UI & Usage
By all means, the iBasso DX320 offers a similar experience to the DX300, with richer options thanks to one big update.
Everyday carry
On a day-to-day basis, the iBasso DX320 is very pleasant to use, but due to its sheer size, it won’t be easy to fit in every pocket. It’s a bit thick and as long as the new iPhone 13 Pro Max, so you better be ready to carry that player with its own pouch.
The player weighs 310g for 162mm x 77mm x 17mm – same size but 10g heavier than the DX300 – and the case adds up roughly 1cm overall. So yeah, it’s a big baby, but with everything the brand packed inside, that’s no surprise.
Android 11.0 + Qualcomm 660!
Like every modern player, the DX320 comes with android, but where the player differs from other models, is by integrating the latest version of Google’s OS: Android 11! To my knowledge, this is one of the first players embracing the 11th iteration of the software – even FiiO’s mighty M17 stood with the 10th generation.
If this doesn’t make a big difference in terms of UI and usage, the whole interface seems snappier and every app that I tried to install, worked flawlessly! All of that is mostly due to the Qualcomm 660 CPU, which enjoys no less than 6Gb of Ram, allowing you to move across every app, almost instantaneously!
If that seems normal for any modern smartphone user, for a DAP user like me, this really feels like a step up. In fact, no other players I had recently came close to iBasso’s DAP in terms of snappiness and this makes a BIG difference on a day to day usage.
Wifi and Bluetooth
That’s also thanks to the new WiFi chipset, supporting 2×2 MIMO and 5GHz, no more bottlenecked by the CPU. It’s staggering to see how much other players seem to struggle compared to the DX320 once you’ve tried a fast connection. It really feels like going from ADSL to Fiber, you don’t have to prepare your travel music days ago now, you can just click download before you leave the house, and… pouf, all is here.
I tried all the streaming apps I use on my iPhone, and everything went well, from Qobuz, to Spotify or even Amazon Music. And for those who ask, yes Apple Music works on the iBasso DX320, as long as you’ve installed the Google Play services.
Overall, it’s one of, if not the, most seamless experiences I had with a player. Yet, if you’re a purist, you can switch to Mango Player, the iBasso player, and OS.
Mango Player
Now available in its 5th generation, Mango player is both a third-party app and a separate OS made by iBasso and based on Linux-HiFi.
Once the player is turned on, you really can’t miss the app, safely docked in the lower half of the screen. A black icon, displaying the brand logo, the mighty white triangle. It’s still the main app for music playback, but if you want to completely turn off the Android experience, this isn’t an option anymore.
The app is fast, well-designed, and it really feels like the brand took time to improve the UI and fix various bugs: it’s much easier to use than before. The sorting options are numerous, the equalizer settings are awesome, and if it crashed a lot when I received it, after a few software updates, everything seems flawless now.
USB-C and SD Card
All iBasso players use a USB-C connector nowadays and the iBasso DX300 makes no exception. The transfer rate is great, thanks to USB3.1 and transferring big chunks of music takes 10 times less time, with the right cable. Also, the DAP supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0, Power Delivery 2.0, and MTK PE Plus Quick charge.
The DX320 offers 128Gb of internal memory, as much as some Astell&Kern players, and relies on micro-SD cards for any additional storage. Every type and size are supported, from micro-SDHC to micro-SDXC up to 2Tb. Also, I can’t stress enough about how many fake and counterfeited micro-SD cards selling out there now, so check twice before you get one.
Last but not least, the USB-C port supports two-way transfers and the player can be used as a DAC on a computer, or as a source once paired with a DAC.
Battery Life and Charging
Once again, iBasso gave its flagship player quite a quirky battery. Why do you say? Because the DX320 doesn’t embark one, but two batteries! A patented Dual Battery Power Supply Structure, where the Digital section gets its own battery, while the amp gets another one.
Both are respectively rated at 2000mAh and 4000mAh and take 2.5h to charge, for 15h of playback in single-ended mode. Again, even with the new circuitry, those numbers seemed pretty accurate and I almost hit the 14h bar with WiFi enabled and my usual CIEM
Charging is fast, but you still have to wait an hour and a half to get 80% of juice. Charging through a classic USB port can be painfully long, but on a modern USB-C port, it will be almost 5 times faster.
Bluetooth
Compatible with apt-X, AAC/SBC, and LDAC, the iBasso DX320 comes with a Bluetooth 5.0 chip. Also, if LDAC, AAC, and SBC get bidirectional support, apt-X (HD) can only send music to a headphone/speaker, no reception. If your source supports LDAC, no worries, if not you’ll be stuck in AAC or SBC.
Apart from that, it works perfectly well, and it’s a great option if your smartphone doesn’t have a headphone output anymore. Compared to DNLA, you get controls directly on the player but lose album covers, your call.
Time for specs!
The review continues on page four, after the click HERE or by using the jump below.
Page 1: about the brand
Page 2: Design, bundle
Page 4: Technical specifications
Page 5: Sound performances
ginandbacon
I couldn’t agree more with your review. The DX320 is only my second DAP (I returned my first) but there is some magic to the stock 11.2(?) amp and ROHM DAC’s that is very neutral yet fun and sometimes surprising at how good it can make low bitrate Spotify songs sound. My previous DAP was returned due to it not being a huge upgrade over a dongle IMO. I won’t name the brand but it was half the price as the DX320. I see you mentioned receiving the AMP13 card in the review but no mention of it outside it being in the bundle. Or it may be a separate review for later. Personally I prefer the stock card that comes with the DX320 but different ears have different opinions and options are never a bad thing.
Alessandro Sabatino
Io posseggo un Ibasso DX220 amp8 e mi trovo molto bene, a parte che si surriscalda troppo, un po’ lento come sistema operativo e la batteria dura poco, per il resto come qualità sonora, in bilanciato, con powerAmp, suona che é una meraviglia. La domanda é questa, la mia mente da appassionato di audio di qualità mi sta portando o spingendo nellacquistare l’Ibasso DX320. Secondo qualcuno che li ha provato entrambi, ne vale veramente la pena spendere 1450€ per fare questo salto? Parlo solo di qualità audio, che é la cosa che m’interessa maggiormente. Potete rispondermi il più presto possibile, perché le mie mani mi prudono a tal punto che devo prendere gli antistaminici… 🤣
Alessandro Sabatino
I own an Ibasso DX220 amp8 and I feel very good, apart from that it overheats too much, a bit slow as an operating system and the battery lasts little, for the rest as sound quality, in balanced, with powerAmp, it sounds that is a wonder. The question is this, my mind as a quality audio enthusiast is leading me or pushing me to buy the Ibasso DX320. According to someone who has tried both, is it really worth spending € 1450 to make this jump? I’m only talking about audio quality, which is the thing that interests me the most. You can answer me as soon as possible, because my hands itch so much that I have to take antihistamines…