[iFi audio]

  Please do show 1 kHz square wave response with all PCM and DSD resolutions/filter settings. For the 96 and up, you can use 6 kHz or 10 kHz square wave in order to show the superiority of DSD's pulse response. Intermodulation outside audio band measurements should also be presented; I do not agree with
 http://people.xiph.org/~xiphmont/demo/neil-young.html  at all, but the arguments are valid and hirez equipment should be free of this kind of (mis)behaviour by default.

 
Hi,
 
Making those measurements will be very time consuming, using the AP2 is pointless as in many filter settings the AP2's own impulse response dominates that of the iDSD, so it would have to be done scope and photo on phone. With so many sample rates and DSD flavours in the nano/micro, we must bow out, just too much work (making all these flavours just came back to bite us in the posterior.)
 
Plus, it would actually not show anything new over the White noise graphs. IMD outside the audio band is down to the filter response.
 
The graph shown includes these using the "Standard" filter (the one we recommend to use for measuring gear, but not for listening). Any IMD above the noise floor of the AP2 in "wide” mode would show up as noise rise or just as increased noise floor.
 
The line around -120dBFS where the "white noise” graphs flatten out is the noise floor of the AP2 (particular model we have) when presented with a full scale signal.
 
So to the measurement limits of most models of AP2 there is neither ultrasonic noise leakage or IMD.
 

 
384KHz (so no filter)
 
 
iDSD nano Squarewaves (150MHz HP Digital Storage 'scope):
 

 
96KHz - minimum filter

 

[iFi audio]

  Thank you!
 
One more quick question: I own a iDSD Nano. The new"direct DSD over ASIO" mode made possible with the new firmware is only possible under Windows, right? There's no similar option for OSX users? Or am I not understanding this right?

 
Hi,
 
On OS X neither ASIO nor WASAPI are available.
 
It is Core Audio which doesn't support DSD (you need to get 3rd party software) or DoP.

Further to this, OSX CAN support ASIO. By default it does not. The software must be written "ASIO aware". The question if a given player software for OSX supports ASIO or not should be tendered to the software publisher as they oversee the encoding. The nano or micro iDSDs of course can handle the decoding.
 
We hope this clarifies.
 
Thanks.

 

[analogsurviver]

   
Hi,
 
Making those measurements will be very time consuming, using the AP2 is pointless as in many filter settings the AP2's own impulse response dominates that of the iDSD, so it would have to be done scope and photo on phone. With so many sample rates and DSD flavours in the nano/micro, we must bow out, just too much work (making all these flavours just came back to bite us in the posterior.)
 
Plus, it would actually not show anything new over the White noise graphs. IMD outside the audio band is down to the filter response.
 
The graph shown includes these using the "Standard" filter (the one we recommend to use for measuring gear, but not for listening). Any IMD above the noise floor of the AP2 in "wide” mode would show up as noise rise or just as increased noise floor.
 
The line around -120dBFS where the "white noise” graphs flatten out is the noise floor of the AP2 (particular model we have) when presented with a full scale signal.
 
So to the measurement limits of most models of AP2 there is neither ultrasonic noise leakage or IMD.
 

 
384KHz (so no filter)
 
 
iDSD nano Squarewaves (150MHz HP Digital Storage 'scope):
 

 
96KHz - minimum filter

Thank you for the answer. Do I assume correctly this is response to the 10 kHz square wave ?
 
I am perfectly aware there are many flavours of square wave reproduction with digital ( analog has also more than fair share of those too ) due to resolution and filtering. I would like to ask you to compare at least DSD128 and DXD - with one channel showing original analog square wave reference, the other output from the DAC - to give an idea of all delays involved etc. 
You could use Korg or Tascam DSD recorders to create the test files - but I guess you have something of your own; what was used as the input signal that resulted in above oscilloscope pics?

 

[mink70]

Hi,

On OS X neither ASIO nor WASAPI are available.

It is Core Audio which doesn't support DSD (you need to get 3rd party software) or DoP.

Thanks

Thanks for your answer, but I'm not sure I was clear. I do have both Audirvana and JRiver for OSX. Can these pieces of software play direct DSD, as in the case of ASIO, or only DoP?

 

[iFi audio]

  Thank you for the answer. Do I assume correctly this is response to the 10 kHz square wave ?
 
You could use Korg or Tascam DSD recorders to create the test files - but I guess you have something of your own; what was used as the input signal that resulted in above oscilloscope pics?

 
Hi,
 
5KHz squarewave
 
and
 
Generated using Wavegene tone generator for Windows.
 
We'll schmooze one of Thorsten's guys and once the micro iDSD is up and running, we may come back to answer your request for DSD128 and DXD. We can but try. No promises.

 

[analogsurviver]

   
Hi,
 
5KHz squarewave
 
and
 
Generated using Wavegene tone generator for Windows.
 
We'll schmooze one of Thorsten's guys and once the micro iDSD is up and running, we may come back to answer your request for DSD128 and DXD. We can but try. No promises.

Thank you. I will do it the hard way with nano iDSD - along with many more analog and digital devices. As you can imagine, this will be a daunting task.

 

[technobear]

Not a problem.

£475 (incl VAT) / US$499 (ex-taxes) and Euro$499 (incl VAT).

Thanks.

I think a lot of Brits will be reading this in horror.

UK £475

Europe £405

Surely some mistake here?

 

[tjw321]

I think a lot of Brits will be reading this in horror.

UK £475

Europe £405

Surely some mistake here?

Adding VAT to the US price and converting to pounds < £360. When are we emigrating?

 

[potatoe94]

hi iFi audio , to be honest ,

i am still not sure of the switch in the iDSD nano and what it does to my sound , could you tell me exactly what the "Minimum Standard" at the top & "filter" at the bottom mean and what difference am i expected to notice ? 

i leave the switch at the top, where i was told it would be better for music enjoyment,
but it kinda irritates me that i do not know the exact difference the switch will do .
it would be really great if you could clarify my doubts about it so that it's not a wasted investment :s
 

 

[jexby]

iFi geniuses,
 
Have there been any "updated" specs on the Amp section of the micro iDSD?
 
1.  still at (or now over) the 400mW at 32ohm?
2.  update on the "adaptive headphone sensing" feature?  
(I asked a few posts back but no answer to date...)
 
thanks!

 

[iFi audio]

I think a lot of Brits will be reading this in horror.

UK £475

Europe £405

Surely some mistake here?

Hi,
 
£435(incl VAT)/Euro499(incl VAT)/US$499(ex-tax)
 
Good spot.

 

[iFi audio]

  hi iFi audio , to be honest ,

i am still not sure of the switch in the iDSD nano and what it does to my sound , could you tell me exactly what the "Minimum Standard" at the top & "filter" at the bottom mean and what difference am i expected to notice ? 

i leave the switch at the top, where i was told it would be better for music enjoyment,
but it kinda irritates me that i do not know the exact difference the switch will do .
it would be really great if you could clarify my doubts about it so that it's not a wasted investment :s
 

 
Hi,
 
The nano iDSD has the following filters:
 

Filter:	PCM: Standard/Minimum Phase digital (selectable)
	DSD: Standard/Extended Range analogue (selectable)
	DXD: Bit-Perfect Processing, analogue filter (fixed)

 
Up = Min Phase/Extended Range (PCM and DSD respectively)
Down = Standard (PCM and DSD)
 
In a nutshell, these Minimum and Extended filters make the music more relaxed, less digital = longer listening.
 
The Standard filter is the "brickwall type" that ships with normal digital. We implemented the additional filters to make it more enjoyable for listeners as this is the way we like it.
 
Standard is more likely to get listening fatigue as this is the standard digital implementation endemic in chipsets. But we because we like to let customers choose, we added the other filters (that reduce digital artifacts/ringing). Audio is subjective so you dial in the last few percent to suit as per the filter switch.
 
Lengthier notes: http://amr-audio.co.uk/html/dp777_tech-papers_ringing.html
 
This applies to the Micro iDSD but there are even more filters to choose from.

 

[iFi audio]

  iFi geniuses,
 
Have there been any "updated" specs on the Amp section of the micro iDSD?
 
1.  still at (or now over) the 400mW at 32ohm?
2.  update on the "adaptive headphone sensing" feature?  
(I asked a few posts back but no answer to date...)
 
thanks!

 
Hi,
 
1. OVER.

 This is OTW #3.
We have an update next week. Clue here (if you dont like clues, please look away now).
 

 
2. More Manual than Adaptive....and that is announced a week or so after. Will work a treat. Clue: we developed this after the feedback over on the nano iCAN thread.
 
 
3. Sorry, we missed your questions!

 

[potatoe94]

love your insane company & products ! thanks !

 

[potatoe94]

hey wait a minute, in the iDSD Nano , for the up switch, it types "Minimum Standard" and the down switch it types "filter". 

but you mention , minimum is the filter . and standard is down .

im confused . hahaha !