[technobear]

What dac would one recommend for the ican pro?
Is there a dac/amp combo coming to the pro line?

There is a Pro iDSD in the works.

Start here: http://www.head-fi.org/t/702376/ifi-audio-pro-desktop-line-discussion-thread

 

[TokenGesture]

This launched in February. Why so few impressions?

 

[grizzlybeast]

This launched in February. Why so few impressions?

Some companies have more leverage in terms of who they know in the industry to review their products positively. 
Some companies, irregardless of leverage they have take on a more aggressive approach and make it to every canjam, every newport show, every big meet, as well as place tours etc to get impressions. 
 
iFi is open and has a very responsive and genuinely respectable team but they are neither aggressive, nor do they seem to make appearances at any of these larger meets. Also I really doubt they have the leverage or connections with people that review bigger gear since they haven't made any full sized gear yet.  
 
I have a max budget of ~2.5k and will be ready in a month or so and so far I am really leaning towards the Audio-GD HE-9 but I am so intrigued by this little amp as well as whatever new amp Schiit releases. However, without it being descriptively benchmarked against another TOTL amp I will have to hold off unless I read it to compare favorably against other big boys.
 
Why? because though I am into taking risks and have bought several other pieces of gear that are unpopular, the LAST thing I want to do is have a sub par desktop amp sitting here that I cannot sell unless I price it extremely low simply  because it seems equally a risk to everyone else who is not knowing what they will be getting. 
 
Kevin or Wildcatsare seems to have his Taurus MKII up for sale or has sold it. I have read people choose the MKII over the RAG for the HD800 but never for sheer technicalities. However, He also still has the MZ2 which, which when I heard it in person I found was a bit too flat sounding and the bass wasn't as taught as my own tube amp (in a meet) and I wouldn't consider it for an endgame amp (for my tastes) especially because it lacks power. I know he likes the Pro more than the Taurus and is keeping the MZ2. 
 
So it seems as if it is competitive but unless it offers a level of technicalities above the MZ2, I may pass as well and stick to my goal. 
 
I could sell a headphone and get the Pro but then I will be 500 short for my HE-9. 
 
Tis the season of waiting and seeing. Though I have been waiting for a bit for this one, it may be worth it. 

 

[grdlow]

Some companies have more leverage in terms of who they know in the industry to review their products positively. 
Some companies, irregardless of leverage they have take on a more aggressive approach and make it to every canjam, every newport show, every big meet, as well as place tours etc to get impressions. 

iFi is open and has a very responsive and genuinely respectable team but they are neither aggressive, nor do they seem to make appearances at any of these larger meets. Also I really doubt they have the leverage or connections with people that review bigger gear since they haven't made any full sized gear yet.  

I have a max budget of ~2.5k and will be ready in a month or so and so far I am really leaning towards the Audio-GD HE-9 but I am so intrigued by this little amp as well as whatever new amp Schiit releases. However, without it being descriptively benchmarked against another TOTL amp I will have to hold off unless I read it to compare favorably against other big boys.

Why? because though I am into taking risks and have bought several other pieces of gear that are unpopular, the LAST thing I want to do is have a sub par desktop amp sitting here that I cannot sell unless I price it extremely low simply  because it seems equally a risk to everyone else who is not knowing what they will be getting. 

Kevin or Wildcatsare seems to have his Taurus MKII up for sale or has sold it. I have read people choose the MKII over the RAG for the HD800 but never for sheer technicalities. However, He also still has the MZ2 which, which when I heard it in person I found was a bit too flat sounding and the bass wasn't as taught as my own tube amp (in a meet) and I wouldn't consider it for an endgame amp (for my tastes) especially because it lacks power. I know he likes the Pro more than the Taurus and is keeping the MZ2. 

So it seems as if it is competitive but unless it offers a level of technicalities above the MZ2, I may pass as well and stick to my goal. 

I could sell a headphone and get the Pro but then I will be 500 short for my HE-9. 

Tis the season of waiting and seeing. Though I have been waiting for a bit for this one, it may be worth it. 

An electrostatic module for the iCan Pro will be out which gives the amp greater versatility than the Taurus or MZ2. A Stax L700 with the iCan Pro should be pretty sweet.

 

[Kenny Powers]

So i Have had an Pro ICAN for a little under a month and last sunday it started clicking like when you turn it on but constant nothing effected the headphones but the clicking in the ICAN was constant. I contacted music direct who i bought it from and they were cool ready for me to send it in. I worked all week and on friday im like ill give it another shot and it started working again like it did when i bought it. So my question is should i return it or not I kinda want to because at this price i would hate for it it die in me in a month just want to hear what you think.

 

[Priaptor]

Get a replacement. I went through a similar issue with a different amp and thought it was just a quirk that reared its ugly head once. Well next time it happened it almost blew my speakers

 

[grizzlybeast]

 

Just trying to assess which one is objectively better SQ wise, minus the features. If you had to choose one based on that, which one would you go for?

Well you'll have to wait for the review

...

 
I know these things take time though

 

[Wildcatsare1]

I know these things take time though

I'll wrap this one and the MZ2 reviews early next week, have the Ether Flow and Flow-C incoming, hopefully tomorrow. I was hoping to include more CIEMs with the Pro iCan but getting decent impressions done here in Lexington proved impossible. Ended up using the impressions the Alclair Rep. in Nashville made for the other participants. May get the 64 Audios in time, but don't think I can hold off for the others, so I'll probably end up doing an addendum at some point.

So apologies on the delay. What I can tell you now is that it will be replacing my Taurus Mk.2 as my Refernce SS/Hybrid Amp, with the MZ2 in the Tube slot.

Now I'd love to hear more about the Elear versus the Omni ...

 

[iFi audio]

  So i Have had an Pro ICAN for a little under a month and last sunday it started clicking like when you turn it on but constant nothing effected the headphones but the clicking in the ICAN was constant. I contacted music direct who i bought it from and they were cool ready for me to send it in. I worked all week and on friday im like ill give it another shot and it started working again like it did when i bought it. So my question is should i return it or not I kinda want to because at this price i would hate for it it die in me in a month just want to hear what you think.

 
Hi,
 
We dont know but best you open a Support Ticket:
 
http://support.ifi-audio.com/
 
 
 
Is it possible that the volume was turned up way above normally sensible? There are protection circuits that will shut the iCAN pro off if overloaded (or other problems) but they will self re-set. 
Using large amounts of X-Bass and high 3-D settings cause large extra power demand and may, with some headphones, volume settings and music cause the overload protection to trip.
 
A lot of different combos!
 
Cheers.

 

[gabbabe]

can the tube be easily changed?
 
Not so much for tube rolling purposes, but if the tube dies out in the future, would need to be swap for a new one.

 

[iFi audio]

 

can the tube be easily changed?
  Not so much for tube rolling purposes, but if the tube dies out in the future, would need to be swap for a new one.

 
Hi,
 
Yes, reasonably easily, though not a straight unplug/replug. The vertical adapter is solidly soldered to the main PCB. Hold the adapter and 'wriggle' the GE tube.
 
Cheers.

 

[gabbabe]

Thanks.
 
I look forward to the reviews!

 

[kj510]

 

   
I was not thinking about changing the PSU but wanted to know if iPurifier DC has benefit for Pro iCAN or not. And my understanding is it is not recommended as the enclosed AC adapter is low noise enough. Is my understanding correct?

 


Hi,

Correct!

As this is a question we get asked to partner with iPower or iPower Plus. Much as we like our customers to buy our products, we dont recommend this as it is not needed.

Cheers.

 
As Japan version AC Adapter is not iPower Plus but 3rd parties normal switching AC Adapter (Adapter Tech, STD-15060) due to the domestic regulation, I decided to connect iPurifier DC to Pro iCAN.
But with this connection, iPurifier DC gets quite warm, is it OK if it gets warm?

 

[kj510]

   
Hi,
 
Unless you can find certain 'unobtainium' tubes, we do not recommend you roll tubes as the GE5670 is pretty hard to beat out of the family of 5670/WE396A/6N3.
 

 
 
The 2C51 (read: BMW) family is the premium version of the 6922 (read: Ford). Attached is some background information on the 2C51 family.
 
 
 
The GE5670 is used in AMR's Signature Edition machines which US$5,000 - so if good enough for AMR, certainly good enough for Pro series! 
 

 
  
 
So rest assured, unless you can find WE396A (Grade A, and NOT Grade B or C) then no point in spending money to downgrade. 

 
Cheers.

I secured Grade A WE JW-2C51 and GE 5670 pairs. I got them for spares and am not rolling them now but only when the current GE 5670 becomes weak. WE was 175 USD and GE was 30 USD.
As you say, GE is still very reasonable and I bet WE won't make 6 times better than GE as their price difference but it was hard to stop securing a WE pair to know by myself, seeing is believing.

 

[iFi audio]

   
But with this connection, iPurifier DC gets quite warm, is it OK if it gets warm?

 
Hi,
 
The chassis is the heatsink - so yes, okay to be somewhat warm.
 
We run with laptops and the DC iPurifier certainly becomes warm to touch.
 
Thanks.