Android 8.1 for DX160 protects main partitions with Verity, which makes it tricky for end user to flash custom firmware. Magisk allows developers to alter system systemless-ly, i.e. without any direct modification of the protected parts of the firmware image. That's why my modifications for 8.1 are distributed as add-ons: you must have installed and running the original firmware, then you apply (flash over) an add-on. It makes the download smaller and update process faster!
To check the current add-on version in Android mode, go to Settings, About DX160, Build number at the bottom.
WARNING: Add-ons are not compatible with encrypted devices!
WARNING: Do not update Magisk via MagiskManager! It will cause problems!
There are two packages to choose from: either Windows-only (using included AndroidTool), or any platform (using DX160-bootable SD-card). The ZIP archive with the add-on contains readme.txt file with full instruction. Please read and follow it.
For Windows, you should have installed drivers from Rockchip. You can download them here.
Note: Updating an add-on removes additional Magisk modules. You'll have to re-install them after the update.
It is enough to re-apply any official firmware update, then do a factory reset.
True OTA does not work with add-on, because the build number is different. You need to download the update from iBasso site, put it to SD-card or Internal storage, and start manual upgrade. Then you may install an add-on compatible with the new firmware version.
It's up to the end user to decide whether these changes affect sound or not. I believe some of them make sound better, and none of them make sound worse.
- Google Play Market added.
- Reduced power consumption during music playback and in suspend mode.
- Overall performance increased.
- During music playback, the device is managed to prevent idle state tasks.
- Performance tweak for popular music players (Neutron, UAPP, Tidal, Spotify). Such a tweak is used on Rockchip SoC based devices for benchmark apps, iBasso sets it for its Mango Player.
- Better thermal control.
- A different approach to control brightness at low levels.
- The process of device registration is much simplified (required to make Google Play Services work on uncertified device).
- Magisk can be used to install additional modules, and to provide root access.
- USB Audio application, which is also useful for its System settings.
- Custom build of HibyMusic, which plays bit perfect PCM up to 32/384kHz with no additional efforts, and is fully compatible with USB Audio application for bit perfect DSD and SACD ISO playback.
- Removed APKPure, CoolAPK, Viper HiFi (to free space for Mango OS).
- Added Mango OS mode from DX220.
Note 1: Mango OS player was taken from DX220, and, as such, is not 100% compatible. The known restrictions and problems are:
- Only first 5 Digital Filter options actually work.
- Only two levels of gain actually work: Medium and High produce the same result.
- Optical Output setting does not work.
- Due to the new touch screen driver, on DX160 2020 edition, Mango OS boots much longer than on 2019 edition.
Note 2: MagiskManager icon is, actually, a stub injected by Magisk core. It is intended by the developer to help installing full MagiskManager, but I disable it to stop annoying. Should you need MagiskManager, please install it manually.
- 1.31 - release for official firmware 1.09.350.
- 1.30 - release for official firmware 1.08.338.
- 1.29 - release for official firmware 1.07.250.
- 1.28 - release for official firmware 1.06.177.
- 1.27 - release for official firmware 1.05.162.
- 1.26 - release for official firmware 1.04.150.
- 1.25 - release for official firmware 1.03.123.
- 1.24 - release for official firmware 1.02.109.
- 1.23 - release for official firmware 1.01.084.
- 1.22 - release for official firmware 1.00.055.