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New iBasso Portable Amp/DAC: iBasso D14 "Bushmaster"
Sep 3, 2015 at 3:38 PM Post #211 of 584
nmatheis said:
knightthe2nd said:
how does this beast compares with AK100 mk2 (not gen2)?? (sound wise only, D14 runs as DAC/AMP)
which one on brighter side? black background? any hiss/hum when paired with hi sensitivity IEM?

personally i like the sabre soundsign, but when i tried DX90, for me its wasn't too "engaging", too smooth for my taste, lack dynamic for fast paced songs
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With DX90, it depends on FW. Some are more laid back, some more engaging. Maybe you heard one of the less engaging ones...

However, I certainly found D14 more engaging than DX90. Haven't heard AK DAPs yet, so I can't comment on those.

I didn't hear any hiss, but you might. I've found in not as sensitive to it as some people are.
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Having gone thru basically all of the DX90 fws, i can say the D14 is more engaging. The D14 has a fantastically black background that gives each individual instrument a more life-like presentation. The D14 also has a more textured and present treble region than the DX90, so i would say you wont find the D14 to be as smooth sounding as the DX90

Its interesting. When i first got the D14, there was a substantial amount of hiss, so i actually complained to Paul about that since it doesnt make sense with the 0.1 ohm output impedance of the D14. after a few hours with it, the hiss is completely gone. Kinda shows that burn in certainly exists to me (how it affects sound i wont get into haha).
 
Sep 3, 2015 at 4:15 PM Post #212 of 584
Thanks for chiming in @Cotnijoe. Glad to know the lack of hiss I experienced wasn't just my insensitivity to it but an absence. D14 is another fantastic iBasso product. I'm hoping they can capture that D14 magic and inject it straight into the DX80 
wink_face.gif

 
Sep 3, 2015 at 10:53 PM Post #213 of 584
nmatheis said:
With DX90, it depends on FW. Some are more laid back, some more engaging. Maybe you heard one of the less engaging ones...

However, I certainly found D14 more engaging than DX90. Haven't heard AK DAPs yet, so I can't comment on those.

I didn't hear any hiss, but you might. I've found in not as sensitive to it as some people are.
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well i tried the very first one DX90 (early firmware ofc) and the most recent one is about 3 weeks ago (latest firmware update 3 weeks ago) i do found that latest firmware do sounds different compared to the very first one i listened to, but still its too smooth for my taste
 
about the hiss i believe there wont be any issue with headphone (even low impedance & portable one) but since im gonna pair it with IEM, FAD heaven s, Ortofon EQ7, Zero Audio Doppio, i need to make sure there wont be a hiss problem first hehehe
 
cotnijoe said:
Having gone thru basically all of the DX90 fws, i can say the D14 is more engaging. The D14 has a fantastically black background that gives each individual instrument a more life-like presentation. The D14 also has a more textured and present treble region than the DX90, so i would say you wont find the D14 to be as smooth sounding as the DX90

Its interesting. When i first got the D14, there was a substantial amount of hiss, so i actually complained to Paul about that since it doesnt make sense with the 0.1 ohm output impedance of the D14. after a few hours with it, the hiss is completely gone. Kinda shows that burn in certainly exists to me (how it affects sound i wont get into haha).
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thx for your reply @Cotnijoe from your opinion i think its suit my taste better than DX90, have you ever listen to Astell & Kern AK10?  any idea how D14 compared to AK10? which one is on brighter side?
 
about the burn-in i do believe in burn in, in this case caps burn-in in amp :)
 
Sep 4, 2015 at 12:17 AM Post #214 of 584
knightthe2nd said:
  have you ever listen to Astell & Kern AK10?  any idea how D14 compared to AK10? which one is on brighter side?
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Unfortunately I cant help you there. All I can say is ive heard a lot of people complain about the AK100 mk2 saying that their sound isnt as good as the DX90. Now... that could be hightly inaccurate... or it could be true. So all I can give you is that the D14 is a pretty significant step up from the DX90, especially when you're looking at the price of the D14. Very very good price.
 
Sep 4, 2015 at 3:19 AM Post #215 of 584
I don't think any DAP in the same price point can compete with the D14 right now, you need to factor in the extra cost that goes into a DAP. 
 
The AK100 MKII is not as good as the D14, it isn't quite as good as the DX90, and the D14 is better than the DX90, so the D14 is a pretty big step up from that. 
 
I agree with cotnijoe, the D14 is excellent for the price it comes in at. 
 
Sep 7, 2015 at 5:54 AM Post #217 of 584
Hi Guys,
 
Does your D14 get hot when connects it as DAC/AMP with laptop/pc? Mine is quite hot.
 
Should I set charging off when connecting to the laptop/pc?
 
Thanks....
 
Sep 8, 2015 at 12:18 AM Post #220 of 584
chat7 said:
  Hi Guys,
 
Does your D14 get hot when connects it as DAC/AMP with laptop/pc? Mine is quite hot.
 
Should I set charging off when connecting to the laptop/pc?
 
Thanks....
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It shouldn't get very warm. Is it normal headphones that you are using? 
 
Sep 14, 2015 at 7:51 PM Post #221 of 584
How much break in does this amp/dac need?  I like the sound right out of the box but in comparison to my HP-P1 it sounds cluttered.  The detail is nice and at loud volume it doesn't blare, but the vocals sound smaller and more recessed in comparison to my HP-P1 where the vocals sound thick and a bit more out front.  Seems like there is more seperation with the HP-P1 as well, just not the top end that I would like.
 
Sep 15, 2015 at 1:28 AM Post #224 of 584
Mine makes a little sound if you shake it sideways decently hard. I wouldnt call it a rattle though. It should feel and sound fairly sturdy
 
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