I'm new to your reviews. I read your review on jcally jm04 pro and got one. I didn't like it. It colored my music. Then I gave it another try and got DC03 pro on your recommendation. It is really transparent and doesn't color the sound and has resolution. Your assessment was spot on. The build was excellent too.
ANDY! IM GLAD YOU ARE BACK REVIEWING THOSE DONGLES! Im here just to say thank you, because of your review, i bought the Questyle M12, and very happy to use it
@@donglemadness Thank you once more Andy! Btw, Andy, i have a question. Does the HiBy FC5 detect in-line mic input? And do you consider the FC5 as an upgrade from M12 or merely a sidegrade in terms of its performance? Friend of mine asking me to trade my M12 with his FC5 hehehe
Thanks a lot for making this video and sharing your thoughts with us. I was on the fence for this dongle. After watching your review and learning so many good things about this dongle, I simply went ahead and ordered it. I can't wait for it to arrive so I can have some fun with it :D
The most awaited finally appeared, and the results were very surprising five stars.And it the cheapest 5 star. Glad finally donglemadness can continue.
What a coincidence! A while ago, before you review came out, I was going through your site, pulling my hair out trying to decide which dongle to buy. Was gonna settle on a DC03 and this model popped up, not much reviews and info at that time but the independent volume control looks handy. Ended up jumping the gun on this dongle, so far so good!
Welcome back Andi, so glad to see you on this apps again! I have a question, and it's not about the sound quality, because you already explained it very details and i truly 100% trust your review. My question is.. What about the weight 😅? Is it safe & lightweight enough to use it while doing activity? (holding the phone or even put the phone to our pocket and walking) ? Or should i just use it only when sitting, put my phone at the table while starring at the awesomeness of the DAC build quality 😅 Big thanks to the so called wireless technologic era, my new phone doesn't have jack 3.5 port now and i'm worried it might break my usb type C port (the only way to charge my phone) if i use it while doing activity.
Thanks!. iBasso DC03Pro is small and compact enough that it does not weigh much at all, which means that I was able to use it portably dangling from my pocket. I do this with even heavier dongles like RU6 and DACport HD, DC03Pro is featherweight in comparison, lol
@@vladuk Green has always been the color for PCM format. I do not use dongles for the led indicators, if you like your led indicators running perfectly, then get iFi Go Bar
Mr. Andy , hello from Greece , i already purchased iBasso DC03 PRO , thanks to your recommendation and i really love the sound with my headset Audiotechnica M50x , my
That's awesome Steven. For speakers? Haha I have never tried that with any dongles except VE Megatron on passive speakers. But active speakers which has amp would work just fine and the DC03Pro will serve as a good DAC Line Out
Thank you Andy for the super detailed and informative presentation on the DC03PRO ❤ Hense due to your explanations and information I have ordered the DCO3 PRO And it is arriving today 😄 Thank so much Andy ☺️
Hello brother andy,is usb dongle comparable to LG quad dac (seem like you have lg v50 yourself) if so,how low can the price go,any suggestion?thanks in advance🙏🏻
I have owned LG V35 and LG V50, both are Quad DAC of course. While I can say they do sound great, but ultimately they are just a bit brighter and digital sounding to my ears. So if you ask me, in fact many 4 Stars rated dongles are preferable over ant LG quad DAC. Let alone 4.5 and 5 stars rated dongles which offer great balance of sonic performances, technicalities and natural music element. iBasso DC03Pro is the cheapest 5 Star rated dongle now, outright better in every way compared to any LG quad DAC
Thanks, I already reviewed the AFUL Performer 5 in Head-Fi, no video though. I will progressively move to YT reviews going forward. Yes I hope to do Cadenza too
hi Andy, nice to meet you, nice review. I received mine now a week ago and, finally, my old shure E2c sounds correct and dynamic, from your experience with the new se 535 would I have further improvements? keep in mind that I prefer tonal neutrality, it shouldn't be colored......thanks
Thanks Paolo. I personally haven't tried the SE535, but assuming that SE535 has similar sound to E500s which I am familiar, you would find that DC03Pro will bring vibrant energy to it but remain relatively transparent
Great review as always. Wish you had showed scores like you did with dc04 pro. Unless I missed it, is the sound the same between the 2 with the only differences being that dc04 pro has more power and a 4.4 balanced output?
If you check my review for DC04Pro, then I explained in details the differences between DC03Pro and DC04Pro. And you can find the scoring there too for DC03Pro
Hey Andy, great and informative review ! Did you missed the R2R RU6 for typical organic sound ? Is upgrade from previous dc03 to this new pro version obviously audible and it which aspects in yr usual setup? TIA 🙏
Thanks. I use RU6 regularly alongside DACport HD and now DC03Pro. Of course my preference has always been analogue and organic output. DC03Pro on the other hand gives me a bit of dynamic flavoring to the sound indulgence. The old DC03 is already a great sounding dongle, but to my ears it also exhibited tad too much energy for my liking, DC03Pro fixed that with more sensible moderation of energy and euphony level, so yes to me DC03Pro is a marked improvement over DC03, DC04 and DC05
@donglemadness Thanks for the help here dude, this is such a minefield for a DAC novice like me. Quick question do you think the iBasso DC03Pro would be a good choice to go with a pair of Oppo PM'S, specs for those > Frequency Response: 10 - 50kHz Driver Type: Planar Magnetic Impedance: 26 Ohm. Sensitivity: 102dB/mW cheers
You're welcome. I never tried Oppo PM's. But based on the specs you mentioned, yes DC03Pro has the juice to run it properly and with good dynamics, especially if you run it on USB Exclusive mode in High Gain (just like many other planars)
@@donglemadness Hey man thanks ever so much for the rapid response and advice. I am way out of my dept with the tech speak on DAC's but I am a serious music fan and appreciate good kit particularly when i get the best bang for my buck. You have now made up my mind, so i'm gonna pull the trigger on one of these tomorrow. Thanks again dude and greetings from London.
Hi Andy! Thanks for the review and all the work. Ive been trying to decide between the iBasso DC03Pro and the Truthear SHIO. They're both priced the same and both have great reviews. Please helps me decide which one to go for between these two. Thanks!
@@donglemadness Even now that Shio has independant volume control with FW update? Sound wise what makes you prefer it over Shio? Is there some music genres where you prefer Shio presentation more than DC03 pro? My thought was a more neutral, relaxed presentation would be better suited for some classical, acoustic, jazz genres and a more vibrant and energetic one more for electronic, hip hop, metal etc. but maybe that's not as revelant as personal preferences alone.
@@BornIntoThis20 I always prefer DC03Pro over most others because the way it handle dynamic transients and energy. It is punchy and vibrant (means also a bit more colored) yet never offensive with euphonic sense of aggression (like the old DC03). But if I want something neutral and transparent, then there's iBasso DC04Pro which to me is one of the best Delta Sigma DAC now in dongle form factor and DC04pro has good sense of analog sound while at it. So I will choose DC04Pro over SHIO every time
@@donglemadness Thanks for your answer, and for your reviews btw! I think I would prefer neutral, transparent, relaxed for some classical, jazz and acoustic stuffs (so DC04 pro / Space / Shio here I guess?) and get more vibrancy, energy and punch for electronic, rock and other modern genres (DC03 pro?) Might have to end trying them both to judge anyway, because of you hehe. It's really different to the point it makes sense to have both with the same dac chip? I'm really curious about DC03 pro being energic and all yet not fatiguing. Is there some music genres where you clearly prefer a more neutral presentation rather than vibrant/energic yourself or it's more according to the mood? I just know you seems to like metal!
Nice, many new dongles released this time, I hope you can review them all, such as the new audioengine dac3, quloos hifi mc01/mc01se , E1DA 9038D6K, Tanchjim Space, Ikko ITM02 !!!
Incredible in depth review and well presented. I just bought one of these and while the sound is amazing the USB C connector on mines has a lot of play/wiggle/movement on it. I have tried with other cables and get the same issue. Does yours do this? Appreciate your advice. Thanks
Thanks!. Unfortunately, I must agree with you that iBasso dongles (both DC03pro and DC04Pro) have tendency to develop that wriggle over time. It was not apparent at first but now I am seeing it. Changing to different cables does not solve the issue. This has been highlighted to iBasso and I do hope the newer ones will address it properly
@@donglemadness thanks for your quick and honest answer. Mine is only a day old so wasn't sure if it was fairly or not. It still works and the sound is top notch. I love it
Thanks! DC05 is even more colored and slightly more energetic compared to DC03Pro, but it has MQA and DC03Pro doesn't. DC05 doesn't have dedicated independent volume adjustment so it is something that I dislike personally. The overall of sound presentation, I would say DC03Pro is a better unit
Regardless of price, without a doubt DC03Pro is superior to Dragonfly Black in every aspect, sound, performance and everything, DC03Pro is on another level
Hello Sir, very good Review and thank You for sharing your knowledge. Thank You for taking in consideration the battery topic, not a lot reviewers talk about that. When you reviewed Avani and Abigail did you done that tests? It would be interesting how do the Ibasso perform vs that mini dongles. Greetings
@@sebolla9791 Yes of course, with Hi Gain HE400SE sounds full and rich at 75/100 volume. Just lacking a bit of headroom compared to my desktop Class A amp
Is it tottaly wrong to use ibasso dc 03 pro for running sony xp-500 or xb43 ? Is it wrong to use so? Because i do it all the times 😂( i have 3 phone with a great dac: axon 7, axon 10 pro and rog 6) they all have a slightly different sound and now the sound changes even more (and louder) thanks to ibasso dc03 pro my game improved even more due to ibasso's 5 different music profile :D i also just bought a fiio ka11 and its on the way... In the close future i am also thinking to buy a tanchjim space so to try a more organic sound . Thanks for your educational videos you really rock!
Hey man I'm new to your channel and I've been loving your videos. May I ask your opinion on the dc03 pro vs. moondrop dawn? Because I can't decide for myself which one to pick as my new year's present.
Thanks.I can't say anything about Moondrop Dawn as of yet until I am able to test it extensively soon (probably in Jan 2023), so I can't compare now. At least to my knowledge spec wise, Dawn is simpler and with lesser features
Before I can choose, I need to understand what do they offer that makes them different. And the difference is, DC03Pro offers highly dynamic, vibrant and colored sound done expertly, DAWN Pro on the other hand, focuses on transparency and neutrality. I will make my decisions on those factors, which one appeals best to my taste and preferences? do I like enhanced sound or do I like uncolored neutrality? both are excellent as they are
Does this DAC Mr. Andy connect to laptop or PC ? Also is there a software to install in order to use it in a laptop or pc ? Thank you keep up the amazing work !!
Thank you 🙏. Of course T3+ performs even better with DC03Pro, a great dongle like this is so versatile that it will synergize with practically anything, regardless of the tuning style
Perfect. It is my current everyday setup listening and I'm loving it. My music now has more details, compared when I'm using my old dc03 dac. This one is a legit 5 star. And t3plus sounded better on it
hi, thx for the review 😎 would you suggest the DC03 Pro for listening primarily to electronic music and metal on an eq-d Aiaiai TMA-2 Studio? i used it primarily with the E1DA 9038SG3 (until it has been stolen), and loved the combo. or should i buy the M15? is it worth the extra cash outlay? thx
Nice to see you here...sad when you closed the website...thanks again for Ovidius B1. Would like to share my recent find...I found Neutron paid player app with two unique features..64 bit processing and pcm to dsd...this blew me away for mp3 files played as dsd on my Tempotec hd pro dongle and pairing with bl03 is amazing...not reaching out to my S12 lately. I slaped sonata bhd firmware on my HD pro and they rock with Neutron player...cheers.
Hello Andy, it's me again 😅. I decided to go for the ibasso. I'd like to ask something, I apologize for ignorance. When I connect the DAC to the pc, it takes control over reproduction automatically or I need any extra step?
Whenever you connect an external DAC to a PC or Android or iPhones, the entire audio processing will be handled by the external DAC and most of the time the native USB drivers will work straight away, no need to do anything especially on Windows. That's for basic usage. But if you want to push for DSD and beyond, then you will need to install specific iBasso drivers then complemented with ASIO and compatible players. But if you are just playing PCM formats (like the majority of us do), PNP and you good to go
I swear this thing is more musical, airy engaging than my Mojo 2. I think the Mojo 2 is the better DAC unit when compared to Schiit Bifrost 2/64. This thing also drives my Audeze LCD2 just fine. My only worry is the wobbly USB port, it should have been locked in place on the chassis.
I can relate to that. Higher end DAC tend to sound analytical and precise, but they do sacrifice the element of immersion and engagement when it comes to music, so it boils down to what you enjoy more
Depends on your taste. DAWN Pro is more neutral, DC03Pro as mentioned in this review is a bit more energetic and colored. Technically DC03Pro is a bit more resolving and dynamic too
Firstly, I want to send greetings directly from Brazil. Keep track of your videos using subtitles. Your videos are incredible! Friend, I currently have a Hiby fc3 and a Sharkoon dac pro S. Do you think it would be an upgrade for me to buy the iBASSO DC03 PRO? Would it be a better upgrade than the 2 I already have? Thank you again.
Thanks!. FC3 offers the typical ESS Sabre sound which I find very bright and edgy, and will work best with warm sounding partners. If you ask me, DC03Pro is a much preferred sound over FC3 for my usage and more resolving too, just the right amount of balance between energy and smoothness. If that sounds like an upgrade to you, then yes moving from FC3 is a great idea
@@Kosmoloog Gain levels are for regulating power as I mentioned earlier, for something more demanding you need Hi gain, for highly efficient IEMs, Mid to Low gain would be better. Feel free to experiment how the three gain levels will work for you as it can differ from one combo to another
@@donglemadness I missed the website. I thought it is closed. Its good to have it in a new avatar. I hope you can add iFi Go bar to your incoming list. It is fairly powerful enough to compete with Dacport.
Greetings Andy,i just recently found your site and yt ,it's a very good information,rn i'm deciding if i should get xduoo link 2 bal,Tanchjim space or DC03 pro for my headphone, i hear pretty much everything but primary i mostly hear phonk,rock,pop,lo-fi, which dongle fits the best for me ? Thank you very much and have a great day Andy.
@@donglemadness a bit of a noob question but i want to ask,is 4.4mm balanced better than 3.5mm unbalanced output or it depends ? I'm not sure which is better than which,i do know that 4.4mm can gain more power output 🤔 This is my first time getting a dongle / dac-amp actually and i would like to use it long term,kinda tempting with link 2 bal because it has 2 output ,mind enlightened me ? Thank you Andy 😅
@@nghiapham5427 NO, 4.4mm does not mean they are better, the implementation of sound is more relevant and regardless if they are 3.5mm, 2.5mm or 4.4mm, they can sound equally bad if not implemented properly. I have heard many 4.4mm dongles which even has super amount of power yet they are underwhelming with sound qualities. Just have a look at my other 5 Stars dongles, CEntrance DACport HD sits strong at No.1 until today and it is pure 3.5mm, so does Ovidius B1 (just 3.5mm). So don't get disillusioned that 4.4mm will always mean they are better. Cheers
I love your reviews andy. Wanted to ask if i should by xduoo link2bal or this dc03 pro...i like analogue sound and timbre kinda which makes you feel the strokes of fingers on guitar strings...i dont have the budget for ru6 ..can you suggest which one is better choice?
For your preferences, then I would recommend Tanchjim Space instead, as noted in my other review video, Space is natural and neutral, organic too and closer to being analogue sounding. It's also on par to Link2 BAL. Thanks!
@@donglemadness One more thing andy.... I jave the LG g8x. How much improvement in sound quality I'm looking at by buying dc03 pro in general terms? This will be my first dongle dac...
@UCvAFCTf1eHampFPvWf3xdgQ LG Quad DAC is already a very capable audio processor, there's improvement but it also depends on what you connect them to. To me, LG Quad DAC is great but lacking organic/organic timbre (especially after LG V20). DC03Pro is an improvement for richer dynamics and technicalities over LG DACs
Hi Andy ! Would you choose dc03 pro over shanling ua3 in terms of organic sound, soundstage, technicalities? Also which one will drive hifiman sundara better
If only limited between DC03Pro and UA3, it is a clear choice for me to pick DC03Pro. UA3 will sound a bit more hard edged and sharp-ish with HiFiMan planars, DC03Pro will be crisp /smooth edged. Technically I feel that DC03Pro is also superior. But you must remember that both UA3 and DC03Pro will have less spacious headroom when driving full sized planars, I would suggest DC04Pro 4.4 BAL instead if you can stretch your budget
Hi Andy, glad to see you back to review again. Can u give me advance. I hv Dunu Titan S. Which Dac will suit perpectly with my iem? This DC03 Pro or Xduoo Link2 Balance. Or maybe u have another suggestion on $100. My current Dac is Sonata HD Pro and I really like the synergies between them. thanks
Thanks. If you like Sonata HD Pro then absolutely I will recommend either iBasso DC03Pro or Tempotec Sonata E44. Titan S could use some vibrant energy or else it can be a bit flatter sounding
@@adinugrahapratama1790 Link2 BAL has flatter neutral sound and different from Sonata HD Pro that you like. So if your intention is for something flatter neutral and more organic with edge resolution, Link 2 BAL is suitable. Can't go wrong with any one of them really
@@donglemadness great to know that, and yes. i was really like synergies between my SHD Pro and Titan S. how about Shanling UA3, can u give an early spoiler for me? since the price is under $100 too.
My DC03 PRO is arrived today. I think it's better than Sonata HD Pro at every point. The sound is very natural. The details are very amazing. It's more analytical than Sonata HD Pro but still musical. Now I know why this dongle get five stars.
Isn't the original dc03 and this dc03 sounded exactly similar? It's the same implementation of dual cs43131 anyway? Or do you think there is a very vast improvement in sound quality?
@@dagohoyting2417 i never try original DC03, but i think DC03 Pro is better than original DC03 at every section Otherwise, i ever try Sonata E44 which use Dual CS43131, it's too warm sounding and not as simple as DC03 Pro
@@dagohoyting2417 They may use the same DAC chips, but the tuning and implementation is much improved, DC03 audibly less refined with fluid smoothness and appears more aggressive with dynamic transients presentation
Hi Andy love your channel and I'm interested in this , want to try another flavour to my usual sabre DACs , question is if using windows 11 can I use the app with all the brilliant functions you mentioned on my desktop PC? Thanking you in advance
Thanks. Unfortunately the filters and tweaks are only accessible via Android app only for now, at least that's what I understand from iBasso. I personally hope that they can do some sort of controls within Windows too
@@donglemadness thank you Andy , I might just buy it anyway as I've wanted to hear the cirus the sound signature Can I adjust the gain on the dongle itself?
@@donglemadness Do you know what would be the default gain setting when used on windows? I saw some stuffs about the possibility of using an android emulator (Bluestacks) on Windows to get access to the iBasso app and functions but don't know if that would work properly.
Thank you. For under $100, absolutely. DC03Pro is hard to beat, and if you see the overall ranking on my primary site, there a lot more dongles with higher price tags sitting lower. Yes I hope to do iFi Go Link
@@donglemadness Thanks! Is it also good for using with a PC? For watching movies with headphones or occasional gaming? Looking forward to iFi GO Link review.
Damn...The positional accuracy when I'm watching this video with Aful performer 5 is mind-blowing...Most part of the video is on the right but can accurately pinpoint from where the voice is coming, whether you are far from the mic or nearer...Wow...Greatly detailed review btw...I am really interested in this dongle...but will it be redundant if I already have a much powerful one like tempotec V6, ru6, e44...Although I didn't hear an audible difference with the change in filters in V6. BTW Tempotec e44 has 32 volume steps.
Hard to say, you already have some impressive array of dongles in possession so we are talking about the rule of "diminishing returns" here. DC03Pro has similar sound tuning to E44, but with slightly less energy, and for me personally that's something that I can appreciate immensely. I ended up using DC03Pro more than I care to admit 😂
@@donglemadness Impressive stuff nonetheless...I will wait for your reviews on the future dongles...M15 and fc6 are on my radar...one or the other...At 98mW power output, what this dongle is giving is something very impressive...that too you have placed it in a 5 star bracket..wow
@@donglemadness thank you! I have a few more things to ask, hopefully you can help me with these questions: 1. What do you mean by analog sounding ? Does it lean more on the instrumentals side? 2. I usually listen to J-Pop, Rock and some Math Rock lately, which is very focused on the drum and guitar. Between RU6 and DC03 Pro, which one do you think would suit me better, and why is it? 3. Is DC03 Pro better than built-in quad DAC in LG phones?
@@hungletuan8302 Analogue sound means they are not digital in timbre characteristics, it is natural and organic. DC03Pro as I mentioned is focused on modern sound (which means they are sharper sounding). DC03Pro would suit your music type better. Yes DC03Pro is better than LG phones quad DACs (I have LG V35 and V50). Hope this helps
Hi. Compare to shanling UA2 or Ibasso dc03 pro, how is the sound? really like UA2 sound details but I dont need ballanced port yet. Ps : i only tried UA2 before.
Hello sir, thanks for the detail review! I plan on getting this one. Thing i wanna ask is the setting done in Ibasso uac also applied if we usr PC? I constantly change between PC and phone and my Shanling UA1 has no difference between high/low gain, filter setting, and etc. Thanks
I have heard feedback from iBasso that when connected to PC, DC03Pro will always run High Gain, Turbo and Filter No.1. For now only Android will keep custom settings
Hi i bought dc03pro after watching your video! and i love it. may i know which filter, gain and also the volume that you use when using dc03pro with tanchjim zero?
Awesome. I use Filter No.5 and 4 for my ZERO depending on what music I listen to. And use Medium Gain. Volume loudness is if course depends on you own ear sensitivity
Greetings. Excuse me if my question sounds silly, but for dongles, all I've been using is Abigail. If I play my music on smartphone/tablet, is it worth it to buy DC03 Pro? A little comparison between them would be very nice. Thank you in advance. 🙂🙂
As much as I love Abigail, I must admit that DC03Pro offers marked improvement overall in terms of sound quality, it is more detailed, resolving, energetic and vibrant. Not forgetting the array of very useful features especially for pairing with Android devices. That independent volume adjustment is simply among the best available now in the market. So yes, DC03Pro is worth it
Thanks to this review, I bought a DC03Pro, and I am not deceived....But there is something special for PC users. I quickly noticed that on choral tracks of classical music, some distorsion occured on the fortissimi when I was using a planar IEM (both sides), and this at normal listening levels. Note that this was not happening in the deeper sub bass moments, so it's probably not a power issue of the dongle. This was also not happening with my others IEM (DD or BA). So I suspected the IEM itself, changed the the dampening, opening it to check if a speck was not stuck inside. Enough to get crazy, there was no solution. Finally, the culprit was the dongle driver. I use Jriver and Foobar (Win 10) where a lot of playback options are available, and I was choosing the IBasso proprietary driver named "Bravo-HD-ASIO". But this thing must have a bug. The best driver about sound quality seems to be the old Kernel Streaming. I hope this could be useful if someone has the same problem.
Sir , need your insight in this , do you think in term of performance , will dc04 pro perform as well as dc 03 pro ? I'm torn between the two. I'm inclined to dc04 pro just because of the balanced option analso offer more power from what I read. Thanks in advance
I would not know until I have a DC04Pro in my hand and do extensive side by side comparisons with DC03Pro. I will not speculate until I have tested them. Hold on a bit more and let's see what the outcome would be
I did, less FR interferences when used with phones especially when the phone is active on 3G/5G switches and with better resistance against FR, CB18 sounded a bit cleaner with overall sound quality
DC03Pro is a bit more energetic, resolving and analytical, but also a bit more colored. FC4 is more transparent at being neutral. Otherwise both are really good. Feature wise, DC03Pro has upper hand
@@donglemadness Thank you for your reply, I'm currently using shuoer S12 Pro with FC4 balance 4.4, Is it worth it if I'm downgrade to DC03Pro and using the unbalance 3.5?
@@febriantoian7213 It is not a downgrade going to DC03Pro, it's a question if you need a different sort of sound presentation than FC4. Ask yourself the question, are you happy with what you getting from FC4? if yes why change? I personally like DC03Pro more than any other dongles because it simply click to my liking, the rich features that makes sense, but that's me
@@donglemadness I said that because of the price in my country and the dual output. Thanks for the reference, maybe next time I'll give it try DC03 Pro
@@donglemadness I had a chance to use Cayin RU6, because my boss sold it to me for half price, but I still prefer to hiby FC4. It's just not fit for my playlist and very segmented. for vocal focus or old songs or acoustic very best, I can very well notice the different, because I compare it A B to FC4. RU6 just sound very soft and a little bit decreased the technical performance, I can really notice in modern music and made the sound a bit warm. Maybe I just don't like the analogue sound thing.
Hi Andy, after watching your review i decided to buy the dc03 pro but i still couldn't understand how each filter affect the sound signature. Can you explain it to me?
You must remember that the filter don't act like EQ, they don't alter the sound curve. But what they do is conditioning of sound temperament and even that it is subtle. For example the fast filters works best with natively warm sounding IEMs or headphones, slow filters works best with bright and fast sounding IEMs or headphones, NOS simply means No Over Sampling = do not change anything. So if you have devices that is transparent enough to respond to filters, you will hear that the decays of the sound edge or the pace would be toned accordingly
Thanks friend!..if you think about the sound only..which will be better?ifi go link/dc 03 pro? And why?..forget about the detachable cable and other feature
Sound only? the tuning between GO Link and DC03Pro is like day and night different, GO Link very analog, airy and organic sounding, DC03Pro is modern dynamic sound, crisp and vibrant and colored. How to describe which one better since it is what you perceive as pleasant to your senses that determines the best, to some that analog sound of GO Link is priceless, to some it could be regarded as "warm", and you ask another, some would absolutely loving the dynamism of DC03Pro. I know I am not helping here and I will not say one is absolutely better than the other simply because they are tuned differently. But technical wise, DC03Pro has the upper hand, it resolves better and offer crisper imaging
What a passion Andy. I heard about your site only yesterday. What a wealth of information. I am new to all this and have been using only Apple usb-c dongle all my life with apple products. I recently tried sonata hd pro and it was warmer than apple but not crisp enough. I hear good things about Fiio ka3 and ibasso dc03 pro. I tried the Fiio btr5 and I did not like the blue tooth version. The usb version was a bit better than Tempotec Sonata hd pro. Should I go for ibasso or the Fiio ka3 ? . Do you have a solid suggestion for $100 for just music. I don’t own any planars now but will soon. Appreciate your input !
Thanks!. If you check my site for the ranking order, iBasso DC03Pro rank higher than many of the rest. KA3 is not something I like personally. So my suggestion would be something like iBasso DC03Pro, Colofly CDA-M1 or Hiby FC4
@@donglemadness Thanks Andy . I just placed an order for ibasso based on your suggestion. Also I listen to Koss Head phones a lot. Its very affordable and I am new to this. Can you please suggest me a good head phones for just music. I hear good things about planar hifiman he400se but have not placed an order yet. My budget is within $150 - $200 range. I like bass and I also like clarity at the same time. Appreciate any input.
@@itellsri Yes I would totally recommend HiFiMan HE400SE (Stealth Magnet version). After burn in that HE400SE is really quite a amazing unit for something relatively affordable
If the cb18 cuts USB socket noise aa good as the audioquest pearl it would be great news for portable application to be honest. I am quite tired of carrying long cables like audioquest carbon and supra usb 2.0 cables :D to be honest (comparison of this cables could be also a good content for a video who knows). But I doubt that the cb18 is internaly designed to cut of PC usb socket noise, it is just better quality material I think (better purity copper, better quality silver. The best way to know would be to buy a supra 2.0 usb cable (40-50 bucks) and compare its performamce directly to the cb18 using PC usb socket. If the performance is on par with the supra 2.0 then the cb18 is a legit good designed usb cable for audio.
I seriously doubt there can be any difference with usb cables. This is a DAC - digital analog converter. What is sent to dac is digital data, there can be no difference in it. Claiming that usb cable does something to sound quality is very, very odd and also impossible.
Hi bro..thanks for the review..i use dunu kima..i am treble sensitive(specially at 4k and 8k frequency) and slightly bass emphasised sound is preferable to me.but i need clarity and details too...i am using cx pro with kima.but thinking to upgrade..which one will suit more with my kima according to my preference? Dc 03 pro/ap10/ifi go link/shanling UA4.(note: i have no balanced 4.4mm cable)...or will you suggest me to wait and try to take dc04 pro later?you can give any suggestion.. Many many ❤❤❤ from Bangladesh..
Thanks. Based on what you have and your preferences, DUNU Kima is natively on the brighter side and would do well to synergize with Colorfly CDA-M1P or EPZ-TP30, both offering rich velvety smooth sound which is analytical at the same time, they also offer very good 3.5mm SE too. So does Hidizs S9 Pro Plus. DC03Pro and UA4 on the other hand would appear more energetic with dynamic transients and for sensitive people at higher frequencies, this can result in something a bit spicy if paired with something natively bright like Kima
@donglemadnes Andy..i had decided to take hidizs s9 pro plus according to your suggestion...but recently,one of my friends has ordered dc 04 pro..i have also seen your review of this particular product.after seeing that i am thinking to take this..actually it's not that i need boosted bass..i just need the original smooth sound what kima has and don't wanna miss details..actually i was disturbed with the shouty peak of cx pro with the kima.so now,will it be logical to take the 04 pro for the non fatiguing and non shouty sound production if i don't need any coloration... And obviously i fear the word "energetic" in the audio sector.please don't feel bored of my lack of knowledge.. ❤️
Yes, I have tons of planar IEMs since TIN Hifi P1 days. The very best of them to me is DUNU Talos. And the worst being Moondrop Stellaris. My personal pick would be Talos and P1+, since many others are a bit too bassy with Harman sort of tuning. But really nowadays I prefer the likes of Tanchjim ZERO, SeeAudio Bravery AE, Simgot EM2R and Kinera Idun Golden over any planars
Hi, Andy. I know this isn't going to be a cheap buy since this one costs much when converted into our currency, I am a bass lover and the only DAC experience i have is CX-Pro. Just wanna ask if this is good for bassheads such as using Beats Studio 3, KZ ZS3, and Sony MDR XB55ap? I also use Poco F3 as my main device. Would love to hear your feedback on this. And would like to consider this as my endgame DAC. By the way, I mainly use Poweramp, though I have a Neutron Player but I can't stand the UI and haven't explored it yet since I find the customization for Poweramp more user friendly and more understandable and probably offers more features than the Neutron. Thank you!!
Hi Adrian. Need to clarify first thing. No dongle DAC can turn into a Basshead machine no matter how colored they are tuned, if you need more bass it always start with the IEMs or Headphones itself. Or you EQ as much as you can to get the desired Bass level. Having said that, yes absolutely DC03PRo is a clear step up from CX-Pro. DC03Pro will even offer vibrant and dynamic sound which you can EQ further they way you like it. I personally never use EQ and I am not a fan of thick Bass, but I understand your needs. Cheers
Hey again, Andy. How u doing? Mate, can you tell me about Fiio KA3, it it more clinical than DC03 Pro? In that organic scale from 1 (digital) to 10 (organic), how those two would match? Is KA3 so much digital like 9038 E1DA or is it more or less like DC03 Pro?
I am doing great. Thanks. Between KA3 and DC03Pro, to me DC03Pro is a better unit overall. However, DC03Pro sound is something I consider more of a modern sound with hint of coloration throughout the entire frequency range and KA3 a bit more neutral. Technically DC03Pro is superior. E1DA 9038 with Fast Filter sounds a lot more digital than both KA3 and DC03pro
@@donglemadness Oh, I see! Then I'll pass the KA3. I want something different from what I have. I want to try something clinical. So maybe 9038 E1DA or there is something else? (Digital sound)
Hi Andy! listen to your review and want to try this dongle. But, I mainly use iOS device which not have the ibasso app. So, Can I ask your opinion that if we use this dongle without iBasso application how much we lose in sound performance or dongle performance?
Even without the app it is already a great sounding dongle in stock configuration, but you lose the ability to tune it up further for filters selection and also gain modes
Hello uncle last week i wanna decide to buy dongle dac for my moondrop aria snow and i still can't pick wich one is better ibasso dc03 or epz tp20 if you have another recommend please let me know ❤
Both are great dongles, the difference, TP20 Pro does not have independent volume adjustment and offer less features, DC03Pro has a lot more features. TP20 Pro also has 4.4mm BAL which is good if you already have 4.4mm BAL IEMs
Hello I'm back again.. i just ordered dc03 pro because of your recommendation, what's the best iem I can pair it with? I like rock/pop with a bit of lofi, I have 7hz Zero,Kbear Ks2 and Blon 03 for now but I want a new iem that I can pair with the dc03 my budget is 80$.. I like Blon 03 signature the most of the three.. thx
@@donglemadness I've decided to go for pandamon celest after I watched your review on it.. it seems It's not available in my country yet so I'll wait.. thx(thanks)
@@donglemadness hello I just got dc03 pro and I'm genuinely confused.. I downloaded ibasso uac app and it requested permission for the doc but now it won't play any music I'm really confused..
Different tuning between those two, not a question of which one better. DC03Pro is vibrant and colored, energetic and highly technical while DAWN Pro is flatter neutral, transparent and wide open sounding. What you prefer more will determine which one you like the most
It will work plug and play as a DAC without any need for drivers on Windows 10 and 11. You have full functionality but to change the settings you still need to do it in iBasso UAC App
DC03Pro is more powerful despite similarly rated at 2Vrms to KA3. And I also feel that DC03Pro offers more resolution and energy, just simply better than KA3
@@donglemadness ah ok fair enough, thanks. Its strange how specs sometimes dont mean much. The DC03 has 98mW and the KA3 has 130mW. But im guessing thats split into 2 channels?
@@erkyperky1387 They are always 2 channel, L/R and then the shared ground. On BAL design, you will also have L/R grounds as well. And yes, specs sometimes don't tell the whole story. How they are implemented and perform in the rel world is what matters
Sir, can you tell me which phone brand and model you are using? In your opinion, which android phone should I choose to be able to use it well with the dac/amp dongle ( if I want to use iBasso DC03Pro).😊
My primary phone is actually a Sony Xperia 1 iV. I use it most of the time because of the true 3.2 USB which runs 900mA. The other phone I use in the video for demonstrations is a Xiaomi Mi 9T, however this phone only run USB 2.0 with lower power. It still works fine but for dongle usage, USB 3.0 and above is always better especially for powerful dongles. You can also consider Samsung Galaxy S20 and above to get true 3.0 USB power. In fact most Android phones released after 2021 are really good with USB
I Dont know if you game, but, could you provide any information In that sense ( for FPS like Apex, Escape from Tarkov, Valorant)? Especially in soundstage, wideness or even precision, for example, can you know exactly where a sound source comes from? I also watched your video of the Truthear Shio, you said it was more neutral, I would like something that doesn't influence so much what I'm hearing, that just amplifies these things, you know? maybe the Shio would be better then? This kind of content almost does not exist for dongles, it would be nice to know how dongles do in this environment. Anyway, I intend to use them for playing together with my Truthear Zero. Which would be a good match? Also, thanks a lot for your great content!
I actually use DC03Pro for gaming as well. My games are Fallout 76, ESO, Dead Space and even PUBG. Yes it has amazing spatial staging which provide great ambient sound as well as directional precision to sound source (footprints and gunshots). However the DAC alone is not complete without a suitable IEM or Headphone to match the desired results, in this case I use Tanchjim ZERO, BQEYZ Winter and HiFiMan HE400SE which seems to provide the best results for gaming with DC03Pro. Yes I would choose DC03Pro over SHIO any day for gaming as well
@@donglemadness Thank you very much for that! Thanks for your experience in games too! I intend to use it with Truthear Zero, (I also have an AK631) they are already very good by themselves! But I'd like to expand them a bit, see how far I can take their qualities. I'm between the Shio and the DC03Pro, but your opinion weighs a lot hahaha So I think I'll end up getting a DC03Pro.
What dongle would you recommend for Sennheiser HD560S? Considering the Tempotec Sonata HD Pro but not sure since I'm new to all of this. My budget is about $50 usd
At the very minimum, get 7Hz 71. But push it a bit more and get this DC03Pro and you don't have to worry about upgrading for a very very long time. That's what I would do
Hey andy, how are you. I am looking for a portable DAC for tin t3 +. I want something that doesnt alter the natural sound signature of t3+, i just want wider soundstage, more detail retrieval and a little bit of treble air. Budget is under 70USD
Another thing i would like to ask that, should i switch to a balanced 4.4 or 2.5 mm cable, and switch to a dac that has a balanced port? If that makes significant difference?
BAL is not an absolute must for quality. You would notice that at least 3 out of 6 #donglemadness 5 Stars performers are on 3.5mm SE only. So, just decide on which dongle you want first and then decide if you need BAL cable to match it
I'm new to your reviews. I read your review on jcally jm04 pro and got one. I didn't like it. It colored my music. Then I gave it another try and got DC03 pro on your recommendation. It is really transparent and doesn't color the sound and has resolution. Your assessment was spot on. The build was excellent too.
Dear David, are you running ibasso dc03 pro on samsung smartphone? Please specify model. I also want to buy. I'm using samsung a71
Because of this video, I bought DC03pro. Thanks for the review Andy.. gonna rock with my FD11.
Rock on! 😎🤘🏼
I already bought DC03 Pro
it's worth it..
Thank,
Andy ❤️
ANDY! IM GLAD YOU ARE BACK REVIEWING THOSE DONGLES!
Im here just to say thank you, because of your review, i bought the Questyle M12, and very happy to use it
My pleasure! Lol. M12 is an excellent choice for sure 😊
@@donglemadness Thank you once more Andy!
Btw, Andy, i have a question. Does the HiBy FC5 detect in-line mic input? And do you consider the FC5 as an upgrade from M12 or merely a sidegrade in terms of its performance?
Friend of mine asking me to trade my M12 with his FC5 hehehe
@@FardzanRukmana M12 to me is what I prefer over FC5. I have no idea about MIC functions unfortunately
@@donglemadness thanks heaps Andy... Hopefully you are not bored with our questions related to DAC Dongle
Amazing job you are doing Sir. You should have at least 10 times more subscribers now! Thank you for your priceless videos 👌👍🙃
Thank you. I am honoured by your words
Thanks a lot for making this video and sharing your thoughts with us. I was on the fence for this dongle. After watching your review and learning so many good things about this dongle, I simply went ahead and ordered it. I can't wait for it to arrive so I can have some fun with it :D
My pleasure :D
The most awaited finally appeared, and the results were very surprising five stars.And it the cheapest 5 star.
Glad finally donglemadness can continue.
What a coincidence!
A while ago, before you review came out, I was going through your site, pulling my hair out trying to decide which dongle to buy.
Was gonna settle on a DC03 and this model popped up, not much reviews and info at that time but the independent volume control looks handy. Ended up jumping the gun on this dongle, so far so good!
Welcome back Andi, so glad to see you on this apps again!
I have a question, and it's not about the sound quality, because you already explained it very details and i truly 100% trust your review.
My question is.. What about the weight 😅? Is it safe & lightweight enough to use it while doing activity? (holding the phone or even put the phone to our pocket and walking) ? Or should i just use it only when sitting, put my phone at the table while starring at the awesomeness of the DAC build quality 😅
Big thanks to the so called wireless technologic era, my new phone doesn't have jack 3.5 port now and i'm worried it might break my usb type C port (the only way to charge my phone) if i use it while doing activity.
Thanks!. iBasso DC03Pro is small and compact enough that it does not weigh much at all, which means that I was able to use it portably dangling from my pocket. I do this with even heavier dongles like RU6 and DACport HD, DC03Pro is featherweight in comparison, lol
I've tested one, it's super lightweight and small which can fit everywhere in your pocket
@@vladuk Send an email to iBasso and ask them if there could be issues, my DC03Pro changes from red to green when playing PCM resolution
@@vladuk Green has always been the color for PCM format. I do not use dongles for the led indicators, if you like your led indicators running perfectly, then get iFi Go Bar
Mr. Andy , hello from Greece , i already purchased iBasso DC03 PRO , thanks to your recommendation and i really love the sound with my headset Audiotechnica M50x , my
That's awesome Steven. For speakers? Haha I have never tried that with any dongles except VE Megatron on passive speakers. But active speakers which has amp would work just fine and the DC03Pro will serve as a good DAC Line Out
@@donglemadness Thank you so much once again Mr. Andy , for your help, i really appreciate it ! Have a great black metal morning !! 🤘🎸
@@Stylianos. 🤘
Is it working good with Audio technica m50x
@@yogeshwaran4993 It is but now I have a HiBy FC6 and it's even better
Thank you Andy for the super detailed and informative presentation on the DC03PRO ❤
Hense due to your explanations and information
I have ordered the DCO3 PRO
And it is arriving today 😄
Thank so much Andy ☺️
My pleasure!
Hello brother andy,is usb dongle comparable to LG quad dac (seem like you have lg v50 yourself) if so,how low can the price go,any suggestion?thanks in advance🙏🏻
I have owned LG V35 and LG V50, both are Quad DAC of course. While I can say they do sound great, but ultimately they are just a bit brighter and digital sounding to my ears. So if you ask me, in fact many 4 Stars rated dongles are preferable over ant LG quad DAC. Let alone 4.5 and 5 stars rated dongles which offer great balance of sonic performances, technicalities and natural music element. iBasso DC03Pro is the cheapest 5 Star rated dongle now, outright better in every way compared to any LG quad DAC
Enjoying the channel, used to look through the reviews on the blog. I went for the dc03pro over the shio as I could get it locally.
Hello andy nice review, do you plan to do also aful audio performer 5 and kiwi ears cadenza? (Current iem hypes in the diffrent price tags)
Thanks, I already reviewed the AFUL Performer 5 in Head-Fi, no video though. I will progressively move to YT reviews going forward. Yes I hope to do Cadenza too
Thanks for this detailed review Andy. Mine is otw right now!
Glad it was helpful! 🙏
hi Andy, nice to meet you, nice review. I received mine now a week ago and, finally, my old shure E2c sounds correct and dynamic, from your experience with the new se 535 would I have further improvements? keep in mind that I prefer tonal neutrality, it shouldn't be colored......thanks
Thanks Paolo. I personally haven't tried the SE535, but assuming that SE535 has similar sound to E500s which I am familiar, you would find that DC03Pro will bring vibrant energy to it but remain relatively transparent
Great review as always. Wish you had showed scores like you did with dc04 pro. Unless I missed it, is the sound the same between the 2 with the only differences being that dc04 pro has more power and a 4.4 balanced output?
If you check my review for DC04Pro, then I explained in details the differences between DC03Pro and DC04Pro. And you can find the scoring there too for DC03Pro
Hey Andy, great and informative review ! Did you missed the R2R RU6 for typical organic sound ? Is upgrade from previous dc03 to this new pro version obviously audible and it which aspects in yr usual setup? TIA 🙏
Thanks. I use RU6 regularly alongside DACport HD and now DC03Pro. Of course my preference has always been analogue and organic output. DC03Pro on the other hand gives me a bit of dynamic flavoring to the sound indulgence. The old DC03 is already a great sounding dongle, but to my ears it also exhibited tad too much energy for my liking, DC03Pro fixed that with more sensible moderation of energy and euphony level, so yes to me DC03Pro is a marked improvement over DC03, DC04 and DC05
@donglemadness Thanks for the help here dude, this is such a minefield for a DAC novice like me. Quick question do you think the iBasso DC03Pro would be a good choice to go with a pair of Oppo PM'S, specs for those > Frequency Response: 10 - 50kHz
Driver Type: Planar Magnetic
Impedance: 26 Ohm.
Sensitivity: 102dB/mW cheers
You're welcome. I never tried Oppo PM's. But based on the specs you mentioned, yes DC03Pro has the juice to run it properly and with good dynamics, especially if you run it on USB Exclusive mode in High Gain (just like many other planars)
@@donglemadness Hey man thanks ever so much for the rapid response and advice. I am way out of my dept with the tech speak on DAC's but I am a serious music fan and appreciate good kit particularly when i get the best bang for my buck. You have now made up my mind, so i'm gonna pull the trigger on one of these tomorrow. Thanks again dude and greetings from London.
@@gee3883 no worries
This has to be the best dongle channel on RUclips!
Hi Andy! Thanks for the review and all the work. Ive been trying to decide between the iBasso DC03Pro and the Truthear SHIO. They're both priced the same and both have great reviews. Please helps me decide which one to go for between these two. Thanks!
No worries. Between SHIO and DC03Pro, I will always prefer DC03Pro, which I think is a better dongle overall
@@donglemadness Wow, thank you so much for your fast reply! Placed an order for the DC03pro as soon as I read your reply. Bless you!
@@donglemadness Even now that Shio has independant volume control with FW update? Sound wise what makes you prefer it over Shio? Is there some music genres where you prefer Shio presentation more than DC03 pro? My thought was a more neutral, relaxed presentation would be better suited for some classical, acoustic, jazz genres and a more vibrant and energetic one more for electronic, hip hop, metal etc. but maybe that's not as revelant as personal preferences alone.
@@BornIntoThis20 I always prefer DC03Pro over most others because the way it handle dynamic transients and energy. It is punchy and vibrant (means also a bit more colored) yet never offensive with euphonic sense of aggression (like the old DC03). But if I want something neutral and transparent, then there's iBasso DC04Pro which to me is one of the best Delta Sigma DAC now in dongle form factor and DC04pro has good sense of analog sound while at it. So I will choose DC04Pro over SHIO every time
@@donglemadness Thanks for your answer, and for your reviews btw!
I think I would prefer neutral, transparent, relaxed for some classical, jazz and acoustic stuffs (so DC04 pro / Space / Shio here I guess?) and get more vibrancy, energy and punch for electronic, rock and other modern genres (DC03 pro?) Might have to end trying them both to judge anyway, because of you hehe. It's really different to the point it makes sense to have both with the same dac chip? I'm really curious about DC03 pro being energic and all yet not fatiguing.
Is there some music genres where you clearly prefer a more neutral presentation rather than vibrant/energic yourself or it's more according to the mood? I just know you seems to like metal!
Nice, many new dongles released this time, I hope you can review them all, such as the new audioengine dac3, quloos hifi mc01/mc01se , E1DA 9038D6K, Tanchjim Space, Ikko ITM02 !!!
Lol, that's my hope too
Incredible in depth review and well presented. I just bought one of these and while the sound is amazing the USB C connector on mines has a lot of play/wiggle/movement on it. I have tried with other cables and get the same issue. Does yours do this? Appreciate your advice. Thanks
Thanks!. Unfortunately, I must agree with you that iBasso dongles (both DC03pro and DC04Pro) have tendency to develop that wriggle over time. It was not apparent at first but now I am seeing it. Changing to different cables does not solve the issue. This has been highlighted to iBasso and I do hope the newer ones will address it properly
@@donglemadness thanks for your quick and honest answer. Mine is only a day old so wasn't sure if it was fairly or not. It still works and the sound is top notch. I love it
nice review man....hiby app over UAPP, any specific reasons?
HiBy more stable and simpler 😜
Yow sir Andy!! Thanks for the great review.. planning to order this now. 💯🔥
Hey Andy, here we are again. How are you doig? Andy, is it worth to buy the Ibasso CB18 cable, sound wise? (Compared to the CDA M1P cable)
Hey thanks. I am good. CB18 is 9f course a more refined cable than the stock M1P cable
@@donglemadness Thank you! Gonna buy it right now!
Great review! I would like to hear your opinion for DC03 pro vs DC05 because I can't decide between which one to pick.
Thanks! DC05 is even more colored and slightly more energetic compared to DC03Pro, but it has MQA and DC03Pro doesn't. DC05 doesn't have dedicated independent volume adjustment so it is something that I dislike personally. The overall of sound presentation, I would say DC03Pro is a better unit
33:48, 10:55 nice to know filters make a difference. so slow filter for bright/neutral iems, and fast roll-off or nos for warm.
NOS is actually for no over sampling so it will work transparently
Hi Andy! Great review. I'm planning to get this Beyerdynamic dt 770 pro 250ohm, will it be able to drive it as loud as a regular 32ohm dt 770 pro?
Yes it will, just make sure you run on High Gain mode with Slow Filters enabled
A great and thoughtful review. Thanks. What if i just use the dongle without downloading the app. Is it okay?? Thanks again.
My pleasure. And of course you can use DC03Pro directly without the App
Hi, thanks for the great review 😊 if similary priced, how does it compare to dragonfly black ?
Regardless of price, without a doubt DC03Pro is superior to Dragonfly Black in every aspect, sound, performance and everything, DC03Pro is on another level
Hello Sir, very good Review and thank You for sharing your knowledge.
Thank You for taking in consideration the battery topic, not a lot reviewers talk about that.
When you reviewed Avani and Abigail did you done that tests? It would be interesting how do the Ibasso perform vs that mini dongles.
Greetings
My pleasure. Both Abigail and Avani average over 24 hours of runtime for the same tests. Ultra compact dongles are always more efficient
@@donglemadness Thank you!
Another question, did you try it with your Hifiman he400se? Can the Ibasso get the full of them?
@@sebolla9791 Yes of course, with Hi Gain HE400SE sounds full and rich at 75/100 volume. Just lacking a bit of headroom compared to my desktop Class A amp
Is it tottaly wrong to use ibasso dc 03 pro for running sony xp-500 or xb43 ? Is it wrong to use so? Because i do it all the times 😂( i have 3 phone with a great dac: axon 7, axon 10 pro and rog 6) they all have a slightly different sound and now the sound changes even more (and louder) thanks to ibasso dc03 pro my game improved even more due to ibasso's 5 different music profile :D i also just bought a fiio ka11 and its on the way... In the close future i am also thinking to buy a tanchjim space so to try a more organic sound . Thanks for your educational videos you really rock!
No worries. Enjoy your music!
Hey man I'm new to your channel and I've been loving your videos. May I ask your opinion on the dc03 pro vs. moondrop dawn? Because I can't decide for myself which one to pick as my new year's present.
Thanks.I can't say anything about Moondrop Dawn as of yet until I am able to test it extensively soon (probably in Jan 2023), so I can't compare now. At least to my knowledge spec wise, Dawn is simpler and with lesser features
Great review :D thanks, I am between this and the Moondrop Dawn, which one do you recommend me to get?
DC03Pro of course 😁
Hi Andi, very nice review. one question in my mind, against moondrop dawn pro, which one would you choose?
Before I can choose, I need to understand what do they offer that makes them different. And the difference is, DC03Pro offers highly dynamic, vibrant and colored sound done expertly, DAWN Pro on the other hand, focuses on transparency and neutrality. I will make my decisions on those factors, which one appeals best to my taste and preferences? do I like enhanced sound or do I like uncolored neutrality? both are excellent as they are
Does this DAC Mr. Andy connect to laptop or PC ? Also is there a software to install in order to use it in a laptop or pc ? Thank you keep up the amazing work !!
Yes, runs perfectly with even stock Windows USB drivers. Plug and play. Cheers
@@donglemadness Thank you so much have an awesome day!!!
@@Stylianos. You too!😁
Hi Andy, a good and detail review. Can i used the iBasso DC03pro for my wireless headphone Sony WH1000XM5?
Thanks. DC03Pro can't work with wireless BT headphones unfortunately
@@donglemadness can u suggest any DAC which I could take advantage of the 3.5mm headphone jack included with the Sony headphone? TQ
Hi Andy did u review the Fiio BTR7 DAC?
Hi Andy, happy to see you back with reviews. I bought Tin T3 plus based on ur suggestion. How does this DAC iBasso BC03pro perform with Tin T3 plus?
Thank you 🙏. Of course T3+ performs even better with DC03Pro, a great dongle like this is so versatile that it will synergize with practically anything, regardless of the tuning style
Perfect. It is my current everyday setup listening and I'm loving it. My music now has more details, compared when I'm using my old dc03 dac. This one is a legit 5 star. And t3plus sounded better on it
@@dagohoyting2417 Awesome
hi, thx for the review 😎 would you suggest the DC03 Pro for listening primarily to electronic music and metal on an eq-d Aiaiai TMA-2 Studio? i used it primarily with the E1DA 9038SG3 (until it has been stolen), and loved the combo. or should i buy the M15? is it worth the extra cash outlay? thx
Yes definitely, DC03Pro would suit your needs and more. Can't go wrong with either DC03Pro or M15 as both are 5 Stars performers in my book
Nice to see you here...sad when you closed the website...thanks again for Ovidius B1. Would like to share my recent find...I found Neutron paid player app with two unique features..64 bit processing and pcm to dsd...this blew me away for mp3 files played as dsd on my Tempotec hd pro dongle and pairing with bl03 is amazing...not reaching out to my S12 lately. I slaped sonata bhd firmware on my HD pro and they rock with Neutron player...cheers.
Thank You, my primary site DongleMadness has actually been rebooted to stage both RUclips and Facebook contents, check them out. Cheers
@@donglemadness oh great will check..thanks Andy
hello! iBasso DC03 Pro vs JCally AP10! who wins? thanks! your classification work is a gold mine!
Easy, DC03Pro
@@donglemadness yeah i just saw the comparisons at the end of the video, it seems it wins on every aspect! thanks!
Hello Andy, it's me again 😅. I decided to go for the ibasso. I'd like to ask something, I apologize for ignorance. When I connect the DAC to the pc, it takes control over reproduction automatically or I need any extra step?
Whenever you connect an external DAC to a PC or Android or iPhones, the entire audio processing will be handled by the external DAC and most of the time the native USB drivers will work straight away, no need to do anything especially on Windows. That's for basic usage. But if you want to push for DSD and beyond, then you will need to install specific iBasso drivers then complemented with ASIO and compatible players. But if you are just playing PCM formats (like the majority of us do), PNP and you good to go
Excellent, it's good to know that! Now I'll be just waiting for the dac to arrive and thank you for the recommendation too !
I swear this thing is more musical, airy engaging than my Mojo 2.
I think the Mojo 2 is the better DAC unit when compared to Schiit Bifrost 2/64.
This thing also drives my Audeze LCD2 just fine.
My only worry is the wobbly USB port, it should have been locked in place on the chassis.
I can relate to that. Higher end DAC tend to sound analytical and precise, but they do sacrifice the element of immersion and engagement when it comes to music, so it boils down to what you enjoy more
Great review. ibasso dc03 pro or moondrop dawn pro? Which one has good sound quality?
Depends on your taste. DAWN Pro is more neutral, DC03Pro as mentioned in this review is a bit more energetic and colored. Technically DC03Pro is a bit more resolving and dynamic too
Firstly, I want to send greetings directly from Brazil. Keep track of your videos using subtitles. Your videos are incredible!
Friend, I currently have a Hiby fc3 and a Sharkoon dac pro S. Do you think it would be an upgrade for me to buy the iBASSO DC03 PRO? Would it be a better upgrade than the 2 I already have?
Thank you again.
Thanks!. FC3 offers the typical ESS Sabre sound which I find very bright and edgy, and will work best with warm sounding partners. If you ask me, DC03Pro is a much preferred sound over FC3 for my usage and more resolving too, just the right amount of balance between energy and smoothness. If that sounds like an upgrade to you, then yes moving from FC3 is a great idea
Huge fan of your work! Just purchased the DC03Pro for my S12 planar IEM, what should I use for the gain settings? What are they used for?
Gain settings are for regulating the power for the output, Hi is Max power of course
@@donglemadness Thanks, so it does not change audio quality, only quantity?
@@Kosmoloog Gain levels are for regulating power as I mentioned earlier, for something more demanding you need Hi gain, for highly efficient IEMs, Mid to Low gain would be better. Feel free to experiment how the three gain levels will work for you as it can differ from one combo to another
@@donglemadness Thank you for educating me, much appreciated!
Excellent review mate. Please consider reviewing Shanling UA3, since it is only modern akm dongle.
Thanks. I already have UA3 lined up for December review. Just follow my site and YT. Cheers
@@donglemadness I missed the website. I thought it is closed. Its good to have it in a new avatar. I hope you can add iFi Go bar to your incoming list. It is fairly powerful enough to compete with Dacport.
@@abhik6503 iFi Go Bar is coming in 2023 😁
Greetings Andy,i just recently found your site and yt ,it's a very good information,rn i'm deciding if i should get xduoo link 2 bal,Tanchjim space or DC03 pro for my headphone, i hear pretty much everything but primary i mostly hear phonk,rock,pop,lo-fi, which dongle fits the best for me ? Thank you very much and have a great day Andy.
Thank You!🙏 Get DC03Pro 😁
@@donglemadness a bit of a noob question but i want to ask,is 4.4mm balanced better than 3.5mm unbalanced output or it depends ? I'm not sure which is better than which,i do know that 4.4mm can gain more power output 🤔 This is my first time getting a dongle / dac-amp actually and i would like to use it long term,kinda tempting with link 2 bal because it has 2 output ,mind enlightened me ? Thank you Andy 😅
@@nghiapham5427 NO, 4.4mm does not mean they are better, the implementation of sound is more relevant and regardless if they are 3.5mm, 2.5mm or 4.4mm, they can sound equally bad if not implemented properly. I have heard many 4.4mm dongles which even has super amount of power yet they are underwhelming with sound qualities. Just have a look at my other 5 Stars dongles, CEntrance DACport HD sits strong at No.1 until today and it is pure 3.5mm, so does Ovidius B1 (just 3.5mm). So don't get disillusioned that 4.4mm will always mean they are better. Cheers
@@donglemadness ah ok i see now,thank you for telling me ,i understand ,i'll get dc03 pro then ,have a great day Andy 🥰
@@nghiapham5427 My pleasure 🙏
I love your reviews andy. Wanted to ask if i should by xduoo link2bal or this dc03 pro...i like analogue sound and timbre kinda which makes you feel the strokes of fingers on guitar strings...i dont have the budget for ru6 ..can you suggest which one is better choice?
For your preferences, then I would recommend Tanchjim Space instead, as noted in my other review video, Space is natural and neutral, organic too and closer to being analogue sounding. It's also on par to Link2 BAL. Thanks!
@@donglemadness thanks for the quick reply. I'll look into the space😃
@@donglemadness One more thing andy.... I jave the LG g8x. How much improvement in sound quality I'm looking at by buying dc03 pro in general terms? This will be my first dongle dac...
@UCvAFCTf1eHampFPvWf3xdgQ LG Quad DAC is already a very capable audio processor, there's improvement but it also depends on what you connect them to. To me, LG Quad DAC is great but lacking organic/organic timbre (especially after LG V20). DC03Pro is an improvement for richer dynamics and technicalities over LG DACs
@@donglemadness Spot on reply andy. I'll buy the dc03 pro right away. Thanks man. Really appreciate your dedication. Thanks for the donglemadness.
Hi Andy ! Would you choose dc03 pro over shanling ua3 in terms of organic sound, soundstage, technicalities? Also which one will drive hifiman sundara better
If only limited between DC03Pro and UA3, it is a clear choice for me to pick DC03Pro. UA3 will sound a bit more hard edged and sharp-ish with HiFiMan planars, DC03Pro will be crisp /smooth edged. Technically I feel that DC03Pro is also superior. But you must remember that both UA3 and DC03Pro will have less spacious headroom when driving full sized planars, I would suggest DC04Pro 4.4 BAL instead if you can stretch your budget
Hi Andy, glad to see you back to review again. Can u give me advance. I hv Dunu Titan S. Which Dac will suit perpectly with my iem? This DC03 Pro or Xduoo Link2 Balance. Or maybe u have another suggestion on $100. My current Dac is Sonata HD Pro and I really like the synergies between them. thanks
Thanks. If you like Sonata HD Pro then absolutely I will recommend either iBasso DC03Pro or Tempotec Sonata E44. Titan S could use some vibrant energy or else it can be a bit flatter sounding
@@donglemadness How about Xduoo Link2 Balance? Since in my audio group many member recommeded it to pair with Titan S and also hv balance output
@@adinugrahapratama1790 Link2 BAL has flatter neutral sound and different from Sonata HD Pro that you like. So if your intention is for something flatter neutral and more organic with edge resolution, Link 2 BAL is suitable. Can't go wrong with any one of them really
@@donglemadness great to know that, and yes. i was really like synergies between my SHD Pro and Titan S. how about Shanling UA3, can u give an early spoiler for me? since the price is under $100 too.
@@adinugrahapratama1790 I haven't received UA3 yet
My DC03 PRO is arrived today. I think it's better than Sonata HD Pro at every point. The sound is very natural. The details are very amazing. It's more analytical than Sonata HD Pro but still musical.
Now I know why this dongle get five stars.
Awesome ❤️
Isn't the original dc03 and this dc03 sounded exactly similar? It's the same implementation of dual cs43131 anyway? Or do you think there is a very vast improvement in sound quality?
@@dagohoyting2417 i never try original DC03, but i think DC03 Pro is better than original DC03 at every section
Otherwise, i ever try Sonata E44 which use Dual CS43131, it's too warm sounding and not as simple as DC03 Pro
@@dagohoyting2417 They may use the same DAC chips, but the tuning and implementation is much improved, DC03 audibly less refined with fluid smoothness and appears more aggressive with dynamic transients presentation
Hi Andy, Great Review👏I will buy Dc03 pro soon, can you suggest me Some great IEM UNDER 100$DOLLAR...
Under $100, if you can get Simgot EA500 then that would be perfect. Or Simgot EM6L. Otherwise, FiiO FD11 gets my vote too
Hi Andy love your channel and I'm interested in this , want to try another flavour to my usual sabre DACs , question is if using windows 11 can I use the app with all the brilliant functions you mentioned on my desktop PC? Thanking you in advance
Thanks. Unfortunately the filters and tweaks are only accessible via Android app only for now, at least that's what I understand from iBasso. I personally hope that they can do some sort of controls within Windows too
@@donglemadness thank you Andy , I might just buy it anyway as I've wanted to hear the cirus the sound signature
Can I adjust the gain on the dongle itself?
@@PL-ri3bz The gain can only be adjusted using the iBasso UAC App. All you need is just an Android host
@@donglemadness Do you know what would be the default gain setting when used on windows?
I saw some stuffs about the possibility of using an android emulator (Bluestacks) on Windows to get access to the iBasso app and functions but don't know if that would work properly.
@@BornIntoThis20 I believe it always default to Mid Gain if you never configure it on iBasso UAC
Dear Andy, iBasso DC03Pro + Truthear Hexa.
Your verdict?
Application: Music listening.
They will pair perfectly, Hexa could use the energy and resolution DC03Pro offers, you will love what you hear
Oops .. my apology .. listened to very last 5 mins of concluding sharing and very clear now. Cheers.
Complete and very clear review and information. Love your channel. Auto sub.
Great review! Would you say that this is probably the best under $100 currently? Also, are you planning to review Ifi Go Link?
Thank you. For under $100, absolutely. DC03Pro is hard to beat, and if you see the overall ranking on my primary site, there a lot more dongles with higher price tags sitting lower. Yes I hope to do iFi Go Link
@@donglemadness Thanks! Is it also good for using with a PC? For watching movies with headphones or occasional gaming?
Looking forward to iFi GO Link review.
@@vishwsant Yes of course, great with PC too
Damn...The positional accuracy when I'm watching this video with Aful performer 5 is mind-blowing...Most part of the video is on the right but can accurately pinpoint from where the voice is coming, whether you are far from the mic or nearer...Wow...Greatly detailed review btw...I am really interested in this dongle...but will it be redundant if I already have a much powerful one like tempotec V6, ru6, e44...Although I didn't hear an audible difference with the change in filters in V6. BTW Tempotec e44 has 32 volume steps.
Hard to say, you already have some impressive array of dongles in possession so we are talking about the rule of "diminishing returns" here. DC03Pro has similar sound tuning to E44, but with slightly less energy, and for me personally that's something that I can appreciate immensely. I ended up using DC03Pro more than I care to admit 😂
@@donglemadness Impressive stuff nonetheless...I will wait for your reviews on the future dongles...M15 and fc6 are on my radar...one or the other...At 98mW power output, what this dongle is giving is something very impressive...that too you have placed it in a 5 star bracket..wow
Hola Andy. Saludos desde chile. Tengo los kz zs10 pro X. Crees que este ibasso sea un buen complemento?
Yes it will work well with ZS10 Pro X
Mine is coming! Was improvement via adding cb18 measurable?
Measurable? No I didn't have any sort of sound measurement tools
Thanks for your review ♥ I use moondrop blessing 2, do you think this dac would fit well with it, thank you.
You're welcome. Yes for B2, DC03Pro would synergize well. It is very versatile
@@donglemadness thank you! I have a few more things to ask, hopefully you can help me with these questions:
1. What do you mean by analog sounding ? Does it lean more on the instrumentals side?
2. I usually listen to J-Pop, Rock and some Math Rock lately, which is very focused on the drum and guitar. Between RU6 and DC03 Pro, which one do you think would suit me better, and why is it?
3. Is DC03 Pro better than built-in quad DAC in LG phones?
@@hungletuan8302 Analogue sound means they are not digital in timbre characteristics, it is natural and organic. DC03Pro as I mentioned is focused on modern sound (which means they are sharper sounding). DC03Pro would suit your music type better. Yes DC03Pro is better than LG phones quad DACs (I have LG V35 and V50). Hope this helps
@@donglemadness many many thanks!!
Hi. Compare to shanling UA2 or Ibasso dc03 pro, how is the sound? really like UA2 sound details but I dont need ballanced port yet. Ps : i only tried UA2 before.
UA2 can be considered as warm sounding. DC03pro offers a bit more of energy and resolution. I would say DC03Pro is an upgrade over UA2
Hello sir, thanks for the detail review! I plan on getting this one. Thing i wanna ask is the setting done in Ibasso uac also applied if we usr PC? I constantly change between PC and phone and my Shanling UA1 has no difference between high/low gain, filter setting, and etc. Thanks
I have heard feedback from iBasso that when connected to PC, DC03Pro will always run High Gain, Turbo and Filter No.1. For now only Android will keep custom settings
@@donglemadness thank you so much for the info, sir!
@@donglemadnessI wonder if the can use the app on Windows with an emulator and change them.
Holy smokes, 5 stars?? Man, i was underwhelmed by its number at the beginning, but who know it would be that good
Spec sheets don't tell the whole story. Actual usage does. That's the spirit of #donglemadness
Hi i bought dc03pro after watching your video! and i love it. may i know which filter, gain and also the volume that you use when using dc03pro with tanchjim zero?
Awesome. I use Filter No.5 and 4 for my ZERO depending on what music I listen to. And use Medium Gain. Volume loudness is if course depends on you own ear sensitivity
@@donglemadness thank you so much!
Is hiby music app better than poweramp? Nice video! Thinking of buying this for my hiby m300. Does this work on spotify?
Yes, and yes it also work for Spotify
@@donglemadness thx for the reply! Subscribed
@donglemadness question, is there a way to protect the dongle from hanging from dap players? I'm nervous that the dongle will break the charger
Greetings. Excuse me if my question sounds silly, but for dongles, all I've been using is Abigail. If I play my music on smartphone/tablet, is it worth it to buy DC03 Pro? A little comparison between them would be very nice. Thank you in advance. 🙂🙂
As much as I love Abigail, I must admit that DC03Pro offers marked improvement overall in terms of sound quality, it is more detailed, resolving, energetic and vibrant. Not forgetting the array of very useful features especially for pairing with Android devices. That independent volume adjustment is simply among the best available now in the market. So yes, DC03Pro is worth it
@@donglemadness Thank you so much for the detailed answer. I think I will buy it. Anyway, glad you're reviewing dongles again. Welcome back!!
Thanks to this review, I bought a DC03Pro, and I am not deceived....But there is something special for PC users.
I quickly noticed that on choral tracks of classical music, some distorsion occured on the fortissimi when I was using a planar IEM (both sides), and this at normal listening levels.
Note that this was not happening in the deeper sub bass moments, so it's probably not a power issue of the dongle. This was also not happening with my others IEM (DD or BA). So I suspected the IEM itself, changed the the dampening, opening it to check if a speck was not stuck inside. Enough to get crazy, there was no solution.
Finally, the culprit was the dongle driver. I use Jriver and Foobar (Win 10) where a lot of playback options are available, and I was choosing the IBasso proprietary driver named "Bravo-HD-ASIO". But this thing must have a bug. The best driver about sound quality seems to be the old Kernel Streaming.
I hope this could be useful if someone has the same problem.
Thanks so much for sharing this, you are a lifesaver
Sir , need your insight in this , do you think in term of performance , will dc04 pro perform as well as dc 03 pro ? I'm torn between the two. I'm inclined to dc04 pro just because of the balanced option analso offer more power from what I read. Thanks in advance
I would not know until I have a DC04Pro in my hand and do extensive side by side comparisons with DC03Pro. I will not speculate until I have tested them. Hold on a bit more and let's see what the outcome would be
Hello ince again Andy, I already own Hiby FC6 , have you tried CB18 cable with FC6 ? Did you notice any change in sound quality?
I did, less FR interferences when used with phones especially when the phone is active on 3G/5G switches and with better resistance against FR, CB18 sounded a bit cleaner with overall sound quality
@@donglemadness that is indeed interesting, Thank you Andy again
What's pinpoint comparation between Ibasso DC03 and Hiby FC4?
I love your dac dongle video review, very good channel
DC03Pro is a bit more energetic, resolving and analytical, but also a bit more colored. FC4 is more transparent at being neutral. Otherwise both are really good. Feature wise, DC03Pro has upper hand
@@donglemadness Thank you for your reply, I'm currently using shuoer S12 Pro with FC4 balance 4.4, Is it worth it if I'm downgrade to DC03Pro and using the unbalance 3.5?
@@febriantoian7213 It is not a downgrade going to DC03Pro, it's a question if you need a different sort of sound presentation than FC4. Ask yourself the question, are you happy with what you getting from FC4? if yes why change? I personally like DC03Pro more than any other dongles because it simply click to my liking, the rich features that makes sense, but that's me
@@donglemadness I said that because of the price in my country and the dual output.
Thanks for the reference, maybe next time I'll give it try DC03 Pro
@@donglemadness I had a chance to use Cayin RU6, because my boss sold it to me for half price, but I still prefer to hiby FC4.
It's just not fit for my playlist and very segmented. for vocal focus or old songs or acoustic very best, I can very well notice the different, because I compare it A B to FC4.
RU6 just sound very soft and a little bit decreased the technical performance, I can really notice in modern music and made the sound a bit warm. Maybe I just don't like the analogue sound thing.
Hi Andy, after watching your review i decided to buy the dc03 pro but i still couldn't understand how each filter affect the sound signature. Can you explain it to me?
You must remember that the filter don't act like EQ, they don't alter the sound curve. But what they do is conditioning of sound temperament and even that it is subtle. For example the fast filters works best with natively warm sounding IEMs or headphones, slow filters works best with bright and fast sounding IEMs or headphones, NOS simply means No Over Sampling = do not change anything. So if you have devices that is transparent enough to respond to filters, you will hear that the decays of the sound edge or the pace would be toned accordingly
@@donglemadness i have the moondrop kato which is quite neutral so slow filter would theoretically works better with it than fast filter right?
@@qpng7737 Kato is not exactly neutral but close enough. But yes better use slow filter with it
@@donglemadness ok thanks for your help
Thanks friend!..if you think about the sound only..which will be better?ifi go link/dc 03 pro? And why?..forget about the detachable cable and other feature
Sound only? the tuning between GO Link and DC03Pro is like day and night different, GO Link very analog, airy and organic sounding, DC03Pro is modern dynamic sound, crisp and vibrant and colored. How to describe which one better since it is what you perceive as pleasant to your senses that determines the best, to some that analog sound of GO Link is priceless, to some it could be regarded as "warm", and you ask another, some would absolutely loving the dynamism of DC03Pro. I know I am not helping here and I will not say one is absolutely better than the other simply because they are tuned differently. But technical wise, DC03Pro has the upper hand, it resolves better and offer crisper imaging
@@donglemadness i have t2 galaxy and dunu kima.i need decently based, clear but fatigue free sound.
@@JackSparrow-d5r Go Link, Hidizs XO and EarFun UA100 is fatigue free
What a passion Andy. I heard about your site only yesterday. What a wealth of information. I am new to all this and have been using only Apple usb-c dongle all my life with apple products. I recently tried sonata hd pro and it was warmer than apple but not crisp enough. I hear good things about Fiio ka3 and ibasso dc03 pro. I tried the Fiio btr5 and I did not like the blue tooth version. The usb version was a bit better than Tempotec Sonata hd pro.
Should I go for ibasso or the Fiio ka3 ? . Do you have a solid suggestion for $100 for just music. I don’t own any planars now but will soon. Appreciate your input !
Thanks!. If you check my site for the ranking order, iBasso DC03Pro rank higher than many of the rest. KA3 is not something I like personally. So my suggestion would be something like iBasso DC03Pro, Colofly CDA-M1 or Hiby FC4
@@donglemadness Thanks Andy . I just placed an order for ibasso based on your suggestion. Also I listen to Koss Head phones a lot. Its very affordable and I am new to this. Can you please suggest me a good head phones for just music.
I hear good things about planar hifiman he400se but have not placed an order yet. My budget is within $150 - $200 range. I like bass and I also like clarity at the same time. Appreciate any input.
@@itellsri Yes I would totally recommend HiFiMan HE400SE (Stealth Magnet version). After burn in that HE400SE is really quite a amazing unit for something relatively affordable
@@donglemadness Thanks Andy for your suggestion. I hope the dc03 pro will not have an issue driving the hifiman.
@@itellsri No issues, I have tested it extensively. Just make sure you select High Gain mode
If the cb18 cuts USB socket noise aa good as the audioquest pearl it would be great news for portable application to be honest. I am quite tired of carrying long cables like audioquest carbon and supra usb 2.0 cables :D to be honest (comparison of this cables could be also a good content for a video who knows). But I doubt that the cb18 is internaly designed to cut of PC usb socket noise, it is just better quality material I think (better purity copper, better quality silver. The best way to know would be to buy a supra 2.0 usb cable (40-50 bucks) and compare its performamce directly to the cb18 using PC usb socket. If the performance is on par with the supra 2.0 then the cb18 is a legit good designed usb cable for audio.
I seriously doubt there can be any difference with usb cables. This is a DAC - digital analog converter. What is sent to dac is digital data, there can be no difference in it.
Claiming that usb cable does something to sound quality is very, very odd and also impossible.
Hi bro..thanks for the review..i use dunu kima..i am treble sensitive(specially at 4k and 8k frequency) and slightly bass emphasised sound is preferable to me.but i need clarity and details too...i am using cx pro with kima.but thinking to upgrade..which one will suit more with my kima according to my preference? Dc 03 pro/ap10/ifi go link/shanling UA4.(note: i have no balanced 4.4mm cable)...or will you suggest me to wait and try to take dc04 pro later?you can give any suggestion.. Many many ❤❤❤ from Bangladesh..
Thanks. Based on what you have and your preferences, DUNU Kima is natively on the brighter side and would do well to synergize with Colorfly CDA-M1P or EPZ-TP30, both offering rich velvety smooth sound which is analytical at the same time, they also offer very good 3.5mm SE too. So does Hidizs S9 Pro Plus. DC03Pro and UA4 on the other hand would appear more energetic with dynamic transients and for sensitive people at higher frequencies, this can result in something a bit spicy if paired with something natively bright like Kima
@@donglemadness ok bro...i am trying to check the review of those dacs.thanks for the quick reply and your honest opinion..❤️
@donglemadnes Andy..i had decided to take hidizs s9 pro plus according to your suggestion...but recently,one of my friends has ordered dc 04 pro..i have also seen your review of this particular product.after seeing that i am thinking to take this..actually it's not that i need boosted bass..i just need the original smooth sound what kima has and don't wanna miss details..actually i was disturbed with the shouty peak of cx pro with the kima.so now,will it be logical to take the 04 pro for the non fatiguing and non shouty sound production if i don't need any coloration... And obviously i fear the word "energetic" in the audio sector.please don't feel bored of my lack of knowledge.. ❤️
@@donglemadness friend, will you reply please?
Have u tried any planar iem. If yes which are ur top 2 picks?
Yes, I have tons of planar IEMs since TIN Hifi P1 days. The very best of them to me is DUNU Talos. And the worst being Moondrop Stellaris. My personal pick would be Talos and P1+, since many others are a bit too bassy with Harman sort of tuning. But really nowadays I prefer the likes of Tanchjim ZERO, SeeAudio Bravery AE, Simgot EM2R and Kinera Idun Golden over any planars
Hi, Andy. I know this isn't going to be a cheap buy since this one costs much when converted into our currency, I am a bass lover and the only DAC experience i have is CX-Pro. Just wanna ask if this is good for bassheads such as using Beats Studio 3, KZ ZS3, and Sony MDR XB55ap? I also use Poco F3 as my main device. Would love to hear your feedback on this. And would like to consider this as my endgame DAC. By the way, I mainly use Poweramp, though I have a Neutron Player but I can't stand the UI and haven't explored it yet since I find the customization for Poweramp more user friendly and more understandable and probably offers more features than the Neutron. Thank you!!
Hi Adrian. Need to clarify first thing. No dongle DAC can turn into a Basshead machine no matter how colored they are tuned, if you need more bass it always start with the IEMs or Headphones itself. Or you EQ as much as you can to get the desired Bass level. Having said that, yes absolutely DC03PRo is a clear step up from CX-Pro. DC03Pro will even offer vibrant and dynamic sound which you can EQ further they way you like it. I personally never use EQ and I am not a fan of thick Bass, but I understand your needs. Cheers
Hey again, Andy. How u doing? Mate, can you tell me about Fiio KA3, it it more clinical than DC03 Pro? In that organic scale from 1 (digital) to 10 (organic), how those two would match? Is KA3 so much digital like 9038 E1DA or is it more or less like DC03 Pro?
I am doing great. Thanks. Between KA3 and DC03Pro, to me DC03Pro is a better unit overall. However, DC03Pro sound is something I consider more of a modern sound with hint of coloration throughout the entire frequency range and KA3 a bit more neutral. Technically DC03Pro is superior. E1DA 9038 with Fast Filter sounds a lot more digital than both KA3 and DC03pro
@@donglemadness Oh, I see! Then I'll pass the KA3. I want something different from what I have. I want to try something clinical. So maybe 9038 E1DA or there is something else? (Digital sound)
Excellent in-depth review. Thank you!
My pleasure 🙏
Andy is DC03Pro is enough for Planar IEM's, like 7Hz Timeless and KZ PR1 Pro or KZ PR2? Would love to see you review now hyped KZ x HBB PR2.
Yes it does, for as long as you run in USB Exclusive mode and High gain, most planars sounded great with DC03Pro. PR2 review in progress
@@donglemadness oh nice, looking forward to PR2 review.
Hello Andy, Want to see iBasso DC04Pro Review , and iBasso DC04Pro vs. TANCHJIM SPACE
iBasso DC04Pro review will be out by Wednesday next week. Thanks!
Great review as always... keep it up !
My pleasure
Hello! What gain level would you reccomend for 50 ohm headphones (sennheiser hd 599) on ibasso dc 03 pro? Thank you in advance for your responce!
Always High Gain
Hi Andy! listen to your review and want to try this dongle. But, I mainly use iOS device which not have the ibasso app. So, Can I ask your opinion that if we use this dongle without iBasso application how much we lose in sound performance or dongle performance?
Even without the app it is already a great sounding dongle in stock configuration, but you lose the ability to tune it up further for filters selection and also gain modes
You made me buy DC03 Pro
Grateful. Purchased on your recommendation awaiting anxiously as will be my first 5*.
Hello uncle last week i wanna decide to buy dongle dac for my moondrop aria snow and i still can't pick wich one is better ibasso dc03 or epz tp20 if you have another recommend please let me know ❤
Both are great dongles, the difference, TP20 Pro does not have independent volume adjustment and offer less features, DC03Pro has a lot more features. TP20 Pro also has 4.4mm BAL which is good if you already have 4.4mm BAL IEMs
Hello I'm back again.. i just ordered dc03 pro because of your recommendation, what's the best iem I can pair it with? I like rock/pop with a bit of lofi, I have 7hz Zero,Kbear Ks2 and Blon 03 for now but I want a new iem that I can pair with the dc03 my budget is 80$.. I like Blon 03 signature the most of the three.. thx
If you like BL03, then check out Tangzu Wan'Er SG or Pandamon Celest. Both pairs amazingly well with DC03Pro
@@donglemadness I've decided to go for pandamon celest after I watched your review on it.. it seems It's not available in my country yet so I'll wait.. thx(thanks)
@@donglemadness hello I just got dc03 pro and I'm genuinely confused.. I downloaded ibasso uac app and it requested permission for the doc but now it won't play any music I'm really confused..
@@donglemadness can you tell me how you play music? Like I'm confused.. thx(thanks)
@@donglemadness one more thing... Hiby music didn't ask for permission.. how to make it work?
¿What do you think is a better chouce for most people ibasso dc 03 pro or moondrop dawn pro? Thanks!!
Different tuning between those two, not a question of which one better. DC03Pro is vibrant and colored, energetic and highly technical while DAWN Pro is flatter neutral, transparent and wide open sounding. What you prefer more will determine which one you like the most
Como ele se comporta ligado em um computador com Windows? Qual configuração que ele vai assumir, você sabe?
It will work plug and play as a DAC without any need for drivers on Windows 10 and 11. You have full functionality but to change the settings you still need to do it in iBasso UAC App
@@donglemadness Muito obrigado pela atenção, to pra pegar o M1P, dei uma maratonada nos seus vídeos hehehe
I'm deciding between this or the fiio ka3. Are they similar in output power? Im using only 3.5.
DC03Pro is more powerful despite similarly rated at 2Vrms to KA3. And I also feel that DC03Pro offers more resolution and energy, just simply better than KA3
@@donglemadness ah ok fair enough, thanks. Its strange how specs sometimes dont mean much. The DC03 has 98mW and the KA3 has 130mW. But im guessing thats split into 2 channels?
@@erkyperky1387 They are always 2 channel, L/R and then the shared ground. On BAL design, you will also have L/R grounds as well. And yes, specs sometimes don't tell the whole story. How they are implemented and perform in the rel world is what matters
@@donglemadness Fantastic advice thanks!!!! I've just been viewing and also interested in the new Tempotec BHD Pro, same dual chip as DC03 🤔
Sir, can you tell me which phone brand and model you are using? In your opinion, which android phone should I choose to be able to use it well with the dac/amp dongle ( if I want to use iBasso DC03Pro).😊
My primary phone is actually a Sony Xperia 1 iV. I use it most of the time because of the true 3.2 USB which runs 900mA. The other phone I use in the video for demonstrations is a Xiaomi Mi 9T, however this phone only run USB 2.0 with lower power. It still works fine but for dongle usage, USB 3.0 and above is always better especially for powerful dongles. You can also consider Samsung Galaxy S20 and above to get true 3.0 USB power. In fact most Android phones released after 2021 are really good with USB
@@donglemadness so the difference is the power?
@@letsmobiles3396 Yes
Hi Andy! Would you recommend getting a better USB-C to USB-C cable to connect with the dongle, or is the one that comes with the dongle good enough?
The stock cable is already good. But of course can still be improved with premium USB C
I dislike cable .. my plan is to use an c to a usb adaptor but easy since for desktop use case only. Cheers.
I Dont know if you game, but, could you provide any information In that sense ( for FPS like Apex, Escape from Tarkov, Valorant)? Especially in soundstage, wideness or even precision, for example, can you know exactly where a sound source comes from? I also watched your video of the Truthear Shio, you said it was more neutral, I would like something that doesn't influence so much what I'm hearing, that just amplifies these things, you know? maybe the Shio would be better then?
This kind of content almost does not exist for dongles, it would be nice to know how dongles do in this environment.
Anyway, I intend to use them for playing together with my Truthear Zero. Which would be a good match?
Also, thanks a lot for your great content!
I actually use DC03Pro for gaming as well. My games are Fallout 76, ESO, Dead Space and even PUBG. Yes it has amazing spatial staging which provide great ambient sound as well as directional precision to sound source (footprints and gunshots). However the DAC alone is not complete without a suitable IEM or Headphone to match the desired results, in this case I use Tanchjim ZERO, BQEYZ Winter and HiFiMan HE400SE which seems to provide the best results for gaming with DC03Pro. Yes I would choose DC03Pro over SHIO any day for gaming as well
@@donglemadness Thank you very much for that! Thanks for your experience in games too! I intend to use it with Truthear Zero, (I also have an AK631) they are already very good by themselves! But I'd like to expand them a bit, see how far I can take their qualities.
I'm between the Shio and the DC03Pro, but your opinion weighs a lot hahaha So I think I'll end up getting a DC03Pro.
What dongle would you recommend for Sennheiser HD560S? Considering the Tempotec Sonata HD Pro but not sure since I'm new to all of this. My budget is about $50 usd
At the very minimum, get 7Hz 71. But push it a bit more and get this DC03Pro and you don't have to worry about upgrading for a very very long time. That's what I would do
Hey andy, how are you. I am looking for a portable DAC for tin t3 +. I want something that doesnt alter the natural sound signature of t3+, i just want wider soundstage, more detail retrieval and a little bit of treble air. Budget is under 70USD
Another thing i would like to ask that, should i switch to a balanced 4.4 or 2.5 mm cable, and switch to a dac that has a balanced port? If that makes significant difference?
I am good thanks. At the very minimum, you can get NotByVe Abigail. T3+ is efficient enough to run in full potential with Abigail
BAL is not an absolute must for quality. You would notice that at least 3 out of 6 #donglemadness 5 Stars performers are on 3.5mm SE only. So, just decide on which dongle you want first and then decide if you need BAL cable to match it
@@donglemadness i was thinking about 7hz 71. After reading your review.
Waiting for your Ibasso DC04 Pro review 😊
Coming soon!