iBasso DX240

BACKGROUND
I have been a long time Head-fier, turned forum lurker, and it has been on my list of to-dos to get back into participating in the forum. To establish some credibility here, the reader should know that I have amassed a modest collection of headphone, IEM, and nearfield equipment that I enjoy on a daily basis. I have slowly escalated the size and quality of my collection over the years as part of lifestyle creep and the on-going search for better sound. The list of current items includes: Chord Hugo TT2; Chord Mojo 2; Shure SE846; Sennheiser IE900 and HD800S; Peachtree Audio Nova150; ATC SCM7v3; and iBasso DX240. I also have a modest but respectable home audio set up in the $12,000 range. Historically, I have owned a number of portable and nearfield devices, including the Chord Hugo, Hugo 2, and Mojo, various PSB speakers, DALI Oberon 1 speakers, and KEF speakers, and various IEMs as far back as the Westone W3 and W4. With more time on my hands working from home to enjoy my equipment, I thought now was as good a time as any to re-engage in the forum, and what a better way than to write a review of the iBasso DX240.

A bit on my theory on reviews - I have read all types, and observe that there is a general "way" of doing reviews that includes the presentation of the item (e.g., packaging), its physical attributes, and sound analysis, which usually includes bass, mids, treble, soundstage, and various other established, but subjective, descriptors of sonic characteristics. However, I am generally not one to follow trends or do things "because that is the way we have always done them." Additionally, I admit that even after over 15 years in this hobby, I do not have a full understanding of the precise meaning of terms like "decay" or "attack," or how one writing a review can reliably communicate their subjective perception of those or any other concepts to a reader. All this said, what follows borrows from some of the more standard reviews, includes what I consider to be the basic information that an average product user on this forum might want to know about an audio product, explained in a way that I understand and that I hope the reader will find useful. Consider this a "lowest common denominator" review of sorts - with information and impressions I think we all can understand, whether objective or subjective.

OVERVIEW
I purchased the DX240 with the Amp8 Mk II from a fellow Head-fier for use when I travel as well as when I am resting in bed. I historically used my Samsung phone paired with my Chord Mojo 2, but desired something dedicated to only audio, hence this purchase.

Overall, I enjoy the DX240 on its own but much prefer it combined with my Chord Mojo 2. I realize that this somewhat defeats the purpose of a dedicated DAP since pairing it with an external DAC bypasses the renowned DAC within the DX240, but I still very much enjoy the form factor, user interface, and combined sound of the DX240 and Mojo 2 over my Samsung phone/Mojo 2 combination. On its own, the DX240 with the Amp8 Mk II has a rich sound that is not particularly analytical. Details are at times lost in the overall musicality of the playback, but there is still a lot of detail retrieval going on with this DAP. If I had to provide an overall characterization of the sound, it would be slightly warm, but not in a way that loses the lush mids and resolute treble.

I was hoping that I could dispense with my Mojo 2 with the purchase of the DX240, but was left wanting in a few areas that caused me to keep my Mojo 2 to pair it with the DX240 via the USB C OTG output. On its own, the DX240/Amp8 Mk II combination, when powering my SE846 or my IE900, sounded less controlled than the Mojo 2. While I recognize the power of the DX240 is respectable and more than enough for these IEMs, I often felt like I was listening to a hi-fi setup that had an amplifier that did not have enough power to control the speakers in a confident way. At times the bass felt soft or uncontrolled - not flabby, bloated, or muddy, just ever so slightly loose. This, coupled with my preference for a more analytical sound, led me to pair the DX240 with my Mojo 2, resulting in a more resolving, clearer, controlled, and slightly more analytical sound than the DX240 on its own.

FORM FACTOR, USER INTERFACE, AND OTHER TANGIBLES
I absolutely love the size of the DX240 as it is just slightly larger than my Mojo 2. It feels good in hand, the material of the casing has a confident feeling to it, and by itself it isn't too heavy for use when I travel. Mine is the green color, which I find intriguing and unique, with gold accents. The only complaint that I have with the build is that the volume dial sometimes skips increments when turned, and the dial feels somewhat cheap in material and firmness when turned. Otherwise, this is a solid device.

Being an Android phone user, I was already accustomed to the Android 11 user interface. However, the device comes with APK Pure loaded, which means you need to use that to download Google Play to then download Tidal, etc. You can stream from Tidal, Qobuz, etc., and I downloaded UAPP. I deleted APK Pure due to its constant suggestions of other apps that I should download. If you are familiar with Android, you will like this DAP.

One thing to note is that the screen is not as large as other DAPs, but it has a high resolution, both in size and pixels per inch. I really like the quality of the screen despite its smaller size.

I have a leather case from a third-party, the design of which is very similar to the iBasso-branded case. I do not like that the case interferes with the range of motion that my fingers are able to express at the top and bottom of the screens since the screen takes up the entire front of the device, edge-to-edge. For instance, when I try to swipe down from the top of the screen, the case prevents me from doing so. It also interferes with the navigation at the bottom of the screen. As the design is the same as the iBasso-branded case, I cannot imagine that the iBasso case would fare much better. As a result, I use the DX240 without the case.

Last, the battery life is not that great when paired with an external DAC, even when streaming only 44.1 tracks. I find 6 hours or so when I use it with minimal screen time when paired with my Mojo 2. To be fair, this is on an 80% charge, which is limited by the optional battery saver feature. So, extrapolated perhaps 8 hours is a more fair assessment of what it might be on a full charge.

INTANGIBLES
Overall, the DX240 with Amp8 Mk II is a musical, engaging, and fun DAP with a slightly warm sound. The detail retrieval is decent to good, resolution is sufficient, and there is no muddying of any one frequency by the other. However, if you prefer a more resolving, detailed, or analytical sound, I recommend something different for you. In my case, that is pairing the DX240 with the Mojo 2, which affords more detail while still keeping some of the warmth and richness. I have read that the stock Amp1 that comes with the DX240 is more "in your face" than the Amp8, but I have not yet compared the two for myself. I will update once I do.
Bass
I find the bass to be the one ever so slight weakness in the sound of the DX240 with the Amp8 Mk II. To be fair, I am probably being overly critical because the DX240 puts out an overall natural sound that is fun to listen to. But, I often felt like I was listening to a hi-fi setup that had an amplifier that did not have enough power to control the speakers in a confident way. At times the bass felt soft or uncontrolled - not flabby, bloated, or muddy, just ever so slightly loose. I tried the DX240 with both my very linear SE846 and the slightly bass-heavy IE900 and reached similar conclusions. I would recommend using the DX240 with a more linear and analytical IEM if you want more controlled bass.

Mids
The mids of the DX240 are what, for me, define the richness of its sound. I could hear trembles in voices that I had never heard before, despite having some pretty decent listening equipment. For instance, in listening to the Rolling Stones' "Wild Horses" I was confused for a moment into thinking that there was a defective reverberation in one of my IEMs due to the shimmer on Jagger's voice on some passages. I compared the track on my reference near field system, and realized that it was always present, I just had not paid attention to it! The ability of the DX240 to capture nuances in the timbre and texture of the mids, especially with male vocals, is pretty sensational, and is what really defines this piece of equipment for me.

Treble
The treble is well-defined, resolute, and sparkles. It is not harsh, even when paired with the IE900, which has been characterized by some as having a sharp treble. I do not find the treble to be particularly special or noteworthy, it is just there and is well done.

CONCLUSION
I really enjoy the DX240, but wish that it would have kept the promise I had for it in my mind to be an all-in-one device so that I could part with my Mojo 2. The reasons it did not are more subjective to me than due to any intrinsic fault of the DX240 - my preference for a more analytical sound being the primary reason for me hanging onto the Mojo 2. The only true minor faults I find with the DX240 are its sometimes uncontrolled bass notes and APK Pure (which is removable). Otherwise, I really enjoy this device even on its own, but even more when paired with my Mojo 2. Even though I am bypassing the internal DAC, somehow it is able to still convey its richness through the Mojo 2 better than when I pair my Mojo 2 with my Samsung phone. For the present time, I am content with this pairing and recommend the DX240 to anyone looking for a well-built device that likes a mid-centric presentation with a lush sound and moderate detail retrieval.

Overview:

Up for review today is the iBasso DX240 DAP (https://amzn.to/3ymWk21) with the AMP 8 installed (https://amzn.to/3Yv8ErF.) I picked this one in trade, so I have no impressions on the stock amp – and the AMP8 is widely considered the best amp available with this. The DX240 comes with the Qualcomm 660, which is a bit behind the more modern 665 you’ll see on newer players and it also comes with the older Android 9 + the proprietary Mango OS. Supposedly, you can switch between the two. It also has 4GB of RAM with 64GB of onboard storage. The DX240 comes with the ES9038PRO “Flagship DAC,” which is only kind of a flagship depending on who you ask, it seems pretty capable to me. It also has swappable AMP Cards obviously, with a 5” screen, MQA 16x, 5G Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, USB 3.1, an SD card slot with up to 2 TB, Quick Charge, PCM 32 Bit/768kHz native DSD512, and freaking Coaxial Outputs for some reason! That’s a lot of goodness packed into one, though the most modern DAPs have upgrades across the board with Qualcomm 665 chips and android 12 , etc. now. Swappable amps is still something of a unique capability, and the one that makes this great – on with the review!



Build Quality / Design / Specs (18/20):
The DAP itself is of really good quality with a nice aluminum build quality and weight. The knob on it is nice a notchy when spinning with a good click when you press it. The only downside there is that it protrudes and that makes it easy to accidentally hit when you’re putting it in your pocket. There are no indicator lights or anything else on the player. The stock amp has 2.5mm/4.4mm balanced and a 3.5mm unbalanced output while the amp 8 has just the 4.4mm and 3.5mm. The back just appears to be plastic, so that's disappointing when the M6U comes with an all-aluminum shell for the same price. The benefit here is light weight though, which is good for a portable DAP.



The DX240 also bypasses SRC system wide, which allows you to skip the android sample rates and get much better sound. The 4400mAh battery allows for 11 hours of playback, likely on the unbalanced load, so slightly behind the Shanling M6 Ultra (M6U.) It weights 205g, which is crazy light. The balanced port put outputs at 878mW@32ohms while the unbalanced puts out 281mW@32ohms. That’s pretty great and can drive a lot of full-size headphones like the LCD-X on my desk. AMP 8 puts out even more power - 2000mA! I really have nothing to complain about here, the specs are really good.



Accessories (15/20):

Let’s start off with the good. The DX240 comes with a multitude of cables, charging cables, connection cables, etc. They’re good quality and better than most DAPs comes with. Major win. And, it even comes with a case! Too bad that case is absolute crap. I don’t say that lightly, it’s one of those terrible clear TPU cases that you can get of Amazon for your phone for $4 (https://amzn.to/3T0aHD0 for example, though this looks nicer than the one that comes with it.) It picks up finger prints like it’s going out of style, it doesn’t hold its shape, and it feels SUPER cheap (see photos.) It makes the nice DX240 feel like a cheap POS. I honestly prefer Shanling not including a case and making you buy the $40 case over this case. Seriously, I’d rather pay $40 extra than touch the stock DX240 case – it’s not something that should come with a $100 DAP, not even a $400 one. Just…don’t include one, this is beneath you iBasso.



Software / Setup / Ease of Use (3/20):

Gross. Compared to the M6U’s stock Android, with the Google Play Store, the APK back loader on the DX240 is terrible. And maybe it’s possible to somehow link your streaming service through the stock player, but I couldn’t figure it out. If you’re using this with your own files, cool, it should be fine, but downloading Tidal was a PITA. I had to update it like 4 times, it kept saying I had trash on my system, and the APK back loader had Ads! ADs on a product you just spend almost $1k on! Nothing screams Made in China like freeware.



Overall, the Shanling is a much better experience. So is the SP3000 (no ads.) Once you get everything set up, it works fine, and will MQA just fine as well, but man, that was a frustrating 30 minutes to an hour. The built-in player works well, without any real issues, and Tidal works like Tidal once you get it installed. It’s one of the worst setup experiences I’ve ever encountered though, and I hope the new ones fix that issue.



Performance / Sound (18/20):

The sound of the iBasso with AMP 8 is warm, bassy, and inviting. That said, it is definitely more bloated than the M6U. There’s less resolution and more unwanted reverberation from the bass. There are some serious perks to this type of presentation. You don’t get the sharpness that the SP3000 can present sometimes. And there’s nothing painful about the music coming out of the DX240. Now, I haven’t listened to the stock amp, but everything I’ve read implies that the AMP 8 is an overall improvement over the more detailed, and less warm sound that AMP 1 provides. I really like the laid-back performance of the DX240 with AMP 8. It doesn’t seem to lose much detail and there is no real lessening of the mids or highs either. I actually preferred the sound of this with the Multiverse Mentor over the SP3000 on some songs. That’s saying a lot for a 3x price difference. It does have a tad bit of muddiness in the bass though that could use some tightening up, and that’s about it.



Comparisons / Price (15/20):

The fact that I think this competes with the $3,600 SP3000 means that it earns good comparison and price scores. The only downside is that the M6U can do the same thing without an extra $200+ amp that’s sold separately. Also, the M6U doesn’t have that bass bloat that the DX240 with AMP 8 has. The M6U and SP3000 also feel more premium and the stock DX240 case would make it lose points if I hadn’t already taken points off for it previously (that case SUCKS, but at least it came with one.) I also hugely prefer the M6U’s interface, though the SP3000’s is almost as annoying as the DX240s. At least the SP3000 doesn’t have ads on its APK downloaded – so tacky. So overall, I put the DX240 just slightly behind the M6U across the board.

Conclusion:

The DX240 is a really good-sounding DAP that just so happens to need to a $200+ amp to sound its best. The M6U is better sounding, but not as warm, with MUCH better build quality. I’d still take it over the 3x more expensive SP3000, but that’s just my preference. Some people love the SP3000, and some people like the DX240 more than the M6U. Go with what you like. If you want a warmer, semi-decently priced DAP with Android, it’s hard to be mad at the DX240 – just get a new case.

Wolfhawk’s Rating: 69/100

Good day to you, my fellow audio addicts

Layman1 being a conscientious kind of chap, I hesitate to further feed your collective habit, but this new product is surely too good not to share, right?

China’s iBasso have by now thoroughly established themselves as a well-known and respected manufacturer of DAP’s (not to mention IEMs, cables etc. Which I just mentioned)

Today, I shall be reviewing their latest model; the DX240, along with their newly-offered AMP8 Mk II.
The details of the DX240 can be found on iBasso’s website here:
https://ibasso.com/product/dx240/

A great deal more information, Q&A, reviews and impressions may all be found on the product thread here on Head-Fi:

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/dx2...the-free-amp3mod-on-our-facebook-page.959528/

The RRP at time of writing was approximately $949 (price may vary from one dealer or region to another). When I checked on the website today, it is available only in black (which is the colour I chose anyway), but I have seen dark blue and dark green versions too, so best to check with your local dealer if not ordering online.
My sincere thanks to Paul and the team at iBasso, for providing me with a review unit in exchange for an honest review.

Well, all necessary preliminaries and polite introductions having been taken care of, why don’t we see what the DX240 actually looks like? Of course, those familiar with my style of writing (and who, to my astonishment, still continue to read my ramblings) will know that this most straightforward of tasks may be accomplished by proceeding forthwith to the upcoming section, that, with commendable abstemiousness in these straitened times, is simply titled ‘Photos’

Photos:










Unboxing, packaging and accessories:

I feel the packaging and accessories are classily designed and a credit for a product at this price point.
Again iBasso have slightly changed the design of the box with the DX240, losing the clamshell opening featured with the DX300, for a more conventional one that separates smoothly into two halves, with a stylish angular cut into the sides of the box.
There’s a nice and array of accessories, including a burn-in cable, premium-looking charging cable and an adaptor which will serve you well if you wish to use the DX240 as part of an audio chain perhaps involving an external amp.

The DX300 comes with a TPU case, which fits well and doesn’t impede usability.

Ergonomics & UI:

I tend, especially with DAP reviews to leave aside the lengthy tracts talking about the hardware and software specifications in all their excruciating minutiae. I’m working on the principle that basically, anyone who is interested in the fine details of such things will have doubtless have already followed the product thread or discussions here on Head-Fi already and found out whether or not the product meets their hopes and expectations. And of course, the link I posted to the product page on iBasso’s website will contain extensive information on such things too.
I’ve found that with DAP’s, many people seem to make up their mind regarding their initial interest to a large extent based on the price, product specifications, design and perhaps its position within the manufacturer’s existing line-up, only later delving into impressions and reviews concerning the fine details of the sound and performance. So, I will be choosing to focus mostly on the latter here.

They say to write about what you know, and since Layman1 is an unrepentant Luddite, I shall avoid provoking mirth or derision by talking ignorantly about streaming, wireless and installation of apps and so forth.
I put music on a micro-SD card and install it. I plug in some wired IEMs, thank you very much, and I go straight to Mango mode and press play, assuming I have not forgotten to first power on the DAP in the process

So, I am happy to report that I find the DX240 to be extremely fast in use. I personally find scrolling a great deal smoother and more intuitive than I did on the DX300, although I should add in fairness that I think I only updated the firmware on that device once; I refer you again to my previous statement about being an unrepentant Luddite
Switching between sub menus, scrolling through playlists, displaying of album art, everything is smooth and effortless.
Also, I much prefer the size of the DX240, not to mention its weight (which I just mentioned). It’s vastly more portable and ergonomic to use, and – for my tastes at least – a more aesthetically pleasing design. I also love the matte black finish of this DAP. The way that colour is offset by the stylish gold volume wheel and sockets… I literally had to stop myself from drooling all over it when I opened the box (fear not, I’m seeking help for this issue)
The screen too is a delight; bright, vivid and for my preferences, a pretty ideal size.

If all of this has piqued your interest, read on to find out the DX240 sounds; in the section of the review named – appropriately enough – “The Sound”

The Sound:

To test this DAP, I listened predominantly with the Unique Melody MEST, as I’d say it’s probably the best IEM I have in terms of combing technical performance and low-end depth and impact.
Added to that, of the IEMs I have with similar sound qualities, I’d say it’s the one with whose signature I am most familiar, hence it’s an ideal choice for critical listening with a new DAP.

Test tracks were picked from a varied group of genres, and were predominantly lossless FLAC or WAV files, with many of those in 24 bit hi-res format.

I’ve been doing most of my listening recently using my two Sony DAPs (WM1Z and modded ZX300).
The main reason is because these DAPs (using modded FW) have an AI-based remastering/upscaling function, which upscale mp3 and 16-bit FLAC files to sound like hi-res (24-bit) FLAC files. Whilst almost all of my music is in FLAC, and probably at least a third of that is in hi-res FLAC, I do have certain songs that I regularly listen to which I have only been able to find in mp3 form (Chinese pop songs mainly), and some of them are even low quality mp3 (128kbps or so).
Listening with the Sony AI function makes a noticeable difference (and even improves all my 16-bit FLAC files), and hence is why I tend to listen mainly to those DAPs.
With this in mind, read on for how the DX240 sounds!

Sound signature:

I mention all this about the Sony DAPs because listening again to an iBasso DAP has a lovely warm ‘coming home’ type of feeling. There’s just a classic kind of ‘house sound’ that iBasso have perfected over their many DAPs; each one with its own tweaks and variations on that sound, but still with the family DNA showing through.

So after listening to a lot of different music from various genres, and with a few different IEMs, the key traits that are coming through here would be a quite neutral and balanced sound, with very good technical performance. This combination does not, however, result in an analytical or clinical sound signature. As usual, iBasso have perfected the art of allowing a degree of musicality to come through, achieved to my ears with an extended and solid sub-bass, with a very slight lift in the mid-bass and a tinge of warmth in the lower mids. All this is very subtly done though, hence why you will commonly hear talk of the neutrality and balanced nature of the DAP. It has a spacious soundstage, well-executed separation and imaging and excels in detail retrieval, but pairs this with an energetic and dynamic sound, further increasing engagement with the music.

I found the DX240 able to drive all of my main IEMs, with minimal to zero hiss (CA Solaris 2020 and Dorado 2020 owners, take note!). I’d also not that I didn’t find a single IEM pairing that I had any negative impressions about. The DX240’s sound signature lends itself well to pairing with pretty much anything you could throw at it due to its comparatively transparent nature, whilst giving a little boost in the sub-bass with that little bit of ‘enjoyment factor’ sprinkled over the top for good measure.

AMP 1 Mk III (stock) vs AMP 8 Mk II:

I have added this in, as I also got the AMP 8 Mk II and thought it would be a comparison people would be interested in!

Well, I’ve already described the sound of the stock AMP 1 Mk III, so how does the AMP 8 Mk II compare?

Well, the difference is not huge; they both share elements of that same audio DNA to which I alluded previously. However, I hear the AMP 8 Mk II as taking that ‘tinge of musicality’ a step further; more mid-bass and a bit more impact and rumble overall, plus that warmth extends into the mids, again increasing the warmth slightly over that of the stock AMP unit, and making it slightly darker-toned in comparison to the stock AMP unit. Aside from this, most other factors seem fairly equal to me, particularly in terms of technical performance.
Overall, whilst I don’t feel there’s a huge difference, I do feel there is a difference and since it relates mainly to tonality, I’d suggest that the stock AMP might pair better with warmer IEMs, whereas the AMP 8 Mk II would possibly be a better match for comparatively more neutral IEMs.

This sweeping generalisation of course assumes that you are looking for a certain kind of match up; however the flip side of this is that you could make a dark, warm, rich and bassy set of IEMs (e.g. CA Solaris 2020, EE Phantom) even more dark, warm, rich and bassy by pairing them with the AMP 8 Mk II, and similarly for more neutrally-tuned IEMs with the AMP 1 Mk III


Conclusion:

So, whilst this is not a new flagship (and indeed occupies a somewhat unusual position in the ever-expanding iBasso line up), it is in my opinion nevertheless an outstanding new product. It offers excellent sound quality and technical performance, allied to a snappy and smooth UI, all in an eminently portable package.

It’s gorgeous to look at, feels solid and well-built and with the modular AMP system, will continue to offer options to experiment with different sound signatures long after this review is gathering dust in the Head-Fi archives.

And as usual with iBasso, all of this has been achieved at a price point that is highly competitive with other similar offerings in the marketplace.

It’s been a pleasure to listen to and I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about it