iBasso - DC05

Portable DAC & Amp

Sale price₹ 5,999 Regular priceMRP: ₹ 6,999
Discontinued
This product is permanently discontinued by the manufacturer and continues to live on in Headphone Zone's Museum.

Unfortunately, even if we desire to, we won't be able to resurrect this product. The Museum is where we pay our respects to end-of-life, old, archived, but not forgotten products. This page was made with a lot of love and will live on for posterity. What to say, we're sentimental people. 😔

While this product is gone forever, here are others we recommend

Customer Reviews

Based on 82 reviews
71%
(58)
16%
(13)
7%
(6)
2%
(2)
4%
(3)
S
Sayantan Mondal (Kolkata)
Design and Comfort:
Great
Poor
Sound Quality:
Awesome
Awful
Value for Money:
Bang On!
Not at all
At this price nothing can beat this!

Yesterday got my Ibasso DC05. listened whole day plugging those.

Noticed few things:
Performance is better in PC, just plug in play. Synergy, vocals, thumping bass everything is there, very much enjoyable.

Playing DSD is a hassle in windows, can't get foobar2000 working(any suggestions or tutorial to do it properly will be helpful), anyway installed JRiver media center(only 30 days trial after paid), works flawlessly and was able to play native DSD (some test files and 1,2 songs found on internet), FLACs (possible with most players though) easily. didn't find any noticable difference with the pair of devices I have.

But with phone things are different, first thing for most streaming apps don't use the external DAC. For my smartphone I found except loudness there's nothing to notice in sound quality unless I have local FLACs and using HIBY music player, otherwise that I found streaming apps are not using the DAC, the synergy, sound signature was not there at all while using with phone. Phones equaliser, volume adjustment, adjust sounds to earphone... options are working with DAC plugged in, which should not work with DAC in the first place, so thinking that phones DAC is processing the audio and just bypassing it (a wild guess, because sound signature is literally same to my phone just a bit louder).

Power usage wise didn't find any problems, not so power hungry.

Sound signature is mostly neutral and a bit forward I would say (headphones which I have is nowhere accurate sounding, but enjoyable- OneOdio Pro50's ), bass is tight, with some bass heavy headphones it can rumble your ears, and when the time of high frequencies came they shines, the sparkle is enjoyable not painful at all, Laal ishq by Arijit , is soo soo enjoyable.

bought it from Headphone Zone, and thanks to them for delivering these in two days (i live in a remote area).

Devices- Redmi note 10 PM, ibasso DC05, OneOdio pro50's.

4th picture: controls which I talked about above.

Something to add-on, and found while extensive use is that it heats up more while using with phone rather than PC, and suggest to use it with PC to bring the most out of it. And yes it can make a difference in your normal earphones/headphones too.

Hi Sayantan Mondal,
We are so happy you took out time & elaborately reviewed the product. We are sure this will help our customers to make an even better & informed decision.

Y
YOGENDRA KIRAR (Indore)
Design and Comfort:
Great
Poor
Sound Quality:
Awesome
Awful
Value for Money:
Bang On!
Not at all
Significant Improvement in Audio

I don't have prior experience of individual DAC, but after pairing IBASSO DC05, with my smartphone and Audio Technica M40, i noticed significant Improvement in overall audio, even seems it unlocked some more frequencies and i am able to hear some more instruments in same songs i was listening earlier, dac is quite compact to carry, thanks headphonezone to bring such good products.

R
R.C. (Visakhapatnam)
Design and Comfort:
Great
Poor
Sound Quality:
Awesome
Awful
Value for Money:
Bang On!
Not at all
Precise Output

Ibasso 5 + Maze Rai Solo + LG G8X... Whatta perfect combo when u play WAVs, that I can Feel in Recording Studio.

Kudos to HeadphoneZone🎧

R
Rajarshi Chattopadhyay (Kolkata)
Design and Comfort:
Great
Poor
Sound Quality:
Awesome
Awful
Value for Money:
Bang On!
Not at all
Hunt for portable audio solution ends here.

I've been searching for a portable DAC dongle for my Oppo Reno 2F for some time, because I have always felt that my phone's inbuilt DAC is nothing but shit, since, I mostly listen on my PC using Topping E30+ Edifier R1280T speaker, the difference in sound quality when listening on my phone is most noticeable & unacceptable to me. I didn't have much option due to budget constraints. I selected Shanling UA2 primarily based on the reviews on HPZ; but later I changed my mind and shifted to iBasso DC05 due to it's dual DAC implementation & very good reviews on online forums & I thank myself for my wise decision. I have paired it with my recently bought Moondrop Chu & the outcome is phenomenal. Yes, 'PHENOMENAL' is the right word compared to phone's internal audio. Each & every instruments sound clean & seperate from each other, it gives you a feel of being present right in the concert hall & the performances are going on in front of you. Vocals are little bit forward, bass is very good and punchy and it compensates for the lack Chu has, thus making it a perfect pair with Chu. Treble is good but not ear piercing. I would advise you to use iBasso UAC app for fine tuning volume alongside phone volume button. Many many thanks goes to the HPZ team for bringing this marvellous product to their store and timely delivery. My search for Desktop audio solution had long been ended with the purchase of Topping E30 (from HPZ) and now the hunt for portable audio solution also meets it's end happily. Or does it? Who knows! 😉

Thanks a lot for your detailed and genuine feedback, we're glad that you have such positive thoughts about the product and we'll share your thoughts with the brand as well. It'll also help our fellow customers to make the right choice!

A
Aryan (Kolkata)
Design and Comfort:
Great
Poor
Sound Quality:
Awesome
Awful
Value for Money:
Bang On!
Not at all
Good DAC with bright treble sound signature and round bass

Few months ago I bought UA1 Pro. Soon I realised it was a big mistake. The vocals were absolutely bad and rough, with overly boosted treble, sharp ear hurting.

Ibasso dc05 has the same dac chip x2. I was afraid it may suffer the same problems. When I first started to use it, this too had sharp treble but soon I found as the dc05 heated up considerably, the sound signature started to balance out, burn-in helps.

Dc05 has a U shaped sound signature brighter than neutral with more bass punch than neutral too. Vocals are excellent smooth, clear sounding. There is a simulated wide soundstage. Iems are best for this dac dongle, especially IT01X.

Overall Ibasso has done an impressive job too tackle the shortcomings of a ESS chip and made a impressive dongle. Still there is sharpness in S sounds.

No compatibility issues with windows or Android. For Android use of neutron player or having super user access is necessary to bypass Android limitations.
Cons:- Its time for picking faults. When paired with hifiman headphones, we can clearly hear noises in high treble. Accuracy in treble beyond 10khz is poor and harsh sounding. Bass control is bad in headphones with high drive current. DC05 is clearly not meant for premium headphones. Iems sound excellent though. In daily usage, both for Android and windows software volume control is used unless premium softwares with uac2.0 built in is used.

Overall I would say, after using various dac and amps this dac dongle is unbeatable at this price range.
Synergy info:- Ibasso IT01x, Moondrop chu. Excellent balanced sound

Thank you for your elaborative & honest review & ratings, Aryan!


Chi-Fi
Excellence

1 Year of
Warranty

Best Suited for Portable Use

Metal
Build

ESS Sabre ES9219C
Dual DAC Chips

Pair with Laptop via USB

A majority of people use a laptop as the primary source device to listen to music or watch movies. Since the laptop is an essential part of the audio chain there are headphones and devices designed to work a laptop or computer system flawlessly. With the availability of USB connectivity, it becomes easier to pair various devices like an Amp, DAC or even headphones without worrying about drivers or any additional piece of software.


Works with Android

The way we listen to our music has evolved, and streaming services have replaced the USB cable for almost everyone. Understanding this shift in how people consume music, these headphones and devices are designed to offer straightforward connectivity, and if you’re someone who uses an Android device to listen to music and watch videos, then these are for you. Many headphones and devices have been engineered to shine when paired with an Android system and offer Android-specific functionality. Headphones and devices designed to work with Android come in wired and wireless formats. Quite often you will also find Hi-Fi equipment offering direct connectivity to devices with Android OS to offer a convenient operating experience.


Super Lightweight
Design

The iBasso DC05 is the king of portable dongle DACs. iBasso was the first brand to come out with a dongle-sized DAC, and the DC05 is an improvement from its predecessors. It's powerful, super clean, and immediately makes a big difference to the music listening on any decent IEM.
RAGHAV SOMANI

About RAGHAV SOMANI

Raghav Somani is the Founder & CEO of Headphone Zone. An avid audiophile and musician since 2008, his choice of headphones include STAX Electrostats, Audeze LCD 3, and for music on the go, the JH Audio Roxanne + Astell&Kern SP1000 is never too far away. On his playlist, you'll find A.R. Rahman, Michael Jackson, and the Eagles.

HIGH-PERFORMANCE AUDIO CHIPS OFFERING PCM AND DSD SUPPORT

iBasso DC05 is part of a new generation of headphone Amp/DAC focusing on High Definition audio. The iBasso DC05 features dual ES9219C high-performance audio chips. These audio chips are capable of decoding PCM 32bit/384kHz and DSD256 natively. This gives you the freedom to play the highest quality of files, allowing you to enjoy rich and precise audio, enriching the listening experience.

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Headphone-Zone-iBasso-DC05
Headphone-Zone-iBasso-DC05

ARTEFACT FREE AUDIO TRANSMISSION WITH QUAD DAC+ TECHNOLOGY

iBasso DC05 has been engineered to give you the best sound reproduction. To achieve this the device embeds a pair of 32bit DAC ES9219C chips and they integrate the Quad DAC+ technology as well as a headphone amplifier and a dynamic range enhancement (DRE). The combination of Quad DAC+, Time Domain Jitter Eliminator and HyperStream III architecture delivers a dynamic range of 121dB and an excellent THD+N level.

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POWERFUL OUTPUT CAPABILITY WITH PRECISE VOLUME ADJUSTMENT

The iBasso DC05 adapter has a powerful output voltage of up to 2Vrms (300Ω load) and 1.73Vrms (32Ω load) load. It produces a power of up to 80mW at 32 Ohms load which is more than enough to power your IEMs with ease. iBasso has also developed a volume control application that uses the UAC2.0 protocol to enable 64-step volume control by hardware while lowering the noise floor and providing much better audio performance.

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Headphone-Zone-iBasso-DC05

EASY TO CARRY DESIGN FUSED WITH TYPE-C TO 3.5MM CONNECTOR

iBasso DC05 is a portable device with a small footprint, making it easy to carry with you. Alongside being compact, the iBasso DC05 can also connect to most smartphones with a USB Type-C connector and offers plug and play support. That means you need to plug in and start enjoying your music, with no hassle of drivers or any other obstruction. It will allow you to enjoy your music in very high quality anywhere. The USB Type-C connection terminates to a 3.5mm single-ended connector to connect your headphones or IEMs.

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Headphone-Zone-iBasso-DC05
Headphone-Zone-iBasso-DC05
1 Year Warranty

Don't sweat it, this iBasso - DC05 comes with a 1 Year warranty from iBasso that covers manufacturing defects. All products featured on Headphone Zone are backed by an original manufacturer's warranty.

Read more about iBasso's warranty in India.

Great Products with Outstanding Performance

Founded in 2008, iBasso is a digital audio product manufacturer from China. The company started by manufacturing digital audio players and amplifiers and today even manufactures DACs and IEMs for audiophiles. iBasso, over time, has become one of the most acclaimed brands for those seeking budget-friendly, yet high-performance gear. iBasso DACs have gained popularity over the years and are a part of many music enthusiasts' collections.

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