[gikigill]

Just chiming in to say that the iDSD Black is pretty much my daily driver for portable usage and desktop usage with a linear power supply.

The hybrid multibit DAC really comes into its own when powered properly.

Not to mention the sheer power that tames the LCD-2 and the SZ2000 equally.

 

[MLGrado]

THE EAGLE HAS LANDED.  
 
 
 
Thanks to iFi for allowing me to spend some time with the unit.  Here are some initial thoughts and photos...
 
 
It's a beaut next to my Octa-Adopter Red Label iDSD Micro
 

 
 
 
I am currently trying it out as all-in-one DAC and Headamp, as I am sure this is the way most will use it.  I have been listening all evening via a pair of Audeze LCD-X headphones (2016 revision).  This is a most excellent pairing.  The LCD-X is very efficient so the iDSD can drive them to ear splitting levels and then some, distortion free.  
 
 
One thing of interest to me immediately was checking out the channel imbalance on the volume control.  I never had a problem with channel imbalance on my iDSD Micro.  The only imbalance I could hear was with the volume control near full attenuation.  Once the control was past about 9, maybe even 10 clock there was no more channel imbalance.  With all the flexibility offered by the iDSD amp, I have never had a headphone that required enough attenuation to be a problem.  Furthermore, in the excellent review by EARFONIA, you could see some channel imbalance issues in the measurements via the original iDSD that has been 'fixed' in the Black Label.  
 
But hold on a sec....... there is a reason I put 'fixed' in quotes.  
 
Because the Black Label that I received for review behaves identically to my iDSD Micro Silver.  Same tiny little band from full off to around 9 or 10 o'clock on the volume dial that is imbalanced, perfect from there on.  
 
The jury is still out I suppose, but I don't perceive it as an issue.  There isn't any reason to be attenuating the control that much.  There are three power/gain settings, plus the IE sensitivity match.  Except for perhaps the most sensitive of IE monitors, most of us will find a way to keep the volume control well above 90 to 100 percent attenuation.  
 
 
Also, I want to comment on iFi and its software/drivers.  I am using the latest iFi Drivers on a custom built PC running Windows 7.  Nothing special at all.  It a cheap, homebrew Athlon processor based design with an ASUS mainboard.  When I first started using iFi digital products back in 2014, there were some rough edges and bugs.  THAT IS A THING OF THE PAST.  No matter what protocol I choose (via Jriver 22) this is an amazing experience.  There are no clicks, pops, no drop outs, no initial track cutoff.  Switching from DSD to PCM and vice versa, which is NOTORIOUS for tripping up software and causing various ugly noises, is a perfect, pain free experience.  THANK YOU IFI!!  
 
 
I will say that there are some light 'thunks' that can be heard via the headphone output when powering up.  But they are more annoying than they are an actual problem, at least that is the case here.  
 
 
What an amazing product.  Both the Silver and now the Black Label.  
 
OH... wait.  What about sound?  I haven't been able to directly compare yet to the Silver, but my memory suggests a more refined sound.  Less grain in the treble.  More 'air' less harshness.  Bass seems a tick cleaner and more controlled.  And there may be more of it, especially with the XBass control engaged.  WOW.  Paired with the Audeze LCD-X, it was hitting HARD.  
 
The reason I haven't made the comparo yet is the battery was dead in my Silver.  It is charging as we speak and I will be making a direct comparison soon!................................
 
 

 

[vapman]

SPL Freaks and Turbo Mode fans might be interested in this little preview of what will be covered in my iDSD BL review...

 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/441400/earbuds-round-up/17550#post_13256978

 

[MLGrado]

 
Okay... continuing to keep the thread updated as I explore the Black Label Tour Review Unit.  
 
 
Finally got around to doing a direct comparo with my 'Octa-Adopter' iDSD Micro.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 If you would like to read my review of the original iDSD Micro, it is the first post in this thread......
http://www.head-fi.org/t/728236/ifi-idsd-micro-dsd512-pcm768-dac-and-headphone-amp-impressions-reviews-and-comments
 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
I would have already made a quick comparo between the iDSD Micro Silver and the iDSD Black Label if the battery in the Silver was not drained.  I let it charge overnight, and had a listen to the Silver this afternoon.  This was quite a basic setup.  No fancy USB cables or dongles, re-clockers or linear power supplies, etc.  Just the iDSD plugged directly via a 3 dollar USB cable into an EMI/RF nightmare of a basic custom PC build, with all your typical noisy dusty fans, spinning drives, etc.  The iDSD Micro Silver (and BL) does surprisingly well in this setup.  I would not want to see the RF and noise measurements, but as far as the ear goes, not bad!  Hmmm, this is actually great sound!  I could live with this... terrific audio for the price.  
 
______________________
 
However, inserting the Black Label in its place, and the change is immediately noticeable.  The basic sound signature is the same, but there is "more of it."  More refinement, more articulation, more control.  Bass is a bit less flubby or boomy.  Treble has more 'air' and more detail, but manages to stay fairly grain free, and is extremely easy on the ears!  This DAC is made for those long listening sessions.  Beautiful, non-fatiguing sound.  Also, there seems to be just the slightest 'lift' in the presence region.  It's oh so slight, but I like it.  I enjoy the sense of life; the feel of 'live' sound that results from an upper-midrange frequency boost.
 
_____________________
 
But it isn't too much.  It's very easy to go overboard when chasing presence.  I am reminded of my initial love affair with Grado when I first entered this hobby.  I loved the way their 'phones had that upper midrange lift that made things sound vibrant and alive. But in that case, it was WAY too much, and I suffered ear damage that took several weeks to clear up.  (If you ever think you have suffered serious ear damage, immediately take some aspirin and a multi-vitamin, and repeat this daily.  Your ears will thank you!) BUT, back on point.... this lift in the iFi sound signature is well done. It is implemented 'just right'.  Ear-fatigue and iFi iDSD Micro do not belong together in the same sentence.
 

 
_______________
 
Okay, moving on to bigger things.  Today I put the Black Label into my main headphone system, using it as DAC only.  This time it had some serious competition, and big shoes to fill. For more than two years an iFi DAC was part of my primary head-fi. That was until last fall when I upgraded to a more expensive desktop only solution.  My choice DAC for the last several months has been the Wyred 4 Sound DAC-1 LE with Femto clock.  An excellent DAC from a strong design house, that cost more than double the iFi iDSD Micro products.  A DAC that I know outclasses the iDSD Micro Silver in the same setup.  How does the improved sound of the Black Label stack up?
 
 
________________
 
It acquits itself VERY WELL, and actually OUTPERFORMS the W4S in some ways.  And that is VERY, VERY impressive for a product that costs less than half as much!  
 
The W4S still stands out front when we talk about precision and accuracy.  It has even more control over the bass, is more well extended from bottom to top, has a bigger soundstage, and has more precise imaging.  BUT, the W4S is very picky about the source.  If the source is bad, it is going to sound bad.  It isn't going to get out of the way of thin, bright recordings.  Sibilance can be a real issue with some recordings.  While the W4S may be more accurate and may be the technically superior DAC, it is NOT the most fun to listen to.  That goes to the iDSD Micro Black Label.  
 
 
________________________
 
I can crank the volume and listen to the Black Label for what seems like endless hours.  Never any fatigue or ear pain.  The tonality of the iDSD BL is just spot on for me. BEAUTIFUL MID-RANGE.  WOW.  This is the one area where the BL SPANKS the W4S.  The mids are almost tube-like, with incredible warmth and texture.  The mids are colorful, nuanced, and of that 'next level' audiophile quality.  Seriously.  They are that good.  The iDSD BL has good, solid bass.  It has nice treble.  Easy to listen to.  But the MID-RANGE is where it is at.  If you like rich tonal colors that almost in a drug-like way create a palpable sense of euphoria, you have GOT to give this DAC a listen. Especially if your audio values match this description and you still want to have some spending money (or food money for me haha) left over at the end of the day, you need to give this DAC a listen.  
 
 
________________________
 
 
Oh, and finally, another area where the Black Label clearly exceeds the W4S DAC is with DSD playback.  Of course, one would expect DSD to be exceptional when the product is named after it!
 
 
This is not my final review.  I have lots more listening to do, and I have some test equipment on the way so I can get some of my own bench measurements up.  So I should have more for you soon.  
 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For most of you, you probably will want to stop reading now.  But for those of you who share a technical interest in Digital to Analog Conversion, specifically how Direct Stream Digital is converted, there is a section below dedicated to that subject!!
 
OKAY!  Until next time...
 
 
______________________________________________________________
 
AND FOR THOSE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN DSD CONVERSION,
 
AND THE TWO PRIMARY WAYS IT IS CONVERTED IN TODAY'S DAC MARKET.
 
HERE IS A SHORT WRITE UP, AND AN EXPLANATION WHY A COMPANY SUCH AS iFi WOULD CHOOSE A VENERABLE YET OLDER BURR-BROWN CHIP (DSD1793) RATHER THAN CHOOSE THE NEW 'STATE OF THE ART' ESS CHIPSET USED BY SO MANY 'NATIVE DSD' CONVERTERS. 
 
My Wyred 4 Sound DAC-1 LE and its ESS chipset does a fine job with DSD.  
 
Unfortunately, due to the way it is processed internally, the end result sounds very little different from PCM.  But it isn't something you would really ever notice unless you had the chance to hear DSD converted 'natively' with very little DSP.  
 
 
The Burr Brown DAC chip in the iDSD (all versions of the iDSD, actually) is based on a DSD chip that Burr Brown supplied to manufacturers back at the beginning of the SACD era.  (DSD1700) The conversion is accomplished by creating an analog Fixed Impulse Response filter via shift registers (the delay line) and bit switches.  The 1 bit DSD stream is fed in 8 parallel streams, each stream offset by 1 clock cycle via the delay line.  The BB DAC chip has 64 bit-switches that are combined in variable groups of 8. (Which is how different frequency cutoffs are realized.... Extreme, Extended, Standard, etc.)  These switch/resistor groupings are the FIR filter taps.  The 8 parallel DSD streams delayed by 1 clock cycle each in the delay line are fed to the grouped resistors/taps, likely with some kind of scrambling/dynamic element matching. The combined voltage output of all the switches is your final converted to analog DSD signal.
 
So to simplify, this is what constitutes 'Native DSD Conversion' to analog.  An FIR filter is realized via analog components in the analog domain.  The 1 bit DSD signal is sent through this filter, and the output is (for our purposes here) the analog signal you enjoy when listening.  Others who do something similar are the new/latest AKM chipsets, Cirrus chips that offer a direct mode for DSD, Wolfson makes one, I think, but may be limited to DSD64,  the famous LAMPIZATOR DSD engine, which is a hush-hush proprietary design, T+A DACs and SACD players, and finally the Open Source Signalyst DAC of Miska fame.  And I am sure I missed some one.  
 
These stand in stark contrast to the ESS method, which does most of the filtering in the digital domain, which necessitates a digital multi-bit signal (a form of PCM, yes) that passes potentially through multiple DSP's (volume control, IIR filter, sample rate conversion, bit-reduction/noise-shaping) only to be converted back to a Delta Sigma format in the ESS Hyperstream Modulator, which is then (probably) filtered again on the back end in the analog domain.  
 
The point being the method that goes through the least amount of conversions and maintains the most signal integrity from input to output should be the best sounding.  On paper that seems to be the iFi - Burr Brown way, no?  
 
Some people will balk when I use the term 'PCM' to describe the intermediate data format down deep in the ESS chip.  Call it PCM-narrow, DSD-wide, Multi-bit Delta Sigma (that may be a stretch), Noise Shaped PCM, or whatever.  That isn't the point.  The point is every alteration to the original signal, every digital filtering that smears timing resolution and adds ringing, every DSP, volume control, etc; every one and each of these things adds up cumulatively and degrades the signal.  
 
 
Now, in real life the end result isn't as horrific as it might sound above  I enjoy the way my ESS DAC plays back DSD.  BUT, even still, played side by side against a DAC that uses a much simpler, native conversion, the difference is clear, and even a much less expensive DAC like the iDSD Black Label pulls ahead when converting the DSD format. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

[earfonia]

  THE EAGLE HAS LANDED.  
 
...There are no clicks, pops, no drop outs, no initial track cutoff.  Switching from DSD to PCM and vice versa, which is NOTORIOUS for tripping up software and causing various ugly noises, is a perfect, pain free experience.  THANK YOU IFI!!  

 
Really? No initial track cutoff with JRiver? Hmmm I should have tried JRiver....
The initial silent using foobar is rather annoying....

 

[Hawaiibadboy]

I am going to be comparing this on my Note 4 with a FiiO X5iii and an iBasso DX200 using Sony EX1000.
 
Pink Floyd - "On the Run"
 
America - "Tin Man"
 
2pac - "Heaven ain't Hard 2 Find"
 
 
 
 
I will be sure to share the vid once I am done

 

[beowulf]

I'm still looking at the black label as a possibility for use with the [hiss-detector] Andromeda, but have two questions...
 
1) Anyone knows sources with good prices in Europe?
 
2) It worries me a bit that there is no possibility of powering it from AC as some portable amps allow. This means that if the battery dies (as in going bad, not empty) then you're stuck with USB-use only.
Not a deal breaker, but I like some flexible solutions like for instance in some Meier Audio models (Battery or USB or 12v power plug)

 

[Yethal]

  I'm still looking at the black label as a possibility for use with the [hiss-detector] Andromeda, but have two questions...
 
1) Anyone knows sources with good prices in Europe?
 
2) It worries me a bit that there is no possibility of powering it from AC as some portable amps allow. This means that if the battery dies (as in going bad, not empty) then you're stuck with USB-use only.
Not a deal breaker, but I like some flexible solutions like for instance in some Meier Audio models (Battery or USB or 12v power plug)

You can always use a split USB cable with power lines going to an AC power supply.

 

[ExpatinJapan]

My simple impressions
 

 
http://www.head-fi.org/products/ifi-audio-micro-idsd/reviews/18031

 

[NuClear235]

Does BL still make big "Cracking sound" in headphones after power on ?
 
Isnt any info about iCAN SE in black colour too ?

 

[vapman]

Does BL still make big "Cracking sound" in headphones after power on ?

Isnt any info about iCAN SE in black colour too ?

Never experienced this.

 

[NuClear235]

Never experienced this.

My iDSD Micro (old) it makes. Other headphone amps usuallyhave delayed output relay to prevent it.

 

[beowulf]

And it arrived. I'll share some opinions... Er, when I have any...

 

[Yethal]

Did anybody manage to enable native DSD on Linux? I can play the files using Cantata but the green LED lights up on the iDSD indictating PCM conversion.

 

[beowulf]

Quick first opinion:
 
Good:
-Excellent pairing for the Campfire Audio Andromeda, for multiple reasons.
-The XBass circuit actually sounds great with SOME tracks/albums, adding some quantity to bass without affecting quality. Although it sounds terrible with others. This can be useful with the Andromeda since it's very neutral with bass, so turning it on can actually turn the andros into a high resolution Shure SE846.
-The 3D sometimes works really well. Widening sound in all axes, taking vocals and instruments from the center of your head and pushing them to a sphere around you. Again, this can sound either quite nice (as something that have been mastered in the original track) or quite terrible. When it's terrible it's usually because it makes the sound thin, grainy, excessively bright and sibilant. Part of the sense or air and space it adds is also due to a treble boost.
-Can drive the Z1 well in Eco. This thing does have a lot of juice.
-Totally flat noise floor with the Andromeda, even if not using IEMatch.
-Decent accessories, only an USB OTG cable was missing.
 
Small complaints of little importance:
-I can barely see the LED, especially from an angle. A little tiny OLED panel would be nice. Or at least, a more visible LED.
-Would rather have no switches close to the volume knob. The 3D one is really close. I adjust volume sometimes while switching, but might be because I'm not used to the layout yet.
-All switches on back and sides should be a bit more recessed to avoid toggling them while putting the device in the bag or rubbing it against anything. This is particularly important for the power toggle.
-Carrying pouch is a bit tight. Could have a little margin for at least a single cable.
 
Bad:
-There are pops/crackles when turning on or hitting 0 on the volume knob. These are not super annoying given I'm using it in Eco/IEMatch Ultra Sensitive, but it's still annoying. This thing should have a mute timer. Despite that, I find it takes a bit too long to get audio, at least compared to my desktop dac/amp. At the moment, this is my #1 complaint.
 
Terrible:
-(nothing yet)
 
Overall:
Me likes.