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iBasso DX220MAX Reference Digital Audio Player – Flagship in limited edition

Once again iBasso Audio is expanding its product range in the field of portable hi-res audio players, with the launch of a true flagship product, the new iBasso DX220MAX Reference Digital Audio Player. The manufacturer expressly points out that this will not replace the iBasso DX220 Reference Digital Audio Player, but will rather extend the range of products upwards.


The iBasso Audio company intends to make a true statement with the presentation of a new portable hi-fi audio player, which will be at the top of the L-ups product line, and will clearly be seen as the new flagship product, the new iBasso DX220MAX Reference Digital Audio Player.

All those who are familiar with the range of products offered by the Chinese specialist for personal audio devices will immediately notice that at first glance this is based on an existing product, namely the iBasso DX220 Reference Digital Audio Player, which will be launched in April 2019. However, this is only partly true, because as iBasso Audio expressly emphasizes, the new flagship is not intended to replace the aforementioned model, but rather to expand the range of products with the new iBasso DX220MAX Reference Digital Audio Player.

We would also like to point out that the new iBasso DX220MAX Reference Digital Audio Player will be a Limited Edition, only 999 of which will be available worldwide. One more indication that this is a very special Digital Portable Audio Player.

  • iBasso DX220MAX Reference Digital Audio Player 01
  • iBasso DX220MAX Reference Digital Audio Player 04
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  • iBasso DX220MAX Reference Digital Audio Player 02

The new iBasso DX220MAX Reference Digital Audio Player is a commitment to the appreciation of music and the promotion of listening pleasure, according to the manufacturer, who has made every effort to offer outstanding quality for particularly discerning hi-fi and music enthusiasts who want nothing less than the best when on the move.

The basis for this is a particularly sophisticated signal processing, which is discretely designed in the analogue range, and outstanding D/A converters. ESS ES9028PRO DACs are used here, two of them in the so-called dual-mono configuration. This is intended to provide signal processing in Linear PCM format with up to 32 bits and 384 kHz, as well as DSD with up to DSD512. Of course, the new iBasso DX220MAX Reference Digital Audio Player is also capable of decoding content in MQA.

The output stage allows unbalanced and balanced headphones to be connected, so that a 2.5 mm and 4.4 mm jack connection is available in addition to the obligatory 3.5 mm stereo mini jack connection.

A line out is not missing here, nor is a digital output, so that the new iBasso DX220MAX Reference Digital Audio Player cuts a fine figure as a source device even on a HiFi system.

Of course, the new iBasso DX220MAX Reference Digital Audio Player also uses the Google Android operating system and has a generously dimensioned 5 inch IPS Full HD touchscreen display for high ease of use.

The internal memory of the powerful iBasso DX220MAX Reference Digital Audio Player is equipped with 128 GByte and a media library of up to 2 TByte can be accessed via microSD cards.

The new iBasso DX220MAX Reference Digital Audio Player makes contact with the outside world primarily via WiFi, but is also equipped with Bluetooth 5.0, whereby aptX, aptX HD and LDAC are also supported. Of course, a “classic” interface for connection via cable is also included, whereby USB-C is used here. This means that the new iBasso DX220MAX Reference Digital Audio Player can also be used directly as an external D/A converter on a PC or Mac, and also charges the portable player’s battery.

However, in the case of the new iBasso DX220MAX Reference Digital Audio Player, it is necessary to go into a little more detail about the features, as the developers at iBasso Audio have identified a solid power supply as a key factor in the quality of a portable hi-fi player.

The new iBasso DX220MAX Reference Digital Audio Player is not based on a single battery, which supplies the entire device, but on a total of five batteries and thus a separate power supply for all essential components, especially the analogue and digital sections.

The iBasso DX220MAX Reference Digital Audio Player therefore initially has a 4,400 mAh battery, supplemented by four additional 900 mAh batteries. The playing time of the player is specified by the manufacturer as up to 14 hours.

Another important feature of the new iBasso DX220MAX Reference Digital Audio Player is its extremely solid housing. The housing is made of stainless steel, while the player is presented in a noble anthracite colour. The gold connections and the gold rotary encoder provide a very attractive contrast. The player is quite powerful, measuring no less than 145 mm in length, 85 mm in width and 27 mm in depth.

The new iBasso DX220MAX Reference Digital Audio Player should already be available in specialist shops these days, whereby this solution also stands out a little from the previous product range in terms of price. According to the manufacturer, a budget of € 1.888,- has to be budgeted for the new limited edition flagship.

Getting to the point

The new iBasso DX220MAX Reference Digital Audio Player is a commitment to the appreciation of music and the promotion of listening pleasure, according to the manufacturer, who has made every effort to offer outstanding quality for particularly discerning hi-fi and music enthusiasts who want nothing less than the best on the move.

Manufacturer:iBasso Audio
Distribution:NT Global Distribution GmbH
Price:€ 1.888,-
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Michael Holzinger

Michael Holzinger, founder and editor-in-chief of HiFi BLOG and sempre-audio.at, has been working for years as a journalist in the fields of IT, photography, telecommunications and consumer electronics.

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