iFi Pro iDSD Reviews

the new iDSD revision is high on my list to hear at RMAF 2019.
that being said, if iFi adherence to retail/distributor markup chain was ever broken, resulting in a price near $2000-
the iDSD might make a good AIO for a work desk set up.

 

Big thanks to @iFi audio for making this unit available to us.


I’ve heard some good things about iFi’s products and the Burr Brown DACs, but I’ve never actually heard one. So when the opportunity came up to have a Pro iDSD on loaner, I jumped on to get my ears on one, if nothing for the experience alone (still a huge, not-golden-eared noob here, and probably will be for life).


Kind of like the Matrix X-Sabre Pro MQA (*note: when I say X-Sabre Pro in this post, I’m referring to the MQA version*), the Pro iDSD is a lot smaller than I originally thought it was. It’s kind of cute actually. Not quite as heavy (and presumably overbuilt/overengineered) as the X-Sabre Pro, but certainly still built solidly. And before anyone asks, no, I don’t plan on opening it up for pictures.


Packaging feels good and it seems to be fairly safe through shipping. I kind of wish the included USB cord was longer, but not a dealbreaker by any means.


Now, setting up the Pro iDSD from a PC source via USB concerns me because it doesn't strike me as something that the not-so-tech-savvy will be able to easily do. The manual and website are not clear about downloading the drivers/firmware for the unit, so I’ll include my instructions for Windows 10 here:

1. Plug in the unit (duh)
   
   
2. After Windows 10 finishes setting up the device, go to the iFi website and download the USB Audio Class 2.0 driver (https://ifi-audio.com/downloads/). Take a note of where you installed the software.
   
   
3. After this is done installing, go to the tab on the same webpage called “Pro iDSD firmware” and click on it. Scroll to the bottom of the page and download the Windows version of the firmware. Make sure to select “save” when downloading AND keep note of where you saved the file!!!
   
   
4. Find the file of the USB Audio Class 2.0 driver (should be iFi > USB_HD_Audio_Driver) and open the application via the executable file called “iFiHDUSBAudio_dfuapp”. Now, in the application, it should give you an option to load the firmware file you downloaded in the last step. Load the file.
   
   
5. If everything goes well, the software will tell you that the firmware successfully. The Pro iDSD will appear to turn off and then restart. You should be good after this.
   
   
6. Go back to USB_HD_Audio_Driver file in step 4 and launch the executable called “iFiHDUSBAudio_cpl”. Here, you’ll be able to select some settings for the Pro iDSD.

It’s worth noting here that the XMOS XU216 USB rocks. It’s the same USB used in the X-Sabre Pro MQA.


Switching inputs is a breeze with the knob on the left. Just select the right one and go.

The small knob on the left side applies different filters. Personally, I used the Bit Perfect setting. I briefly tried the other filters, but didn’t really like them.


It’s worth noting that the selector in the front to switch between solid state, tube, and what iFi calls tube+ determines whether the tube is present in the chain regardless of using the headphone-outs or the rear outputs. Personally, I liked the Tube+ mode the best overall regardless of using the Pro iDSD as a standalone or using the balanced-out to a Liquid Platinum, and thus when I talk about the sound I’ll be referring to the Tube+ mode unless explicitly stated otherwise (I’ll explain more later in this write-up). The tube circuit automatically turns off after a set time if you select the solid state output.


Speaking of the output, if you use the rear outputs keep in mind that the default fixed setting is ~4.6 V and the pro fixed setting is ~11.2 V. Setting the output to variable means the volume knob can be used to control the level of output (like a preamp). Make sure your amp can handle the relative output.


If it’s not obvious by now, there’s a ton of features on the Pro iDSD and not nearly enough time for me to explore every single one; however, I definitely plan on checking out the streaming function and will report back either by editing this post or a new post (I’m not sure which you all prefer).


The Pro iDSD takes about a day for the DAC chips to warm up. Any perceived differences between 24 hours to 48+ hours seem to be placebo at best. When its cold, it sounds kind of flat and lifeless, and the stage just sucks. Just make sure you select the SS output to avoid wearing the tube out unnecessarily.


Using the X-Sabre Pro MQA as my reference, the Pro iDSD sounds fuller and more tone-dense. This seemingly comes at the expense of a small amount of the X-Sabre Pro’s ability to separate and dissect sound, but really, it’s a difference in presentation. In particularly busy passages of music, the Pro iDSD can get a bit congested, whereas the X-Sabre Pro never seems to falter. This more dense timbre does extremely well with classical pieces where it’s mostly a quiet instrumental solo, like some violin or piano pieces; which is where the X-Sabre Pro almost runs the risk of sounding thin in comparison.


The tonality is quite good. If the X-Sabre Pro is accepted as neutral, than the Pro iDSD seems to have a slightly warm tilt, although I could be misinterpreting this because of the more dense timbre. Slam seems similar between the two DACs. However, I can definitely say that it does seem to lack a little in the very last octave for air and space. This manifests itself in different ways; for example, in the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra’s rendition of “Now We Are Free,” with the Pro iDSD, the low strings and percussion sounds fuller and more present in the song, whereas the X-Sabre Pro brings more of the shaker and the metallic percussion hits forward. The Pro iDSD, however, has more body in vocals, giving it the edge in more vocal-centric tracks over the X-Sabre Pro unless the music passage is busy; then the X-Sabre Pro's ability to separate sounds comes to its own.


The one area where I think the iDSD falls short of the X-Sabre Pro is dynamics and transients. Simply, it isn’t as speedy and doesn’t seem to hit the dynamics as much as the X-Sabre Pro; it’s a wee soft and a bit slower. However, the X-Sabre Pro is a bit overzealous in these areas, so perhaps the iDSD is more correct. I’m unfortunately too inexperienced to really say which one is better here, although my preferences lean strongly towards the X-Sabre Pro in this area.


In terms of detail and resolution, the two don’t seem to be far apart, with the X-Sabre Pro just edging out the Pro iDSD. However, my transport is…..utterly garbage, so someone who has better transports that make these DACs scale will be able to give better insight. The presentation of the details differs greatly between the two DACs; the X-Sabre Pro tends to bring the details more forward, more in-your-face if you will. It is worth noting that the Pro iDSD did not make me feel like I was missing anything.


Staging and imaging is alright. It’s smaller than the X-Sabre Pro in all directions and is also more laid-back, and can’t really pull that “holographic” thing. On top of this, I don’t feel the center is quite as stable and focused as the X-Sabre Pro. However, the images of the various instruments have more substance, rather than being “thin” like the X-Sabre Pro.


Now, all the above was done with the Pro iDSD hooked up to my Liquid Platinum. However, since it’s relevant here I did some listening with the built-in headphone-out. Overall, it’s certainly not bad and has decent synergy with the DAC section. Compared to having the Liquid Platinum take care of amplification needs, the Pro iDSD loses in almost all sonic areas: stage becomes flatter, the top octave becomes more rolled-off, and it becomes slightly veiled (I do mean slightly). Using the tube or solid state mode seems to make it less veiled, but at the cost of making the sound not-involving and kind of boring (this seems true regardless of using an external amp or not, which makes sense since the headphone-out and line-out use the same line driver, thus the tube/SS is always going to be utilized). Tube+ does seem to be the way to go. The headphone-out is certainly not bad and even has great synergy with my LCD-3; just know that it’s probably only going to give about 85-90% of the performance.


Overall, I’m quite impressed with the iFi Pro iDSD and can comfortably recommend it. It has a ton of features and also is sonically very capable.

 

For some reason the option to use the Bit Perfect+ filter doesn't pop up with the USB input from my PC. Perhaps my source is so shitty the Pro iDSD is just like "heck no!!!!"

Just quickly experimented with it by streaming from my phone (it pops up then, wtf?). It sucks, although this is probably because my phone is streaming shit quality files.

 

Just a quick note on the Pro iDSD's streaming function. It works and is noticeably easier to setup properly than on the PC, but it's still a bit confusing.

Steps:

1. Download MUZO Player app onto device. Don't open the app quite yet
2. Connect device to the "wifi" from the Pro iDSD (I forget the exact name, but it's called something like iFi_Pro_iDSD_somethingoranother)
3. Open MUZO. It should automatically connect.
4. Afterwards, connect back to your regular wifi. You should now be able to directly stream to the Pro iDSD using the MUZO app.

Overall, it works without hiccups. It sucks that you can't change the sampling rate or anything, but perhaps that's just being greedy and asking for way too much.

You can stream from a decent number of services, including Tidal and Spotify, but personally I use Amazon Music for those needs, which isn't supported. Luckily, you can play music that's downloaded onto your phone, so I quick grabbed some files off Amazon to play. No, they're not FLAC and are probably compressed to hell and back, but hey, it's something.

Sonically, it sounds more....mid-fi. Not sure how to explain it. Somewhat veiled, less dynamic, less "clear." It works in a pinch when I don't want to turn the PC on, but the problem is that I usually have no problems turning the PC on. I'm definitely not the target user for this function. Unsure of how much this would scale with a better file format, but gut instinct tells me that it would only squeeze out a couple more percent. This is because I did do some listening by streaming Amazon Music from my PC, and it sounds way better through this medium.

 

This isn't going to change based on headphone used because it's a characteristic of the Pro iDSD, not the headphones. But to answer your question yes. Also was consistent among other headphones used but not mentioned. Some headphones brought out one difference more than others (AKG K7XX comes to mind).

Edit: I think I did AKG a disservice here by not mentioning the K7XX + Pro iDSD headphone-out. It actually has really good synergy. Thoroughly enjoying the pairing. By extension, I surmise that headphones with a very open, airy presentation might benefit from the Pro iDSD's thick sound.

 

At risk of posting a ton in this thread and being noisy, I thought I'd share a final update/verdict on the iFi Pro iDSD (as my time with the loaner unit is coming to a close).

In no particular order, stream of consciousness style:

• The more I listen to this DAC, the more I'm convinced that it's in the same ballpark as the X-Sabre Pro MQA. They're both fabulous in different ways and honestly, I'd be extremely happy with either one. That being said, the questions would come down to which presentation is preferred and how much the features of the Pro iDSD are worth to you. If you like streaming and have need/use of the other features, the Pro iDSD has more value than the X-Sabre Pro MQA. It's also worth reiterating that the headphone-out really isn't bad.
• The way it layers sounds is probably the single biggest difference between it and the X-Sabre Pro MQA. The X-Sabre Pro MQA almost sounds like it's playing several different fundamental tones, which probably contributes to the feeling that this DAC is for people who like neat gin. The Pro iDSD melds things together without turning into poo.
• With the above point, the details can sometimes get more blurred with the Pro iDSD. Oftentimes, they're there, it's just hard to hear at times. This makes busy passages sound a bit congested at times, but I wouldn't say that it gets to the point of detracting from the experience. It certainly isn't something that I really noticed until some back-to-back comparisons.
  
• The Pro iDSD has this interesting stage where it feels like you're sitting above the music and hearing it from more below. Almost like an auditorium with stadium seating. This being said, the X-Sabre Pro MQA is better at sounding more "holographic" and open/spacey in the stage, but the Pro iDSD really does seem to have images with more "meat" in them, making it sound a bit more believable.
• A chain with the Pro iDSD + Liquid Platinum + HD 6XX synergized extremely well. They really played to each other's strengths. The midrange in particular was unbelievably good, combining the Pro iDSD's more romantic, thicker timbre to the Cavalli midrange of the Liquid Platinum to the already great presentation of the HD 6XX. It makes me think that the Pro iDSD might be a better match for dynamic driver headphones like the HD 6XX, or potentially ZMF cans, but sadly I only really have the HD 6XX and then some planar magnetics, so I can't test this.

I truly do mean I'd be happy with either the Pro iDSD or the Matrix X-Sabre Pro MQA.

Edit: I'd recommend this to people who find the X-Sabre Pro MQA a bit sterile; however, people who prioritize soundstage will probably find some other DACs to be better. Nevertheless, definitely worthy of a spot on anyone's DAC audition list.

 

I should have reworded my statement and will edit that post a bit. I was thinking of "in direct comparison to X-Sabre Pro." Soundstage certainly isn't bad on Pro iDSD, if just further away than I'm used to/prefer.