iBasso DX300 Review

Design & Build Quality

Casing

Like the DX160, the iBasso DX300 is a massive improvement, compared to the previous model.

Gone is the brushed aluminum case. If the frame is still made of CNC-carved aluminum, both sides are now covered by a beautiful bonded glass, like Shanling’s player. More than a simple revamp, it gives a totally different vibe to the player, magnifying the screen and pushing the DX300 a league above its predecessor.

If available in two colors (black, blue), the brand sent me the xxx version. If the tone isn’t as vibrant as the red displayed by my DX160, the player remains absolutely gorgeous, topped by the new golden volume-ring, found on the right upper side. Also, if it doesn’t look like it in the picture, I can assure you that the DX300 is a MASSIVE player in real life.

The screen ratio is excellent – far better than FiiO or Astell&Kern, and the front panel is almost entirely covered by the display. The only bezel you’ll be able to spot is now located on the lower end, but all the other sides are now completely covered by the glass. Bravo!

It looks and feels premium and my only complaint is the lower part, where the amp card comes in. There are two little gaps, so you can swap out the card, but apart from that, I think iBasso totally nailed it with this player. Next to the FiiO M15 and Astell&Kern SA700, its direct competitor, the iBasso DX300 doesn’t fall short and even feel superior to the others in some aspects, like the screen.

Long story short, the iBasso DX300 is as beautiful to look, as delightful to handle. Let’s zoom in.

Layout

The iBasso DX300 layout is quite different from the DX220 and, again, mimics the DX160

First and foremost, the player doesn’t support previous generation modular amps anymore. If I’m a bit sad about that – the AMP7 and AMP9 really sounded great on my DX220 – the brand will offer the same range of amps for the DX300, and the stock one already gets 4.4mm Pentaconn/2.5mm TRRS/3.5mm outputs.

The scroll wheel is still there, but now completely out of the case, and gold-plated, so you can’t miss it. I was afraid it would be wobbly, but once I got my hands on it, that fear disappeared. If not as cool as a real mechanical knob, the wheel just “clicks” and allows precise volume change.

Just under, you have the usual three buttons to control the playback: play/pause, next song, previous song. This makes the player a little more easy to control in blind mode, and iBasso already offered that option on previous models. It feels clicky and the height was just perfect in my daily usage, even if some might prefer the old round design.

On the opposite side, you get the micro-SD port. Not sealed with a rubber cover (ohhh) but still avoiding the tray-cart (yees) so you can easily change your card on the go. Sadly, there is only one port, but now that micro-SD cards are available in ultra-high capacity, this doesn’t feel like a problem anymore.

Finally, the USB-C port can be found on the upper side of the player, seconded by a mini-coax port, to connect the DX300 to your own DAC.

So far, so good. Let’s take a look at the screen now.

Screen

Good news, iBasso is still offering one of the best screens for a DAP out there, all hands down

Clou du spectacle, the new 6.5” 2340×1080 LTPS IPS screen is just amazing. None other players, at the moment, can rival the DX300 at the moment and the brand completely outperformed my expectations!

If the 397ppi definition is lower than the 445ppi of the DX160, the higher resolution display combined with the behemoth size of the screen makes the DX300 the clear winner here. Brightness is impressive, colors are vibrant, and even compared to some modern smartphones, the result is absolutely magnificent. 

Add to that a 19.5:9 aspect ratio almost bezel-free, tapered glass, a new UI with Android 9.0, and you have the best-looking player of the moment, all categories included. Album covers are crisp, fonts are cleaner and the overall experience is simply astounding.

On that good note, let’s check the bundle, and we’ll be able to look at the spec sheets then.

Bundle

Inside the box

The iBasso DX300 bundle  isn’t particularly extensive :

• the iBasso DX300
• the AMP11 MK2 amp card
• an USB-C cable
• a Coaxial cable
• a glass protection
• a quick-start manual
• and… the famous one (you know what I’m talking about)

It’s nice to finally have a high-end player with a case, straight out of the factory! I still have to pack my FiiO M15 in a sock, as I couldn’t get the leather case, so thank you for that iBasso!  That’s the one we are about to review today, so let’s get into it.

The review continues on Page Three, after the click HERE or by using the jump below.

Page 1: about the brand

Page 3: UI, Usage

Page 4: Technical specifications

Page 5: Sound performances