iBasso D7 Sidewinder 24Bit/192KHz USB DAC (PRE-ORDER)

Customer Reviews

Doesn't get any better for the price.

Mids
Bass
Treble
Value
Clarity
Performance vs. Price

After spending some time with this DAC, I will now proceed to do a short write-up on what I feel to be a good-to-excellent product.

Equipment: Computer USB output to iBasso D7 DAC to Audioengine A5+ active speakers.

For the purpose of providing a DAC for computer output, the D7 serves it's purpose very well.Sounds much better than through computer's sound card. It also provides RCA outs to connect to my AE speakers. I did not use the optical output. Turn-on thump is noticeable but not loud at all, in fact I would say it's quite soft. The sound I hear is very neutral, soundstage is about medium. The D7 does not seem to add any coloration to the music.

Headphone amp section is very good. Definitely not stuck on as an afterthought. Enough juice for demanding cans as well. e.g. Beyer DT880, Senn HD600...

One point I would like to raise that people should be aware of - the volume control knob is only for the headphone amp section. It does NOT have variable line-out; that is to say, the volume knob cannot control the volume from the RCA out. Volume adjustment will have to be done from your computer or your speaker's volume knob, if they have one. Whether or not this will be a deal-breaker to you depends on your set-up and where in the chain you want to control volume. Personally, I knew this going in so had no problems with it.

Just in case anybody is wondering - this is not battery powered. USB power only. So in that sense, not really a 'portable' unit, even though the size is about the same as your typical portable headphone amp. Very small, yes, but more towards desktop usage.

Overall Rating - Excellent product for not as much money as they could have sold it for. Good stuff in a small package. Review by Nathaniel