iFi-Audio iDAC - My impressions

[hydra]

I had the opportunity to spend some time with iFi-Audio's iDAC this weekend. A friend is bringing all of iFi-Audio's products to India. He'd mentioned to me that one example each of a few of the products had arrived last week. I asked him if I could have the iDAC for a few days so I could listen to it, just for fun. I thought I might as well share my impressions with the rest of you folks.

iFi-Audio is a sub-division of AMR (Abbingdon Music Research), UK. iFI's products all enjoy technology that has trickled down from the far more expensive products of AMR.

Unboxing












Whats in the Box
1) iFi iDAC
2) A-B USB Cable
3) 2 RCA to 2 RCA Cable
3) Stick-on gel footers (4 nos)
4) Warranty Card

Physical Impressions
- All aluminium body. Solidly built. No creaks or gaping seams. Nicely textured body = No fingerprints!
- Compact. Only 17.1 x 6.7 x 2.8 cms.
- Quality connectors.
- Solid knob with excellent feel (for the headphone amp).
- 3.5mm socket for headphones. NOT a 6.35mm (1/4 in) socket.
- 3 led indicators on top. (Receiving power, connected to the computer, giving output).
- Single input: USB only.
- RCA outputs, headphone output (3.5mm), and headphone amp volume knob on one side of the body, and the USB input on the other side of the body. This does make for a bit of a cable dressing challenge (with cables coming out of both ends), but I guess the designers had their reasons to keep the input side and the output side separate.

Feature highlights
- 24bit/192khz DAC
- ESS Sabre Hyperstream chipset
- Asynchronous USB, with tech trickled down from AMRs $5000 AMR DP-777 DAC, resulting in super-low jitter and bit perfect technology, as per iFi.
- 150mW Headphone Amp
- 3 dedicated internal power supplies & discrete analog stage, as per iFi.
- Separate power supply (as in power brick/wall wart) NOT necessary. (A dedicated USB power supply is available separately from iFi, to improve upon the iDAC).
- Driver not required for Mac OSX or Linux. Driver necessary (download from iFi-audio.com) for Windows (required for XP and upwards).
- Detailed tech specs are available here: iFi-audio iDAC

Setup
The iDAC is quite easy to setup. Just plug in the supplied USB cable into the iDAC and into the computer, connect the RCA interconnects, and we're good to go. The iDAC does not need an external power supply or wall wart, and that is a very convenient thing - one less set of wires to manage, one less power socket needed!
Note: iFi has a dedicated USB power supply iUSB Power) and a special USB cable (Gemini USB Cable) to improve upon the iDAC, but those had been sent to somebody for evaluation, so I could not try the iDAC with those.

In the case of a windows-based machine (XP and upwards) we have to download and install a driver from the iFi website. MAC OS X and Linux don't need drivers. The driver install went fairly smoothly: The box says we should plug in the iDAC only after installing the driver, but the installation program asked me to plug in the iDAC in the middle of the installation. After that, it said the device was not installed. I unplugged the iDAC and plugged it back in, and the installation completed smoothly. I did not need to restart, though the note on the box said a reboot would be required. Maybe they've improved on the driver (or they were referring to machines that run Win XP). I'm something of a worrier, so restarted anyway, just in case.

My Music PC runs on Windows 7 Home Basic (32 bit). The OS and JRiver Media Center v18 are loaded on a 64GB OCZ Vector 3 SSD. The music is stored on an internal 3.5" 3TB WD Green HDD. The machine has an AMD E350 fanless motherboard with a 4GB stick of RAM in it (only 3GB is used, as it runs a 32 bit OS). Cabinet fans are disabled. There are no programs other than JRMC v18 installed. There is no anti-virus installed (The machine is sand-boxed: no network, no internet). The usual basic tweaks have been made to the OS to make it function well as a Music PC.

The iDAC was connected to a USB2 Port in the rear of the PC (the pair of the port was left unused) using the USB A-B Cable that came in the box.

Continued in the next post...

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

Continued in the next post...

Looking forward to it.

 

[hydra]

... continued from first post

Listening Impressions
I left the iDAC in the system, playing music for about 15 hours, from saturday evening till sunday morning, before I started to listen to it properly. All listening from the Music PC was done with JRMC v18, with WASAPI Event-style enabled.

The iDAC sings beautifully! It makes music with excellent detail, with very good imaging and staging. The basic sound signature is very close to neutral, with a slight tendency toward warmth. Bass response is fairly tight, with reasonable weight. The pace of delivery is much snappier than the other DACs I've listened to in this general price range:

I've used the Beresford Caiman (about Rs.16,000.00; no gatorization) for some time, listened to the Musical Fidelity V-DAC (about Rs.16,000.00), the Arcam rDAC (about Rs.28,000.00), and the Cambridge Audio DacMagic (about Rs.20,000.00) in my setup, and used the analogue outputs of the Asus Xonar STX soundcard (about 9,000.00). All these were listened to between 2011-end and 2012-mid, so the prices should be taken in that context for comparison. I'm sure all these are at least 20-25% more expensive now, the way prices have gone up, and the way the Rupee has been going. The iDAC is priced at Rs.20,400.00 in India (taxes, & shipping from Kochi extra).

In comparison with these DACs, IMHO, the iDAC is far superior in terms of music reproduction, in every single way. (There is definitely the caveat that I'm mentioning this from the way I remember how these DACs sounded).

In terms of inputs, when compared to these, the iDAC is however, limited to a single USB input, while most of the others have multiple inputs (optical/coaxial/USB), and in some cases, pre-amp capabilities.

I also listened to the iDAC with my Sennheiser HD555 (using the 6.35mm to 3.5mm converter that came with the HD555). A couple of years back, I used to listen to these headphones with the headphone outs of the Beresford Caiman. However, I mostly use these nowadays with my iPod 20gb 2nd gen and a cMoy amp. I like the way the iDAC sounds with the HD555 very much. I frankly don't quite remember how the HD555 sounded with the Caiman so I really can't make a comparison there. But the iDAC is clearly far, far superior to the iPod + cMoy amp combination in every way. The headphones really come alive and sound very open and unrestricted with the iDAC. The iPod + cMoy amp sound very closed-in, in comparison. I'm not very much a headphones guy, so there's not much I can say here.

My impressions of the iDAC vs. the Rega DAC, the analog outputs of the Asus Xonar STX and the analog outputs of the Marantz CD5004

I have all these hooked up to the rest of my setup now, so I could make a A-B comparison between these and the iDAC. Switching between the Rega, the STX and the iDAC was done in JRMC's output settings. Switching between the iDAC and the CD5004 was done with the input selector of the Lyrita DHT Preamp. There was no blind testing involved. All opinions are subjective.

I used the following music for comparison:
1) Jennifer Warnes Ballad of a Runaway Horse (Famous Blue Raincoat, 25th Anniversary edition), CD ripped to FLAC level 6.
2) Jennifer Warnes Way Down Deep (The Hunter), CD ripped to FLAC level 6.
3) Patricia Barber Too Rich for my Blood (Cafe Blue), CD ripped to FLAC level 6.
4) Norah Jones Come Away With Me (Come Away With Me), HDTracks 24/192 FLAC
5) Rebecca Pidgeon - Spanish Harlem (Retrospective), HDTracks 24/96 FLAC
6) Livingston Taylor - Isn't she lovely (Ink) , HDTracks 24/96 FLAC

I used these tracks because I listen to them quite often regularly, and Im very familiar with how they sound with my regular system.

As far as the Asus Xonar STX (stock drivers and OPAMPs) was concerned, it was absolutely no comparison with the iDAC. The STX has extended highs (not in an enjoyable way), gets sibilant in some tracks, and sounds thin: Not very nice to listen to for long. Bass reproduction and midrange richness are nothing much to write about, in comparison to the iDAC. The iDAC had a significantly better presentation and overall tone. I'd generally held that the STX was a good alternative to most DACs in the under Rs.20K range, but the iDAC is clearly a better sounding DAC. The iDAC is twice the price, mind you, but it scores high enough in my books in terms of quality of sound reproduction and usability and flexibility to be a better buy. We can do away with the need of a sound card in the PC altogether, which gives great flexibility in terms of choice of cabinet and power supply and even motherboards.

The Marantz CD5004 (analog outs) sounded a bit worse than the Xonar STX, in terms of bass weight and midrange presentation. The highs were not as shrill as the Xonar STX (which was good), but in comparison to the iDAC, the highs did not have enough sparkle. The overall presentation of teh CD5004 was a bit closed-in, and the bass definition was just not there, in comparison to the way the iDAC could reproduce bass-lines esp. in tracks 1, 2 and 5, where quality of bass reproduction can mean a lot. The subtlety of the wire brush on the cymbals and the bass pluck in track 4 was quite repressed in the CD5004, while the iDAC brought it out quite well. The iDAC could make the singers sound more present and real than the CD5004 could. To me, the way voice of the singers is brought out in tracks 1, 4, 5 and 6 is very important to the general experience, and the iDAC did that much, much better than the CD5004. The snap and pace was also much better with the iDAC: Track 3 is a slightly longish track that begins slow and relaxed, and then steadily leads us into a head weaving trance with the music, peaking with a very energetic drum section and weaving down back to normalcy. The CD5004 could not bring out the head-weaving or the foot-tapping the way the iDAC could.
Note: I could not test the HiRes files with the Marantz CD5004 for obvious reasons. But I did have CDs of 1, 2, 3 & 4 with me, and I used those for comparison. I ripped track 4 from the CD to FLAC level 6, for use in the Music PC, for an apples-to-apples comparison.

Between the Rega DAC and the iDAC, I do prefer the Rega, but by a thin margin. The iDAC comes close to the Rega in most ways. But to me, the Rega has a snappier pace, a slightly darker tone of sound (which is what I prefer more), a much deeper soundstage, better defined, faster & more textured bass, and vocals sound just a little bit better through the Rega. Well, it is the sound I'm more used to and the sound I love more. In track 1, towards the end, when many instruments start fighting for attention, I found that the Rega could separate the sounds of those much better than the iDAC. The bass plucks in track 1 and 5 are slightly better defined, but with the differences in the plucks noticeable. Jennifer Warnes's vocals sound just a little bit sweeter through the Rega. In track 4, the delicate way the wire brush caresses the cymbals in the background was brought out much better by the Rega than the iDAC. In track 5, Rebecca Pidgeon's voice stands out in relief from the darkness, with much better presence, through the Rega. The iDAC comes quite close to the way vocals sound in the Rega, in track 6, but Livingston Taylor's voice has just a little extra chest when played through the Rega. The very pronounced bassline in track 2 is much tighter, defined and has more body through the Rega, than through the iDAC.

The Rega DAC does do everything a bit better than the iDAC, but it does that at nearly 3 times the price of the iDAC (when the input coaxial cable is also considered). The Rega also has more inputs (1xUSB/2xOptical/2xCoaxial), but the iDAC does not need an external power supply, and it has a headphone amp. The USB input of the Rega DAC is not asynchronous (asynchronous USB input was introduced only in the 2013 models), but the iDAC's USB input is asynchronous.

NOTE: The Rega DAC, when used, is fed by the digital-coaxial-output of the Asus Xonar STX (sound card) in the Music PC. The Rega DACs USB input is not an Asynchronous USB input, and to my ears, the digital coaxial input is the Regas best sounding input. Also, that is the input I use on a daily basis. So all comparisons are with the Rega DAC using the digital coaxial input, and not with the USB input. A USB to USB comparison may not have been fair, and so I just used the best input of the Rega as a reference against the only input of the iFi iDAC.

Conclusion
If I were starting out to build my digital system now, and if I had a budget under Rs.25,000.00, I would definitely pick up an iDAC up and use it with a PC or laptop as the source. Also, I think I'd be providing a far better source signal to an amplifier than an entry-level CD Player, or DAC available in India at this range would be providing.

The iDAC is a very portable device and can be used with a laptop directly, without external power. If used with a headphone and laptop, one could have a high-quality listening experience without the need for a single power outlet. With a pair of active speakers, the rest of this setup would be a very nice office system, or a great option for a frequent traveller, or for a student in a hostel.

One important thing to note is that the iDAC is being made available in India at a price very close to the price in the US, and that too with warranty. That makes this DAC very good value for money, considering the kind of mark-ups that most DACs in this price range are available in India at.

My thanks to iFi-Audio India for providing the iDAC for personal audition. I enjoyed doing this very much! I hope you folks enjoyed reading this.

Disclosure of interest: I am in no way associated with iFi-Audio India commercially or professionally or financially. However, the people behind iFi-India are good friends.

Associated components:
Music PC with JRiver Media Center v18
Lyrita DHT Preamp
NAD C356BEE (Power Amp section)
PSB Image B6 on SoundFoundations SAL Alif Stands
Lyrita ICs, Chord Carnival Silverscreen 2 Speaker Cables.

More info
Product Info and tech specs: iFi-audio iDAC
iFi-Audio-India: [email protected]
Expected price in India: Rs.20,400.00 (taxes, and shipping from Kochi extra).

Edit: Corrected grammar, email.

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

Thank you, Hydra.

Could you ask your friends what the all-inclusive price is?

 

[hydra]

Thad, I will check and post the all-in price here. I'm travelling today, and may not have access to the Internet, so I'll need a day

 

[arhantd]

Thanks a lot for the detailed review.

iFi products have been very well received everywhere and hopefully will do well here as well!

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

... I'll need a day

No hurry. I brought my iCAN back from SIngapore in November

 

[koushik]

Thanks for your detailed review.

Conclusion
If I were starting out to build my digital system now, and if I had a budget under Rs.25,000.00, I would definitely pick up an iDAC up and use it with a PC or laptop as the source. Also, I think I'd be sending a far better source signal to an amplifier that I would, had I been using an entry-level CD Player, or DAC available in India at this range.

Sorry but I couldn't quite get you here. Can you please explain what you exactly mean? Specially the bold part.

**Edit: I think I got you. You mean, iDAC would send far better source signal than entry-level CDP or DAC of this range in India. Is that so?

 

[hydra]

...

**Edit: I think I got you. You mean, iDAC would send far better source signal than entry-level CDP or DAC of this range in India. Is that so?

Yes, koushik, that's what I meant.

I should have written:

If I were starting out to build my digital system now, and if I had a budget under Rs.25,000.00, I would definitely pick up an iDAC up and use it with a PC or laptop as the source. Also, I think I'd be providing a far better source signal to an amplifier than an entry-level CD Player, or DAC available in India at this range would be providing.

(Correction added in original post too.)

 

[hydra]

...

Could you ask your friends what the all-inclusive price is?

Thad, my friend got back to me. The all-inclusive price of the iDAC is 23,358.00 (20,400.00 plus 14.50% tax). Shipping to buyer's address will be extra.

 

[spirovious]

Thanks for writing a nice comparison.

 

[thx911]

Thanks for the review. emailed IFI india sales last week and no response so far - is the distributor functional?

 

[hydra]

Thanks, everybody!

thx911, they are just setting up office now. But I think the emails have been functional from last week, all right. I had listed the wrong email address by mistake on the day I'd posted the review. I corrected it (in the original post) the next day. if you haven't got a non-delivery notification, you probably did send the email to the correct address that I'd posted.

 

[thx911]

Thank you Hydra, think i sent the mail to the right email, will wait for them to settle down and follow-up after a couple of weeks.

 

[iaudio]

Thad, my friend got back to me. The all-inclusive price of the iDAC is 23,358.00 (20,400.00 plus 14.50% tax). Shipping to buyer's address will be extra.

Hydra, have you compared this to the ODAC by any chance?

 

[hydra]

Titus, nope, I haven't had the opportunity of listening to the ODAC yet.

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

iNEW...

There are several more products on the ifi site since I last looked.

There are now miniature ("nano"), portable versions of the iDAC and iCAN. The DAC, called iDSD, does what its name implies.

There is also a small USB "iPURIFIER."

See... ifi Products Page.


~

 

[anm]

hydra - idsd, ican nano, idac, ican - all products sound very interesting.
Can you pls share pricing for all of these, and their availability?

 

[hydra]

@anm, I'll check with the D&D and post the details here.

I do remember offhand that the iDAC is 23,350.00, and that the iDSD is about 14,300.00.

 

[hydra]

@anm, these are the prices:

iDAC: Rs.23,350/-
iCAN: Rs.20,225/-

iDSD Nano: Rs.14,760/-
iCAN Nano: Rs.13,200/-

I'm told the iDAC & the iCAN are in stock. The two "Nano" devices are currently out of stock, but it seems they can be supplied within 2 weeks of their receiving an order.