[iFi audio]

I just posted my review in the following thread:

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/ifi-ipurifier-3-0.23374/reviews#review-21848

Many thanks @iFi audio for the opportunity and sorry again for this long delay .

All good, thanks!

 

[rq1111]

Hi! I just bought an ifi ipurifier 3 for my chord qutest to try out and i quite like it. I connect the usb cable(generic usb cable) from my auralic mini to ipurifier 3 then to my qutest. Better bass, smooth treble and seems louder by a bit. I use low volume to listen and i can hear details too. Quite amazing. Just a brief comparing with and without ipurifier 3. Then I just listen to my system with ipurifier 3 and enjoy the smooth treble which is not tiring to listen.

I am wondering if I use ifi micro iusb3 will have better result compare to ipurifier 3? What is the difference between ipurifier 3 and iusb 3? How do i also power up my qutest with the iusb 3? Please advice.

 

[Condocondor]

Honestly, you should try the iGalvanic3.0 w/iPurifier3 into the Quetest. I have these and it will sound incredible. The Quetest is NOT galvanically isolated like the TT or DAVE is. THEN try the iUSB3.0 w/iGalvanic30 together. You an try all of them for 60 days w/no questions asked return policy from MUSIC DIRECT .COM.

 

[801evan]

I've always yearned for the iusb3.0 and gemini setup. I've heard it with idefender + igalvanic on the ifi stack and Hugo 2 and it was a reference setup for me.

Over time though, I've learned that the Hugo (and other Chord products) doesn't like reclocking. So I've done away with my ipurifiers and needed to move on from the iusb 3.0. While the sonic improvements are there, it wasn't exactly faithful for me. The telltale sign is the leading edge and how it's more overly exciting than realistic.

Yes it is weird, the Qutest is advertised as galvanically isolated but doesn't exactly sound like it. I have since discovered power regulators from ldovr and I use it with the lps 1.2 being energized by an HDplex200. The data line is being kept clean by:
Idefender + dxpwr (6x lt3045) + hdplex -> corning optical USB -> uptone a to b vbus off -> b to a adapter -> idefender + dxpwr + lps 1.2 + hdplex -> uptone a to mini usb.

The sound is very smooth. And the blacks are as dark as they can get. I used to understand how an upgrade can make a bad recording obvious but in this setup, there is no such thing as a bad recording. Very interesting.

The Hugo 2 finally sounds better being powered externally too. Powering it with Lps + lps 1.2 didn't improve the sound but adding the dxpwr finally improved it. Decay has more realistic follow through that you can't live without .

I also have 11x isilencers in the chain (free USB port) and 2 AC iPurifiers and they still make an improvement in a way I can't explain why.

 

[801evan]

I used to have the iso Regen and it was a more noticeable Improvement over the Igalvanic but the dxpwr + idefender + corning was much better in performance.

 

[rq1111]

I just manage to get the iusb 3 to try. After trying to connect up, the yellow light on my auralic mini appear a while and then no more white light comes out.

So I didn't manage to try out. I thought my mini got short-circuit but luckily I try to connect the same as initial with ifi ipurifier 3. Then i was able to start up the aries mini.

I do not know what happen. I pull the original supply for aries mini when i see no light for aries mini then the chord qutest also cut off. When i put back the supply for aries mini, the power for qutest is back which is taken from ifi iusb3. I do not know what happen. Can anyone advice me the connection for qutest and aries mini using ifi iusb3? Now, I am quite wary of using ifi iusb 3.

To me, ifi ipurifier 3 seems good enough for me at the moment. But hope to try the iUSB 3. Thanks!

 

[Chopin75]

I've always yearned for the iusb3.0 and gemini setup. I've heard it with idefender + igalvanic on the ifi stack and Hugo 2 and it was a reference setup for me.

Over time though, I've learned that the Hugo (and other Chord products) doesn't like reclocking. So I've done away with my ipurifiers and needed to move on from the iusb 3.0. While the sonic improvements are there, it wasn't exactly faithful for me. The telltale sign is the leading edge and how it's more overly exciting than realistic.

Yes it is weird, the Qutest is advertised as galvanically isolated but doesn't exactly sound like it. I have since discovered power regulators from ldovr and I use it with the lps 1.2 being energized by an HDplex200. The data line is being kept clean by:
Idefender + dxpwr (6x lt3045) + hdplex -> corning optical USB -> uptone a to b vbus off -> b to a adapter -> idefender + dxpwr + lps 1.2 + hdplex -> uptone a to mini usb.

The sound is very smooth. And the blacks are as dark as they can get. I used to understand how an upgrade can make a bad recording obvious but in this setup, there is no such thing as a bad recording. Very interesting.

The Hugo 2 finally sounds better being powered externally too. Powering it with Lps + lps 1.2 didn't improve the sound but adding the dxpwr finally improved it. Decay has more realistic follow through that you can't live without .

I also have 11x isilencers in the chain (free USB port) and 2 AC iPurifiers and they still make an improvement in a way I can't explain why.

11x silencers ?? you mean u use 11 of them!! After I upgraded to a fanless PC with LPS I don't notice much benefits with silencer/idedender. I still use iGalvanic for a cheap $250 DAC but not for the more expensive one with its own USB reclocker. I realize the Igalvanic tend to color the sound to be artificially smoother and richer but not more realistic. Maybe it helps the poorer recordings but does nothing much to great recordings. A veil seems lifted without the igalvanic but it does make the recordings sound a bit raw and untamed if they are a bit inferior. I am unable to use idefender + igalvanic at the same time as the DAC's own USB cannot be detected that way for some strange reason.

 

[rq1111]

Today, I just seriously test the ipurifier 3. The iusb 3 power supply output seems do not match my qutest. So i am going to return it.

As for the ipurifier 3, I find the sound is restraint and veil compare to without using it. Especially when listen to cymbals, you can hear the cymbal sounds muffle and veil. It does not have the synergy with my system. So I will to return the ipurifier 3 too.

 

[801evan]

Today, I just seriously test the ipurifier 3. The iusb 3 power supply output seems do not match my qutest. So i am going to return it.

As for the ipurifier 3, I find the sound is restraint and veil compare to without using it. Especially when listen to cymbals, you can hear the cymbal sounds muffle and veil. It does not have the synergy with my system. So I will to return the ipurifier 3 too.

Yea I think it's a Chord issue where it doesn't like re-clocking. (?) Reclocking may help lower tier DACs. I tried the mutec 10mhz clock on the idsd pro and it performed really well. It has to be synced with the idsd pro. If it's part of the chain going to the idsd, the overly excited leading edge happens.

To go with your ipurifier v3 experience, with my Hugo 2 it seems to stretch out the soundstage in a nice subtle way and make things sound further. While this effect makes things more coherent it MAY appear veiled since the previous sound is more shouty or compressed/congested. You may need to test which one gives less ear fatigue. I think the effect of the ipurifier v3 your experencing is more faithful as it gives more room for micro-detail coherence except you aren't experiencing that. Ohh, if you can, the trick here is to lessen the buffer time and the best SW for me is HQplayer and it can do 5ms. Roon isn't fast enough that things will sound muffled and gibberish. Slower buffer times will make the sound appear 'slower' but it is a off-timing issue where the first strike is missed. With that said, I guess this is the part where I eventually let go of the ipurifier v3. When I got the timing and first strike fixed, any re-clocker by ifi seems to exaggerate it. Intona and iso Regen is less artificial with the leading edge. I let go of the intona since the iso Regen + lps 1.2 appeared to have a better sound but I was wrong and had buyer remorse on that deal. Iso Regen + lps1.2 actually gave a more exaggerated sound but that was fixed when I bought a 100usd lps on eBay from China to energize the lps 1.2. Then when I bought the Corning optical USB for coverage (verify if my setup at the time was superior) it actually made a lot of my stuff redundant or obsolete. I've sold the iso Regen but kept the lps 1.2 to power my dxpwr (6x lt3045) to power the idefender on the front and back end of the Corning g usb. And it is without exaggeration that it sounds better than the Dave or hugo 2 tt + mscaler.

 

[Bansaku]

All this "veil" you guys keep talking about is simply (IMO) the iPurifier de-digitalizing the stream and making the sound closer to analogue. It's very much like how when I upsample my lossless files to DSD in Audirvana the sound is more organic. Just because the "edge" is lost doesn't mean it's veiled or muffled, rather it's your brain not recognizing what it's been accustomed to.

 

[801evan]

All this "veil" you guys keep talking about is simply (IMO) the iPurifier de-digitalizing the stream and making the sound closer to analogue. It's very much like how when I upsample my lossless files to DSD in Audirvana the sound is more organic. Just because the "edge" is lost doesn't mean it's veiled or muffled, rather it's your brain not recognizing what it's been accustomed to.

I agree. I felt this last week when I tried a new power cord from Schaffner that has double closed ferrite and also when I upconverted my flacs to dsd8x. There's the mental burn-in.

 

[801evan]

To add, I think the re-clocking of IFI itself isn't an issue but rather it's the other components in their devices that add to the sound. I loved the ipurifier v2 sound and at one time stacked up to 3 of them side by side. The resulting sound is a double and triple effect of the sound change I heard. It wasn't a good sound but it was very educational. It also made me sell the ipurifier v2 too.

 

[rq1111]

All this "veil" you guys keep talking about is simply (IMO) the iPurifier de-digitalizing the stream and making the sound closer to analogue. It's very much like how when I upsample my lossless files to DSD in Audirvana the sound is more organic. Just because the "edge" is lost doesn't mean it's veiled or muffled, rather it's your brain not recognizing what it's been accustomed to.

Well, I have disagree. I have spend years from playing portable setup to hifi system. Although i am not an expert but I know how analogue or digital and organic sound. What i hear is really veil and muffle sounds and there is no deny for me on what i hear on my system.

It is just that the ifi ipurifier 3 does not have good synergy with my system. It is not that ifi ipurifier 3 is not good. It is just that simple.

 

[801evan]

11x silencers ?? you mean u use 11 of them!! After I upgraded to a fanless PC with LPS I don't notice much benefits with silencer/idedender. I still use iGalvanic for a cheap $250 DAC but not for the more expensive one with its own USB reclocker. I realize the Igalvanic tend to color the sound to be artificially smoother and richer but not more realistic. Maybe it helps the poorer recordings but does nothing much to great recordings. A veil seems lifted without the igalvanic but it does make the recordings sound a bit raw and untamed if they are a bit inferior. I am unable to use idefender + igalvanic at the same time as the DAC's own USB cannot be detected that way for some strange reason.

I've had a huge love and hate affair with isilencers and iDefenders. I've sold the idefender twice but bought it 4x. I've sold 5 isilencers and had up to 15x at a time. I've had the isilencers in the market in and out probably 6x coz at one point it helped and in another point, it hurt the sound. At this point my learning is, if adding the isilencer hurts the sound, it is actually amplifying another component in the chain that is hurting the sound. My instances of this is noisy external power powering the Hugo 2 , headphone amp and laptop . Another case was unideal USB hubs and USB cables.

 

[801evan]

Well, I have disagree. I have spend years from playing portable setup to hifi system. Although i am not an expert but I know how analogue or digital and organic sound. What i hear is really veil and muffle sounds and there is no deny for me on what i hear on my system.

It is just that the ifi ipurifier 3 does not have good synergy with my system. It is not that ifi ipurifier 3 is not good. It is just that simple.

There's a huge give and take when doing these tweaks. I think in your case the iPurifier cleaned up the sound to a point where the muffled and veiled sound is now more obvious if it is indeed a muffled and veiled issue vs mental burn in. If your ears doesn't get tired after 90 mins on your current setup without the iPurifier then you may be right. The lack of ear fatigue is my go-to assessment of gear I haven't heard but converse merely online.