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

[nephilim32]

It is, under "iDSD micro range".

AFAIK all version (including the "red label" and the "red label") used the same spec & size battery (and share many other things). It looks like this:



There were probably vendor changes through the decade+ production run of this platform since 2013, but even in 2013 the tech for kind of battery used was mature. So vendor and model changes would have had low impact on the electrical parameters and size.

Under the black wolf clothing is a generic "sheep silver" battery, similar (but not identical) to this one:



Simply locate one of the correct size and capacity (more capacity is ok, slightly less also, but not a lot less) and swap. You may be able to find with the correct wires, but that's unlikely.

Alternatively, remove the protection PCB from the old battery and fit it to the new one, using spot welds on the battery nickel contact strips (do not solder) or solder the old battery's wire tail to the new PCB.

All batteries are pretty much generic standard, just needs 3-wires for the thermistor. If that's missing the battery doesn't charge.


"I get about 3 hrs of battery life in turbo mode"

The battery is around 18 Wh 4,800mAh / 3.7V or 3.8V). The idle consumption in "turbo" is well over 5W, so 3 Hours or so sounds about right.


It simply plugs into the Power PCB.

Teardown here:

https://sandalaudio.blogspot.com/2021/02/ifi-audio-idsd-diablo.html



This is very similar overall to the silver iDSD Micro discussed here:

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/need-help-to-disassembly-an-ifi-micro-idsd-v1.967067/



As said, all part of the same family.

Thor

Wonderful. Very good information. I appreciate this immensity. Also, I made kind of a strange discovery whereby the Diablo 1 sounds a bit better when plugged in via usb c power/wall wart.
Sounds a touch more smooth, especially in the treble.
Anyhow. Weird. You’d think battery power alone would sound cleaner. In this case with the Diablo. It doesn’t.
So I’ve gone with this setup.

 

[mekap]

Wonderful. Very good information. I appreciate this immensity. Also, I made kind of a strange discovery whereby the Diablo 1 sounds a bit better when plugged in via usb c power/wall wart.
Sounds a touch more smooth, especially in the treble.
Anyhow. Weird. You’d think battery power alone would sound cleaner. In this case with the Diablo. It doesn’t.
So I’ve gone with this setup.

It is better to connect not to a wall wart (charger), but to a linear power supply.

 

[Thorsten Loesch]

Also, I made kind of a strange discovery whereby the Diablo 1 sounds a bit better when plugged in via usb c power/wall wart.

The way it works, the IC managing the battery is in effect a Battery Bank controller for single cell batteries.

In external mode, the system passes the external power to the internal switching converter that takes in ~ 5V and outputs +/- 8...16V (under CPU control).

The battery bank IC in this case just charges the battery. So it's pretty much a USB-C powered DAC/AMP with build in battery bank. In fact, early versions in the iDSD micro could be used as battery bank. This got old quick, so it got cancelled.

Non of the battery powered units these days run directly off batteries, a 3.7V LiPo battery will be at 3V when discharged, only a few mW will then be possible. So there are always switcher system's involved. At that point it becomes complex.

The battery is current limited, as is the battery management IC. With hard to drive headphones, the external power supply may supply more power than the battery.

IIRC right, once the external power supply drops below the battery voltage as it is overloaded, the battery will kick in and add extra current.

The Switcher to +/-9...16V has > 90% efficiency and can pull in ~16W on external power with a full battery. It may not be able to go so far on a partially discharged battery.

With hard to drive headphones and especially using the balanced out this may cause audible differences.

It is better to stick to SE out unless the headphones are high impedance AND low sensitivity, otherwise, SE will have less noise and less distortion than balanced at the same listening level.

This incidentally is true for all balanced HP amplifiers, for a given SPL from the headphone, the same circuit in SE has less noise and distortion than the same circuit doubled up and run balanced.

All that balanced offers is more maximum output voltage, but not current at the cost of more noise and distortion.

Thor

 

[nephilim32]

The way it works, the IC managing the battery is in effect a Battery Bank controller for single cell batteries.

In external mode, the system passes the external power to the internal switching converter that takes in ~ 5V and outputs +/- 8...16V (under CPU control).

The battery bank IC in this case just charges the battery. So it's pretty much a USB-C powered DAC/AMP with build in battery bank. In fact, early versions in the iDSD micro could be used as battery bank. This got old quick, so it got cancelled.

Non of the battery powered units these days run directly off batteries, a 3.7V LiPo battery will be at 3V when discharged, only a few mW will then be possible. So there are always switcher system's involved. At that point it becomes complex.

The battery is current limited, as is the battery management IC. With hard to drive headphones, the external power supply may supply more power than the battery.

IIRC right, once the external power supply drops below the battery voltage as it is overloaded, the battery will kick in and add extra current.

The Switcher to +/-9...16V has > 90% efficiency and can pull in ~16W on external power with a full battery. It may not be able to go so far on a partially discharged battery.

With hard to drive headphones and especially using the balanced out this may cause audible differences.

It is better to stick to SE out unless the headphones are high impedance AND low sensitivity, otherwise, SE will have less noise and less distortion than balanced at the same listening level.

This incidentally is true for all balanced HP amplifiers, for a given SPL from the headphone, the same circuit in SE has less noise and distortion than the same circuit doubled up and run balanced.

All that balanced offers is more maximum output voltage, but not current at the cost of more noise and distortion.

Thor

To what you’ve said here

“The battery is current limited, as is the battery management IC. With hard to drive headphones, the external power supply may supply more power than the battery.”

Makes so much sense as to what or why I’m hearing better SQ direct from a power source.
I very much appreciate you explaining some of this to me and of course taking the time to do so.

Thank you, Thor.

 

[nephilim32]

It is better to connect not to a wall wart (charger), but to a linear power supply.

I would agree on this. The thing is the Diablo 1 was given to me as a gift and did not come with the IFI branded sophisticated wall charger. Now I understand why IFI accessories come the way they do for the Diablo.
I think I’ll look into LHY battery bank chargers in the 5V 2A setting.
Actually if I may ask you, what LPS have you chosen to go with your Diablo?

Cheers.

 

[mekap]

I would agree on this. The thing is the Diablo 1 was given to me as a gift and did not come with the IFI branded sophisticated wall charger. Now I understand why IFI accessories come the way they do for the Diablo.
I think I’ll look into LHY battery bank chargers in the 5V 2A setting.
Actually if I may ask you, what LPS have you chosen to go with your Diablo?

Cheers.

I bought a linear power supply for it on Aliexpress, like the LHY 5V 2A
I don't have a Diablo now, I sold it.

 

[nephilim32]

I bought a linear power supply for it on Aliexpress, like the LHY 5V 2A
I don't have a Diablo now, I sold it.

Ah okay!!
Very cool. I’ve been hearing good things about the LHY and given that I do appreciate the Diablo 1 enough I think investing a little bit into it wouldn’t hurt.
I think I’ll get one and I shall report back here my results with it.
Thanks for the info.

 

[jorjlien]

Diablo from the 4.4mm with a nice custom cable is my pick for the HD600 even over a WA6 tube amp. Of course tube amps with high output impedance are said to be the perfect match for the HD600.

The Diablo 4.4mm output voltage is the standard balanced spec at right on or near 4 volts.

i Using a custom 4.4 to XLR cable output from Diablo front headphone jack to ACCUPHASE poweramp, Diablo as pre-amp. sound fantastic and energetic.

 

[OCC7N]

Did iFi Audio ever use the Burr Brown 1704UK chip?

Just wondering-

 

[nephilim32]

This is good.

 

[BS5711]

This is good.

Just a comment if I may.

Check for noise from the power bank, I had one that introduced noise, the quietest power supply I found was a simple Samsung 25 Watt charger.

That said, I checked for noise with IEM, with headphones it is probably inaudible regardless.

 

[deanorthk]

Mine is flawless, and I'm glad for that. Since I have sold my iDSD pro signature and all my headphone, I'm only using the Diablo when I move (holidays), with my trusted custom IEM. This kind of product will never grow old I guess

 

[gazzington]

Mine is flawless, and I'm glad for that. Since I have sold my iDSD pro signature and all my headphone, I'm only using the Diablo when I move (holidays), with my trusted custom IEM. This kind of product will never grow old I guess

What iem do you use with the diablo?

 

[deanorthk]

What iem do you use with the diablo?

Noosa , from Alambic Ears

 

[nephilim32]

Just a comment if I may.

Check for noise from the power bank, I had one that introduced noise, the quietest power supply I found was a simple Samsung 25 Watt charger.

That said, I checked for noise with IEM, with headphones it is probably inaudible regardless.

Hi friend. Quiet as can be. There is a button on the side that activates the power bank On/Off so no unplugging is necessary. In any case. It is an easy A/B test.
The power bank actually improves the sound. Bass and vocal detail goes up, especially when using the USB DAC off the Diablo.