[jamato8]

John, I can only describe what I hear with a gear I'm using (95% high end iems) in my usual neutral review style I have been writing for the last 10 years. It's one data point, the same as what you are describing being another data point. Your description offers a different personal sound perspective based on your vast collection of full size headphones. PB5 is a power beast and added into a sound chain will offer a different performance paired up with some of your headphones in comparison to hybrid IEMs. The truth is I have D16 connected now to DX260 through coax and I have been using it non-stop with my IEMs and can't get enough of it. PB5 will be permanently attached to DX320Max to smooth out its more revealing reference tuning Both are great pieces of equipment!!!

I wish you could hear the D16 with my updated A-10 and the HE90. It is to the point of distracting, so vast, 3D and just exciting.

 

[twister6]

I wish you could hear the D16 with my updated A-10 and the HE90. It is to the point of distracting, so vast, 3D and just exciting.

John, are you planning to attend CanJam NYC in a week? I think Bloom Audio will be the hub for iBasso gear testing, they always do, every year in a separate room. I still remember CanJam NYC 2018 with you and Steve!

 

[jamato8]

John, are you planning to attend CanJam NYC in a week? I think Bloom Audio will be the hub for iBasso gear testing, they always do, every year in a separate room. I still remember CanJam NYC 2018 with you and Steve!

That would be fun, and nice to see everyone but not this year. It was a great time in NY for the CanJam.

 

[salwani8888]

John, I can only describe what I hear with a gear I'm using (95% high end iems) in my usual neutral review style I have been writing for the last 10 years. It's one data point, the same as what you are describing being another data point. Your description offers a different personal sound perspective based on your vast collection of full size headphones. PB5 is a power beast and added into a sound chain will offer a different performance paired up with some of your headphones in comparison to hybrid IEMs. The truth is I have D16 connected now to DX260 through coax and I have been using it non-stop with my IEMs and can't get enough of it. PB5 will be permanently attached to DX320Max to smooth out its more revealing reference tuning Both are great pieces of equipment!!!

I can relate to this. Though I am using ZX707 into DC Elite to get the coax into D16. Sound is a bit fuller/richer and more detailed than thru usb. I did hear PB5 a few days ago, and I am perfectly happy with D16 on its own. No doubt PB5 is a very good amp, but if I did have PB5 in my arsenal, for my tastes (more neutral than warm), it would probably be better served paired with more neutral sources.

 

[Paul - iBasso]

32/768 coaxial input is a feature of the chip set used in the D16 that controls the input in question.

 

[REXNFX]

Anyone using this in a speaker set-up? Would be interested to know how it fares against an audiophile DAC. Thanks!

 

[Whitigir]

Anyone using this in a speaker set-up? Would be interested to know how it fares against an audiophile DAC. Thanks!

I use it in my Stereos and only using it Via 3.5mm SE out atm. Love it!! Even SE out is already better than my desktop DAC

 

[easylive]

Hey guys, some experiences with Oriolus Ba300s fed by D16? It is little tube amp without volume control, so double amping config is only possible.. It can be not so expensive tubes-experience..?

 

[twister6]

Like the band is surrounding you and behind you, just like actual studio settings.

This is exactly how I felt when listening to the combo using Emp2, Utopia, Stellia, HE1000SE, Liric....such a 3D holographic like....

Head vocal usually in front.
Most drums are back a little bit.
Piano and other instruments usually on the side and a little back.

With speakers then it reverse.....

My other hp stack still not produces this much 3D vs. D16/PB5 combo......

Very good observation about the surrounding. I thought I am that crazy with my brain.....

I'm catching up with some of the replies across different threads You are not crazy, it does feel like 3D holographic imaging. I just replied in PB5 thread with similar. When you are dealing with IEMs which are less demanding, easier to drive, you can appreciate the enhanced coloring of the tonality which PB5 brings to the table along with soundstage expansion. But when you are using full size headphones, especially more demanding ones, a powerful amp like PB5 is needed to drive them to their full potential. Unfortunately, I don't have a lot of full size headphones, but with a few which I do have and use for testing, as I mentioned in your review, it wasn't even a question if I preferred D16 with or without PB5, it needed both

 

[twister6]

Thx Alex, great review as usual!
3 questions
- Coax with PCM768 being a typo? Afaik Coax is having the same limitations as optical regarding bandwidth by design? At least on all of my desktop devices l
- are you seeing N7 and D16 on same level with slightly different tuning as you are mentioning?
- what's your take on Anni and Trailli synergy compared to other sources as I read you are also owning these?

As Paul already mentioned that wasn't a typo

Comparison of N7 to D16 will vary depending on pair up synergy relative to IEMs under test. As I mentioned in my review, relative to IEMs I used in my comparison, I did notice wider spread of vocals with D16 and some enhancement in vertical micro-dynamics. With tonality, that's where the pair up synergy will come into play. When you set N7 to DSD512 oversampling, its treble will be brighter so you will have to decide how it will work with your particular IEMs, a subjective opinion relative to your preference. If you switch N7 to DSD256, I find its treble to become softer, but it could also affect the technical performance, scaling down the resolution, making the sound smoother. And if you are dealing with headphones, especially more demanding, D16 has a lot more power which going to affect everything from technical performance to sound tuning.

With Anni and Traillii, well, I couldn't use Anni because of its stock Liquid Links cable and Pentaconn ear (P-ear) connectors LL cable only works well with flush mounted headphone jacks. Due to its asymmetric headphone plug housing, LL cable doesn't work with slightly recessed D16 and PB5 jacks. I need to find P-ear ConX tips for my EA cables to test with Anni, and don't have any other high end cables for Anni with rounded headphone connector and P-ear connectors. With Traillii, D16 enhances the soundstage expansion and layering/separation of sounds relative to other sources; just tried it quickly in a comparison with LPGT and the pair up with D16 produces a wider soundstage, improved retrieval of details, and better layering and separation of the sounds.

 

[Whitigir]

I think coax on the D16 can perhaps take 768, and maybe the limitations is on my 320Max. Probably need dx260 lol

 

[twister6]

I think coax on the D16 can perhaps take 768, and maybe the limitations is on my 320Max. Probably need dx260 lol

The funny thing, I just went on Tidal to search for any 768kHz mqa 16x tracks so I can stream it from DX260 (coax to D16), but everything is up to their new Max high res with 24bit, 192kHz,. Looks like they finally got rid of that mqa nonsense

 

[REXNFX]

The funny thing, I just went on Tidal to search for any 768kHz mqa 16x tracks so I can stream it from DX260 (coax to D16), but everything is up to their new Max high res with 24bit, 192kHz,. Looks like they finally got rid of that mqa nonsense

No there are still plenty of MQA albums that sound better than their FLAC equivalents on Qobuz. BTW the test music you use is mostly over processed pop music that will give you no clue as to the potential performance of audio hardware.

 

[twister6]

No there are still plenty of MQA albums that sound better than their FLAC equivalents on Qobuz. BTW the test music you use is mostly over processed pop music that will give you no clue as to the potential performance of audio hardware.

Didn't mean to offend your MQA music preference. Any particular examples/links of MQA masters on Tidal I should check? Thx!

Regarding the music selection of test tracks, it is a personal preference of using the music you are familiar with and should be irrelevant as long as you are not using super compressed mp3s, but rather hi-res versions. Of course, the sound description itself is subjective Bit it didn't bother any of my readers in the last 10 years of me sharing multiple hundreds of reviews in this community with tenths of thousands of people appreciating my posts with likes and comments. I would be delighted to read your reviews with test track selection you shared in the last 10 years on head-fi.

Cheers, m8!

 

[Whitigir]

Enjoying D16-320Max with USB cables. Why not ? If there is a mixture of Native DSD and PCM in my collections for today mood!

At this point, I gotta say that the D16 is the best all around unit. It is very impressive by itself alone, and more so with PB5 paired up

Regardless of what interfaces I am using