[Alien HP]

Does anyone else find it confusing that iBasso refers to the internal storage space (128GB) as ROM? ROM stands for Read Only Memory. This means it cannot be written to. Obviously this is not the case here. Not sure what I am missing here.

 

[Death_Block]

When it come to ibasso; love them or leave them. I love them. On that note, you miss out. I'll always love them. Ibasso is like a personal medical check. Leave me or love them. For me? I love probes. And alot of headfi members do also. Go with your gut feeling

 

[gentzen]

I think it's Flash, which is a kind of ROM, in that data don't get erased without power, but is not like ROM in that it can be written over.

 

[armstrj2]

Does anyone else find it confusing that iBasso refers to the internal storage space (128GB) as ROM? ROM stands for Read Only Memory. This means it cannot be written to. Obviously this is not the case here. Not sure what I am missing here.

It's not an iBasso thing but more of an Android naming scheme. The part of the flash storage that holds the operating system on Android and even the operating system itself has been referred to as "the ROM" for as long as I can remember e.g. you can flash a "custom ROM" to an Android phone which is a piece of software rather than a piece of hardware. I'm not sure of the origin of why it was used in Android but I am guessing it goes back to a time when read-only memory was used for storing firmware etc.

 

[Death_Block]

its just bull to me. just be honestt. talk what you mean.

 

[samandhi]

Does anyone else find it confusing that iBasso refers to the internal storage space (128GB) as ROM? ROM stands for Read Only Memory. This means it cannot be written to. Obviously this is not the case here. Not sure what I am missing here.

I think it's Flash, which is a kind of ROM, in that data don't get erased without power, but is not like ROM in that it can be written over.

That is exactly what it means, and it is indeed referred to wrongly. I work in HVAC controls, or temperature controls/building automation, and the entire industry makes this same mistake, rather than referring to it is "onboard" memory or something like that. So when I create logic for a PID loop (for instance), I can make a bacnet point that can write to RAM or ROM. One being temporary, and depending on power always being there, or the other that is latching, or permanent until that value is changed to something else.

The computer industry has made this mistake for YEARS. The Bios of a computer is also referred to as ROM, yet you can write values to it also. I think iBasso is simply following the trend set by the industry. Cool that you noticed it though. Not a ton of people would notice that, let alone know what it is supposed to actually mean....

 

[samandhi]

It's not an iBasso thing but more of an Android naming scheme. The part of the flash storage that holds the operating system on Android and even the operating system itself has been referred to as "the ROM" for as long as I can remember e.g. you can flash a "custom ROM" to an Android phone which is a piece of software rather than a piece of hardware. I'm not sure of the origin of why it was used in Android but I am guessing it goes back to a time when read-only memory was used for storing firmware etc.

You are right. Back in the day where computers were just used for certain tasks, the OS itself was on ROM, which means you couldn't actually change anything about the way it functioned (it was a preconfigured and unchangeable OS)... Good ole' punch cards...

For instance, this old school video game has "true" ROM onboard, and you couldn't write to it at all:https://i.ytimg.com/vi/l6cQSF9h39Q/maxresdefault.jpg

 

[Whitigir]

When a mistake or a lie is repeating over and over and spreading further and wider…..it becomes….facts and reality

History can not be changes, but yet it could be written with full of mistakes/lies and preached that way

Ok, back to enjoying music with DX300!!

 

[HK_sends]

It probably was derived from "EPROM", which is non-volatile (doesn't lose data when power is off) but is also "flash-able". I worked with a lot of (non-PC) equipment using EPROM over the years. I guess the term carried over into the PC and telecom realms where the meaning was twisted to fit...

"EPROM, in full erasable programmable read-only memory, form of computer memory that does not lose its content when the power supply is cut off and that can be erased and reused. EPROMs are generally employed for programs designed for repeated use but that can be upgraded with a later version of a program." - Encyclopedia Britannica Online

Cheers and All the Best!
-HK sends

 

[Kike6685]

Hi
I upgrade uapp to beta version 6.0.0.0
I thoght that with this upgrade could make total unfold of mqa files but now i can only unfold 2x mqa files.
The same thing happens to you?
I do not understand that they have not solved it completely.
I attach a screeshot of tidal with total unfold and another of uapp with this issue.

 

[NaittsirK]

Hi
I upgrade uapp to beta version 6.0.0.0
I thoght that with this upgrade could make total unfold of mqa files but now i can only unfold 2x mqa files.
The same thing happens to you?
I do not understand that they have not solved it completely.
I attach a screeshot of tidal with total unfold and another of uapp with this issue.

I think it just now supports hi res driver and dsd playback. Not mqa as of current build.

 

[NaittsirK]

I have had my Amp12 modded in accordance to Whitigirs Amp12W mod.
After spending about a week with it I am ready to share my opinions about it !
(Some times later tonight though)

*The differing red / black capacitator is the exact same one actually, differing in color only (I think asian markets get red ones, western markets black ones)*

Alright , here is what I would like to share in regards to what is now known as Amp12W* *(Whitigirs recepie mod for amp 12)

First to say, I was a very big fan of amp8ex , not only for it's improvements it brought sonically but also of the fact the community member , crafted his own mod, that it became so well regarded the company of the product picked the idea up and ran a limited edition of Vince modded Amp8 known as Amp8EX fan edition.

Myself I had a slight variation, much similar to this amp12w components wise, of amp8ex that was additionally further developed by @edwardsean.

So when Whitigir told me about a - soon to be possibly disclosed new mod - this time for the amp 12 I was fully interested to solder whatever it is he soldered

Now on to the actual sound changes:

In a diract comparison to regular amp 12, which I found to be evenly balanced in regards to frequency response, I firstly noticed both added bass weight (Not so much quantity as sheer slam and tactileness of the low end) and treble airiness and lushness.
The rumble of the low end and just the solidity of the sound in general reminded me of how I imagine it would be like if you would to switch to some non class A amplifier to a true class A one.
And the added airiness just feels like a roof has been taken off from concerts , venues, studios or whatever the given music generated from.
The sound became noticeably open and spread out but not loosing density and gaining firmness.

On the technical end , improvements are really noticeable as well.
Details got boosted by a whole notch, and sound stage width got a bump too.

Mids are a touch more present and feel like they have more room for themselves by having the already great end to end extension increase as well.

A thing to note is if you are soldering new unused caps to burn these in for about 200hrs. It really was underwhelming before some ~ 120 hrs.
And also I found the high gain to be unusually harsh at times. But mid gain is where the magick is at.
But maybe @Whitigir could comment his stance on this as it could be just my gear unsynergizing well with high gain.

To conclude amp12w has my full recommendation and I am personally blown away from the improvements the mod brought.

I hope many of you will decide to mod the amp12 out to the W verison too!

Lastly I would like to thank @Whitigir for not only sharing this mod with us but for his enduring effort to craft the mods, and do all kinds of experiments and testings to reach the desired improvements once again.
And that way prolonging the value of our investments in these products and enjoyment we get from the same.
@Whitigir you're a legend

 

[Whitigir]

Alright , here is what I would like to share in regards to what is now known as Amp12W* *(Whitigirs recepie mod for amp 12)

First to say, I was a very big fan of amp8ex , not only for it's improvements it brought sonically but also of the fact the community member , crafted his own mod, that it became so well regarded the company of the product picked the idea up and ran a limited edition of Vince modded Amp8 known as Amp8EX fan edition.

Myself I had a slight variation, much similar to this amp12w components wise, of amp8ex that was additionally further developed by @edwardsean.

So when Whitigir told me about a - soon to be possibly disclosed new mod - this time for the amp 12 I was fully interested to solder whatever it is he soldered

Now on to the actual sound changes:

In a diract comparison to regular amp 12, which I found to be evenly balanced in regards to frequency response, I firstly noticed both added bass weight (Not so much quantity as sheer slam and tactileness of the low end) and treble airiness and lushness.
The rumble of the low end and just the solidity of the sound in general reminded me of how I imagine it would be like if you would to switch to some non class A amplifier to a true class A one.
And the added airiness just feels like a roof has been taken off from concerts , venues, studios or whatever the given music generated from.
The sound became noticeably open and spread out but not loosing density and gaining firmness.

On the technical end , improvements are really noticeable as well.
Details got boosted by a whole notch, and sound stage width got a bump too.

Mids are a touch more present and feel like they have more room for themselves by having the already great end to end extension increase as well.

A thing to note is if you are soldering new unused caps to burn these in for about 200hrs. It really was underwhelming before some ~ 120 hrs.
And also I found the high gain to be unusually harsh at times. But mid gain is where the magick is at.
But maybe @Whitigir could comment his stance on this as it could be just my gear unsynergizing well with high gain.

To conclude amp12w has my full recommendation and I am personally blown away from the improvements the mod brought.

I hope many of you will decide to mod the amp12 out to the W verison too!

Lastly I would like to thank @Whitigir for not only sharing this mod with us but for his enduring effort to craft the mods, and do all kinds of experiments and testings to reach the desired improvements once again.
And that way prolonging the value of our investments in these products and enjoyment we get from the same.
@Whitigir you're a legend

Thank you for a great write up. I am glad you are enjoying it.


Also, remember to play around with digital filters.

 

[samandhi]

Hi
I upgrade uapp to beta version 6.0.0.0
I thoght that with this upgrade could make total unfold of mqa files but now i can only unfold 2x mqa files.
The same thing happens to you?
I do not understand that they have not solved it completely.
I attach a screeshot of tidal with total unfold and another of uapp with this issue.

Keep in mind that Tidal up samples all of their files (So far as I have heard and has been my experience, also the UAPP dev has made mention of this). If you go to THIS site and download one of their songs, then play it in UAPP it should show unfolding of 384 or so (I'm guessing, as I haven't used UAPP for a bit, though you could try using this song in UAPP as an experiment because it DOES unfold fully in Neutron and Mango)... Purchase an MQA song from Tidal, and then play it in UAPP or Neutron, and you will mostly likely see either 88 or 96, maybe 192. Then play one of those songs from the link above, and you will see it unfolded to 384. Or even try this experiment in Mango, or any player that you know has MQA capability (and shows the stats).

What this means is that the songs from Tidal (mostly) are originally at 88 or 96 (some at 192), but Tidal up samples them, where UAPP only unfolds them as much as needed for the original to be 100% accurate. It is like converting a cd (Redbook) to FLAC and in the conversion choosing it to be 24/96. It will work, and the file will be shown as such, but it is really only 16/44.

On the other hand, it is possible that UAPP is not fixed 100% yet. But for future reference, even when it is working right, it will probably never unfold songs to 384, as they are not actually that high quality from Tidal.

Just my 2cents. Take it for what it's worth.

 

[firesign]

Keep in mind that Tidal up samples all of their files (So far as I have heard and has been my experience, also the UAPP dev has made mention of this). If you go to THIS site and download one of their songs, then play it in UAPP it should show unfolding of 384 or so (I'm guessing, as I haven't used UAPP for a bit, though you could try using this song in UAPP as an experiment because it DOES unfold fully in Neutron and Mango)... Purchase an MQA song from Tidal, and then play it in UAPP or Neutron, and you will mostly likely see either 88 or 96, maybe 192. Then play one of those songs from the link above, and you will see it unfolded to 384. Or even try this experiment in Mango, or any player that you know has MQA capability (and shows the stats).

What this means is that the songs from Tidal (mostly) are originally at 88 or 96 (some at 192), but Tidal up samples them, where UAPP only unfolds them as much as needed for the original to be 100% accurate. It is like converting a cd (Redbook) to FLAC and in the conversion choosing it to be 24/96. It will work, and the file will be shown as such, but it is really only 16/44.

On the other hand, it is possible that UAPP is not fixed 100% yet. But for future reference, even when it is working right, it will probably never unfold songs to 384, as they are not actually that high quality from Tidal.

Just my 2cents. Take it for what it's worth.

From what I understand how MQA works, and from the tests I have done, not only with the DX300, but with many other DAPs and USB dongles, it does not work as you say.

In the web that you indicate (http://www.2l.no/hires/) you can see 2 columns of MQA files, one indicates "original resolution" and the other indicates "16bit / 44kHz". This means that the container file (folded?) behaves:
- in the first case, as a FLAC at the original resolution of the file (first column, stereo, 24 bit, 352.8 kHz). As you will see, its size is very large.
- in the second case, as a FLAC in CD quality (16 bit, 44 kHz). As you can see, its size is very little larger than a normal FLAC at that quality.

The supposed "magic" of MQA is that when playing both files on hardware and software prepared for it (in this case, since the original files are at 352.8 kHz, an 8x unfold process would be necessary to achieve a similar frequency), both files they will sound the same, at the same quality and with the same level of detail (there shouldn't be the slightest difference), even though the second is much smaller in size.

Any player that has minimal MQA support (and I mean just support, it doesn't mean it can act as an MQA decoder and do 4x, 8x or 16x of the unfolded process), will play the first of the files as 24 bit MQA and 352.8 kHz. DAPs like the WM1A will, apps like Neutron will (as long as they run on a DAP or USB dongle with hi-res music support)...

But any player without full MQA unfold support (eg WM1A or Neutron) will be able to play the second file as MQA. Only a player with the correct hardware and software combination to make a complete MQA unfold will do it. If you try to play that second file on the WM1A or Neutron, it will be detected as FLAC and will always play at 16 bit, 44 kHz. The same will happen with any MQA song you download from Tidal. However, if you play them in the Mango player on the DX300 (or the DX160, or the Hiby DAPs, or any other DAP that has full MQA support), you will see how they are correctly detected as MQA and unfold until 352 kHz (8x) or more than 700 kHz (16x).

Therefore, currently only Mango player has full MQA support on the DX300. UAPP has it in many other DAPs, but it still doesn't recognize the DX300 as an MQA decoder correctly. And Neutron does not have full MQA support in any DAP or USB dongle, simply because the application does not incorporate it (any application that can do it has to pay a license to Meridian for it).

Tidal's MQA files have no problem. They are simply folded files and need a combination of hardware and software with full MQA support to be reproduced at the resolution and quality they can achieve. Many DAPs (WM1A, ...) and many playback applications (Neutron, Poweramp, ...) do not have this full MQA support. Do not doubt that any DAP that has this full MQA support will display the MQA logo in their advertising and will say so explicitly.

I repeat that this is what I have come to understand from the information I have read and the tests I have done (quite a bit). I don't mean that it has to be the absolute truth.