Addendum 16 Dec 2023: Upon further investigation, I want to clarify that the DC-Elite volume knob is analog and not digital. It is the same one as built for iBasso DX320MAX DAP with desktop version of the ROHM DAC. The stepped volume pot is set at 24 Steps interval. Hope this will clear some confusion. Thanks

@STAYCBias

6 ай бұрын

Does ibasso dc06 pro have wider sound stage than dc04 pro? Which one sounds better on Final Audio A5000 one of your most favorite IEM 😅. I have my A5000 so....

@STAYCBias

6 ай бұрын

Most most widest sound stage dongle up to date? I want my Final Audio A5000 to sound super impressive at maximum potential maximum peak . 😊

@donglemadness

6 ай бұрын

@@STAYCBias No, I believe I already mentioned this in this video? That DC06Pro has that typical ESS Sabre tall but narrow soundstage, which means DC04Pro is still the one among the few wide open sounding dongles

@jgdpsu

5 ай бұрын

The DC-Elite volume knob is 24 step analog, but the side function button also adjusts volume in 4 steps. Press it to cycle through -1dB, -2dB, -3dB, back to 0. So it does have 96 steps of volume control, but it is certainly fiddly to adjust if you don't like the 24 analog steps.

Finally very knowledgable expert! Love watching your reviews and thoughts!

@donglemadness

4 ай бұрын

Thanks. Really appreciate this 😁😁

Always precise and above all honest... congratulations!!!

@donglemadness

7 ай бұрын

Thank you!

I have compared the DC Elite with the best out there and it outclasses all dongles I have tried and many higher end daps. It is frankly, amazing and amazing what iBasso has done.

Great reviews as always, Andy! 😊

@donglemadness

7 ай бұрын

Thank you!

Great video, thank you so much for all your time and effort!

@donglemadness

7 ай бұрын

My pleasure!

Found this review recently and after reviewing your comprehensive comparison table I decided to purchase the dc06pro as a companion to my ru7 for that more digital hifi signature. The dc06 has great synergy with my oriolus szalayi even more so than the ru7. Thankyou for your informative review!! You have my sub!!! Cheers.

@donglemadness

17 күн бұрын

Thanks for the support!!!!

@donglemadness I like how you described the DC06 Pro's sound quality so far. However, I do like the Shanling UA4's form factor better. Would you say they sound similar enough regarding the "Hi-Fi, punchy, crisp" sound you mentioned?

@donglemadness

6 ай бұрын

Thanks! Between UA4 and DC06Pro, I would say that DC06Pro offer slightly bolder energy and dynamism, more pronounced. But in general both offer similar tuning style

Thanks for comparing with RU7, ordered it recently - waiting for it😊

@donglemadness

7 ай бұрын

Hope you enjoy it!

DC04 pro has wider soundstage and more airiness, as well as a more natural and effortless presentation, and also the app has NOS mode (i exclusively use it). To me the dc04 pro based on this is a superior product to the dc06 pro.

Hi Andy, i love your videos to watch cause the details you provide details in depth and helps me choose the product - great. And please review some DAPs as well, like Astell & kern, Sony , iBasso , Fiio , Hiby and many more. Thank You love from India .

@donglemadness

3 ай бұрын

Thanks Daniel, this made my day. And I wish I can have more access to devices too, I love to try as many as I can. Cheers

I have bought myself a DC06 Pro for my Sennheiser and Sony Headphones. Seeing this review, I'm glad I did. The new DAC is magnificent, its small and light, can power my balanced headphones with ease and can unfold mqa tracks via tidal on the usb audio player app. A great all-rounder!

@donglemadness

6 ай бұрын

It is indeed powerful as it is capable

Nice review Andy ✨

@donglemadness

4 ай бұрын

Thank you 🙏

Thank you for the detailed and excellent review. I'm currently using Cowon Plenue D2 with my Sennheiser HD660s (with 3.5mm cable) and running out of storage space in the Cowon. Would either of these dac amps be a good choice for the HD660s pairing with an Android phone? Or would there be a better portable choice for the HD660s in the Elite's price range? I prefer more of neutral and natural sound.

@donglemadness

5 ай бұрын

My pleasure, for HD65O which I am so familiar with, if you willing to change to 4.4mm cable, then I recommend BTR15. Otherwise you can keep 3.5mm and get HIBY FC6, my personal favourite #1

@PekkoAhlsten

5 ай бұрын

@@donglemadness thanks a lot! I'll look into those options.

Great review as usual, thank you! Does it have enough power to drive a Senn HD800s in your opinion?

@donglemadness

2 ай бұрын

Thanks. I personally haven't tested HD800s with these two dongles so I really have no idea. Sorry

Nice review..Which dongle is the best of all of them for low impedance over ear headphones for critical listening ?(instrument separation - stage..)

@donglemadness

6 ай бұрын

Thanks. There's so many options to choose from now, especially this year I have yet to hear any DAC that I would regard as not good. For your needs, you are already looking at it, suitability for low impedance headphones which is easier to fulfil as opposed to satisfying a high impedance version. All of the dongles I rated 86 points and above are analytical for critical listening, but you did mentioned staging and if you looking for wide open staging then the choices are from iBasso DC04Pro, Cayin RU7, L&P W4 or even Moondrop DAWN Pro, AKLIAM PD4 Plus - all of them Cirrus Logic DAC which excel with staging (except that RU7 is not CS, it is a special 1Bit DAC)

Hi, thank you for the great review. I am looking for an upgrade to the DC04Pro. I was looking for the DC Elite, a Q15 from FIIO or the cayin RU7. So you say the DC Elite is not a big Upgrade?

@donglemadness

3 ай бұрын

DC Elite is an upgrade, but do not expect huge jump as anything at this level is subjected to the rule of diminishing returns, as true with many other upgrade scenario with other products. I would say that Q15 would offer more value in return moving from DC04Pro instead as it is richer and more definitive with resolution and imaging, so doe HIBY FC6

Saludos Andy y excelente revisión. En tu opinión, dongles como ibasso dc03 pro o colorfly cda m1p, como se compara con daps gama media o alta solo considerando la calidad sonora? Son equiparables o hay diferencias audibles?.

@donglemadness

7 ай бұрын

I don;t have many DAPs but I have good experience with Cayin N6ii, Cayin N3Pro and Sony PCM-D100. The majority of 5 Star rated dongles can easily matched the quality of the Cayin DAPs. Only Sony PCM-D100 I consider being superior and that is because PCM-D100 is even better sounding than most mid tier desktop DAC/Amps

For the past few months, I've been preparing to change my phone, which powers my IEM Xenns Mangrid Top. Until now, I've been using an iPhone with a dongle. I love how the music sounds on them compared to wireless headphones, love that even without making a direct comparison. My question boils down to whether a better option for overall sound quality would be the Sony Xperia 5V/1V with its 3.5mm jack or the Honor Magic 5 Pro (or another phone) with a USB-C DAC, or perhaps the Xperia with a dedicated DAC, or another configuration? Regards and thanks for the content and the space you create.

@donglemadness

6 ай бұрын

As a user of Sony Xperia 1 IV myself, I can't express enough how much I love it. The 3.5mm audio jack is already great sounding and then the true 900mA PD3.0 USB is perfect for dongles and this practically on par to Laptop setup with USB3.0 = maximum USB power. If you feel the need to expand the sound with more resolution, then I would say go for HIBY FC6 or Cayin RU7 if budget not an issue. Otherwise iBasso DC04Pro would be as close as possible to those two

@mssed9

6 ай бұрын

​@@donglemadnessThank you very much for the quick response and advice. Ultimately Honor Magic 5Pro was sent to me two weeks earlier than expected, and after a few days with the phone, I think I'll stick with it. The music quality using the USB-C to 3.5mm jack dongle is significantly, better compared to the iPhone 11. Also, the price is €450 lower compared to the Xperia 1 V. The Ibasso DC04 Pro is already on its way to me. Thanks again for your time and all the best! 😊

Seems like dc06 pro is my kind of sound as we were talking yesterday. I'll give it a try! Thanks

@donglemadness

7 ай бұрын

No worries :D

@JoseFerreira-zb7wh

6 ай бұрын

@@donglemadness just received mine. this is definitely more in line with my preferences. Our talk in FB and your reviews really have enlightened me and made me understand what i prefer. Thank you for that.

@JoseFerreira-zb7wh

6 ай бұрын

@@donglemadness one more thing i just noticed. It doesn't have gain options. This is a huge flaw for a dongle of this price and quality in my book. I think all the ones you've compared it to have it. Even a lot cheaper ones do. I'd depromote it and take it some extra points in the final rating. 😀 Now seriously, i hope ibasso upgrades app support to this model and at least includes gain options.

Hi Andy, another great review. Have been waiting for these 2 dongles for quite sometime. So, to put it in a simple word, does it mean that the DC06Pro is a brighter unit whilst the DC04Pro is a warmer one? Hence, the DC06Pro is not necessarily an upgrade from DC04Pro, it's just a side grade with different tonality? Thanks for the review and keep them coming.

@donglemadness

7 ай бұрын

Thanks!. Warm is not something I associate with DC04Pro, warm sounding dongles are iFi GO Link, Hidizs XO, Hidizs S9 1st Gen or Shanling UA2. Compared to DC06Pro, DC04Pro is natural and not digital sounding, analog. DC06Pro modern tuning by virtue of stronger and bolder dynamic presence will appear brighter and more sparkly versus DC04Pro. I hope I am making some sense here and not confusing you even more, lol. And yes, from my perspective, a sidegrade between these two, representing two different tuning to cater for different preferences. DC Elite however, is indeed an upgrade for DC04Pro

@pickcick1580

7 ай бұрын

@@donglemadness Spot on! Thanks for the clear explanation, Andy. Looking forward for the next review. Cheers.

@donglemadness

7 ай бұрын

@@pickcick1580 Cheers

Thank you Andy

@donglemadness

7 ай бұрын

Very welcome

Great video as always. I hope we get a hiby fc7 some day with 4.4mm balanced and I'll bite

@donglemadness

7 ай бұрын

Thank you!

For me a very gripping review, mainly because of the comparison of the sound presentation with the older DC04Pro model. Partly due to personal experience with a dongle using the ESS 9018AQ2M, as well as Andy's reviews over the last two years, I'm beginning to get the (perhaps not entirely correct) feeling that in order to detach from headphones or speakers and perceive the music as a whole, in some ways the CS43131 and CS43198 converters may have more potential than the Sabre ESS models, although both should be (are) transparent. Just CS has to be paired with dedicated amp to shine.. Therefore, on a limited budget and using strictly neutral headphones, IMHO using the DC04Pro, mainly because of that airiness, certainly has added value in my opinion. But at the end it is just a final implementation of dac and amp, that matters. Therefore every future Andy's review is so exciting :) 👍 Thanks for an excellent review, Andy!

@donglemadness

6 ай бұрын

Thanks. And that is my observation too. The general tuning for ESS Sabre focus more on being crispy edged with lots of emphasis on imaging, and texture density, but more often I found them to be colored by virtue of dynamic enrichment, while Cirrus Logic CS43 series tend to edge more on neutral transparency and would appear flatter for being neutral. But I have also learned, you can be rich sounding and neutral, of which some AKM and especially R2R has demonstrated successfully. However, I would like to note that ultimately the implementation plays bigger role in the final output as the likes of Venture Electronic Megatron and Prime DAC does offer proper neutral tuning while keeping the analytical element of ESS Sabre and on top of it sounding analog at the same time. It is a great time to be an audio enthusiast, so many varieties for use to choose from because it is not about right or wrong, ultimately whichever sounds good to our own ears is the only one that matters.

@jaroslavhavlicek7002

6 ай бұрын

@@donglemadness ..and thanks to the adaptation of the human auditory apparatus, audio equipment manufacturers have a relatively large target to hit in order to win the favour of a certain spectrum of customers. I envy people who can adapt quickly, or have a taste for accentuating a certain part of the frequency spectrum. Unfortunately this is not the case for me and I am very susceptible to such highlighting and find it distracting. And to make it all not so simple, we probably all have this subjective neutral centre objectively somewhere else.. Thanks Andy for the comment from the perspective of a person who has had such a huge amount of audio equipment playing in his ears!!

Very nice review: My only question is now the DC04 pro or the DC06 pro for my HIDIZS MP145.

@donglemadness

2 ай бұрын

Thanks!. If you ask me, personally I like my MP145 with DC04Pro, as it offers wider soundstage, more airy decays, more neutral transparency, natural analog sound and focus a bit more on being smooth. I would want to use DC06Pro if I want my MP145 to be more vibrant and energetic, a bit of coloration in a good way, crisper edged decays, crisper imaging, a bit more holographic but the soundstage is not as wide as DC04Pro. So it depends really on what you like more, ultimately what your own ears will decide as more pleasurable to you

@timoschmidt1136

2 ай бұрын

@@donglemadness WOW thank you for the precise answer!!!

Hello andy, can you recommend a dongle dac that also has support for microphone input? I currently have the ibasso dc04 pro that you have praised and I bought about a year ago which I love as it is neutral and does not add any other characteristics to the music. But I basically want a dc04 pro with mic support. Any recommendations?

@donglemadness

5 ай бұрын

Unfortunately all dongles of this size does not have MIC support. Your only option is to use something like ultra compact dongles like JCally JM6 Pro or Abigail Pro. Or you can go for FiiO BTR15 as all BT Dongles offer MIC support

The review is great But I have a question should if I want to upgrade from dawn pro which one I should go for

@donglemadness

7 ай бұрын

That would be DC Elite as directed path from DAWN Pro, DC06Pro is when you need something with different tuning

Hi Andy, superb video, very informative and detailed, you give a lot of information. I really loved the comparisons between all the models, it's clear and precise, thank you very much for your work! A Little disappointed with the DC Elite compared to the FC6, I would have thought it was better in terms of sound. I have à question however, I own the FC6 and I like it a lot, but I systematically return to my Questyle M12 which I finf to be something very special...It has a precision, a texture, a richness that the FC6 does not, while maintaining a warm and analog sound, despite its rather crushed soundstage. Wath do you think about M12, do you think my impression is correct or my ears have a problem (laughing)?

@donglemadness

7 ай бұрын

To me FC6 is as close as it gets to perfection and only eclipsed by the legendary Sony PCM D100 DAP/Recorder. Also, the only thing that matters is your own ears, if you find M12 suits you the best then whatever I have to say doesn't really matter, are we not using our gears to satisfy our sonic indulgences? What's pleasing to you is what counts 😁

@nusu5331

7 ай бұрын

interesting! what would make the fc6 better then the Cayin Ru7? both use R2R ladders and the FC6 has much less power output @@donglemadness

@donglemadness

7 ай бұрын

@@nusu5331 Yes, FC6 is my No.1 alongside DACPort HD. RU7 very close in tow

@Maheshutube

7 ай бұрын

@nusu5331 in his review of Ru7, he has a comparison and rates FC6 higher on note quality and density. Richness. And is more analog sounding than ru7.

@nusu5331

7 ай бұрын

thank you for feedback! i have seen the review but forgot the details 😄@@Maheshutube

Great review and very helpful. Was looking for a replacement for Earmen Eagle. Wanted 4.4mm as well. From what you say, the DC04 Pro is clearly a better option than the 06 Pro for the earphones I have. Thanks again!

@jaroslavhavlicek7002

6 ай бұрын

I understand it exactly like you.

@donglemadness

6 ай бұрын

My pleasure. I personally haven't tried Earmen Eagle, but I do know Earmen Sparrow very well. DC06Pro is in the same DNA as Sparrow MK2, energetic and punchy, but a bit more moderated with coloration, assuming that Eagle is tuned similarly to Sparrow, then DC04Pro would appear less aggressive and flatter neutral

@drcerbera5455

6 ай бұрын

Thank you. I also feel that it would be good to try something with a different sound signature. Your review made it clear that the DC04 Pro is that.

@dhiaoshaish

6 ай бұрын

​@drcerbera5455 i have both, the dc04 pro is miiiiiiiles ahead of dc03 pro. and no I wouldn't want an upgarde to the dc03 pro, i'd rather stick to the dc04 pro. I get lost in the music with the DC04 pro, with other dongles I know i'm just listening to music. The fact that DC04 pro is going unavailable now is making me panick, i'd rather buy a dc04 pro backup unit than buy dc06 pro lol

🔥

I'm crazy about my dc03 pro, but I also wanted a more powerful dongle with balanced output, it looks like the dc06 pro will be my upgrade 😉

@donglemadness

7 ай бұрын

That's correct, direct upgrade from DC03Pro in terms of power and authority

another excellent review Andy. I have the FC6 and RU7, so I don't think I will need to spend the $499 to get the DC-Elite. Love the comparisons and the ranking charts they are so helpful

@donglemadness

5 ай бұрын

Thanks. Yes if you already have FC6 and RU7, DC-Elite would be like complementary as they are all top dogs of #donglemadness

@STAYCBias

5 ай бұрын

​​​@@donglemadness, I got my DC elite for 480SGD from carousell so I not complaining! By the way Im using your A5000 to pair with it that's insane!!!

@ramzyrashaun5186

14 күн бұрын

I have FC6, RU7, and DC-Elite. DC-Elite is the best among of them. I only use FC6 for vocal centric songs, RU7 can’t beat DC-Elite in anything.

@ramzyrashaun5186

14 күн бұрын

DC-Elite is like another level from RU7

@christiharris292

14 күн бұрын

@@ramzyrashaun5186 thank you for the input, i will have to put the DC-Elite on my shortlist to consider

OK bought the dc06 pro for my MP145. Two things though: On the iBasso site it's a DUAL ESS DAC and not a Quad. According to iBasso the 4.4 mm connector has 320 mW on 32 Ohm and not 240. Is this a small error in your review or do you measure the output in another way than iBasso. Great review though!

@donglemadness

2 ай бұрын

Thanks, I mentioned quad because that's what I saw on the net pertaining to the DAC configuration, if that information has been inaccurate, then I would have said something that is untrue, and I apologize for that. I don't do measurements; I don't have the tools, nor I am interested to measure them

I want to find a hi-fi dac dongle .. now, I have a questyle m15 that I really like the sound of unless it is matched with a sensitive iem like the unique melody mext whose impedance is 15 ohms and it has background noise.. can the dc06 pro solve the background noise on what do you think?

@donglemadness

6 ай бұрын

That is a tough one, if you said that you are hearing floor noises even from M15 which I feel is already super clean with floor noises, then I don't think it is an issue with the DAC anymore. I have even tested lower impedances like 5.3 Ohm from Hidizs IEMs and don't get floor noises. But I do know some hybrids even with higher Ohms may have these symptoms of which I see that as implementation deficiencies on the IEM side to tune is overly sensitive with the dB padding. Pretty much similar to the case with some Campfire IEMs. You may need to consider another solution like using impedance adapter instead with your existing DAC/Amp and usually adding 45 Ohm will solve that issue

Probably what I thought,the DC06 Pro looks more like a sidegrade DC04 pro than an upgrade. Strange that Ibasso jumped to 06 this fast,let's hope a DC05 Pro is coming in the near future.

@donglemadness

7 ай бұрын

I would say DC06Pro is a sidegrade to DF04Pro, the tuning is different

Hi Andy, would you able to review the new Astell and Kern HB1 dongle if possible....

@donglemadness

7 ай бұрын

Yes indeed, I would love to review A&K HB1, this probably coming up early next year

Hello, Andy, what IEMs for 100 - 120 euros can you recommend to buy? I would like to get a slightly accentuated bass, but not as much as in the 7HZ Legato.

@donglemadness

7 ай бұрын

For a very affordable price not even touching 100 Euros, you can get KZ Castor Harman BASS. But for that price range, check out AFUL P5 or BASN Metalen, both of which I personally find to be quite good with Bass (even if I typically avoid bassy IEMs)

@user-md7oe8dw9g

7 ай бұрын

​@@donglemadnessThank you very much

Hi Andy, thank you for your hardwork, it definitely helps beginners like me. I have a question: I've recently bought the Xenns Mangird Tops which is paired with the Fiio BTR7. Though the detail's and dynamics are awsome, but I find it overly bright. Which dac dongle would you recommend for a warmer sound signature, as i have been thinking about the Cayin RU7, iBasso 04 pro or any others you may recommend. Much appreciated.

@donglemadness

7 ай бұрын

People tend to regard natural organic sound as being "warmer", and I can understand that because we are so used to that bright digital sound. If you looking for something which is not bright, then I would recommend Colorfly CDA-M1P or DC04Pro - they offer smoother edged resolution. Of course there's still many other options like RU7 etc, but I don't regard them being warm, they are just simply analog and not digital sounding

@amansirpal353

7 ай бұрын

@@donglemadness thank you for your swift reply. Greatly appreciate 🙏

@ramaidaugirdas

7 ай бұрын

Nice to hear that, Andy! I always thought analog is just like warm. Talking about it, which dongles are on the warmer side, mate? RU6? I am searching for a warm dongle. Warmer than DC03 Pro and Link2 Bal.

@amansirpal353

7 ай бұрын

@ramaidaugirdas I think the Shanling UA5 is warm sounding, I'm currently looking into that.

@donglemadness

7 ай бұрын

@@ramaidaugirdas If you really want "warm" sounding dongles, then get iFi GO Link, Hidizs XO or the older Hidizs S9, now they are the true warm sounding dongles. RU6 is NOT warm, it is analog and realistic sounding, DC03Pro is energetic Hi-Fi sounding and Link2 BAL shares the same neutral/natural sound like iBasso DC04pro

using Megatron with HE400SE and wanting something more portable do you think DC04pro would be a good option soundwise? I like the sound of Megatron but I would not mind a bit bolder presentation

@donglemadness

3 ай бұрын

Yes DC04Pro can substitute for Megatron for a more portable solution, you will like to it, just make sure to use the 4.4mm BAL for your HSE400

@kovacsicsgabor

3 ай бұрын

@@donglemadness many thanks for the prompt answer Andy, appreciated! love your channel!

Ah yes! Popcorn and dongle madness!🍿

Love those Oakley. Are those eyeglsses? What model no is that Oakley?

@donglemadness

6 ай бұрын

Thanks. The one I used in this video is my 2nd frame, the model is Oakley The Cut

@andy Hi! I know this is not a relative question to ths video. I'm having Fiio BTR7 with me, I also have Zen air dac V1 and do you think buying DC04 Pro will be better? I'm currently having Truthear Hexa and Sennheiser HD 560S.

@donglemadness

7 ай бұрын

I would be able to help you if I have tried BTR7, but I don't. I have no idea how BTR7 sounds like so I can't compare it with DC04Pro. Sorry

@rishikesan1204

7 ай бұрын

@@donglemadness No problem. As I mentioned above, I use both Truthear Hexa and Sennheiser HD560S. Can you advise any Dac/Amp that is under $200 which can give depth in sound and not too bright if possible?

@donglemadness

7 ай бұрын

@@rishikesan1204 DC04Pro is easy to recommend for your needs, versatile with any partners literally. There's tons of other options too, but I don't want to confuse you even more

@rishikesan1204

7 ай бұрын

@@donglemadnessThanks for taking time and replying,

Hello, between Cayin Ru7 and iBasso DC Elite... Which one do you personally prefer and may I know why? I prefer organic, wide soundstage and transparency without losing macro & micro details. I am currently using Cayin Ru6 paired with Thieaudio Monarch MK3.

@donglemadness

3 ай бұрын

Hard choice as both are top dogs of #donglemadness. RU7 and DC-Elite are on equal footing on many areas even with analog timbre presentation. However I do feel that RU7 offers a bit more of soundstage width and air, while DC-Elite is more of open circular traditional stereo. Which one I prefer more personally? my honest answer would be HIBY FC6, because I use FC6 more than anything else I have at my disposal, also now I have Questyle M12i to compete with FC6

@Dremist

3 ай бұрын

​@@donglemadness I would really consider the FC6 if it has a 4.4mm bal output, but with your provided information between RU7 and DC-Elite, seems like my final choice is leaning towards RU7. Thank you so much for your insight!

With the Sennheiser IE600, will iBasso DC06PRO be better than ifi go link?

@donglemadness

6 ай бұрын

I wish I know, I never tried IE600

Great review as usual Andy!! The DC elite sadly not having analog volume control is a bummer. The dc06 pro looks really good for a neutral clean sounding dac.

@donglemadness

7 ай бұрын

Thanks, just like DC05 and DC03Pro, DC06Pro is not exactly neutral, it is linear boosted in all frequency range. DC Elite and DC04Pro is transparent neutral

@ruslanmulyk8601

7 ай бұрын

​@donglemadness Thanks my friend for doing your best to explain this subtle difference 😊 I am as an owner of DC05 was very happy to hear about it😊

@JoseFerreira-zb7wh

6 ай бұрын

@@donglemadness to me it's exactly neutral, clean and transparent. 😀Other thing i learned interacting with you. One's assessment also depends on your preference and where you're coming from. To me this is neutral (maybe neutral bright at most) so every CS dac sounds warm.

@johnlaser9965

5 ай бұрын

It does have one and it is a stepped attenuator. Among the best there is for analog!

how you judge the sound combo of ibasso dc04pro + thieaudio oracle (original mk1)? should be close to reference?

@donglemadness

2 ай бұрын

They synergize really well, DC04Pro transparent, wide open sound complements the dynamic characteristics of Oracle, no coloration added, you get to hear Oracle as how it was meant to be

thanks for your review. which one has widest soundstage?dc06 pro vs dc04 pro

@donglemadness

7 ай бұрын

My pleasure, I believe I have mentioned that in detail at section 19:49

@aaakjhgfdswerty

7 ай бұрын

​​@@donglemadness sorry i missed that part .i had dc04 pro but now i need more naturel so less bass and less organic sound but same or better technical level 3.5 mm dongle for my k371 ,can you advise me?

@donglemadness

7 ай бұрын

@@aaakjhgfdswerty If you looking for something more neutral than what is already neutral DC04Pro, then I honestly have no idea what to recommend, but if you referring to more digital sound and less analog timbre, perhaps you can try something like FiiO KA1

@aaakjhgfdswerty

7 ай бұрын

@@donglemadness i want little bit thin and less bass colored(ibasso can be liitle bass emphasised )k371 can lost naturel sound with it.thanks for recommandation

Really curious! I own the dc06 but how would it compare against the fiio q3! Will the Q3 be worth the upgrade over the dc06 in terms of sound and technical performance? I used the mangird tops as my iem!

@donglemadness

4 ай бұрын

I never tried Q3 so I would not know. From FiiO I am only familiar with Q15 and Q11 from the Q family. So what I can tell you now, comparing against G15 which is the flagship portable DAC/Amp from FiiO, DC06Pro on dynamic technicalities hold up to the high standards, except that of course sound timbre wise, Q15 is analog sounding and the DC06Pro as noted in this review being modern Hi-Fi sort of sound

@gohyingler7980

4 ай бұрын

@@donglemadness does analog sounding means more natural and warm?

if you could run that planar at 30 with dc06 pro, and at 42 with the other new ibasso, what would the dc04 pro be set at for the same loudness? In general, would the dv04 pro be able to comfortably drive the Sundara for example

@donglemadness

6 ай бұрын

DC04Pro did it at 32/100 like many other 4Vrms Dual CS dongles. Sundara on the other hand is not as demanding as Fostex T40RP MK3 that I use here, so it is easy for DC04Pro to handle it with authority and proper headroom

@dhiaoshaish

6 ай бұрын

@@donglemadness thank you sir

@donglemadness

6 ай бұрын

@@dhiaoshaish Just Andy please, adding a sir there makes me feel like 70 years old and about to die haha. Thanks

Hello Andy.. So in terms of technicality, dc06pro win over dc04pro? 3D imaging and details.

@donglemadness

7 ай бұрын

Marginally yes, because of the bold emphasis which DC06Pro offers

@iikatinggangsengii2471

7 ай бұрын

yes its why theyre bit more expensive

Hi Andy, thanks for the review. I got the dc06 pro but it started having problems. Both earpieces started rapidly making noises and eventually the left side stopped working. I returned for another dc06pro but it looks like the same thing is happening again :( . Have you heard of this type of thing happening, and do you know what the problem might be? Ive mainly been using it with my samsung galaxy s23 and sundaras.

@donglemadness

5 ай бұрын

That is quite unfortunate to have the same thing happening with a replacement unit. I would even suspect now it could be something else causing it. Do you have a different dongle to compare? have you tried on PC to see if the issue persists? connecting it to a different source partner is the best way to isolate issues to narrow down the culprit. I have used tons of dongles yet I never experience what you are facing now

@armonghaffari9486

5 ай бұрын

@donglemadness yea I've tried using my pc as the source but it's still having the issue. I know it's an issue with the dc06pro itself but I'm wondering what caused it. Do listen to your dongles on the go? Both times occurred while I was walking. I'm quite bummed as I really enjoyed this product and am worried this will happen to my next dongle

@donglemadness

5 ай бұрын

@@armonghaffari9486 Again sorry to hear that. I use my dongles on the go a lot. If I am in your shoe now, I would reach out to iBasso directly and explain to them your usage scenario and how the problem occurs even on your 2nd unit. You may contact them via FB messaging or even email (which you need to check on their website)

@armonghaffari9486

5 ай бұрын

@donglemadness thank you and thank you again for responding and making such enjoyable reviews. I think that is a good idea. Also, I lke extreme metal as well :)

@donglemadness

5 ай бұрын

@@armonghaffari9486 🤘🤘

Andy do you think iBasso DC06PRO would be good for Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro plus, It has big power 320mW.

@donglemadness

5 ай бұрын

Absolutely. DC06Pro has the power and some headroom to spare for DT990 Pro+

@Milo_Molnar

5 ай бұрын

Great.Thanks.​@@donglemadness

Hello Andy is possible use this two dongles with gaming consoles witch used uac 1.0?

@donglemadness

4 ай бұрын

No switch to UAC1 for either one of them. For that you need something like Shanling UA4 or Colorfly CDA M1P or AKLIAM PD4 Plus

Can you manage volume on DC06 pro with the buttons without the app? Or the app is needed?

@donglemadness

6 ай бұрын

Yes of course. Independent volume adjuster are like that, don't need any app to work

The was I compare your reviews, the DC 04 pro should be the one for me

I hope Red Ape can open a shop in Johor😅

hi please say how is will be e1da 9038d in timbre signature ? similar to which dac in timbre signature?

@donglemadness

2 ай бұрын

E1DA 9038 is the most digital sounding DAC, at maximum point at the end of Timbre signature table, it has super strong ESS Sabre house sound

Hi,my IEM is a bit warm and I mostly listen to pop and hip hop music.Would you recommend DC elite or DACport HD for my IEM?

@donglemadness

7 ай бұрын

DACPort HD is already out of stock for the 2nd time and we will not know if it will be replenished. So you are looking at just DC Elite from the options you mentioned. I would even say for the type of IEM you use and the music you listen to, it sounds like you will be at home with DC06Pro as well

@Yatharth144

7 ай бұрын

@@donglemadness I’m currently using moondrop dawn (4.4 balanced) Will DC elite be an upgrade over dawn 4.4?

@donglemadness

7 ай бұрын

@@Yatharth144 DAWN 4.4 has the same sound energy and presentation to DC06Pro. DC Elite is different for being neutral and transparent, I am not sure if you would consider switching to a more neutral uncolored sound as an upgrade or not

@Yatharth144

7 ай бұрын

@@donglemadness Oh,in that case DC elite would be an upgrade for me since I prefer neutral sound signature.

@donglemadness

7 ай бұрын

@@Yatharth144 Awesome then

thanks, nice video. Should someone with DC03 makes an upgrade to DC06?

@donglemadness

5 ай бұрын

I personally think no, DC03Pro already has what DC06Pro offers, unless you feel that you need more power then of course DC06Pro is the answer

@motivationmore7025

5 ай бұрын

@@donglemadness Thank you for you answer!

Which is better between ibasso dc elite vs hiby fc6 vs luxury precision w4, which one do you recommend?

@donglemadness

5 ай бұрын

FC6 is what I like the most and use the most over everything else, so naturally I will recommend what I like the most

Waiting for your review of the Aune M1P D.A.P.

@donglemadness

6 ай бұрын

If I can get one to test, yes why not?

Hi Andy, I have Sennheiser IE 900 and I want a dongle within 300 dollars that best synergises and sounds with it. Please advice.

@donglemadness

6 ай бұрын

I never tried IE900 so I have no idea what to recommend. But based on my own preferences, without a doubt for up to $300, HIBY FC6 is the ultimate dongle among 157 dongles I have tested so far, the only current release of dongles that was able to match CEntrance DACport HD. Otherwise, anything that I rated with 87/100 and above, they all are amazing with sound and performance so you can't go wrong with any one of them, you just need to figure out which sound timbre you prefer more

@Gaurav18nov

6 ай бұрын

@@donglemadness Thanks for the quick response. I was considering DC04 Pro after watching your review but now I might go with FC6.

What is timbre signature anlog and hi fi, it is like bright or warm?

@donglemadness

2 ай бұрын

Analog is realistic, organic natural sound without any hint of digitally enhanced dynamics, Hi-Fi tend to focus a lot more on cleanliness of the sound but more often in that processes it lacked natural realism in favor of razor edged resolution and imaging. Both analog and Hi-Fi sound can be either bright or warm

Thanks a lot for your review, now I’ve a problem to solve called DC06Pro😂

@donglemadness

7 ай бұрын

You're welcome. It's a good problem to have, haha

I'm planning to drive Sundaras. Which dongle dac should i go for under $140?

@donglemadness

4 ай бұрын

If you can get a deal on HIBY FC6 at $140 then that would be the ultimate one to look for. Otherwise you can get iBasso DC04Pro or EPZ TP30, but then you need to also get a 4.4mm BAL cable for your Sundara to use it at max power from the two dongles (watch my video on 4.4 & 3.5 cable and you will understand)

last wednesday while connected to a usb port in my pc my ibasso dc06pro started giving some kind of electrical discharges, luckily I managed to quickly remove the iems from my ears but my ers were still affected. It also managed to damage the iems. The sound was also completely distorted and in a pit. It happened on both ports and while using a different source too.

@donglemadness

3 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing this. I think you should also report this to iBasso. It seems that there was a surge of power from the PC USB and the DC06Pro was reacting to it

@fanenosi

3 ай бұрын

@@donglemadnessi send it to the store yesterday and today they already told me that it was a malfunction and they are sending me a new one but I'm a little worried about using it again.. It didn't happened only with the PC but with the phone too.. I will follow your advice and I will report this to Ibasso

Sir how would ibasso dc06 pro compare to its older brother which is dc03 pro? I saw the tonality graph of them are both "hifi". I was planning to get one is dc03 pro still good for 2024? I only using 3.5mm so I don't think much about 4.4 bal.

@donglemadness

4 күн бұрын

As noted in this video, DC06Pro is like a supercharged DC03Pro.If you just need 3.5mm SE, then the DC03Pro is perfect for you

Hi Abang Andy, what type C cable did u glued on DC04pro? can share me the shoppe link. thank you...

@donglemadness

4 ай бұрын

Just search for CB18 from iBasso

@aven3527

4 ай бұрын

@@donglemadness thanks bro!

Hi Andy, you have recommended the questyle M15 for me at your website, now I want to upgrade it and try the other analog dongle , so which one you will recommend to me? I have moondrop variations and dunu sa6 mk2, thank you very much.❤

@donglemadness

7 ай бұрын

When it comes to analog natural sound presentation, then the very best bunch would be HIBY FC6, CEntrance DACPort HD, Cayin RU7, Cayin RU6, Colorfly CDA-M1P, iBasso DC-Elite, iBasso DC04Pro and iFi GO Bar, among the ones on top my mind now

@mkalok1307

7 ай бұрын

@@donglemadness Thx Andy, Now I mainly focus on fc6 and ru7, in your review the fc6 compare to ru7 have density notes and timbre, however ru7 have more widely sound stage, a little bit struggle to me.🤔🤔

@donglemadness

7 ай бұрын

@@mkalok1307 I know what you mean, not always easy to choose between two of the bests

@mkalok1307

7 ай бұрын

hi Andy, the compare of note density between ru7 and fc6 is both base on 3.5mm? if use ru7 4.4mm to compare fc6, the note density will be closer?

@donglemadness

7 ай бұрын

@@mkalok1307 RU7 regardless 3.5mm or 4.4mm, will still be not as dense and rich sounding as FC6 which only runs on 3.5mm SE, I have tested that comparison extensively, only DACportHD and Colorfly CDA-M1P are on equal richness to FC6, but then again you must remember we are talking about best of the best dongles here and the differences are marginal unless you compare them exhaustively side by side. Of which they are relatively rich sounding regardless

Hi Andy ,I love watching your videos ❤, help me to upgrade my DAC from shanling ua2 plus..

@donglemadness

3 ай бұрын

I don't know your budget, but if you like Shanling UA2 Plus organic natural sound, then HIBY FC6 is my foremost recommendation, or you can get either Questyle M12i or Colorfly CDA-M1P, Kiwi Ears Allegro is nice too

when you compare the Ru7 with the Dcelite, how high dsd level (64/128/256) was the Ru7? Thank your answer!

@donglemadness

4 ай бұрын

256 is the limit for RU7

@Malik08902

4 ай бұрын

@@donglemadness Thanks. Which better for ikko oh10? :)

@donglemadness

4 ай бұрын

@@Malik08902 Both are equally great for OH10

@Malik08902

4 ай бұрын

You are the best tester! Thanks!

i looked your dongle rating ,e1da is below top list ,what is the score of e1da9038d in technicalities category?same with top tier ones?

@donglemadness

Ай бұрын

Between E1DA 9038s and 9038d, the major difference being power and dynamic authority especially when pushed hard with demanding headphones. Both are exceedingly technical. To me 9038d is lower tiered compared to 9038s

@aaakjhgfdswerty

Ай бұрын

@@donglemadness Thank you for this information but sorry for that I can't explain my question correctly i mean dc06 pro vs e1da 9038d

hi which one do you say best technically especially in detail,soundstage,seperation?dc06 pro vs e1da 9038d?

@donglemadness

Ай бұрын

DC06Pro

@aaakjhgfdswerty

26 күн бұрын

​@@donglemadness thanks ,to be more specific,can you confirm dc06 pro has more details than 9038d or equal?

which one is more bassy ,less flat? dc06 pro vs dc04 pro and which one has wider stage?

@donglemadness

3 ай бұрын

DC06Pro is what you want, DC04Pro is more transparent and neutral. Wider stage? DC04Pro of course

@aaakjhgfdswerty

3 ай бұрын

@@donglemadness.i want less bassy and wider stage so dc04 pro is for me .thanks

if compare dc06 pro with questyle m15 which of these two is :- 1) more wider soundstage? 2) more dynamic? 3) more higher resolution and overall technicality

@donglemadness

7 ай бұрын

Both DC06Pro and M15 have the typical tall but narrow ESS Sabre soundstage, and both are equally resolving with details. The difference, M15 is transparent neutral and DC06Pro boosted linear colored (more energetic)

@user-pr2my9sm3x

7 ай бұрын

E1da 9038d

@aaakjhgfdswerty

20 күн бұрын

@@user-pr2my9sm3x do you have m15 and dc06 pro?

ibasso dc06 pro with fiio ka5, which one is the best sound quality? i like vocal and bass. which one should i buy? thanks in advance

@donglemadness

5 ай бұрын

If you want enhanced sound, DC06Pro has that, KA5 is neutral and does not color the sound like DC06Pro. Since you said you like vocal and Bass I guess neutral sound would be flat for you, so go for DC06Pro

@infotechcom2008

5 ай бұрын

@@donglemadness i use tinhifi p1 max, hidizs ms3 and kz castol bass version. is that can make overbass use dc06 pro? when it neutral so it will sound more balance with iem basshead?

@donglemadness

5 ай бұрын

@@infotechcom2008 If you want more bass you need to EQ of simply get IEMs with more bass, DAC alone cannot add bass because most if not all of them are tuned to be balanced even if they are not quite being neutral. Neutral means you hear the actual sound of your IEMs without any flavouring, enhancement or boosting, this is what defined as transparent

How does the dc06 pro compare to the dc06?

@donglemadness

6 ай бұрын

I personally never tried DC06, so I hope someone who has both can chime in to clarify this

@AndyAudioVault how does DC06 pro compare to Fiio KA5?

@donglemadness

7 ай бұрын

KA5 offers similar neutral transparent tuning to DC04Pro, and by this, DC06Pro is more energetic and colored compared to KA5

@prosnapple

7 ай бұрын

@@donglemadness Is KA5 brighter and more transparent than DC06 Pro?

@donglemadness

7 ай бұрын

@@prosnapple No, KA5 is not brighter

@prosnapple

7 ай бұрын

@@donglemadness Is KA5 alot different than the DC06 Pro, in terms of sound? Both have different dac chips and are about the same price .

@donglemadness

7 ай бұрын

@@prosnapple Yes they are different, just like how I described it in my first reply

So dx320max isnt that good? As dc elite is a miniature of that.

@donglemadness

7 ай бұрын

I don't know how you would conclude that, as far as I can hear, DC-Elite is an amazing sounding DAC, without a doubt among the bests of #donglemadness dongles I have tried so far, and if that is a reflection of DC320MAX, then I would say it would even be even amazing with quad ROHM

@Maheshutube

7 ай бұрын

​@@donglemadnesscan you pin this comment Andy at the top? It would clarify... Thanks

Nice! My takeaway: if buying an iBasso dongle, just buy DCO4 Pro. And DSD... Phhht! Who needs that, am I right? Takes up waaaaay too much space and where the metal...

@andresvr8357

7 ай бұрын

DSD es mejor que FLAC,si está bien grabado obviamente

@nmatheis

7 ай бұрын

@@andresvr8357 I'm not sure if you're saying that if recordings are equal, then DSD is better than FLAC or if you're saying that what really matters is the recording, not the format. I believe the latter, that the recording matters much more than the format as long as it's lossless. Besides, DSD takes up waaaaay too much space and my music library isn't well represented.

Luxury and precision w4 vs ibasso DC elite , which is the gold standard.😮

@donglemadness

7 ай бұрын

Both already gold standard, which one is your gold standard will depend on your preferences. If you prefer a more analog sound, DC Elite it is. If you prefer Hi-Fi sound, W4 does it better. As for me personally, HIBY FC6 is my gold standard, you get the idea :D

@aryankhan1985

6 ай бұрын

Which has got better imaging , I have the iem Obravo cupid , I prefer analog sound . What's your opinion on that? And thanks for your efforts and contribution in the audiophile industry 🎉🎉🎉.

@donglemadness

6 ай бұрын

@@aryankhan1985 On imaging alone, you get that from DC06Pro which is bold with resolution, but the sound presentation is not analog. But if you want a balance of those element, then any of the 5 Star rated dongles are already great with imaging, that's why they are 5 Star

Dco6 pro is more powerful than elite with 320mw not 240mw...And l think it is still a dual dac, not sure why it says quad dac.Thanks.

@donglemadness

5 ай бұрын

The spec from iBasso says quad DAC configuration, maybe you should contact them to clarify

Shanling ua4 when

@donglemadness

7 ай бұрын

Next week hopefully

@ruslanmulyk8601

7 ай бұрын

We are waiting 😊

@clickbaitpro

7 ай бұрын

@@donglemadness Waiting for this one

350 we are close to Chord with that money ..

@donglemadness

7 ай бұрын

As with many higher end gears, there's many choices for different tier of pricing

@anatol1204

7 ай бұрын

@@donglemadness yes but there is a balance though between what you pay and what you get and lately I give the edge to features and practicality..Chord is stronger has crossfeed and eq..and "better" soundstage I guess..

Oh man... To be honest, i Was left a bit disappointed with DC-Elite. Cos of its price, i was never going to order (awaiting my 180$ discounted hibyfc6 to arrive), but was expecting some magic tech inside! Going by your review, DC04 Pro still seems to be very good. Considering the price, Elite seems more of a sidegrade, than an upgrade. Thanks for the review, Andy.

@donglemadness

7 ай бұрын

My pleasure

@mokisan

7 ай бұрын

How did you get a fc6 for $180

@Maheshutube

7 ай бұрын

​​@@mokisanit was on discount for 199$ at the official site of hiby. They had the discount going on Black Friday (for couple of weeks I reckon and had chatted with Andy in comments, and he suggested to go for it). Then I had signed up/registered on site and they threw a further discount on it.

@nusu5331

7 ай бұрын

going from Andys video to me it seems, that the Elite is very much an upgrade if you are into neutral transparent sound. pricewise it is at always, to get the last 10% of performance you have to pay a much higher price. that said, i also wouldnt pay the price for it, as you could get a Mojo2 for the same price, which should be quite a step up and it isnt too far off in size.

@donglemadness

7 ай бұрын

@@nusu5331 Well said, the price you pay is for the hassle iBasso have to go through trying to miniaturize a ROHM DAC into small form factor. And you are right, at this level, you pay lots of $ for that final squeeze with the rules of diminishing returns in play. Just like any expensive hobbies, like bicycles, You pay huge gap of money to get Shimano XTR to save 5gm of weight from your rear derailleur, and the same for camera, you pay extra $500 to get premium glass from F1.4 to F1.2. It is insane, lol

DC elite or Ru7?

@donglemadness

Ай бұрын

RU7 if you want better volume control and Line Out. Otherwise on sound they are on par

Wow, do you have it wrong on the DC Elite. Easy to use and it doesn't take any real time to figure out how to use the volume control and IMO, this is the best dongle on the market. I commented months ago but have done more listening and comparisons and you really missed the mark on this.

@donglemadness

22 күн бұрын

I have no experience with either K5 Pro nor DX3 Pro, but I am certain ONIX is a clear step up from DAWN Pro

everything has too much high mark imho. How can fc6 has 10 mark in features when it doesn't have even 4.4 output. Ru7 I listened - boring sound

tempotec sonata bhd pro best

How can something be boosted at all frequencies? that makes no sense.

@donglemadness

Ай бұрын

Try different DACs and observe the sound differences, true neutral DAC will appear flat and uncolored, dynamically boosted DAC will appear more vibrant with the transient and imaging, hence the boosting on sound frequencies

@jasonmelo9379

Ай бұрын

@@donglemadness well boosted refers to amplitude. If every frequency is boosted then they will all be the same amplitude.

Nice review :) Do any of these work well with Apple's iOS? Andy, do you know if the app works for iOS? because honestly I can't find any information on this topic and the app is not in the apple appstore...

@donglemadness

7 ай бұрын

Thanks. Unfortunately I am as clueless as you are, I have stopped using iPhones for audio purposes over 2 years ago and I would not know if they even make apps for iPhones. Sorry

@Maheshutube

7 ай бұрын

I have dc03Pro and it works well on M1 Air laptop. Does it mean it would also work on iPhone? I think it would but since ihave an Android phone, I can't confirm. In case you getting, DC04 pro would be ideal (that also works on M1 Air) as it has more power than dc03Pro and as Andy says more air, soundstage, clarity and tonal neutrality. But yeah, my assumption is if it works with M1 Mac, it should work on iPhone but that's just a guess.

@dhiaoshaish

6 ай бұрын

​@@Maheshutubethe dongle will work, but the app won't, which means you'll lose the functions of the app with the iPhone, for my personal use, that's a deal breaker.