Portable USB headphone DAC

trailer · 28-12-2008, 11:10 AM

Has anyone got any recommendations?

pp56825 · 28-12-2008, 1:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trailer

Has anyone got any recommendations?

i found this but i'm not sure if this is good
M-AUDIO - Transit - Hi-Resolution Mobile Audio Interface

**Steven** · 28-12-2008, 3:13 PM

Budget?

Pico DAC/Amp
RSA Predator DAC/Amp

trailer · 28-12-2008, 3:25 PM

Thanks for the suggestions. Why is it all the decent ones are only in the States? I don't mind paying up to a couple of hundred for one but with the exchange rate plus shipping/duty it soon adds up.

trailer · 29-12-2008, 8:27 AM

Has anyone heard the iBasso D2 Boa? iBasso Seems pretty much what I am after.

trailer · 29-12-2008, 10:28 AM

Well I've gone and ordered one. Will let you know how I get on with it.

HiFi Headphones · 29-12-2008, 10:04 PM

trailer: I'd be very interested in your feedback on the iBasso. Our sister company (KS Distribution) is about to start bringing the iBasso range into the UK and we'll be offering them on HiFi Headphones some time in January.

The whole iBasso headphone amp/dac range looks very nice and all the reports I've read so far have been very positive.

trailer · 30-12-2008, 10:43 AM

Do you do any fixed LOD leads (non-retractable) for an iPhone at all?

**Steven** · 30-12-2008, 12:43 PM

Where did you order it from? The iBasso is interesting as off the top of my head I actually cannot think of another portable dac/amp which offers optical input

trailer · 30-12-2008, 4:31 PM

From iBasso direct: link as above. It cost £135 all in with delivery by dhl (plus customs/duty, whatever that may be)

ShiftyWxm · 30-12-2008, 5:19 PM

Will be interested to see what you think of the D2 when you get it. Was only looking on the Hifi Headphones site this morning and noticed that the D2 was on there.

At the moment I only have a cmoy amp, fiio e3 and e5 amps. So interested in stepping up and the d2 looked like a good option.

It is frustrating at the lack of amps this side of the Atlantic - the only ones that seems to be "widely" available are the Graham Slee ones, but don't get much press. As you also say, they all sound nice prices until you add on the postage and customs fees.

swayne · 30-12-2008, 8:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trailer

Has anyone heard the iBasso D2 Boa? iBasso Seems pretty much what I am after.

I have a D3 Python and it's a corker.

Steven.

trailer · 08-01-2009, 3:00 PM

Received today from China. No customs to pay. Will let you know how I get on.

honglong · 09-01-2009, 6:03 PM

Any of the Hotaudio ones are good.

MOD COMMENT...post your review here please.

**Steven** · 06-02-2009, 8:13 PM

trailer, how is it?

trailer · 07-02-2009, 10:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LFC_SL

trailer, how is it?

It's actually very good! A big improvement over my Dell laptops soundcard.

The unit is very well put together and small enough to carry around.

I'm still looking for a LOD that works with an iPhone. I've had 2 so far that didn't even though the seller said they would.

I'll post some pictures later to show its size.

**Steven** · 07-02-2009, 8:36 PM

I don't think an LOD is out yet for the iPhone as the pin-out is different

swayne · 07-02-2009, 11:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LFC_SL

I don't think an LOD is out yet for the iPhone as the pin-out is different

iBasso do one for $US16 but are out of stock at the moment.

http://www.ibasso.com/en/products/

Steven.

trailer · 08-02-2009, 11:51 AM

They've been out of stock for a while now.

trailer · 09-02-2009, 1:55 PM

Couple of pics:

trailer · 24-02-2009, 8:34 AM

Right, I've had the chance to give the iBasso some serious listening to.

The USB connection from the laptop is by far much better than the internal soundcard. Everything sounds so much clearer and defined with much more detail.

I've used the headphone out off a 5.5 iPod and iPhone into the line in of the iBasso, using it just as an amplifier, and again the difference between the iPod/iPhones on its own is certainly much better. Not as big a difference as using the DAC via USB but certainly an improvement.

Now where's that iPhone LOD.................

HiFi Headphones · 04-03-2009, 11:38 PM

I agree with your comments about use with a laptop. Even if you were never to use the iBasso D2 as a dedicated headphone amp the DAC/headphone amp combination makes it a very wise investment for portable listening with a laptop.

With my IBM ThinkPad T62 laptop feeding the D2's DAC and a pair of HD650's the difference in overall sound quality is significant compared with the laptop's standard headphone output.

Purely as a headphone amp I've been testing the iBasso D2 with my iPod (via Line Out Dock cable) and an old Samsung MP3 player. Overall I've been rather impressed. Especially with higher impedance earphones such as the Sleek Audio SA6 and Klipsch Image X10 there is good improvement in depth of bass, as well as (less noticeably to my battered ears!) high frequency detail and soundstage.

trailer · 09-03-2009, 12:24 PM

I've managed to get hold of a LOD for the iPhone. The sound quality is much better on this than the standard headphone out.