iBasso DX240 DAP Review
Welcome to the iBasso DX240 review, where we will explore the possibility of it being the best DAP under $1,000! The iBasso DX240 has many features yet comes in at $949.00 from most retailers. But is this the best DAP on the market? We intend to find out the answer.
Build
The iBasso DX240 is modular, sleek, and impressive. It is built around the following:
· Flagship ES9038 Pro DAC chip
· Supports high-resolution 32-Bit/768kHz PCM and Native DSD512 decoding
· Full 16x MQA decoding
· Swappable AMP module design with support for existing AMP1-AMP8
· Comes stock with AMP1 MK3 module
· Self-developed FPGA Master technology
· Dual independent NDK femtosecond crystal oscillators
· Sharp 5" 1080P Full HD display
· High-speed USB 3.1 connector
· Lightning-Fast Snapdragon 660 SoC
· 4GB RAM
· 64GB ROM
· Up to 2TB MicroSD card slot
· Coaxial output support
· Bluetooth V5.0 connectivity
· Dual Band Wi-Fi(2.4GHz/5GHz)
· Dual OS, Mango OS & Open Android 9.0
· Up to 11 hours of continuous music playback
With these premium features, you get a DAP that performs in such a way that flies never stutter and it is not hard to look at with the beautiful screen.
iBasso's DX240 is made of beautiful aluminum accented with hardware buttons on the right that were made for the “Next Track,” “Play/Pause,” and “Back” functions. In addition, the right side of the DAP features a multifunctional scroll wheel which is used to control the “Volume” and turn the DAP “On” and “Off.”
Located on top of the DX240 are two ports – a USB and a coaxial port. The USB port can be used for data transfer or charging. To charge the DX240, a USB 3.1 cable is included but a power brick will have to be supplied by the user for charging power from a wall outlet. The coaxial port can be used for Coaxial Out via the included cable.
On the left side of the player is the Micro SD port.
On the left side of the DAP there’s a Micro SD port. And on the bottom of the DAP there’s are two line-out ports – a 3.5mm headphone out port and a 2.5mm balanced headphone port. The stock power output of the iBasso DX240 is 281mW@32Ohms with the 3.5mm headphone out port and 878mW@32Ohms with the 2.5mm balanced headphone port. There is an optional amp module that can be plugged into the DAP via a 3.5mm single-ended / 2.5mm balanced cable which changes to 4.4mm to 3.5mm. This optional amp module allows the power output of 281mW@32Ohms with the 3.5mm connection and 980mW@32Ohms with the 4.4mm balanced-out connection.
To charge the DX240, a USB 3.1 cable is included, a power brick will have to be supplied by the user.
The last and most impressive feature of the iBasso DX240 is the screen. The screen is a 1080p and is simply gorgeous. Pictures do not do the screen justice - the screen is fantastic! Complimenting this great-looking screen is an equally impressive and responsive touch sensitivity level that is on point. In fact, the sensitivity could easily register a touch-response equivalent to the current generation of an Apple iPhone. To protect this world-class screen iBasso has included two screen protectors in the packaging.
Evaluation
Upon the initial boot of the iBasso DX240, you are presented with a welcome screen allowing you to choose from multiple languages.
If you choose English the next screen presented is the one for selecting a connection to the available Wi-Fi networks and then configuring the appropriate settings for that Wi-Fi network.
Once you are connected to a Wi-Fi connection that has Internet access, navigate to APK Pure, open it and follow the prompts to update the DX240. Now that the update is complete, we are ready to start using the DAP.
Before playing anything, we used the Burn-In cable that was included with our DX240 for twenty-five or so hours. During this time, we played the iBasso on both mid and high gain at high volume of the course of that twenty-five or so hours. The iBasso DX240 was almost ready!
The iBasso DX240 is all about choices and when it comes to music you have a couple – you can either download an application or upload your music. In our case, we downloaded Qobuz from the APK Pure store on the DX240. We streamed as well as listened to music offline. Something odd we observed when downloading music in Qobuz for offline use was that the player would become warm. We are not sure why this was the case.
With the music loaded our show could finally begin! The listening experience on the DX240 was simply beautiful. The music was fantastic regardless of what I used - Audeze LCD-X (2021), Empire Ears Bravado Mk II (Universal), or 64 Audio U6T. The bass was tight and fast, the mids were pronounced but never forward, and the highs were clear but not sibilant.
Imaging is spectacular, as the placement of each instrument had depth like that of a beautiful photograph. I felt as if I could reach out and touch some of the people in the songs. The soundstage was just as great - the iBasso could open up and spread to an excellent phantom image depending on the track. Stevie Ray Vaughn's “Tin Pan Alley” demonstrated this and was such an impressive song on the 64 Audios.
iBasso states that the battery life is eleven hours for music playback. We did not experience this with Qobuz. When we did pure streaming, we experienced five hours of playtime. Obviously, the battery life will vary depending on many factors such as streaming, offline, screen time, and bitrates. iBasso basis battery life on offline 16/44.1 files and screen off.
I did not try the pure music player from iBasso called Mango Player. Mango Player is a dedicated player for offline music. There is also an option to boot the DX240 into Mango Player and shut down all other services.
Suggestion
While the DX240 is a solid, beautiful display DAP, there are a few issues with it that we discovered. For one, the battery life was not as specified. During our evaluation and use the battery life was seven hours and not the eleven hours of music as disclosed by iBasso. The other concern and potential issue were with the DAP becoming warm when downloading music for offline use with Qobuz. We are still not sure why this was happening? While these are knit picky things, we believe they are still areas to be considered.
Conclusion
The iBasso DX240 is a powerhouse DAP at just under $1,000. Is it perfect? It is so darn close to it, but not quite. The iBasso DX240 player is both beautifully designed and conjures up a neutral soundstage.
Can I recommend the iBasso DX240? Yes, as the iBasso is one of the best DAPs on the market under $1,000. In addition, the DX240 drove the Audeze LCD-X (2021), Empire Ears Bravado Mk II (Universal), and 64 Audio U6T, where each can have plenty of low-end slam, smooth mids, and an airy top end.
To learn more information about the iBasso DX240, please visit the following link:
click here for more information.
Gear Used
Audeze LCD-X (2021)
Empire Ears Bravado (Universal)
64 Audio U6T
Music Used
Stevie Ray Vaughan - Couldn't Stand The Weather