iBasso DX90 - first impressions
I just got it today and was quite excited to get this player - both looking forward to give it a first listen, but also somewhat nervous as I bought the player on reputation only, not having heard or even seen an iBasso player before. Anyway, the day is saved: So far it exceeds my expectations.
The player is a solid little thing. The build quality is top notch, nice surfaces, solid jacks, good tactile feedback on the buttons - a taylor-fit silicone jacket and screen protectors are even provided.
The player was to upgrade my Cowon iAudio 7 - still a decent little dedicated player, but it only goes as far as 16/44 and the noisefloor is some shade of darker gray. At first I thought I could replace it with a smartphone, but they simply don’t live up to the hype - “beatsAudio great” is definitely not “audiophile great”. So a dedicated player was the way to go - and the iBasso DX90 caught my attention because of it’s vertasile features and yet simple design.
Having a Lyngdorf-setup in my living room I’m quite spoiled as far as HD audio goes. That being said, the DX90 is my first audiophile portable player, so I haven’t got anything in the same class to compare with, but truth told this little player still drew the mickey out of me: Rich and layered details on an all-black background, resolution making it possible to point out even the subtlest of nuances, a very clear sound bringing an almost archetypal sound to the instruments, beats a flowing with authoritative precision, the sound is powerful yet in full control making every attack fast and precise - surely this player is up for the task. Even with a pair of headphones as small as Sennheiser MX475 it sound just amazing.
I’ve been listning almost nonstop for 9 hours by now, trying a wide range of genres and the player makes justice to it all, bringing out the music to live. I’ll just dig into a few of examples.
Hearing Helene Grimaud on the piano was a revelation: She plays with an amazing even flow, even at high speeds, but actually being able to hear every single note and still having the distinct feeling of that flow - wow, simply beyond words.
Instruments sound just great. For example, strings are vividly brought to life. To me it’s crucial that violins actually sound like violins. Apparently this is no simple task even for high end gear, but the DX90 is maybe even the best I’ve heard. Hearing modern string pieces like Dobrinka Tabakova is simply a chilling I wish for everyone to experience - these harmonies on that black background, amazing!
Electronica like Amon Tobin, Aphex Twin or Infected Mushroom benefits form the resolution as it becomes evident how rich sound universes artists like these actually have. Also, electronica uses stereo quite differently than acoustic recordings, highlighting the impeccable canal separation.
Across genres bands come out great as well; jazz, world, big band, pop, rock, symphony. Vocals like Joss Stone, Melody Gardot, Stacey Kent, Anna Netrebko, Sabine Devielhe sounds every bit as devine as one would expect.
As for the user experience, I just turned it on, inserted a full 64GB microSD, it did a scan for a couple of minutes and of to music wonderland I went. Thumbs up to IBasso for supplying a pre-loaded battery, simply a treat for the rather impatient new user - well, maybe that’s just me? ^_^
The UI is simple and does what it is supposed to. I could with for more cataloging options, especially listing all albums ordered by artist, year, album. As for tagging some european characters are show as asian signs. Also the player seems to use “artist”-tag only, while I would much prefer it using “album artist”-tag for the catalog. In other words some adaptive retagging will be needed for me to find my way around the collection.
Finally, I tried using the DX90 as a source for my Razer Mako Desktop speakers. Compared to the Squeezebox Touch I normally use, the DX90 was quite the upgrade on every parameter - sound, resolution, perspective, soundstage, blackness, you name it. Only trouble is I now contemplate if and how the Squeezebox DAC might be upgraded!
For sure I look forward to listening further!
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