[Sebastien Chiu]

This firmware discussion is the main reason for me in holding back on buying Diablo. i listened to a loaned Diablo from iFi UK and thought it is a spectacular DAC/AMP. Best DAC/AMP i have listened to at home.

been saving up for it to drive my new Focal MG Pro.

so no need to update firmware. That is fine.

Thanks, mate. Hope you get to enjoy it in your personal collection sooner than later!

 

[flyte3333]

I have the Focal Clear and Celestee and use them around 50 to 75% with the volume knob on eco. They are a bit too quiet for me before that.

Holy moly - I am using that range with high quality classical and jazz recording that are not recorded loud.

But as i wrote above, for new popular music that is unfortunately too loud, there is no way I can get past 12 o'clock

I have Focal Utopia but all Focals have very similar high sensitivity - 100dB at 1 mV ...

There have been numerous Focal users writing the same I wrote, in this very thread.

Thanks for your suggestion!

I'm sure you've seen channel imbalance talked about a LOT in all iDSD threads, over the years.

The solution is there in xDSD. Maybe just find a higher quality solution.

 

[qsk78]

Diablo works perfectly with planars! Time to switch to planar-magnetic headphones

 

[edisonwu]

Thanks!

It's a shame the gain of Diablo (even on Eco) is so high.

Has anyone at iFi office tried any Focal headphones with Diablo?

For modern music (unfortunately produced loud), can anyone get past 11 o'clock on Eco knob? Too many channel imbalanced issues below 11 o'clock

I know iFi don't like digital volume control (and that's fair enough) but xDSD has a digitally controlled analogue volume chip.

Surely a high quality one like that exists. This eliminates channel imbalance issues that have long plagued iDSD owners. Also eliminates gain issues like described above - using at 9 oclock would be no problem.

Maybe Diablo V2

I am listening at around 10 o'clock with my balanced HD6xx. It's still too loud even on ECO mode.
I have to put in an order for the iEMatch+ hopefully it will work with my B&W P7.
The Diablo is just too powerful for most of the headphones. I don't think digital volume control would solve this issue. I tried lower the output on my iphone (used iAudiogate's internal volume control) to have the volume knob stay around 11 o'clock but the sound just don't sound right kind of distorted.

 

[edisonwu]

Diablo works perfectly with planars! Time to switch to planar-magnetic headphones

Sounds right. Or maybe high impedance low sensitivity headphones.

 

[Soundizer]

When i had the Diablo on loan previously i was using Focal Radiance via 4.4balanced. My max volume was only 10, but mostly only 9.

iFi told me I should listen 11 onwards. I would damage my hearing if I went higher then 10.
I thought maybe Radiance are too sensitive.
However reading posts above I might not get Diablo if this is an issue with focal headphones.

 

[edisonwu]

When i had the Diablo on loan previously i was using Focal Radiance via 4.4balanced. My max volume was only 10, but mostly only 9.

iFi told me I should listen 11 onwards. I would damage my hearing if I went higher then 10.
I thought maybe Radiance are too sensitive.
However reading posts above I might not get Diablo if this is an issue with focal headphones.

If you like the sound of the Diablo it's worth trying to add the iEMatch+ in between. I will report back once I receive it.

 

[531412]

If you like the sound of the Diablo it's worth trying to add the iEMatch+ in between. I will report back once I receive it.

Why? An IEmatch should not change something on the sound

 

[CH23]

Why? An IEmatch should not change something on the sound

seeing there's a channel imbalance up to around 11, and as he said at 10 it's already too loud, then IEMatch should reduce volume while you can set it past the channel imbalance barrier.

I'm sure you've seen channel imbalance talked about a LOT in all iDSD threads, over the years.

I have to agree here that the response is pretty see-through. the Diablo is my first iFi product, but even I knew of this issue with iFi products...

 

[qsk78]

@iFi audio Any chance to implement an auto shut off function?
I forgot to turn it off yesterday and carried it in my backpack in the iTraveller for 3 hours... you can image how hot everything was in my backpack around Diablo)

 

[CH23]

@iFi audio Any chance to implement an auto shut off function?
I forgot to turn it off yesterday and carried it in my backpack in the iTraveller for 3 hours... you can image how hot everything was in my backpack around Diablo)

I believe power is outside of the XMOS' hands, so I doubt that's possible.

 

[flyte3333]

I don't think digital volume control would solve this issue.

I didn't say digital volume control.

xDSD is a digitally controlled, analogue volume control... perfect channel balance.

So yes, this would solve the issue.

You can be at 8 o'clock and still have perfect channel balance...

The problem here (for years with iDSD) is the volume pot...

 

[qsk78]

I had that channel imbalance issue on iDSD Micro BL, on iDSD Signature but it is almost non-exsitent on the Diablo with all my headphones.

 

[flyte3333]

I had that channel imbalance issue on iDSD Micro BL, on iDSD Signature but it is almost non-exsitent on the Diablo with all my headphones.

It comes down to headphones sensitivity and how gain is designed.

The more sensitive the headphones, the bigger the problem.

If one follows the history of iDSD, it is a long time problem.

Sure people that don't have problems can say so, but hopefully iFi are moreso keeping track of the number of users (over years) that are reporting a problem. Obviously with sensitive headphones.

They have a solution in xDSD... people can read up on how that works. Clearly they were not happy with that particular chip. Maybe in future they can find or design a higher quality one.

 

[boxster233]

It comes down to headphones sensitivity and how gain is designed.

The more sensitive the headphones, the bigger the problem.

If one follows the history of iDSD, it is a long time problem.

Sure people that don't have problems can say so, but hopefully iFi are moreso keeping track of the number of users (over years) that are reporting a problem. Obviously with sensitive headphones.

They have a solution in xDSD... people can read up on how that works. Clearly they were not happy with that particular chip. Maybe in future they can find or design a higher quality one.

Is it not in Diablo?