anm
Well-Known Member
portable dac+amp combo with battery - is idsd the only option? I am interested in one - can it drive senn hd650?
iFi-Audio iDAC - My impressions
- Thread starter hydra
- Start date
Thad E Ginathom
Well-Known Member
anm
Well-Known Member
hydra/ Thad - can u pls answer my question?
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That's a pretty good deal, no doubt!
anm, I missed that question altogether, I just saw it now.
Yes, the iDSD is the only option in the iFi stable that combines a DAC and a headphone amp, and has battery backup for portability. I asked the iFi people here about how well it can drive a HD650. They told me that it can drive one well enough, but not as well as the iCAN Micro.
Had you seen this thread on Head-fi? iFi Audio Nano iDSD announced
You might find more information there. I'm not at all a headphone guy, so most of this is greek and latin to me, sorry
A very interesting interview with the designer Thorsten Loesch, on audiostream.com. I got the link from the thread I posted just above:
Q&A with Thorsten Loesch of AMR/iFi | AudioStream
I skimmed it just now. Need to read it in detail later on. He talks about PCM & DSD, about the zero jitter tech in the AMR DP-777, tube buffers etc etc. Some of it is a bit involved, but it seems to be presented simply.
Q&A with Thorsten Loesch of AMR/iFi | AudioStream
I skimmed it just now. Need to read it in detail later on. He talks about PCM & DSD, about the zero jitter tech in the AMR DP-777, tube buffers etc etc. Some of it is a bit involved, but it seems to be presented simply.
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Thad E Ginathom
Well-Known Member
anm, sorry, I missed that too --- but Hydra has answered now.
Latest from ifi, for those that are building an ifi stack, is a purpose-built rack. Nice, but dubious value for money unless one has it to spend on pure cosmetics.
Latest from ifi, for those that are building an ifi stack, is a purpose-built rack. Nice, but dubious value for money unless one has it to spend on pure cosmetics.
Apparently, there's an iDSD Micro (bigger bro of the iDSD Nano, and same family as the iFi Micro iDAC reviewed on this thread) coming up in July 2014.
There's a thread running on Head-fi, where iFi is asking for design ideas & feature requests from the FMs. They say the top 10 contributors whose suggestions are adopted will receive the final product free.
T-minus 1 day! iDSD micro Crowd-Design. This DAC/HP amp is beyond awesome! Some last minute entries!
There's a thread running on Head-fi, where iFi is asking for design ideas & feature requests from the FMs. They say the top 10 contributors whose suggestions are adopted will receive the final product free.
T-minus 1 day! iDSD micro Crowd-Design. This DAC/HP amp is beyond awesome! Some last minute entries!
anm
Well-Known Member
iCan buy idsd micro if it has a battery of its own and also includes a powerful amp.
Thad E Ginathom
Well-Known Member
Hah! That's one in the eye for Neil Young, so far as business methods go. Greatly superior to expecting the public to finance your company!
Going by the rest of the Micro series, I don't think they will be incorporating a battery into the iDSD Micro. But I think an amp will most likely be part of the design, since the iDAC has an integrated HP amp.
Yup! It makes far more sense (for everybody but the manufacturer) to reward part of the potential customer-base for good product ideas, rather than make them pay for the development of the product itself!
iFi have a 4-option poll set up here, asking people about how their portable listening habits are: http://www.head-fi.org/t/711217/ids...ll-open-to-everyone-5-ipurifiers-up-for-grabs
They're giving away iPurifiers (by lottery) to 5 people who vote in that thread by April 22.
They sure love getting customer feedback!
They're giving away iPurifiers (by lottery) to 5 people who vote in that thread by April 22.
They sure love getting customer feedback!
Thad E Ginathom
Well-Known Member
They seem to love giving away their stock too. I hope they are selling enough!
I suppose I ought to join Head-fi ---although occasional, usually product specific, lurking is more than enough for me.
I suppose I ought to join Head-fi ---although occasional, usually product specific, lurking is more than enough for me.
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Nick, I placed an order for the Micro iDac today. Should receive it in a day or two since it's coming from Kochi. I'm not convinced it will be sufficient for my 650s but funds don't allow for the iCan yet. Will wait and upgrade over time.
Self quoting is like high-five-ing oneself in public but here goes nonetheless:
The DAC arrived courtesy Professional Couriers who are ANYTHING but. By far the worst courier company I have had to deal with. However, I'm not here to talk about that. I'd like to share my 2 hour impression with the ifi iDac and HD 650 combination.
I've confessed before that I'm not an experienced audiophile and cannot write in audiophile language so please bear with me. I had a two channel setup before this and my observations of the headphone rig, when compared to the stereo are:
1. The ifi, predictably, blows the SB Duet out of the water. I was from the camp that audio equipment can only be good if its in a big, bad aluminium chassis weighing a minimum of 10kgs. While I still believe that heft is a good sign of build quality, I will never let it fog my expectation of the sound a component will make. This DAC, cold out of the box, sounds fantastic! The pedigree (AMR) shines through.
2. I had spent a few hours playing the 650s off of my PC soundcard (on-board X-FI) since I had to wait for a long while to get the DAC (funds + courier) and the sound was plain-jane. It didn't even rival my M50s. However, my initial apprehension about whether the iDac could power these has been laid to rest. The iDac can easily drive the 650s with authority. While the iCan may provide better sonics, I can definitely live with just the iDac till the bug to upgrade bites again. The sound is everything I could want - loud but completely undistorted. Bass hits like a sledgehammer! Mids are sweet. I've never been able to quantify treble so I won't even try. I guess it sounds OK since nothing stands out during listening. If someone can post an exercise in understanding treble better, I'll be grateful.
I don't know if I should expect improvements with burn-in on both components. If yes, I'll be even happier! I understand that the comparison to the stereo is unfair since my speakers were too large for the room they were in and the Logitech is lo-fi at best but I would pick the headphone setup over speakers any day now. It's intimate, personal and most importantly, I can play it face-meltingly loud without incurring the wrath of the wife!
A note of appreciation for the dealer Mr Prabhu of Design Build. A very helpful and courteous gentleman who agreed a 100% refund return deal which is incredibly rare. Highly recommended products and dealership!
Professional is the most Un-Professional courier service you can ever find. If you try calling for complaint you are greeted by a voice that sounds like a small town thug.
What exactly was the refund deal? Return if you don't like it?
G0bble
reignofchaos
Well-Known Member
Yep ifi gear is extreme value for money. Also has an incredibly nice dealer/distributor in India. I was offered a no hassle audition of the iusbpower and gemini cable before I purchased the latter.
Also if you are free sometime, you should come over and listen to the big daddy AMR dac.
Thad E Ginathom
Well-Known Member
Bluu, welcome to ifi-India club! Small, as yet, but very select :lol:
I actually can't understand why they threw in a HP amp with the iDAC, and I do wonder just how much benefit there would be in adding the iCAN. I also wonder how much benefit there might be in replacing my ODAC with an iDAC --- apart from 'i' taking up less space than 'O'! I've read reviewers saying they sound very similar anyway.
The iCAN certainly has features: the bass and "3D." Sometimes they can have massive (even OTT) impact, and sometimes seem to make no difference at all. It is completely music dependent. OK, I understand that boosting the bass on music that does not have much, won't have much effect, but it seems more complex than that.
The ifi boxes are not very big, but they do not feel cheap. A stack would be smart!
I actually can't understand why they threw in a HP amp with the iDAC, and I do wonder just how much benefit there would be in adding the iCAN. I also wonder how much benefit there might be in replacing my ODAC with an iDAC --- apart from 'i' taking up less space than 'O'! I've read reviewers saying they sound very similar anyway.
The iCAN certainly has features: the bass and "3D." Sometimes they can have massive (even OTT) impact, and sometimes seem to make no difference at all. It is completely music dependent. OK, I understand that boosting the bass on music that does not have much, won't have much effect, but it seems more complex than that.
The ifi boxes are not very big, but they do not feel cheap. A stack would be smart!
Yes. Shipping was at my expense.
Sure will sdeb. When you are not using it, I'd like to borrow the iUSBpower to see what difference it makes with the iDac.
Thanks Nick! I actually think it was smart of them to add an amp to the DAC. It offers a simple one box solution for people who are either just starting out or are limited by budget. The additional features offered by the iCan are supposedly very good so they're leaving room for upgrade. A stack of these would be fantastic! I'll not mind owning the iUSBpower, the iPhono, the iTube and the iCan in a neat stack. Adding a few photos.
By the way, where can I buy a sturdy yet not terribly expensive headphone stand?
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reignofchaos
Well-Known Member
I don't have the iusbpower actually. I only have the gemini usb cable. The AMR dac does not require the usb power at all as it works with the +5V and the ground wires of the usb cable disconnected. I only have one end of the gemini (data end) plugged into my music pc. For your dac though, the usbpower should make a world of difference.
Thad E Ginathom
Well-Known Member
It's a pity we're not in the same city otherwise we could bring iDAC and iCAN together for a test. I'd like to try your 'phones too!
ifi have added a purpose-made rack too (I think this got mentioned before). Certainly a luxury purpose, but if I had a pile of these boxes, and the cash, I think it would be nice to show them off this way. On the other hand, DIYers could probably do as well for less money.
I don't know. I have a an under-the-desk headphone hanger. It's made by AT, was bought in Singapore, and I suppose a cheap hook would have done as well.
A while back, Magma had made his version of a classic design. There was a thread. Also (and probably cheapest) I've recently seen a pic in which somebody was using a mug stand for headphones!
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