Sound analysis.

Many manufacturers talk about necessity of burn in before you start analyzing the sound, while iBasso actually encourages its customers by providing a burn in cable with a suggestion to use it for 200 hrs in order to condition the electric components. That’s what I typically do by setting the DAP to play in a loop for days and periodically checking the sound progress. This way I don’t have to worry about brain burn in, and can just focus on incremental changes, if any observed.

After 200hrs of burn in, I hear DX200 as having a neutral revealing signature with a natural musical tonality which balances out a typical analytical performance of ESS DACs with a more organic polish. It feels like the best of both worlds, staying closer to a neutral signature while bringing up details of analytical performance along with smoothness and body of organic tonality.

It has an articulate layered bass, a little leaner in sub-bass but with a nice fast non-aggressive punch. Mids are resolving, layered, detailed, maybe slightly on a dryer side due to its leaning toward a more analytical performance, though never crossing the harshness threshold sometimes associated with ESS DACs. Treble has plenty of sparkle and airiness, and a great extension.

The sound is very dynamic, expanded, never feels compressed or congested which leads to an excellent layering and separation between instruments and vocals. Also, the transient response of notes is fast, where the sound pops out from the black background, a very clean transition. Of course, a lot of it dependents on a technical ability of your headphones. Despite a more revealing nature of dx200, I still find timbre of the sounds to be natural, convincing, with instruments sounding rich in tonality.

Soundstage stands out with an expansion in all 3 dimensions. The sound is very spacious, even more from balanced output, and the imaging is very precise, pushing headphones performance to their full potential.

After a close listening and comparison of 3.5mm SE vs 2.5mm BAL, the first obvious observation is higher output power from BAL HO. Soundstage width expansion is also noticeable going from SE to BAL. And depending on how resolving your monitors are, I’m also hearing BAL output to have a darker background with a sharper transient response of the notes when comparing to SE output.

Furthermore, I went back’n’forth between Mango app and Mango OS, and I constantly arrive to the same conclusion that native OS is a touch smoother in comparison to Mango app. I know that iBasso is working on more optimization and additional features, so I will continue monitoring these changes.

Comparison.

All the DAP comparisons were done using W900, Zeus XRA, and UERR iems while volume-matching between sources and using 2.5mm to 3.5mm adapter wherever it was necessary. For hissing, I always use Zeus as my “reference” due to a sensitive nature of this IEM. Majority of people who use full size headphones or other IEMs might not even hear any hissing with DX200 at all.

DX200 vs LPG – a touch more hissing with LPG. Soundstage is a little wider with DX200. In terms of a sound sig, these are very close, having a similar transparent revealing sound signature with a neutral tonality. The only noticeable difference I hear is LPG having a little more aggressive mid-bass punch while DX is more neutral in comparison.

DX200 vs Opus#2 – a touch more hissing with dx200. Soundstage is very similar, though I would still say that DX200 is a touch wider. Very similar sound sig as well, maybe with Opus#2 being a little smoother, musical, and a touch less transparent versus DX200 having an edge in transparency. Also, DX200 having a little better separation in sound due to its more analytical sound nature.

DX200 vs X7 w/AM3 – a touch more hissing with X7. DX200 soundstage is wider. Here you can hear a more noticeable difference in tonality with X7 being brighter, thinner, and even more analytical, including X7 bass being a little more neutral. In comparison, DX200 sound has more body, sounds a little more organic and smoother, low end has more impact and upper frequencies are a little smoother too. In terms of a technical performance, they both have an excellent level of transparency, separation, and layering. Just overall, X7 sounds even more analytical and brighter in comparison to DX200.

DX200 vs AK120ii – ak has zero hissing, while in dx it’s more noticeable. Soundstage is wider in DX200. Sound quality difference is quite noticeable where DX200 is more neutral, revealing, transparent, detailed, while ak120ii is a lot smoother, warmer, more laid back, not as layered and even a little congested in comparison to DX200. The difference is definitely noticeable.

DX200 vs X5iii – x5iii hissing is stronger. Both have a very similar soundstage expansion. In terms of a sound, X5iii is smoother, warmer, more organic, with a little stronger mid-bass punch. DX200 is brighter, more revealing, more resolving, and also with better layering and separation of sound. Except for a strong hissing, x5iii actually sounds like an upgrade to ak120ii, but still can’t match the technical performance of dx200.

DX200 vs L5Pro – L5Pro has a touch stronger level of hissing. DX200 has a wider soundstage. L5Pro sound is warmer, smoother, more organic, a little less revealing, and with a little stronger mid-bass impact. DX200 sound is more revealing, more neutral, with higher resolution and retrieval of details, and better layering and separation of sounds. The difference is not exactly night’n’day, but still noticeable.

DX200 vs N6 – N6 has a stronger hissing. N6 staging width is a touch narrower. N6 sound is a little thinner and slightly more analytical, while DX200 sound has a little more body and a touch smoother in comparison. The sound in both is resolving and transparent, but I hear DX200 having better layering and separation of the sounds. Another noticeable difference is N6 having a slightly better mid-bass punch in comparison to DX being more neutral.

DX200 vs PM2 – PM2 has a touch less hissing. DX has a noticeably wider soundstage. DX sound is more neutral, revealing, transparent, while PM2 is warmer, smoother, a little more congested and flatter in comparison, and not with the same level of layering and separation. With JetEffects PM2 really transform, but with dsp effects disabled DX200 definitely has an upper hand.

DX200 vs Micro iDSD – with iEMatch on Micro the hissing could be completely eliminated, but when it’s disabled – the hissing level is on par with DX200. Very similar soundstage expansion. Micro sounds a little brighter while DX is a touch smoother in comparison. In terms of detail retrieval, resolution, transparency, and sound layering they are very similar.

Pair up.

In this round of pair up testing, I went through a large collection of different C/IEMs and full size headphones.

Zeus XRA (14BA) – a very expanded soundstage (in all 3 dimensions). The sound is neutral, revealing, transparent, leaning more toward analytical quality and yet still having some degree of musical smoothness. Even so bass is close to neutral, it still packs a nice punch and a quality sub-bass rumble. Neutral revealing mids, and well controlled treble sparkle. Noticeable hissing.

W900 (9way hybrid) – holographic soundstage (spreads very wide left to right). The sound is very balanced with a hard hitting elevated mid-bass punch and a great sub-bass extension with a nice textured rumble (sub-bass is not overwhelming). Lower mids have a nice body and a little north of neutral, upper mids are clear, detailed, with a very natural revealing tonality. Treble with great definition. Dead quiet.

W80 (8BA) – a wide/deep expanded soundstage. The sound signature is very balanced and smooth, yet still with great retrieval of details. The bass has a perfect balance of sub-bass rumble and mid-bass punch, well controlled, not spilling into lower mids. Lower mids have slightly above neutral body, but under control without muddying the sound. Upper mids are smooth and detailed, very organic but not veiled or dull. Treble has a great definition, moderate sparkle and airiness. Overall sound is not as layered or separated due to its smooth signature, but it never gets congested or veiled. No hissing.

oBravo ERIB1C (hybrid planar magnetic) – a very expanded sound with an excellent width/depth. The signature is mid-forward with a super revealing and layered sound and excellent level of transparency. The bass has a great quality but flat and neutral since mids dominating the spectrum, being very revealing, transparent, analytical, and still without a single offending peak. Treble is very extended, crisp, airy. No hissing.

UERR (3BA) – a nicely expanded soundstage with a great width and depth. The sound signature is very neutral with an incredible natural and detailed retrieval of details. Bass is neutral, but not flat, goes deep with a very polite sub-bass and a nice tight mid-bass punch which is slightly above neutral in this pair up. Lower mids are neutral, upper mids are very detailed natural, transparent. Treble has a good sparkle and airiness. The sound is not super layered/separated, but oozing with natural revealing details. No hiss.

VEGA (dd) – excellent soundstage expansion (in all 3 dimensions). The sound is leaning more toward V-shaped signature due to a bass impact and upper mids/treble lift. The bass is full and rounded with a powerful sub-bass rumble and analog smooth mid-bass punch. Lower mids have a nice full body while upper mids are smooth, clear, detailed, organic. Treble is nice and clear but not as extended. Overall sound is a little congested and bass is rather boomy in this pair up. No hissing.

ZEN (dd, 320 ohm) – wide expanded soundstage. Neutral full body smooth detailed sound. Excellent bass extension with a nice sub-bass rumble (depending on the seal), nice mid-bass punch (slower in speed, with a longer decay), above neutral lower mids, clear, smooth detailed upper mids, nice well defined sparkle, not super extended. No hissing.

K10UA (10BA) – wide expanded soundstage. Overall balanced sound with emphasis on all frequencies. You get deep extended sub-bass with a nice healthy quantity, fast BA-quality mid-bass punch (sub-bass adds a nice warm layer under the mid-bass), a neutral lower mids, and a bright revealing upper mids (not harsh), including a very crisp, sparkly, airy, extended treble. No hissing.

S-EM9 (9BA) – wide holographic soundstage. Overall balanced sound with a little mid-forward signature. Bass has a great extension, but surprisingly sub-bass sounds a bit lean with a great quality rumble and a more neutral quantity. Mid-bass has a strong fast punch, lower mids are neutral, and upper mids are clear, detailed, a little more forward. Treble is well defined, crisp, with a moderate airiness. The sound is balanced, leaning more toward the smoother side, not too transparent or highly resolving. No hissing.

U12 w/M15 (12BA) – soundstage is wide and deep. The sound is leaning a little more toward L-shaped signature with an enhanced bass quantity. Sub-bass goes deep with a nice textured rumble. Mid-bass punch is strong, but the bass itself is more analog with a longer decay and slower attack. Lower mids have a full body while upper mids pushed slightly back, sound warm, organic, and detailed, but not very resolving or transparent. This is a smooth detailed signature. No hissing.

Andromeda (5BA) – nice wide staging, but not as much depth (more intimate stage). The sound is very balanced. Bass goes deep with a nicely textured enhanced rumble, and a fast punchy mid-bass. Lower mids are neutral, upper mids are detailed, resolving, layered, not harsh or grainy but very detailed. Treble is crisp, airy, with a nice sparkle and great extension. Almost zero hissing.

IT03 w/CB12 (3way hybrid) – a very expanded soundstage (in all 3 directions). The sound signature is very balanced. Deep sub-bass extension, going deep with a nice enhanced rumble, and punchy fast mid-bass. Bass is very articulate and well controlled. Lower mids are neutral, while upper mids are slightly pushed back, but still very detailed, resolving, layered. Treble has a very nice sparkle, lots of airiness and great extension. No hissing.

R70x (470 ohm open back) – a very expanded open back soundstage performance (in all 3 directions). The sound signature is very balanced and natural. Bass goes down deep with a smooth textured rumble, mid-bass punch is rather fast and very well controlled. Lower mids are neutral and smooth while upper mids are very detailed, organic, smooth and revealing at the same time. Treble is well defined, crisp, not as sparkly but with plenty of open back airiness.

PM3 (planar magnetic) – above average width soundstage, but not super expanded. The sound signature is balanced smooth, and overall sound a little congested. Bass has a good extension, warm, rounded, a little on a slower side, not very articulate. Lower mids are above neutral, have a full body, upper mids are smooth and clear, but not super detailed or very resolving. Treble has a good definition, but not very crisp or airy. The overall sound was very smooth, laid back, organic.

EL8C (planar magnetic) – a very expanded soundstage (in all 3 directions). The sound signature is neutral-balanced. Bass is closer to neutral in quantity, but still has a nice deep quality sub-bass extension and a fast articulate mid-bass punch a little north of neutral. Lower mids are lean and neutral, while upper mids are very resolving, detailed, layered, closer to analytical quality but not harsh or grainy. Treble is crisp, airy, with a nice sparkle, and great extension. Absolutely no metallic sheen.

T5p2 (tesla drivers) – excellent expansion of sound with a holographic soundstage. A very balanced revealing sound signature. Bass has a great extension with a perfect balanced between textured sub-bass rumble and analog quality mid-bass punch (faster attack, slower decay). Lower mids are neutral-lean, while upper mids are very resolving, detailed, layered, and at the same time natural and non-harsh. Treble has a great definition, great sparkle, plenty of airiness and excellent extension.

External and wireless connections.

With DX200 I didn’t find the need for any external Amp or DAC/amp use since it was driving everything from sensitive IEMs to my demanding cans with authority, but regardless of that DX200 still has plenty of connection options to either use LO with your own external amp (bypassing the internal amp), or SPDIF (either coax or optical) to drive external DAC/amp while using DX200 as a transport.

While testing with Micro iDSD, I found DX200 LO to be adjustable (not fixed). Right away DX200 recognized Line Out connection and showed it when I was adjusting the volume on the DAP. And speaking of Volume adjustment, I wish iBasso will add on-screen slider because it takes awhile turning the volume knob when going between headphones with different sensitivity. I found the sound to be very clean and transparent where the output of ES9028Pro DACs paired up well with a warmer amp section of Micro (vs more reference DX200 sound). Using DX200 as a transport for Micro iDSD (from SPDIF), output is fixed and you can either use coax or optical cable where everything worked as expected as soon as I connected it. Personally, I always find optical digital connection to be cleaner and more transparent in comparison to a warmer smoother sound when using coax cable.

I tested wireless connection with B&W P7 Wireless, and found it to work in open space up to 60ft away from DX200. I was able to control volume up/down and skip tracks forward/back (double/triple click), but surprisingly couldn’t use Play/Pause with a single click. Also tried LG HB730 Bluetooth headset where the volume range was a bit limited making it too sensitive, and in there I also found track skip working OK, but not Play/Pause. Hopefully, it will be fixed in the next fw update.

I really wanted to test USB DAC functionality and well aware from others that it’s working without a problem, but unfortunately my aging Windows laptops at home have issues with Thesycon USB drivers. So, I wasn’t able to test USB DAC.

Conclusion.

Sometimes we focus so much on the sound of headphones, that we forget about the signature of the source and how much it contributes to the final sound. For me, as a reviewer, the neutral sound sig is very important because I’m always in search of a reference quality source to evaluate headphones without coloring the sound. DX200 fits the bill perfectly with its neutral revealing signature which still has a natural musical tonality, though don’t expect a full body organic sound. The same goes for those audio enthusiasts who want more impact and weight in the low end – DX200 will have an accurate reproduction of the bass without coloring or enhancement. To my ears DX200 is a true reference quality DAP intended for music purist who want to push the performance of in-ear monitors and full size headphones to their full potential in soundstage expansion, retrieval of details, and sound transparency.

As a bonus, you are also getting a full Android 6.0 DAP with a capability to do streaming and to run other apps – side-loaded at the moment of writing this review, while Google Play store is promised to be added soon. Plus, you can use wireless connection to pair up with your Bluetooth headphones, and use coax or optical connection to turn DX200 into a transport to drive external DAC/amp. Add to that a solid aluminum body with analog volume wheel and hardware playback controls, single ended and balanced headphone output connection, and interchangeable amp module (with more to be available soon), and you got yourself one fully loaded portable DAP.

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Manufacturer website: iBasso, for sale on Amazon.