To satisfy my own curiosity, I own both the AK100 and the Mk2, as well as demoing the modded one. From what I hear going down the ladder from 22ohms to <1, there is a noticeable difference in the bass, however not night and day and probably not within your preference if you have heard the 3ohms version.
This led me to understand their sound signature which is different than most DAPs which has more emphasis in the bass region. Have you tried Colorfly C3? Their bright neutral signature is lacking in bass even more than the AKs.
Appreciate your feedback on this, I have not tried the C3. I will if I get the chance. I'm just curious about which phone you are using.
I have several amps which affects the bass I hear on JH16 from my DX50. The UHA-4 for instance makes the sound brighter compared to C5D, the bass has lighter thump and impact but still detailed and not the same amount of difference I hear directly from AK120. This is what I consider neutral and I also enjoy this sound signature.
AK120 sounds like I plugged JH16 directly into the line out of DX50 and increase the bass response a bit.
Hi guys, its me Arly, yes the same Arly who writes for audio360. I currently still have the Dx50 in my possession due to iBasso refusing me refund. To be fair and for the sake of a few yuks I'll try the latest firmware out this weekend and see if my file scanning issues and my freezing problems disappear. I tried to be fair on the DX50 and did my damnest to get it to work and to date those 2 issues are whats spoiling the player for me. Believe me, I'm not out to grind any axes with anyone. you guys think i should give it a 4th and 5th attempt...alright...I'll try. As it is, I really do hope the bugs eventually get worked out for everyone who has complaints concerning their DX50. Thank you all for being open minded and not grilling me like a couple of other people did on my YouTube channel.
Good luck, the file scanning issue is at least a certain improvement you will notice. The initial scan right after the FW update will still be the same (at least there is a progress bar). But succeeding scan should be a breeze.
Appreciate your feedback on this, I have not tried the C3. I will if I get the chance. I'm just curious about which phone you are using.
I have several amps which affects the bass I hear on JH16 from my DX50. The UHA-4 for instance makes the sound brighter compared to C5D, the bass has lighter thump and impact but still detailed and not the same amount of difference I hear directly from AK120. This is what I consider neutral and I also enjoy this sound signature.
AK120 sounds like I plugged JH16 directly into the line out of DX50 and increase the bass response a bit.
I'm using 1964 V6 which would be akin to JH13 but technically inferior.
I do agree though that the AKs are overpriced. A more reasonable pricing would be to reduce their cost by at least $200.
Would you consider AK120 bass to be light with relatively weak impact compared to the others you've tried?
The Audio360 review speaks to many of the ongoing problems DX 50 has, and why it's necessary to work out the kinks before product release. However, we all expect small issues to arise with any any new product. I am still working with FW 1.2.2 and all works well.. Therefor, I shall not make any changes in FW as an experiment. HE 400, with either O2, or BH2, line out is working just fine. I too would like to see a follow up review when the problem issues are resolved. Thank you for the information.
Thanks BeBop. There was some initial discussion as to whether we should publish that review or not. Everyone loves an underdog - including us - and none of us wanted to hurt iBasso in any way. In the end, we felt that the review was fairly written, accurately described Frank and Arly's experiences with the unit(s), and ultimately useful information at this time.
I'm also keen on keeping up-to-date with you guys and this thread as I would LOVE to have @frank_j and @DigitalFreak do a follow-up!!
PLUS: I need a reasonably priced DAP w/ a decent amp for a gift for a friend I'm indoctrinating into high performance personal audio!!
Originally Posted by Frank I /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I do hope Arly and I will have the opportunity to do a followup when the product . I am sure Arly will jump in and share his experiences here as well.
Heh, maybe I can bring my "golden" DX50 to Arly (DigitalFreak) at our next meet and we can compare my seventh batch to his ?first? batch, I believe. It would also be a compare of his ?apple? file loaded card to my fresh ripped EAC card (did this so it would work with the studio V, and it has worked fine with the DX50)
How're you doin' up there in the great white north? Yeah, that would be great if you could do that. Maybe there's a Winnipeg mini-meet in the near future?
Unfortunately I could no longer use mine and sent it to Warren Chi who opened it up and noticed the soldering on the switch had been the issue with the volume control
Yup. I opened it up and checked it out. It was a simple matter of the switch having come loose from the PCB. Something like that could happen due to any number of reasons, and is not something that we are attributing to iBasso at all. It was honestly just bad timing, as it prevented Frank from doing any additional firmware updates and troubleshooting.
I'm using 1964 V6 which would be akin to JH13 but technically inferior.
I do agree though that the AKs are overpriced. A more reasonable pricing would be to reduce their cost by at least $200.
Would you consider AK120 bass to be light with relatively weak impact compared to the others you've tried?
I'm using 1964 V6 which would be akin to JH13 but technically inferior.
I do agree though that the AKs are overpriced. A more reasonable pricing would be to reduce their cost by at least $200.
Would you consider AK120 bass to be light with relatively weak impact compared to the others you've tried?
i find my RWAK sounding more clean and refined compared to DX50.
this difference narrows when i amp DX50 with line out to T1 but... even then RWAK has audible edge in offering more effortless, airy and cleaner presentation.
as regards overpriced, i do not see how you can measure this in linear terms. i wish AK or RWAK could be cheaper but i decided to keep RWAK after comparing it to DX50. now keep my fingers crossed for Calyx M.
I understand that since I too found the bass light and weak with the AK100. It improved somewhat in the MK2 but it was still relatively light and weak.
But as I came from the X3 which has more emphasis on bass, I think that influenced me in a way. Prior to the X3, is the C3 which is even lighter/weaker than the AK. If I had to put it, the AK is a nice balance between the C3 and X3 lol.
i find my RWAK sounding more clean and refined compared to DX50.
this difference narrows when i amp DX50 with line out to T1 but... even then RWAK has audible edge in offering more effortless, airy and cleaner presentation.
as regards overpriced, i do not see how you can measure this in linear terms. i wish AK or RWAK could be cheaper but i decided to keep RWAK after comparing it to DX50. now keep my fingers crossed for Calyx M.
Measuring based on offerings from other makers with almost/on par SQ, features and build quality.
Like I said, the less $200 would be a reasonable pricing, but I don't blame nor hate/rage them for the pricing they choose.
Measuring based on offerings from other makers with almost/on par SQ, features and build quality.
Like I said, the less $200 would be a reasonable pricing, but I don't blame nor hate/rage them for the pricing they choose.
perhaps, still i find bass on RWAK being more well refined, bodily articulated and airy. it gives me better sense of drum attack compared to DX50 even when amped.
also i believe this is all about synergies and IEMs you using. i use 1p2 and hear it this way. however if i use RDB+v1 or H200 or similar then my opinion would change.
what i find less good about DX50 is bit too aggressive and sometimes too digital sound. line out amping solves this issue but standalone Dx50 sounds less refined and more lean sharp.
Hi guys, its me Arly, yes the same Arly who writes for audio360. I currently still have the Dx50 in my possession due to iBasso refusing me refund. To be fair and for the sake of a few yuks I'll try the latest firmware out this weekend and see if my file scanning issues and my freezing problems disappear. I tried to be fair on the DX50 and did my damnest to get it to work and to date those 2 issues are whats spoiling the player for me. Believe me, I'm not out to grind any axes with anyone. you guys think i should give it a 4th and 5th attempt...alright...I'll try. As it is, I really do hope the bugs eventually get worked out for everyone who has complaints concerning their DX50. Thank you all for being open minded and not grilling me like a couple of other people did on my YouTube channel.
The haters will always come Arly. Especially, as odd as it sounds, when you're doing something you truly feel in your heart is right, but you're takin a chance.
Dont let their perceptions affect you. Ever heard of The Four Agreements? It's SO f___in TOUGH, but if you can try to not be affected by others opinions (and
I work on it everyday, LOL) and stick to your guns - the number of devotees will outnumber the trolls.
I was proud of you and @frank_j for doing this piece.
I totally agree, the looks, build and UI really not to mention the storage capacity is top notch and arguably justifies the price premium of the AK1xx. But as an audio entusiast, these factors come in second to SQ. I would still consider this as hi-res transport but again the option is also very limited.
As for Ibasso they have been active responding to feedbacks and each FW update fixes some bugs and improves the UI and add minor features. But it's not always smooth. The updates sometimes takes 2 steps forward and 1 step backward.
For me, at the latest FW version (1.2.6), the only major bug which is still annoying is the gapless playback (or lack of). Turning it off completely still shaves off 2 seconds at the end of each tracks and gets frustrating on some albums.
YUP
The AK100, except on a rare occasion these days, has become my hi-rez transport!
Luckily I've been using some more efficient over-ear cans lately - so its been cool as a full DAP
too - but I prefer the AK120 as a DAP. The 100 has been downgraded to transport...
Great to hear about iBasso's customer service and communications.
My buddy uses the DX100 and enjoys it. I'm going to borrow that as I trust his taste completely,
and see how that badboy does. Maybe even write about it.
perhaps, still i find bass on RWAK being more well refined, bodily articulated and airy. it gives me better sense of drum attack compared to DX50 even when amped.
also i believe this is all about synergies and IEMs you using. i use 1p2 and hear it this way. however if i use RDB+v1 or H200 or similar then my opinion would change.
what i find less good about DX50 is bit too aggressive and sometimes too digital sound. line out amping solves this issue but standalone Dx50 sounds less refined and more lean sharp.
Spot on, although the amp is really no slouch, the LO with an amp is like a painter's canvas you can mold it to show the most beautiful colorful and textured paint strokes.
I've just received my iBasso DX50 in the mail today and my first impression overall is that htis is a fantastic DAP all-round.
I do have some questions though and if anyone is able clarify fro me that would be fantastic!
1) I find that when pausing songs it can take a while to pause however when pressing play again its almost instantaneous, is there a fix for this or is this a known issue?
2) I was confused when I was able to plug my SE215s into both the Phone out and Line Out ports and still received a signal and was able to listen through both. Am I correct in thinking that line out would be for something like connecting to my FiiO E07k and phone out would be directly for headphones?
3) There are two ways to browse music in the DX50, via the directory and through album/artist/etc, however when browsing in Directory, the songs are organised Alphabetically and not in their track order like they are when browsing by Artist. Is there anything that can be done about this?
4) I'm also having issues with gapless playback, it is currently set to "off" however there is still a fade-in and fade-out when the song changes, I have no idea why this is happening, anyone else?
Again, these are all MINOR grievances that can likely all be fixed with firmware updates. But if they can be fixed sooner, I'd be over the moon!
I've just received my iBasso DX50 in the mail today and my first impression overall is that htis is a fantastic DAP all-round.
I do have some questions though and if anyone is able clarify fro me that would be fantastic!
1) I find that when pausing songs it can take a while to pause however when pressing play again its almost instantaneous, is there a fix for this or is this a known issue?
2) I was confused when I was able to plug my SE215s into both the Phone out and Line Out ports and still received a signal and was able to listen through both. Am I correct in thinking that line out would be for something like connecting to my FiiO E07k and phone out would be directly for headphones?
3) There are two ways to browse music in the DX50, via the directory and through album/artist/etc, however when browsing in Directory, the songs are organised Alphabetically and not in their track order like they are when browsing by Artist. Is there anything that can be done about this?
4) I'm also having issues with gapless playback, it is currently set to "off" however there is still a fade-in and fade-out when the song changes, I have no idea why this is happening, anyone else?
Again, these are all MINOR grievances that can likely all be fixed with firmware updates. But if they can be fixed sooner, I'd be over the moon!
1. This is how the hardware buttons work for DX50. There is a lag and the response time is not always consistent. It's annoying at first but you'll get use to it. I doubt this can be fixed by software. It appears the internal processor, hardware interface is the limiting factor here.
2. Correct phone out to headphone, line out to external amp.
3. I'll let someone else respond to this. I only browse exclusively by Artist/Album.
4. This is the hottest topic right now and one of the last remaining major bug for me (although some people still have freezing issues). Ibasso is working to fix it.
That's pretty much addressed all of my concerns! I'm also glad that iBasso are continuing support for their devices. Lots of companies seem to release and don't bother to support them.
Now that that's out of the way it's just a matter of time for me to settle into using it as I have come from a 4th gen iPod Nano, haha!
That's pretty much addressed all of my concerns! I'm also glad that iBasso are continuing support for their devices. Lots of companies seem to release and don't bother to support them.
Now that that's out of the way it's just a matter of time for me to settle into using it as I have come from a 4th gen iPod Nano, haha!
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