Digital glare is under control, especially with the NOS filter, and while the DC03 Pro is not that analogue or organic sounding as the Cayin RU-6 or the iFi Go bar, it is still very musical and engaging. Again, I got spoiled by the DC06, which became one of my go-to devices, paired with the Shanling MG600, and switching for the DC04PRO, like the DC03PRO last time, felt like a downgrade – essentially due to the weight difference. But over time, this lovely dongle kind of grew on me, and like the ddHiFi TC44C, getting 4.4mm Pentaconn for my in-ears, on the go, is a real wonder. The DC06 utilizes synchronous DC-DC converter, low noise charge pump and LDO, with audiophile filter capacitors, to build an independent power supply for the amp section which is embedded to the DAC chip.

To that, iBasso added its own “sauce”, to enable the full potential of the DAC, and furthermore, output more power with a lower floor noise. So, upstream of the dual ES9219C chips, the brand added its own USB-receiver chip, combined with an NDK femtosecond oscillator, something we’ve already seen in previous models, like the DC05.

Technical Specs:​

Founded in Shenzhen, China, more than ten years ago, iBassohas been producing DAPs, DACs and IEMs for audiophiles. And over time, they’ve become one of the most acclaimed brands for those seeking budget-friendly, but high-performance gear. I think I'm enjoying the soundstage presentation (while similar on both), musical engagement/intimacy, timbres, and details on the blue a little more, atm. I should also mention, the grayhas been used longer, but I did not particularly find much of a sound characteristic change over the time of usage since I first listened to it.

iBasso DC06 is a 119 USD Dongle DAC / AMP, with Dual ES9219C DACs, 320mW in 32 OHMs, Balanced output and support for decoding MQA as well as DSD up to 256x. It will be compared to other popular Dongle DAC/AMPs in the price range including ddHIFI TC44C (119 USD), Hiby FC5 (159 USD), and Shanling UA2 (85 USD). I must say, this is my first dongle review, and expectations are pretty high. Thus, battery life may be on par or better.Lotoo PAW S1 also produces a fairly smooth and neutral sound, but in my opinion, DC03 PRO beats it by a small margin in terms of intelligibility, better bass control, and in general, sounds more academic and correct. But at this point, I guess it’s safe to say that the DC06 is now iBasso’s most powerful dongle DAC up to date when it comes to raw power output and compared to all their previous dongle DACs. Power output actually amounts to a little under the DC05 and the DC04’s combined added power. Digital Formats The only issue I found with the BOLT was a slight reduction in power output and drivability, a slight reduction in bass response over the DC05 was also noted but the rest I cannot complain about.