# NEW!  iBasso D-Zero Mk2



## HiFlight

I have recently had the opportunity to evaluate the new iBasso D-Zero Mk2. The Mk2 replaces the earlier entry-level D-Zero and incorporates a number of changes from the original. Below are several pictures of the new version along with the specifications as published by iBasso after which I will post some of my impressions of the Mk2. 

 Power Source：Built-in 4.2V Li-polymer battery
Frequency Response: 17Hz~20 KHz +/- 1.0dB (DAC) 17Hz~100 KHz +/- 1.0dB (AMP)
Signal to Noise Ratio：108dB (DAC line out), 102dB (Amp) 
Total Harmonic Distortion: 0.002%@1kHz/0dB (DAC line out), 0.003%@1kHz/-10dBV (AMP) 
Output Power：Up to 120mW+120mW into 16Ω 
Output Impedance: <0.5ohm
Gain: +3dB/ +9dB (AMP)
Battery Life: 120 Hours (AMP)
Battery Charge Time: 5 Hours
External Power supply: 5V DC
Recommended Headphone Impedance: 8~300Ω
Case dimension: 2.17W x 3.98L x 0.44H (inch)
55W x 101L x 11H (mm)
Weight: 95g or 3.35oz
Certificates: FCC, CE, RoHS






The Mk2 differs from the original D-Zero significantly in a number of ways, most notably that instead of amplification by single opamp chips, the architecture is now OP+Buffer, similar to most higher-end amplifiers. The other notable feature is that when using the Mk2 as an amplifier only, battery life is approximately 120 hours. That is no misprint, 120 hours!. The Mk2 can be used as a standalone amplifier, a standalone DAC or a USB DAC/Amp. The Mk2 now uses one Wolfson WMB8740 DAC chip for each channel. The on/off switch is a 3 position switch, with the center position being the off position. When the switch is placed to the left, only the amplifier section is activated and with the switch fully to the right, both USB DAC input and amplifier are enabled. There is a tiny blue LED on the front to indicate when the amp is powered to either of the on positions. On the rear of the amp is a red LED to indicate charging and an amber LED to indicate USB input. One can also use both the DAC and amp while it is charging, essentially enabling the unit to function as a desktop DAC/amp. 

The battery is a 1500 mAh LiPo cell with an integrated charging system. Charging is switchable on or off while connected to USB. While I don't know if this will be the case with all of the Mk2's, the volume control on my unit maintained perfect channel balance all the way down to zero volume. 

The Mk2 can also be used as an amplifier for OTG-enabled devices using the included OTG cable and is capable of supporting 24bit/96kHZ files. As my Galaxy 4 Mini does not support OTG, I was unable to evaluate how well this feature performs. 

As the pictures depict, the size and thinness makes it ideal for strapping (straps included) to an iphone, android phone or the DX50/90. 

I have spent quite some time listening via both USB and from my DX90 line-out and also using my Tera-Player as a source. The sound belies its position as an entry-level device with bass that is both deep and well-controlled. Highs are detailed and clear with very natural vocal and instrumental timbre. Overall, the sound is warm and expansive. I did not notice sibilance or hiss with any of my phones. I used my Sony F1 and Oppo PM-1 for over-ear listening and my LAB 1, Parterre and Heaven VI IEM's. I also listened with my modified PortaPro and Blox Anv3 earbuds. In all cases, the Mk2 vastly outperformed what I would consider to be an "entry-level" device and feel that it can compete without apology with portable amplifiers costing well above entry level devices. 

MSRP for the Mk2 will be $119 USD and it will be available from the iBasso website this coming Monday, the 10th of November.


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## HiFlight

Please note that I accidentally posted this in the incorrect forum. I have asked a moderator to move it to the Portable Headphone Amplifier forum where it properly belongs.


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## lin0003

I have this and am working on a review which should be ready soon. Listening to them right now with the SE846 and it is damn good. 
  
 For $119 it is an absolute steal.


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## HiFlight

lin0003 said:


> I have this and am working on a review which should be ready soon. Listening to them right now with the SE846 and it is damn good.
> 
> For $119 it is an absolute steal.




I am very impressed with how well it scales with my TOTL IEM's. It certainly doesn't sound like an "entry-level" amp!!! The play time is unbelievable. I have always enjoyed the somewhat lush sound of the Wolfson DAC chip.


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## H20Fidelity

The end plates remind me of JDS C421. Looks good I had pictured the old D Zero. (which I have)


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## knorris908

I have an iFI iDSD that I had intended to use "mobile" with my DX90, but it is SUCH a great DAC, that I've taken to using it with my desktop setup almost exclusively now. I was going to buy a second one for portable but they were back-ordered until now.

As amazing as the iDSD Micro sounds, it IS a bit bulky for travel size considerations... If anyone has an iDSD Micro that they can compare the MK2 against, I'd be keenly interested to hear their impressions of the two in contrast. I would primarily use super.fi3 or Vmoda Bass-Freq iems while traveling, and modded Koss Porta Pros in hotel or hospital break rooms if that helps narrow down what to try for classes of headphones/iems. If by chance you happen to have Sennheiser HD-650s as well, I'd love to know if the MK2 has enough power to drive them WELL like the iDSD Micro does mine... Not a requirement since I don't use them while traveling, but it seems that little amps are becoming more and more efficient all the time, so I wouldn't be surprised at all at this point...

Thanks for the initial impressions guys! You've definitely piqued my interests here.

Sincerely,

Ken N.


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## knorris908

hiflight said:


> I have recently had the opportunity evaluate the new iBasso D-Zero Mk2. The Mk2 replaces the earlier entry-level D-Zero and incorporates a number of changes from the original. Below are several pictures of the new version along with the specifications as published by iBasso after which I will post some of my impressions of the Mk2.
> 
> Power Source：Built-in 4.2V Li-polymer battery
> Frequency Response: 17Hz~20 KHz +/- 1.0dB (DAC) 17Hz~100 KHz +/- 1.0dB (AMP)
> ...




HiFlight,

How did you connect the MK2 to your DX90? Coax, SPDiF, or another way? And while you report the MK2's DAC as exceeding "entry-level", do you find it to be equal, "equal-but-different", superior, or inferior to the DX90's internal dual mono DAC? If used as AMP-only, how would you rate the power and clarity vs a FIIO? I have an e17 that I use as a plain amp via line-out of the DX90 so I can set the volume to a supposedly bit-perfect 255 volume level and adjust to comfortable listening volume on the FIIO instead. I find the DAC in the DX90 to be slightly more detailed than the e17. But the e17 is great compared to my iPad or iPhone DACs so I use it as both an amp and DAC with them, so not saying it is bad, just that to me, the DX90's DAC is that GOOD. 

Great first impression! Thank you very much for sharing.

Ken N.


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## HiFlight

knorris908 said:


> HiFlight,
> 
> How did you connect the MK2 to your DX90? Coax, SPDiF, or another way? And while you report the MK2's DAC as exceeding "entry-level", do you find it to be equal, "equal-but-different", superior, or inferior to the DX90's internal dual mono DAC? If used as AMP-only, how would you rate the power and clarity vs a FIIO? I have an e17 that I use as a plain amp via line-out of the DX90 so I can set the volume to a supposedly bit-perfect 255 volume level and adjust to comfortable listening volume on the FIIO instead. I find the DAC in the DX90 to be slightly more detailed than the e17. But the e17 is great compared to my iPad or iPhone DACs so I use it as both an amp and DAC with them, so not saying it is bad, just that to me, the DX90's DAC is that GOOD.
> 
> ...




The Wolfson DAC in the Mk2 is presents a slightly warmer SQ than does the more neutral ES DAC in the DX90. Whether the Mk2 SQ is better than the internal amp in the DX-90 will be a matter of personal preference. The DX-90 has about the same output power as the Mk2. I seldom use an external amp with my DX-90, but if one does choose to use the Mk2, it would have to be via the DX-90 line-out to the Mk2 Aux Input as there are no coax or optical inputs on the Mk2. I have never owned a FiiO, but I can say that there is plenty of power and headroom available to drive even challenging phones. 

The DX90 will likely still present 24bit files just fine with somewhat less than full volume as the DX90 uses a 32-bit processor. That said, the best signal to noise ratio is usually obtained by setting the source output to a high level and control the volume with the external amp. You will likely also find the DACs in the DX-90 to be a little more neutral than those of the Mk2 as the ES9018 DAC chips are typically considered to me a rather detailed and analytic chip as compared to the warmer and smoother Wolfson WM8740.


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## palermo

Interesting, you notice it has deep and controlled bass, have you try it whit SD-2? (based on your signature)


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## HiFlight

palermo said:


> Interesting, you notice it has deep and controlled bass, have you try it whit SD-2? (based on your signature)





palermo said:


> Interesting, you notice it has deep and controlled bass, have you try it whit SD-2? (based on your signature)




Unfortunately, my SD-2 suffered a cracked body and is back at InEar for repair, however there is no doubt in my mind that the Mk2 + SD-2 will make a superb pairing.


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## imackler

Thanks for the impressions! 
  
 The ibasso manual mentions you can use it as only as a line out, but I'm trying to make sure that's right. Can you bypass the amp? 
  
 I've never heard a dual dac. Do you think having a dac per channel improves upon the sound, if its implemented well? I'd like to get a different sound signature than my E07k (and was hoping for something with a saber dac) but this looks mighty tempting. Have you heard the WM8740? Is the WMB8740 the same? (I'm so over my head here, and I've read that the implementation is as important as which dac is used.) .
  
 Seems to make an excellent replacement for the E17, except for the lack of display, though I haven't heard either. 
  
 Thanks for putting this on my radar.


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## skeptic

subscribed!


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## knorris908

imackler said:


> Thanks for the impressions!
> 
> The ibasso manual mentions you can use it as only as a line out, but I'm trying to make sure that's right. Can you bypass the amp?
> 
> ...


 

 I can only answer your first question: I also have the e17, and I can tell you 2 things:  [1] Noticeable difference (Improvement) from the straight PC/iPad/iPhone in terms of improvement of clarity and instrument separation with the e17.  [2] Definite improvement over the e17 going to the iFi iDSD Micro.  So since at least on paper it looks like the MK2 should offer a similar step-up from the e17, though I'm guess with different characteristics, you should enjoy a discernable improvement over your e17 as well.  But the e17 is no slouch, so I wouldn't count on "Night and day" increase in power since the FIIO holds its own nicely against almost every headphone I've heard it with short of my Sennheiser HD-650s, WHICH IT WILL POWER, and provide enough volume, but just isn't quite as "full" a sound as I get with the iDSD Micro.  So if you get a good, full sound with the MK2 on a high-demand set like the MK2, I'd say you made out pretty well.
  
 Let me know how you like it, as I am once again looking for a portable DAC/AMP that I can connect DIGITALLY to my DX90, Samsung YP-P2,(Dream!) iPads, and iPhones, since I've made the iDSD Micro a "permanent DAC" in the home theater audio chain.  (Yes, it's THAT good!)  But $$-wise, I will have to wait until after all the Christmas gifts get paid-off before I look to grab a second Micro, so likely not until June/July.


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## palermo

Friend of mine have previous product. It not bad at all, but it lack of bass authority and fullness compare to JDSLabs C5D. I am an ex owner C5D, so I wonder how these new one D-Zero compare to C5D. Based on specs, it has opamp+buffer design on amp section, moreover it applied dual DAC. Sounds more superior than C5D 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			




 If I not mistake, WM8740 need dual opamp for differential to single ended signal conversion. So, double DAC means double dual opamp, and also double single opamp+buff. I appreciate iBasso to do this job done with low price tag.


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## MrLazyAnt

Sorry, wrong thread


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## lin0003

My review has been posted. 
  
 http://www.head-fi.org/products/ibasso-audio-d-zero-mk2/reviews/12034


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## TripBitShooter

Seems interesting to me, especially since it no longer just takes 16/44.1, though to me there is no difference between 16/44.1 and 24/96. Technically 16/44.1 is all u need, but I welcome the compatibility. 

Someone else said earlier that this is an improvement over the E17. If it is, I cannot stress how excited this makes me, the MK2 being cheaper. I also admire iBasso's implementation of the WM8740 in the iBasso DX50, so I have high hopes for these, just as lin0003 stated in his review


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## mortimerhobbs

Has anyone been able to get their hands on one of these yet? Everything I've read so far has sounded good. But it looks like we've only gotten one hands on post.


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## knorris908

tripbitshooter said:


> Seems interesting to me, especially since it no longer just takes 16/44.1, though to me there is no difference between 16/44.1 and 24/96. Technically 16/44.1 is all u need, but I welcome the compatibility.
> 
> Someone else said earlier that this is an improvement over the E17. If it is, I cannot stress how excited this makes me, the MK2 being cheaper. I also admire iBasso's implementation of the WM8740 in the iBasso DX50, so I have high hopes for these, just as lin0003 stated in his review


 

 That is high praise in my book as I love my e17.  It is terrific for every headphone we own aside from the Sennheiser HD-650.  It sounds good with the HD-650s as well, but just doesn't have enough power to drive them loudly enough for anything but a quiet room.  Definitely insufficient for a plane or train/bus.  I add bass boost of "+2 to +4" standard with the HD-650s, but most of our other headphones are more "bass-heavy" (By accident, not by choice) like the VModa Bass-Freqs or Photive PH-BTX6 headphones so I leave them at Bass "0".  The Koss Porta Pros I leave at "0 to +2" depending upon the music type I'm listening to.
  
 The iFi iDSD MICRO is the only PORTABLE Amp/DAC that I've heard that I can personally say drives the HD-650s to the level of Desktop/Rack headphone amps.  (Schiit Audio ASGARD 2 dedicated amp, Old Pioneer Tuner, Panasonic Home Theater system, etc...)  The iDSD MICRO is between what the ASGARD provides and the commercial tuners and surround system headphone outs output in terms of "weight", volume, and soundstage.
  
 The iFi Nano is supposed to sound *almost* as good as the iFi MICRO, but I can't say from personal experience.
  
 In contrast, the iPad Air, iPhone 4s, and 5 can drive the HD-650s to be almost as loud as the FIIO (It's REALLY close!), but the sound is much thinner and the soundstage is notably smaller.   Important - Our ORIGINAL iPad/Gen 1 don't output enough volume to make the HD-650s listenable even in a completely silent room.   
  
 Advantage of iPhone/iPad alone - One device, easily-portable with no clutter
 Advantage of e17 - Slightly louder, more "weight"/substance to music, Larger soundstage + Bass-Boost capability
 Advantage of iDSD MICRO (Not Nano) - As loud as wanted, added 3D soundstage expansion, Dynamic Bass-Boost, adds USB DAC capability to play DSD & DXD files "natively" not just converting PCM, and doubles as a portable charger & mini-speaker amp.
  
 FIIO - ~$100 USD
 iFi Nano - ~ $180 USD
 iFi Micro - ~ $500 USD
  
 So it all comes down to what features are important to you and how much you are willing to part with monetarily...
  
 If I didn't have the HD-650s, I don't think that I'd have cause to go beyond the FIIO for my portable rig personally, but the Native DSD capability does improve the music to my ears, but only with the KOSS Porta Pros, UE Super-Fi3,  and the HD-650s.  I don't think that the other headphones we own (Including the Apple earbuds and earpods) are detailed enough to really show a difference.


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## Dinerenblanc

Anyone compared this to the C5D and ODAC+OB2?


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## TripBitShooter

knorris908 said:


> That is high praise in my book as I love my e17.  It is terrific for every headphone we own aside from the Sennheiser HD-650.  It sounds good with the HD-650s as well, but just doesn't have enough power to drive them loudly enough for anything but a quiet room.  Definitely insufficient for a plane or train/bus.  I add bass boost of "+2 to +4" standard with the HD-650s, but most of our other headphones are more "bass-heavy" (By accident, not by choice) like the VModa Bass-Freqs or Photive PH-BTX6 headphones so I leave them at Bass "0".  The Koss Porta Pros I leave at "0 to +2" depending upon the music type I'm listening to.
> 
> The iFi iDSD MICRO is the only PORTABLE Amp/DAC that I've heard that I can personally say drives the HD-650s to the level of Desktop/Rack headphone amps.  (Schiit Audio ASGARD 2 dedicated amp, Old Pioneer Tuner, Panasonic Home Theater system, etc...)  The iDSD MICRO is between what the ASGARD provides and the commercial tuners and surround system headphone outs output in terms of "weight", volume, and soundstage.
> 
> ...


I was watching some videos on my friend's iPhone 4S and the voices were really grainy and quite harsh. The thinness is also quite apparent


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## TripBitShooter

Actually, iphones have better audio output than most phones out there in terms of sound quality. The only phones that are probably better are some of the HTC phones which implement the Cirrus Logic CS4398 DAC chip (this is Cirrus Logic's top chip)


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## mortimerhobbs

hiflight said:


> The Wolfson DAC in the Mk2 is presents a slightly warmer SQ than does the more neutral ES DAC in the DX90. Whether the Mk2 SQ is better than the internal amp in the DX-90 will be a matter of personal preference. The DX-90 has about the same output power as the Mk2. I seldom use an external amp with my DX-90, but if one does choose to use the Mk2, it would have to be via the DX-90 line-out to the Mk2 Aux Input as there are no coax or optical inputs on the Mk2. I have never owned a FiiO, but I can say that there is plenty of power and headroom available to drive even challenging phones.
> 
> The DX90 will likely still present 24bit files just fine with somewhat less than full volume as the DX90 uses a 32-bit processor. That said, the best signal to noise ratio is usually obtained by setting the source output to a high level and control the volume with the external amp. You will likely also find the DACs in the DX-90 to be a little more neutral than those of the Mk2 as the ES9018 DAC chips are typically considered to me a rather detailed and analytic chip as compared to the warmer and smoother Wolfson WM8740.


 
 Have you been able to test this with any full-size cans?  
 The E17 can drive even the HD600s (Not really well mind you) Do you know if the Mk2 can as well?


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## Kurdt-bada

Received it today, it sounds better than my d4 with the hiflight topkit, it's really small and battery last for 120 hours...just incredible for the price.


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## pagepack

I received my mk2 D-zero last week. Bought it to use with my ie800's, fabulous sound and at the price a complete bargain. Sailed through UK customs, no extra charged.


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## Robert777

pagepack said:


> I received my mk2 D-zero last week. Bought it to use with my ie800's, fabulous sound and at the price a complete bargain. Sailed through UK customs, no extra charged.


 

@pagepack Did you order it directly from iBasso? I am planning on buying one next week and I have been trying to decide between ordering from iBasso or from one of the online stores in France.


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## pagepack

robert777 said:


> @pagepack Did you order it directly from iBasso? I am planning on buying one next week and I have been trying to decide between ordering from iBasso or from one of the online stores in France.


 
  
 Directly from iBasso. Paid for tracked delivery $22 came via DHL. They picked them up on the Friday in China and I got them Monday afternoon. I thought if I get caught for import tax/vat it won't be that much. Obviously if you order from within the EU you definitely won't face any import charges. The full price including delivery was just under 93 quid after rate conversion.


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## TripBitShooter

Anyone can confirm what someone said earlier in the thread, in that whether it is better than the E17? If it is, it will be a real bargain. And since iBasso knows how to implement their chips (as seen in the DX50) I have high hopes for this.


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## Hellkitchen

In your opinion.. is the AMP section of the Dzero MKII better than the one inside of the DX 50?
  
 I'm looking for a good portable amp as my DX 50 is fine but not "clear" .. (with the Matrix M-stage my UM Pro 30 sound a LOT better with more space, better treables and with more defined and clean basses).
  
 How this performs compared to Matrix mini portable and FiiO E12 ? and with the others iBasso's portable amps? 
  
 Thank you all


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## Kurdt-bada

After early hype I must say it doesn't soud better than my d4 (hi flight topkit) but sound is very good and is much more useful as a portable device, with the gain is closer but there is hiss...


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## Dinerenblanc

kurdt-bada said:


> After early hype I must say it doesn't soud better than my d4 (hi flight topkit) but sound is very good and is much more useful as a portable device, with the gain is closer but there is hiss...



I was thinking about picking this up over the C5D, but all these reports of hissing is putting me off. Bummer.


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## Kurdt-bada

The hiss is with the gain mode only


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## palermo

hiflight said:


> I have spent quite some time listening via both USB and from my DX90 line-out and also using my Tera-Player as a source. The sound belies its position as an entry-level device with bass that is both deep and well-controlled. Highs are detailed and clear with very natural vocal and instrumental timbre. Overall, the sound is warm and expansive.* I did not notice sibilance or hiss with any of my phones. I used my Sony F1 and Oppo PM-1 for over-ear listening and my LAB 1, Parterre and Heaven VI IEM's*. I also listened with my modified PortaPro and Blox Anv3 earbuds. In all cases, the Mk2 vastly outperformed what I would consider to be an "entry-level" device and feel that it can compete without apology with portable amplifiers costing well above entry level devices.
> 
> MSRP for the Mk2 will be $119 USD and it will be available from the iBasso website this coming Monday, the 10th of November.


 
  
  


kurdt-bada said:


> After early hype I must say it doesn't soud better than my d4 (hi flight topkit) but sound is very good and is much more useful as a portable device, with the gain is closer but there is hiss...


 
  
 What kind of hiss Kurdt ? HiFlight notice got no hiss with his reference IEMs.


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## Kurdt-bada

Another guy I know from a spanish forum has the same issue as me, hiss with the gain on.if you pause the song the hiss is very noticeable, my ibasso d4 does not have any kind of hiss by the way.

Sound is just awesome.

I use the fa 4e xb and he is using the um30 pro.


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## pagepack

I tried high and low gain on my D-Zero 2, paired with my ie800's (source S5 flac files). Can't say I can hear any noticeable hiss at all.


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## Kurdt-bada

Really? I'm going to return my device then...


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## pagepack

Yeah, but then there is a huge amount of variables when it comes to audio, not least our ears. I have a hearing test every 3 years due to nature of my employment and I can see by hearing going down as I get older. You maybe far more sensitive to background hiss than I am, without comparing our hearing I have no idea. Plus factor in different source and headphones, who knows. What you hear and I hear will be different.
  
 Personally if you are not happy with them, send them back.


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## Kurdt-bada

Thanks for your answer I really like them with the gain in lo I'll ask the store about the hiss I'll report their response


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## mortimerhobbs

I wonder if it could have anything to do with each individual set up? Like having it connected to either USB 2.0 or 3.0, possibly even the phones themselves. Couple people have noted hiss, others no hiss.


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## xylin6

edit: Went ahead and ordered the MKII hopefully it will make a suitable replacement for my now dead D2+ Boa.
 the D-Zero MKII's dimensions look to match my Sony F807 nearly perfect so they should make a great pairing.
 amd now comes the hard part  ...waiting


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## lin0003

Perhaps wait for the D14 that is coming out soon? It will be a direct upgrade.


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## TripBitShooter

D14? Is that like a totally new model?


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## lin0003

Yes, its an upcoming model to replace the D12.


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## mortimerhobbs

My MK2 came in today. 
 There is some hiss on the Hi gain setting when plugged into my laptop via usb. However there was no hiss on the Hi gain when used only as an amp and plugged into my phone via the aux.


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## lin0003

High gain has some hiss, but low gain doesn't.


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## Mad Max

They could have just omitted the Wolfson DACs if they went with VIA DAC/USB chips as the site says.  We're not talking about PCM270x level of quality here, oh no, VIA is far better.
 And finally an output buffer for the headamp.


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## iceman600

What about the sound? Hows the sound of this? I like warm and punchy sound... does this MKII delivers?


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## appleidappleid

Thanks a lot for the review. Does anyone know how the D-zero MK2 compares with the D42? They both have a Dual WM8740.


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## lin0003

iceman600 said:


> What about the sound? Hows the sound of this? I like warm and punchy sound... does this MKII delivers?


 
 It is neutral, not really warm, but very punchy.


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## iceman600

lin0003 said:


> It is neutral, not really warm, but very punchy.


 
 Sir compared to Fiio E17 how punchy would you describe it? Just want some opinion before I purchase one.


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## lin0003

iceman600 said:


> Sir compared to Fiio E17 how punchy would you describe it? Just want some opinion before I purchase one.



Definitely more punchy than the E17.


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## iceman600

Definitely more punchy than the E17.[/quote]

Thanks... Now I think it's time to get me one 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## xylin6

I'm intrigued by the output power of the MKII versus the original D-Zero,the MKII specs show it has (up to) 120mW+120mW at 16Ω with a gain of  +3/+9   the original D-Zero's output power was  (up to) 95mW+95mW into 32Ω and a gain of +3/+10
  
 so according to the specs it seems like the original D-Zero was more powerful. I wish I knew what 120mW+120mW translated to for 32Ω instead of 16Ω since most of my headphones are 32Ω
  
 my guess would be that 120mW+120mW into 16Ω would mean 60mW+60mW at 32Ω since 32Ω is twice as much resistance - though something tells me it's not that cut and dried.if anyone can explain it to me i'd be really grateful.
  
 bottom line though the MKII is an incredible amp/dac combo for only $119, more than powerful enough for my needs, and it was worth the extra $22 for expedited shipping (I received mine in 3 days, really impressive considering it started in China and ended up in Arizona on my doorstep less than 72 hours later) .its an added plus that paired with my Sony F807 they are the same height stacked as my D2+ Boa was by itself! the D2+ Boa was a bit more powerful,but not massively so,and the D-Zero MKII is $50 less expensive and has three times the battery life. great all around quality piece of kit for an entry level price.


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## jamato8

I have been listening to the MkII and for 119 dollars it is an excellent buy. I can't believe the sound for this small amount of money and the whole package feels like quality. Crazy. Music players just get better and better.


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## lin0003

jamato8 said:


> I have been listening to the MkII and for 119 dollars it is an excellent buy. I can't believe the sound for this small amount of money and the whole package feels like quality. Crazy. Music players just get better and better.


 
 Totally agree. It is awesome for the price.


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## kiranjoshi7

HI,
 I am new to this forum and don't have much technical knowledge.
 Few questions before I make final call:
 *Can I use it with Moto G as _both_ DAC/AMP combo? Portability?
 *Can I use with fiio x1 as external amp? Will it help improve SQ further?
 * I think I can use with windows desktop PC as USB DAC. Can I connect it to powered PC speakers (such as Audioengine A+ or Swan D1080)?
 regard's,


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## bigjim

Hi everyone, 
  
 Based on this thread I thought I would treat myself to one of these for Christmas, as my Arcam rPAC is no longer working via USB OTG since I updated the Firmware and Arcam refuse to answer my technical support tickets (thats loyalty for buying british!). 
  
 Anyway, iBASSO have some seriously good customer service, answering email questions swiftly. I ordered on the 18th, confirmation and TNT tracking sent on the 19th, delivered to my door on the 22nd, absolutely brilliant door to door service. 
  
 I dont want to do a massive review here, I will save that until I have had more than an hour or so of listening, but I have to say I am most impressed.
  
 Packaging - Nice velvety case, otg cable, charging cable (No instructions, but I am not fussed about that) and all packaged very nicely. 
  
 Testing - So far I have only tested the following - Samsung Galaxy Note 3 -> Mini to Micro OTG -> Hifiman Re-400, it does sound fantastic. 
 Worth noting is that when playing with UAPP (Stock android sounds do work fine with all apps, but I paid for this player months ago and didn't get chance to use it) the D Zero will work at 196k hertz. I sent Billy Joel's Piano Man in 24/176 to it for a laugh and UAPP states that the DAC is running at 196!!!!! Not sure if this is some sort of software misreporting, but I thought I would mention it as that exceeds the manufacturers spec.
  
 The sound is very good, testing on both low gain and high gain, I dont detect any noticeable hiss as some have posted about on this thread, so happy on that score. 
  
 Not here is the tricky bit, as I am a novice audiophile. Does it sound better than my rPAC............. yes and no. Some tracks I am hearing new sounds and sitting there in amazement, but on others where I know what sound and where its coming from I feel its not as good, for example listening to The Beatles Love - While my Guitar Gently Weeps, when the cello (I think it is) comes in on the right side, there is more texture and body on the rAC, but the D Zero sounds better for some other tracks, so I think its just slight colouration on the rPAC that pronounces certain sounds. 
  
 I've not tested the battery as I plugged it in straight out of th box, but I am not even on half volume using high gain, so I feel it will last as stated (10 hours). 
  
 It really is an impressive bit of kit, for £91.50, I cant get anything in the UK that compares as far as I know, especially when you factor in the Android compatibility, its an extremely simple way to improve your music on the go, without breaking the bank.
  
 My friend I am seeing today has a HRT Microstreamer and one of the new Geek DAC's, so I am going to listen to a good combination and update at some point.


----------



## kiranjoshi7

Hi. Kindly update us about its comparison to HRT micro streamer so that I can take final decision.
Regards,


----------



## TripBitShooter

bigjim said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> Based on this thread I thought I would treat myself to one of these for Christmas, as my Arcam rPAC is no longer working via USB OTG since I updated the Firmware and Arcam refuse to answer my technical support tickets (thats loyalty for buying british!).
> 
> ...


I'm a cello player myself, and from ur description I think the rPAC is more certainly coloured in that region of sound.


----------



## xylin6

kiranjoshi7 said:


> HI,
> I am new to this forum and don't have much technical knowledge.
> Few questions before I make final call:
> *Can I use it with Moto G as _both_ DAC/AMP combo? Portability?
> ...


 
  
 pretty much* yes* to everything,and the only reason i say 'pretty much' is because I haven't heard the Fiio X1 yet (something I hope to change soon) so I can't say how much it will improve the X1's on board sound. but the D-Zero  definitely can be used as an amp or dac or both and its as easy as toggling the switch on the front of the unit.i frequently use it with windows and for my computer to say the sound quality is improved is a vast understatement.
  
 in fact i was just about ready to sell a pair of 80 ohm Beyerdynamic DT770s that had done little more than gather dust in the top shelf of my closet since purchasing them in 2012 until I plugged them into the D-Zero via my computer using Foobar (with the equalizer off) and was floored,and i mean astounded,*blown away* even at how incredible these cans sounded!
  
 the reason I never knew before was because none of my Sony Walkmen DAP's had the output power (the only thing i dislike about any Sony players,otherwise they are unbeatable for my own preferences) to put the DT770's  through their paces (nor does my PC's sound card on its own) yet once I added the D-Zero to the signal chain I immediately closed my classified here (i can't believe I nearly sold the DT770s for $100, that would have been a mistake i would have never forgiven myself for. so that alone makes the purchase of the D-Zero worthwhile for me,but of course it's got plenty more benefits than just that.)  granted the 80ohm version of the DT770s are without question the hardest to drive headphones under 100 ohms and I've read on more than one occasion where people who own them said they had 300ohm cans (such as the Sennheiser HD650) which were easier to drive,and I don't doubt it.
  
 even going beyond harder to drive headphones, the D-Zero makes many of my lower impedance cans perform far and above their native capabilities, whether an inexpensive classic like Koss PortaPro's (which are 65ohm but easy to drive even unamped yet sound loads better through the D Zero) or my recently acquired 32ohm Grado PS-500e (a better pair of headphones for under $1000 I have never heard) even my affordable and much loved Philips/O'neill Construct's which without amplification should be easy enough to drive at only 32ohm yet like the DT770 something just doesn't ring true about their advertised resistance,and without amplification the Construct are at best worth the sale price you can still get them for (between $50-$60) but not worth their original list price of $129,that is until you hear them properly amped and then,its as if they are an entirely different set of headphones,i am not joking,suddenly the already impressive sub bass reaches even deeper and tightens up adding detail and punchiness,and most impressively the midrange goes from being recessed to being straight forward and centered and the highs even though they have the most subtle change definitely improve with added clarity and more reach,never sibilant and all at once it's as if i am listening to my Grado SR80i's with the benefit of hard hitting full rich bass.
  
 the one thing I think everyone here who owns this unit does agree on is that it is an absolute steal for the price. and best of all iBasso have a 14 day no questions asked return policy.but after the first day any notion of returning it will be non existent. i apologize for the lengthiness of this response but this unit is THAT impressive.and so is iBasso's customer service and timeliness in delivering their product. best $141 i ever spent ($119 for the D-Zero MKII + $22 for expedited shipping,had mine in three days from China to Arizona!!!).


----------



## kiranjoshi7

Thanks a lot xylin6 for your invaluable advice.
 Most likely I am getting it.


----------



## kiranjoshi7

Hi, 
 Is it simple plug and play device or do we need to install drivers?
 Regards,


----------



## xylin6

kiranjoshi7 said:


> Hi,
> Is it simple plug and play device or do we need to install drivers?
> Regards,


 
 you simply plug it into Windows 7 via the usb port and from there it installs drivers and any updates it takes maybe 60 seconds then an iBasso audio option appears in the control panel and you simply enable that and switch it to dac on the front toggle (left side is for amp only center is off and right side is for dac/amp) its really easy to use and once enabled on your computer any speakers connected to your system will work through it.
  
 I don't believe you need to install any drivers for it to work directly from any other audio source (i.e. your X1 or in my case my Sony DAPs and even my older Sony portable cd players) but as the first thing i did when i received mine was plugged the included cable into my computers USB port it installed the drivers automatically,but i don't believe that's a necessity other than for a computer.though even if it is -its quick to do and once done the D Zero works with any audio source you hook it up to.


----------



## kiranjoshi7

Thanks a lot. I am getting it soon.
Regards,


----------



## jamato8

Plug and play with Mac. Fast and easy and I am amazed at the sound.


----------



## lin0003

Going to see how this compares with the D14, should be interesting.


----------



## Paiceyfan

hiflight said:


> The Wolfson DAC in the Mk2 is presents a slightly warmer SQ than does the more neutral ES DAC in the DX90. Whether the Mk2 SQ is better than the internal amp in the DX-90 will be a matter of personal preference. The DX-90 has about the same output power as the Mk2. I seldom use an external amp with my DX-90, but if one does choose to use the Mk2, it would have to be via the DX-90 line-out to the Mk2 Aux Input as there are no coax or optical inputs on the Mk2. I have never owned a FiiO, but I can say that there is plenty of power and headroom available to drive even challenging phones.
> 
> The DX90 will likely still present 24bit files just fine with somewhat less than full volume as the DX90 uses a 32-bit processor. That said, the best signal to noise ratio is usually obtained by setting the source output to a high level and control the volume with the external amp. You will likely also find the DACs in the DX-90 to be a little more neutral than those of the Mk2 as the ES9018 DAC chips are typically considered to me a rather detailed and analytic chip as compared to the warmer and smoother Wolfson WM8740.




So, if I use the d-zero as a DAC as you say, with my dx-50, does the phone output work as a line out, so I can connect to an external amp. My goal is to have the versatility of using the dx-50 as a transport, the d-zero as a DAC and then use an external Cambridge amp and Mission speakers...is this possible?


----------



## Jool

Hello,

is anyone can make a comparative between the Mdac Encore and the iBasso D-Zero Mk2 ?
If one of the two has a more powerful amp, more dynamic, coloration of the sound, if one is more dark, bright...

Would be great I hesitate a lot between them.


----------



## pagepack

Have to say best 90 quid I've ever spent. One very happy customer.


----------



## puffmtd

pagepack said:


> Have to say best 90 quid I've ever spent. One very happy customer.


 
 I wouldn't know.  Mine was supposed to be delivered yesterday but we had our annual ice storm blow through and shutdown every bit of traffic here in West Texas.  Oh well, it gives me something to look forward to tomorrow.  I'm glad you are enjoying yours.


----------



## TripBitShooter

Oh no the FiiO E17k Alpen 2 is out. I sense some serious competition, since some say the D-zero mk2 is better than the original E17


----------



## Mambosenior

USB "mini" or "micro" connection? Thank you.


----------



## Paiceyfan

mambosenior said:


> USB "mini" or "micro" connection? Thank you.




Mini, but there is a cable for connection to a USB micro for otg use.


----------



## bigjim

I would like to add that the bundles OTG cable is fantastic, its snaps into place with a proper click, something i haven't seen before. I know reading the Fiio E18 thread people were annoyed as the cable moved around while connected to their android. Also because of the small size, when connected to my note 3 i have it upside down in my pocket, so no cables are touching the bottom. Ill put some picks up once the mrs returns with her camera.


----------



## thoughtcriminal

Sorry to thread jack. I'm just wondering how this sounds compared to the amp/DAC in the dx90. I'm in the market for a new dap and I'm wondering if its better to go all-in-one or seperate components


----------



## lin0003

thoughtcriminal said:


> Sorry to thread jack. I'm just wondering how this sounds compared to the amp/DAC in the dx90. I'm in the market for a new dap and I'm wondering if its better to go all-in-one or seperate components


 
 The DX90 is a solid step up, it is better than the D-Zero in every way. 
  
 Perhaps wait for the D14, it might rival the DX90.


----------



## Mattcye10

The D-Zero MK2 is actually the first amp/DAC that I own at the moment (just started getting into audio last Dec). It was recommended to me by the shop owner who is an audio enthusiast himself.


For USD119 or SGD199 that I've paid for, it sounds great! I'm currently pairing it with a pair of ATH-AD500X, and my experience has been enjoyable so far.


----------



## TripBitShooter

Wait SGD199? Which shop?? I live in SG too! Though im now also looking at the new E17k alpen 2.


----------



## TripBitShooter

The E17k alpen 2, according to early impressions, is actually said to be better than the E18 in terms of neutrality


----------



## Mattcye10

I acquired mine from E1 Personal Audio Singapore, which is located at Far East Shopping Centre #05-10A.
The last time I've visited the shop, the owner told me that their stock of E17Ks were not in yet. They may have it available now though.


----------



## TripBitShooter

I never knew that E1 personal audio stocked iBasso. For the E17k, i may just go to stereo electronics. They actually followed my advice and starting bringing in FiiO


----------



## Schro Dinger

I received it recently but it doesn't work well with my Samsung Galaxy S5 LTE-A


----------



## xylin6

schro dinger said:


> I received it recently but it doesn't work well with my Samsung Galaxy S5 LTE-A


 
 Do you mean you're having technical issues or that you aren't experiencing the sort of difference in over all sound quality you expected?


----------



## Schro Dinger

xylin6 said:


> Do you mean you're having technical issues or that you aren't experiencing the sort of difference in over all sound quality you expected?


 
 It Crackles when connecting to my S5 and also other android devices


----------



## xylin6

schro dinger said:


> It Crackles when connecting to my S5 and also other android devices


 
 That is strange,i always make sure my unit is turned off (with the volume set to 0) when switching from (for example) my computer to my DAP. but when i first got it, on a couple occasions i forgot it was on and while i didn't hear a crackling sound i did hear a pop one time (from turning the unit on when my headphones were plugged into it and the volume was up pretty loud) and another time i heard a sound i would describe as just your typical connecting/ground sound but nothing out of the ordinary. crackling doesn't sound good (even if it doesn't persist after the unit is connected),I would email iBasso (they are great at getting right back to you i've found) and make them aware of the issue with your unit and then send the unit back to them for a replacement.


----------



## pagepack

schro dinger said:


> It Crackles when connecting to my S5 and also other android devices


 
  
 I had the same issue, I tried another OTG cable that I had, no crackles. Sounds great.


----------



## kiranjoshi7

Hi,
 Which is better buy in terms of SQ and price?
 i Basso ZERO MK2 or HRT Microstreamer?
 Regards,


----------



## Leo888

Hi guys, looking for an upgrade to my C&C BH2 and Topping NX1. Would this be a significant upgrade? Features alone would be but how about SQ. Any thoughts or comparisons between these would be very much appreciated. Thanks in advance.


----------



## Mattcye10

lin0003 said:


> High gain has some hiss, but low gain doesn't.



I can actually hear hissing with my UE600 when set to low gain. The device also makes an audible click sound when turned on and off. Every once in a while, all I hear is static when I plug in my AD500x. Is there anything wrong with my MK2?


----------



## lin0003

mattcye10 said:


> I can actually hear hissing with my UE600 when set to low gain. The device also makes an audible click sound when turned on and off. Every once in a while, all I hear is static when I plug in my AD500x. Is there anything wrong with my MK2?


 
 Not sure, but mine does not have hissing with the SE846. 
  
 The popping sound is normal though.


----------



## Mattcye10

lin0003 said:


> Not sure, but mine does not have hissing with the SE846.
> 
> The popping sound is normal though.




Hmm...
Looks like I'll have to approach my retailer, just in case. My MK2 has a loose screw anyway.
Thanks!


----------



## ebjred

Does anyone else get crackling / distorition with higher ohm headphones? With middle ohm (120) headphones, I get very noticeable crackling / distortion.


----------



## kfotheringham

Audible clicks i hear from both channels (separately|)  when turning the unit on. 
  
 I get hissing when I use my Philips Fildelio S2`s if the iBasso D-Zero MKII is set to high gain. No hissing if I use my Fidelio X2`s on same setting.
 No hissing from the S2`s if in low gain mode.
  
 Problem I have just now is that 24-bit  files are giving me flakey static. The audio craps out periodically and just pumps out static noise, normally when i`m switching between tracks. Even the test tone on windows audio driver set-up highlights it randomly if i select 24-bit audio.
  
 Oddly, it`s the same static noise as the Schiit Fulla gives out on the faulty 24-bit, 96Khz units with the wrong oscillators. ( I have one of them also).
  
 Anyone else experiencing this?


----------



## Mad Max

Your software settings can also be a source of such problems.


----------



## acain

Hi every one I have been interested in picking up the D-Zero, I currently have the Fiio E07K does any one know how the 2 compare? Thanks for any information.


----------



## Mattcye10

kfotheringham said:


> Audible clicks i hear from both channels (separately|)  when turning the unit on.
> 
> I get hissing when I use my Philips Fildelio S2`s if the iBasso D-Zero MKII is set to high gain. No hissing if I use my Fidelio X2`s on same setting.
> No hissing from the S2`s if in low gain mode.
> ...




The audible click sounds are normal, as kindly pointed out to me by lin0003.
As for the hissing, I cannot say for I have limited hardware. I do hear hissing with my UE600 on low gain, though.


----------



## dacari

I can hear some hiss with my UM3x (low gain) but very very slight nothing to worry about, at least for me, maybe people that want black background won't be for them.
  
 Most important is the amazing sound and perfect volume with almost zero imbalance.


----------



## xylin6

kfotheringham said:


> Audible clicks i hear from both channels (separately|)  when turning the unit on.
> 
> I get hissing when I use my Philips Fildelio S2`s if the iBasso D-Zero MKII is set to high gain. No hissing if I use my Fidelio X2`s on same setting.
> No hissing from the S2`s if in low gain mode.
> ...


 
 as mentioned by many other head fi-er's the clicking and/or pop sound you hear when you turn the unit on or off is normal for the MKII and the best suggestion is to turn the units volume to zero or make sure your headphones are unplugged before powering the unit on or off.I can hear some hiss on high gain yet its nearly inaudible,honestly something i really have to listen for  and even then it only occurs when the volume is near maximum output .
  
 I haven't had any issues whatsoever with sound quality issues concerning 24 bit files using Foobar 2000 (version 1.3.5)  in windows 7. thus far my MKII has been nothing but stellar, i've only had the unit about five or six weeks now but I am really more than satisfied with the performance and quality,especially for such a low price.I hope you can find out whats causing your troubles with 24 bit files and that it's not the MKII.have you tried playing the same 24 bit files on another computer or DAP? just curious,keep us posted as to what you find out but you definitely should not be experiencing any kind of static with the MKII


----------



## kfotheringham

xylin6 said:


> as mentioned by many other head fi-er's the clicking and/or pop sound you hear when you turn the unit on or off is normal for the MKII and the best suggestion is to turn the units volume to zero or make sure your headphones are unplugged before powering the unit on or off.I can hear some hiss on high gain yet its nearly inaudible,honestly something i really have to listen for  and even then it only occurs when the volume is near maximum output .


 
 Thanks for the replies. I should have been more clear when i posted. I was just acknowledging the clicks and hiss as another member had queried it. 
  
 Absolutely no problem to me at all to me. The Schiit Vali makes the same clicks when powered up, and i appreciate/understand the need.
  
  
 iBasso think it`s the unit at fault with 24-bit decoding, so it`s on its way back to AMP3 for replacement. Will know in a few days when new one arrives. The Meridian Explorer 2 and Schiit Fulla i have also been testing show no issues with same files, so at this point i'm not thinking it`s my system (unless a driver conflict somehow) on Windows 8.1 Pro.


----------



## Schro Dinger

xylin6 said:


> schro dinger said:
> 
> 
> > It Crackles when connecting to my S5 and also other android devices
> ...


 
 Thanks very much! I've already found the problem: the OTG cable. the crackles disappear after replacing a better cable.


----------



## mdiogofs

Hello. Does this MK2 works from Android USB OTG from Spotify? Tks


----------



## TripBitShooter

Is this better than the new E17k? Or is the new E17k better? 

What i want is something more tonally neutral. Hated the X1 cos its so closed in and warm sounding.


----------



## lamnpt

Does anyone give me some comparisons between this MK-II and jdslabs C5D? I mean, does the C5D valuable as its price or not(the C5D's sound quality is far enough better than the MK-II)? 
 srr 4 my bad English.


----------



## acain

lamnpt said:


> Does anyone give me some comparisons between this MK-II and jdslabs C5D? I mean, does the C5D valuable as its price or not(the C5D's sound quality is far enough better than the MK-II)?
> srr 4 my bad English.




Great question i was wondering how the 2 compare also, hopefully someone that has then both could give us some feedback.


----------



## joshnor713

acain said:


> Hi every one I have been interested in picking up the D-Zero, I currently have the Fiio E07K does any one know how the 2 compare? Thanks for any information.


 
  
 Bump.  I'd like to know how the e07k compares as well.
  
 It bothers me a little that there is no bass boost on the d-zero.  But I'm not a big bass-head, just a little.


----------



## bigjim

Just EQ the bass up a little. I still maintain that this is the best bang per buck product I have ever got. Considering when using a portable rig background noise tends to be louder, does anyone need something too expensive? The D Zero is thinner too so just buy it and you can thank me later.


----------



## acain

bigjim said:


> Just EQ the bass up a little. I still maintain that this is the best bang per buck product I have ever got. Considering when using a portable rig background noise tends to be louder, does anyone need something too expensive? The D Zero is thinner too so just buy it and you can thank me later.




Does it work with android phones


----------



## lin0003

acain said:


> Does it work with android phones


 
 Yes. 
  
 Edit: 5000th post lol.


----------



## mdiogofs

lin0003 said:


> Yes.




With system overall sound (to use with Spotify) or just to use with UAPP or likewise?


----------



## acain

lin0003 said:


> Yes.


 

 Thanks I have the Fiio E07K but its bulky and I use it at work and want something without a glass screen.


----------



## lin0003

mdiogofs said:


> With system overall sound (to use with Spotify) or just to use with UAPP or likewise?


 
 Not sure what you mean. 
  
 I just connect it, and play music and it just comes out of the D-Zero.


----------



## mdiogofs

You play music from Spotify or YouTube with this fine? Some USB OTG external DACs only play sound from a specific app.


----------



## Mad Max

It should be able to playback from anything in general.


----------



## joshnor713

I just got my Mk2. I have a se846. When I start to raise the volume from the bottom, I hear sound from only the left earphone, raise it a little more then hear it from both. Is this normal?


----------



## lin0003

joshnor713 said:


> I just got my Mk2. I have a se846. When I start to raise the volume from the bottom, I hear sound from only the left earphone, raise it a little more then hear it from both. Is this normal?


 
 Yeah, when it is really soft that happens.


----------



## joshnor713

lin0003 said:


> Yeah, when it is really soft that happens.




Thanks for the confirmation. Can't raise it much before it gets too loud for me. Have to lower the source volume considerably. Guess that's what you get with low impedance headphones.


----------



## bigjim

I think thats normal, mine does the same, but once you give it a bit of volume it evens out both chanels. I use Amperiors and have to use low gain to get a bit more control, it puts out a lot of juice.


----------



## bigjim

mdiogofs said:


> You play music from Spotify or YouTube with this fine? Some USB OTG external DACs only play sound from a specific app.




Yes it will play anything from android. It will also take 24-192 files from my note 3, which is great.


----------



## n05ey

A quick question for the owners, when you push this little unit to higher volumes does it get harsh or manage to hold its composure? That is my main complaint about the nx1...


----------



## acain

n05ey said:


> A quick question for the owners, when you push this little unit to higher volumes does it get harsh or manage to hold its composure? That is my main complaint about the nx1...




I dont own one but usually its the headphones that cant handle it.


----------



## n05ey

acain said:


> I dont own one but usually its the headphones that cant handle it.




Possibly, however by comparison turning the volume up on the eph o2 with my q701's to the nx1 off the same source, the nx-1 gets loose low and harsh up top whereas I find the o2 doesn't...


----------



## ebjred

n05ey said:


> A quick question for the owners, when you push this little unit to higher volumes does it get harsh or manage to hold its composure? That is my main complaint about the nx1...


 
 I get that as well with the iBasso. Not working as well with higher impedance headphones.


----------



## king conan

I got this Ibasso yesterday to use with a portable system (android phone+Ibasso as a DAC only+Cayin C5 amp+Senn HD650).
  
 Just to try it, I used the Senn directly to the Ibasso to test the amp feature. With High gain and 80-90% volume the audio gets pretty loud but it's a little bit ugly. It's not a nice sound to listen. It's a little bit shallow.
  
 But the DAC itself and it's own battery so the phone does not power it are nice.
  
 The only things I don't like about the Ibasso is that buttons and switches are toyish. I hope they last long. And also I don't really like the OTG cable. The angle, length and stiffness does not help.
  
 I probably will get a different cable, like this for example:
  
 http://www.ebay.com/itm/1FT-Mini-USB-5-Pin-Male-to-Micro-USB-5-Pin-Male-M-M-Data-Sync-Cable-Cord-Black-/131285661473?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e913c3721
  
 But overall is a good device and it's great to use as DAC only or DAC/AMP with proper phones.


----------



## Q Mass

Just got mine last night (haven't heard it yet)
  
 When I attached the charging cable to the pc, a red light comes on.
 The instruction pdf:
  
 http://www.ibasso.com/uploadfiles/20141113/201411132259162695.pdf
  
 ...states that an orange light should come on until charged, then go out.
 My light is red, not orange.
 I don't imagine it's a problem, but are they all like this?
 Can any other owners comment?
  
 I do get an orange/yellow light when it's plugged into my phone (Z1 C) and switched to 'DAC/AMP'
  
 I'll report back on sound when I've had a proper listen, but got to go to work now


----------



## king conan

I get orange light only when used as dac, red light for charging only. So I guess the manual is wrong.


----------



## bigjim

As per the previous post red is charging which goes out when full, orange is dac on. Also when connected via usbotg even if switched off, it will still drain the phones battery. Oh and it will handle 192-24 over otg from android. Yay!


----------



## king conan

What a surprise. But yes, usb audio pro app says so! 






Really great little dac we have!


----------



## king conan

I'm really loving this combo! 






Great job ibasso for this modern usb-dac!


----------



## acain

king conan said:


> I'm really loving this combo!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 

 Is that the Cayin under the Ibasso.


----------



## king conan

Yeah! Cayin C5.


----------



## acain

How does the dzero drive those headphones by themself


----------



## king conan

Not enough power for them. The C5 is way way better as amp (for power hungry phones like HD650)


----------



## lin0003

acain said:


> How does the dzero drive those headphones by themself


 
 The amp isn't very powerful and will struggle with full sized headphones.


----------



## raulromanjr

I like the Cayin C5 with the iBasso but the C5 is just too big.  Anyone know of a good amp that might be closer to the size of the d-zero mk2?


----------



## acain

How about JDS lab


----------



## raulromanjr

I ordered it with the FiiO E12. I'll use the d-zero as a DAC/AMP when driving my Westone IEMs and as just a DAC when pairing it with the E12 to drive my full sized Pioneer headphones.I'll let you know what I think of the setup tomorrow after I have a chance to play with it for a while.


----------



## Dany1

Which is better option ...iBasso D-Zero Mk2 or Fiio E10k ? i can get e10k for $45 less.Just wondering if this ibasso D-zero Mk2 is worth the extra bucks.


----------



## GridIroN

dany1 said:


> Which is better option ...iBasso D-Zero Mk2 or Fiio E10k ? i can get e10k for $45 less.Just wondering if this ibasso D-zero Mk2 is worth the extra bucks.


 
  
 Surely the D0. I had the E10 and while it was nice while I had it, when I got more gear (FiiO E11, MM Stack) I realized the E10 really was SUPER entry...it's overhyped IMO. I A-B'ed it against an E11 with Sen HD598's and they sounded much better on the E11 portable amp.


----------



## Dany1

gridiron said:


> Surely the D0. I had the E10 and while it was nice while I had it, when I got more gear (FiiO E11, MM Stack) I realized the E10 really was SUPER entry...it's overhyped IMO. I A-B'ed it against an E11 with Sen HD598's and they sounded much better on the E11 portable amp.


 
 Are you talking about the new E10k or the old version ?


----------



## GridIroN

dany1 said:


> Are you talking about the new E10k or the old version ?


 
  
 The previous version, but there is little difference. In fact, some people find the Olympus 2 better than the 2K.


----------



## raulromanjr

Amazon delivered the d-zero but I'm still waiting for the E12. The ibasso sounds really good with my W3's. I like that it will play 88kHz where my E07K wouldn't. Not crazy about the EMI I'm getting from my phone. This was never a problem with my E07K.


----------



## raulromanjr

My bad, had the gain switch on high.  No noticeable EMI on low gain.


----------



## GridIroN

Any info on it's sound and comparison to other products would be helpful. I'm trying to find a new amp or DAC/amp. I was set on the Cayin C5, but a dac/amp with an equally good amp section and 120hrs of playtime for $120 USD would beat the hell out of a Cayin C5 @ $170 USD...


----------



## Mooses9

nice looking amp


----------



## raulromanjr

Love the d-zero. It really is a cool little DAC /AMP. For most IEM's this is all you would need to take your hi-res music to the next level. In my opinion, the d-zero is better than the FiiO E07K. When combined with a dedicated AMP the d-zero's DAC is worthy of pairing with some of the better amps out there.


----------



## ZSamuels28

How would the iBasso compare to the Fiio E17k?


----------



## king conan

If any Ibasso representative is listening I would like to know why USB Audio player (Android player) says this DAC is capable of processing audio up to 192khz but official specs are up to 96khz.
  
 This is a screen capture (from previous page) that confirms it:
  

  
  
 So... Is this a mistake of the app or offcial specs are wrong???


----------



## raulromanjr

Or the DAC is being handed a 192kHz PCM stream but it then down-converts it to 96kHz


----------



## king conan

That's possible, but I have another DAC (hifimedy sabre android dac) capable up to 44.1khz, and the android usb player app displays it fine. File 192Khz --- DAC 44.1 (downconverting)


----------



## ZSamuels28

How does this compare to the Fiio E17k or the JDS Labs C5D


----------



## Pheinte

zsamuels28 said:


> How does this compare to the Fiio E17k or the JDS Labs C5D


 
 And also to Fiio E17, someone please.


----------



## OnlySound

how to use the usb dac function again?Ibasso did not give a instruction manual IM DYINGGG


----------



## king conan

Move the switch towards the volume knob. (you have manual in their website).


----------



## joshnor713

Has anyone had the battery run out while using and then hear a series of loud popping?
  
 This freaked me out.  I have a se846 and hope there was no damage due to being very sensitive IEM's.  Why would they allow the device to do this upon running out of battery???
  
 I tried as quickly as possible to unplug the headphones, but not before a few good pops got out.


----------



## king conan

It happened once to me, used as DAC only. But it just went off, no weird noises.
  
 Battery life seems not really great, and also it's impossible to know the battery level, so I guess we have to charge it after a few hours of use or after it just stops.


----------



## Xdaggersoul

Can i use this as a DAC for my ipod classic 7th gen? 
 I already have a Cayin C5 amp and am pondering whether can I use this to bypass the Ipod's internal dac section.
 Thx!!


----------



## TripBitShooter

Is there seriously no one wwho can compare this to the new FiiO E17k?


----------



## UNOE

zsamuels28 said:


> How does this compare to the Fiio E17k or the JDS Labs C5D


 
 I would like to know this as well.


----------



## lin0003

tripbitshooter said:


> Is there seriously no one wwho can compare this to the new FiiO E17k?


 
 I'll do a comparison when I visit A2A or Noisy Motel next.


----------



## Mad Max

xdaggersoul said:


> Can i use this as a DAC for my ipod classic 7th gen?
> I already have a Cayin C5 amp and am pondering whether can I use this to bypass the Ipod's internal dac section.
> Thx!!


 
  
 iDevice-compatible DACs are specified as iDevice-compatible.  This one is not, unfortunately.  The DACs that are are a few times more expensive if I recall correctly.


----------



## Xdaggersoul

mad max said:


> iDevice-compatible DACs are specified as iDevice-compatible.  This one is not, unfortunately.  The DACs that are are a few times more expensive if I recall correctly.


 
 Thx for ur reply! 
 If i were to get those certified DAC. I will be better off changing my DAP lol


----------



## knights

Cant make it work with Note 4 (5.0.1)


----------



## king conan

In the android DAC thread some people also complain with galaxy S5 with lollipop. 

Seems that Samsung is ******* it up with android 5.

At last my S4 goes away and a shiny one plus one will power my music and my life. 

Bye Samsung.


----------



## TripBitShooter

I never really liked Samsung. My Samsung galaxy note 10.1 2014 edition (which is their second most powerful tablet I think) still lags in screen transitions, due to the bloated touchwiz UI. Heck, my friend's Samsung S5 lags when unlocking the phone.


----------



## ayaflo

I am interested to purchase D0 Mk2 and they are featured in Massdrop. We can make the drop possible and even reduce the price to $90 if there are enough willing to purchase it.

 P.S> Massdrop shipping takes about 3-4 weeks once the drop is successful.


----------



## dirtyblacksocks

So basically one question here.
  
 I've got a set of Philips Fidelio X2's and this iBasso DAC/AMP.
  
 I'm wondering if the DAC/AMP is all I need (notably the iBasso) or if you folks would recommend upgrading to something like a Schiit stack?
  
 Unfortunately I've never listened to anything more powerful than the iBasso, so I can't say whether or not I'm getting the full experience out of my Fidelio X2's or not.
  
 Anyone's opinions are appreciated.


----------



## king conan

With the schiit you would get a different sound signature. But in both cases (ibasso and schiit) they are powerful enough. 

The X2 is known to be easy to power even by cell phones directly, so a medium/low power amp like the ibasso is enough. 

Are you happy about how they sound together?


----------



## dirtyblacksocks

king conan said:


> With the schiit you would get a different sound signature. But in both cases (ibasso and schiit) they powerful enough.
> 
> The X2 is known to be easy to power even by cell phones directly, so a medium/low power amp like the ibasso is enough.
> 
> Are you happy about how they sound together?


 
  
 Yep, plenty happy. That's all I needed to know - if I end up getting a set of cans that the iBasso can't power then I'll look into getting a stack, or if I decide I want to dabble in tube amp's and whatnot.
  
 As it stands I use my headsets for gaming as much as I use them for music, so changing the sound signature drastically isn't really something I'm interested in.


----------



## joshnor713

Does anyone know any way to get a gain reduction on the MK2?  I use it with se846, which are very sensitive IEM's (9 ohm impedance).  Even with low gain, I hear hiss and cannot raise the volume past a couple notches before it's too loud.
  
 Anyone know of any way to mod it to a lower gain?  I contacted iBasso about it, hope they can help some way.


----------



## dacari

joshnor713 said:


> Does anyone know any way to get a gain reduction on the MK2?  I use it with se846, which are very sensitive IEM's (9 ohm impedance).  Even with low gain, I hear hiss and cannot raise the volume past a couple notches before it's too loud.
> 
> Anyone know of any way to mod it to a lower gain?  I contacted iBasso about it, hope they can help some way.


 
  
 I seriously doubt it, unless you can arrange a personalized tweak.
  
 I hope in the future we can see more amps with three gain levels, the problem is when you have only two gain levels.


----------



## andrewhf2015

I have a somewhat similar problem. Prior to getting the MK2 I have an ODAC as i only had speakers. Now since i have IEMs, the MK2 comes in, so sometimes I pair the ODAC with the MK2 in amp-only mode and it sounds great if not better, with the Windows volume not more than 50%.

Problem is anything above 50% & there is severe clipping the higher I go. MK2's gain is set to 'low'. I know that the ODAC+O2 has a tendency to send itself into clipping due to volume pot after amp stage. Maybe MK2 has the same design, as it clips base on the set Windows volume, irrespective of MK2's vol pot position...

Is there a way to solve this problem? Would an impedance adapter between the ODAC & MK2 help? Also, I can solder pretty well, i just need to know what to mod (i suck at electronics). I really prefer the ODAC's DAC than the dual Wolfsons... But i love the amp of the MK2.


----------



## Mad Max

I have speculated in the past that a 40k ohm adapter for these mini-amps with 10k ohm pots may work well.  My main portable amp these days can handle the strong output of most desktop DACs, so I never got around to trying it out.


----------



## riodgarp

hello is there anyone has compare it with d-zero mk1? for amplification section the d-zero seems too neutral to my ears


----------



## jamato8

riodgarp said:


> hello is there anyone has compare it with d-zero mk1? for amplification section the d-zero seems too neutral to my ears


 

 It is pretty neutral. The MII is more powerful and the dac section is better. The sound quality and amplification make it an exceptionally good buy. I use it with my Mac computer and get great sound.


----------



## riodgarp

jamato8 said:


> It is pretty neutral. The MII is more powerful and the dac section is better. The sound quality and amplification make it an exceptionally good buy. I use it with my Mac computer and get great sound.


 
  
 anyway as your current gears, which one is your recommended between fiio e12a or ibasso d-zero mkII for amplification section only? I just feel that old d-zero for amp section cold and not pleasant with female voice (paired with itouch 4th lod)


----------



## Hinomotocho

I recently got myself a Sony Xperia Z3 compact tablet and want to enjoy a better quality of sound for my FLAC files with iems.
 Last night I hooked it up via OTG to my NuForce HDP and was blown away by the improvement in quality - I understand it is in a whole different class, but will the D Zero MkII give me something to smile about? Thanks in advance


----------



## lin0003

beninnzorjp said:


> I recently got myself a Sony Xperia Z3 compact tablet and want to enjoy a better quality of sound for my FLAC files with iems.
> Last night I hooked it up via OTG to my NuForce HDP and was blown away by the improvement in quality - I understand it is in a whole different class, but will the D Zero MkII give me something to smile about? Thanks in advance


 
 Definitely, the MKII punches well above its price range. Works perfectly with my Z2.


----------



## Hinomotocho

Thanks for that lin0003.


----------



## riodgarp

lin0003 said:


> Definitely, the MKII punches well above its price range. Works perfectly with my Z2.


 
  
 mk2 amp section are neutral right?


----------



## Xdaggersoul

riodgarp said:


> mk2 amp section are neutral right?


 
 yeah it is quite neutral


----------



## lin0003

riodgarp said:


> mk2 amp section are neutral right?


 
 Yes, if not a little on the brighter side, but it's hard to say because different people hear and perceive things differently.


----------



## CalvinXC

It says take digital signal from iPhone or iPad with CCK. Anyone got their idevice working on it? Will the lightning to mirousb adapter works the same as CCK, the CCK is just too long.

Edit : After searching around, I've read that the CCK and the adapter works differently, so it won't work. An amazon review said the CCK worked flawlessly. Time for Tidal..


----------



## XipeTotec

Hi all, newbie headphone listener here.
 I'm a regular listener of music (more or less 6-7 hours per day) and I am used to listen to music with my HiFi at home with my floorstanding speakers (Canton GLE496, previously JBL L80T directly from the Eighties).​ I recently had to travel a lot and I started to follow this community to get some tips and tricks while building my "travel gear" and I have to say I found great suggestions here. I was not a real supporter of portable audio but I have to say that when I'm abroad I start to miss good quality of music.
  
 I am following the iBasso D-Zero Mk2 threads and, meanwhile, the new FiiO e17k Alpen 2 threads and I am quite undecided among the two. I was previously considering also the SMSL M2 but people are reporting huge problems with that device (ASIO drivers don't working, USB to pc no recognized after weeks of use etc.) which sounds really bad.
  
 As far as I read, iBasso and e17K are amp+dac and they can be used with pc (usb connection) and with android devices (i'm on a rooted custom rom SGS2 so I think I will not have any compatibility issue).
 I listen to every kind of music, even if im more into experimental rock (King Crimson), Jazz ("ecm style") and technical death metal (yea, Meshuggah and stuff).
 Price gap between the two is really low (we're talking about 30 bucks more for the FiiO) so I am asking you what you suggest for a user like me.
  
 At the moment at home I use a pair of AKG K240MkII (55Ω) and while I'm travelling I use a pair of Sennheiser IEM CX300ii (16Ω). I use a lot my android device but I would like a device that can work good even with my pc (running windows 8.1)
  
 Thank you for your help


----------



## acain

xipetotec said:


> Hi all, newbie headphone listener here.
> I'm a regular listener of music (more or less 6-7 hours per day) and I am used to listen to music with my HiFi at home with my floorstanding speakers (Canton GLE496, previously JBL [COLOR=141823]L80T directly from the Eighties).[/COLOR]​I recently had to travel a lot and I started to follow this community to get some tips and tricks while building my "travel gear" and I have to say I found great suggestions here. I was not a real supporter of portable audio but I have to say that when I'm abroad I start to miss good quality of music.
> 
> I am following the iBasso D-Zero Mk2 threads and, meanwhile, the new FiiO e17k Alpen 2 threads and I am quite undecided among the two. I was previously considering also the SMSL M2 but people are reporting huge problems with that device (ASIO drivers don't working, USB to pc no recognized after weeks of use etc.) which sounds really bad.
> ...




How about a designated DAP that you can also use as a DAC for your PC. Maybe like a Astell & Kern AK100II


----------



## XipeTotec

acain said:


> How about a designated DAP that you can also use as a DAC for your PC. Maybe like a Astell & Kern AK100II


 
 If you can give me 900$ I will buy it for sure dude.
 I'm stick to cheap electronics ahah  150 euros is my budget. I'm saving money for a proper MacIntosh amplifier


----------



## acain

xipetotec said:


> If you can give me 900$ I will buy it for sure dude.
> I'm stick to cheap electronics ahah  150 euros is my budget. I'm saving money for a proper MacIntosh amplifier


 

 Try the Fiio X1 you cant beat it for the price


----------



## XipeTotec

acain said:


> Try the Fiio X1 you cant beat it for the price


 
 ill check it out for sure, thank you (price is really low)
 but what about iBasso vs FiiO e17k?


----------



## acain

xipetotec said:


> ill check it out for sure, thank you (price is really low)
> but what about iBasso vs FiiO e17k?


 

 I have the Fiio E07K and I love it works great with my Samsung Alpha via OTG cable for the DAC. I also use it as a DAC with a Lenovo Ultrabook to watch movies at night sometimes.


----------



## riodgarp

xipetotec said:


> Hi all, newbie headphone listener here.
> I'm a regular listener of music (more or less 6-7 hours per day) and I am used to listen to music with my HiFi at home with my floorstanding speakers (Canton GLE496, previously JBL L80T directly from the Eighties).​ I recently had to travel a lot and I started to follow this community to get some tips and tricks while building my "travel gear" and I have to say I found great suggestions here. I was not a real supporter of portable audio but I have to say that when I'm abroad I start to miss good quality of music.
> 
> I am following the iBasso D-Zero Mk2 threads and, meanwhile, the new FiiO e17k Alpen 2 threads and I am quite undecided among the two. I was previously considering also the SMSL M2 but people are reporting huge problems with that device (ASIO drivers don't working, USB to pc no recognized after weeks of use etc.) which sounds really bad.
> ...


 
  
 both dac/amp ( ibasso d-zero mk2 and fiio e17k) are compatible with android enabled OTG, which one is good are depending on your favor and setup


----------



## acain

I have been looking to get the ibasso dac/amp you cant beat it for the price. I like my Fiio E07k but its a little big and on the go you have to worry about breaking the screen.


----------



## TripBitShooter

I definitely have not heard either the E17k or iBasso D-Zero MK2, but what I know is that the E17k shares the same PCM5102 DAC with the E10k. I'm not sure about the amps though.


----------



## XipeTotec

Oh well, I placed my order on Amazon today for the iBasso. FiiO e17k has some more features but I was looking for a basic amp/dac and whenever I will need something more powerful I will look not for an entry level gear. Plus, I like the iBasso design.
 I have to wait a little because here in Italy they can't ship it with "prime" but as soon as I have it I will share my opinions.
 Thank you all for the help


----------



## raulromanjr

I think you'll be very happy with the d-zero mk2.  Not that the E17k would have been such a bad choice but I think the iBasso was an upgrade over my E07k.  And now that I have it paired up with the E-12 I am very happy with my portable rig.


----------



## XipeTotec

raulromanjr said:


> I think you'll be very happy with the d-zero mk2.  Not that the E17k would have been such a bad choice but I think the iBasso was an upgrade over my E07k.  And now that I have it paired up with the E-12 I am very happy with my portable rig.


 
 i hope i will not face any problem pairing it with my Samsung Galaxy S2


----------



## raulromanjr

Don't know first hand but according to this, the S2 does not do OTG.  Look through the list on the page for compatible phones.  The Desire 816 is not listed but I'm running that without any problems.  There are several no-contract phones under $100 that will do OTG.


----------



## XipeTotec

raulromanjr said:


> Don't know first hand but according to this, the S2 does not do OTG.  Look through the list on the page for compatible phones.  The Desire 816 is not listed but I'm running that without any problems.  There are several no-contract phones under $100 that will do OTG.


 
  
 You are right but I've seen this. If he can do it... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skgEKS4uzWA


----------



## XipeTotec

My new iBasso just arrived and I'm trying it out. For the moment I can just say: wow.


----------



## Hinomotocho

Apologies if this has been asked before - just received my unit this week and was wondering it requires a burn in period?


----------



## king conan

For me no difference after 5 charge cycles (about 50 hours).


----------



## XipeTotec

One more question: is it normal to hear hiss while not playing music with IEMs?


----------



## Mad Max

Depends on the IEMs' sensitivity.


----------



## XipeTotec

mad max said:


> Depends on the IEMs' sensitivity.


 
 then i suppose sennheiser CX300ii are not suitable for the iBasso d-zero. playing quality is good, but when music stops, i hear a clear hiss.


----------



## CalvinXC

Had this amp for well over a week, I'm impressed with how this little beast performs at this little price.
  
 Some SE846 user said it is dead silent, but I have different experience over here, I have a pair of SE535LTD, which doesn't play well with many amps/DAP, partially to blame is the sensitivity, (119dB vs 114dB on SE846). *basically hiss with anything, iPhone to entry level DAP, except DX90 and some AK or higher end DAP.
  
 When plugged in, a clear background noise appears, similar to my Cayin C5, but to a lesser degree, when the music plays, how good it sounds kinda made me forgot that hiss. I don't blame the amp at all, at this price, I'm smiling as I'm listening to all that good songs and typing this. Performed pretty well with my RE400.
  
 So far pros > cons, which I'm happy with. Probably will get a pair of close back headphone soon.


----------



## acain

I am going to purchase this someday I really like how compact it is. How does it push hard to drive headphones I have Beyerdynamic DT770 80ohms that are hard to drive to a good listening level?


----------



## ZSamuels28

acain said:


> I am going to purchase this someday I really like how compact it is. How does it push hard to drive headphones I have Beyerdynamic DT770 80ohms that are hard to drive to a good listening level?




These should be no problem to drive, the MKII specs say it can drive 8-300 ohm and 80 ohm isn't tough to drive at all. I have 250 ohm Beyers and use my C5D (another portable DAC/Amp) to drive them and it handles them no problem and could actually drive higher than that. So I don't think you should have any difficulty in driving the 80 ohms with this.


----------



## acain

Like others have stated the 80 ohm Beyerdynamic dt770 I find hard to drive for some reason.


----------



## joshnor713

xipetotec said:


> then i suppose sennheiser CX300ii are not suitable for the iBasso d-zero. playing quality is good, but when music stops, i hear a clear hiss.




You sure you have it set to the low gain setting?


----------



## Mad Max

acain said:


> Like others have stated the 80 ohm Beyerdynamic dt770 I find hard to drive for some reason.


 
  
 An amp with an output buffer like this Zero is generally the right choice for DT770-80.  I'm just assuming that there's an exception out there that I'm not aware of.  But I'm sure this amp will do.


----------



## acain

Thanks i think i will buy it cant go wrong for how cheap is.


----------



## ZSamuels28

If you want something a step up you could go with the JDS C5D which is an amazing portable amp/dac and can easily drive the 80ohms and much higher than that.


----------



## acain

I looked at that one also maybe I will get the C5 w/o the DAC since I won't need it but maybe I should incase I want to use the DAC with my phone, to many decisions to make.


----------



## XipeTotec

Hi guys, I'm testing my new iBasso D-zero with several players and devices and I am overall happy about it.
 I noticed an annoying problem. I installed ASIO4ALL and the ASIO support component for foobar2000. When I play music I can hear a clear distortion. I tried to increase ASIO buffer dimensions and also the latency compensation but the problem still persist.
 Did you faced the same problem? Any suggestion to solve it? ASIO drivers increase the quality of music but if it crackles... doesn't make sense.
  
 EDIT:
 tried also WASAPI drivers output. same crackling. Applied CStateFlags, issue not solved.


----------



## ZSamuels28

acain said:


> I looked at that one also maybe I will get the C5 w/o the DAC since I won't need it but maybe I should incase I want to use the DAC with my phone, to many decisions to make.


 

 It's not THAT much more expensive and totally worth it... The C5D is a huge step up from the MKII


----------



## lucidreamer

I have D-Zero Mk2 for a few weeks already and am pretty happy about its DAC with my PPA amplifier with OPA637AP chips in it. The overall sound is pretty pleasant and detailed with HE-400 headphones, but it still sounds a little veiled in terms of transparency, not 100% audiophile. I would prefer something more airy and cleaner, more dynamic maybe. This might be caused by the laid-back and dark character of OPA637AP or Wolfson 8740 or both, not sure.
  
 How does D-Zero Mk2 compare against iFi Micro iDSD in terms of its DAC performance? I picked up a used Micro iDSD lately but it has not arrived yet. So I am just anxious to know whether the iDSD will be a huge upgrade in terms of DAC section, I still plan to use my favorite PPA with HE-400.
  
 Thanks.


----------



## joshnor713

I'm also very interested to hear how the MK2 compares to the micro idsd. I use the se846 and ie800.

The se846 is really sensitive, and the ultra-sensitivity option of the idsd really intrigues me. But I hate how the idsd is like 10x the size of the MK2


----------



## dacari

lucidreamer said:


> I have D-Zero Mk2 for a few weeks already and am pretty happy about its DAC with my PPA amplifier with OPA637AP chips in it. The overall sound is pretty pleasant and detailed with HE-400 headphones, but it still sounds a little veiled in terms of transparency, not 100% audiophile. I would prefer something more airy and cleaner, more dynamic maybe. This might be caused by the laid-back and dark character of OPA637AP or Wolfson 8740 or both, not sure.
> 
> How does D-Zero Mk2 compare against iFi Micro iDSD in terms of its DAC performance? I picked up a used Micro iDSD lately but it has not arrived yet. So I am just anxious to know whether the iDSD will be a huge upgrade in terms of DAC section, I still plan to use my favorite PPA with HE-400.
> 
> Thanks.


 
  
 In my opinion, the Wolfson 8740's implementation in D-Zero mk2 gives the more airy, transparent and dynamic version of this chip, maybe due its dual configuration but in any case, extremely musical.
  
 Comparing D-Zero mk2 with the micro iDSD is at least unfair, 5x price difference can't be  a serious comparison 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 The ifi house sound signature is really enjoyable and you can forget all the gear and feel the music. The IEM match works really will with sensitive iems.
  
 The D-Zero mk2 hisses a bit and the gain control works well but I'd like to see three positions instead of two, but again the price is mandatory I guess.


----------



## lucidreamer

Today I got a replacement velour pads for my HE-400 and they do make a huge difference in sound in positive way. There is no more veil and the sound becomes more airy, cleaner and transparent, I like these pads better than the stock leatherette ones. Not sure what contributed to that change, but the acoustic cloth screen on the velour pads is thinner, you can almost see the planar driver through it. Also, there is less compression and seal with velour pads, I also had to add more volume on my PPA to reach the same output. The only thing I may not like much is the tamed bass, less seal compared to leatherette pads loses the bass a little, which is not a big deal to me.
  
 At least the veil issue is resolved, I can definitely tell that the planar drivers in my HE-400 are on par if not much better than Beyer DT-990 in terms of treble and transparency, though both phones are great. What a revelation the Mk2 DAC output, I originally thought the Wolfson 8740 contributed to the laid-back and rolled off sound but after the simple pad upgrade, it is actually extremely detailed and musical DAC.
  
 Anyone else who prefer the velour pads with planar headsets vs leather(ette)?


----------



## kiranjoshi7

Hi,
I got my D zero Mk2 recently. I have basic query, correct me if wrong.
There is round knob on DAC unit which if turned towards volume wheel functions as ONLY DAC. 
If turned towards opposite side, device functions as ONLY amp.
Is there any setting so that device would function as DAC- AMP at same time ? I think its not possible. 
Kindly help, regards,


----------



## XipeTotec

kiranjoshi7 said:


> Hi,
> I got my D zero Mk2 recently. I have basic query, correct me if wrong.
> There is round knob on DAC unit which if turned towards volume wheel functions as ONLY DAC.
> If turned towards opposite side, device functions as ONLY amp.
> ...


 
 There's a little switch between volume knob and aux in/out.
 Switched on the right: DAC + AMP. If you plug the phones in the "phono" out you get DAC and AMP functions, if you use the "line out" plug you get only DAC signal without amplification. USB plug on the back works as a "line in".
  
 Switched on the left: only AMP. The in/out aux works as an "in" plug. You bypass the DAC circuit and get only the amplified signal via phono plug. You dont use the USB port.


----------



## kiranjoshi7

@xipe Totec,
Thanks a lot for info.
Regards,


----------



## joshnor713

xipetotec said:


> There's a little switch between volume knob and aux in/out.
> Switched on the right: DAC + AMP. If you plug the phones in the "phono" out you get DAC and AMP functions, if you use the "line out" plug you get only DAC signal without amplification. USB plug on the back works as a "line in".
> 
> Switched on the left: only AMP. The in/out aux works as an "in" plug. You bypass the DAC circuit and get only the amplified signal via phono plug. You dont use the USB port.




Didn't know you could use the DAC without the amp. The sound quality is the same out of either port?


----------



## XipeTotec

joshnor713 said:


> Didn't know you could use the DAC without the amp. The sound quality is the same out of either port?


 
  
 You might check out this: http://www.ibasso.com/uploadfiles/20141113/201411132259162695.pdf
  
 To be honest, when I use the MK2 at home i prefer to bypass the amp circuit. I use another tube amp so i connect MK2 to my pc through the usb port then i plug lineout cable to my tube amplifier. The sound is warmer because of the tube and so I prefer it. I have to say that MK2 amplifier works well, expecially if you think iBasso cost just 110 bucks.
  
 I never tested this product just as amplifier using aux port as an "in" port. I always prefer the USB plug.


----------



## lucidreamer

Just got my iFi Micro iDSD today and comparing it to iBasso Mk2 it is definitely a huge step up in SQ and features, no questions about it. Do not get me wrong here, the Mk2 is a great device too that wins over Micro in terms of portability, simplicity and size, and it actually sounds way better its $100 price tag. I will keep both and just use Mk2 on the go or when watching movies, etc.
 The Micro DAC section outputs more detailed and dynamic sound with better soundstage. It feels like you can literally touch the sound. The amp section of Micro is pretty good too driving my HE-400 without issues in Normal mode, the amp sounds pretty analytical and kind of portable to my liking, I would still prefer my PPA amplifier over the built-in amp for its more relaxed yet solid sound. PPA combined with Micro are both yielding completely portable, yet very solid audiophile sound now. I already spent a good couple of hours tweaking all the device options and plugins, currently playing my mp3 files converted to DSD512 using Foobar+plugins with Bitperfect filter applied, it really makes a huge difference compared to just listening to MP3. Maybe next steps would be upgrading the cables to DIY solid silver wires instead of using Monster Cable M500i that sound great but silver still gives a cleaner and more transparent sound.
  
http://1drv.ms/1a6Fu9F


----------



## XipeTotec

lucidreamer said:


> Just got my iFi Micro iDSD today and comparing it to iBasso Mk2 it is definitely a huge step up in SQ and features, no questions about it. Do not get me wrong here, the Mk2 is a great device too that wins over Micro in terms of portability, simplicity and size, and it actually sounds way better its $100 price tag. I will keep both and just use Mk2 on the go or when watching movies, etc.
> The Micro DAC section outputs more detailed and dynamic sound with better soundstage. It feels like you can literally touch the sound. The amp section of Micro is pretty good too driving my HE-400 without issues in Normal mode, the amp sounds pretty analytical and kind of portable to my liking, I would still prefer my PPA amplifier over the built-in amp for its more relaxed yet solid sound. PPA combined with Micro are both yielding completely portable, yet very solid audiophile sound now. I already spent a good couple of hours tweaking all the device options and plugins, currently playing my mp3 files converted to DSD512 using Foobar+plugins with Bitperfect filter applied, it really makes a huge difference compared to just listening to MP3. Maybe next steps would be upgrading the cables to DIY solid silver wires instead of using Monster Cable M500i that sound great but silver still gives a cleaner and more transparent sound.
> 
> http://1drv.ms/1a6Fu9F


 
  
 sounds good. though iFi Micro iDSD comes for 500 euros. It is five time the MK2


----------



## lucidreamer

xipetotec said:


> ..._It is five time the MK2 _


 
 True, but in audiophile realm some people are willing to pay double-triple $$$ swapping gear to achieve only a marginal increase in sound quality. Micro iDSD costs more than Mk2 but it really surpasses the Mk2 in everything except its size. For those who afford shelling out $500 to get a wonderful (not necessarily portable but standalone) DAC/AMP - this is one of the best choices that currently exist on the sound market.


----------



## XipeTotec

lucidreamer said:


> True, but in audiophile realm some people are willing to pay double-triple $$$ swapping gear to achieve only a marginal increase in sound quality. Micro iDSD costs more than Mk2 but it really surpasses the Mk2 in everything except its size. For those who afford shelling out $500 to get a wonderful (not necessarily portable but standalone) DAC/AMP - this is one of the best choices that currently exist on the sound market.


 
  
 aye, hands down


----------



## TripBitShooter

This thread is going inactive, I know, but I just want to ask if I should get this when the E17k is just $20 more here in Singapore. I read reviews that the E17k is quite warm, which I don't like, and the reviews I read of the ibasso say that it is relatively neutral, and I want to know which is better.


----------



## mortimerhobbs

From the looks of it the E17K is quite a bit bigger than the iBasso. So I think the iBasso is better portable. But the iBasso also has a noticeable hiss sometimes. It's only when no music is being played though. No distortion on playback and confirm that it's definitely neutral.
 I can't say which one is better, as I have not used the E17K.
 These are just my impressions of the iBasso after using it since December.


----------



## xledruidx

Very nice exept that u cant control the sound volume in windows.. its currently rocking high volume at 0%volume on windows  i guess this can both be a con/pro. only volume knob works to change sound level.


----------



## rensc

calvinxc said:


> It says take digital signal from iPhone or iPad with CCK. Anyone got their idevice working on it? Will the lightning to mirousb adapter works the same as CCK, the CCK is just too long.
> 
> Edit : After searching around, I've read that the CCK and the adapter works differently, so it won't work. An amazon review said the CCK worked flawlessly. Time for Tidal..




Worked fine with my iPad and CCK. It does take digital out from the lightning.


----------



## Xdaggersoul

rensc said:


> Worked fine with my iPad and CCK. It does take digital out from the lightning.


 
 what about the 30 pin?


----------



## rensc

xdaggersoul said:


> what about the 30 pin?



I will have a look later. Need to try and dig up the old adapter. I am not to hopeful though, as Apple changed digital audio out with Lightning and iOS 7. Now it will work with any DAC as long as the current draw is low enough (and if it is too high you can just use a powered USB hub inbetween) with 30 pin it was licenced. As far I am aware. I will try to check.


----------



## Xdaggersoul

rensc said:


> I will have a look later. Need to try and dig up the old adapter. I am not to hopeful though, as Apple changed digital audio out with Lightning and iOS 7. Now it will work with any DAC as long as the current draw is low enough (and if it is too high you can just use a powered USB hub inbetween) with 30 pin it was licenced. As far I am aware. I will try to check.


 
 So the current line of apple products using lightning can be paired with any dac? I know that the 30pin Idevices need the MFI certification from apple in order to extract the digital Info.


----------



## rensc

xdaggersoul said:


> So the current line of apple products using lightning can be paired with any dac? I know that the 30pin Idevices need the MFI certification from apple in order to extract the digital Info.




Yes (with CCK). But if they need too much power then you will get a 'this usb device needs too much power' message. In that case you can ad a powered usb hub between them and it will work (this is how I use my iPad with my Hifi DAC). Some portable ones will also do this though, so it is worth checking they don't need a hub if you want it to be portable. The D-Zero doesn't need one.


----------



## Xdaggersoul

rensc said:


> Yes (with CCK). But if they need too much power then you will get a 'this usb device needs too much power' message. In that case you can ad a powered usb hub between them and it will work (this is how I use my iPad with my Hifi DAC). Some portable ones will also do this though, so it is worth checking they don't need a hub if you want it to be portable. The D-Zero doesn't need one.


 
 thanks for the explanation!


----------



## h1f1add1cted

Short question to all D-ZeroMK2 owners. Is it possible to run the D-Zero on a Android phone to bypass the battery?
  
 I have a modded Samsung S4 with a large 7800 mAh battery so no problem to run this device like a attached to a regular desktop PC system or something.
  
 Or does the D-Zero needs to much power to run without his built-in battery? Or can I simply change to "charge" and power off the device and attach, or would it work I keep it "charge off" connect the USB cable phone is already on and afterwards I power on the D-Zero to run like a normal USB DAC without battery use of the built-in battery?
  
 I need only a little bit clarify before I order. Thanks in advance.


----------



## bigjim

Duplicate post issues. Sorry.


----------



## bigjim

Hi, 
With the Dac set to charge, the ibasso will draw from your massive phone battery and will last about three days solid. What a good idea, I'm ordering a note 3 big battery now! 

On another note I am using my D Zero less since going back to my Arcam Rpac, the Arcam running off the phone in USB 2 mode is simply stunning, with audiable improvements with soundstage, separation and positioning. But I do still love the D Zero for the smoothness and mild bass increase, there is a lot of excellent texture in the Bass as the string wobbles that the Arcam can't replicate, it's a good bit of kit no doubt. 

I am hoping that when my Flare Audio R2a arrives shortly that the smoothness will match nicely for relaxing with a touch of treble bumped up possibly. 

Jim


h1f1add1cted said:


> Short question to all D-ZeroMK2 owners. Is it possible to run the D-Zero on a Android phone to bypass the battery?
> 
> I have a modded Samsung S4 with a large 7800 mAh battery so no problem to run this device like a attached to a regular desktop PC system or something.
> 
> ...


----------



## raulromanjr

h1f1add1cted said:


> Short question to all D-ZeroMK2 owners. Is it possible to run the D-Zero on a Android phone to bypass the battery?
> 
> I have a modded Samsung S4 with a large 7800 mAh battery so no problem to run this device like a attached to a regular desktop PC system or something.
> 
> ...


 
 Can't bypass the battery.  The battery is either being used or being charged depending on the position of the charge switch.  As Jim said, your phone's battery will just be charging your d-zero's battery if you set the phone on charge.  Frankly, I would go with something like a Dacport if you don't need the battery.


----------



## h1f1add1cted

Ok but I could charge the D-Zero during usage that it runs like "forever" with my 7800 mAh Samsung battery. I've just orded it, I will test how long will be the running time in real world.


----------



## bigjim

You will be really happy with it, especially if you have some bright headphones.


----------



## h1f1add1cted

Sure I only own bright cans like HD 800, ER-4S, H8P, RS2i should arrive tomorrow.


----------



## h1f1add1cted

It seems the iBasso manual ist really confusing... http://www.ibasso.com/uploadfiles/20141113/201411132259162695.pdf
  
  


> _ ... The charge lamp turns to orange at that time._


 
 ?
  
 I have the button charge OFF and the device is OFF. I connect to my phone and power ON the D-Zero the lamp turns yellow. The D-Zero runs on battery.
  
 If  I change to charge ON and the device is OFF and I connect my phone and the power is still OFF from the D-Zero, the lamps turns to red and it starts charging the D-Zero.
  
  
 Anyway great little device on high gain enough power to drive my HD 800, which I use mostly together with my micro iDSD.


----------



## bigjim

h1f1add1cted said:


> It seems the iBasso manual ist really confusing... http://www.ibasso.com/uploadfiles/20141113/201411132259162695.pdf
> 
> 
> ?
> ...




How much better do you find the Micro than the ibasso? Have you got the larger idsd or the Nanotube? I was looking at getting the Micro Idsd £400 in the UK as the next upgrade to mine and myrPAC. 
Jim


----------



## h1f1add1cted

The micro iDSD on bit perfect filter setting has cleaner slightly fuller sound, zero hiss and with enabled crossfeed (3D sound option) best battery powered DAC/AMP for under 500 EURO for hard to drive headphones. It is NOT like day and night, no the D-Zero MK2 provides for such a low cost device amazing sound quality and in my eyes (ears) a great small battery DAC/AMP combo for Smartphones.
  
 I owned the nano iDSD and the nano iCAN, this both together sound similar to the micro iDSD (on minimum phase filter setting), but more bulky, need of two devices and the micro iDSD has more features, power and options.
  
 Only one bad side of this two devices (micro iDSD and D-Zero MK2), none of them has a battery indicator for remaining battery life. Only short before almost empty battery you will know about. Thats the only thing really complain.


----------



## h1f1add1cted

After a coulple of days still pretty happy with my choice:
  
  
  


  
  
  

  

  

  
  
 Question, did nobody use the D-Zero MK2 together with his phone with WiFi enabled?
  
 I get really strange EMI noise if I enable WiFi on my Samsung phone...
  
 I fixed that issue with simply aluminum foil inside of my phone (red marked), WiFi signal is still strong enough and works as before, but now with zero EMI noise:


----------



## Luckbad

For my work setup, I have a Cayin C5 amplifier. I sold my CEntrance DACport that was to be used just as a DAC because it was beyond what I needed for my setup. I don't care about portability, but I can't do anything internal on my work machine like install a sound card.
  
 This iBasso D-Zero MK2 caught my eye because I'm a basshead and I hear the Wolfson chip(s) in the DAC are awesome for bass.
  
 How will the iBasso pair as a DAC only with the Cayin C5 when driving a variety of headphones like the Fostex TH-600, Sennheiser HD650, Noble 5, Sony XB90EX, and JVC HA-FXZ200?
  
 Again, I'm a total basshead, so I'm looking for the best DAC for bass under ~$200, not the most transparent DAC (I have the O2/ODAC for that if I want it).
  
 Computer USB > DAC > Cayin C5 > Headphones
  
 Thanks!


----------



## Mad Max

The Wolfson DAC chip's strength is having a very mellow and analogue sound from what I can tell using my D7 Sidewinder's line-out.  I don't know if iBasso improved the bass in their current line-up.  The Burr Brown/Texas Instruments PCM5102 DAC chip is the one with the bass quality that you want, found in the Meridian Explorer2 which you might be able to get for ~$200 used.  The ME2 has a line-out as well to bypass its headphone amp.


----------



## Luckbad

mad max said:


> The Wolfson DAC chip's strength is having a very mellow and analogue sound from what I can tell using my D7 Sidewinder's line-out.  I don't know if iBasso improved the bass in their current line-up.  The Burr Brown/Texas Instruments PCM5102 DAC chip is the one with the bass quality that you want, found in the Meridian Explorer2 which you might be able to get for ~$200 used.  The ME2 has a line-out as well to bypass its headphone amp.


 
  
 Thanks! I have Burr Browns in my Creative X-Fi Titanium HD at home and I sometimes prefer the sound of that card to my discrete stuff.
  
 I had the Meridian Explorer (1, not 2) for a while and honestly thought it was super overhyped and not worth the $250 I paid for it at all. Did that also use the same Burr Brown DAC? I had a bigger problem with the amp section feeling pretty anemic, not to mention a bad taste in my mouth when at one point its software freaked out and switched to line out on me, so it became at least partially responsible for me having tinnitus now with how insanely loud it made my headphones go for a couple seconds.
  
 Anyway, it looks like the Fiio E10k has the same DAC. Is that the lowest cost decent implementation if I'm only going to use it as a line out? I have no need of an amp section, so it seems super wasteful to step up to a Meridian or something similar when I'm not going to use the amp.
  
 Thanks!


----------



## bose301s

Does anyone have this and use it with Aurisonics Rockets? Looking for a DAC/Amp and this looks like the best price/performance piece out there.


----------



## Mad Max

luckbad said:


> Thanks! I have Burr Browns in my Creative X-Fi Titanium HD at home and I sometimes prefer the sound of that card to my discrete stuff.
> 
> I had the Meridian Explorer (1, not 2) for a while and honestly thought it was super overhyped and not worth the $250 I paid for it at all. Did that also use the same Burr Brown DAC? I had a bigger problem with the amp section feeling pretty anemic, not to mention a bad taste in my mouth when at one point its software freaked out and switched to line out on me, so it became at least partially responsible for me having tinnitus now with how insanely loud it made my headphones go for a couple seconds.
> 
> ...


 
  
 You live up to your forum name, hahaha!  Damn, that sucks royally.  Are you sure you didn't plug into the line-out jack by chance that fateful day?
  
 Well, I'm quite fond of the TPA6130 headamp chip for compact/low-power equipment used in the Meridian units, but it seemed like they somehow borked it in the Explorer1.  Too colored sounding in that one for whatever reason(s).  Then the FiiO E5/6/7 implementation is just absolutely terrible.
 It's kind of anemic with higher-impedance headphones, sure, since it is best suited to low impedance.
  
 Try the E10k out if you want then, but it will surely lack the power conditioning found in the Meridian units (clean powering being the prime ingredient for hi-fi sound), not to mention that the Meridians also have the awesome XMOS chipsets for USB communication, a hefty plus, so it will surely be a downgrade by comparison.  We're not talking a big difference, of course, as this is all entry-level gear anyway.
  
 E10k also has a headamp that you would be bypassing, just so you know.  It's not "super wasteful" to bypass the Meridians' TPA6130, it bottlenecks the DAC anyway.
  
 If there could be a revised WM8740 with PCM5102 bass, that would be really awesome.


----------



## FeedingNation

I was wondering if I should purchase this as my first amp.

A few questions:
1: Will this amp work with Fiio X1 Line out?
2: Will this work on the pc using a USB cable?
3: Would an amp be necesary for a Dunu Dn1000?
4: Would this work on a Nexus 5?
5: Are there better options, eg Fiio E12A?
6: If yes, which amp would be more suitable for Dn1000 with the Fiio X1/Nexus 5/PC as the source?


----------



## h1f1add1cted

feedingnation said:


> I was wondering if I should purchase this as my first amp.
> 
> A few questions:
> 1: Will this amp work with Fiio X1 Line out? *Yes*
> ...


 
 From functionality, build quality, options, power etc. the iBasso is a real steal IMHO


----------



## bose301s

Can the iBasso take USB in from an iPod and use it's own DAC or will it have to use the DAC in the iPod? It's a 160GB Classic on latest (last) firmware.


----------



## bose301s

OK, I am not having any luck getting this to work on my phone, I plug it in, try google play music and nothing. Am I doing something wrong?


----------



## Mad Max

bose301s said:


> Can the iBasso take USB in from an iPod and use it's own DAC or will it have to use the DAC in the iPod? It's a 160GB Classic on latest (last) firmware.


 
  
 It doesn't work with ipods.  There are very specific units that do, none of which are iBasso units.


----------



## HiFlight

bose301s said:


> OK, I am not having any luck getting this to work on my phone, I plug it in, try google play music and nothing. Am I doing something wrong?




Are you using an OTG cable? Having never owned an iPod, I can't speak for it, but the D-Zero MkII works just fine with my LG G2 via OTG USB.


----------



## bose301s

I'm using a OnePlus One, I was using the OTG cable the iBasso came with and I also tried the OTG cable I have from OnePlus and the normal USB cable for charging the iBasso, no luck on any combo. I also posted in the OnePlus forum and someone said they get external DAC to work with the USB Player Pro or whatever it's called, I was hoping to be able to use Google Play Music as that's the easiest way to do it, so I'll keep experimenting but there's a good chance I'll return the unit.


----------



## bose301s

I forgot to add, i get A LOT of RFI/EMI when connected to my phone even with the music not working. Does anyone else have this issue.


----------



## h1f1add1cted

Yes I have a lot RFI/EMI noise, see here my solution: http://www.head-fi.org/t/741541/new-ibasso-d-zero-mk2/240#post_11721090


----------



## Jazic

Does anyone know what the "Charge" button does exactly? I looked in the manual and it isn't very clear...


----------



## riodgarp

it's for charging internal battery but I think d-zero can use external power like d-zero mk1


----------



## Zelo-Balance

Battery Life: 120 Hours (AMP)...... crazy


----------



## XipeTotec

bose301s said:


> I'm using a OnePlus One, I was using the OTG cable the iBasso came with and I also tried the OTG cable I have from OnePlus and the normal USB cable for charging the iBasso, no luck on any combo. I also posted in the OnePlus forum and someone said they get external DAC to work with the USB Player Pro or whatever it's called, I was hoping to be able to use Google Play Music as that's the easiest way to do it, so I'll keep experimenting but there's a good chance I'll return the unit.


 
 you MUST use USB Audio Player Pro or ONKYO HF player. No other software will work. Google play music, Poweramp, Shuttle+, Apollo and other will NOT work at all


----------



## tantalus007

xipetotec said:


> you MUST use USB Audio Player Pro or ONKYO HF player. No other software will work. Google play music, Poweramp, Shuttle+, Apollo and other will NOT work at all


 
  
 I tried the ibasso d-zero on my samsung note 4 with ONKYO HF player free and it didn't work. Although the onkyo hf player free was already running in the background when i plugged the d-zero, should i've closed the app first? or the d-zero doesn't simply work with the onkyo hf player free app?


----------



## h1f1add1cted

On my Samsung Galaxy S4 with Android 5.1.1 and my Sony Xperia Z1 compact with Android 4.4.4 and I can use the D-Zero Mk2 with all apps, like Neutron Music Player and Qobuz, no problems. There is no need for UAPP or HibyMusic or Onkyo HF Player if you play not more than 16/48 music files.


----------



## bigjim

Yeah close the app first. UAPP is still the best though and will output 24-192 files to the D Zero, I suspect that may be down sampled to 16 bit though but have no way to prove it.


----------



## Hinomotocho

has anyone tried the Oppo ha2? I've read a lot of great reviews and was wondering if the sound quality made it worth the extra $$


----------



## tantalus007

bigjim said:


> Yeah close the app first. UAPP is still the best though and will output 24-192 files to the D Zero, I suspect that may be down sampled to 16 bit though but have no way to prove it.


 
  
 Thanks for clarifying. Will try it again tom at the store.


----------



## boybandista

I've had the d-zero for quite some time now, but given that it is the first and only dac/amp that I've owned, I haven't experimented it with other equipment yet.
  
 I'm planning on getting a Senn HD600, but I'm quite unsure if the amp section of the D-zero is capable enough. So my question is, given that the modes available are "OFF", "AMP" and "DAC+AMP", how will I make it that the D-Zero would only use the DAC part then pass on the amplification part to another amp, say an Obj2? 
  
 Would using the "DAC+AMP" mode then linking to another amp via the aux in/out lead to double amping?


----------



## h1f1add1cted

boybandista said:


> I've had the d-zero for quite some time now, but given that it is the first and only dac/amp that I've owned, I haven't experimented it with other equipment yet.
> 
> I'm planning on getting a Senn HD600, but I'm quite unsure if the amp section of the D-zero is capable enough. So my question is, given that the modes available are "OFF", "AMP" and "DAC+AMP", how will I make it that the D-Zero would only use the DAC part then pass on the amplification part to another amp, say an Obj2?
> 
> Would using the "DAC+AMP" mode then linking to another amp via the aux in/out lead to double amping?


 
  
 The D-Zero MK2 has no problem to drive your HD600 properly. There is absolute no need to use the O2 amp and the D-Zero MK2 only as DAC. The D-Zero MK2 has a real line-out not only a headphone out, there is no double amping.
  
 This tiny thing drives my HD 800 without problems. Here my streaming setup a Samsung S4 + D-Zero MK2 + HD 800:


----------



## boybandista

Ohhh, I see.
  
 Thanks for the info, saved me a couple of bucks there


----------



## ronmtorres

Guys, I'm in a bit of a conundrum here- I'm choosing between this and a JDS lab C5D. I can get a used c5d for $50 more than a brand new d0. You think I should get the c5d instead? Well be using it with a note 4/ s6 and hd 650/ re0. Appreciate your help!

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk


----------



## riodgarp

ronmtorres said:


> Guys, I'm in a bit of a conundrum here- I'm choosing between this and a JDS lab C5D. I can get a used c5d for $50 more than a brand new d0. You think I should get the c5d instead? Well be using it with a note 4/ s6 and hd 650/ re0. Appreciate your help!
> 
> Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk


 
  
 some say c5d is better, but it's again your personal taste


----------



## h1f1add1cted

ronmtorres said:


> Guys, I'm in a bit of a conundrum here- I'm choosing between this and a JDS lab C5D. I can get a used c5d for $50 more than a brand new d0. You think I should get the c5d instead? Well be using it with a note 4/ s6 and hd 650/ re0. Appreciate your help!
> 
> Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk


 
  
 For IEMs don't use the iBasso D-Zero MK2 because the hiss is too high for low impendance IEMs. For regular cans like your HD650 no problem.


----------



## king conan

With the S6 this dac does not work. The S6 blocked usb audio for most of the DACS.


----------



## king conan

Ah and I also have hd650 and the amp section of the ibasso ibasso is not powerful enough to drive them properly. At least is a good dac with line out to use with other amp.


----------



## h1f1add1cted

A HD650 needs more power as a H800? With the iBasso D-Zero MK2 it provides plenty of power to my HD800s, I'm really wondering why it should not work for the HD650s too.


----------



## king conan

The ibasso has not enough power to drive my HD650 properly. They sound dull compared to a more powerful amp. But if you are happy with the combination good for you!


----------



## tantalus007

Already bought the Ibasso d-zero mk2 at our local retailer and although it didnt work at the shop, i was able to make it work on my phone using Onkyo HF player free version. Paired with my fidue a a83, it made my smile reach my ears while listening to my music.
  
 Quote:


h1f1add1cted said:


> Yes I have a lot RFI/EMI noise, see here my solution: http://www.head-fi.org/t/741541/new-ibasso-d-zero-mk2/240#post_11721090


 
  
 Also tried this, altho i didnt put it inside the phone, i put the foil in between my phone and its casing and it seems to work. Ive noticed that my signal bar changed from zero to two or three bars and no RFI/EMI noise. Thanks for the tip.


----------



## all999

Sorry if this was posted earlier, but I can't make it work with my Note 4. Is it compatible?


----------



## tantalus007

all999 said:


> Sorry if this was posted earlier, but I can't make it work with my Note 4. Is it compatible?


 

 It works with my note 4, am only using Onkyo HF player free app atm. I believe it also works with UAPP and UARP apps.


----------



## ronmtorres

tantalus007 said:


> all999 said:
> 
> 
> > Sorry if this was posted earlier, but I can't make it work with my Note 4. Is it compatible?
> ...




Are you on Lollipop or Kit Kat Rom?

Sent from my SM-N910C using Tapatalk


----------



## tantalus007

ronmtorres said:


> Are you on Lollipop or Kit Kat Rom?
> 
> Sent from my SM-N910C using Tapatalk


 
  
 5.0.1, lollipop and unrooted. Got my ibasso from egghead. It didn't work at first when we tested my unit at the shop, when i got home, fiddled with the app and it worked, although the free app has a few limitiations vs the paid app.


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## all999

tantalus007 said:


> It works with my note 4, am only using Onkyo HF player free app atm. I believe it also works with UAPP and UARP apps.


 
  
 Didi You try any of streaming apps? I'm using Tidal and it does not work for me. Also Onkyo doesn't work.


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## tantalus007

all999 said:


> Didi You try any of streaming apps? I'm using Tidal and it does not work for me. Also Onkyo doesn't work.


 
  
 Nope, haven't tried any streaming apps, just solely using the onkyo hf free app.


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## H20Fidelity

I have iBasso Dzero MK2 on loan atm, it sounds especially nice for the price. Good amount of detail and that iBasso revealing house sound. I think its an excellent little entry product, I had it working with my Galaxy S4 no problem, it offers even a bit more than entry imo. I was also especially impressed the benefits it added to FiiO X3II line out. Really well thought out, sized, priced dac/amp. Big thumbs up from me!


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## irrefleumas

I also find this ibasso Dzero Mk2 is better than my sony A15. The DAC on ibasso sounds clearer and more detail. Its a great product for the price!!


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## H20Fidelity

irrefleumas said:


> I also find this ibasso Dzero Mk2 is better than my sony A15. The DAC on ibasso sounds clearer and more detail. Its a great product for the price!!


 
  
 I don't doubt your A15 comment for a second. Especially if you're into elevated levels of detail retrieval. While I find OPPO HA-2 to have advanced  layering and maybe a darker background, for those who enjoy that raw detail retrieval DZero MK2 will impress, even next to HA-2 imo (just in detailing levels)


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## lin0003

Comparable to the HA-2? Isn't it like 3-4 times the price?


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## H20Fidelity

lin0003 said:


> Comparable to the HA-2? Isn't it like 3-4 times the price?


 
  
 I can absolutely hear where the extra money for sound goes into HA-2 it sounds more refined, well layered, great soundstage. Though its a different flavour with Dzero MK2 being the more aggressive one and maybe a little dry sounding compared. For those who enjoy that kind of sound and heft in detail, I could see someone preferring the iBasso, especially if you're saving $300 roughly. That's all.
  
 My above post wasn't a _"Dzero MK2, kicks HA-2 butt post" _in anyway.


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## lin0003

h20fidelity said:


> I can absolutely hear where the extra money for sound goes into HA-2 it sounds more refined, well layered, great soundstage. Though its a different flavour with Dzero MK2 being the more aggressive one and maybe a little dry sounding compared. For those who enjoy that kind of sound and heft in detail, I could see someone preferring the iBasso, especially if you're saving $300 roughly. That's all.
> 
> My above post wasn't a _"Dzero MK2, kicks HA-2 butt post" _in anyway.


 
 Ok then 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



  
 You've got to try out the D14 sometime. Maybe I'll send mine over when the hype wears off a bit.


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## tantalus007

h20fidelity said:


> I have iBasso Dzero MK2 on loan atm, it sounds especially nice for the price. Good amount of detail and that iBasso revealing house sound. I think its an excellent little entry product, I had it working with my Galaxy S4 no problem, it offers even a bit more than entry imo. I was also especially impressed the benefits it added to FiiO X3II line out. Really well thought out, sized, priced dac/amp. Big thumbs up from me!


 
  
 Have you tried pairing it with your fidue a83?


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## H20Fidelity

tantalus007 said:


> Have you tried pairing it with your fidue a83?


 
  
 Absolutely, A83 is the main IEM I've been using with DZero MK2. Most of my impressions above are done with Fidue A83.
  
 Couldn't ask for more from the little iBasso. The only thing that worries me (or learning curve) is the volume dial, making sure its down on startup. (sometimes I forget which way is up/down)


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## tantalus007

h20fidelity said:


> Absolutely, A83 is the main IEM I've been using with DZero MK2. Most of my impressions above are done with Fidue A83.
> 
> Couldn't ask for more from the little iBasso. The only thing that worries me (or learning curve) is the volume dial, making sure its down on startup. (sometimes I forget which way is up/down)


 

 I guess that's why your impressions above are almost the same as what i've exprienced from switching from note4>a83 to note4>dzero mk2>a83. Altho i had to switch to foam tips for a few days due to slight sibilance and treble peaks. But i was able to switch back to regular silicon tips due to dzero burn in, i think. Hehehe!
  
 i also tried it with a grado, note4>dzero mk2>sr325e from my friend and we enjoyed it. Wasn't able to use my phone and dac/amp for three hours cause of her. Hahaha!


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## H20Fidelity

tantalus007 said:


> I guess that's why your impressions above are almost the same as what i've exprienced from switching from note4>a83 to note4>dzero mk2>a83. Altho i had to switch to foam tips for a few days due to slight sibilance and treble peaks. But i was able to switch back to regular silicon tips due to dzero burn in, i think. Hehehe!
> 
> i also tried it with a grado, note4>dzero mk2>sr325e from my friend and we enjoyed it. Wasn't able to use my phone and dac/amp for three hours cause of her. Hahaha!




I will try with my 325e! 

I have a feeling I'll be just as impressed. I'm actually considering buying this little dac/amp for myself.


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## Dark Helmet

H20 have you tried the D0 with your HD25's? I have the NX2 < UAPP < Note4 and love the detail, but find the bass a bit slight. Also I find that it barely powers the HD25's. How do you like the D0 in comparison?


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## H20Fidelity

dark helmet said:


> H20 have you tried the D0 with your HD25's? I have the NX2 < UAPP < Note4 and love the detail, but find the bass a bit slight. Also I find that it barely powers the HD25's. How do you like the D0 in comparison?


 
  
  
 I tried this for you before the iBasso goes back tomorrow. DZero MK2 drives them very nicely even in low gain.
  
 HD25 sounded quite detailed and spacious, I was quite impressed.


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## iLovePanda265

This vs JDS Labs C5D, which do you guys think is a better amp/dac if the price difference isnt an issue? Im using ATH-IM03s if that changes anything.


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## Dark Helmet

Hos does it compare to the Topping NX1.  I currently have the NX1  and like it a lot but find that it can barely drive my HD 25's.  Does great with my TF10's though.


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## lin0003

dark helmet said:


> Hos does it compare to the Topping NX1.  I currently have the NX1  and like it a lot but find that it can barely drive my HD 25's.  Does great with my TF10's though.


 
 It's a solid upgrade over the NX1. Feel like it drives all the portable headphones I've tried on it fine.


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## Dark Helmet

What aabout the dac section?


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## H20Fidelity

dark helmet said:


> What aabout the dac section?


 
  
 That was the DAC section I was using when I did the HD25 testing fed from my Galaxy S3. Its a good dac/amp, much better than NX1, I don't think anyone could go wrong for the price iBasso are asking. Like I said, for me to say the HD25 sounded spacious on the previous page basically turns backwards on everything HD25 soundstage should produce, I was surprised. I don't only feel iBasso got the performance above its price range though  as we're moving into late 2015 products are performing better and better as they outclass the last.


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## Dark Helmet

I meant NX2. Also is there something better than Diego I should consider.


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## Dark Helmet

By the way the detail retrieval from the C3 to the NX2is fantastic.


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## H20Fidelity

dark helmet said:


> I meant NX2. Also is there something better than Diego I should consider.




I'm not sure what you mean by Diego? 

Do you mean DZero MK2? Yes, possibly Oppo HA-2 or JDS C5D, though really the logical step up would be iBasso's new Bushmaster. It really depends if you need portability. Even myself still learning, I find if you listen at your computer or stationary you'll nearly always achieve better performance from a wall powered desktop amp or dac/amp.


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## Dark Helmet

Yes I meant D0.


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## AzureSerenity

Now that Fiio have released its new Q1  mobile DAC-amp, there seems to be a lower cost strong competitor, what do you guys think about that


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## mortimerhobbs

Anyone with units from December experiencing times when the amp/dac portion will cut out and disconnect from time to time?

 My unit still shows it's connected to the computer, and the red light shows it's still being charged, but sometimes the yellow indicator light will be gone and it won't work as a DAC.


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## riodgarp

mortimerhobbs said:


> Anyone with units from December experiencing times when the amp/dac portion will cut out and disconnect from time to time?
> 
> My unit still shows it's connected to the computer, and the red light shows it's still being charged, but sometimes the yellow indicator light will be gone and it won't work as a DAC.


 
  
 has you change your usb cable ?


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## mortimerhobbs

riodgarp said:


> has you change your usb cable ?


 
 I have not. As the unit still shows that it's being charged, and I'm also not sure what type of USB cord it needs as the one it came with has this transformer or something on the cord.


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## riodgarp

mortimerhobbs said:


> I have not. As the unit still shows that it's being charged, and I'm also not sure what type of USB cord it needs as the one it came with has this transformer or something on the cord.


 
  
 try to use it with charge button 'off'


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## alfianadjeh

can D'Zero MKII  connected to ipod touch 4 as DAC ?


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## Muddysmind

Is there a burn in period? Mine sound like it's missing mid-bass but has tons of 30-50hz bass, maybe too much.
 Was considering returning it but after all the glowing reports here maybe it just needs to burn in or maybe my unit has an issue.
  
 (note I'm using it in my car from my LG G4 as a DAC to my audio input on my Pioneer premium sound which is quite nice for a factory system)


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## Namaskar

Hi - I've decided to gain more hands-on experience and managed to pick up a second-hand D-0 (not ibasso but Mini Audio) --- amp sounds great via aux, but dac I can't get to work... plugged via supplied USB into 2 different laptops with different Windows versions... the music does not go via the D-0 but plays on the laptop speakers as always (tried various ports and other cables ... no connection to the D-0) - what am I doing wrong?
 cheers


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## Namaskar

... all good ... didn't have a manual but since found out the on/off switch works in 'both' directions...


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## seanwee

It's been more than a year since this has been released and still no comparison with any FiiOs at all.

I remember some ppl asking for a direct comparison with a e17k around 8-9 months lol.


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## Grayson73

For Android phones, will the DAC only work with specific apps, or will it work for everything, including Youtube and Spotify?  I have a Nexus 6.  Trying to decide between this and the FiiO E18.
  
 Also, is there a known issue with Android 6.0 Marshmallow?


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## gtb75

grayson73 said:


> For Android phones, will the DAC only work with specific apps, or will it work for everything, including Youtube and Spotify?  I have a Nexus 6.  Trying to decide between this and the FiiO E18.
> 
> Also, is there a known issue with Android 6.0 Marshmallow?


 
 I moved to the E18 specifically because the D-Zero MKII has compatibility issues with Marshmallow (on multiple devices).  Per iBasso the firmware can't be upgraded on the D-Zero MKII, so a new DAC was the only alternative.


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## joshnor713

gtb75 said:


> I moved to the E18 specifically because the D-Zero MKII has compatibility issues with Marshmallow (on multiple devices).  Per iBasso the firmware can't be upgraded on the D-Zero MKII, so a new DAC was the only alternative.


 
  
 Wow, didn't know that. Been having issues regardless. My MKII worked fine on the Nexus 6, but a no-go when I switched to Samsung (neither Galaxy S6 nor Note5). Doesn't work on my current LG V10 either, but fortunately the V10 has a dedicated Hi-Fi DAC. I just use the MKII with my computer now, but that defeats the purpose of getting a portable DAC


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## seanwee

joshnor713 said:


> Wow, didn't know that. Been having issues regardless. My MKII worked fine on the Nexus 6, but a no-go when I switched to Samsung (neither Galaxy S6 nor Note5). Doesn't work on my currently LG V10 either, but fortunately it the V10 has a dedicated Hi-Fi DAC. I just use the MKII with my computer now, but that defeats the purpose of getting a portable DAC


 
 Damn..... i wont be getting it after all since i will be using it with my s4


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## thesheik137

Actually, it will work with the Onkyo HF player app, which also has the ability to upsample.
  
 Also, if anyone is looking to buy one I will be posting one in the classifieds shortly.


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## tantalus007

seanwee said:


> Damn..... i wont be getting it after all since i will be using it with my s4


 
 Tried my mkII on my friends s4 and works perfectly, even on his brothers note 2. Both using onkyo HF player.


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## seanwee

tantalus007 said:


> Tried my mkII on my friends s4 and works perfectly, even on his brothers note 2. Both using onkyo HF player.




But I heard that the d-zero does not support android marshmallow.......


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## tantalus007

seanwee said:


> But I heard that the d-zero does not support android marshmallow.......


 
  
 Will let you know as soon as my phone uprgades to marshmallow...


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## seanwee

tantalus007 said:


> Will let you know as soon as my phone uprgades to marshmallow...




Thx for the effort.


----------



## cycev

Anyone know if the D-Zero MK2 can power the PM-3 sufficiently?


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## brent75

I'm curious about this vs the Fiio Q1. Mostly wondering if there's a noticeable sound difference at nearly double the price.


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## stanleychin

From best to good
Cayin-ibasso-fiio


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## Rhymenoceros

Hello!  I just get a light hiss and no playback using th OTG cable with lg g4.  I tested it on PC  with regular USB cable and it was working fine.  Disabled/enabled charging, selected both amp and dac+amp options, lo and high gain.  There are no storage/charging options that come up whenever I plug the device in.  Have restarted phone.  I was trying to use Rocket Player with it so maybe that isn't compatible?  But I also tried the built in music player and that didn't work either.  Nor do I get sound from Youtube videos (not sure if I should).  Any assistance would be appreciated.  Should i go and pick up another OTG cable?  Thanks.
  
 e: from earlier posts seems marshmallow isn't supported?  go me for researching.


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## harry501501

Got a defective one from advancedmp3players. It had a horrible gargling distortion and it blew my Sony 100AAPs. Thinking they had just quit on me I tried it with my HD650s and similar malfunction, only this time there was a sudden burst of high frequency and i thought I'd lost them too. this was in high gain but nowhere near top volume. Very disappointed. Not sure i can prove it blew the headphones though so not sure what more i can do than complain and get a refund ... and leave a bad review


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## Mad Max

If in doubt, always test with a cheap earbuds or so.  By cheap, I mean $1USD Chinese earbuds.  You shouldn't have tried it with your HD650s if you suspected that it blew your Sonys.


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## apaar123

what is the maximum impedance for which it can give good power?


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## shuto77

Can anyone compare the amp section on this to the new iBasso PB3? I'm actually cross-shopping to two.


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