iFi Audio IPurifier3.0

[Assationater]

I would like to take a moment to wish everyone a Very Happy New Year!

2023 has been a great year, and as a surprise, a little peek at something right around the 2024 bend!!

Guesses?? Speculation??

Cheers!!

i have literally no idea XD

 

[iFi audio]

i have literally no idea XD

Very Soon my friend!

Cheers!!

 

[ericx85]

What are the main differences of the ipurifier vs the igalvanic? Do they serve the same purpose? I know the igalvanic was discontinued awhile ago, was it determined the ipurifier was a better approach to fighting usb noise?

 

[Assationater]

What are the main differences of the ipurifier vs the igalvanic? Do they serve the same purpose? I know the igalvanic was discontinued awhile ago, was it determined the ipurifier was a better approach to fighting usb noise?

Igalvanic has galvanic isolation, igalvanic is superior. However its more pricy and youd need an extra usb cable.

 

[Gotgi19]

My initial setup was a MacMini into a Gustard DDC (U18) and into the Gustard R26. With the iPurifier3 between the MacMini and the U18 the sound definitely improved. But as I prefer Apple Music as my main streaming service it became quite bothersome to control it remotely from the MacMini (with the lossless switcher and all).
So I bought a Eversolo DMP A6. I use the A6 solely as a streamer and the connection is now A6 USB-out into the Gustard U18. But with this setup the iPurifier3 makes the sound worse. There is a better overall sound and more clarity without the iPurifier3. I guess the signal from the A6 has a lot less noise than the signal from the MacMini. What the iPurifier does with the sound in this case, I don’t know. But it definitely doesn’t make it better. Just wanted to share my findings.

 

[Assationater]

My initial setup was a MacMini into a Gustard DDC (U18) and into the Gustard R26. With the iPurifier3 between the MacMini and the U18 the sound definitely improved. But as I prefer Apple Music as my main streaming service it became quite bothersome to control it remotely from the MacMini (with the lossless switcher and all).
So I bought a Eversolo DMP A6. I use the A6 solely as a streamer and the connection is now A6 USB-out into the Gustard U18. But with this setup the iPurifier3 makes the sound worse. There is a better overall sound and more clarity without the iPurifier3. I guess the signal from the A6 has a lot less noise than the signal from the MacMini. What the iPurifier does with the sound in this case, I don’t know. But it definitely doesn’t make it better. Just wanted to share my findings.

The ipurifer series always seems to add a bit of congestion and warmth to the sound.

 

[Gotgi19]

The ipurifer series always seems to add a bit of congestion and warmth to the sound.

But that wasn’t warmth. Don’t know. Hard to describe. Sounded a bit muffled. Something was missing. Wasn’t a pleasure to listen to it. Tested for about 2 hours. Always switching back and forth (or to be precise: plugging and unplugging the iPurifier3).
Anyway, I sent it back and am happy with the sound I have now.

 

[Assationater]

Very Soon my friend!

Cheers!!

What was it?

 

[whitedragem]

I like the purifiers..

As someone who has a preference to NOS R2R DACs; and who cut their teeth on 90s digital.. (and have toyed with top tier transports et al)

The sound I can pull from 'budget' fi equipment, and 'adding an iFi dongle' does seem to typically gain a tier or so in playback quality from lesser transports.
Of course so many people believe that digital is 'easy' and zeros and ones equal identical playback (irrelevant of transport price), and like to educate others on their beliefs; to the point that majority of talk on the topic is noise from budget-fi zealots who cannot hear differences.. (and demand blind A/B tests, and digitise their vinyl and use hearing aids etc)

My partner couldn't believe the difference a simple dongle made to our hifi..

Lyrics became clear (from Cat Empire to Marilyn Manson) and all music simply became 'more musical' (more nuance and delicacy, more driving power, better soundstage etc)
Traits typically found from a better transport when playing back into appropriate kit.

I recorded a video and placed on a hifi thread, elsewhere on the internet,..

the video was to generate some discussion, and, sadly, all discussion was 'noise' most likely from 'digital is perfect' zealots.

(the norm)

For anyone who enjoys budget fi changes to their hifi rig, that CAN make huge improvements to the sound (for my household, our front end 'transport' massively improved in delivery quality); the benefits of some of these iFi dongles is a crazy bang to buck ratio.. (one of the best purchases I have made,.. and hence have bought five or more unique iFi dongles and filters etc.. none of which are snake oil, irrelevant of the science used to debunk them.. (from people like Amir who was literally the worst eared person on the windows audio team, acknowledged he couldn't hear bitrate differences around 160-228kbps and is somehow the gold standard for auditioning kit... )(my partner can hear overt differences a ROOM AWAY, when I have an iPurifier inline, and she isn't even 'into audio')..

a budget iFi iPurifier upping my transport quality, perceptibly, easily by a tier of audio quality, is quite a legitimate way to save serious coin (and avoid upgradeitis/GAS shenanigans)
Certainly saved me spending big money on cables,.. and THAT is a 'real can of worms' on head-fi and elsewhere....

 

[Assationater]

(from people like Amir who was literally the worst eared person on the windows audio team, acknowledged he couldn't hear bitrate differences around 160-228kbps and is somehow the gold standard for auditioning kit... )

Amir is in the wrong industry lmao

 

[rafaelo]

Amir is in the wrong industry lmao

Maybe in wrong planet...