iBasso DX180 Review - Best Midrange DAP

[@_5_675]

Mine has just arrived - sounds great, I love it - usually I think audio reviewers exaggerate but I think this device deserves the good 😮reviews it is getting

[@The_Crayon_God]

I've had mine for a couple of weeks now and it truly is a wonderful dap 💯. It looks and feels like a significantly more expensive product in your hands and the sound quality is gorgeous 🥰. The replaceable battery feature automatically puts this dap way above most other DAPs right now in my opinion. Nice review dude 💯.

[@PrimeAudioReviews]

Yeah, it's great value.

[@simonadams6640]

Props for the removable battery - makes it a much better overall buy. Don't know why they'd have a 2 different internal storage options though seems a bit redundant with the size/price of SD cards.

[@PrimeAudioReviews]

To be honest, my largest card is still only 64GB so that extra storage is a bonus for me. I think the extra 1GB of RAM is pretty substantial for performance too.

[@AdamqK]

I've had mine for about three weeks and I'm loving it, although still trying to find a balance of IEMs and tips to bring out the best of its rich, powerful sound (it has a wonderful heft to the sound, a real advance over my Shanling M6). The only problem I'm having is with the Mango player, which lumps over a thousand of my ripped CDs into a file called "Unknown", when I've had absolutely no problem with them elsewhere. As a result, I really can't use it, but am using UAPP, which I have on my phone and my Shanling with no problem. It took a bit of tweaking,but I'm there and so in love with it.

[@PrimeAudioReviews]

I'm currently using UAPP too, just because it's a bit easier to navigate.

[@AdamqK]

@@PrimeAudioReviews Yes, but mine took a bit of tweaking, as I said. At one point it decided my "Mahler" folder on my memory card didn't exist. It was there, but empty, but I could find the individual albums through "Albums". I uninstalled then re-installed it, and once it scanned it came up with all artists from A to J, then some of S, then some of W, V and X. It took another four goes and letting it run through "Determining audio properties" for five hours without interrupting it to get it to finally behave. I did wonder if there was something I'd done in the 180 that was making everything so haywire, but now that UAPP is all working...I'll just enjoy.

[@azifaliaslam673]

for all round music and for long term, which is more recommended, ibasso dx180 or hiby R6iii?

[@PrimeAudioReviews]

I recently received the R6iii but haven't opened the box yet!

[@Doc8404]

Would love to see a comparison between this and the hiby r4 which is a good entry level sub 300 dap.

[@Marc80music]

Hi, I enjoyed your review. I like this DAP and I was thinking about buying one for outdoor use, to power my Hifiman Edition XS headphones (in my house I pair it with the amp/DAC Topping DX3 Pro+). You paired it with your Sennheiser HD650; can I pair it with my Hifiman edition XS, that is unbalanced? The rated power of Edition XS is around 200mw. ​I can't find the answer. Help!!!

[@PrimeAudioReviews]

Yes, absolutely.

[@Marc80music]

@@PrimeAudioReviews Thank you very much for answering my question.

[@chrisbee9164]

Great review are you able to offer a comparison between this one and the fiio M23?

[@PrimeAudioReviews]

I haven't had a FiiO DAP since the M6 unfortunately!

[@guilladogui8259]

is there something good in the 350 price range you would recommend ?

[@PrimeAudioReviews]

There's the HiBy R4 and FiiO M11S.

[@alexeiboukirev8357]

Since the volume knob is sticking out, is it prone to accidental volume change or button click if you brush against it? I'd prefer it to be sunk into the body.

[@PrimeAudioReviews]

It's only happened once or twice for me so far. The buttons were a bigger issue, which is why I disabled them while the screen is off.

[@joestrickl]

@@PrimeAudioReviews The wheel has a wide range of volume increments so if the knob moves a bit it shouldn't change the loudness too much. I cut the protruding knobs off the protective plastic case with an X-acto blade so they are now not a problem.

[@topandrun126]

Sim card micro sd slot bypass battery external power is key features for me in any portable DAP I'm buying moving forward.

[@PrimeAudioReviews]

umm, I have no idea what you're talking about.

[@topandrun126]

@PrimeAudioReviews the fiio m23 have bypass battery meaning you can use a external power supply. Fiio m15s have micro SD card slot and a sim card slot for internet connection. That is what I'm talking about.

[@MARYOLIONHEART]

@@topandrun126 Yeah, but sadly DX180m don't have sim card slot

[@dragomirpetrov6469]

​​​@@topandrun126the dx 180 has a micro sd card slot . The fiio m15s does not have sim card suport . It simply has micro sd tray resembling sim tray. Both players are wi fi capable.

[@dragomirpetrov6469]

The dx180 has a micro sd card slot. The fiio m15s does not have sim suport. Its micro sd tray resembles sim tray. Both players are wifi capable.​@@topandrun126

[@tamersosman]

Can i use it as a streamer by connecting it via USB c to external dac?

[@PrimeAudioReviews]

Yes, you can.

[@akash5180]

When plugging a 90$ iem in this will it really sound better than when plugged to a smartphone?

[@PrimeAudioReviews]

It should do but depends on the quality of the iem too

[@a.k.8150]

Although I play flac files on my iPhone, the sound on my two audio high res. players (sym, 2.5mm connection) is much better.

[@TheMafuri]

When i connected my Leshouer S12 (150€) to this Dap it surely sounded different than connecting to my S21 phone. Different? Yes, absolutely. Better? I dunno. My IEM sound more crispy and detailed on this Dap, while on the phone is a darker sound, but to be honest music sounds pretty good on my phone too. It is by connecting my IEM to the Hifiman Serenade that i truly hear the difference. Everything becomes super musical, detailed, with punchy bass and beautiful midrange . This Dap sounds very good, don't take me wrong. I just like the Serenade more (it's a desktop unit anyway). I think that with more expensive IEM this DAP would probably be more worth it. Paying IEM 100$ and 500$ for a DAP is not a good choice imho. It should be the contrary.

[@Musicophile-p5l]

A bit too big than my preference but the replaceable battery option is nice.

[@Zhorellski]

How does its DAC compared to ESS and AKM Dacs?

[@PrimeAudioReviews]

CS43131 is very resolving but also super smooth. It kind of sits near AKM in tonality but similar to ESS in soundstage. Overall, it's probably closer to AKM or Burr-Brown but it still has its own distinct character (and in this case x4!)

[@TheMafuri]

​@@PrimeAudioReviewsCompared to my ifi Zen Dac 2 (Burr Brown) this sounds more crystalline and detailed, but also much more brighter and thin.

[@tamersosman]

Can it be u used as a streamer only while by passing its internal dac, by connecting it via USB C to more high end external dac?

[@PrimeAudioReviews]

Yes, it can.

[@codyghind]

Geez, what a lagfest! UI animations are a disaster. So surprised you described this 5 year old SoC as "pretty powerful".

[@PrimeAudioReviews]

665 was in the Redmi Note 8 and Sony Xperia 10 ii. You don't need a super computer to play music files!

[@The_Crayon_God]

Having a more powerful CPU in a dap really isn't needed, it's designed to do one thing only and that's to play music 🎶 that's how it should be 💯.

[@hideokojima1914]

first

[@beehype46and2]

Comment for da algorithm Streak count: 410

[@TheVeganVicar]

David, thank you for a wonderful Digital Audio Player review! 👌 Reverend Dr. Thomas, ✝️ The Vegan Vicar 🌱

[@PrimeAudioReviews]

Thanks for watching!

[@miscwork-qb7pd]

I think daps should have an extra p for portable, digital audio portable player, dapp. It looks so big and heavy, so clumsy to bring outside

[@PrimeAudioReviews]

I barely notice it in my pocket - it's smaller (but thicker) than my phone!

[@sandydennylives1392]

@@PrimeAudioReviews It might be prone to snapping off, in time.

[@hkhudadad]

these DAPs won't change an earphone's sound in the slightest. I got various daps to power various IEMs and none made a difference. I Got a Fiio BTR5 and that's doing the same job, same sound, much more convinient and MUCH MUCH cheaper

[@PrimeAudioReviews]

That's great if that's what floats your boat. I also love my Shanling UP4 for the same reasons but this easily outclasses it for sound *plus* I can listen to LOSSLESS music from the SD Card. I also like to keep my music experience separate from my phone.

[@TheVeganVicar]

Does the BTR5 have the capability to play thousands of music files?

[@DarthThrash]

​@@TheVeganVicar If you have the files in your phone, of course.

[@wahid-lg1kk]

Everyone's hearing is different. Just because you can't hear a difference, does not mean that most of the audiophile community, who can, are a bunch of morons. Why you guys get so angry about it, I don't know. Just enjoy the music, dude.