BillsonChang007
Headphoneus Supremus
One more month till the release!
Those features are amazing as well xD
Those features are amazing as well xD
iDSD micro Black Label. Tour details (page 147). Release info (page 153).
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Garraty
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One more month till the release!
Those features are amazing as well xD
Really? What's the exact date and where did you get this info? Sorry, just curious.
OddJobs
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Really? What's the exact date and where did you get this info? Sorry, just curious.
Read Post #667
Garraty
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Super Duper Features 1.5
Direct/Pre-Amp output
On the micro iDSD, you will be able to select:
This is easy enough to understand and appreciate.
But we wanted to shed a little more light on what lies beneath......
ALPS Micro Switches – straight from Japan
For all iFi products, we use micro switches for various settings and adjustments.
Although they are good quality and robust, they are not the most user-friendly type of control in the world. We are always thinking of how to make things better, even a tiny switch such as this.
In the micro iDSD, for the - the Filter switch, the power modes (oops did a Britney), the Direct/Pre-Amp and one more selection type, we have moved over to a more user-friendly type micro switch. The new switch is very, very nice, directly from Japan – ALPS. The reason why we choose ALPS is simple: we tested more than 30 switches from various suppliers, from USA, Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan, China. The ALPS ones came out on top.
Those new switches have pure silver plated copper contacts, less than 0.07ohm contact resistance.
In order to use those ALPS switches, we have to add a cap to the tiny switch toggle (~1mm wide!), otherwise it will not be usable. For this cap, we had to commission an ABS injection tooling mould, and then to further improve the usability, we coated each cap with a layer of rubber.
The Volume Pot – made to iFi spec
The volume pot (potentiometer) is often one of the most overlooked components yet it also presents a potential "weakest link" where the audio path is concerned.
Many designs use the latest and the most expensive DACs currently available, but when one looks closer, one will find the circuit is equipped with a generic pot and as is quite often the case, a digital volume control.
On paper, a digital volume control seems very good but in practice, unless the volume control is 100% all of the time, the music file.will be truncated when the digital volume control is less than 100%.
Better volume pot designs use reputable pots from ALPS. For us, even the pots from ALPS did not suffice. So we commissioned our very own custom pots (shared across the iFi range).
Below is a simple comparison table of the pots commonly used:
There you have it, even for a simple selector switch or regular volume control, there is a complex story behind it.
Direct/Pre-Amp output
On the micro iDSD, you will be able to select:
Direct" (bypass)
OR
"Pre-Amp output" (using the analogue volume control).
This is easy enough to understand and appreciate.
But we wanted to shed a little more light on what lies beneath......
ALPS Micro Switches – straight from Japan
For all iFi products, we use micro switches for various settings and adjustments.
Although they are good quality and robust, they are not the most user-friendly type of control in the world. We are always thinking of how to make things better, even a tiny switch such as this.
In the micro iDSD, for the - the Filter switch, the power modes (oops did a Britney), the Direct/Pre-Amp and one more selection type, we have moved over to a more user-friendly type micro switch. The new switch is very, very nice, directly from Japan – ALPS. The reason why we choose ALPS is simple: we tested more than 30 switches from various suppliers, from USA, Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan, China. The ALPS ones came out on top.
Those new switches have pure silver plated copper contacts, less than 0.07ohm contact resistance.
In order to use those ALPS switches, we have to add a cap to the tiny switch toggle (~1mm wide!), otherwise it will not be usable. For this cap, we had to commission an ABS injection tooling mould, and then to further improve the usability, we coated each cap with a layer of rubber.
The Volume Pot – made to iFi spec
The volume pot (potentiometer) is often one of the most overlooked components yet it also presents a potential "weakest link" where the audio path is concerned.
Many designs use the latest and the most expensive DACs currently available, but when one looks closer, one will find the circuit is equipped with a generic pot and as is quite often the case, a digital volume control.
On paper, a digital volume control seems very good but in practice, unless the volume control is 100% all of the time, the music file.will be truncated when the digital volume control is less than 100%.
Better volume pot designs use reputable pots from ALPS. For us, even the pots from ALPS did not suffice. So we commissioned our very own custom pots (shared across the iFi range).
Below is a simple comparison table of the pots commonly used:
There you have it, even for a simple selector switch or regular volume control, there is a complex story behind it.
Cool, so in preamp output mode will both the RCAs and the headphone out be active? Would plugging in headphones cut off the RCA output? The scenario I'm thinking of would be running the iDSD directly into powered monitors through the RCAs but still being able to use the headphone out without turning off the monitors.
kugino
Headphoneus Supremus
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Not sure how it will be implemented on the micro, but on the nano both outputs are not active at the same time.
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Hi,
Both line out and HP out remain active. So you can have your wish.
With regards to 3D and XBass, in direct mode, these are bypassed.
But in pre-amp mode, 3D and XBass can both be engaged (if so desired).
Thanks
kugino
Headphoneus Supremus
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roamling
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With your questions and our answers, we are moving in a certain direction.
We had to re-jig the features/announcements. So here you go.
Super Duper Feature 1.6
3D Holographic for Headphones(i)/Speakers(ii)
Section i: Background to 3D Holographic for Headphones
Recordings are by and large, made for speakers. By definition, when listening on headphones, you get the "Kylie sensation."
Put politely, this really irks the human brain as it is not "normal."
Explanation
Human hearing needs a "mix" of left and right. Not purely left in left and right in right. There are numerous solutions available such as JRMC that use Digital Signal Processing (DSP).
There are two drawbacks:
1. The signal is no longer Bit-Perfect.
2. Simple crossfeed does not fully address what the human hearing is missing.
How 3D for Headphones benefits the listener
Solution: The iFi solution for some time has been 3D Holographic for Headphones.
This is an Analogue Signal Processing circuit (ASP) that retains the integrity of the audio signal getting the sound back out of the head + gives the sense forward spaciousness. More akin to this.
More reading here:
http://ifi-audio.com/wp-content/uploads/data/3DHolographic.pdf
Section ii: Background to 3D Holographic for Speakers
Recordings are usually carried out in "free space." Slight problem here because when we listen, we listen with ears either side of a head (no funny quips). While upper and middle frequencies are received well, low frequencies are not as they are blocked by the head, this is called the "acoustic shadow."
Alan Blumlein, the "father of stereo" is someone few people in audio have heard of, but he is revered in pro audio circles. Alan Blumlein lived a short but very eventful life and due to his early death at the age of 38 in a Wellington bomber crash during WWII in 1942, his prolific work on recordings and radar (among other works) never truly received the recognition they deserved as his death was hushed up by the government (time of war).
This is a fascinating read:
(not excessively technical but interesting anecdotes throughout).
But we digress. AMR/iFi is not the first to point this out as there have been past solutions.
Explanation
The thorny issue of “stereo sound perception” is well-documented in the recording field. The following are a few well-known examples but all these approaches are fundamentally limited due to a paucity of such recordings made using these components:
1. Faulkner Microphone Array[1]: Tony Faulkner[2]; one of the most well-known British recording engineers developed this recording solution which drew upon Alan Blumlein’s work.
Source: www.evi.com
2. Binaural recordings[3]: As the human head “listens” with ears located either side of a physical head, the Neumann K-100 microphone for commercial dummy head microphone mimics this for professional binaural recordings. This approach is aimed squarely at headphone playback.
Source: http://www.kallbinauralaudio.com
3. Jecklin Disk[4]: was invented by Jürg Jecklin a former Swiss recording sound engineer and chief of Swiss radio who is now teaching at the University for Music and Performing Arts in Vienna. His solution documented in his technical paper[5] is a descendant of the baffled microphone technique initially described by Alan Blumlein in his 1931 patent. A more recent refinement of this design is the Schneider Disk[6].
Source: http://www.indecentmusic.com/img/blog/drum-mics/overheads-jecklin-ew.jpg
[1] http//www.sengpielaudio.com/TonyFaulknerPhasedArray01Engl.pdf
[2] http://www.analogplanet.com/content/veteran-recording-engineer-tony-faulkner-goes-back-analog-0
[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binaural_recording
[4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jecklin_Disk
[5] http://www.mdw.ac.at/I101/iea/tm/scripts/jecklin/tt03mikrofon.pdf
[6] http://www.core-sound.com/jecklin/1.php
There are numerous others such as the EMI Shuffler[7].
[7] http://www.phaedrus-audio.com/stereosonic.pdf
How 3D for Speakers benefits the listener
The micro iDSD's 3D HolographicSound® System for Speakers (as used in the iTUBE) is an “outside of the box” solution as it resolves this fundamental issue once and for all - for ALL recordings during the playback process.
Hifi speakers implemented well, typically always convey upper frequencies well with accurate tones and placement is easily “perceived”. Low frequencies are less well-defined and perception of their location is not as good as with higher frequency instruments.
The 3D Holographic Sound® setting with simply puts the bass back where it belongs, leaving the rest untouched. Like this:
More reading here:
http://ifi-audio.com/wp-content/uploads/data/iTubeTechpaper2_3DHolographic.pdf
On the micro iDSD to use each of these totally different circuits:
i. 3D for Headphones can be engaged through the 6.3mm jack.
ii. 3D for Speakers can be engaged through the RCA outputs.
Thanks.
We had to re-jig the features/announcements. So here you go.
Super Duper Feature 1.6
3D Holographic for Headphones(i)/Speakers(ii)
Section i: Background to 3D Holographic for Headphones
Recordings are by and large, made for speakers. By definition, when listening on headphones, you get the "Kylie sensation."
Put politely, this really irks the human brain as it is not "normal."
Explanation
Human hearing needs a "mix" of left and right. Not purely left in left and right in right. There are numerous solutions available such as JRMC that use Digital Signal Processing (DSP).
There are two drawbacks:
1. The signal is no longer Bit-Perfect.
2. Simple crossfeed does not fully address what the human hearing is missing.
How 3D for Headphones benefits the listener
Solution: The iFi solution for some time has been 3D Holographic for Headphones.
This is an Analogue Signal Processing circuit (ASP) that retains the integrity of the audio signal getting the sound back out of the head + gives the sense forward spaciousness. More akin to this.
More reading here:
http://ifi-audio.com/wp-content/uploads/data/3DHolographic.pdf
Section ii: Background to 3D Holographic for Speakers
Recordings are usually carried out in "free space." Slight problem here because when we listen, we listen with ears either side of a head (no funny quips). While upper and middle frequencies are received well, low frequencies are not as they are blocked by the head, this is called the "acoustic shadow."
Alan Blumlein, the "father of stereo" is someone few people in audio have heard of, but he is revered in pro audio circles. Alan Blumlein lived a short but very eventful life and due to his early death at the age of 38 in a Wellington bomber crash during WWII in 1942, his prolific work on recordings and radar (among other works) never truly received the recognition they deserved as his death was hushed up by the government (time of war).
This is a fascinating read:
(not excessively technical but interesting anecdotes throughout).
But we digress. AMR/iFi is not the first to point this out as there have been past solutions.
Explanation
The thorny issue of “stereo sound perception” is well-documented in the recording field. The following are a few well-known examples but all these approaches are fundamentally limited due to a paucity of such recordings made using these components:
1. Faulkner Microphone Array[1]: Tony Faulkner[2]; one of the most well-known British recording engineers developed this recording solution which drew upon Alan Blumlein’s work.
Source: www.evi.com
2. Binaural recordings[3]: As the human head “listens” with ears located either side of a physical head, the Neumann K-100 microphone for commercial dummy head microphone mimics this for professional binaural recordings. This approach is aimed squarely at headphone playback.
Source: http://www.kallbinauralaudio.com
3. Jecklin Disk[4]: was invented by Jürg Jecklin a former Swiss recording sound engineer and chief of Swiss radio who is now teaching at the University for Music and Performing Arts in Vienna. His solution documented in his technical paper[5] is a descendant of the baffled microphone technique initially described by Alan Blumlein in his 1931 patent. A more recent refinement of this design is the Schneider Disk[6].
Source: http://www.indecentmusic.com/img/blog/drum-mics/overheads-jecklin-ew.jpg
[1] http//www.sengpielaudio.com/TonyFaulknerPhasedArray01Engl.pdf
[2] http://www.analogplanet.com/content/veteran-recording-engineer-tony-faulkner-goes-back-analog-0
[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binaural_recording
[4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jecklin_Disk
[5] http://www.mdw.ac.at/I101/iea/tm/scripts/jecklin/tt03mikrofon.pdf
[6] http://www.core-sound.com/jecklin/1.php
There are numerous others such as the EMI Shuffler[7].
[7] http://www.phaedrus-audio.com/stereosonic.pdf
How 3D for Speakers benefits the listener
The micro iDSD's 3D HolographicSound® System for Speakers (as used in the iTUBE) is an “outside of the box” solution as it resolves this fundamental issue once and for all - for ALL recordings during the playback process.
Hifi speakers implemented well, typically always convey upper frequencies well with accurate tones and placement is easily “perceived”. Low frequencies are less well-defined and perception of their location is not as good as with higher frequency instruments.
The 3D Holographic Sound® setting with simply puts the bass back where it belongs, leaving the rest untouched. Like this:
More reading here:
http://ifi-audio.com/wp-content/uploads/data/iTubeTechpaper2_3DHolographic.pdf
On the micro iDSD to use each of these totally different circuits:
i. 3D for Headphones can be engaged through the 6.3mm jack.
ii. 3D for Speakers can be engaged through the RCA outputs.
Thanks.
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Sounds like its going to be a killer! Amazing features!
roamling
100+ Head-Fier
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micro iCan meets micro iTube, This thing is bursting with features...there is a phrase in German for that "eierlegende Wollmilchsau"....
here a quote from Wikipedia for all non German Speakers:
An all-in-one device or person which has (or claims to have) only positive attributes and which can (or attempts to) do the work of several specialized tools.
Literally "egg-laying wool-milk-sow", from the earlier "eierlegendes und milchgebendes Wollschwein". The concept of a "Schwein, / das Merinowolle trägt / und dazu noch Eier legt", a "pig / that bears merino wool / and furthermore lays eggs, too"
and here in more graphic terms:
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micro iCan meets micro iTube, This thing is bursting with features...there is a phrase in German for that "eierlegende Wollmilchsau"....
here a quote from Wikipedia for all non German Speakers:
An all-in-one device or person which has (or claims to have) only positive attributes and which can (or attempts to) do the work of several specialized tools.
Literally "egg-laying wool-milk-sow", from the earlier "eierlegendes und milchgebendes Wollschwein". The concept of a "Schwein, / das Merinowolle trägt / und dazu noch Eier legt", a "pig / that bears merino wool / and furthermore lays eggs, too"
and here in more graphic terms:
Danke sehr!
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