with its own pros and cons. I’ve always loved Titanium, and own the Apple Watch Titanium (even though it’s actually Grade 5 alloy and not pure Ti), and a pricey grade 3 Titanium fidget spinner even lol~

Still, would have been nice if specs of the Titanium used in the case was shared.

I also happened to like titanium and the only reason I got a 3Max. I've always heard how difficult it was to work with titanium, molding, polishing and making a consumer end-product in titanium. In this circle, there’s the FAD Lab 2, which was 3D printed out of titanium. There’s quite an extensive coverage of the process of making it that you can find online. There’s also the Fitear Titan and recently launched DC Ti, that were the results of much experience from working with titanium in the medical, specifically dental, space. I can’t vouch for superior sound, don’t have the technical chops to do that but Ti is definitely special, no question about it.

 

[Whitigir]

I also happened to like titanium and the only reason I got a 3Max. I've always heard how difficult it was to work with titanium, molding, polishing and making a consumer end-product in titanium. In this circle, there’s the FAD Lab 2, which was 3D printed out of titanium. There’s quite an extensive coverage of the process of making it that you can find online. There’s also the Fitear Titan and recently launched DC Ti, that were the results of much experience from working with titanium in the medical, specifically dental, space. I can’t vouch for superior sound, don’t have the technical chops to do that but Ti is definitely special, no question about it.

Agreed, and for anything sound related, I rather have chunks of metal being carved out into shape rather than 3D printed. That comes from cables for example. Ribbon cables are not preferable for sound quality, and they are basically a printed cables, where I rather at least use UPOCC.

hence I love 3Max Titanium. It is a large chunk of Titanium. Could you imagine how much waste it created to mill 1 chassis . Even an exhaust resonance that is made out of Titanium ain’t cheap either. So, I would take titanium for a “premium Metal” and I love the look of it. I rather use 3MTi bare without case

Have your replacement come in yet ?

 

[efftee]

Agreed, and for anything sound related, I rather have chunks of metal being carved out into shape rather than 3D printed. That comes from cables for example. Ribbon cables are not preferable for sound quality, and they are basically a printed cables, where I rather at least use UPOCC.

hence I love 3Max Titanium. It is a large chunk of Titanium. Could you imagine how much waste it created to mill 1 chassis . Even an exhaust resonance that is made out of Titanium ain’t cheap either. So, I would take titanium for a “premium Metal” and I love the look of it. I rather use 3MTi bare without case

Have your replacement come in yet ?

Yup! The first one died after a couple nights of burn-in. Let’s hope this one survives it ha!

 

[Lappy27]

2Max is famed for its dynamism and energetic style. How do the 3Maxes compare to it in that respect?

At first, the 3MAX was definitely smoother than the 2MAX but since I add the Micron SD card to the 3MAX, the dynamics and energy get much closer to the 2MAX. That is with a brand new, no burn in Micron card. I expect this micro sd card to bring the 2MAX in the too much energy territory.

Regarding the dominant qualities of the 2MAX, it brings a real wow factor to me when I got it. The 3MAX on the other hand, is more polite and balanced and definitely more refined and natural. The reason I put the 2MAX for sale. But the 3MAX never gave me the same excitement of the 2MAX at first listen.

 

[efftee]

If I may share my experience on the death of a 3MTi, in case any of you get the same symptoms. I will not list the sticky on/off button that kept restarting the device on its own, which I will put down as a mechanical fault.

The first thing I noticed was the digital battery running out real fast, more than the analog, during play, and couldn’t hold its charge even while plugged in and would run flat and turns off by itself.

Then I gradually noticed the sound changing. Most noticeable on a particular track, Rachmaninov's Vocalise in Memory Echo featuring Helene Grimaud, which was rearranged to include a flute lead. At the bass level, the flute went down pretty low, probably to around 250Hz. At the lower frequencies, the separation on the instruments seem to disappear and it sounded like everything was meshed together. It was a horrible mess! I checked the track on another DAP, same IEM, and it sounded fine, so I thought it was a burn-in, or lack of it, issue.

From there, it went downhill pretty fast. Everything began to sound worse, the soundstage, transparency, refinement, all got a lot worse.

Finally, with nothing playing, there was a hissing noise, which got louder with no sound on the right channel and massive distortion on the left. On restarting, same problem. Did a factory reset. No hissing, which gave me a jolt of false hope; on playing, the hissing immediately returned with the same right and left channel problems.

I wrote to iBasso (service@ibasso.com) immediately, didn’t even needed to explain much, just hissing sound, dead right channel, after restart and factory reset, same problems persist. An hour was all it took to get a reply; right channel dead = faulty unit. Ship it back for a full one-for-one replacement, shipping charges covered and, get this, iBasso will ship my replacement unit upon receiving the airway bill chit! Not after receiving the faulty unit, not after checking that it was indeed a defect and that I didn’t dropped it into a pond, not even after FedEx had picked up the package! No sir, just a simple proof that I have arranged shipping was all it took. Last email reply from them was time stamped 3am China time.

The next morning, I received an email from DHL that I have an incoming package. If it wasn’t for the holiday in China, I’d get it back 2 days ago, but as it is, it took all of 120 hours end to end to have my 3MTi back in the same spot where it laid dead. For all the superlative sound quality, engineering feats, etc, that all of you have been gushing over the last weeks, it is nothing compared to the impressive service and brand responsibility I experienced from iBasso. I’m sold, hook sinker line…

 

[zen87192]

At first, the 3MAX was definitely smoother than the 2MAX but since I add the Micron SD card to the 3MAX, the dynamics and energy get much closer to the 2MAX. That is with a brand new, no burn in Micron card. I expect this micro sd card to bring the 2MAX in the too much energy territory.

Regarding the dominant qualities of the 2MAX, it brings a real wow factor to me when I got it. The 3MAX on the other hand, is more polite and balanced and definitely more refined and natural. The reason I put the 2MAX for sale. But the 3MAX never gave me the same excitement of the 2MAX at first listen

Nice comparison Lappy27. I have found that the Micron SD card in the SS is a wonderful set up. It brings the smoothness up a notch and the sound is spot on. Within my Ti I've got another Micron SD card which is 'lively' to say the least and am expecting a burn in to alleviate this. Sounds great though.