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