iBasso DC05 vs Soundmagic A30 (69 USD vs 50 USD) – A30 is thicker, larger, and draws even less power from smartphones. Upon hooking the iBasso DC05 to the host device, a window pops-up asking for a permission to access the UAC application. I remember the DC03 to be quite powerful and could certainly drive the HD660S but I have the impression that the DC05 is slightly more effortless with greater headroom and dynamic range. But if you have the wherewithal (and a sturdy bag in which to carry it), the FiiO M17 has an awful lot to recommend it.

IBASSO DC05 Portable USB DAC/AMP - SHENZHENAUDIO IBASSO DC05 Portable USB DAC/AMP - SHENZHENAUDIO

It is a type-C adapter, so iBasso knowing that we would want to use it with computers too, included a Type-A to Type-C adapter in the package.We listened to more songs than those named in this playlist, but those are excellent for identifying a sonic signature. The DC05 features a parallel dual DAC chipset configuration with two high-performance ES9219C to achieve better SNR and THD. DC05 features a premium Dual DAC chipset with two high-performance ES9219C DAC chips from Sabre Technologies. The total frequency range is rated to be between 20Hz and 40kHz, enough to impress both humans and serpent people.

iBasso DC05 DAC/AMP Dongle – Power For Androids iBasso DC05 DAC/AMP Dongle – Power For Androids

It can bring all of those to very satisfying levels, and I’m one of those crazy listeners that goes loud, so if it wasn’t powerful enough, I would tell. This comes at the cost of driving power, and DC05 has considerably more driving power and amplitude, being able to drive harder to drive headphones and push more volume into both IEMs and Headphones.After making a big mark on the premium level with the K9 Pro ESS, FiiO ensured that they won’t be leaving the budget market for the taking. Despite consuming rather little from my smartphone’s battery, it is normal for DC05 to get fairly warm, and it consumes more battery while it is not playing something and turns cooler while it is playing something, having a Class-A like behavior. You should know that they didn’t pick a random ESS chip for the job, and ES9219C is part of Sabre’s Hifi Line of DACs, offering a 64-step internal volume control, which adds some control for IEMs, if you find that there’s too much variation between two steps of volume. The treble has excellent extension, and you never hear a roll off, but you don’t really feel any fatigue, as the treble is not harsh nor metallic.

iBasso DC05 Review - Top Audiophile Reviews Dacs | Daps | Amps iBasso DC05 Review - Top Audiophile Reviews Dacs | Daps | Amps

Speaking of which, DC05 is pretty much a tiny metallic device, with a cable, and a headphone jack in 3. All of those were easily driven by DC05, and I couldn’t notice any hissing or background noise with any of them, but I could notice excellent control, low distortion, and a good overall instrument separation with all of them. Please keep in mind that these are rough estimates and shipments can be delayed due to unforeseen circumstances, like postal strikes or severe weather. It is small and lightweight measuring 38x15x9mm (105mm with the cable) and weighing 9gr so it can easily be carried into your pocket. This premium dual DAC configuration is supported by multiple in-house developed technologies including Quad DAC+, HyperStream III audio architecture, Time Domain Clock Jitter, delivering class-leading DNR of 121dB and excellent THD+N distortion ratings.This may be partially the reason why I wasn’t reminded to review anything from DC01 and until now, as I understand the previous series had lower driving power. I have tested the iBasso DC05 with their own ITX01, FiiO FD3, DUNU Falcon Pro and with the Sennheiser HD660S that did an excellent job in driving them with ease and headroom. iBasso DC05 vs Matkar Spectra X2 (69 USD vs 200 USD) – I was able to compare those loosely, since they are not interchangeable , DC05 being a Type-C dongle for Android, and Spectra X2 is made for iPhones. I will also be comparing DC05 to Spectra X2 from Maktar (200 USD), Soundmagic A30 (50 USD), and Audirect Beam 2 (100 USD). More surprising is that DC05 has enough power for Sivga Robin SV021, Avantone Pro Planar, and even Sivga Peacock.

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Depending on where you live, the time it may take for your exchanged product to reach you, may vary. While I don’t think DC05 is quite enough for HIFIMAN HE400SE, or HIFIMAN Deva, it is good to go if you’re running iBasso IT01X, iBasso IT07, and iBasso SR-2, and even iBasso AM05. The iBasso DC05 is plug ‘n play with Android and iOS while for windows the user must install a driver to enable full DSD support. If you have any feedback, suggestions, or problems with the courier of your shipment, please feel free to submit a support ticket via the "Contact Us" button below.With a more intimate soundstage, DC05 works well with brighter and wider sounding IEMs / Headphones, and as it has quite a bit of power, should be fine for most portable headphones and IEMs. The sound is actually fairly similar, and both are pretty peppy, pretty forward, lively and punchy, and also dynamic. The whole presentation is wide open with great positioning accuracy and the DC05 will not hold back a spacious and open sounding iem like the FiiO FD5 or a good open back headphone.