[matbhuvi]

 

So I bought this little device from iFi after doing some research called the "iPurifier2" and I'm still using the stock blue cable.  After I hooked it up, OMG!  What a difference!  The sound takes the iDSD to a whole other level.  So much cleaner sound....so much more ambiance and dimension that I could flip the 3D+ off most of the time.  Best $109 I ever spent--BARGAIN.
 

 
iDSD Micro has iPurifier built in right?

 

[ClieOS]

   
iDSD Micro has iPurifier built in right?

 
Yes, but iPurifier and iPurifier2 are not the same.

 

[shuto77]

Can anyone point me to some detailed impressions comparing the idsd Micro to the Black Label edition?

I like my Micro, but I'm curious if the Black Label is a significant improvement.

 

[technobear]

Can anyone point me to some detailed impressions comparing the idsd Micro to the Black Label edition?

I like my Micro, but I'm curious if the Black Label is a significant improvement.

http://www.head-fi.org/t/711217/idsd-micro-black-label-tour-details-page-147-release-info-page-153

 

[iFi audio]

There have been serious blind tests where a trained group of listeners have listen to a song and each ten times. During the test the scientists have told the group that they have changed something in setup, like for instance a cable , amp , cd - player or even the speakers.

The group have during the test filled in to a test blanket if they thought that the sound got worser or better in a 10 grade scale with 10 different questions to fill in.

And the result in the end of the day the scientists could distinguish a very interesting pattern from all in the test group just after the second listening to the same track, all taught they could here a significant improvement in different areas vs the first listening and so on..

What the group did not know of was that the scientists hadn't dune anything with the setup, the group had been listening to the same untouched setup with the same track 10 times in a row, but their mindset have tricked them to believe and their brains have focused on different things in the music each time the scientists have told them that they had dune something with the setup.
 

 
Yes, these tests have been done. Some equally interesting and of fully blind approach were performed at the London HiFi Circle. What was tested here was the power of belief. Here the procedure itself was very similar, however the administrator claimed to have changed mains cables, when in reality the polarity of one channel was inverted. 
 
Those in the group who were "cable believers" could hear the polarity inversion of one channel with 100% accuracy and remarked how soundstage collapsed and bass became weak. Those in the group who were "cable disbelivers" failed to hear any difference and marked accordingly. 
 
What both sets of tests show is that any blind one in which the subject have both knowledge of what is being tested and expectations is... actually severely biased. As a result, 'blind' in a way fails to remove experimental bias.
 
Any valid blind test must be blind not only to the identity of the devices/options tested, but also to the nature of the test itself. Otherwise the placebo/nocebo effect introduces a strong bias, which results in a strong randomising effect on the outcome. Differences expected are thus heard whereas non-existent and not expected ones are thus not heard, even when they exist.
 
We would like to (again) draw the attention to a blind test that shows how it should be implemented and is among a very small list of tests that avoided massive levels of bias in the experiment. 
 
http://www.stereophile.com/content/god-nuances-page-3
 
Starting at the heading "Expert testimony" we read the description of a really serious experiment in listening, with interesting conclusions.

 

[canali]

writeup by Darko on Tidal and MQA, currently.
 
http://www.digitalaudioreview.net/2017/01/mqa-tidal-where-are-we-now/
OPINIONSOFTWARE

MQA & Tidal – where are we now?

by John H. Darkoabout 

 

[TjPhysicist]

If looking at similar price range, it would be
1. ALO Audio (actually, this is still more expensive than the iDSD Micro)
2. iDSD Micro

IDK if it's burn in or what but the idsd is still sounding a bit weird to me, i can't describe it properly, maybe too bright? it's weird in the high is all i can tell. Anyways, which ALO ones did you use? BTW i just realised they sell right angled 3.5mm optical which NO ONE sells, i;ve been scouring the internet for it, (it may be too short, though), how are their cables?
 

  I originally posted this in a Lyr 2 thread, but wanted to share here  becuase it bodes very well for the iDSD.
 
I have some iDSD/HD650 impressions and a comparison between Bimby/Lyr2/LCD-X
 
iDSD/650:
I found the iDSD slightly bright and hard sounding fresh out of the box, but that perception went away over ~50 hours and I feel the iDSD sounds about neutral.  The iDSD drives the 650s nicely with plenty of power to spare.  I have the volume at 11-12 o'clock at normal power mode (middle position).  The iDSD/650 pairing is neutral, slightly lean sounding (analytical), and has a nice sense of air/separation.  Sound stage is good width-wise, but slightly less good depth-wise.  The vocals/image are missing that last bit of focus though.  I used Amber Rubarth Sessions from the 17th Ward to check soundstage.

Oddly enough my iDSD was okay out of the box for a few hours THEN it became bright/hard sounding (i think?) Improved a lot by moving away from dirty stuff like USB and macbook optical, but still kinda there for a lot of songs and VERY distracting. I do hope it goes away.

 

[Joseph Lin]

 

   
ETA: I COULD use a wall charger (or battery pack) to charge using the included blue cable and connect optical at same time. Before I do this however, @iFi audio will this work? and more importantly, is it safe for the device to do this (i.e. short term/long term, is this a good way to operate)?

I asked iFi this same question over a support ticket. They said it was OK to run a USB into the micro iDSD to charge it while Optical is sending out the digital signal. It seemed to work fine when connected to a battery pack or plugged in to the wall.

Sorry I tried to use Coaxial and charging at the same time but every time when USB is plugged in, iDSD would stop playing from Coaxial. How am I able to charge and feed via coaxial?

 

[TjPhysicist]

 
Sorry I tried to use Coaxial and charging at the same time but every time when USB is plugged in, iDSD would stop playing from Coaxial. How am I able to charge and feed via coaxial?

If USB gets data then it will think it needs to play from that. Use either a source (or cable? not sure about that) that only does power, e.g. wall plug. (THat's what I asked a few posts ago, using a wall plug or battery to charge while using S/PDIF)...and remember first connect USB then turn on the ifi.

 

[TjPhysicist]

Sorry guys, I know I've asked this a bunch of times, but I wanna know if there's something wrong with my idsd or that's just how it sounds or something. IDK how to describe it but it's something between tinny and sibilant sounding but not just during highs or cymbal crashes but whole songs to the point of it being distracting (i'm not able to enjoy any other frequency). Like there's a fly in the song just buzzing around softly at a weird frequency.
 
I've done maybe 20-30hours-ish of burn in so far, and do note, this ONLY started about 5-6 hours IN, the first few hours of play time (days in real time) was AMAZING sound. I'm thinking I may have to return and get a replacement or another DAC.
 
Edit: I'd like the throw the word "hissing" and "aliasing" in there somewhere too.

 

[Joseph Lin]

 

 
Sorry I tried to use Coaxial and charging at the same time but every time when USB is plugged in, iDSD would stop playing from Coaxial. How am I able to charge and feed via coaxial?

If USB gets data then it will think it needs to play from that. Use either a source (or cable? not sure about that) that only does power, e.g. wall plug. (THat's what I asked a few posts ago, using a wall plug or battery to charge while using S/PDIF)...and remember first connect USB then turn on the ifi.

Are you sure it functions like what you described? I quickly soldered a USB cable with Power and GND lines only and connect it to a wall plug, it charges iDSD but it cannot play music from coaxial.
 
I have tested this many times with different scenarios in the past, none of them will play from coaxial when digital input is connected(charging).

 

[TjPhysicist]

 
Are you sure it functions like what you described? I quickly soldered a USB cable with Power and GND lines only and connect it to a wall plug, it charges iDSD but it cannot play music from coaxial.
 
I have tested this many times with different scenarios in the past, none of them will play from coaxial when digital input is connected(charging).

Yea, I've been doing that a lot last few days. Connect USB power (blue light on), then turn on the DAC and connect it to coaxial and it works. There's no real independent way of verifying it is charging because the audio/green light takes over the charging/blue one but after a few hours the battery remains full (i.e. if, after a few hours of this, i turn the idsd off the blue light doesn't come on). I'm using the supplied blue cable and an anker usb charger thing (the one with 5 usb ports and a usb-c port).

 

[Joseph Lin]

 

hello everyone i was wondering why i can not hear any sound when i connect my fiio x3 2nd gen to ifi micro dsd, and i set the line out to coaxial in fiio x3



i am using the cable above where i connect the 3.5mm to fiio and the other to the spidf of ifi

is there a buttom or a setting i should choose to be able to hear sound from the headphone out of the ifi

Disconnect the USB cable on the iDSD.

This is exactly my experience, when USB is plugged, you cannot play from coaxial. it sure will charge but will not play.

 

[Joseph Lin]

 

 
Are you sure it functions like what you described? I quickly soldered a USB cable with Power and GND lines only and connect it to a wall plug, it charges iDSD but it cannot play music from coaxial.
 
I have tested this many times with different scenarios in the past, none of them will play from coaxial when digital input is connected(charging).

Yea, I've been doing that a lot last few days. Connect USB power (blue light on), then turn on the DAC and connect it to coaxial and it works. There's no real independent way of verifying it is charging because the audio/green light takes over the charging/blue one but after a few hours the battery remains full (i.e. if, after a few hours of this, i turn the idsd off the blue light doesn't come on). I'm using the supplied blue cable and an anker usb charger thing (the one with 5 usb ports and a usb-c port).

please see my previous post and other people's experience.

 

[TjPhysicist]

 
please see my previous post and other people's experience.

WEIRD! maybe i'm tripping out, idk. Oh well. But then there's this post:
 

  I asked iFi this same question over a support ticket. They said it was OK to run a USB into the micro iDSD to charge it while Optical is sending out the digital signal. It seemed to work fine when connected to a battery pack or plugged in to the wall.
 

Just tested it (again, there's no REAL way to tell if the battery is being used or not other than to just keep it running for a bit to see if battery is drained) and it works. @iFi audio  can you confirm this?