Further Diablo experimentation !!
IfI Diablo users.
I’ve seen reviews online where they show a Diablo with a 4.4mm line in going into the rear 4.4mm line out of the Diablo.
I’ve also seen comments from ifI that this doesn’t work and the Diablo can be used as a DAC/Amp or as a DAC only but most certainly not as an Amp only.
I tried this myself some weeks ago and sure enough it didn’t work. However, in online conversations with a gentleman he insisted it did work and even provided a video of it working. My Diablo definitely did not work that way, an early run of units perhaps ?
I believe at that time my Diablo was running 7.3 firmware and I have since updated to 7.4 firmware.
Just recently I received a private message from a gentleman well and truly in the know about the inner workings of the Diablo and he indicated that the line in feature was a bit of a secret “Easter Egg” for testing the Amp and it was definitely real but may have been subsequently deactivated by firmware changes. Apparently it also only worked with nothing plugged into the USB ports. This of course inspired me to try it again !
Well, on the latest 7.4 firmware, I assume that is what made the difference, I can confirm that the 4.4mm rear port will now most definitely accept a balanced line in. I am listening to my Diablo with my M11 Plus providing a line in as I type and I earlier tried the Gryphon line out into the Diablo rear 4.4mm and that works also.
This opens up various possibilities for the Diablo’s excellent Amp even if just using a different DAC now and again for a change of pace, an R2R balanced dongle perhaps ?
One caveat is that the interconnect cable needs to be a 5 wire so that both channels and the earth are connected. That may present issues if the DAC end isn’t earthed.
The cable pictured below is a four wire one and while it will make sound there is background hum and the bass is very weak, sounds like something is out of phase. Once I had some indication that the line in actually worked I rigged up a simple earth wire, very easy in this case since the outer barrels of the interconnect are metal, I just temporarily clipped a wire to the barrels and the hum disappeared and the bass returned.
I’ll be buying a five wire ifI 4.4mm to 4.4mm interconnect cable shortly. The gentleman I had a conversation with who insisted line in worked used an ifI cable and with a multimeter also confirmed that the ifI cable uses five wires to connect all five terminals of the Pentaconn.
Hopefully that is of some value to somebody.