[samandhi]

I don't have a PC and I don't have wifi right now. I live in the country and its hard to get decent wifi out here so i havent gotten wifi yet. I was planning on using the dx300 because I have a lot of music I use offline. Would usb audio player pro work like Neutron or is that a different thing?I guess I could use my phone because I have unlimited data. My phone is android so I would have to use USB and download the necessary apps. I don't know if i would like to have phone calls and text while music is playing though. I need to just try to find some decent wifi and buy a streamer.

Yes, USB Audio Player Pro (UAPP) will work as well as Neutron. I am sure there are probably others also, but these are the most popular ones (that I know of).

Oh, you could use the DX300 in any manor you choose. I was just curious why not just use the DX300? It is a desktop solution in portable package, and at over 2w (using Amp12) you can power any head gear you choose easily, or with Amp13 you can also run a tube amp directly from it. But then, I am completely mobile, and don't use desktop solutions per se', so that might not be the best for your use case scenarios.

It sounds like you will be using the DX300 as a transport only, then an external DAC, and another device for the amp. Anything with either coax, BT, or USB out should work on this setup.

Are you using Amp12 or 11.2 on the DX? If you have the Amp12 card, you can go directly to the amp (and bypass the external DAC) via 4.4mm balanced (if your amp will accept that input), or if you have 11.2, and your amp has "pre-amp" you could just use the amp as an output for your phones (otherwise you would be double-amping the source).

 

[9bphillips]

Right now I am using my wa22 tube amp with the dx300 as source and dac with the amp 12. I'm using 4.4mm to dual xlr into the wa22. I am planning on buying the Gustard R26 so I won't need the dac portion of the dx300. I own ZMF Verite Closed and Atrium and the Atrium sounds good out of the dx300 amp 12 but the VC doesn't pair well with it synergy wise. My wa22 does way better with both. I am a sucker for tubes especially with ZMF cans. I think my best option for now would to use coaxial until I can get some decent wifi and then use the streamer built into the R26.

 

[animalelder]

Does the device actually do USB out? I’ve only ever used it as USB in (from a computer). That would be interesting if it was bidirectional.

Well, my gut says it probably doesn’t work that way, or it might be limited. For example, as a Bluetooth receiver, I think it is limited to AAC. And as a transmitter, can send LDAC and the others.

Then again, I’d be happy to be wrong. Or I may be simply ignorant.

 

[Uguccione]

Does the device actually do USB out?

Of course yes!

 

[9bphillips]

Of course yes!

What experience do you have with this? I'm curious what the best way is to use my dx300 as source with a dac.

 

[samandhi]

What experience do you have with this? I'm curious what the best way is to use my dx300 as source with a dac.

It works quite well. Though, as mentioned earlier, I don't use an external desktop DAC with it (and also that you didn't ask me). I sometimes use it for a couple of my BT headphones (Hifiman Deva and Sennheiser Momentum 2.0). I will use them both using USB out to the DAC/amp of the headphones (same thing you are wanting to do).

At that point, it is using the Bluemini of the Deva and the built-in DAC/amp of the Momentum. Because the DAC/amps are custom built for the heaphones, I believe that these sound at their best using this method (though no longer in wireless mode).

As for coaxial, it works quite well also. I use it sometimes to go to my home stereo system in the cleanest way possible. This is actually the simplest way to use it, and you can use any music app that you want, rather than worrying about the USB audio driver of the android system. Having said that, coax out is limited to 24/384 and DSD 128 though (as opposed to the native 32/384 and DSD 256).

Your best bet for using external DAC as well as amp is still going to be USB audio, coaxial, or BT out. As for BT you can use LDAC or LHDC (with an app that has the driver built in) as the highest available resolution @24/96. It looks like your Gustard also has BT, so you have pretty much any option you would want with it.

As for myself, I would be happy with any of those options as I only have one (local) album that is 24/384, and no DSD above 256. Most times I am at 16/44, 24/48, 24/96, or 24/192 anyhow (which any of the three methods suggested can do easily anyhow, except 24/192 obviously).

Also, keep in mind that what I meant earlier about being plug and play for USB audio out, means that yes it would be, but in order to get the capability of playing higher than 24/48, you would need to use some driver that bypasses the android system (UAPP, Neutron, or rooting the device).

Well, my gut says it probably doesn’t work that way, or it might be limited. For example, as a Bluetooth receiver, I think it is limited to AAC. And as a transmitter, can send LDAC and the others.

It IS limited to 24/384 and DSD 256 (which it would be 32/384 and DSD 256 if played natively) unless you don't use an app that has the USB audio driver built-in to bypass the android system (in which case it is limited to 24/48). But it works well otherwise (IMO). But, as mentioned earlier, if you root the DX300 you can use an app that allows any app to output whatever resolution you want (up to the limits of the device itself), rather than being stuck with only Neutron or UAPP for higher resolutions.

 

[vanhalen26]

When will we see Android 11 on the DX300? I want to use Android Auto on it but cannot.

Anyone know if it would pass through lossless or get downsampled by the car’s stereo unit.

 

[hornytoad]

Anyone know if it would pass through lossless or get downsampled by the car’s stereo unit.

Good question . Apple CarPlay is lossless if you use CarPlay in wired mode and not wireless . I’m guessing Android Auto would work the same way but who knows

 

[Uguccione]

What experience do you have with this?

Excellent, it works well with both the USB and 3.5mm outputs.
I preferred the latter because so, with the usb free, I could reload the DAP if needed.
In any case, the audio quality was excellent and for me indistinguishable between the two connections.

 

[Uguccione]

In the end, however, listening only in streaming, I took a Wiim that I can control comfortably from my smartphone.

 

[samandhi]

Anyone know if it would pass through lossless or get downsampled by the car’s stereo unit.

I think it is going to come down to the capabilities of the stereo system. What is the method of connection to it?

 

[nijfi]

Just bought a secondhand dx300. On my second evening of listening and... Oh my goodness!! ... This thing is like liquid gold!

The screen is insanely good and the whole UI experience throughout is just silky smooth.

Listening on my Oppo PM2, Balanced, D4, Medium Gain, is just such a luxurious sound experience. So glad I pulled the trigger on this as my first ever Android Dap.

It's saying something when the only niggle is the supplied case. It's nice, and good that ibasso included it, but it just doesn't fit great down the righthand side and top right corner. I can't find hardly any aftermarket cases. May just go for that clear plastic case eventually.

 

[samandhi]

Just bought a secondhand dx300. On my second evening of listening and... Oh my goodness!! ... This thing is like liquid gold!

The screen is insanely good and the whole UI experience throughout is just silky smooth.

Listening on my Oppo PM2, Balanced, D4, Medium Gain, is just such a luxurious sound experience. So glad I pulled the trigger on this as my first ever Android Dap.

It's saying something when the only niggle is the supplied case. It's nice, and good that ibasso included it, but it just doesn't fit great down the righthand side and top right corner. I can't find hardly any aftermarket cases. May just go for that clear plastic case eventually.

If you plan on buying the Amp13 tube amp card for it, it comes with a "house made" clear case. Or, if you plan on buying the Amp12 (true balanced) card, it comes with a MUCH better (black) leather case. It has some extra padding where the buttons are to give more tactile presses (and consequentially more difficult to accidentally press them), and it fits much better than the stock case (IMO).

The third party clear case is better in one way which is that it makes the buttons much harder to press by accident, where the iBasso made clear case has an opening for the micro SD card, but the buttons are super easy to press on accident.

Congrats on your new shiny! This is the reason I never dropped the DX300 for the DX320. It just might be better, but if I already think it can't get better in a portable, then how can the DX320 be better (to me)??? To me it would just be different.....

 

[nijfi]

If you plan on buying the Amp13 tube amp card for it, it comes with a "house made" clear case. Or, if you plan on buying the Amp12 (true balanced) card, it comes with a MUCH better (black) leather case. It has some extra padding where the buttons are to give more tactile presses (and consequentially more difficult to accidentally press them), and it fits much better than the stock case (IMO).

The third party clear case is better in one way which is that it makes the buttons much harder to press by accident, where the iBasso made clear case has an opening for the micro SD card, but the buttons are super easy to press on accident.

Congrats on your new shiny! This is the reason I never dropped the DX300 for the DX320. It just might be better, but if I already think it can't get better in a portable, then how can the DX320 be better (to me)??? To me it would just be different.....

Thanks, you touch on something I forgot to mention, regarding the buttons. I'm still on a memory muscle learning curve on how to pick it up without accidently pressing the buttons, lol, but I'm getting there.

Good info on the cases too. Much appreciated

Mine is stock AMP11 MK2. I'm loving it just the way it is at the moment, with the settings I described above and no EQing. Listening especially to the Vulture Prince album by Arooj Aftab is just magical

When the wallet has recovered, my next buy won't be a different AMP module, but instead a nice over ear dynamic driver to compliment my stable. The Sivga sv023 is looking enticing right now, sound signature wise and bang for my buck. A nice looking included balanced 4.4mm cable from 2.5mm jacks is helping matters too, as means I can swap and play with my existing balanced cable from my Oppo PM2.

 

[samandhi]

Thanks, you touch on something I forgot to mention, regarding the buttons. I'm still on a memory muscle learning curve on how to pick it up without accidently pressing the buttons, lol, but I'm getting there.

Good info on the cases too. Much appreciated

Mine is stock AMP11 MK2. I'm loving it just the way it is at the moment, with the settings I described above and no EQing. Listening especially to the Vulture Prince album by Arooj Aftab is just magical

When the wallet has recovered, my next buy won't be a different AMP module, but instead a nice over ear dynamic driver to compliment my stable. The Sivga sv023 is looking enticing right now, sound signature wise and bang for my buck. A nice looking included balanced 4.4mm cable from 2.5mm jacks is helping matters too, as means I can swap and play with my existing balanced cable from my Oppo PM2.

If you get the third-party clear case from Amazon here, you can pick it up how you would normally without fear of pressing the buttons. It WILL start yellowing (all of them do though) after about a year or so.

Sounds like you got some good listening going on already with it. Fantastic!

If you are looking for some amazing, closed back AE phones, I have found the Focal Elegia to be one of the best "bang for the buck" items you can currently get IMO. They were $1k originally, then everyone thought they were discontinued, but they are still being made, and you can get them for $399 brand new (though they DO come with a 3.5 SE cable which you can replace easily from standard 3.5mm jacks). Granted, they are NOT for everyone's tastes, but for me they come the closest (and even rival some) in sounding like an open back set that I have heard thus far.

I have both the HE400S (discontinued), and OG Deva (also discontinued for the R2R Deva now) and find them to sound amazing with the DX300 Amp11.2. Though I think the Deva sound even better on the Amp13 tube amp card.

If you aren't set on IEMs, I might suggest the iBasso IT-07. They pair stupendously with the DX300. I have all three amp cards, and it is my opinion that they pair the best with the Amp11.2 card (that you currently have), though it is pretty close with the Amp12 card (just depends on what you are looking for if you think one is better than the other). Amp11.2 has a bit more quantity of bass, and more upfront and clearer mids, where Amp13 is wider, better textured bass, and a bit more balanced in the mids (this all being with the IT-07 BTW).