iBasso Audio's Amp12 is now released as an ultimate separate amplifier module for their flagship DX320 music player, its large, dual batteries ensuring iBasso could take this module's analog circuit to town.
Clean, precise and infinitely detailed, with plenty of headstage, air and also a rumbling, authoritative bass, Amp12 is a product of the comprehensive discrete circuit built within, one Headfonia says "enhances the player signature in many ways, giving you a more natural approach to the sound", complete with pictures. [See Product Desc. For More]
Indeed, iBasso built Amp12 to act as a most faithful conduit to your music, allowing it to remain truthful to the way it was recorded. The voltage gain stage is tuned to provide a vast and open soundstage, while the power stage takes that and preserves all the low-end authority in your music.
Headfonics throws this back to when iBasso championed the term neutral, in days gone by, Audio-PH talking about its perfect balance. Audiophile Heaven adds Amp12 gave music a new lease of life.
Plug any big can from Sennheiser or ZMF Headphones straight in to be immediately impressed, or use its dedicated hardware line-out as the ultimate source for Cayin Audio's C9.
Also view all our products from iBasso here or our other music players here.
Nutubes return to iBasso Audio, bigger and better through Amp13 for DX300 and DX320. The size and power supply afforded by their flagship music players allowed iBasso to take this tube design to new heights.
That extra circuit board space has allowed Korg's sixth-generation Nutube direct-heated triode to achieve new levels of signal-to-noise ratio, transparency and output power – all the while offering the liquidity tube lovers desire with an even-harmonic character through single-ended operation. [See Product Desc. For More]
Placed on Amp13's voltage gain stage where it will yield the biggest sonic difference, this Nutube's small output then gets boosted by a Toshiba FET buffer. This preserves square law at its input, such that it gets enough juice to drive the rest of DX320's solid-state output stage.
READ ALSO DAPs have gone down the tube
iBasso built Amp13 with dual 3.5mm outputs. The hybrid Nutube section directly feeds Amp13's low noise, low output port (2.5Vrms) for sensitive IEMs.
Meanwhile, an intermediary solid-state driver stage gets added for the high output port (4.1Vrms) to push Focals and Fostexs needing more gain.
DX320's dynamic range spec is maintained through NJR's NJU72315 digitally-controlled analog volume part, and iBasso hide yet another trick up their sleeve: forcibly driving the ground signal of Amp13 to increase output power and reduce noise.
The separate 2,000mAh analog battery aboard the DX3XX line supplies the backbone of power for Amp13's high operating voltages, with four clean, individual DC power sections for crucial parts of the module.
The anode packs 21 volts of supply, while eight volt output rails continue to maintain excellent open-loop linearity before negative feedback.
Such is expected of a high-performance iBasso Amp13 module that yields excellent distortion and noise specifications, while capturing the romance of tubes in DX320. Also view Amp12 here, all of iBasso's other portables here, and our music player catalogue here.
Choose a tail-form dongle for better ergonomics.
2.5mm TRRS to Male 4.4mm TRRRS balanced cable adapter
5N Mono Crystal Copper Cable
Silver Plated Shielding Right Angle
Hand twisted cable
iBasso's right to flaunt what they can do comes in form of this purple tinted silver copper alloy cable in 4.4mm, a must-have for all IBASSO or mmcx-connector earphone owners, especially the IT07.
/ Photography by Zepp Crew.
Originally designed and intended for Ibasso SR-2 but sits well with most headphones with 3.5mm connectors.
Rosson Audio RAD-0
FOCAL Radiance
FOCAL Clear
FOCAL Stellia
Most HIFIMAN, BEYERDYNAMIC, KLIPSCH headphones.
// GOOD TO KNOW
4.4mm Balanced Cable
High Purity Silver Copper Alloy
Braided tangle free construction
iBasso Audio's CF1 is more than a step into Bluetooth and true wireless. It's a big plunge that's IPX5 and will make waves in this market.
Splash out for this Qualcomm aptX true wireless adapter that's quiet enough not to suffer from any audible hiss with sensitive IEMs – your Campfire Audio flagships will never disapprove. [See Product Desc. For More]
A big part of CF1's proposition is being tuned by true masters of amplifier and music player DAC design. Your earphones set free from their wires will continue to unleash best sound, with nearly 30 hours of battery life keeping the music playing on and on.
Twister6 loved using these to turn iBasso's IT00 IEM into an instantly gratifying pair of audiophile true wireless buds, and Headfonia did too as they put it on their 'Recommended Buy' list. This is a Bluetooth adapter only limited by the choice of IEM that you pair with it, states Headfonics.
You can also view the rest of iBasso's releases here, or browse the rest of our Bluetooth collection here.
New and improved USB-C to 4.4mm second-generation audio amplifier by Ibasso.
2 x CS43131 DAC Chips
Up to 32bit/384kHz PCM Decoding
Up to 256x Native DSD Decoding with a THD+N below 0.00032%
High Power Output of up to 195mW@32Ohm, 4Vrms@300Ohm
ESS Technology DAC chips debut here in an iBasso Audio USB-C DAC/amp dongle, and boy does it show in the way the 3.5mm DC05 sounds.
Plenty more involvement and detail shows in the way this dual ES9219C dongle that plays Tidal MQA sounds, reminiscent in more ways than one of the flagship DX240 music player.
Headfonia consider DC05 a "very serious option", and Headfonics add it has everything for a 3.5mm DAC/amp. This iBasso made its way into Audiophile-Heaven's Hall of Fame.
To turn your Android, iPad or other mobile device into something mimicking iBasso's reference DAP is no mean feat, but hearing is believing.
Enjoy lots of involvement through the mid-range in particular where the majority of your music lies, though that doesn't detract from plenty of presence still in the lows and highs.
Drive your favourite earphones and headphones alike through DC05, or browse iBasso's other offerings here and our other DAC/amps here.
The mobile revolution continues as driven by iBasso Audio. DC06 is their latest balanced 4.4mm dongle supplied by dual ESS Technology ES9219C DAC chips, with analog volume control aboard. Headfonia praise DC06 as "something really catchy ... a possible must-have".
iBasso claim 123dB of signal-to-noise ratio as a result, for music player levels of detail and fidelity even from USB's 5 volt supply. It's solutions like DC06 that continue to see USB DAC/amps raise their game. [See Product Desc. For More]
Further pushing decoding precision is an outboard clock that means DC06 does not rely solely on its USB receiving chip for a master clock.
iBasso derive a clean clock signal via PLL, pushing down phase noise and reducing jitter even at this form factor. DC06 also decodes 16X MQA, to boot.
Pure, clean analog is therefore derived from your mobile sources, and this pristine little dongle DAC isn't afraid to push big cans either – promising up to 320 milliwatts from its 4.4mm output.
The DC06 platform comes with a detachable cable and can be adapted for a range of mobile applications, from smartphones to iOS Lightning and laptops. Also browse the rest of iBasso's options here, or our other DAC/amps here.
***Free Miter Case
The music player to get you started. Accommodating two MicroSD card slots, a balanced output jack with enough power to handle all your needs, and the resolving ability of AKM's 4495 DAC, iBasso's DX120 takes you awfully far for awfully little.
You'll be able to see everything from iBasso here and all our other music player options here.
iBasso Audio have shown Head-Fi what the entry-level DX160 and flagship DX320 are capable of. And it's been left to the DX240 to act as the crossroads of them all, bringing together all the best traits of iBasso's DAP prowess into one single device.
DX240 is so good, in fact, it displaces DX300 on Headfonia's Recommended Buy list and joined its big sibling there on Audiophile-Heaven. DX240's owners are entitled to three free amp card endplates and a matching leather case worth $149, while the upgrade to Amp8 MKII updates capabilities further! [See Product Desc. For More]
Revitalising the popular form factor that the original genre-defining DX200 and DX220 packed, the DX240 is another cumulation of the progress iBasso have made. With stock Amp1 MKIII, this versatile player promises an abundance of transparency and plenty of involvement through a liquid mid-range, particularly with female vocals.
ESS Technology's ES9038Pro top-dog – outputting in current to a proper I/V stage for best distortion characteristics – arrives as the decoding backbone. The refinements made around this DAC chip bring DX240 into portable audio's future.
Trickling down from the DX300, a FPGA acts as a clock and data master, presenting raw I2S for the ES9038Pro in the cleanest, quietest and most precise manner. Joining those are the Snapdragon 660 CPU, along with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.
Headfonics say DX240 lands with real purpose in the world of modern music players. Major HiFi met "really no setbacks to this device whatsoever". MOONSTAR Reviews says DX240 delivers sonically, and in terms of usability. "Every dollar works out completely" to Audio-PH. Twister6 found this iBasso a jack of all trades and master of them all too.
Full Google Play Services and Android 9 usability is a breeze when viewed through DX240's 1080p screen. Play up to DSD512, 16X Tidal MQA and full Hi-Res Lossless Apple Music online or offline – entirely bit-perfect through iBasso's bypass of Android sample-rate conversion.
Truly, DX300 miniaturised desktop DAC/amps – and DX240 miniaturised DX300. With a palm-and-pocket-friendly form factor, DX240 is reminiscent of DX160 – but with added amp card modules.
Amps1 through 8, developed for iBasso's DX2xx line, are compatible here, so your collection of cards will find a new lease of life. At the same time, enjoy the new Amp8 MKII, developed for and only for the DX240.
But really, iBasso's DX240 is a new lease of life for the entire music player category, balancing fidelity, power, portability and access in one stroke. Bravo – also shop iBasso's other releases here, or all our other music players here.
DX320 exploits every ethos of iBasso Audio's flagship series to reach the zenith of DAP development. The Android 11 DX320 makes full use of its massive power supply and circuit board real-estate for an extreme discrete analog circuit, to give two new ROHM BD34301EKV DAC chips the platform to perform.
iBasso's latest and greatest rewards those who don't look only for the obvious – those who appreciate that a wonderful music player starts with its DAC chips but arrives at the finish line with their implementation.
The long-awaited successor to the ever-popular DX300 pays tribute to its predecessor, pushing boundaries in the same spirit. Yet it very much touts its own identity, packing a deep bass that is commanding, and dynamics that are resolute.
iBasso's newest spawn is proudly liquid and coloured – accurate yet veering from sterility. Sweetly indulgent, like an information-rich fruit cake of a DAP. Soundstage spans forward and spherically for deep immersion and involvement, so the whole musical experience feels unified by a connective tissue. [See Product Desc. For More]
DX320 trades up its digital decoding backbone to a pair of the well-received BD34301EKV. An in-house designed FPGA acting as a clock and data-marshaling master supplies pristine I2S to the DACs, which then oversample and decode at a 16X internal rate for peak Nyquist performance and shallow ROHM linear-phase digital filters to be employed.
Crucially, DX320's BD34301EKVs output analog in current, as demanded by a DAP that claims to be of flagship status. iBasso are therefore afforded the opportunity to tailor the DAP's sonic profile as they wish with a current-to-voltage I/V converter, and the added measure of ensuring that small-signal is of the lowest distortion to begin with.
Volume is controlled via a proprietary iBasso solution, specially developed for these ROHM DACs. So begins DX320's fully-balanced, true differential analog circuit that runs at a massive 8 volt operating voltage for linear open-loop operation. Its power stage is fully discrete and boasts buffers capable of putting out 2 amperes of current.
DX320's bridge-tied load operation halves impedance per output phase, but the potent output transistors comprising the power stage mean it's never fazed driving low impedances.
Happily use DX320 with anything ranging from the 3ohm Empire Ears Odin, up to the 300ohm ZMF Headphones Atrium on stock Amp11 module, or switch out the modular analog card for the yet-more potent Amp12 or tube Amp13.
With 2.5mm and 4.4mm balanced outputs removing need for cheaply-built, signal degrading adapters for connections to make something fit, your flagships can be juiced to the max potential, signal integrity guaranteed via direct sockets soldered to PCB.
The quantity of output power has been discussed, but the quality's not yet mentioned. DX320's total 6,000mAh power supply component is split into a 4,000mAh battery for the digital sub-system, and separate 2,000mAh unit for the afore-mentioned analog circuit.
Doing so cleans up the lifeblood for clean, quiet audio available system-wide, iBasso touting their custom-made bypass capacitors as a DC filter for purer power yet.
All the above would mean little if DX320 wasn't built with the future of music consumption in mind. But thankfully Android 11 makes its appearance to be at the cutting-edge of DAP UI, processed by the speedy Snapdragon 660 SOC plus 6GB of RAM for smooth operation.
16X Tidal MQA and Apple Music will be streamed at bit-perfect level via Direct Transport Authority (DTA), bypassing otherwise mandatory and detrimental Android re-sampling. DX320 was the complete package to Major HiFi and deservedly took their Gold Award.
Thus is DX320 – iBasso's most complete and most advanced line music player – released, designed to tackle every one of the modern audiophile's needs. Also shop iBasso's other releases here, or all our other music players here.
The countdown began with the IT01 leading iBasso Audio to release this entry-level king's successor, the IT00.
Headfonia highlights this dynamic driver IEM's "mellower signature and better vocals" in comparison to its predecessor. [See Product Desc. For More]
Its spotless feel clothed in white prepares you for an uber-clean sound you'd normally expect of a statement price tag.
That's ensured by IT00's overachieving thin graphene driver, Helmholtz resonator and a high magnetic flux of nearly one tesla. Major HiFi found themselves asking "why you would need anything more than this".
Prime Audio Review says IT00 "has bass to die for, a full-bodied, clear midrange and a lively but sweet treble", putting it straight on his Best IEM list. Audio-PH adds that iBasso "held a practical master class for us and showed that they can design a cool thing in any price segment".
This is a great pick to begin with on your audiophile route. Twister6 loved turning these into an instantly gratifying pair of audiophile true wireless buds with iBasso's CF01 Bluetooth adapter.
Both join the rest of iBasso's hits here, while you can also browse our other earphones here.
Beryllium and brass make IT01X another sure iBasso Audio buy. Premium materials make this single dynamic earphone another standout over-achiever after IT00, ready to rack up more plaudits from the Head-Fi world.
A single dynamic driver appears enough to achieve the highest resolution possible. In this case, iBasso have helped this entry IT01X all the way, employing a beryllium-plated dynamic driver chambered in a brass inner cavity. [See Product Desc. For More]
You'll know the moment you pick it up that iBasso engineered this for sonic honesty and transparency, to hear deeper within any mix. A sandwich driver has its surface coated with beryllium for the metal's stiffness, lightness and air acceleration properties.
IT01X's driver material combination helps it move as a perfect piston over all frequencies up to and above its working range, keeping distortion down due to cone and modal break-up as frequencies rise.
Low frequencies emerge with authority thanks to the brass chamber built into IT01X's compact and truly ergonomic shell, Helmholtz resonators stimulating proper airflow and reducing standing waves in the bass.
The driver responds lightning quick due to a high-magnetic flux produced by a strong neodymium magnet, completing a package iBasso masterfully engineered at any price. IT01X promises high-resolution playback without the premium.
Twister6 say it ticks the boxes anyone would want in an affordable reference. It touches Audiophile-Heaven the right way. MOONSTAR Reviews praise IT01X's "strong bass performance, highly transparent and silky smooth midrange, and with a treble region that is able to produce a great sense of airiness and sparkle".
Ladies and gentlemen will put on the featherweight, easy-fitting shell for hours on end, lost in their music. You can also compare IT01X to its multi-coloured IT00 sibling here, check out everything else from iBasso here, or view our other IEMs here.
A correct, reference tuning need not be boring, as proven by iBasso's IT04. This four-driver hybrid IEM begs to be played track after track. Fully balanced from the box, this mid-tier wonder is iBasso's shot at a flagship, taking us within very close sight of the top.
You'll be able to see everything from iBasso here and all our other earphone options here.Featured in picture: ADV. bluetooth cable turns IT04 wireless for fuss-free commuting days.
iBasso Audio releasing a flagship UIEM is exciting, and certainly tuned for excitement is the brand-new IT07.
This seven-driver hybrid puts top quality components at your service, as a graphene dynamic driver for bass props up six premium Knowles balanced armatures. [See Product Desc. For More]
IT07 proves its worth at the bottom and at the top of the spectrum, thrilling with its bass and treble performance. There's the option to dial these in further yet, with included interchangeable acoustic filters within reach to suit multiple sources, tastes and music genres.
Tasteful emphasis of the frequency extremes flank a lucid and spacious mid-range performance that flows effortlessly, its liquidity reminiscent of AM05. Emotive vocals never risk being overshadowed.
Audio123 sees this as a legitimate step up from iBasso's previous IT04 in a comparison with today's popular flagship UIEMs. Headfonics has "no complaints because it does so many things very well ... Tesla driver can dig deep into the bass, the vocals sound very smooth and clear and the highs are clean and crisp with an overall balanced frequency response".
MOONSTAR Reviews and Twister6 compare it favouribly with other flagships of its day, with IT07 holding its own against Meze's Rai Penta and 64 Audio's tia Trió, among the rest. An excellent stock cable terminated in balanced 2.5mm comes included, to work from the box with iBasso's DC01 USB-C DAC dongle, or one of our music players here.
// RECOMMENDED: Upgrade with the IBASSO CB16 if you're part of the 4.4mm club.
View the rest of iBasso's releases here, or check out our other IEMs here.
iBasso Audio's Year 2020 contribution to Head-Fi involves a high definition, open back rendition of a monitoring sound. Two years of research after its predecessor, the SR-1 allowed study of strength to be distilled in the SR-2. A full open-back deploying Tesla magnetic flux technology with bio-cellulose dome diaphragms, iBasso's SR2 promises a wider soundstage and transparency that may lift elements waiting to be discovered in your music.
Package comes with a second pair of stock pads that add tuning ability shifting the SR-2's natural presentation to a tighter, tauter and faster one. Major HiFi wrote "things are looking up when I'm still thinking about how some tracks that I haven't tried might sound on the SR2".
Audiophile Heaven wholeheartedly recommend SR2 "if you're looking for a comfortable, light, and well-made headphone, with a natural tonality, rich sound, with a natural soundstage, and with an excellent amount of detail for the price".
Also view everything else from iBasso here, or check out our other headphones here.
