ianjturner
Head-Fier
Anyone here with both the iFi Diablo and the RME DAC? Either would suit me and same price - can anyone elaborate on the sound comparison?
iFi audio iDSD Diablo - A portable reference done our way!
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Condocondor
500+ Head-Fier
I'd like to know that too..........
It's really close to the iDSD BL in power delivery. It can power the HE-6 but...it's not the SQ I prefer.
Ficcion2
500+ Head-Fier
I’ve spent 5 days with the Diablo and it’s been a very good time streaming Tidal masters (there’s a good family plan going on) and very quickly via Roon.
My previous experiences with iFi has been the Nano BL, Micro BL and Zen Can.
The build is more ergonomic in my hands and feels just as well built as the Micro BL (which presumably has a very close build to the new Signature).
Love the red color but I can understand the appeal of the beautiful matte blue.
It’s just as big as ever so it makes a great transportable set up.
The sound is transparent, detailed and has good overall bass/mids/treble.
“Neutral” especially when compared to the classic iFi house sound found in the Micro BL and I hear in my Zen can.
Using my Audeze LCD2 closed and ZMF Verite open.
They have punch and clarity that the Micro BL and especially Nano didn’t have.
Yes, the Micro BL is quite dynamic so it’s not a flat sounding device but has more of a colored warmth low midsy hump.
Using my iFi Zen Can I can tell it has a warmer/midsy sound to it compared to the more linear sound of the Diablo’s amp/DAC.
The bass is slightly emphasized but doesn’t overstate its presence even with bassier headphones like my CA Cascade.
Using turbo mode the LCD2 closed back is
driven with authority that otherwise has a loose and weakish sounding bass and shouty upper mids/treble when not fed enough current.
It also powers the Sundaras in a similar fashion with that full body sound.
I’ve heard the Sundaras called thin/bright but no so much when fed right IME.
Turbo mode is super dynamic and is perhaps my favorite when the cans call for it.
The Cascades goes into overkill with anything above Eco mode.
The Sundara and Audeze sound full with normal mode at 12 but more dynamic on turbo below 12
The Sennheiser and Verite both take normal mode on well but dynamics improve with Turbo.
The mids seem to be there with no real forward bite but no recessed sound that is perhaps the result of amp distortion that’s part of the iFi house sound again in my experience with Micro BL and Zen can.
Audeze closed back can become quite shouty in the mids but sounds smooth here.
Treble seems pretty forward or at least not as tamed as the Micro BL.
The Verite open benefits from a brighter output that I found to be lackluster when paired with Micro BL and Zen Can.
I can easily listen to my Verite on the Diablo without missing too too much of my Tube/DAC streamer desktop set up I have (and love).
Overall, I’m quite happy with the sound and function of this model.
Sure it’s missing the classic iFi buttons but trades that off for a cleaner, even more dynamic and powerful-desktop like performance.
Just my quick impressions as I’ve still to spend more time with it on Roon.
Things like texture and separation are also harder to describe and detect especially with New Toy Syndrome.
I’d love to eventually compare it with my Matrix Audio Element M using Roon via USB when I finally get a new MacBook.
My previous experiences with iFi has been the Nano BL, Micro BL and Zen Can.
The build is more ergonomic in my hands and feels just as well built as the Micro BL (which presumably has a very close build to the new Signature).
Love the red color but I can understand the appeal of the beautiful matte blue.
It’s just as big as ever so it makes a great transportable set up.
The sound is transparent, detailed and has good overall bass/mids/treble.
“Neutral” especially when compared to the classic iFi house sound found in the Micro BL and I hear in my Zen can.
Using my Audeze LCD2 closed and ZMF Verite open.
They have punch and clarity that the Micro BL and especially Nano didn’t have.
Yes, the Micro BL is quite dynamic so it’s not a flat sounding device but has more of a colored warmth low midsy hump.
Using my iFi Zen Can I can tell it has a warmer/midsy sound to it compared to the more linear sound of the Diablo’s amp/DAC.
The bass is slightly emphasized but doesn’t overstate its presence even with bassier headphones like my CA Cascade.
Using turbo mode the LCD2 closed back is
driven with authority that otherwise has a loose and weakish sounding bass and shouty upper mids/treble when not fed enough current.
It also powers the Sundaras in a similar fashion with that full body sound.
I’ve heard the Sundaras called thin/bright but no so much when fed right IME.
Turbo mode is super dynamic and is perhaps my favorite when the cans call for it.
The Cascades goes into overkill with anything above Eco mode.
The Sundara and Audeze sound full with normal mode at 12 but more dynamic on turbo below 12
The Sennheiser and Verite both take normal mode on well but dynamics improve with Turbo.
The mids seem to be there with no real forward bite but no recessed sound that is perhaps the result of amp distortion that’s part of the iFi house sound again in my experience with Micro BL and Zen can.
Audeze closed back can become quite shouty in the mids but sounds smooth here.
Treble seems pretty forward or at least not as tamed as the Micro BL.
The Verite open benefits from a brighter output that I found to be lackluster when paired with Micro BL and Zen Can.
I can easily listen to my Verite on the Diablo without missing too too much of my Tube/DAC streamer desktop set up I have (and love).
Overall, I’m quite happy with the sound and function of this model.
Sure it’s missing the classic iFi buttons but trades that off for a cleaner, even more dynamic and powerful-desktop like performance.
Just my quick impressions as I’ve still to spend more time with it on Roon.
Things like texture and separation are also harder to describe and detect especially with New Toy Syndrome.
I’d love to eventually compare it with my Matrix Audio Element M using Roon via USB when I finally get a new MacBook.
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agreed, I have one too
Gus141
100+ Head-Fier
I don’t have the Diablo...yet ;- ) but I have an xDSD and an iDSD BL (non Signature), and more importantly for your question, I‘ve owned an RME ADi-2 DAC Fs for over 2 years (AK4490 version vs recent AK4493). I don’t think you can compare the two (RME vs Diablo) fairly: the ADI-2 DAC has sooooo many more features that I find indispensable in a desktop DAC, but for portable/transportable use I need something else, and that’s where the Diablo is going to fit in maybe. If you are looking for a non-transportable desktop DAC then I can’t recommend enogh the RME ADI-2 DAC. If you are looking for a portable solution, then I would not recommend the RME ADI-2 DAC
So that leaves the other things you are looking for in a portable: balanced?, EQ/bass-effects/crossfeed?, battery life, form factor, volume control implementation, etc.@Condocondor following your posts on the AQ DF Cobalt since I bought one, I know MQA rendering is important to you: RME ADI-2 DAC, although it is not an MQA DAC, sounds awesome with 1st-unfold/decoded MQA at 88.2 or 96kHz. I have a number of MQA rendering DACs and the RME still sounds better than them with just the 1st-unfold/decode. However, I love the sound of the Cobalt and the iFi xDSD with my sensitive cans and IEMs.
If it’s power you need though *and* MQA decoding & rendering *and* in a portable solution, I don’t see a better product out in the wild right now than the iFi Diablo. With a fully balanced architecture and MQA decoding (not just rendering) in a portable package, this is the one to beat.
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Kudos for the music choice. Love their neutral milk cover.
The blue IS really really ridiculously good looking
ianjturner
Head-Fier
This is so helpful thanks! The single most important thing is sound quality with features all switched off. Portable would be cool, not essential. Millions of tweaks cool, not essential. Ultra high power, ultra low power - don’t care. Unbalanced vs balanced - I’m not religious. Whatever sounds best. I had wrongly assumed GTO with the Diablo. MQA - I’m unconvinced but convenient to have vs not. Red colour - important but I have a Dragonfly Red for that haha! So yeah when your Diablo comes along I’m dying to know if there’s a significant difference or if it’s just a Cobalt vs Red sized sound difference - in which case then I compare on feature basis.
Gus141
100+ Head-Fier
That’s how I feel about making the decision to buy a Diablo or not: sound quality with all features switched off; couldn’t have said it better.
I think that’s where the Diablo is going to make it’s impact: those who don’t want to fiddle with the settings and switches to get the best sound. The anti-audiophile-nervosa DAC
just plug it in and enjoy; no switches to obsess over. Just sit back and trust us: this is the best sound you can get. 
Cheers,Gus
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I think that’s where the Diablo is going to make it’s impact: those who don’t want to fiddle with the settings and switches to get the best sound. The anti-audiophile-nervosa DAC
That truly was our goal, yes
I can't disagree
I’ve spent 5 days with the Diablo and it’s been a very good time streaming Tidal masters (there’s a good family plan going on) and very quickly via Roon.
My previous experiences with iFi has been the Nano BL, Micro BL and Zen Can.
The build is more ergonomic in my hands and feels just as well built as the Micro BL (which presumably has a very close build to the new Signature).
Love the red color but I can understand the appeal of the beautiful matte blue.
It’s just as big as ever so it makes a great transportable set up.
The sound is transparent, detailed and has good overall bass/mids/treble.
“Neutral” especially when compared to the classic iFi house sound found in the Micro BL and I hear in my Zen can.
Using my Audeze LCD2 closed and ZMF Verite open.
They have punch and clarity that the Micro BL and especially Nano didn’t have.
Yes, the Micro BL is quite dynamic so it’s not a flat sounding device but has more of a colored warmth low midsy hump.
Using my iFi Zen Can I can tell it has a warmer/midsy sound to it compared to the more linear sound of the Diablo’s amp/DAC.
The bass is slightly emphasized but doesn’t overstate its presence even with bassier headphones like my CA Cascade.
Using turbo mode the LCD2 closed back is
driven with authority that otherwise has a loose and weakish sounding bass and shouty upper mids/treble when not fed enough current.
It also powers the Sundaras in a similar fashion with that full body sound.
I’ve heard the Sundaras called thin/bright but no so much when fed right IME.
Turbo mode is super dynamic and is perhaps my favorite when the cans call for it.
The Cascades goes into overkill with anything above Eco mode.
The Sundara and Audeze sound full with normal mode at 12 but more dynamic on turbo below 12
The Sennheiser and Verite both take normal mode on well but dynamics improve with Turbo.
The mids seem to be there with no real forward bite but no recessed sound that is perhaps the result of amp distortion that’s part of the iFi house sound again in my experience with Micro BL and Zen can.
Audeze closed back can become quite shouty in the mids but sounds smooth here.
Treble seems pretty forward or at least not as tamed as the Micro BL.
The Verite open benefits from a brighter output that I found to be lackluster when paired with Micro BL and Zen Can.
I can easily listen to my Verite on the Diablo without missing too too much of my Tube/DAC streamer desktop set up I have (and love).
Overall, I’m quite happy with the sound and function of this model.
Sure it’s missing the classic iFi buttons but trades that off for a cleaner, even more dynamic and powerful-desktop like performance.
Just my quick impressions as I’ve still to spend more time with it on Roon.
Things like texture and separation are also harder to describe and detect especially with New Toy Syndrome.
I’d love to eventually compare it with my Matrix Audio Element M using Roon via USB when I finally get a new MacBook.
Awesome work, thanks a lot
ianjturner
Head-Fier
If the Diablo turns out to be the best quality sounding DAC/amp for the money, I'm all in, but there are enough unknowns still that I'm going to hit the brakes on my preorder and rethink when a few more comparisons with similarly priced hardware have appeared. (Stuff takes wayyy too long to get to Oz and gives me too much time to wobble before it arrives - such a roller coaster compared to when I was in UK!)
Gus141
100+ Head-Fier
Agree. I should have put quotes around that sentence of mine you quoted, since I meant it as what I thought iFi might say regarding this DAC (i.e., the “us” in my sentence). But I too will be reading some more reviews and early-adopter impressions before I make a decision.
Cheers,
Gus
milkdudd
1000+ Head-Fier
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No doubt the Diablo is an awesome device. I'll do more research before I make up my mind, but up untill now I can't quite understand why it's $250 (38 %) more than the iDSD signature. Perhaps there are some very good reasons why it is worth the extra money. I'll pay the difference if that proves to be the case. Opinions welcome
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As an internally more sophisticated and advanced product of the two and a platform designed from scratch, iDSD Diablo naturally took more expenses and longer R&D to complete. It's not a different take on our micro iDSD Signature (...or its BL version disguised in red), but a totally new beast. This makes a rather significant difference from the engineering perspective
I'll leave sound comparisons to others, though
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Bob Parish
100+ Head-Fier
As an internally more sophisticated and advanced product of the two and a platform designed from scratch, iDSD Diablo naturally took more expenses and longer R&D to complete. It's not a different take on our micro iDSD Signature (...or its BL version disguised in red), but a totally new beast. This makes a rather significant difference from the engineering perspective
I'll leave sound comparisons to others, though
1) Why the power x wasn't included if performance was the goal?
2) Why not an usb adapter for I can use my high end regular cable, as the one included with signature?
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