Ifi Micro IDSD Black Label

Discussion in 'Headphone Amplifiers and Combo (DAC/Amp) Units' started by Cellist88, Dec 6, 2016.

  1. Logan Ross

    Logan Ross New

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    That makes sense. Lets arrange something.

     
  2. loplop

    loplop Acquaintance

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    @Torq I'll bring home my Fostex TH-X00 PH this weekend for a listen with the iDSD BL, and pay particular attention to treble splash.

    One additional piece of info: I received an iDSD nano LE I purchased for a friend, and although this is a slightly different/newer unit from the iDSD nano @Marvey mentioned, a quick listen immediately made me think it's voiced quite differently from the Micro series. I'd say Marvey's characterization matches my quick findings, at the very least is is certain it is more polite than the Micro iDSD BL.

    I'd say the nano LE and Micro BL are quite a different kettle of fish. I'm not judging better or worse, mind, just different.
     
  3. TjH

    TjH New

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    I have the non bL version right now, about 30+ ish hours of use. I am finding a lot of the "splashy treble sensation" (as you put it, honestly I've been trying to put into words what I'm hearing and I'm bad at it, so thank you for that). Does your point about burn in and that going away still apply? Secondly, and more annoyingly DEAR GOD the noise floor, it feels like I'm listening to bad vinyl or tape recordings. A constant "kkkkkk" (thats 'k' as in lochness as a scot says it, if that makes sense). And though I love the 3d switch on some songs (exactly as you mentioned) it makes the noise floor much worse.

    It really IS the dac though, I used the analogue in from another dac and my phone, as well as out to amp to my e18 and it switching the amp around didn't make a difference as far as I could tell.

    Basically I'm wondering if either will go away (especially the noise floor, the other one does really seem to be a burn in issue), or if I should just return the idsd micro and get a mojo or smthg (I got hte idsd micro because after Headphones and recabling etc I'm quite poor till next month).
     
  4. TjH

    TjH New

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    A little off topic, but I did a double take when I saw this:

    "to drink it cold is to drink it right. Never taste the Sake hot". WHAT, that is BLATANTLY false. Sake is one of the most temperature dependent alcoholic beverages I know and each one has a different optimal setting. I once drank a really well received daiginjo (can't recall the name) that was meant to be served HOT, and I drank it cold because the waitress wasn't very good: and it was HORRIBLE. Heated it up, and it was awesome! I keep a local cali made/sourced sake at home, it's not the best buts it's pretty good ginjo and anyone I've given it to has mentioned it tastes a bit worse if they let it cool down to room temperature.
     
  5. Wfojas

    Wfojas Friend

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    @Torq I've noticed the sound signature of the prior ifi iDSD change depending on the amp output setting, with loud being detailed but harsh. Is that still true with the BL? Totally agree with your insight on value only valid if you used all the functionality.

    For giggles, drive it with the power off from the coax and set the Dac out to an amp, and listen to it. This only works with 44/16 but it used to be an interesting detailed soft sound, like a mellower Mojo, iirc.
     
  6. TjH

    TjH New

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    That sounds awesome btw. Sorry though: but what does "drive it with the power off" mean?
     
  7. loplop

    loplop Acquaintance

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    I'm not hearing splashy treble anymore, I have about 350 hours on mine now.

    The noise floor should be extremely low. Did you buy this unit new? I'd return for another if you are feeding it from a known good source. I've had 3 defective ifi products lately... their initial QC has been disappointing.

    The 3D switch does brighten the treble region; if there's excessive noise in that region, it would indeed become more prominent.
     
  8. TjH

    TjH New

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    Yea bought it new, off of amazon.
    Unfortunately I'm travelling to asia for a month or so, hopefully I can still return it after? The other thought was ofc, that I'm listening to my music too loud, or louder than it was designed for? Not sure, I'm just hoping for something that makes RMA unncesary cuz I don't like RMAing things.

    Edit: That's awesome to hear about the treble splash being gone. The weird thing was, both the noise floor thing and the treble splash appeared only a few hours IN around the same time and together, not from the get go. (In fact my first thought was that I hit something or jerked something and broke something inside).
     
    Last edited: Jan 15, 2017
  9. gixxerwimp

    gixxerwimp Professional tricycle rider

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    I've had the iDSD silver for a while and there's always been practically zero noise. I'm listening right now with Andromedas and iEMatch on High. Music paused and volume maxed, no noise of any kind. I think Amazon has a 30 return policy. That's probably easier than dealing with RMA.
     
  10. loplop

    loplop Acquaintance

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    @TjH that certainly sounds like something went awry. I'd return to Amazon. Usually once you start a return you have 30 days to send it back.

    I've taken my iDSD a fair amount of places, I think they're durable... once you get a good one. Ifi seems to have poor initial QC, and perhaps units that fail soon after purchase (another iDSD failed earlier in this thread), but seem reliable if they make it through that period. Not ideal, but I really like mine, and I'd buy again even knowing that.

    FWIW, I had an iDAC2 arrive defective, I returned to Amazon no problem and just ordered a new one the same day. That's the quickest way. Hopefully you could do that before your trip, as an iDSD sure would be a nice travel companion!
     
  11. gixxerwimp

    gixxerwimp Professional tricycle rider

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    My iDAC2 arrived with its filter settings upside down. Took me a while to convince them of it but they sent me a new one. They said it was a firmware issue but that seems strange given it's a physical switch.
     
  12. TjH

    TjH New

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    I talked to amazon and they said they'll put an exception so I can return it after I'm back (in about a month). In the meantime: There's no noise when the music is PAUSED, oddly enough, however there's just a lot of staticy type of noise (noise that is severely increased by use of the "3d" switch) in the background of a lot of tracks (the kind you hear on bad recording or something).

    Man, I wish I'd realised to return this a week ago. At any rate, I can't now till i come back in a month or so. :(. Maybe it will disappear?

    Your iDAC did WHAT? and they said WHAT? That's along the lines of those "download this software and to increase your RAM" things. Geez. LOL.
     
    Last edited: Jan 15, 2017
  13. loplop

    loplop Acquaintance

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    That's disappointing.

    For posterity/nervosa prevention for others that buy a BL or iDAC; you can easily test if the switch is installed properly. Fire up some DSD, start at Extreme and flip back through Extended and then Standard. Extreme will have the least volume, standard the most. You'll hear this clearly.

    That will not disappear. Do yourself a favor and get a new one. The iDSD BL should be very quiet and easy to listen to for long periods.

    @Torq : I'm listening to my TH-X00 PH's on the Black Label and I had a thought: which PCM filter do you prefer?
     
  14. Kattefjaes

    Kattefjaes Mostly Harmless

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    This is starting to read like a more extreme version of trying to get a working Fulla 2. (Mine sees mobile devices, I fixed the mis-aligned USB sockets, but still get noise when turning the pot- that's liveable, though). Something as pricey and established as the iFi stuff should Just Work, though.
     
  15. gixxerwimp

    gixxerwimp Professional tricycle rider

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    IIRC, it was only the PCM filter settings that were reversed. I think they were correct for DSD. So maybe it was a firmware issue after all. But still ...

    I find that for PCM "Bit-Perfect" takes the edge off the highs a bit. I find that name ironic though. One would think "Standard" should be the most unadulterated, but then I don't know what those filters actually do.
     
  16. Wfojas

    Wfojas Friend

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    Now I just thought about it, I think I was using it USB in, coax out, with the power turned off at the ifi to get this effect, and is powered from the USB voltage from the source. The ifi DAC is turned off, but it's will still pass the data through.
     
  17. gixxerwimp

    gixxerwimp Professional tricycle rider

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    With the power turned off and USB plugged in it should be in charging mode. Interesting that the pass through to S/PDIF still works, and if so it's basically acting as a DDC. You noticed a change in sound character? My only other DAC is the iDAC2 which only has coax out and is powered by USB only (no off setting), so I can't try this for myself.

    Edit: Now we finally have a general micro iDSD thread |\/|
     
  18. loplop

    loplop Acquaintance

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    PCM bit perfect definitely rolls off the highs. There's a rudimentary measurement on this page:
    http://www.inearmatters.net/2015/04/impression-ifi-audio-micro-idsd.html

    -1.5db down @ 15k, -3.5db down at 20k.

    That's why I asked @Torq about his preferred PCM setting. I very well could be missing treble splash if I'm listening in Bit Perfect and he's listening in Standard.

    FWIW, I usually use Bit Perfect for PCM, followed by Minimum Phase. Rarely Standard.

    For DSD, I usually use Extended, followed by Extreme if I want a smoother sound.

    Bit Perfect aims for a perfect impulse/time response, at the expense of high frequency rolloff seen above. Ifi claims no pre or post ringing. MP should have little pre-ringing, with more post-dining. Standard should be equal pre and post ringing.

    As I mentioned earlier, I really like ifi's Bit Perfect filter for a lot of music. It sounds very natural to my ear. I'm high frequency sensitive, anyway, so a little less up there doesn't bug me.
     
  19. TjH

    TjH New

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    Yea so I just used it on the plane and it was annoying. Got amazon to let me return for refund when I'm back. Can't afford the BL tbh, same reason I didn't get mojo. Btw what do you think of mojo vs bl if you've heard both.

    Is BL worth the extra $$s in comparison to silver?
     
  20. Wfojas

    Wfojas Friend

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    Yeah it does, but if you run something above 44.1/24 (I think) the music slows down. I was actually using it a while not realizing it was off, till something came on that was in higher resolution, then i got that effect. Just one of the (few) good things I think the idsd Micro does.
     

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