[Alboxing]

Thanks for taking out time for writing that helpful post. Yes, I will consider the iGalvanic or iUSB 3.0 for future upgrades.

You welcome.

I have the iFi Audio: Micro iDSD BL, iPurifer3, iSilencer, iDefender, iPower (5V), AND iGalvanic 3.0.

The iGalvanic3.0 makes the most difference and the effect is similar to the iPurifier3 in that it is giving a spaciousness, soundstaging, clarity, and cleaniness to the music. The Purifier3 installed right before the BL's dac adds more of the same magic. Together, iGalvanic & iPurifer3 nullify the need for the iPower, and iDender all together according to my experiements. The iPower and iDefender did nothing after I got the iGalvanic3.0 so I took them out of my chain. So my suggestion would be to save yourself the $100 bucks and apply it directly to getting yourself the iGalvanic3.0 instead or at least--first.

Now, the iSilencer has been significant in my chain because I use generic, blue, USB 3.0 cables, and so I've installed iSilencer FIRST in the chain out of the my laptop (before the power and data packets start their journey to the iGalvanic3.0). It gives a smooth natural-ness to the music--especially to my Dragonfly Cobalt where the iSilencer is in between the iPurifer3 and Cobalt.

P.S. (I just read Alboxing's remarks above, after posting this. I guess we said the same thing--sorry about that.)

Apparently the iUSB 3.0 is sold out everywhere and iFi is not even manufacturing any more of it.

Honestly it makes sense because the iGalvanic does everything the iUSB did and plus some more. The only advantage the iUSB had was the slightly lower noise floor figure, but we are talking about insignificant difference (0.1uV iUSB vs the 0.5uV of the iGalvanic).

Also, I personally like that the iGalvanic gives you that clean power without the need for external power bricks, straight USB power up to 900mA which is really good and convenient.

Our messy audio chains could make use of some simplicity sometimes, I know mine does.

Adding the ipurifier right at the DAC input is like a final touch to assure the highest signal integrity at the PHY interface.

I read some users criticizing iFi for having many redundant/overlapping products so maybe they figured they'd simplify their product range a lil bit.

If I was short on money and wanted effective simplicity, I'd honestly just focus on iGalvanic and that's it.

It is also interesting that Condocondor found the iSilencer made a positive difference. When I tried it in series before the ipurifier, I found it made the nano's already warm sound a bit too warm (the sound gets already warmer and more "analog" from the addition of the ipurifier alone).
Like I said I also heard a "flattening" of the soundstage and also the iSilencer seems to make the output volume a little quieter on multiple usb-powered devices I had tried it with.

Maybe it creates a small voltage or current drop due to the limitations of the ANC in such a small form factor.

However as I said before, the iSilencer having a bit of a signature sound is actually very positive in some usage cases, for example to tame the bright glare some dacs may present. In this case the end result will be perfectly balanced, but my nano is already warm as it is.

 

[Condocondor]

However as I said before, the iSilencer having a bit of a signature sound is actually very positive in some usage case, for example to tame the bright glare some dacs may present. In this case the end result will be perfectly balanced, my nano is already warm as it is.

Precisely! It tames some of the treble and smooths it. Yes, that's what I like about the iSilencer.

 

[iFi audio]

Edit: Been highly interested in the AC iPurifier. @iFi audio You should hook me up. Nearly done with my Sundara review and itching to get on another.

You know who to write to, right?

noise doesn't exceed the ipurifier max killing capability

It's very capable!

 

[Alboxing]

You know who to write to, right?



It's very capable!

It surely is.

By the way, I have a black belt in iFi - fu, which means some direct experience with your products.

I'd love to join the pool of your reviewers/testers for new products. is there any way I could become one? how to apply?

 

[801evan]

I still kept my 11 isilencers coz it improves the sound than change it. Thanks due to the lack of a reclocker perhaps. But I've let go of any IFI reclocker coz it alters the leading edge too much.

 

[Alboxing]

I still kept my 11 isilencers coz it improves the sound than change it. Thanks due to the lack of a reclocker perhaps. But I've let go of any IFI reclocker coz it alters the leading edge too much.

hey, I loved reading your reports when you where messing around with hubs, silencers and the cornings cables

The thing with the iSilencer is, I just dont think it matches well with the nano black label, cause it is already a very smooth and warm dac.

Every other dac I had tried it with it worked great with no downsides.

I will tell you one little story: after I got my three iSilencers, one day I deployed them this way:

Pc ---> external usb 3.0 hub powered by ipower 12v + 3 iSilencers attacched to the first 3 ports of the hub ---> Sabaj DA3

Man you should have heard that!!! The noise was so frigging low that the ambient cues / soundstage / imaging got so precise that I was in shock

It was literally like I had enabled a virtual surround dsp or something, like dolby headphones stuff, but i had none

 

[801evan]

hey, I loved reading your reports when you where messing around with hubs, silencers and the cornings cables

The thing with the iSilencer is, I just dont think it matches well with the nano black label, cause it is already a very smooth and warm dac.

Every other dac I had tried it with it worked great with no downsides.

I will tell you one little story: after I got my three iSilencers, one day I deployed them this way:

Pc ---> external usb 3.0 hub powered by ipower 12v + 3 iSilencers attacched to the first 3 ports of the hub ---> Sabaj DA3

Man you should have heard that!!! The noise was so frigging low that the ambient cues/ soundstage got so precise that I was in shock

It was like I had enabled a virtual surround dsp or something, like dolby headphones stuff, but i had none

Thank you. It was really hard to document my chains coz it's putting a firm recommended conclusion on it but the chain kept changing every week. Each iteration is valid on its own which only proves the best approach is a case to case basis and sharing to people possible chain configurations. The hubs approach was cool and has its merits but Corning saved all that from me where I put the 11 isilencers elsewhere on a free USB port and it's divine. At this point, it's about finding the right digital timing. My flash drive has to be on one particular hub port. First strike and timing is off if I switch the flash drive to the next port.

 

[801evan]

hey, I loved reading your reports when you where messing around with hubs, silencers and the cornings cables

The thing with the iSilencer is, I just dont think it matches well with the nano black label, cause it is already a very smooth and warm dac.

Every other dac I had tried it with it worked great with no downsides.

I will tell you one little story: after I got my three iSilencers, one day I deployed them this way:

Pc ---> external usb 3.0 hub powered by ipower 12v + 3 iSilencers attacched to the first 3 ports of the hub ---> Sabaj DA3

Man you should have heard that!!! The noise was so frigging low that the ambient cues / soundstage / imaging got so precise that I was in shock

It was literally like I had enabled a virtual surround dsp or something, like dolby headphones stuff, but i had none

My assumption on the isilencer not pairing well with the nano BL is because there's already isilencer tech in it. Same reason its its unrecommended to chain an isilencer to each other.

Same thing can be said to the iPurifier if it's chain to an IFI DAC with ipurifier tech in it already.

 

[Alboxing]

Thank you. It was really hard to document my chains coz it's putting a firm recommended conclusion on it but the chain kept changing every week. Each iteration is valid on its own which only proves the best approach is a case to case basis and sharing to people possible chain configurations. The hubs approach was cool and has its merits but Corning saved all that from me where I put the 11 isilencers elsewhere on a free USB port and it's divine. At this point, it's about finding the right digital timing. My flash drive has to be on one particular hub port. First strike and timing is off if I switch the flash drive to the next port.

Yeah I can totally feel your pain man, this USB thingy is so damn finnicky and major PITA.

Though the iSilencer makes an awesome match with Sabre dacs.

My DA3 is a small sized dual mono ESS9018.

It sounds great for the price but has very poor noise rejection built in, so if you feed it with poor quality noisy usb bus power you just get a glary edgy horrible sound.

But use it with iSilencers or the idefender+ipower and it sounds shockingly good

 

[Alboxing]

My assumption on the isilencer not pairing well with the nano BL is because there's already isilencer tech in it. Same reason its its unrecommended to chain an isilencer to each other.

Same thing can be said to the iPurifier if it's chain to an IFI DAC with ipurifier tech in it already.

Precisely!

the latest ipurifier paired with the nano was a moderate improvement at best, while with other dacs the difference was MUCH bigger

the black labels have that Zero Jitter proprietary tech which as far as i know is a RAM buffered input so it has basically no jitter already

they do not have ANC but they filter the usb power too.

 

[iFi audio]

I'd love to join the pool of your reviewers/testers for new products. is there any way I could become one? how to apply?

Please look for our tours as we'll have some in the not so distant future.

 

[Bansaku]

You know who to write to, right?

Absolutely!

 

[gLer]

@iFi audio does it make sense/make a difference to put an iSilencer 3.0 and iPurifier 3.0 in the same chain? So Mac -> iSilencer 3.0 -> USB cable -> iPurifier 3.0 -> DAC? Does it make sense to have an iGalvanic 3.0 in the chain as well, or can the iSilencer then be dropped for the iGalvanic + iPurifier?

 

[applesnowleo]

@iFi audio does it make sense/make a difference to put an iSilencer 3.0 and iPurifier 3.0 in the same chain? So Mac -> iSilencer 3.0 -> USB cable -> iPurifier 3.0 -> DAC? Does it make sense to have an iGalvanic 3.0 in the chain as well, or can the iSilencer then be dropped for the iGalvanic + iPurifier?

It will change the sound, depending of how revealing is your system. I have found that controlling the noise of the mains and computer gives interesting results to the final experience of listening music.

The iPurifier is an interesting product, give it a try and post your findings here.

I used it with the Micro iDSD Black on a 2013 Mac Pro with good results. The Mac Pro is a very noisy machine.

 

[iFi audio]

@iFi audio does it make sense/make a difference to put an iSilencer 3.0 and iPurifier 3.0 in the same chain? So Mac -> iSilencer 3.0 -> USB cable -> iPurifier 3.0 -> DAC? Does it make sense to have an iGalvanic 3.0 in the chain as well, or can the iSilencer then be dropped for the iGalvanic + iPurifier?

Each product you listed addresses different things. iGalvanic3.0 provides galvanic isolation for USB, iPurifier3.0 reclocks and cleans and iSilencer3.0 lowers noise floor. All these can work together, but to answer your question: yes, it makes sense to have iSilencer3.0 and iPurifier3.0 as a team.