[Dobrescu George]

I look forward to digging into is shortly!

I hope my article will be tons of fun!!

So between the M15 and the DX300, the DX300 is not head and shoulders above the M15? From what I read, I'm seeing one of the usual 6 of one, half dozen of the other kinds of comparisons. You throw some advantages to the M15, and others to the DX300.

I was kind of thinking that the DX300 should be significantly better, since it is about a year newer.

Reasons to take DX300: more for the better battery life, more fluid GUI, it stays cooler. The sound is more natural, more organic, also a bit more detailed.

I think it evolved right in the direction it was meant to, becoming an upgrade as a DAP.

Sonically, I am having a hard time figuring if either is hands-down better than the other, but I found M15 to be a bit warmer and more thick, where DX300 seems to be more natural. This would make DX300 better for most people because it is easier to pair with a larger number of IEMs / Headphones.

Sonically, I think it is an improvement over the previous iBasso DAPs, except for DX220 MAX, but the MAX is really not as practical.

 

[Kiats]

I hope my article will be tons of fun!!



Reasons to take DX300: more for the better battery life, more fluid GUI, it stays cooler. The sound is more natural, more organic, also a bit more detailed.

I think it evolved right in the direction it was meant to, becoming an upgrade as a DAP.

Sonically, I am having a hard time figuring if either is hands-down better than the other, but I found M15 to be a bit warmer and more thick, where DX300 seems to be more natural. This would make DX300 better for most people because it is easier to pair with a larger number of IEMs / Headphones.

Sonically, I think it is an improvement over the previous iBasso DAPs, except for DX220 MAX, but the MAX is really not as practical.

I agree the DX300 is a great improvement over previous iBasso DAPs. You don’t see as many issues with it surfacing. Sonically, the DX300 has seemed to have opted for a more natural tone which is a good thing.

For the M15, it has its attractions as well. I do enjoy it as much as the DX300. But both are different and bring different value propositions to the table. At the end of the day, I think it really boils down to what one is looking for.

I can’t complain. That‘s why I have both. Different flavours, different experiences and different use cases.

 

[ExpatinJapan]

From yesterday morning.
i will add more after work.
I have another test i want to do.

Doing a a/b by ear of DX300 and DX220/amp8ex. (Volume matched).
- i did think about stock Amp1mk2 or amp 8
but amp8ex is closer to DX220 Max/DX300 amps.(so by that measure possibly stock amps will be slightly behind??).

at 300 hours plus.

They are pretty close in sound with a few subtle differences.

Trying to match the different filters to explore the various nuances.
Fast roll off and slow off, wondering what the DX220 equivalent of DX300 would be.
(I worked it out in the end. Maybe d3 with dx220 filter 4).

Going through various music and lots of unplugging and plugging i. as using 4.4mm ports (due to DX220 amp8ex).

They seem closer on pure Mango with more differences in Android.
Playing from same brand Micro SD Cards.

in short without going into details at this point the similarities outweigh any minor differences (especially on pure mango). Looking at sound and not ui etc.

I should move onto the Max.


I also took it for an multimedia machine internet test drive (i previously posted videos of speed tests early on) and streamed several episodes of the mini series The Pacific with no problems.
The large screen is of course better than my miniature iphone se. but sometimes ya just gotta...

DX300 ui is certainly speedier... of course.


some of my earlier guesses and assumptions were wrong. until i did some tests.

More details from my notes of yesterday soon.

- my post was delayed as i forgot i was boiling eggs and they went boom all over the kitchen. Oops

 

[vanhalen26]

I really enjoyed the review, thanks for sharing. One question on output, would I also need an amp for moderate volumes with the dx300 for HD650 or HD800? I normally use IEMs but sometimes I go full size.

 

[John Blackshear]

Hey y'all: I have downloaded a couple of albums for offline play on tidal and a few of the tracks are garbled. Any of you have that happen with the DX300 or other device?

 

[KevP]

The updates on my DX300 still says version 1.01.186 is the latest version. Anyone else having this issue? It seems a long lag between the upgrade being available and updating automatically OTA.

 

[ExpatinJapan]

I decided to do the manual update yesterday

download to computer- unzip - load onto dx300 - local update.

1.02.204

i was going to wait for the OTA update which usually follows soon after. But i wanted to watch some streaming tv and needed the video/audio sync fix

 

[DarginMahkum]

So, I had a little more check if there is a general consensus for what people use oversampling and upsampling, and my usage of oversampling for both "zero insertion and interpolation" and "DS-modulation" remains - not for exactness, but ease of use - as upsampling meant above is not "upsampling" only.

- Upsampling, in text book terms, is used "mainly" for the zero insertion between the samples which is later passed through and interpolation low-pass filter (possibly process is repeated until it reaches the desired rate). So in text book terms what is done before the modulator is not upsampling, but upsampling + interpolation filter. Of course, the main algorithm that can influence the processing quality is not zero insertion but the interpolation / low pass filter, which dominates the whole stage. In short, that is not upsampling.

Reference: https://www.dsprelated.com/showarticle/761.php

- As I have sent the examples above, TI uses the term oversampling for both the interpolation filter and modulation, whereas AKM and ESS uses it only for modulation stage.

- In fact, oversampling, as also mention by the wiki page I sent before, is an ADC domain process which has been imported to the DAC domain to refer to the higher sample rate conversions, and has been used to mean different things by different groups. The wiki page even refers to the whole "upsample + interpolation" process as oversampling.

- Some people even refer to oversampling to mean 2/4/8/16X sample rate conversion (like 48 kHz -> 96 kHz) and upsampling for otherwise (44.1 kHz -> 96 kHz).

So, personally my decision to use the term oversampling for both the "upsampling + interpolation" producing a PCM byte stream, and DS-modulation producing a 1-bit (DSD) or multi-bit stream remains.

 

[jonstatt]

I’d also like to know. Bonus points for those that have the “EZ fit” or “alignment frame” that you put on the phone/DAP to help poor misguided souls like myself with proper no-air-bubble alignment for the screen protector .

For, I have offended the DX300’s gorgeous screen by having those stupid little air-bubbles giving her beauty confidence issues

I thought there are three in the box, 2 film and 1 glass. You had trouble with all 3? The glass ones are the easiest to get right.

 

[DaYooper]

Gee whiz, that's a lot of tech jargon. The real question is how does it sound, eh?

 

[Dobrescu George]

I really enjoyed the review, thanks for sharing. One question on output, would I also need an amp for moderate volumes with the dx300 for HD650 or HD800? I normally use IEMs but sometimes I go full size.

For HD660S and HD650 you won't need any additional AMP

You most probably won't need any additonal AMPing for HD800 either, as long as you use the balanced port and have a balanced cable.

Either 2.5mm or 4.4mm works just fine

Even from the single ended connection, it should be enough if you don't listen very loud, but the overall volume is much better on the balanced

 

[subguy812]

Unfortunately, DX300 with AMP11 does not have a real LO, it is the same output PO with a different volume level setting. If real LO is what you are after, R8 is I think is a better choice for now. Let's hope there will be a real LO board.

Other than that, with offline over-sampled files in NOS mode it is an excellent pairing with Solitaire P. Horns in the piece are actually a bit sharp with D8000 Pro and D9200, but with Solitaire P, which has leaner upper mids but a bit forward bass (but the clearest, almost est level bass with not rolled off subbass), it is perfect balance. Well textured, speed is not bad at all. Listening to the the bariton sax in this piece is very convincing for a portable. So far the best portable pairing with Solitaire P I have ever heard.

Agreed...it is going to come down to subjective SQ preference between R8,M8 and DX300, but unfortunately my faulty R8 had to go back, I did enjoy the sound of the R8 and believe between R8 and DX300, the R8 would be third and depending on what i was listening to the DX300 would be third. The LO was a put off for me, and even after burn-in it was a touch sharp and brittle in the upper mids with the D8000 Pro and D9200. It paired fairly well with the Legend X but wasn't as good as I thought it would be with the M8 pairing better with better synergy, not what I expected, with the tone of the M8 being more organic. All three have their software annoyances. Using a Note 20 Ultra I was never put off by the size of the DX300, but for a DAP it was overkill since I never watched videos etc., I have a Note 20 Ultra for that. After much time spent I decided to keep the M8 and sold the DX300. The SQ of the M8 is difficult to beat, although it is a few bucks more.

 

[KevP]

TPU case has just arrived. Nice! Good fit. Good quality. DAP doesn’t slide out. Only thing is the buttons are the extreme opposite of the pleather one that came in the box. On the original case, the buttons were far far too easy to press. On this TPU case they are very difficult to press. Maybe they will ease with use.

 

[Whitigir]

So, I had a little more check if there is a general consensus for what people use oversampling and upsampling, and my usage of oversampling for both "zero insertion and interpolation" and "DS-modulation" remains - not for exactness, but ease of use - as upsampling meant above is not "upsampling" only.

- Upsampling, in text book terms, is used "mainly" for the zero insertion between the samples which is later passed through and interpolation low-pass filter (possibly process is repeated until it reaches the desired rate). So in text book terms what is done before the modulator is not upsampling, but upsampling + interpolation filter. Of course, the main algorithm that can influence the processing quality is not zero insertion but the interpolation / low pass filter, which dominates the whole stage. In short, that is not upsampling.

Reference: https://www.dsprelated.com/showarticle/761.php

- As I have sent the examples above, TI uses the term oversampling for both the interpolation filter and modulation, whereas AKM and ESS uses it only for modulation stage.

- In fact, oversampling, as also mention by the wiki page I sent before, is an ADC domain process which has been imported to the DAC domain to refer to the higher sample rate conversions, and has been used to mean different things by different groups. The wiki page even refers to the whole "upsample + interpolation" process as oversampling.

- Some people even refer to oversampling to mean 2/4/8/16X sample rate conversion (like 48 kHz -> 96 kHz) and upsampling for otherwise (44.1 kHz -> 96 kHz).

So, personally my decision to use the term oversampling for both the "upsampling + interpolation" producing a PCM byte stream, and DS-modulation producing a 1-bit (DSD) or multi-bit stream remains.

You can upsampling together with Oversampling as well.

Yes, these 2 terms are a little confusing. That is why many times people would think offline processing DSD from PCM is not authentic.....well, the studios are doing the same thing, then branded it SACD and people buy in.....there are differences, one are being calculated, studied, trialed ....etc....by the studio, and one is being done by end user and personal preferences. Is it really that the studios did all the above ? Who knows ?

the facts remains, Oversampling is done by all sigma delta Chips, and most of the modern DAC converters are all sigma delta, even R2R.....so before they all pass into LPF, they are converted into DSD by the Chips, in live processing. Off lines processing give it the advantages of being more accurately processed and less effected by other factors. The downside is that it takes so much storage, computing power

 

[fejnomit]

So, I had a little more check if there is a general consensus for what people use oversampling and upsampling, and my usage of oversampling for both "zero insertion and interpolation" and "DS-modulation" remains - not for exactness, but ease of use - as upsampling meant above is not "upsampling" only.

- Upsampling, in text book terms, is used "mainly" for the zero insertion between the samples which is later passed through and interpolation low-pass filter (possibly process is repeated until it reaches the desired rate). So in text book terms what is done before the modulator is not upsampling, but upsampling + interpolation filter. Of course, the main algorithm that can influence the processing quality is not zero insertion but the interpolation / low pass filter, which dominates the whole stage. In short, that is not upsampling.

Reference: https://www.dsprelated.com/showarticle/761.php

- As I have sent the examples above, TI uses the term oversampling for both the interpolation filter and modulation, whereas AKM and ESS uses it only for modulation stage.

- In fact, oversampling, as also mention by the wiki page I sent before, is an ADC domain process which has been imported to the DAC domain to refer to the higher sample rate conversions, and has been used to mean different things by different groups. The wiki page even refers to the whole "upsample + interpolation" process as oversampling.

- Some people even refer to oversampling to mean 2/4/8/16X sample rate conversion (like 48 kHz -> 96 kHz) and upsampling for otherwise (44.1 kHz -> 96 kHz).

So, personally my decision to use the term oversampling for both the "upsampling + interpolation" producing a PCM byte stream, and DS-modulation producing a 1-bit (DSD) or multi-bit stream remains.

Fine. But my point was not to wade into the weeds like this. It was simply to state that common usage in computer audio forums refers to pre-DAC software/hardware increases in sample rate as “upsampling” and the internal Dac chip process(es) as “oversampling.” This is to avoid confusing phrases like “I prefer “oversampling + NOS” which translate to “I prefer oversampling + non oversampling”. Also it is not correct that all oversampling within the digital to analog conversion process is also upsampling. Some aid some isn’t. So the common usage clears that up as well. Anyway - back to my DX300 with digital filter 4 which I love. Want to thank some earlier posters who recommended using UAPP to stream Qobuz. Better sound than through the straight Qobuz app. Also to the poster who recommended Neutron to play back local files. I am finding it sounds better (and has man more cool settings) than either Mango app or MangoOS. Cheers!