iFi audio iDSD Diablo - A portable reference done our way!

[BS5711]

That is fine, you can worry about damaging your headphones, but like I said, regardless of your reasons why, if you are not prepared to duplicate the issue please stop trying to convince people that the issue doesn’t exist.

Maybe you could stick to telling everyone how wrapping the Diablo in foam makes it sound better.

 

[iFi audio]

A sneaky peak inside iFi HQ and what makes us tick.

Back in the middle of the heatwave here in the UK, we invited the guys from Soundstage! Canada across to see the UK HQ in action (and for fish and chips too, of course).

It’s pretty much the first time we’ve done anything like this so we so weren’t sure what to expect or how it would turn out! All in all, it was great fun and a pleasure to do. Vince and Miles have become YouTube stars and we couldn’t have had a better time with Doug and his team. A huge thank you to them for spending the time with us.

We loved it. And we hope you do too.

 

[Ficcion2]

New Zen Can Studio? Looks like it’ll finally have XLR inputs.

 

[iFi audio]

New Zen Can Studio? Looks like it’ll finally have XLR inputs.

ZEN CAN... what ?!?

 

[801evan]

@iFi audio is it possible to have MQA toslink full decode on diablo on future firmware?

 

[iFi audio]

@iFi audio is it possible to have MQA toslink full decode on diablo on future firmware?

It all depends on whether MQA can be sent via S/PDIF.

 

[801evan]

It all depends on whether MQA can be sent via S/PDIF.

Well yea, pro iDSD has that function. Neo iDSD was supposed to have it but it's buggy.

 

[iFi audio]

Well yea, pro iDSD has that function. Neo iDSD was supposed to have it but it's buggy.

Suffice it to say, if there's a way for micro iDSD Diablo to support MQA over SPDIF, we'll do our best to include that utility. Thanks for aking about it

 

[801evan]

Suffice it to say, if there's a way for micro iDSD Diablo to support MQA over SPDIF, we'll do our best to include that utility. Thanks for aking about it

MQA – the hi-res streaming codec, as used by Tidal’s ‘Masters’ tier – is also supported through the USB and S/PDIF inputs, with full decoding of MQA files up to 384kHz thanks to the processing power of the new 16-core XMOS chip.

It's been a feature that has been said to be available since the release...

 

[iFi audio]

It's been a feature that has been said to be available since the release...

Let me ask internally about that and I'll get back to you shortly, thanks!

 

[flyte3333]

If Diablo can have a volume control without channel balance, this would be way more popular.

It is great with Susvara and 1266 but for more common headphones - most of us can't use past 10 o'clock.

With quiet classical and jazz can go higher but not with modern music.

There's been hundreds of these comments in Diablo and all prior iDSD micro models, across the years. But still persists.

I hope a future one can finally sort out this channel imbalance.

There must surely be an analogue volume control chip out there that is better than what is inside Gryphon, xDSD etc (SNR is limited by chip).

 

[iFi audio]

If Diablo can have a volume control without channel balance, this would be way more popular.

It is great with Susvara and 1266 but for more common headphones - most of us can't use past 10 o'clock.

With quiet classical and jazz can go higher but not with modern music.

There's been hundreds of these comments in Diablo and all prior iDSD micro models, across the years. But still persists.

To avoid channel imbalance micro iDSD Diablo features three different power modes that cover vast majority of cans and IEMs out there. These modes are there to go beyond channel imbalance that only occurs early on.

 

[flyte3333]

To avoid channel imbalance micro iDSD Diablo features three different power modes that cover vast majority of cans and IEMs out there. These modes are there to go beyond channel imbalance that only occurs early on.

Not sure about 'covers vast majority of cans and IEMs out there' if you look at complaints in this thread but also the hundreds for micro iDSD over the years (as I previously mentioned).

Basically entire Focal lineup is out of the question - once again, can't use it past 10 o'clock.

There's other Focal users saying the same in this thread.

It's been a known issue for years. Please pass my previous comment about chip based volume control, to your engineers to look at for future products.

I owned the original micro iDSD and sold my Diablo for this issue - I'd obviously tried power levels, as has everyone that had issues with channel imbalance

 

[CH23]

To avoid channel imbalance micro iDSD Diablo features three different power modes that cover vast majority of cans and IEMs out there. These modes are there to go beyond channel imbalance that only occurs early on.

that's nice marketing but it doesn't take away from the issue that there is still channel imbalance up to 10'o clock. and seeing that even eco mode is too loud at that volume for IEMs and even some headphones, that's not the best solution.

I quote:

Thanks to iFi-designed, cutting-edge technological Innovations such as Direct-Drive® and Headamp Turbo®, devilishly powerful iDSD Diablo drives ultra-sensitive in-ear monitors just as well as the most demanding over-ear headphones with an unswerving authority

 

[801evan]

Poor IFI with these trolls hating on Diablo that seemingly doesn't have enough power for hungry headphones but too much power for easy to drive headphones. Diablo is still one of the best solutions out there.