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

[AlfredE]

I really enjoy my Diablo. I have it with the silencer and a special cable from Ifi to connect the device to my IPad Pro. It sounds really great - with plenty of power to spare. Battery run time could be longer though…

 

[iFi audio]

Battery run time could be longer though…

I hear you, battery life is important, however we did the best we could to preserve iDSD Diablo's rather compact form factor. A transportable device capable of handling pretty much every headphones out there was our goal.

 

[AlfredE]

And you really succeeded in reaching this goal. I am extremely satisfied with Diablo as well as with my Gryphon and GoBlu. Diablo and Diana TC - a good pairing? What do you think?

 

[whitedragem]

I hear you, battery life is important, however we did the best we could to preserve iDSD Diablo's rather compact form factor. A transportable device capable of handling pretty much every headphones out there was our goal.

This is one of those kind of moments where it is a case of pick what matters most (sound quality or battery life…)

Best sign I have ever seen in retail was along the lines that we could have:
quality service / fast service / cheap service (pick two)

Home parts have the advantage of ‘unlimited power’ and portable parts have weight and power considerations to choose from..
Using the example of the Sony PHA3, an excellent portable amp and DAC that most negative press was around the battery run times. (fairly perhaps)
Being portable parts giving ‘home sound quality’ means it runs hot and uses ‘juice’. It uses the home ‘PRO’ Sabre DAC chip that focused on sound quality rather than ‘sipping juice’ as its’ design ideal.. Same with amplification, we can have ‘lots of run time’ or ‘quality power‘ (akin to home parts).

I like that the Diablo can sound as good as home kit… (the mode selector on it extending five hours to fifteen in my runtime tests seems like it has a trick or two up its sleeve as well)
of course it cannot beat the laws of chemistry/physics… and I am glad it leans on ‘sound quality‘ as a focus.

Some Sennheiser IE80BT buds are ‘the same’ (great sound quality but ‘little run time’ due to doing high quality sound)
Manufacturers know we can see the run time on the spec sheet, but sound quality is a subjective thing and THAT doesn’t stand out on the spec sheet.. (so battery life can become a battle ground on parts as it sells units!)

 

[iFi audio]

This is one of those kind of moments where it is a case of pick what matters most (sound quality or battery life…)

The tricky part is not to cherry-pick but to prioritize and find compromises within all restrictions given

Diablo and Diana TC - a good pairing? What do you think?

It would work for sure, but not hearing it thus far I can't say. Still, you might want to ask about that specific combo in the Diana thread, I'm sure folks there have some useful feedback, thanks!
Also, many thanks for having quite a few our products and being happy with them

 

[AlfredE]

These are good products!

 

[flyte3333]

Hi @iFi audio

I've read the manual.

For someone using this at a deskop setup, is it ok for the internal battery, to leave it charged 24/7/365?

Chord products like Hugo2 and Mojo2 have a 'desktop mode' feature that keep battery at approx 70-80% charge , to keep at optimal battery voltage for long term use (desktop). This keeps the battery life optimal for many years.

Keeping a battery at 100% long term is not good over many years, for battery health.

What tech does Diablo have to keep battery healthy for 24/7/365 use?

And separate query - what is the output voltage for the fixed 4.4mm balanced output on the rear? And output impedance for this fixed output?

 

[flyte3333]

I will check on this and get back to you tomorrow

Hi @Sebastien Chiu , I never saw a reply to this. What was the answer?

 

[flyte3333]

Hi @iFi audio

I have the release notes of the 2 firmwares attached below, side by side.

Both says "cons" = no DSD512/PCM768k

So there is no firmware that does DSD512/PCM768k ?

@iFi audio @Sebastien Chiu

A follow-up to my quoted post about "No DSD512" mentioned in v7.0 release notes (see above screenshots)

Seems to be the same with v7.3 release notes.... can we have some clarity about DSD512 support?

Which of the 3 firmwares supports DSD512?

And for more inconsistency - v7.3b has no release notes in the zip file

 

[keithmarsh]

Just got my Diablo Miter case to complete the collection

 

[JKTRRT]

I’m considering purchasing the Diablo, but am put off by a number of recent reviews on Amazon saying that it shuts off when running power hungry cans and needs to be connected to power in order to be revived. I tried searching this thread but could not find similar reports — has this shutoff been anybody’s experience here?

Yes I had that problem. It plays perfectly on battery with my Sony MDR z1r headphone with the oem cable but when I used a aftermarket cable it clipped and shutoff and had to be reconnected to usb for it to reset itself. I used it with my Sennheiser HD 820 headphone with a Moon Audio Silver Dragon 4.4mm cable and everything is fine. I used a Boise Audio 4.4 mm cable with the Sony MDR Z1R and it shuts down my IFI DIABLO?

 

[801evan]

If 7.3c has no GTO on spdif in,

What's the filter on 7.3 spdif in?

If I want GTO on spdif in, what should I use?

 

[justanut]

I’m considering purchasing the Diablo, but am put off by a number of recent reviews on Amazon saying that it shuts off when running power hungry cans and needs to be connected to power in order to be revived. I tried searching this thread but could not find similar reports — has this shutoff been anybody’s experience here?

Huh. Never happened to me before. Driving HD800S with the Diablo. Amazon... pfft... Prob cheap DAC/AMP makers trying to drive business to themselves.

*Edit*
Never used the OG cables. Used with cheap Aliexpress 3rd party cables as well as expensive ones, not once have I encountered the issue from OG Firmware to 7.0 to 7.3

 

[AlfredE]

Huh. Never happened to me before. Driving HD800S with the Diablo. Amazon... pfft... Prob cheap DAC/AMP makers trying to drive business to themselves.

I am driving the Abyss Diana TC with the Diablo. It‘s great. Never had this issue.

 

[Ficcion2]

Can confirm. I’ve been using my Diablo since release with Diana V2 and now Phi on turbo for hours with no issues.

They sound great too.