[iFi audio]

Just received the Western US Nano iDSD BL. I'm excited to start my week of listening!!!

Please do tell us how it went!

 

[jerick70]

A few initial impressions...

1) MQA is the real deal. Wow what a difference. I'm listening to the same song on Tidal and it is like night and day. Eagles Hotel California and Niall Horan's This Town.... MQA removes all of the "grung" from the songs. I still need to compare to DSD and MQA. I tried the same songs on the my micro iDSD and the nano. I'm using Fostex TH-900 MKIIs for headphones.
2) The Nano iDSD doesn't drive my full sized cans like my micro iDSD does.
3) The size is much better for portability than the micro series iFi gear.
4) I miss the RCA outs from the micro iDSD...
5) The nano iDSD is very finicky with the song you play on it. One song sounds great while the other doesn't sound right. Almost like the timbre is off.
6) I really like the light being on the front of the nano iDSD. It's much easier to see.

More to come......

 

[XERW]

Gentlemen, I'm planning to purchase the Nano BL to drive AFC - thoughts? If that doesn't work what are the alternatives aside Micro? (which I can't afford RN)

 

[Rick T.]

Gentlemen, I'm planning to purchase the Nano BL to drive AFC - thoughts? If that doesn't work what are the alternatives aside Micro? (which I can't afford RN)

Hi,

AFC - Aeon Flow Closed?

 

[tim0chan]

Gentlemen, I'm planning to purchase the Nano BL to drive AFC - thoughts? If that doesn't work what are the alternatives aside Micro? (which I can't afford RN)

Mojo, oppo ha2se?(brighter) not many other options

 

[XERW]

Hi,

AFC - Aeon Flow Closed?

Yes - after some digging in the discord I decided to get the iFi Micro BL

I decided to trade a gear for a still boxed-in Micro BL - god have mercy if that doesn't work

 

[Rick T.]

Yes - after some digging in the discord I decided to get the iFi Micro BL

I decided to trade a gear for a still boxed-in Micro BL - god have mercy if that doesn't work

I think you’ll be happy with the Micro BL.. I have the AFO, which is similar, and I’m only using the Nano BL as a portable.. It can drive it well (and sounds great!) when fully charged, and for the first couple of hours at medium Spl’s, but then gradually loses a bit of juice after that (you hear some clipping at first, like piano strikes and on some bass notes, then further on, some distortion at medium listening levels. Turn the volume down and all is good again..) When the LED is already Red, it’s best to revert to efficient IEM’s if one wants to listen still, or you’d have to listen at very low volume levels...

FWIW, I usually use recordings by the band The Wedding Present to burn-in stuff. It helps that I’m a long time fan of their type of noise.

 

[jiggyv]

Been using the nano on my office desktop for a few weeks now and it's an amazing little fella. Had a custom cable made for my HD6XX as well so I can try the balanced connection and there's definitely an improvement there.

 

[Mightygrey]

Been using the nano on my office desktop for a few weeks now and it's an amazing little fella. Had a custom cable made for my HD6XX as well so I can try the balanced connection and there's definitely an improvement there.

Hang-on - I thought both headphone-outs were 3.5mm single-ended?

 

[435279]

Hang-on - I thought both headphone-outs were 3.5mm single-ended?

No the Nano BL has something called S-Balanced.

 

[Mightygrey]

No the Nano BL has something called S-Balanced.

A-ha - interesting little topology lesson for me, I'll have to get my hands on a circuit diagram from somewhere. Cheers!

 

[jiggyv]

Hang-on - I thought both headphone-outs were 3.5mm single-ended?

I too thought it was marketing mumbo jumbo at first, but I had a cable made following ifi’s balanced connection and it definitely made an improvement. Made my HD6XX’s dynamics improve, bass lost its boominess and tightened, instrument separation and placement has also improved as well.

 

[jiggyv]

A-ha - interesting little topology lesson for me, I'll have to get my hands on a circuit diagram from somewhere. Cheers!

It’s on their iCAN page.

https://ifi-audio.com/portfolio-view/pro-ican/

 

[435279]

I'm going to order this, hopefully they are 4 pole on the 3.5mm and 2.5mm so it will adapt an existing 2.5mm balanced cable for 3.5mm use. I can always return it if not.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Plated-Aud...70&sr=8-3&keywords=3.5mm+male+to+2.5mm+female

 

[kukkurovaca]

It’s on their iCAN page.

https://ifi-audio.com/portfolio-view/pro-ican/

That's a regular balanced amp. S-balanced PDF here.