Ron, quick question, is the P4 a noticeable step up from the P3+ sonically? The P3+ has the advantage of being powered by batteries you can buy in a supermarket. Does the sonic difference outweigh the ease of battery replacement aspect with the P3+?
Really wish someone had warned me about the ease with which you can strip the (miniscule) thread from the tops of the tiny bolts that hold the faceplate on. The tool iBasso provides would be fine if they were only lightly fastened - mine werent. Have to wait till Wednesday to get access to an electric drill and a vice : fan-freaking-tastic.
For the DiYers on Head-Fi, this would be little more than a bump in the road, but for me its just bloody annoying. While I admit that it was easy to lose the thumbscrews from the back of the D4, access to the internals was a whole lot easier.
I had the same problem when I got my D10. What I did was take a thick elastic, place it over top of the screw, then press down with the screwdriver and turn. It took a few tries and a few elastics, but it eventually came loose. The idea is to just use the rubber to wedge in there so you can turn it. I've had limited success with a simple pencil on similar stripped screws. It depends just how tight it is though.
Thanks, Armaegis - I tried super glue on the basis that it *might* fill the gap and let my screwdriver get some purchase on the head of those tiny bolts, but no luck - happy to hear that I'm not the only one who has had this sort of problem. Will try the elastic today - I just got so p*d off with it yesterday that I gave up and left the P4 to rack up a few more burn-in hours.
I take all 4 top screws out. I then use clear tape on one side to make a hinge. I then use one thumb screw to close the case. It is very fast to change op amps and the lid is hinged so it stays with the amp. Works extremely well.
Ron, quick question, is the P4 a noticeable step up from the P3+ sonically? The P3+ has the advantage of being powered by batteries you can buy in a supermarket. Does the sonic difference outweigh the ease of battery replacement aspect with the P3+?
Given the same opamp combinations in both amps, I find the audible differences between the P3+ and P4 to be very slight. I am not sure I could reliably identify which is which in a blind test. The P4 does offer more headroom with the 16v charger than does the P3+.
As I use my P4 a lot for opamp tests and comparisons, having the new case design is a huge factor in my preference for the P4 as it is much quicker and easier to swap opamps. If one does not need a USB DAC input, either the P3+ or P4 is, audibly, a superb choice.
There is no doubt that being able to pick up a set of fresh AAA batteries virtually anywhere rather than needing to recharge via AC is a P3+ positive. I guess it really boils down to "Ford vs Chevy" when considering the difference between the two.
Ron, quick question, is the P4 a noticeable step up from the P3+ sonically? The P3+ has the advantage of being powered by batteries you can buy in a supermarket. Does the sonic difference outweigh the ease of battery replacement aspect with the P3+?
Given the same opamp combinations in both amps, I find the audible differences between the P3+ and P4 to be very slight. I am not sure I could reliably identify which is which in a blind test. The P4 does offer more headroom with the 16v charger than does the P3+.
As I use my P4 a lot for opamp tests and comparisons, having the new case design is a huge factor in my preference for the P4 as it is much quicker and easier to swap opamps. If one does not need a USB DAC input, either the P3+ or P4 is, audibly, a superb choice.
There is no doubt that being able to pick up a set of fresh AAA batteries virtually anywhere rather than needing to recharge via AC is a P3+ positive. I guess it really boils down to "Ford vs Chevy" when considering the difference between the two.
For the small improvement in form factor, I would be inclined to go with the original Pico amp over the Slim, based purely on what I have read. While I take 6Moons with a grain of salt, the fact that they claim to have been able to drive the HE-5LE *at all* with the Pico is astounding. Cans like the HD650 suddenly become viable from a portable, although I would imagine that the P4 trumps it in pure power output.
Hi, I'm hoping someone here will be able to give me some advice. I recently purchased an ibasso P4 to go with my new Ultrasone 8's, and I have been a bit frustrated. I have tried every possible configuration with the amp rolling kit (I am totally new to this) and I still always feel the sound directly out of my ipod or zune sounds better. Tonight I remembered that I have a fiio E5 that I never use. I decided to try it for the first time with my Ultrasone headphones and I was shocked at how good it sounded. I doubt that it is the experience of most people here that the E5 will outperform the P4 but that is the case with me.
Could my P4 be defective? or do I need to purchase additional op amps? My ibasso amp seems very dry with a recessed mid range and a small soundstage. Swapping components around never really gave me a satisfactory mid range. strangley enough, my fiio amp does.
Any advice on what to try (or buy) and where to purchase things i may need would be appreciated.
Make sure that you have the buffers in the correct sockets. The buffer should be the BUF634 opamp. The hi-bandwidth BUF634 has a small resistor along one side. Try the OPA604 in the LR sockets. Use the outside sockets as the 604 is a single-channel opamp.
I have found that the ground configuration has as much, if not more, effect on SQ than the L/R choices. Remember that the ground opamp that is used must carry the total current from both L/R channels. I would suggest trying a BUF634 in the ground channel closest to the front of the amp (G), with a dummy opamp in the socket closest to the rear of the amp (V). You can also try using only a bypass opamp in the center ground socket. This will place the amp in the standard LR/buffer configuration rather than 3 channel or 4 channel mode. Remember that the center ground channel can only be used with dual-channel opamps, and there are not any high-current dual-channel opamps in the rolling kit. Also, keep in mind that the outside sockets of the ground channel can only be used with single-channel opamps or bypass adapters.
You will also get the conditions that you describe if the input cable is not completely seated in your source and/or in the P4. Same with the headphone cable.
With the OPA604 in both L/R sockets, BUF634 in buffer sockets, and a BUF634 high-bandwidth in the front ground socket and a dummy in the back ground socket, your P4 should sound very good and walk all over your iPod and Zune headphone outputs. The P4 is a quality amplifier than outperforms many of the desktop amps that I have owned.
Hi, I'm hoping someone here will be able to give me some advice. I recently purchased an ibasso P4 to go with my new Ultrasone 8's, and I have been a bit frustrated. I have tried every possible configuration with the amp rolling kit (I am totally new to this) and I still always feel the sound directly out of my ipod or zune sounds better. Tonight I remembered that I have a fiio E5 that I never use. I decided to try it for the first time with my Ultrasone headphones and I was shocked at how good it sounded. I doubt that it is the experience of most people here that the E5 will outperform the P4 but that is the case with me.
Could my P4 be defective? or do I need to purchase additional op amps? My ibasso amp seems very dry with a recessed mid range and a small soundstage. Swapping components around never really gave me a satisfactory mid range. strangley enough, my fiio amp does.
Any advice on what to try (or buy) and where to purchase things i may need would be appreciated.
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