iBasso DX300 DAP Music Player Review

Equipped with a large and beautiful screen, iBasso doesn't put any fluff in their device - just pure, clean, and unadulterated high fidelity. We recommend the DX300 DAP for those looking for a flagship product without paying the flagship price.

The DX300 is a premium DAP (digital audio player) . It’s apparent upon first look, that the screen is one of the bright points of this device – pun intended. The 6.5 inch near-bezel-less IPS screen is gorgeous. It’s one of the largest I’ve seen on a digital audio player and the snappiness and responsive of the touch controls makes it an extremely enjoyable experience. The screen sports a 2340x1080 resolution with good color accuracy. Responsiveness is snappy and tracking is quick. Older digital audio players always struggled with screen responsiveness, feeling sluggish and inaccurate, despite having really sharp and good-looking screens. iBasso resolves this problem with one of the best interactive experiences I’ve had on a DAP in a long time.

The DX300 isn’t as heavy as it looks. It’s a large device, but the sometimes weight and heft added to a large size of a music player makes it less portable than it was probably intended to be. It’s a good weight, however far from being light and feeling cheap. The chassis is equipped with lots of connectivity options: 2.5mm, 3.5mm, and 4.4mm jacks are located on the bottom of the device. A coaxial jack and USB-C charging port are located on the top. On the left-hand side you’ll find a microSD slot for expanding external storage capacity and on the right is the volume/power knob and the track skip and pause buttons. The connections were all tight and secure and the quality of the ports were durable.

The CS43198 DAC improves on the CS4399, effectively being a high-performance chip with great power efficiency, increasing battery life without sacrificing performance. The DAC itself is neutral sounding, providing an accurate presentation to the music without any unnecessary colorization.

The DAC isn’t the only piece to the sound quality equation. Another feature that makes the iBasso DAPs stand out in the crowd of audiophile music players is their ability to switch out amplifier cards to change sound properties of the device. The ability to customize your DAP according to your particular needs is something only iBasso can do. Various AMP cards can adjust features such as a longer play time, different output ports, different circuit designs, and much more. You can customize your DX300 Music Player according to how you want to listen to your music.

The default amp card that comes with the DX300 music player, the AMP11, is based on the AMP8’s discrete circuit and comes equipped with a 3.5mm single ended, a 2.5mm balanced, and a 4.4mm balanced output ports. All ports can also be changed to line outputs. The default card can run most headphones just fine, but if you have a pair of headphones that have particularly high-power requirements, then you can switch out the amp card for a more sufficient option. Need different connection options? Change out the amp card. It’s an incredibly versatile system that makes sure you’re getting the most out of your flagship music player.

I’m a big fan of big band and early jazz music. The only issue I have with a lot of the older recordings is that the recording technology was in its infancy and quality can be sorely lacking in a lot of recordings pre-1940. Crystal microphones and other early recording gear didn’t capture a lot of body in the low to mid frequencies, lending that tinny and two-dimensional sound. One of my favorite recordings is Benny Goodman’s Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert. The concert took place on January 16, 1938 to a sold-out crowd. Many regard it as one of the most important concerts in the history of jazz, marking the official acceptance of the genre into the mainstream. It’s not the greatest recording in the world either, as Benny says in his introduction that they didn’t even know the concert was being recorded at the time. The recording on the DX300 was more resolute than I had remembered hearing it on other devices. The trumpets never have an issue being heard since their higher frequencies shine through without issue. But I did notice the kick drum more so in the DX300 – the drums and lower brass seemed to be more evenly represented despite the poor recording. I don’t like to dwell much on this record, but I find it a good starting point to see how well a device can “polish a turd,” so to speak.

It’s always an interesting phenomenon to me to see audiophile-quality music player implementing a means of wireless audio connection that the community almost wholly criticizes for its sub-par sound quality. Let’s face it: wireless is a technology of convenience. The quality of wireless audio is undoubtedly getting better each and every day, but it's going to be a long time before it can even be comparable to a wired connection.

A wired connection is going to deliver the best sound quality from your device to your ears. The other thing to consider is that not all cables are created equal. Most of the time the stock cable is not created with the same consideration and quality that the main headphone or the gear is produced.

Why is the cable always an afterthought, when it’s just as important as the rest of your system? At Moon Audio, we use the best raw materials in our cables to unveil your music. We believe the materials matter and your audio cables should have the same care and craftsmanship that manufacturers put into their audio components and headphones. Audio cables are ultimately the connection to your music. The fact remains that cabling is often considered the last priority to that of the main product and a means to cut down the overall production costs. It’s as simple as that.

Generally, stock audio cables are manufactured with subpar materials, metals with impurities, poor geometries, and an overabundance of layers to make them look and feel like a fire hose. Inconsistency and lack of quality control in stock cables can lead to poor sound quality and a veiled sound vs what the musician intended for you to hear and feel from the music. Dragon cables are handcrafted with the highest standards and made to order according to your specific needs.

Personally, I found the Black Dragon to be the sweet spot for me, wanting a bit more warmth and musicality with my music through the DX300. The Black Dragon boosts some of the mid-range tones, giving you that “I’m there” feeling. Black Dragon cables added a livelier sound to classical and jazz, creating an intimate and proximity to the performers that was emphasized by the addition of the cable to the iBasso DX300.

For those wanting an even warmer listening experience, the Bronze Dragon Cable will emphasize those lower frequencies perfectly. This would be a great option for those who consider themselves bass-heads, lovers of EDM, rap, and more. The Silver Dragon experience on the other hand will bring out detail and clarity, creating an intimate, yet broad sound stage. Blue Dragon cables produce big changes in sound clarity, staging, and detail. Silver Dragons are the most popular option, but your headphones are also another part of the equation to take into account. Feel free to Contact Us with any questions you might have, and we’ll be more than happy to suggest a perfect pairing based on your listening preferences and existing gear.

Dual Battery Power Supply Structure

The power system is one of the most unique and significant parts of the DX300 and it has a decisive influence on the overall quality of sound. When a single battery is powering the entire system, a large demand of current by the digital section and the analog section can affect each other, which can cause distortion degrading the sound quality. The DX300 utilizes a patented dual battery structure with the amp and digital section being powered by independent batteries. The independent batteries provide a sufficient power supply to endure the stability of the amp section and it isolates the digital section interference to achieve better overall sound quality. This ensures that the analog section receives extremely clean DC, allowing the amp section of the music player to perform at maximum efficiency.

Replaceable Amp Card

A replaceable amp card design provides for more variety, personalization, and enjoyment if your music. The DX300 patented amp card design provides a wide range of possibilities with future amp cards to come. Longer play time, different output ports, different circuit designs, and synergy matching can be achieved by changing to a different card. Keep in mind that AMP1 through AMP9 cards are only compatible with DX150, DX200, and DX220 models. New amp card designs will be made compatible with the new design of the DX300 and later DAP models.