iBasso DX240 - the player you've been waiting for

[@Poschmane]

Oh my god...i upgraded from DX160 to DX240 now because a very nice tester sold it to me for 750 Euro, in black with Leathercase and all accessories. This is really an insane quality in sound and i cant stop listening because its really as you said a very engaging and precise signature with all effects and details. Nightwish or System of a Down Songs were never so clear well layerd and dynamic. Especially live records of Pink Floyd and so on have really a goosbump feeling. I also tried some free MQA files and this is really just incredible. I reccomend to ise the ballanced output because this is really giving u the full ecperience. Now i will try to get a chance to try once a A&K SP2000t because by now i cant imagine that there is still improvement possible worth paying 1000Euro more.. maybe only sound signature warmer or colder in any field. I just ordered amp2 and amp8. Thank u for this review because based on this i decided to take DX240 instead of Fiio M11 Plus. Whish u all a merry christmass!

[@PortaFi]

Hello, thank you for sharing and congratulations on purchase! I'm really gled that you like it! Happy holidays to you too! All the best wishes for you!

[@TheCorstenn]

I'm considering those two. And i have also now xd 160. 😊 Did you hear m11 ess for compassion?

[@Poschmane]

@@TheCorstenn Unfortunatley not but i noticed that a lot of people are selling it again on ebay in germany and also Austria for 400-600 Euro. I am sure if u listen to the iBasso u will be satisfied because its neutral tuning. The rest of your prefered signature i am sure you can get by using suitable to ur preference sounding em's or headphones. The dynamic is just insane. And the DX240 is really pocketable. I listened to a DX300 and really prefer the DX240 more.

[@B.E.]

Sorry for asking, but i want buy DX240 always for 759,- Euro. Can you sent me link or Emailadresse please?

[@AbalMarius]

Hey have you tried amps you got for dx240? Which one do you liked the most? Thanls

[@ericburgos]

I currently have an M17 and am wanting to find something of a more reasonable size. I'm torn between this one and the Shanling M6 Ultra... but I think I'm leaning towards the Shanling. I've never had one and am curious to see what Shanling brings to the table. Hope you're safe, buddy.

[@PortaFi]

Hello, friend. You know, unfortunately, to get M17 sound one needs M17's size to place batteries, amp and stuff. While iBasso is also a great option, it's more limited due to size. As for Shanling, unfortunately I didn't test Ultra version, so I can't say anything about it Best wishes!

[@Shamus1206]

Thanks for this. Love your reviews! . Have been listening to my DX240 daily. Was very surprised how light this player is. I did receive the green leather case with my player, in a separate box.

[@PortaFi]

Probably it's some kind of bonus for the first buyers. Or maybe I missed something, but local dealer said that leather case won't be in stock accessories in future

[@Shamus1206]

@@PortaFi Thank you. When I was looking at purchasing, no one in the US had any leather cases. One of the shops I was checking out for my purchase first told me they didn't have the leather case. A couple days after the player release, they emailed me and stated they just received the leather case and will give away with your purchase. So, I bought it. Like the one you reviewed, I was shipped the green case with the green player.

[@PortaFi]

@@Shamus1206 thank you for sharing! Probably, iBasso have some promotion with cases

[@Mr76Gus]

Great always. Against M11 plus on sound quality and signature??

[@AbalMarius]

Yeah , agree, woud like to know this also. M11 plus know how it sounds with dead neutral thx, but think and hope 240 has more musical signature with not worse technicalities. Then it would be upgrade for me

[@OSQQ123]

Also interested in this comparison

[@PortaFi]

I thought I mentioned that in comparisons. FiiO is pretty close in terms of overall sound representation, both are tuned in a "neutral, but dynamic" style, but iBasso slightly better develops treble and puts more energy into lowest bass

[@AbalMarius]

@@PortaFi thanks for explaining. Heard in video comparison, only wanted more concentrated to these daps. So thanks for sharing your opinion. For me m11 plus was very detailed , dry, really neutral with good control everywhere, in bass also that i really liked but after m11 plus my dx160 sounded not so detailed but a little bit fun and musical with more mass on low end, people say with more coloured sound. Some like this some not. So in your opinion dx240 with original amp is more colored then m11 plus.? Or is it neutral enough for some demanding genres where you need balanced transparent and not much colored sound. Want to understand dx240 pholisophy as fiio filosophy for me already clear ( as much detailed, neutral, balanced and conrolled sound in the source ). And then adding tuning with their iems that usually has more v shape.

[@PortaFi]

@@AbalMarius > in your opinion dx240 with original amp is more colored then m11 plus.? no, it's not more, it just puts a bit different emphasis > Want to understand dx240 pholisophy neutral overall, but with a hint of added "fun"

[@CLaudiusClemensJimmy]

aha.... another dap review from the master, thank you pavlo!!! 2:37 two thousand twenty & two thousand, you meant two hundred & two hundred twenty of course 🙏

[@PortaFi]

sure, you're right, thank you for a correction

[@SuperZedd]

I still enjoy my DX160 from 2019. Still going strong thankfully.

[@PortaFi]

really great that you like it. enjoying the music is a primary goal of this hobby :)

[@SuperZedd]

@@elo8181 I can imagine it is better than DX160. 👍

[@souropashibondhon7044]

Nice review as always 👍 Can you please tell me, between Hiby R2 and Shanling Q1, which one has more natural, neutral sound? Currently I'm using Fiio M3 pro and thinking of upgrading.

[@Poschmane]

If u really want neutral sound i can recommend Hidizs AP80 pro. Its a small monster DAP with a lot of sound adjustment possibilities like normal EQ, the Hiby MSB system and also filters and soundstage adjustment. Its off box sound is really neutral and it really gets a lot of micro details. Its size is between Q1 and R2. Price i guess is obly 30 dollars more than Q1 or R2. Hiby and Shanling are usually more warmer in sound. There is also a very good review on this channel u can watch.

[@PortaFi]

Q1 is more neutral, while R2 is a bit warmer. And comment about AP80 Pro is also a good suggestion, if you like even more neutral signature with slight focus on micro-contrast

[@Oone1991]

Very nice review! :) I have a very naive question: is this better than Audioquest dragonfly Cobalt in terms of sound quality and signature? I have recently started venturing into the world of audiophiles and would really want to know about the difference between these two. I currently have a dragonfly cobalt and am thinking about getting this DAP. Is it worth the upgrade? Also, are Sony MDR Z1Rs a good pair for the ibasso dx240?

[@PortaFi]

I'm sorry, but I didn't test Cobalt. Missed this model as it was released

[@Oone1991]

@@PortaFi Thanks so much for the reply! :) I think I will wait for some time before I make up my mind. But from your review, I’m very much tempted to buy this!! :D

[@PortaFi]

@@Oone1991 I hope you'll like it

[@OSQQ123]

Thank you for the great review as always. I have an A&K SP1000M and looking to change to something else. I like musical warmish sound from an IMR IEM. Would you consider the sound out of DX240 very different from the sound characteristic of A&K DAP? will I miss the musicality of my SP1000M by replacing it with DX240? thanks

[@PortaFi]

DX240 is a good DAP, but it doesn't have that signature "fluid" mids of A&K, so it'll be gone. will you miss them or no, I can't tell :) subjectively, I like them really much, so I'd probably missed them I really want to try new SP2000T, but it's much more expensive than DX240

[@h1a8]

Have you heard the dx170? I was thinking about getting it or this dx240. If you have, then can you describe the sound quality differences (details and resolution, imaging, space or soundstage, bass punch, etc). Also compare to ap80 pro-x

[@PortaFi]

no, I haven't heard it yet. due to war delivery of new models to Ukraine is pretty slow

[@AniketSen]

Hi, I have placed an order for the shanling M3X after watching your video, commented and you replied, thanks for that....but what i understand is that the jump in audio quality will be minimal compared to my iphone with a dongle....so if i can stretch the budget to this one, is the audio quality in this be a good enough jump or would it still be a minimal one and thereby a case of diminishing returns? please let me know, will use apple music lossless...if the audio quality improvement in this is gonna be a substantial one compared to my iphone then I will cancel the shanling and go for this

[@AniketSen]

also i am considering the astell & kern SR25 MKII, so please let me know where i would get the biggest jump in audio quality.....also can i run apple music in the astell & Kern?

[@PortaFi]

iBasso DX240 will be definitely better sonically, it's one of the best DAPs in terms of price/quality ratio But unfortunately I didn't test Apple Music with it, so it's better to check that with iBasso support. Or at least ask on Head-fi in the owners' thread, they'll give the precise answer :)

[@TStephens21274]

The FIIO M17 is a BEAST! Are you going to review it?

[@PortaFi]

I really hope so. But delivery will take a noticeable time

[@eatmoreporkporky4342]

Nice review and this is a great dap. It's a great size, very fast with good UI and sounds amazing. They fixed a lot of performance issues with dx220 (like crappy BT) and livened up the sound a bit. Plus the design is more modern like dx160. I actually do prefer it to dx300. Only you can't use all amps but even stock amp is really good. Another plus is it's more compact than comparable rivals from fiio, shanling, and hiby. Oh, and the green is very sharp 😀

[@PortaFi]

Thanks for watching and sharing!

[@petterschier]

Hello. How Dx240 compares with M17 in SQ department, considering mainly iems load? Both have Es9038 Pro, although M17 uses two. M17 has the DC mode (which is said to produce a superior SQ), but Dx240 has multi modular amps compatibility, with discrete amplification (like Amp8 or the new Amp8mkii). M17 is supposedly a summit fi product, but I believe a lot of this is due to big screen, huge battery/DC mode and input/output versatility...if all we're going to do is use it as a DAP mainly for iems and easy to drive headphones, it worth the extra $1k above Dx240? (If you could compare Mest mkii synergy would be awesome). Thank you.

[@PortaFi]

M17 is more dynamic, with slightly better level of detalisation, better overall control but besides money, it's really a matter of size, M17 is "home" player that isn't really good for a portable usage so you need to consider your preferences

[@sebastienducrocq4932]

Hi Porta.Fi, since your test ( 3,5 gears ago) i have A&K se100, in term of Sound Quality and power , this ibasso or SE100 ? (And why if you can :) Thanks for your help :)

[@PortaFi]

iBasso is more natural and balanced, as it's slightly less focused on microcontrast and thus sounds more organic as for power, sorry, I don't remember specs by heart

[@miloedo]

Hello my friend.. how about this one VS the new Hiby R6 Pro 2 ??

[@PortaFi]

Well, it's actually a complex question, as both players are great. DX240 is a bit more neutralish and monitoring, while R6 Pro 2 sounds more "engaging" to my ears

[@nicoletaclaudia2977]

yesterday I ordered the ibasso dx240 from hifigo and I would like to know if it offers the same sound performance when listening to music on the TIDAL ?

[@PortaFi]

Yes, except of MQA specific sound changes for releases in this format

[@nicoletaclaudia2977]

@@PortaFi thank you for your answer. I can't wait for the package to arrive, I'm very eager to see how much it will impress me. I use kinera nanna 2.0

[@PortaFi]

@@nicoletaclaudia2977 I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy it! :)

[@nicoletaclaudia2977]

@@PortaFi hi, I don't know why the sound filter no longer works on the ibasso dx240. it still sounds the same from D1 to D7 without any change, but before you could very clearly hear the sound filter change. and in this case at the moment is it related to the DAC? it is possible not do I still have the same sound performance once I can no longer notice that the sound filter is no longer working? did something fail? I also did a factory reset and no change

[@PortaFi]

@@nicoletaclaudia2977 Hello, to be honest, for me that sound filters often make a really small difference on any device. And not all of them are really distinguishable for me. Like, brickwall sound s bit different, and on some devices, I can distinguish between sharp and slow ones, but not often.

[@MrAmateurasu]

Hello, I currently have the Shanling M3X, would upgrading to the dx240 would make a much better choice?

[@PortaFi]

yes, DX240 is a noticeable step up in terms of sound (and in terms of features)

[@datdudeinred]

What a little beast! true definition of pocket rocket. But I still want daps with 2 microsd card slots. Wish they come back.

[@PortaFi]

As I've understand by engineers explanation, Android is really bad in supporting 3 volumes. 2 is OK (internal memory and 1 SD), while 3 caused lots of problems in sleep mode and in some other cases That's why almost everyone refused this idea

[@datdudeinred]

@@PortaFi Yeah latest android don't even support 1 card thats why most phones don't come with one, only samsung with their extensive ui manages to do so. So ofc dap manufactures don't have that much ability to code software ui for 2 sd cards. But still I hope someone does 🤞🏻

[@kingmortz]

The reason for the MicroSD slot disappearing in smartphones has nothing to do with limitations in Android. It is still fully supported. Phone makers remove the slot, because they can then sell you the model with more internal storage = more money for them. But because DAPs are such a niche market, with much fewer units sold, and because there is a bigger demand for offline storage in this niche, most DAP manufacturers include a MicroSD slot. Applying the same strategy as smartphone manufacturers would make the DAP-price even more unapproachable.

[@PortaFi]

@@kingmortz we're laking not about single SD cards, but for cases with two micro SD slots and issues they caused

[@ferryjunigwanmurdiansyah4307]

Hi, how do you compare it to Fiio M11 Plus?

[@PortaFi]

it's at 28:28 and on

[@yaritzavillalon3649]

Cual me recomiendas fiio m11 pro o este?

[@PortaFi]

In terms of sound DX240 is slightly better

[@TheCorstenn]

Hi Porta Fi. I'm looking for holographic music xd240 or m11 plus? I like engaging,enjoyable music fun to listen.

[@PortaFi]

DX240 is slightly more neutral, so probably it'll fit your requirements better

[@sleepyrhythms6668]

Great review. How does it compare to the SR25?

[@PortaFi]

sorry, I didn't test SR25. I wanted to get it for tests, but war started in my country and ruined this plans (at least in near future)

[@sleepyrhythms6668]

@@PortaFi Thank you and take care! I wish you the best

[@PortaFi]

@@sleepyrhythms6668 thank you

[@brentkjernisted2215]

Can you EQ 32 bit music on the ibasso 240?

[@PortaFi]

no, I don't have any music in 32 bit

[@harryrs5273]

What do you think in comparison with A&K KANN Alpha?

[@PortaFi]

Alpha has a bit of A&K's signature coloration, so here it's a matter of do you like Astel's signature or not

[@harryrs5273]

@@PortaFi in general across frequency response (vocal, instrument, and bass) compared to DX240?

[@PortaFi]

@@harryrs5273 sorry, I don't have Alpha for a detailed comparison now, so I can't add much to reviews

[@DG191145]

Dx220 more monitoring, more micro detail versus dx240?

[@PortaFi]

yes, a little bit more monitoring and dryer

[@nicoletaclaudia2977]

shanling m8 is superior to ibasso dx240? is there a big soundstage difference between dx240 and m8?

[@PortaFi]

they have a noticeably different representation. M8 has a boosted dynamics, that makes sound more "fun" actually, for me bigger stage is built by a neutral players, so DX240 is slightly better for me, but stage is totally subjective, so for you it can be even the opposite

[@nicoletaclaudia2977]

@@PortaFi Thanks for the reply

[@ariweiss8992]

Hi can it drive an open headphones with 250oms ?

[@PortaFi]

If sensitivity of that headphones isn't too low, then yes, it'll drive them good from the balanced out

[@lukedudgeon8699]

saying that this is good in rock and metal...what would be a "great" option? i listen to other genres, but rock and metal are my go to.

[@PortaFi]

actually, there is no "player for genre", it's a matter of your sound preferences. but from another hand, DX240 is a really good in terms of price to quality ratio, so it'll be a really good choice for virtually everything :)

[@khinglouie]

Hello, this or fiio m11 plus ess?

[@PortaFi]

DX240 is a tiny bit better in terms of sound

[@razvanmarcu3640]

Woooooow

[@dmitriypertsev8081]

Есть выбор у меня между б/у DX240 и новым DX180 - какой посоветуете?

[@PortaFi]

так тут куча факторов, цена, состояние и так далее. по звуку 240 естественно лучше, а в остальном - тут вам решать

[@E99584]

How do you like the dx240 when compared to the dx300? I'm not sure which one I want

[@PortaFi]

both are really good. DX300 is a bit more "audiophiliac", DX240 is bit more fun. so it's a matter of your preferences and also, size is really different here, so it's another criteria of choice. for me DX300 isn't usable on the go

[@Poschmane]

Obviousley the ESS DAC Company will become more popular now because since u mentioned quality problems at Cirrus Logic and also AK has problems since the fire in their factory many DAP Companies who used AK and CS DACS switch to the ESS Dacs for their upcoming DAP's. I also read reviews of Shanling DAPs who uses ESS DACs instead of AK that people like it more...:-) Its really crazy if u imagine the DX160 has already 2x CL DACs, The DX300 has 4 x CL DACs and the DX 240 seems to blow peoples mind with only one single ESS Dac if you read the reviews.. I own a AP80 pro (2xESS DACs), Shanling Q1 (1xESS DAC) and a DX160 (2xCL DACs) and also want to upgrade to a max. 800 Euro DAP and was curious how DX 240 would perform with only one ESS DAC. Originally i wanted to get now a DAP with AK DAC's like M11 Pro or Plus but DX240 now sounds very interesting... In what aspects do you think its a upgrade to DX160?

[@CLaudiusClemensJimmy]

i used to be very spec sheet too if it comes to technical spec, but after a while im in this hobby i've learn couple things, yes the technical parts is important coz they play the processing here, but what more important is how manufacture " taylored " the sound, when in 2019 almost every daps use 2 chips of dac, i used ibasso dx120 with a single akm 4495 it sound way better ( in technicalities ) compare to the same price let say fiio m9 that have Bluetooth & wifi while dx120 just a music player without any of them. an now i use only again single chip dac ES9038PRO and again it produce a very nice sound to my liking. with average file lets say 16 / 24 bit i bet u cant even tell the difference or maybe not even above 5% difference between, if im not mistaken shanling M6 cant let us switch among 1 dac or two in use.

[@Poschmane]

@@CLaudiusClemensJimmy Yes i just read Shanling M6 Specs and they let you switch between single and dual DAC Mode. I dont own a M6 but it would be very interesting whats the benefit in sound quality if u switch from single and dual mode. I can only imagine that maybe it has an effect to soundstage and instrument seperation. I also read rthat the ESS DAC which is used at DX240 has 4 chanells which may could be a point which makes a second DAC obsolet.

[@PortaFi]

> how DX 240 would perform with only one ESS DAC really well indeed :) DACs count isn't that important. and actually, if I remember right, ES9038PRO used here is an 8-channel DAC, so in terms of "DAC cores" it's pretty good solution. but still I must admit that count doesn't always mean quality > In what aspects do you think its a upgrade to DX160? basically, in every single one :) DX240 is a step forward in terms of stage, naturalness, control, etc. Also it's better in terms of usability and has swappable amps

[@Poschmane]

@@PortaFi Sounds great , thank you. I just had read later that this DAC has 8 channels. I think i will get the DX240 then...:-)

[@PortaFi]

@@Poschmane I'm almost sure you'll like it. But it's better to read more reviews to get more opinions :)

[@jaroslavfricek7772]

That was a great joke … English , French 😆😆👍

[@PortaFi]

Thanks! 😃

[@datdudeinred]

24:01 "Pardon my french" Definitely doesn't sound like its worse than your english lol. Proof- kzbin.info/www/bejne/pHnFoXqZq8h7pMk

[@PortaFi]

I've studied French in mid school, but it was so long ago, that I only can say a few lines from "Frère Jacques" and apologise that I speak French awfully :)

[@datdudeinred]

@@PortaFi That was a sarcasm. 😉No apologies required mate. I think you should apologies to anyone on youtube anyway.

[@hipnotycznaegosymulacja9569]

rus 🪳🪳

[@PortaFi]

As a Ukrainian I can’t disagree with you