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

[deanbone]

See Deanbone you are just where I was a few weeks ago. You’re a raving fan and hats off to you sir. I can’t fault that. I was defensive too, no one wants your device slated. And to be fair if I had the thing still I’d be in your camp. I’m just highlighting the view when you fall away from it.
But please note - there isn’t an advertised -lower- limit for the Diablo, just a huge maximum. I’ve never heard of a minimum power limit on a consumer audio device before anyway. So why would anyone expect to have to even think of it especially when it’s so small? Yeah the IEMatch is very much missing from the package.

I wouldn't say I was a raving fine, the device suits my needs, what you said suggests it doesn't suit yours. I have my own gripes with the Diablo like the volume pot channel imbalance, I would have preferred Type C over male USB A, I would have liked an analogue input. I chose the diablo because there aren't any other portable DAC/AMPs that have this much power.

 

[CH23]

"When the battery runs out, which it does even while connected to iPower, that’s it -got to leave it to charge."
Why would having it connected the iPower stop the battery from running out? lol
No you dont have to leave it to charge, if it dies you plug it in and power it off and on again and you're back to business. You likely need a decent charger though, the charger I am using is 5V 2.5A.

I was actually expecting the device to go from battery power to USB power when it is connected to it. That's how basically every other device I use works. It's also not described anywhere that turning it off and on again will make it switch to USB power.

But please note - there isn’t an advertised -lower- limit for the Diablo, just a huge maximum. I’ve never heard of a minimum power limit on a consumer audio device before anyway. So why would anyone expect to have to even think of it especially when it’s so small? Yeah the IEMatch is very much missing from the package.

For me it seems like IEMs are also not an option due to the imbalance in the volume control, something I feel shouldn't happen with a €1000 DAC/AMP. The 100kohm potentiometer used seems to be a generic one, but I don't know enough to say for sure if it's an alps or not.

 

[utdeep]

Running into a strange problem. The Diablo only seems to deliver music to my 4.4mm balanced out when it is plugged into the wall wart via USB-C. Absolutely doesn't work with just its battery. I've tried both firmwares. It only works when it is plugged in.

Anyone have a similar issue? I'm certain it is fully charged.

 

[deanbone]

I was actually expecting the device to go from battery power to USB power when it is connected to it. That's how basically every other device I use works. It's also not described anywhere that turning it off and on again will make it switch to USB power.



For me it seems like IEMs are also not an option due to the imbalance in the volume control, something I feel shouldn't happen with a €1000 DAC/AMP. The 100kohm potentiometer used seems to be a generic one, but I don't know enough to say for sure if it's an alps or not.

I never said turning of an on again switches it USB power. if it cuts out because the battery is low you need to turn it of and on again before it tries to draw power (this is likely a safety feature to prevent over discharging of the battery. If the device is not connected to power it uses the battery, if the device is connected to power but the power supply doesn't provide enough power then it will draw power from the battery and the power supply as well, if it is connected to a power supply which provided more power than the diablo needs then it will charge the battery while it use and when the battery is fully charged it will continue to run off the power supply.

 

[whitedragem]

Hey Head-fiers,
I’ve been definitely unluckier than many so take my ‘blip’ with a pinch of salt, but I do believe in furnishing you with facts.

And we wouldn’t have it any other way.... To be fair to Ian; I had known of his issues for ‘awhile’, and it wasn’t for a long time after his issues that we brought it up in private posts... ;and only when I started to make comments to him on my issues with iFi webpage support.. At no point did Ian blame them for ‘his’ mistake, and I think the vairous posts I have just read (with responses from other members) that are missing the forrest for the trees/throwing ‘baby out with bathwater’- we seem to be arguing the semantics with who is at fault.
I think it is important to know that Ian doesn’t really hold iFi at task for the firmware flashing (although would like to raise it as a potential concern, no doubt, somewhat nullified by the present situation, but as @CH23 confirmed, firmwares shouldn’t work and it is easy for software dev teams to take steps from this happening. iFi have obviously taken some shortcuts with rolling out ‘so similar as to not care’ type firmwares across a range of their products in the past, that legacy of that shortcut is that accidents like this can even happen.
The number of times I have been told by firmware updating software that ‘you are using an incompatible firmware’ would be well over a hundred (being different devices) and so this is standard practice from the majority of hardware companies that offer firmwares. (mostly due to a bad firmware often stopping a replacement working firmware being added, this is an important safeguard and is why high end PC mainboards have dual firmwares and ‘dip switches’ to switch between them..
As Ian correctly added in a fourth post- the firmware came out after the Diablo existed; that combined with misleading info (no, not the it isn’t on the ‘incompatible list’; which clearly was a fault of a slow updating webpage, which is weird cause the Diablo product page was talking about MQA via SPDIF well before the firmwares came (that still don’t offer the feature as of today is my understanding)- there is a lot of issues stemming from a product management team not having their underlings have dependencies on ‘actions taken/tasks to be done’. The firmware should have had salience regarding the Diablo product (it came out after the Diablo was at retail for awhile), and it should have rejected.. Ian doesn’t hold iFi more than 50% accountable in this instance, and even that number is tempered with the fact that the page suggest ‘no harm to(/?could?) be done’.

I do not feel that Ian was trying to make this aspect (firmware) the lionshare of his post, and like how he put the topic he was raising into parts, compartmentalising them for ‘the reader’ in ways that makes sense and proves helpful... I DO feel that he needed to bring up the firmware, sure, but we shouldn’t get ‘hung up on his mentioning it’ (he certainly isn’t)..
Again, - I had messaged with Ian many times, and he did not mention it to me/ isn’t a crybaby with this stuff.. it was only when we discussed the lacklustre support channel with iFi that he had something to say (neither of us talking about our respective reasons for contacting them, just the ‘experience’ of attempting to get help.

Next I immediately contact iFi through the Support page, sweat running from my brow and place the importance at maximum (emergency or something I think?) I guess there are emergencies and emergencies and no one was dying so iFi wasn’t worried about reading my case for a few days. In that time I ended up asking a couple of “hello anyone home?!” type additional posts and still nothing so started contacting the wonderful AddictedToAudio who very quickly organised return.

IFi eventually respond. A snarky message pointing out that every time I add a message to a case I go back to the back of the queue. Wow ok.

Nice- I wish I had been given that comment. It would have stopped me updating my case with further posts ‘every few days (or less)’.
Whilst I do feel that many of the replies I have been given could be seen (?heard) as ‘snarky’; if I was trying to give them the benefit of the doubt: they could also be seen (?heard) as ‘cool’.
@ianjturner does go on to write that “it appears that they are just happy getting a fast turnaround”,not verbatim (silly given the quoting effort I am going to here), and this would mirror my experience.. Tone when engaging with a client/customer IS hyper important, and with my ‘rosey coloured glasses ON’, team iFi have a tone that is hard to discern. From the point of view of being a customer, and having done a lot of ‘back office’ duties myself, their lack of professionalism comes across as ‘big queue with not enough team members’ at best.. and their interest is simply to attempt to sign off on issues rather than actually fix them.

So I explain my problem, and suggest that I would be happy to try uploading the correct firmware. I postpone sending the Diablo back and give them a chance to pass it on. Well we get to a week total since the issue is first reported and no firmware. So back it goes. At this point (probably because I’m on this forum) being managed at least by the highly competent Yolanda who is professional and not snarky. Bonus.

I think Ian is underreporting to us his leeway and leniency /patience.
The return to AddictedToAudio was dragged out due to the hope he could save everyone the time/energy and simply have a firmware to flash.. In this regard NO ONE at iFi was willing to pony up a Diablo firmware (all Ian actually needed to get up and running), and simultaneously iFi were telling me to run a Diablo firmware (as a stop gap) to fix my issue,.. so after hearing of Ians dilemma, I extended to iFi to pony up any Diablo firmware.
Their team gave a range of responses like “if team member X has offered you a beta firmware I will have to check with them before giving it” type replies. There were so many replies that were not responding to my actual ‘first post’(or subsequent posts), always just trying to CLOSE OUT THE LAST POST, that it became a bit farcical.
Hindsight being 20/20; the iFi Diablo firmware page ACTUALLY HAD WORKING ‘NON BETA’ FIRMWARES up at this point, but they were not releasing them to the public until they had a sister firmware that would allow swapping between GTO filter.. The first firmware was up nearly a month ago (the 24th I believe), but didn’t appear to the public until the same time that the alternate firmware was finished being tested. Of course non of that matters as they would have had a version one firmware... and with repeated requests for ANY firmware (from multiple users) they couldn’t follow up or be bothered to let us know useful info relating to them.
Ians first Diablo hadn’t left his state (by post) before the firmwares were released and so any correspondence helping/informing either of us, would have saved AddictedToAudio the handling time (and had Ian with a working Diablo with a whole week less ‘down time’)..
This might just be unfortunate, and ‘first world problems’ sure; but iFi completely dropped the ball regarding how they handled this. Snarkyness irrelevant; they did not TRY to help. They did try to churn through posts to their back office team. Quite simply they enjoyed taking a paycheck whilst having ‘little to any’ interest to perform the job that is their role.

Whilst I have comments on individual team members (Ians’ experience with “an escalation point”) I would never choose to publicly denounce anybody via the internet, but I will leave it simply with my experience DOES NOT MATCH his....

AddictedToAudio waste no time and half a week later I have a new device at my door. ATA really are tremendous with their customer service.

Yes - they really are!
I have only persevered with the Diablo based on their assistance with the matter.
Having been highly questionable to have a part that might fail me in such a short time, and knowing that ‘after warranty’ then what? (my faith in the Diablo being highly contended to the point of NOT REVIEWING IT).. Personally, the way Team iFi have handled themselves left me on the fence to pass up on the most excellent Diablo product. Having heard Ians’ story here today, going on to ‘a second product’ that failed outside of his useage habit (flashing an incompatible firmware he acknowledges was HIS fault, but has only touched the surface on how iFi handled him here publicly, which shows he isn’t trying to shame anybody.. rather , ‘quite the opposite’ is my guess...) I have been wanting to return the Diablo from the first instance of support screwing up.. and with iFi supports’ further ‘rudeness’ (a snarky tone is well implied, but I went on with my Rosey coloured eyewear) I eventually decided enough was enough...
AddictedToAudio, when first told of the issue, did something that restored my faith in iFi instantly: they asked for a point form use case that led to the issue and wanted to get head office to put another unit on a workbench and attempt to recreate the issue. ^^^THIS^^^ effort by AddictedToAudio restored my belief that they were aligned, like all of their curated product lines, with ‘the best’, and really stood behind the products they sell. I still have a Diablo , but only because of A2A handling of the instance.

I try this new Diablo and it seems fine, starting to smile again (!) and battery runs out. “BOOM” through the headphones followed by click-de-click-de-click. The other one did that when battery was out too. No stress, it’s connected on the iPower that came in the box, switch it off, it will charge. Everyone lives happily ever after? Nope.

And now we are getting into the area of what my first Diablo part had happen to it. With NOT A SINGLE response from iFi being interested in ‘how it happened’ or ‘what was happening’- and my attempt to raise their INTEREST in the case being met with simply ‘deflection’ and ‘post again if you have anything further raise with us’ type replies.

This is the real issue for me, as I have written to them on numerous occasions to quite a few of their business portals/front ends to try and have this issue raised (is there a widescale issue that could happen based on a useage scenario?); I fully believed I had created the issue with a very specific use accident, and have wanted to have iFi look into whether it is a real thing or whether I just had a bad unit. Both require responses and neither are being redressed. Team iFi have left all important correspondence to be met with silence. This doesn’t help ME, sure, but if it might help others to have this investigated, (which in turn helps iFi) surely some sort of investigation is warranted.
So far iFi have been happy with wasting my time, and telling me to take it back. They have shown themselves to be incapable to respond to direct communication about important issues.
Would I buy again? (that will depend on how widely spread the issue is - is it engineering or is it a bad batch- )
Hearing Ian describe the same issue potentially (the first I have heard of anyone in the world having the issue outside of my own), and, our serials are ‘quite close together’, it could be either/or at this point.

If it isn’t obvious, this is why I have raised the issue so fervently with Team iFi, I wanted to raise awareness and save others from having the issue.
iFi SHOULD have cared enough about this, on the basis of saving themselves coin (at the very least) and followed up with me.
Ians’ second unit going ‘boom’ I wasn’t aware of until an hour ago (via this ‘very public forum’), and so now I have something to contribute.
Talking about my unit failing wasn’t my goal here, and defending Ian from looking like he is being harsh on iFi partly is.
Ian has been very generous with kindness in describing his dealings with iFi, and I really feel forum goers don’t need to take task with him for flashing the wrong firmware on his first unit. (he has been punished enough with radio silence and musical silence), and given it wasn’t his goal to put blame on iFi for that failing, it does not need be a point for further discussion.. It was needed to be shared to let us know ‘his story’.
What does matter is the points he raised regarding the second unit..
Forums are great for issues being tracked down/found. Sometimes public doing a business’ work does happen. If there support is as inept as my experience with them has shown me, chances are OUR BEST BET to try and have this raised ‘as an issue’ is here, with a community of passionate users who like the product and invest ‘good time’ with it.

 

[whitedragem]

Thought I’d break my feedback into more than one post because those were the ‘facts’ as far as I am aware and this now is my user experience of being an iFi customer buying a premium product in the Diablo.

.... IFi looked fresh, full of ideas, lots of online following. Clearly customer focussed. Awesome. I bought an iFi Micro iDSD BL. (The Diablo bit is coming!)
Not really a strike - Annoying timing since my OCD brain says my new thing shouldn’t be outdated within 5 months. But products have to be iterated. When the Signature appeared I sucked that up and just sold the BL. Luckily the Sig took forever to get here and by that time I’d almost given up! The Diablo was then announced.

Hindsight is incredible.. in the week or so around me buying the Diablo I read many and various threads, and a lot of the Signature and Black Label threads.. the “we have something to announce soon” and “its too far away to talk about”; changing to “here it is” was such a short gap that I wouldn’t want to be in Ians’ shows with regards to ‘buying the latest’ and interpreting off the public front end given for iFi products. The timeframe between ‘its still a while away’ to ‘here it is’ was so short that I feel iFi must have been conditioned to see us headfi-ers’ as impatient and without the ability to delay gratification. They probably got this way through experience with US, so they are probably not to blame.. but the timeframes between ‘too far away to talk about’ and ‘its out now’ was surprisingly little.
Testamony to iFi being incredible with supply chain prowess no doubt

Strike one - if I had bought the Signature, then like many on the forum I would be in ‘what the screw’ zone again. That would have happened twice. That would have been really really annoying.
Strike 2 - huge amounts of misinformation on the Diablo, wayyy back in this thread in fact. Won’t dig it all back up again, just know that even people from iFi were wading in clearly before marketing and support had got their plan straight. I blame the Christmas blip. But still I was almost put off.

Yep.

........
Strike 4 - I get to a competent support person in iFi. But even they can’t get firmware because teams are all scattered in different countries and time zones. Ok starting to see that internal comms is a huge issue for iFi for a reason. Problem is…. AU$1400…. And I don’t care if there are internal problems. Fix em.
Strike 5 - In good faith I opt for another Diablo and as posted, it was faulty. But when I report this there’s a distinct ‘are you sure you’re not stupid?’ kind of question coming from support (who strangely this time responded quickly this time) - did I perhaps randomly try to charge the device with the wrong power source? I guess this means a 12v one instead of the 5v iPower. Well no, because I’m not stupid and I’m very aware that iFi do not adequately protect their equipment from such ‘user error’ scenarios! But hang in that’s scary. What would happen if someone picked the wrong power cable? I don’t trust that the Diablo is protected from this and obviously nor do the techos at iFi.

I think this is the big takeaway that iFi need to garner from public communications today- that sorting things out in a timely manner is what matters; clicking the ‘done’ box to an email thread trying to raise awareness about issues, whilst it might be good for ‘internal benchmarking’ implying that the support team is ‘effective/efficient’ is actually against the customers getting an expectant outcome.
The internal breakdowns are sufficient enough to get between useful feedback and ‘relevant departments’ and to stop actual help from landing (timely or otherwise) in a customers’ lap.
The ‘are you sure you’re not stupid’ type replies, which is fair from supports eyes’ (we have no idea the sorts of enquiries they deal with) could be tempered a bit better, but that would require they actually READ our posts, and I can vouch wholeheartedly that they do not, nor does the escalation staff, and they seem to just want to tick off all correspondence as ‘replied to’ whether or not the reply was related or in any way useful to ‘the end user’.
Perhaps there is pay incentives for ‘number of completed tickets’ (I always hate when companies have pay reward structures that are against the clients best wishes’, but it is a thing, and one that shows itself in unmysterious ways..); whatever is going on, customer handling needs review.
In business it is not ‘the outcome that is put in effect’, but/rather ‘the timeliness of the handling’ that alters the customers viewpoint the most. iFi are clearly working towards the timeliness tier, but doing so so ineffectively and whilst coming off as ‘not genuine’, hurts and hinders more than it helps.

iFi Support,( quite simply,) ISN’T.

I was going to write a review about the Diablo and drop it on the review site but I don’t think I will do that. At least my posts here will get lost in the mists of time in the end.

Yep, and is why I have joined in with you this morn to let you know you are not alone and ‘thankyou’ for effort given.
It is tempered, and rather nice (as someone who knows a little more of what you actually held back), and I say thankyou- clearly you are community focused and ‘here for us’ (and not for YOU).
In this regard I will miss you from this iFi thread, as you are definitely a ‘giver’. Thankyou again, you are appreciated, as a community stands tall by the actions of its’ members.

“For me, I’m outta here… peace ” (@ianjturner :you rule!)

 

[whitedragem]

Running into a strange problem. The Diablo only seems to deliver music to my 4.4mm balanced out when it is plugged into the wall wart via USB-C. Absolutely doesn't work with just its battery. I've tried both firmwares. It only works when it is plugged in.

Anyone have a similar issue? I'm certain it is fully charged.

Yes; that is my unit to a tee.
Actually also requires a USB connection to play music via the SPDIF input.
(and a whole range of OTHER issues), but yes, ECO mode works fine.. but NORMAL/TURBO requires wall wart (even if fully charged).. I believe one of my two internal batteries is dead (assuming there is two/I believe I read that somewhere)

This is actually the ‘widescale fail’ issue I have been trying to raise with iFi, that came about only when I started using the balanced mode front output.

In my instance it had been left with the preamp output from the rear also connected, so I believed it was a fail ‘I had created’.
Hopefully with a few parts exhibiting these same symptoms, iFi can figure it out.

Due to the way mine operates I feel it is a failed controller chip (and is maybe why one battery stays discharged), or the failed second battery leads to a confused controller chip.

One of the ‘fun things’ when using mine.. when a new song starts playing via USB, it starts to output sound again. (when plugged into power, naturally).
ECO mode vs NORMAL/TURBO has a lot less problems (and the problems I have had with those modes has left me not using headphones for basically a month- as the resultant output is of a nature that is VERY BAD for speaker drivers).
Basically I have only trusted using my Diablo into a preamp and even then, ‘only when in the room’.
iFi support drew out the process, and I still haven’t had TWO INTELLIGENT REPLIES that actually factor my WRITTEN TEXT TO THEM.

a part failing- thats alright; it happens
widescale fail- sad, but it happens (I have had three Note 7 phones- one of the best CE devices ever made)
iFi handling of reported information: craptacular fail of the highest order (and is enough that it is starting to cost them unit numbers)

@utdeep Thankyou for mentioning. I do not think I will take another replacement unit until the cause has been identified. Obviously there is a huge issue, and whether it is just a batch or ‘something more’ is still to be figured.
my serial number is ‘below 1000’ (XXXXXXX0837 I believe, but its from memory, so ‘might be wrong’)

 

[deanbone]

Yes; that is my unit to a tee.
Actually also requires a USB connection to play music via the SPDIF input.
(and a whole range of OTHER issues), but yes, ECO mode works fine.. but NORMAL/TURBO requires wall wart (even if fully charged).. I believe one of my two internal batteries is dead (assuming there is two/I believe I read that somewhere)

This is actually the ‘widescale fail’ issue I have been trying to raise with iFi, that came about only when I started using the balanced mode front output.

In my instance it had been left with the preamp output from the rear also connected, so I believed it was a fail ‘I had created’.
Hopefully with a few parts exhibiting these same symptoms, iFi can figure it out.

Due to the way mine operates I feel it is a failed controller chip (and is maybe why one battery stays discharged), or the failed second battery leads to a confused controller chip.

One of the ‘fun things’ when using mine.. when a new song starts playing via USB, it starts to output sound again. (when plugged into power, naturally).
ECO mode vs NORMAL/TURBO has a lot less problems (and the problems I have had with those modes has left me not using headphones for basically a month- as the resultant output is of a nature that is VERY BAD for speaker drivers).
Basically I have only trusted using my Diablo into a preamp and even then, ‘only when in the room’.
iFi support drew out the process, and I still haven’t had TWO INTELLIGENT REPLIES that actually factor my WRITTEN TEXT TO THEM.

a part failing- thats alright; it happens
widescale fail- sad, but it happens (I have had three Note 7 phones- one of the best CE devices ever made)
iFi handling of reported information: craptacular fail of the highest order (and is enough that it is starting to cost them unit numbers)

@utdeep Thankyou for mentioning. I do not think I will take another replacement unit until the cause has been identified. Obviously there is a huge issue, and whether it is just a batch or ‘something more’ is still to be figured.
my serial number is ‘below 1000’ (XXXXXXX0837 I believe, but its from memory, so ‘might be wrong’)

the Diablo only has 1 battery, it does not have 2 so I dunno where you got that info. Why don't you get a refund?

I've spoken/chatted with a bunch of people who have the Diablo and their units work flawlessly, maybe there's just a bad batch of them?

 

[justanut]

I was actually expecting the device to go from battery power to USB power when it is connected to it. That's how basically every other device I use works.

Your "every other device" must not have very clean output then I'm guessing? Going through batteries is a simple way to bypass the issue from power (short of making everyone spend $$$ on clean power supplies + cables). And it makes sense for a portable device. Sure they could have added a switch to give users a choice... and start dealing with people lamenting why their 5w free chargers that came with their phones can't power the Diablo etc...

It is what it is... Shall see how long these batteries last, and if iFi would sell user-replaceable batteries.

 

[whitedragem]

Your "every other device" must not have very clean output then I'm guessing? Going through batteries is a simple way to bypass the issue from power (short of making everyone spend $$$ on clean power supplies + cables). And it makes sense for a portable device. Sure they could have added a switch to give users a choice... and start dealing with people lamenting why their 5w free chargers that came with their phones can't power the Diablo etc...

It is what it is... Shall see how long these batteries last, and if iFi would sell user-replaceable batteries.

They have been really great on the battery replacement front; made it clear that they are willing to do so, etc.

I love the way they have several outputs from the battery to different aspects of the circuit to keep eveything isolated/pure.

And definitely a good thing that they do not run direct from the wall power.
As an example, a mate has an m2tech DAC that has a seperate battery box (costing nearly as much as the unit).. regenerating power from batteries can have issues (ie less dynamics/transients if headfi threads are worth anything as education), but the benefits in terms of getting off the noisy electrical grid is fantastic.

Not sure if it is because mine is sick, but I have noticed that the cigarette lighter adapter/power source ‘in the car’ has an LED that lights up when power goes to it. When the Diablo is plugged in to it, it stays lit (even with the engine off/keys out of ignition) which makes me think it is backflowing those electrons.. (when the Diablo is off).
I wouldn’t normally give ‘car power’ to the Diablo (preferring to only charge from the included iPower) but as it is the only way to use my Diablo presently it is something I have been testing for the last couple of days.

The Diablo makes for a way better DAC than the one in my cars (high end) head deck....
Much better musicality.

The Chord Hugo had a few paragraphs regarding DAC usage and battery care that I have always followed (including with the Diablo) and that is.. if you use the product until the light is flashing, give it half an hour of charge before resuming use....
Any time I have been charging the Diablo AND using it, it gets HOT!
So I have 95% of the time charged it seperate to using it. (Until it broke and needed permanent power to work)

 

[CH23]

Your "every other device" must not have very clean output then I'm guessing? Going through batteries is a simple way to bypass the issue from power (short of making everyone spend $$$ on clean power supplies + cables). And it makes sense for a portable device. Sure they could have added a switch to give users a choice... and start dealing with people lamenting why their 5w free chargers that came with their phones can't power the Diablo etc...

It is what it is... Shall see how long these batteries last, and if iFi would sell user-replaceable batteries.

moreso that the other battery powered audio gear doesn't actively discharge when using a wallwart. Howver it now seems like my comment was based on a misunderstanding, and the Diablo doesn't discharge when powered properly.

 

[utdeep]

@iFi audio , @Sebastien Chiu - any responses to our feedback regarding Diablos that won’t operate from battery power? I want to get a working Diablo from you - not a dealer. I’m not happy with a back and forth with third parties if this is literally a bad batch.

I love the sound of the device, but something is seriously wrong here if it doesn’t operate off of the battery and multiple people are reporting it here.

 

[utdeep]

Adding a video in case it is helpful. Used the cables/power supply from the box in case that was part of the issue and switched to many sources and headphones with the same results.

 

[Dgowland]

Has anyone hooked this thing up to active speakers yet? If so, is plugging straight into the speakers correct? Or should something like this always be routed through an amp, or preamp I guess? I want to get a pair of 4" monitors to have a simple "party" setup. Any help with this would be excellent as I'd like to avoid buying components I don't need.

 

[Ichos]

Has anyone hooked this thing up to active speakers yet? If so, is plugging straight into the speakers correct? Or should something like this always be routed through an amp, or preamp I guess? I want to get a pair of 4" monitors to have a simple "party" setup. Any help with this would be excellent as I'd like to avoid buying components I don't need.

If your monitors have balanced inputs and a potentiometer or something to control volume/gain then you are good to go.
If you don't have balanced in then you can't use it.