[bedlam inside]

Gentleman,

My friend Gazza just told me this knees-up here is on.

This is extremely clever what you are doing. Hat off to you gent's at iFi.

Reading through the thread so far, much has me baffled me to say the least.

Balanced? What for? Naim always said the problem was not balanced or not, but those useless RCA connectors with two ground path's...

Also, sure, I know my iDAC has an ESS Sabre Chip. iFi made sure to put it in big letters on the box, so I cannot forget, even it means nothing to me.
 
My Naim CDS, I know has a Philips DAC Chipa (Gazza tells me it is a bit of a "legend").
 
My buddy John has a NAIM DAC, which has, or so I am told, Burr Brown Dac Chips, just like the iDSD nano (which I yet have to try).
 
You know what, you might as well be talking Fish & Chips instead of DAC Chips to me. Charlotte or King Edward, Pollock or Cod, no idea. I just scoff 'em after a game.

And guess what, the three different DAC Chips, I'd say make those three machines sound more alike than different (compared to a lot of other digital audio gear I have encountered). I tested the Dragonfly, which is supposed to have the same chip as my iDAC and it does not really sound a lot like the iDAC, to these ears.

And what brand is FPGA? I'm no expert, but I never heard of FPGA brand DAC chips. Are they supposed to be good? Why doesn't anyone seem to use them then? Or are they so new, no-one knows?

I think I'll leave the debate on the merits of DAC Chips alone before I hurt myself and leave it to those learned and interested in this sort of thing and stick to Fish & Chips instead.

I suspect in both cases it matters more how it's fried, not what "brand" potato it is... You should taste the stuff at that chippy off Barking Road near Upton Park. I bet you it is in the fat he fries them in, not in the taters, I suspect he ads lard, darn right tasty no matter what he does.

Bluetooth, don't get me started on bluetooth. 

After hearing the Philippe Strack's Bluetooth headphones I think I'm off bluetooth for life, except for my Jawbone Era (I will not look like that **** Joly from trigger happy TV answering my Samsung Note, okay? And with the noise levels on the Tube it would be futile anyway. I originally misheard the name as "Sick Parrot". I was a little taken with the app that let you change the sound like my iCAN's 3D sound but with more to twiddle (maybe not a good thing), but when I tried it at Selfridges with my own tunes the sound was totally pants. It was barely ok via Wire, but via Bluetooth it became subterranean and we were in the 2nd basement already! I think I heard right the first time, a sick parrot, norwegian blue no less.

Ok, my wishlist for iDSD?

Dear iFi Father of Half Time Christmas.

Please bring me for this years Half-Time Christmas on the 24th of June or earlier:

An iDSD that sound more like my NAIM CDS for CD file replay (the NAIM CDS still is better than the iDAC),

an iDSD with a headphone amp that can drive my Audeze LCD-2 really well and has a 6.3mm jack (the iDAC Amp is great for lesser headphones, but not for the Audeze),

an iDSD with 3D Sound (and maybe X-Bass too, as many headphones need it, including my antique Micro MX-1 Electrostatics) I love that one on my iCAN.

an iDSD with a Battery, a big one please, to last many hours, at least Heathrow to Changi or Chek Lap Kok (I am going to do a lot of flying that way soon), if not London to Sydney.

an iDSD that plays directly with my Galaxy Note (the iDAC micro is about right in size, but no battery) without three different silly cables and adapters. If not, throw in a cable that makes it work directly and one for Apple iPhone too, we are paying enough as it is, ok? 

an IDSD that I can Dock with my Galaxy Note and not using rubber bands, okay!? (I looked at photos of the iDSD nano, rubber-bands, what's next?),

an iDSD with a DC Socket and SPDIF in would be nice, I have kit around my house in other rooms (even the Kitchen) that could use a nice and affordable DAC that takes SPDIF (cannot afford a NAIM DAC for every room even with my upcoming promotion). Not sure if that can be combined with making it portable. The iDSD mini looks like it may a better choice in terms of home use, but it looks expensive as well.

So, if you do at least some of these, I'll promise to support the Hammers at all games when I'm in the UK and be a nice casual and not get into rude stuff when I do.

Deal?

Coming to think of it, let me add another one.

Can you make the iDSD charge my Samsung Note when playing? You should have a lot of space for a battery, so put in a really big one (the pieces of fluff like a really big one too). I find phone is always flat at the end of the day if I play a lot of music on tube and and on the train. So, make it give my Phone some juice, will you?

Then I'll be really good and cheer the Hammers to take the Gunners up to the arsenal every time they play them, for life, even if I have to fly back from Singapore (where I will be spending a lot more time soon) for the game.

Cheers Rich

 

[x838nwy]

Gentleman,


My friend Gazza just told me this knees-up here is on.


This is extremely clever what you are doing. Hat off to you gent's at iFi.


Reading through the thread so far, much has me baffled me to say the least.


Balanced? What for? Naim always said the problem was not balanced or not, but those useless RCA connectors with two ground path's...


Also, sure, I know my iDAC has an ESS Sabre Chip. iFi made sure to put it in big letters on the box, so I cannot forget, even it means nothing to me.

My Naim CDS, I know has a Philips DAC Chipa (Gazza tells me it is a bit of a "legend").

My buddy John has a NAIM DAC, which has, or so I am told, Burr Brown Dac Chips, just like the iDSD nano (which I yet have to try).

You know what, you might as well be talking Fish & Chips instead of DAC Chips to me. Charlotte or King Edward, Pollock or Cod, no idea. I just scoff 'em after a game.


And guess what, the three different DAC Chips, I'd say make those three machines sound more alike than different (compared to a lot of other digital audio gear I have encountered). I tested the Dragonfly, which is supposed to have the same chip as my iDAC and it does not really sound a lot like the iDAC, to these ears.


And what brand is FPGA? I'm no expert, but I never heard of FPGA brand DAC chips. Are they supposed to be good? Why doesn't anyone seem to use them then? Or are they so new, no-one knows?


I think I'll leave the debate on the merits of DAC Chips alone before I hurt myself and leave it to those learned and interested in this sort of thing and stick to Fish & Chips instead.


I suspect in both cases it matters more how it's fried, not what "brand" potato it is... You should taste the stuff at that chippy off Barking Road near Upton Park. I bet you it is in the fat he fries them in, not in the taters, I suspect he ads lard, darn right tasty no matter what he does.


Bluetooth, don't get me started on bluetooth. 


After hearing the Philippe Strack's Bluetooth headphones I think I'm off bluetooth for life, except for my Jawbone Era (I will not look like that **** Joly from trigger happy TV answering my Samsung Note, okay? And with the noise levels on the Tube it would be futile anyway. I originally misheard the name as "Sick Parrot". I was a little taken with the app that let you change the sound like my iCAN's 3D sound but with more to twiddle (maybe not a good thing), but when I tried it at Selfridges with my own tunes the sound was totally pants. It was barely ok via Wire, but via Bluetooth it became subterranean and we were in the 2nd basement already! I think I heard right the first time, a sick parrot, norwegian blue no less.


Ok, my wishlist for iDSD?


Dear iFi Father of Half Time Christmas.


Please bring me for this years Half-Time Christmas on the 24th of June or earlier:


An iDSD that sound more like my NAIM CDS for CD file replay (the NAIM CDS still is better than the iDAC),


an iDSD with a headphone amp that can drive my Audeze LCD-2 really well and has a 6.3mm jack (the iDAC Amp is great for lesser headphones, but not for the Audeze),


an iDSD with 3D Sound (and maybe X-Bass too, as many headphones need it, including my antique Micro MX-1 Electrostatics) I love that one on my iCAN.


an iDSD with a Battery, a big one please, to last many hours, at least Heathrow to Changi or Chek Lap Kok (I am going to do a lot of flying that way soon), if not London to Sydney.


an iDSD that plays directly with my Galaxy Note (the iDAC micro is about right in size, but no battery) without three different silly cables and adapters. If not, throw in a cable that makes it work directly and one for Apple iPhone too, we are paying enough as it is, ok? 


an IDSD that I can Dock with my Galaxy Note and not using rubber bands, okay!? (I looked at photos of the iDSD nano, rubber-bands, what's next?),


an iDSD with a DC Socket and SPDIF in would be nice, I have kit around my house in other rooms (even the Kitchen) that could use a nice and affordable DAC that takes SPDIF (cannot afford a NAIM DAC for every room even with my upcoming promotion). Not sure if that can be combined with making it portable. The iDSD mini looks like it may a better choice in terms of home use, but it looks expensive as well.


So, if you do at least some of these, I'll promise to support the Hammers at all games when I'm in the UK and be a nice casual and not get into rude stuff when I do.


Deal?


Coming to think of it, let me add another one.


Can you make the iDSD charge my Samsung Note when playing? You should have a lot of space for a battery, so put in a really big one (the pieces of fluff like a really big one too). I find phone is always flat at the end of the day if I play a lot of music on tube and and on the train. So, make it give my Phone some juice, will you?


Then I'll be really good and cheer the Hammers to take the Gunners up to the arsenal every time they play them, for life, even if I have to fly back from Singapore (where I will be spending a lot more time soon) for the game.


Cheers Rich

In the quiet words of Ronan Keating; "you say it best, when you say nothing at all."

The emphasis being on the "nothing".

 

[fradoca]

just a plain simple dac with both balanced and unbalanced analog outputs.No headphone amp.No volume control.
External dip-switches to set the output gain at different levels.Upsampling selectable by the user.

 

[JWahl]

My only request to add to this or any future DACs is the ability to apply the crossfeed function to the analog outputs of the DAC.  This would allow people who already own other amps they like (a rather high end tube amp myself) to utilize this function with their current amps.  There is only one other DAC on the market that I know of currently that has this feature, so it would be interesting to see some alternatives.  

 

[roamling]

What about an iDevice jack! So you directly plug in an iPhone, iPad and iPod without using a Camera Kit adapter. 
I certainly would use it, especially for streaming from online service like QOBUZ or Spotify.
It would be limited to 16bit/48khz but thats ok for me, especially with QOBUZ offering 16bit/44khz FLAC streaming. 
 
Then you have device that can play PCM, DXD, DSD formats and is compatible with iDevices. I have a think about where to put it on the device in my design and post back later...

 

[iFi audio]

  What about an iDevice jack! So you directly plug in an iPhone, iPad and iPod without using a Camera Kit adapter. 
I certainly would use it, especially for streaming from online service like QOBUZ or Spotify.
It would be limited to 16bit/48khz but thats ok for me, especially with QOBUZ offering 16bit/44khz FLAC streaming. 
 
Then you have device that can play PCM, DXD, DSD formats and is compatible with iDevices. I have a think about where to put it on the device in my design and post back later...

Hi,
 
Must have CCK (30pin) or USB Adapter (9pin). It has Apple's hardware in their to extract the signal.
 
Cant avoid!

 

[iFi audio]

  My only request to add to this or any future DACs is the ability to apply the crossfeed function to the analog outputs of the DAC.  This would allow people who already own other amps they like (a rather high end tube amp myself) to utilize this function with their current amps.  There is only one other DAC on the market that I know of currently that has this feature, so it would be interesting to see some alternatives.  

Hi,
 
Straight "Crossfeed" we dont do but the 3D Holographic for Headphones is something that has been unanimously liked. It is pure analogue and not simple crossfeed. This is the one that is in the nano and micro iCANs.
 
We have noted this down.
 
thanks

 

[iFi audio]

  just a plain simple dac with both balanced and unbalanced analog outputs.No headphone amp.No volume control.
External dip-switches to set the output gain at different levels.Upsampling selectable by the user.

Hi
 
Balanced is one for the mini series....due to a number of considerations.
 
But gain for output levels is one that has been commonly remarked.
 
No headphone amp - this is Head-Fi and we dont do headphones section by half!
 
Noted.

 

[roamling]

Are you intending to use an AC in and USB for charging the battery/powering the device or just the USB in for running the device?

 

[Nirmalanow]

I wrote the following to iFi in an email:
 
I posted on a thread about your upcoming desktop DAC (mini series) that a very cool feature would be to enable SD card playback, like the SD card reader in this unit from Resonessence:
http://www.resonessencelabs.com/invicta/

It would be great to have a DAC like this with the ability to also stand alone as an all in one source, DAC and Headphone amp. You could just set it on your bedside table and not need a computer or CD player to feed it the tunes. And it would have effectively limitless storage if you used removable SD cards. I am surprised there are not a lot more units like the Resonessence that can free you from needing a computer or CD player.

An SD card reader might be too much to ask for in one of your micro devices, but ultimately, why not? There are plenty of tiny little mp3 players that fit in a pocket. Why not a slightly bigger, but much more capable unit with a SD card reader built in. One hurdle to adding an SD card reader to a Micro sized device is the typical need then for a screen, but there are actually portable digital players without screens. It is a limitation, but a DAC that plays from an SD card but does not have a screen would still have more features than a DAC that does not play from SD. I use an Altmann Tera player that does not have a screen as my source. I have gotten used to it, and even sometimes appreciate the simplicity of that approach. I am not distracted by any screen and so I focus more on the music. A few simple buttons are all that is needed to navigate my folders and songs.

An SD card reader would really make your products stand out from the pack in my opinion.
 
It would be a lot to add something like this to one of their micro units, and maybe it could have a tiny screen on the top and then be stacked on top of any other micro units. Or again, it could go the minimal route like the Tera and just have a few navigation buttons. It could still be designed to hook up to a computer or other source, but it would be great to also have it work as a stand alone DAP.

 

[mrinspire]

Okay, what I want are really simple :
 
1) Xbass and 3D Holographic sound, V2
2)Digital input (RCA coaxial), this is actually my top wish eventhough I put it second in the list
3) XLR Output and fully balanced, why? because some headphone amplifier is better at XLR input.
4) Size is not a problem, AC powered if can get better sound
5) Friendly prices tag as always
 
Besides, I want a tube headphone amplifier from iFi Audio pleaseee!
 
Keep the good things up iFi Audio. 

 

[iFi audio]

  Are you intending to use an AC in and USB for charging the battery/powering the device or just the USB in for running the device?

Hi,
 
The nano iDSD has an onboard battery but depending on the switch on sequence, it can be fed from USB power or the internal battery.
 
Having sold quite a few of the nano iDSDs and the response has been we want bigger and even better, we prefer to stick with our winning recipe.
 
thank you

 

[mrinspire]

My previous list seems unreasonable for a micro series 

, okay then here is my list:
 
1) XBass and 3D Halographic sound features is a MUST!
2) This is a micro series, is it too much to ask for a 6.35mm headphone output jack?
 
There might be a mini series, so coaxial input, AC powered and balanced will be appropriate for Mini series then

 

[john57]

  Hi,
 
The nano iDSD has an onboard battery but depending on the switch on sequence, it can be fed from USB power or the internal battery.
 
Having sold quite a few of the nano iDSDs and the response has been we want bigger and even better, we prefer to stick with our winning recipe.
 
thank you

I wonder if you are using battery power will the computer USB still be charging the battery? I would like the battery to be a easy replaceable type.

 

[john57]

  Wowzers, this is a stonking start.
 
A few answers to questions received already:
 
1. The micro iDSD is a pure DSD/PCM/DXD dac. So it plays all 3 main formats in their purest form (ie: without conversion to one of the other formats). More on this in the coming weeks. It does not ONLY play DSD! It is pretty darn powerful, just like its baby brother the nano iDSD!
 
2. The micro chassis size is very much a "cigar box" type size. Approximately 158(l)x68(w)x28(h)mm. Its aims is desktop whilst being portable. A few very good suggestions have already come our way on this so watch this space!
 
thanks and keep em coming!

In others words the same size as the ICAN?  Is the 158mm for length or width? Otherwise where are you going to put the XLR's? The one prototype I seen is at the width is the longest side.