Ok I got my grubby hands on a female 3.5mm to male 4.4mm cable... plugged it into the balanced LO at the rear of the Diablo with the APM wired. While it didn't blow up my APMs, it was clipping and had a ton of artefacts... I suspect the balanced to SE conversion was badly done in the cables. Tried it with the PO in the front, same thing. Mission fail.
iFi audio iDSD Diablo - A portable reference done our way!
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The APM converts any input back into digital as far as I know, so you're wasting your time even bothering IMO. Mostly definitely you're not getting a better result. I strongly recommend that you get dedicated headphones for listening with the Diablo.
Never, EVER short a balanced output with a single-ended converter. You'll likely damage the circuit. What you were hearing is because balanced outputs have double the voltage.
Well, it does convert a higher quality analog signal into digital when I use the PO of the Diablo SE, and I do hear improvements that have nothing to do with gain or volume. YMMV. I usually drive my HD800S~ just wanted to test my theory for sending LO to the APM. Thankfully nothing broke? The APM's cable probably dampened everything. I have to run them on Turbo usually through 1/4 SE.
Hi, I’m thinking to buy a Diablo to use when I’m at work, and outside, connected to a laptop – at home I use a RME ADI-2 FS with very good results driving a Audeze LCD-2C . I know that the iFi Diablo is marketed mainly as a portable dac/amp, but will the internal battery shorten is life, or degrade somehow, if I use it connected most of the time through the USB-C, like a desktop unit, to draw power? Thanks
whitedragem
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doesn’t draw power from the USB data connection (to the computer).
The power can be left connected to it always. A few on this thread have stipulated that this isn’t ideal for the batteries ultimate life, based on recharge cycles etc..
When I got mine I ran it through the full power cycle, and was constantly netting approx 15 hours on ECO pretty irrelevant WHERE on the volume dial I had it set.
I’d definitely run it in Normal or Turbo, both modes get warm, and that internal warmth is probably as bad for the battery as keeping power connected /lots of little charges etc.
Most of the critical audio parts are exceptionally high grade (vs the same named parts, but different version) that allow extreme heat and stable operation.. and iFi themselves have extended a very genuine hand towards changing batteries if a user ever needs. (in this and every iFi thread /public space)- they come across as a company that really cares.
The benefits that the multibattery design offers nets it much higher quality output - it was why I bought my Chord Hugo years ago, it outpunched an m2Tech DAC that had a battery box of nearly equal cost.. (in battery mode for both of them).. getting off mains has advantages, with the disadvantages that can happen being dampened dynamics etc.. which the Diablo DOESN’T suffer.. due to having a power mode that exceeds what line level needs (substantially so) and as a portable part, which is a bonus, like the Hugo - I bought both as desktop parts for serious home hifi rigs.
It is their nature to be awesome. For a few times more money you could buy slight changes to the sound, but honestly there are few units on the market this musical, this neutral and with this much life to the output. This is the evolution of Digital to Analogue, and for the tiny coin (simply because it is a targeted product that has no fruit, and they aren’t over charging for circuit redesign/ tuning- it comes across, to me, as an absolute audio bargain.
My opinion might not be based on a total understanding of every product on the market right now, but I do understand the audio market over many decades, and having looked REALLY HARD to find something that would interest me over this.. it would basically be an second hand bargain of some esoteric design that would only do some music genres or formats right.. (and would be market dependent on being in the right place at the right time, and need servicing soon etc)..
The Diablo is equal to much and better than most. Without going to super stupid pricepoints, or risking buying unproved tech from a startup that might be giving beyond normal value for money, I feel safe to say this product isn’t really touchable.. because its hidden card up the sleeve is iFis’ support with upgrades.
Simply put; the XMOS controller (never a part I’ve been that interested in) allows so much jitter reduction and other cool tricks (like perfectly working with an incredible clock chip if I have this understood right), but with 4x the RAM of the previous parts, what they will be able to do in terms of Super GTO or whatever music altering firmware they release; it should be impressive!
Chord DAC have their trick in the form of an FGPA, which isn’t a super evolved chip. It looks impressive by size, and it DOES a lot of maths (brute forcing).. but the MQA formula applied to all music (which is basically what the GTO filter is if the internet is to be believed) then the tweaking that iFi WILL GIVE THE DIABLO is just insane.
Every part I have ever owned that has run some sound reprocessing (eg dolby headphone) always benefit from pure circuits.
The Diablo is a great time for team iFi as they will really wow some non believers and ‘turn a few heads’.
They have earned the spot light they are due to get- this part truly impresses.
Of course, some say DACs are all similar.. but any high end review site, look at the compares: they all talk about circuit implementation, and ‘sometimes’ a given chip will sound not as expected (eg the ESS in the Burson high end DACs).. Now I might actually like an ESS in the Burson.. but I love BB, and BB in the Diablo is my jam. While everyone is trying to get the DAC sound right, here is a product that does. It isn’t the worlds best. but in terms of dollar to performance it gets pretty dang close in sound to what the really silly stuff can do. Playing music in the background at a party, majority would never notice. Critical A/B compare - I’d like to think many could notice.. but for everyday listening desktop or otherwise, the Diablo is a win. (if you like studio ref sound sig and don’t need onboard re-eq; which is me in a nutshell)(I’d go the Diablo over the RME ADI2)
not a sales rep)
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got 8-9 hours on normal with 12 o'clock volume, charged it when lights on red took like 3ish hours to fully charged. I think as long it don't get really hot it will last (I mistakenly charged it while still on, got reaaally hot)
Oh and I got updates 50-ish hours in with Diablo, always use it on normal now, the imaging, timbre and detail retrieval have noticeable change i don't know why. Vocal got more texture, clean and body with less sibilant on female. also I can hear more timbre on the instruments. With that makes Diablo brighter, so most of the time I pair it with my lcd x as the pairing got the brightness of Arya but with audeze slam lol
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Bob Parish
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How do you compare the sound of the Diablo with your pair of Topping A90+D90?got 8-9 hours on normal with 12 o'clock volume, charged it when lights on red took like 3ish hours to fully charged. I think as long it don't get really hot it will last (I mistakenly charged it while still on, got reaaally hot)
Oh and I got updates 50-ish hours in with Diablo, always use it on normal now, the imaging, timbre and detail retrieval have noticeable change i don't know why. Vocal got more texture, clean and body with less sibilant on female. also I can hear more timbre on the instruments. With that makes Diablo brighter, so most of the time I pair it with my lcd x as the pairing got the brightness of Arya but with audeze slam lol
An FPGA is, in grossly oversimplified terms, like a computer without an OS, but on a single chip. A bad analogy, as they use programmable gates, not a CPU/RAM/storage set-up. What makes them useful is how they are programmed. Quite a few manufacturers have been using them to implement things such as custom digital filtering, of which Chord's set-up is arguably the most advanced. iFi, Schiit, Audio-gd and a many other manufacturers use them in this way, as well, in some cases, for other types of digital processing. For example, the iFi Pro iDSD uses one to manage all the options for the different digital filters and DSD-resampling.
I haven't looked in detail, but the XMOS USB receivers appear to have become advanced enough that they can be used for processing and handling the digital management of schemes such as MQA. I believe XMOS are offering a pre-configured option for this to manufacturers direct. The iFi Micro series have a separate USB board, so this can be upgraded during production without having to re-design the entire main board, as we've just seen, mid-production, with the Diablo.
I pulled out my old Hugo 1, out of curiosity, and compared it, and indeed, I like the musicality of the Diablo better. The Hugo 2 is another matter, as it is more resolving (the Hugo 1 I consider about on performance as a Mojo) and it's "musicality" comes from what it can extract from the music.
Also, it turned out I was wrong about why the Diablo sounds better than the Signature. Apparently it has nothing to do with the removal of the 3D mode and IEMatch, but due to a complete change in amplification design.
Glad you are giving it the time and are enjoying it!
You are correct, Amos!
Topping stack imo have similar soundsig with Hugo 2, clinical and precise with A90 gives a bit of warmth and dynamic. yet after I listened to Diablo the Topping stack felt too analytical, don't get me wrong they're pretty amazing for their pricepoint. I don't know maybe it just my taste that prefer the energetic, punchy and forward signature of the Diablo with my playlist
And I'm still waiting for my balance cable, really curious how the sound will change
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Let us know what you think!
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Indeed. We felt it was necessary for folks to get the correct FW version for their products.
You hacker you
In case of our balanced products it really makes sense to go balanced, yes!
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Bob Parish
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Eco is sweet and Turbo is bright?
Has the Diablo 3 stage amplifier, one for each mode, or only one for turbo mode and two resistors lowering levels for normal and eco modes?
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ianjturner
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A few million posts ago we were trying to figure out how to connect the Diablo balanced line out to an RCA input of an unbalanced amp. Is there a recommended way (obviously not a dodgy straight adapter/cable which will cause short circuits somewhere in the circuit, which iFi sensibly recommend against), or are you guys saying it's either a) use the unbalanced headphone out or b) get a balanced amp? I have seen that circuits to solve this do exist... and if anyone knows it'll be iFi!
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