- Manufacturer & Model
-
iBasso DX180
- MSRP
- $529.00
- Highlights
-
Loaded with features.
2TB storage with SD card.
Exceptionally clean output.
Competes with the big boys.
- Summary
-
I was not expecting what I got with the DX180. It is a monster of a machine with what it can do, which is everything—it might even clean your house. We love it, and could be fighting over it from time to time. It contains our entire music library, and we can access any song on planet Earth via several streaming services. It may be as clean or cleaner as any headphone/IEM DAC/amp on the market... it's truly that good. I cannot believe anyone would be disappointed in this DAP. Highly recommended!
In the Beginning
It may be hard to believe, but I never owned a Sony Walkman. Portable music players have never really been my thing. I did own a few boomboxes back in the day, but nothing small and portable. Using a phone for music with those pesky in-ear monitors (IEMs) has never interested me. It doesn’t sound like a portable music player, more commonly known as a digital audio player (DAP) nowadays, would be anything I’d need or enjoy. However, in my recent retirement, my wife would say I’ve wandered off the deep end with my music-listening experiences. For many years, the extent of our music listening has been in our dedicated AV room, a couple of outside speakers, and our vehicles. What else could a man possibly need… how many different ways can we listen to music anyway? Since I retired at the end of 2023, I’ve set up a small two-channel listening room, added some not-so-cheap monitors to my office desktop computer, added a NAS music server to our network along with a complete network overhaul, upgraded our sunroom system with a new AVR, as well as new indoor speakers in the sunroom, replaced our outdoor speakers, purchased several headphone DAC amps and more headphones, added HEOS speakers throughout the house, and now… for the first time, I own a DAP. It only took me fifty-eleven years, right? When retirement comes, it’s a must to find things to keep busy, and listening to music in various ways is a great way to do it. Beware of the expense of following this path.
Which DAP?
I had not considered a DAP until one of our staff members at avnirvana.com (@3dbinCanada) posted a thread about his “latest toy” … a DAP. I can’t claim ignorance is bliss; it is just plain ignorance. As silly as it might sound, I had no idea these gadgets existed. I thought they died with the Walkman portable CD player. As it turns out, they’ve been around for a while, and somehow, I’ve missed them. The first thing that came to mind when I learned about the DAP was that it would be a great way to store, move, and have a quick listen to our music library, which I spent several weeks transferring from CDs. It would also allow me to experiment with another music-listening avenue while enjoying my retirement. Investigating the numerous DAPs available, I found they can get quite expensive, even up in the $4,000 range, which seems a bit much for such a device that is also limited to an extent by the use of IEMs and headphones, for the most part. While I enjoy listening to headphones occasionally (much more lately), nothing can replace listening in an appropriate home audio setup with freestanding speakers. However, some enthusiasts might use a DAP in an audio room system as a music source. I could see it being a benefit if the point is to keep all your music in one location and not have a separate expense of additional equipment. Nonetheless, I expect most DAP buyers will ultimately use it with IEMs. The last IEMs to enter my ears were well over a decade ago, and I never could find any comfortable enough to suit me; hence, my previous reference to them being pesky. Granted, the few I tried were among the less expensive variety, so that is probably not a fair assessment. Regardless, I’ll need to give them another chance and look for a better-quality pair along with my search for a respectable DAP. Therefore, this review will also briefly compare a few different IEMs I will try with the DX180.
I spent several days researching and reading (how many different models could there be… countless!). I finally decided on the iBasso DX180 DAP and purchased it from Bloom Audio, the only store I could find that had it in stock. The primary requirements were at least Android 13 OS (Snapdragon 665), a minimum of 1TB SD card capacity, reasonably small in size with a 4-5” display, and cost $500 or less. I prefer Android since I have an Android phone and tablet and am already familiar with several Android music apps. The DX180 easily fits my requirements and adds a host of additional features, along with being one of the few with Android 13. As I was investigating, it was disappointing to see many DAPs use an older version of Android or some other seemingly sluggish OS. The DX180 is relatively new to the market, being introduced in May 2024. After applying a coupon code to the MSRP of $529, the total cost was $474.05 shipped to my door.
*This is not a paid review, and I did not receive any discount for a review. Neither iBasso nor Bloom Audio knew about my possible review when I purchased it. The review was an afterthought of the purchase.
The DX180 is not only a DAP that plays music but also a multi-functional streamer, gaming console, navigation device, Bluetooth source, and storage device. Assuming you have an Internet connection, it will stream Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, Amazon Music, Amazon Prime, Netflix, Hulu, YouTube… you name it. It will work with any app you can find in the Play Store or the Aptoide store. While we plan to use it as primarily a portable music server, it can also be a photo storage device. It is a better storage device than a phone because it will store up to 2TB on an SD card. Using it also does not disturb your phone when making or receiving calls and texts, nor will it interrupt your Bingo game (no, I do not play Bingo, but my wife loves it). For example, when using the DX180 as a gaming device, there is no need to stop when your cell phone rings or you get a text message. It can also hit the road with Android Auto. The DX180 is feature-rich and highly functional for a plethora of uses. It’s lightweight at only 7.3 oz, a little shorter, the same width, and a little thicker than my S24 phone, and it has a very clear display. Check out all the features listed below.
Features
- Quad CS43131 DAC Chipset matrix.
- In-house developed FPGA-Master2.0 as the audio system controller, synchronizing and generating the signal to all audio clocks.
- 2 NDK ultra-low phase noise Femtosecond oscillators.
- Hardware FIR output mode.
- Bit for bit playback with support of up to 32bit/768kHz.
- Support of Native DSD up to 256x.
- Android 13 OS.
- 11nm Octa-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 SoC.
- 4GB LPDDR4X + 128G ROM.
- Sharp 5.0″ IPS full screen (1080*1920), with On-Cell capacitive touch panel.
- Support of QC3.0 and PD3.0 quick charge.
- USB digital output up to PCM 32bit/384kHz, Native DSD256, and DoP DSD128.
- Mini coaxial output that supports up to 24bit/384kHz and DoP DSD128.
- USB DAC function that supports up to 32bit/384kHz and native DSD256 input.
- USB DAC for Windows PC, Mac, and Linux computers.
- Support of 2.4GHz and 5GHz WiFi and Bluetooth 5.0.
- Support of SDHC and SDXC Micro SD cards up to 2TB.
- Support of USB 3.1 Super speed transfer.
- 2 gain settings for hardware control.
- 100-step volume control.
- Graphic EQ / Parametric EQ.
- Removable back cover design.
- Audio Formats Supported: APE, FLAC, WAV, WMA, AAC, ALAC, AIFF, OGG, MP3, DFF, DSF, and DXD.
- Support for M3U playlists.
- 3.8V 3200mAh Li-Polymer battery (replaceable)
Screen: Sharp 5.0" | 1080x1920 P | on-cell capacitive touch panel
Audio Format: APE, FLAC, WAV, WMA, ACC, ALAC, AIFF, OGG, MP3, DFF, DSF, DXD, and DST
USB: Type C (3.1)
Outputs
Bluetooth: v5.0
Clock: Dual NDK Femtosecond Oscillators
Battery: 3200mAh 3.8V li-polymer battery
Charge Time: 1.5 hours
Average Play Time: 15.5 hours (Low), 13 hours (High), 30 hours (Line Out)
Size: 4.8" x 2.9" x 0.6"
Weight: 7.3 oz
iBasso 1-Year Product Warranty
4.4mm BAL Headphone Out:
Audio Format: APE, FLAC, WAV, WMA, ACC, ALAC, AIFF, OGG, MP3, DFF, DSF, DXD, and DST
USB: Type C (3.1)
Outputs
- 4.4mm balanced phone out (+ line out)
- 3.5mm SE phone out (+ line out)
- 3.5mm coaxial output
- USB OTG
Bluetooth: v5.0
- Transmitter Codecs: SBC, AAC, aptX HD, LDAC
- Receiver Codecs (DAC Mode): AAC, SBC
Clock: Dual NDK Femtosecond Oscillators
Battery: 3200mAh 3.8V li-polymer battery
Charge Time: 1.5 hours
Average Play Time: 15.5 hours (Low), 13 hours (High), 30 hours (Line Out)
Size: 4.8" x 2.9" x 0.6"
Weight: 7.3 oz
iBasso 1-Year Product Warranty
4.4mm BAL Headphone Out:
- Max Output Level: 6Vrms
* Low Gain: 4Vrms - Output Power: 690mW + 690mW @32Ω, THD+N＜0.1%
* Low Gain: 500mW + 500mW @32Ω) - Frequency Response: 10Hz~75kHz -1dB
- SNR: 133dB
- Dynamic Range: 133dB
- THD+N: -121dB (A-wt, 600Ω)
- Crosstalk: -144dB
- Noise Floor: <1.1μV (High Gain)
- Output Impedance: 1.1Ω
- Max Output Level: 3Vrms
- Output Power: 281mW + 281mW@32Ω, THD＜0.1%
- Frequency Response: 10Hz~75kHz -1dB
- SNR: 127dB
- Dynamic Range: 127dB
- THD+N: -116dB (A-wt, 600Ω)
- Crosstalk: -118dB
- Noise Floor: <1.1μV (High Gain)
- Output Impedance: 0.6Ω
- Max Output Level: 4Vrms
- Frequency Response: 10Hz~75kHz -1dB
- SNR: 133dB
- Dynamic Range: 133dB
- THD+N: -121dB
- Crosstalk: -130dB
- Max Output Level: 2Vrms
- Frequency Response: 10Hz~75kHz -1dB
- SNR: 125dB
- Dynamic Range: 125dB
- THD+N: -112dB
- Crosstalk: -115dB
According to iBasso... The CS43131, Cirrus Logic's flagship DAC chip, boasts an impressive dynamic range of 130dB and an incredibly low THD+N of -115dB. The DX180 utilizes the same DAC matrix technology as the DX260, with Quad CS43131 chips working in unison to exceed the CS43131's theoretical technical limit. The AP measured THD+N reaches an impressive -121dB, demonstrating the superior technology and design concept utilized by the DX180, surpassing that of its competitors. The true measurements of the DX170 are close to the theoretical limits of the CS43131 chipset. However, the DX180 has gone a step further, completely surpassing the obstacles and becoming an insurmountable peak in this price range.
While unfamiliar with other DAPs, the DX180's features and specifications are astonishingly superb. Seriously… SNR of 133 dB and a THD+N of -121 dB … are insanely good. We don’t see these specs on high-end home audio equipment that costs multiple times that of the DX180. However, are the DACs appropriately implemented, and can these measurements be translated into beneficial relevance with the limitations of its primary use with headphones and IEMs? I suppose we can all answer that question for ourselves based on our music-listening needs. Of course, I do have an opinion that I will share later.
Unboxing and Setup
I was eager to get the DX180 and start my new experience with a DAP. The package includes the DX180 unit, a USB-C cable, a clear TPU case with a rubberized feel, four screen protectors, the warranty card, and a Quick-Start Guide. I could not find any other case for the unit, but I hope to see a leather case surface on Amazon soon. The unit was 90% charged and ready for setup, which was super easy. I adjusted the settings and loaded the SanDisk 1TB Extreme microSDXC card I purchased from Amazon.
This Android software is fast and sufficient. It was not lacking in any way during my navigation, downloading, and overall use. It is basically like an Android phone without all the fluff. Any app from the Google Play Store can be installed, although I prefer to keep it simple. The first apps I downloaded were HEOS and Roon ARC. Otherwise, my home screen is relatively uneventful, which is how I like it.
Experimenting with the included Mango music app and its dismal performance led me to install one more app: Symfonium music player. I don’t know if it was a matter of not understanding Mango, but I could not get it to work efficiently. Symfonium makes life much easier for music discovery and playback. If you need a music player app, I highly recommend you check it out: https://symfonium.app/. You may have to eat a banana sandwich for lunch instead of going to McDonald’s, as the app will cost you about five bucks. Symfonium is well-maintained and even includes an online forum for support. Not only can I designate the SD card for my music folder, but it can also connect to our NAS. It only took a few minutes for all the music on our NAS to be available on my S24, but of course, I used the SD card in the DX180 so that our music will be completely portable. Symfonium is also customizable. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
The DX180's controls are relatively simplistic. The large volume control knob is on the upper right side, three buttons are below the volume, the SD card holder and USB-C connections are on top, and line outputs are on the bottom.
Below is the screen's default layout and various indicators. The upper bar will add the sampling rate and FIR mode when playing music.
The DX180 also includes a graphic EQ and a parametric EQ. The graphic EQ consists of 10 bands from 33Hz to 16kHz. It can be manually customized, or one of five preset EQs can be used. The parametric EQ contains six filters that can be customized as peak, notch, low-shelf, high-shelf, bandpass, high-pass, low-pass, and all-pass. There are also five digital filters and the option for 2X FIR output. The bottom line with these filters is to listen and determine which settings you like best. There are supposed to be differences, although I was unable to hear any.
User Manual: http://www.ibasso.com/uploadfiles/download/DX180userguide.pdf
Listening: IEMs
iBasso says the DX180 burn-in time is commonly between 100 and 200 hours, noting that... The point of burn-in is to help form the new capacitors and other components. Can this forming process alter the signal's sound, and is the sound neutral before or after the change? If you are an electrical engineer familiar with this forming process, please let me know... I'm curious. After my initial listening evaluation, I was considerably short of the common hours. Therefore, my initial thoughts are based on my out-of-the-box experience. There will be considerably more hours on the unit as I keep listening. I also plan to allow the unit to keep playing music (while not listening) for "burn-in" purposes for a few days. If I notice any glaring differences, I’ll edit this review and make a note of it.
Update: There are now well over 100 hours on the DX180; I have not noticed any differences in sound quality... it has been excellent from day one. Of course, as others suggest, I may have evolved with the sound and not realized an improvement.
Based on a few reviews, I picked up the pair of 7Hz and the Etymotic ER4XR IEMs mainly because I needed a starting point and felt like the lower side of what might be mid-fi was a good fit. I needed more time to research what I wanted to try from the more expensive range before ordering those. It isn’t easy to justify spending thousands of dollars chasing something I can’t get with my traditional two-channel room systems. Granted, it is a different kind of listening experience, so perhaps it may be worth spending the stash for some enthusiasts. I was floored when I viewed some IEMs costing 7-8 grand… even a few Limited to 5 Pairs Worldwide [Special Order] at $13,700. I think I kept my spending reasonable, and I have more IEMs to try out later, including a few better-quality models that might be classified on the high side of mid-fi or maybe even the lower side of high-end. I will listen with my headphones, but I initially wanted to listen with complete portability in mind and sample some of the better IEMs than what I’ve tried in the past.
For my first listening session, I used the 7Hz Timeless IEMs. These use a 14.2mm planar driver with a double-sided array N52 magnet and ultra-thin diaphragm. I’m a huge planar speaker fan, so I admit I was biased in choosing these. They are the first respectable quality IEMs I have experienced. I downloaded several songs onto the SD card and began listening with the Mango app. It was getting late, and my eyes were struggling to stay open, but at least I knew it was all working and that it sounded pretty good thus far. The following day, I set up my Roon reference playlist of 67 songs (approximately 6 hours of music) for listening. This may seem like a lot of music-listening, but these are a mix of numerous genres that are very telling of a system and will test it to its maximum capabilities. There are also a few songs that I pay particular attention to for specific reasons. The following are a few of the songs and what I’m listening for when listening to those songs.
- Cassandra Wilson Dance to the Drummer Again - tight, snappy, and hard-hitting drums on one of the best drum recordings I’ve ever heard.
- Bassotronics Bass I Love You Too - feel and hear the lowest sub-bass octaves.
- Whitney Houston I Will Always Love You - clear, non-shilling, and non-sibilant vocals.
- Alanis Morisette Uninvited - enormous height and width of the symphonic soundstage.
- Tool Chocolate Chip Trip - can I trip out with them… two-channel phase tricks.
- Cassandra Wilson Strange Fruit - horn player on the back left-center of the stage.
- Hanne Boel House of the Rising Sun - stunning vocals with that symphonic soundstage.
- Maroon 5 Lips On You - excellent vocals and rumbling sub-bass.
- O-Zone Percussion Group Jazz Variants - big bass drum, airy bell tree, and intricately detailed highs.
- Fink Trouble’s What You’re In - guitar slapping and plucking.
- Lindsay Buckingham I’m So Afraid - rock out with the drums and crazy guitar riffs.
I am curious to learn how much of these characteristics using a DAP and IEMs/headphones will be similar to what I experience in my two-channel home systems. I’m not expecting miracles.
My listening was with audio settings on 2X FIR output and using filter D2, both of which were the default settings. Switching through the filters, there were slight differences, but it was difficult to say which I would prefer. They all sounded acceptable, and if I had to choose, I’d probably select the NOS filter, which I used for the remainder of my listening. I left the EQs flat.
After finishing up my Roon playlist, I listened to the songs on the SD card using the Symfonium music player. I then continued listening to a Roon Nubya Garcia Mix featuring Theon Cross, London Brew, Tom Skinner, and others (a Jazz mix)… 23 tracks in a little over 2 hours. The next session included a few tracks from Hans Zimmer Live in Prague with what should have been a gargantuan soundstage.
How did it all sound? I was more impressed with the fact that I was able to sit for over eight hours and listen with IEMs in my ears than I was with the music. This is an amazing accomplishment simply because I’m usually not fond of anything in my ear. Please don’t let my wife read this, Lord. If she reads it, she’ll investigate the type of IEMs I used and start looking for hearing aids that fit the same. I guess I’ve lost my excuse now. The music was good, and I enjoyed listening to it. The music was fuller than what I was expecting. Thankfully, the 7Hz Timeless IEMs were comfortable in my ears and allowed me to listen for as long as I did. About three hours into my first listening session, I swapped out the 7Hz for the Etymotic ER4XR pair. I immediately noticed the bass response was not as extended and smooth and could hear some distortion in the ER4XRs. This was not from playing them loud, as I had the volume at a reasonable level for this rather long listening session. That’s not to say I never cranked it up. The 7Hz did not flinch as the volume increased with Hans Zimmer’s Crimson Tide / Angels & Demons, and I had it extremely loud. I was also not fond of the ER4XR barrel-type IEM that inserts that far into my ears. Those became annoying very quickly, regardless of the tip. The bass went away when I tried the more comfortable, smaller tip because the seal was not as good. The 7Hz Timeless IEMs don’t have to be in the ear nearly as far, and again, they sounded better in every aspect for me. The DX180/7Hz Timeless combo gave me excellent sub-bass extension, clean and snappy. The midrange was smooth, with vocal clarity that may have surpassed what I’d heard in some of my headphones. The mid and upper end was detailed and precise, with no hint of harshness or listening fatigue. Overall, it was a clean and pleasant listening experience. The biggest miss was the lack of soundstage and pinpoint imaging. This deficiency is not from the DX180, as you will read later.
The Mini Soundstage
I want to digress for a moment about soundstage with headphones and IEMs. I read reviews expressing characteristics such as “incredible soundstage” and “wide and deep soundstage” for headphones and IEMs. This is not likely without complex DSP implementation (think Smyth Realiser or BRIR filters). Our heads do not have sufficient three-dimensional space to separate instruments far enough from our heads to create an illusion of an actual stage. In practicality, consider that the sound coming from a stage is at least several meters wide and deep (short of it being a one-man band), with substantial distance between you and the stage. We can’t fit a stage in our heads. The stage, musicians, and instruments will never be that small. Therefore, with IEMs and headphones, there may be a separation of sound, but for the most part, it’s very small and anything but wide and deep. Some headphones will have a wider and deeper mini soundstage but are not as wide and deep as related to a properly set up listening room with speakers. Crossfeed may get you a few inches of movement but not feet. Yes… some higher-end headphones will have better imaging and separation, creating a slightly out-of-head experience that is better than other headphones. Still, it does not even remotely resemble anything close to a home system or actual stage. Maybe we still refer to this separation as a soundstage, as many do, but it is a mini soundstage that is not something we would ever see in the real world.
Listening: Headphones
Speaking of headphones, it was time to listen to the DX180 through my headphones. I’ve been using my headphones more often during my retirement than ever before, as they are an easy way to listen while reading and writing on the computer. I need to figure out how to add A/C, as my ears get too hot after several hours of listening. We owned the AKG-K240s for over 25 years before they started falling apart. In 2011, I began searching for their replacement, and not wanting to spend a fortune, I ended up with the AT A900s after trying several models. A few years later, the upgrade bug hit me, and I again tried several models to end up with the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro 80 Ohm, which I still have, as well as a few others I’ll mention later.
My headphone equipment includes the FiiO Olympus 2 (USB DAC), the Matrix mini-i Pro 4 (DAC/streamer/headphone amp), the WiiM Ultra (DAC/streamer/headphone amp), the SMSL DO400 (DAC/headphone amp), RME Adi-2 DAC FS (DAC/headphone amp), Aune S17 (Class A headphone amp), Topping DX9 (DAC/headphone amp) and the HiFiMAN Serenade (DAC/headphone amp).
With the DT 770s, I had to crank the volume control up to obtain a comparable listening level, as they were a little more difficult to drive than the IEMs, and I didn't have a 4.4mm adapter to get the higher power output. I started with Hans Zimmer on Roon and then moved to my reference playlist, although I had to skip through while listening to selected songs and clips because I couldn’t sit through 6+ hours with each set of headphones, at least not for this experiment. The 7Hz Timeless IEMs sounded better in terms of a more defined bass and better extension but did not have quite as large of a presentation. The 770s sounded as good on the DX180 as on my other headphone rigs.
How would the DX180 sound with more serious headphones? Hmmm… let’s find out. I have the Sennheiser HD 800 S and HiFiMAN HE1000SE on my headphone rack.
Starting with the 800 S, they sounded as good as I’ve heard them sound with anything else, which speaks well for the DX180. While the 800 S are a bit bass-shy, it is still very defined and audible, and the clarity is among the best. The mini soundstage is one of the best. Again, the DX180 hung right in there with my other headphone amps regarding sound quality. With the HEKse that has better bass than the 800 S but are equally as good otherwise, maybe slightly better, again… the DX180 sounded great. I also tried the Arya Organics. Same again… the DX180 sounds fantastic. The only problem with headphones is the volume, especially if you like them super loud. I discuss this in more detail in the headphones' electronic comparison.
Listening: More IEMs
Heading back to listening with other IEMs, I tried the FiiO FH5s IEMs with their default tuning. Priced in the low two-hundred range, they are similarly priced to the 7Hz Timeless. They seem to fit about the same, with both being reasonably comfortable. I might give a slight comfort edge to the Timeless. The FH5s uses two Balanced Armatures and two Dynamic Drivers that include the 12mm beryllium-plated dome + PU gasket dynamic low-frequency driver, a 6mm beryllium-plated dynamic mid, and the Knowles TWFK-30017 balanced armature drivers for treble. I enjoyed listening to the FH5s IEMs… they sounded good with the DX180. I noticed on the FH5s that I could sense and hear lower sub-bass than what I heard on the Timeless. It was more evident on Bassotronics’ Bass I Love You Too in those lowest octaves. The drum snap was also more noticeable in Hanne Boel’s House of the Rising Sun. However, the Timeless had slightly better vocal clarity. If I were stuck on a $250 or less budget, it would be a tough decision between the two. It would be nice to have the extra sub-bass extension and details of the FH5s with the vocal clarity of the Timeless. Unfortunately, as previously mentioned, neither gave me any sense of soundstage outside my head. Yet, I seem to be relishing the music with the DX180 and IEMs.
And then there were the Sony IER-Z1R IEMs. These are a triple-driver hybrid with 12mm bass/midrange dynamic drivers, a side-firing BA treble driver for the lower range of the treble, and a 5mm micro-dynamic tweeter for the upper treble. I probably don’t need to say a lot more about these IEMs. They almost make me want to completely discard my HD 800S and HE1000SE phones. These are fabulous sounding to my ears. The bass is to die for… clear vocals… smooth and detailed highs. The bass will not vibrate your earlobes like some headphones can, but it is incredible for an IEM. The problem with these is getting them comfortable in my ears. Maybe the housing is too big for me, as I can feel them pressing on the bottom side of my outer ear. I haven’t felt this with the other IEMs.
When I thought it could not get any better, along comes the Mest, the Unique Melody Mest MKII. The Mest has 7 Traditional Drivers + Dual Sides Bone Conduction System, consisting of a 4-way Quadbrid with 1 Dynamic Bass Driver + 2 BA Mid Drivers+ 2 BA Treble Drivers +2 EST (Electrostatic) Ultra High Drivers + 1 Full Range B2 Bone Conduction Driver. A rather complicated driver system. How could the bass be any better than the IER-Z1Rs? With the Mest, I thought I might be moving a little on those sub-bass notes on Bass I Love You Too. I could certainly feel the bass in my ears. Incredible! Swapping back and forth, the Z1Rs sounded more reserved in the mids and highs, although the bass was still good. It almost made me wonder if these were the IEMs I was listening to the day before when I thought they would be the best I’d hear. They are still better than any others I’d heard and superb IEMs, but the Mest bettered them in midrange clarity and had even smoother treble detail. I was scratching my head at how I had not previously missed that clarity and detail in the Z1R, but now I miss it. However, I understand it can take comparisons like this to help you notice differences and shortcomings. And the Mest bass… wow… maybe not as boosted as the Z1R, but slightly deeper and more defined, blending in with the other drivers to form perfection and absolutely the best IEM I’ve listened to. These are keepers! They also have the best mini-soundstage of any I’ve heard, surpassing some of my headphones. These made me want to spend the day listening to every song in my reference playlist. They are also very comfortable, which makes a huge difference when listening for extended periods. So the Z1Rs can no longer be rated 10/10 on my list of IEMs… I’ll have to back them up to 9/10 to make room for the Mest being 10/10. If the Z1Rs are fabulous sounding to my ears, then the Mest have to be even more fabulous sounding. Why am I enjoying these IEMs as much as I am? This is fun listening, even if it’s not as good as my better headphones or my AV room.
I got a good night's rest and started my morning with the Z1Rs to verify what I had been hearing. They sound excellent, and if it were not for the discomfort, I could listen to these IEMs all day long and enjoy them. But then I connected the Mest and realized what I was missing with the Z1Rs. The music seems to come to life with the Mest. I can see how enthusiasts would pick the Z1Rs over most other IEMs, as I would also pick them over the others I’ve heard before the Mest. And if I’d never heard the Mest, I would never know what I would have been missing. Then, there continues to be the comfort factor. The Mest feels right in my ears. I like listening to these IEMs. Now the question is, what can best the Mest?
Listening: Bluetooth Pairing
I have a pair of AKG Y50BT Bluetooth on-ear headphones that we got free sometime over the last decade. I’ve never listened to them, so I figured I’d try them with the DX180. Connecting them was simple enough, and I began skipping through my Roon playlist. While uncomfortable smashing my ears against my head, they sounded pretty good. The bass extension was excellent, but mids and highs were slightly reserved with less detail than the 770s. Still, I was somewhat surprised these sounded as good as they did, as I wasn’t expecting as much.
I also paired the DX180 with my Vanatoo Black Transparent One Encore Plus desktop monitors in Bluetooth mode. I can’t speak highly enough about how good these speakers sound through my computer system via USB. I was eager to see if the DX180 could improve the sound. I used the Vanatoo remote to switch back and forth between the computer playing from the Roon playlist and the DX180 playing from the Symfonium playlist. I started the same song simultaneously and instantly switched back and forth. As long as I matched the volume level, I could not differentiate the sound, and both were equally good. The slightest change in volume caused the louder source to sound better, which is somewhat expected and why it is of utmost importance to level match volume when making an A/B comparison. With this setup, I verified the DX180 can produce a good soundstage and imaging, as it combines very well with the Vanatoo speakers. As alluded to earlier in the review, I can now see how the DX180 could easily be a fine source for a high-end home system.
In a nutshell, as we hillbillies say, the DX180 would make a viable source for Bluetooth speakers or headphones. I could see us going down to the river with the DX180 and a couple of BT speakers to help mask the cicadas' singing and the croaking of their backup frogs.
Listening: Headphones Electronics Comparison
I started with the FiiO Olympus 2 USB DAC Headphone Amp using my DT 770s. The FiiO sounded like it had some issues and needed to be thrown away. The DX180 had more power and clarity when driving the headphones. I don’t know what was happening with my FiiO or if it's because it’s seven years old and rusty. I don’t remember it sounding that way in the past, but I have not used it in a long time. It was my only portable amp (until the DX180), and I haven’t needed it. For the comparison between the FiiO, I set the DX180 in USB DAC mode to make it easier to swap headphones while listening via the PC, as both were connected to USB ports on the front of my PC. I ran into an issue while swapping the headphones connection from the FiiO to the DX180, where the DX180 would make a nasty distorted sound when the headphones were plugged back in. I had to switch the USB DAC mode off and back on to clear it up. I’m not sure if this is normal. While it really won’t matter to me since I won’t be using it in USB DAC mode, I’ll still mention it to iBasso tech support. The bottom line for the comparison… the DX180 crippled the FiiO in all aspects, likely due to a faulty FiiO, to give it the benefit of the doubt.
Using the Mest IEMs, I started my Roon reference playlist on my Matric mini-i Pro 4 and the DX180 and carefully level-matched both. Comparisons are nearly impossible without level matching since the perceived frequency response of our ears changes with volume. I swapped back and forth with the 4.4mm connection during various songs, listening intently to both and trying to pick differences in the details. There were none to be picked, period. They sounded the same, which was good enough for me to know the DX180 can compete with most other headphone electronics.
For kicks, I connected the Aune S17 to the Matrix mini-i Pro 4 and grouped it and the DX180 in Roon to play simultaneously. This time, listening through my HEKse headphones at a moderately loud level. Again, I swapped back and forth between the DX180 and S17, and there were no differences I could pinpoint in the few song clips I listened to. Remarkably, the DX180 can be in the same conversation (in a good way) as the S17.
Other DAC headphone amps may outperform the DX180 in terms of volume on headphones with low sensitivity and needing more power. While the 4.4mm output will drive all my headphones to extremely loud and uncomfortable levels, they are not the most demanding headphones to drive. Stay tuned to our reviews here at avnirvana.com for an enlightening headphone amp comparison... coming soon!
Regarding that noise issue in the USB DAC mode, I did not experience any noise or issues when swapping IEMs or headphones numerous times in DAP mode, which will likely make it a non-issue for most users.
UPDATE (9/16/24): I was evaluating a pair of Dan Clark Audio Stealth headphones and knowing they are more difficult to drive, decided to test them with the DX180. At full volume on the 4.4mm output, it was only sufficient for moderate listening levels. I don't think I would personally buy the DX180 if all I had to use it with were the DCA Stealth headphones.
Listening: Summary
The DX180 DAP now has well over 200 hours on it, between hours of daily listening and allowing it to play when I was away. I can’t say I have noticed any improvement with iBasso’s recommended break-in period. If there had been any improvement, it would have probably been a gradual change that was hard to notice. It sounded good when I started, and it still sounds good. Maybe it sounds better, but I can’t pick up on it.
DAP and IEMs… this experience has opened my eyes to a different kind of listening. While I enjoyed the listening sessions and will continue to listen more and more, experimenting with different IEMs, it’s not the same as listening in my AV room, where I am fully immersed and overwhelmed with the music, where I can feel the music and have that more sensational experience of music nirvana. With the DAP/IEM combo, there is a lack of a more extensive soundstage and precise imaging with depth of acuity, and for me, there is a lack of emotional interaction with the music. Nonetheless, I can still enjoy a different kind of listening as an alternative, especially when writing and researching on the computer, and it’s fun listening to music with this type of setup.
Battery Life
Briefly, as the specs suggest, playing time is pretty good. I never intentionally timed it, but I was never lacking and could easily use it from morning to night (or leave it playing for several hours for break-in) and still have juice. It fully charges in a little over an hour. The battery is user-replaceable, which appears to be a unique feature that most other DAPs don’t offer.
iBasso Service and Support
The first few times I emailed iBasso, they were very responsive and quickly replied. My last email about the USB DAC noise when connecting headphones went unanswered for three days, so I nudged them again on the fourth day. Shortly after, I received an email stating they noticed a bug and will fix it in the next firmware update. Perhaps the delay was because they had to investigate the issue. I don’t know much about iBasso, and this is the first product I’ve owned, but I have not read any complaints about them thus far. I Googled “iBasso customer service,” and everything I could find was good. They seem to be at the top of their game with service. I also found an iBasso Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/561513361202690/.
UPDATE: Firmware released 9/27/24 to address the DAC noise issue.
Conclusion
Unfortunately, I can’t compare the DX180 to any other DAP. It is good enough for me that I will not pay more for any other DAP. It has a host of high-end features, astonishing specs, fast processing, an excellent neutral sound quality, and a reasonable price for what you get, assuming you are at least using a respectable set of IEMs or headphones, as I believe that would be the only limiting factor in using this DAP. Except for maybe the most critical audiophiles, the DX180 may be as good as many other streaming DAC headphones amps if it has enough power to drive your headphones, and it should for most. It is as clean as they come and has unlimited streaming apps via the Android OS, and it sounds marvelous. In my opinion, the DX180 will not be the bottleneck for sound quality if it has sufficient power for your headphones and shouldn’t be a bottleneck for any IEMs. It will do what it should, not hindering the sound quality. It will undoubtedly serve our personal needs as a portable music server that can be easily used to listen to some tunes at home or on the go. If you are looking for a DAP, I highly recommend giving the DX180 serious consideration.
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