[nmatheis]

Just got the iDSDBL today too. Really great unit so far, I'm currently listening to Daft Punk with it, gotta admit it sounds awesome with my Audeze LCD3s and bass boost engaged. Plenty of power on tap too, I'm only set to standard, turbo is not needed for these planars.

Gotta point out the accessories it comes with are awesome too, can pretty connect it to anything straight out of the box.

Am I missing a way to connect to micro USB smartphone?

 

[Whitigir]

Am I missing a way to connect to micro USB smartphone?

I used this with the supplied cables in MicroIDSD. Though a cables is better as there is no additional length at the port caused by the adaptor and shorter body length. However, keeps in mind that mode of the cheap cables are ..... cheap.....and the one comes with micro IDSD supplied by IFI....is better than those cheaper one . Just my 2 cents

https://www.amazon.com/Ultra-Micro-Adapter-Connector-Tablet/dp/B015GZOHKW/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1480995131&sr=8-5&keywords=usb+to+micro+usb+adapter

 

[analogsurviver]

I have been quite busy these past days - making recordings. I did not visit head-fi in - a while.  A few days ago I got mail I will get to try iDSD micro Black Label. Nice!
 
As I type this, listening to nano iDSD, at the time from Cubot Manito android phone ( finally succumbed to getting one of those smartphones, at a reasonable price and for me mandatory support of 256Gb micro card ), foobar for android, any PCM up to 192kHz . Will try to get USB audio recorder pro running today - as my main concern is DSD playback, both at home and on the go. Also in the process of getting up and running Hysound player - which some report to be of higher SQ than foobar2000, jRiver and other solutions for Windows.
 
It comes in a bit odd time for me; december is always most stretched regarding time for me, compounded by the playback software blues. 
 
I will get to borrow the original micro iDSD to compare - and both will have a tough time going against the modified Korg MR-1000 recorder. Stock MR-1000 is no match for the original micro; but modified MR-1000 clearly has been capable of keeping it at bay. The difference between stock and MR-1000 modified by me is "roughly" comparable to differences between original and Black Label micro ; sooo, this one should be interesting indeed. Within the capabilities of Korg - up to DSD128. I do plan to upgrade my recording to DSD256 in near future, but well done DSD128 is no slouch either. At the time, not particularly interested in DSD512; no recorder etc I am aware of to appear in reasonable future.
 
The original micro in question has unacceptable channel unbalance at lower volume settings - compared to nano, it is infinitely inferior. As I do unconditionally require at very least decent volume tracking from say -60 up to 0 dB, I sincerely do hope BL coming my way is a great deal better than the sample of the original micro I am familiar with. I do need my "DAC" to function much of the total time as a straight headphone amp with analog input - and for recording (monitoring ) purposes, the very last thing I need is channel unbalance. 

 

[betula]

I am the lucky fourth participant of the UK tour. I will compare the new Black Label to Chord Mojo, briefly mention Nano and Micro iCan, mostly using Nighthawks (and IE80).

 

[Dvdlucena]

I have been quite busy these past days - making recordings. I did not visit head-fi in - a while.  A few days ago I got mail I will get to try iDSD micro Black Label. Nice!

As I type this, listening to nano iDSD, at the time from Cubot Manito android phone ( finally succumbed to getting one of those smartphones, at a reasonable price and for me mandatory support of 256Gb micro card ), foobar for android, any PCM up to 192kHz . Will try to get USB audio recorder pro running today - as my main concern is DSD playback, both at home and on the go. Also in the process of getting up and running Hysound player - which some report to be of higher SQ than foobar2000, jRiver and other solutions for Windows.

It comes in a bit odd time for me; december is always most stretched regarding time for me, compounded by the playback software blues. 

I will get to borrow the original micro iDSD to compare - and both will have a tough time going against the modified Korg MR-1000 recorder. Stock MR-1000 is no match for the original micro; but modified MR-1000 clearly has been capable of keeping it at bay. The difference between stock and MR-1000 modified by me is "roughly" comparable to differences between original and Black Label micro ; sooo, this one should be interesting indeed. Within the capabilities of Korg - up to DSD128. I do plan to upgrade my recording to DSD256 in near future, but well done DSD128 is no slouch either. At the time, not particularly interested in DSD512; no recorder etc I am aware of to appear in reasonable future.

The original micro in question has unacceptable channel unbalance at lower volume settings - compared to nano, it is infinitely inferior. As I do unconditionally require at very least decent volume tracking from say -60 up to 0 dB, I sincerely do hope BL coming my way is a great deal better than the sample of the original micro I am familiar with. I do need my "DAC" to function much of the total time as a straight headphone amp with analog input - and for recording (monitoring ) purposes, the very last thing I need is channel unbalance. 

This channel unbalanced is a internal amp problem? Is it possible to bypass this problem? !

 

[Tobias89]

This channel unbalanced is a internal amp problem? Is it possible to bypass this problem? !

IIRC its a problem with the potentiometer.

 

[analogsurviver]

This channel unbalanced is a internal amp problem? Is it possible to bypass this problem? !

Yes. No.
 
It is a typical analog potentiometer problem - but I have never before experienced similar to anything the degree in any other audio component - regardless of ( low ) price.
 
A "serious" analog volume control ( pot or switch ) alone can be comparable, meet or exceed the cost  of the entire Micro. It would also bi bigger than whatever can be accommodated in the size/volume constraints of the Micro. Finding a decent miniature pot in large enough quantities without breaking the bank is by no means an easy task; yet it is an area where ifi could improve upon. Quantities are large enough to put some leverage on the manufacturer(s) of potentiometers. But after almost anything today operates with digital volume control, the few remaining producers of potentiometers can afford to have more slack in their production runs compared to bygone days where competition has been much more numerous.
 
Volume contol IS one of the toughest decision/solution to use in audio. Few of the Technics high-end preamplifiers ( just before Technics as brand has been discarded for about a decade ) did use novel and superb ways to control volume; almost making it in combining best of both worlds, the sheer SQ of a potentiometer and precision/reliability of the digital approach. SU-C 5000 and SU-C 7000 are the prime "suspects" - but I forgot the details. In some designs, Technics did use volume pots both at input and output of the preamp ( SU-9070 - with volume fully down, it can power a stadium sized PA system without any noise from itself... - it is a 8-gang potentiometer on a single shaft, custom job Matsu****a could afford at the time they were also one of the big players in potentiometer bussines).

 

[BillsonChang007]

Hmm just to add on to the channel imbalance of the original Micro iDSD...I tried my unit's Micro iDSD as a full amp/DAC as I always been using it as a standalone DAC most of the time to my amplifier ever since I reviewed it.

I do recall there's channel imbalance (which was the reason I bought an amplifier) but today I tried turning the volume to max and I could still notice channel imbalance. The difference is about 3 knob on Windows 10's setting. I intent to check the IEMatch switch tomorrow as to be fair, I been rough with my unit

 

[Whitigir]

Hmm just to add on to the channel imbalance of the original Micro iDSD...I tried my unit's Micro iDSD as a full amp/DAC as I always been using it as a standalone DAC most of the time to my amplifier ever since I reviewed it.

I do recall there's channel imbalance (which was the reason I bought an amplifier) but today I tried turning the volume to max and I could still notice channel imbalance. The difference is about 3 knob on Windows 10's setting. I intent to check the IEMatch switch tomorrow as to be fair, I been rough with my unit

Channel imbalances was presenting in my IdSD micro review unit before, but it only appear when the knobs was at low volume, and it went away went I turned it on a bit. If anything, it gotta be the volume knob itself.

 

[Dithyrambes]

I think ifi said something about the amplication stage being completely analogue instead of digital. Hence you get channel imbalance at low volumes. I had a micro idsd, and realized that little past the 9'o clock mark the channel imbalance stops. I remember them saying that the ideal position for the volume pot should be around 12 or so, and to use the ifi iematch settings and power to adjust accordingly. Unfortunately, its strange as when I was using 1964 v6s and he560's, the sound was different enough in various settings. For me the best sound would be to not use the iematch at all and try to match the power. With the IEMatch, the sound suffered somehow and i still feel this way with a seperate IEMatch dongle I have. Just sometimes though with high power settings, i could barely pass the knob by 9 o clock in the ideal setting. Somethings I hope to hear addressed are the slightly brittle and bright sound that I had a problem with in the original IFI micro IDSD. Sometimes would lead to a slightly shouty sound. I have a Geekout V2+ Infinity and chord mojo, so I'm waiting for impressions of the Black Label to see if it surpasses both ><. If it does, the other two will have to go!

 

[proedros]

wondering if the demo tours units have had some burn-in time before , in fact do they need burn-in ? 

tried briefly the idsd black at an athens hifi show some days ago and i was floored by its sound, so very eager to hear it again 

 

[Whitigir]

wondering if the demo tours units have had some burn-in time before , in fact do they need burn-in ? 


tried briefly the idsd black at an athens hifi show some days ago and i was floored by its sound, so very eager to hear it again 

Unlikely it is burned in...LOL...and yes, they do need burnin coming from OS Capacitors similar to Zx2 ...didn't you already witness the Zx2 burn-in ?

 

[Tobias89]

Unlikely it is burned in...LOL...and yes, they do need burnin coming from OS Capacitors similar to Zx2

...didn't you already witness the Zx2 burn-in ?

If thats the case, man am I glad to be the last in the my group! All the better to hear it in its burnt in glory!

 

[glassmonkey]

Review is up! I put about 30ish hours of listening into this and about 40 hours playback. If these need burn-in, then later people are in for a treat.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/products/ifi-audio-micro-idsd-black-label/reviews/17507
 

 

[proedros]

  Review is up! I put about 30ish hours of listening into this and about 40 hours playback. If these need burn-in, then later people are in for a treat.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/products/ifi-audio-micro-idsd-black-label/reviews/17507
 
 

 
 
well , you got us all worked up
 
great review