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UPDATED 2/22 REVIEW 13 USB DAC amp - Predator, Pico, 2/3MOVE, D10 D3 D2 Viper/Boa D1, Lyrix, MicroAmp, Vivid V1, Nuforce, XM5
Nov 8, 2009 at 9:06 AM Post #931 of 1,096
No probs - my request was tongue-in-cheek : I don't know how you can accumulate so much gear and not trip over it constantly !
 
Nov 9, 2009 at 11:30 PM Post #932 of 1,096
WOW!

I don't want to hype my new amp, and I try to NOT encourage a new FOTM (D10 has been my favorite for 8 months). But my iBasso D4 arrived today and right out of the box it sounds probably as good as my 1000+ hour iBasso D10 with TLE2141 class-A/EL8201 topkit. I love it already. It's not identical but pretty darn close. I've only tried it with my Grado HF-2 so far, but I don't want to stop listening. I am quite surprised that iBasso keeps upping the ante with each new amp. I am running it off 5v only since I need to charge up a 9v for it.

I will start the mandatory 300 hours burn-in now for my review, but this is one amp that does not demand burn-in and can be enjoyed right away (unlike the D2 Viper/Boa or Predator). The D3 was better out of the box than the D2 Boa and just got better, the D10 was as good out of the box as the 700 hour D3 and just got better, and so it goes for the D4 as well I believe.
 
Nov 10, 2009 at 2:45 AM Post #933 of 1,096
Somewhere in the distance, I can hear the gleeful cackle of many potential buyers...
 
Nov 10, 2009 at 6:12 AM Post #934 of 1,096
Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif
WOW!

I don't want to hype my new amp, and I try to NOT encourage a new FOTM (D10 has been my favorite for 8 months). But my iBasso D4 arrived today and right out of the box it sounds probably as good as my 1000+ hour iBasso D10 with TLE2141 class-A/EL8201 topkit. I love it already. It's not identical but pretty darn close. I've only tried it with my Grado HF-2 so far, but I don't want to stop listening. I am quite surprised that iBasso keeps upping the ante with each new amp. I am running it off 5v only since I need to charge up a 9v for it.

I will start the mandatory 300 hours burn-in now for my review, but this is one amp that does not demand burn-in and can be enjoyed right away (unlike the D2 Viper/Boa or Predator). The D3 was better out of the box than the D2 Boa and just got better, the D10 was as good out of the box as the 700 hour D3 and just got better, and so it goes for the D4 as well I believe.


More sneak peak here, with IEM...

I have tried the iBasso D4 (6 hours) with my RE252 prototype IEM, ES3X, JH13Pro and UE11Pro tonight. The amp has almost no hiss at all, with just a very faint touch in the background with the ES3X, and it is well suited to high sensititvity custom IEM. It is quiet enough to call it silent with IEM since my ES3X are normally hiss-monsters. And the D4 does not make any noise when the music is paused and the volume is turned all the way up to max. The volume knob is also good enough to play my IEM at very low volume levels before reaching any low volume channel imbalance at the bottom of the volume control (although not quite as precise as the Predator or Micro Amp, I am happy with it).

The D4 is useable with my UE11Pro without having too much bass or poor bass control, yet the amp is not bass-lite at all with other IEM. On top of that, while I don't feel that the D4 is a forward sounding amp, out of the D4 the UE11Pro mids do not feel recessed like when using the wrong amp with them.

I promise not to tease you guys any more after this, before my review is done. It will take 2 weeks just to ensure I have 300 hours on the amp, so that I give it a fair comparison with the other amps.
 
Nov 10, 2009 at 8:00 AM Post #935 of 1,096
Happy days indeed, HPA - reading a glowing report on an amp (any amp) that sounds great straight out of the box will put a lot of smiles on the faces of those who dont want to wait 300 hours to hear what their new toy is capable of. Looking forward to further impressions.

As a newbie to the iBasso site, I initially went looking for it under 'Amps' - this link may help easily confused types like myself ....

iBasso
 
Nov 10, 2009 at 3:45 PM Post #936 of 1,096
The D4 Mamba is only $219. All budget-minded audiophiles, let us rejoice!
beyersmile.png


I'm planning on getting this for my hd650s, once I get them fixed. Woohoo!
 
Nov 10, 2009 at 3:49 PM Post #937 of 1,096
Quote:

Originally Posted by tigon_ridge /img/forum/go_quote.gif
The D4 Mamba is only $219. All budget-minded audiophiles, let us rejoice!
beyersmile.png


I'm planning on getting this for my hd650s, once I get them fixed. Woohoo!



I don't think the amp will be able to drive the HD650s for you to realise it's full potential though; correct me if I'm wrong though.
 
Nov 10, 2009 at 4:24 PM Post #938 of 1,096
Quote:

Originally Posted by cravenz /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I don't think the amp will be able to drive the HD650s for you to realise it's full potential though; correct me if I'm wrong though.


I think you're right. When I had the Bithead it sucked when I played through it when the hd650s. Seriously. Sucked. Bad. I had a pair of $20 buds and I couldn't really tell you which pair sounded better. >_> However, to be fair to the Headroom folks, I was a newbie to hi-fi headphone audio and I was listening with the LOW-GAIN on!!! HAHA... Wish there were a smiley that shows me banging my head onto a wall.

However, I think the D4 Mamba is on a whole other level, far above the Bithead, and although it won't bring my hd650s to their full potential, it will probably do them justice.

EDIT: I have to add something: I used the $20 sony bud with the amp; it didn't sound noticeably better than through the my laptop hp out. Didn't perceive any extra details. SS was still the same. Couldn't perceive any extra clarity. Can't mention anything about extension, because I wasn't paying attention to that aspect. That little thing cost me almost $200... I felt like I wasted my money. I kept it anyway, and hoped that with enough burn-in it would sound better. Don't remember how long the warranty lasted. Anyways, it's broken now. Gotta forget the past and move on.
 
Nov 10, 2009 at 6:42 PM Post #939 of 1,096
Quote:

Originally Posted by tigon_ridge /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I think you're right. When I had the Bithead it sucked when I played through it when the hd650s. Seriously. Sucked. Bad. I had a pair of $20 buds and I couldn't really tell you which pair sounded better. >_> However, to be fair to the Headroom folks, I was a newbie to hi-fi headphone audio and I was listening with the LOW-GAIN on!!! HAHA... Wish there were a smiley that shows me banging my head onto a wall.

However, I think the D4 Mamba is on a whole other level, far above the Bithead, and although it won't bring my hd650s to their full potential, it will probably do them justice.

EDIT: I have to add something: I used the $20 sony bud with the amp; it didn't sound noticeably better than through the my laptop hp out. Didn't perceive any extra details. SS was still the same. Couldn't perceive any extra clarity. Can't mention anything about extension, because I wasn't paying attention to that aspect. That little thing cost me almost $200... I felt like I wasted my money. I kept it anyway, and hoped that with enough burn-in it would sound better. Don't remember how long the warranty lasted. Anyways, it's broken now. Gotta forget the past and move on.


I hate to tell you this, but a $20 ear bud will sound like a $20 ear bud whether listening through an iPod or a $200 amp.
 
Nov 10, 2009 at 7:00 PM Post #940 of 1,096
Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I hate to tell you this, but a $20 ear bud will sound like a $20 ear bud whether listening through an iPod or a $200 amp.


Yeah, I suppose... but the weird thing is that those slightly less cheap KSC35 seem to get very high praise from the Amp3 lovers. How can that be explained?
 
Nov 10, 2009 at 7:20 PM Post #941 of 1,096
Quote:

Originally Posted by tigon_ridge /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Yeah, I suppose... but the weird thing is that those slightly less cheap KSC35 seem to get very high praise from the Amp3 lovers. How can that be explained?


KSC35 are in a whole different league - with a $1.99 headband they can sound close to a $99 Alessandro MS-1 headphone.
 
Nov 10, 2009 at 7:30 PM Post #942 of 1,096
the amp3 is also a very hissy source and needs low-sensitivity, high ohm phones in order not to hiss. i like the amp3 and i like the kcs35, but i understand why amp3 users are rating them so highly together - one needs the other to sound good. the amp3 also has a warbly treble which, when paired with the ksc35 is a great match simply because the 35 is somewhat muted up top. for the price (assuming you live in usa where koss isn't outrageously expensive), the ksc35 is well worth its money.
 
Nov 10, 2009 at 7:37 PM Post #943 of 1,096
Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I hate to tell you this, but a $20 ear bud will sound like a $20 ear bud whether listening through an iPod or a $200 amp.


not always, ive come across a couple of cheapies that can get dramatically better when amped

but as a rule crap doesnt get better with an amp
 
Nov 10, 2009 at 10:59 PM Post #945 of 1,096
tigon_ridge, seriously, who spends $200 on an amp for a pair of earbuds costing 1/10th of that ? Until you've heard the Total Bithead with something a little further up the foodchain, I'd probably hold off on bagging HeadRoom. There products are expensive, no question, but you may as well have bought the Fiio with those buds for phones. Is there anyone here who wouldnt have spent the $200 on a pair of Grados/A-Ts or whatever in preference to an amp ?
 
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