[john57]

 Another good tip if you using a PC with J.River is always set power saving settings into high performance mode. Since mine is always plugged in I have no reason to use balanced mode when converting to 4xDSD. No sense to save a few pennies when you spend all the money on a new high performance machine just to make it go less than full speed. This will help to keep all the PC bus data lines at full speed for the buffers. I have done this for a long time.

 

[RadioWonder737]

 

  Some sterling advice, I had bought the Nano iDSD to use on the move, but I can see myself using it more on my desk than anywhere else so the Micro iDSD seems like a decent upgrade. Would the iUSBPower be the way to go after the Micro iDSD?

 


According to iFi on their micro iDSD thread, the iUSB Power will have much less noticeable improvement as the micro iDSD can already function directly from its battery while the computer would just be for the data and to charge the battery. iFi actually have a measured output on their website at the iUSB Power section comparing a LiPo battery and the iUSB Power. There is but a slight difference as compared to direct from the computer.

The iFi response to this question...

  Does this mean that I won't need my iPurifier, iUSBPower, and split USB cable anymore?

 
Hi,
 
Some background, in descending order of impact (see brackets for equivalent hifi-examples):
 
 
1. iUSB Power = PS audio mains regenerator (pure, clean mains)
 
2. Gemini = separate audio+power cables you don’t twist ICs and PCs together in hifi system?)
 
3. iPurifier = audio + power filter (eg mains filter, but in this device for audio as well)
 
Tech Notes here for more exhaustive reading: http://ifi-audio.com/tech-notes/
 
 
So as you can see, they all perform different tasks. Fundamentally, USB was not originally designed for high-quality audio playback.

The micro iDSD has the iPurifier built-in. Please read previous post on Super Duper feature 2.2 (no point to repeat here).
 
 
Analogy
If you have a Ferrari (the micro iDSD), normal USB power is the equivalent of putting Tesco Unleaded in.
 
With the work we have done and if you run it on internal battery and with its internal iPurifier, it is the equivalent of putting in Shell Super.
 
But if you run on USB power and use the iUSB, Gemini and iPurifier, you are putting in Shell Nitro.
 
There is always no harm in doing the best that one can do. But with the case of the micro iDSD, it will not be as large as with another DAC.
 
Thanks

Edited by iFi audio - 7/16/14 at 6:22am

 

 

[maricius]

 
There is always no harm in doing the best that one can do. But with the case of the micro iDSD, it will not be as large as with another DAC.
 
Thanks

Edited by iFi audio - 7/16/14 at 6:22am

 

 
Exactly!!

 

[jexby]

FWIW,
 
regarding nano iDSD and a Schiit Wyrd combo, 
I just posted some findings here:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/724519/schiit-decrapifier-released-usb-power-isolator/30#post_10736754

 

[bpeng]

Anyone know if the recharging time of the Nano is the same whether it's on or off? I.e., assume that you plugged it into a USB port while it was off so it starts charging, and then you either leave it off or turn it on. Is recharging time the same either way?
 
It's beneficial to leave a DAC on all the time. One study (I forget where I saw this or what DAC it was using) showed it took 24 hours of continuous power-up for a DAC to reach minimum jitter.
 
So I would like to leave the Nano on while charging, but if this doubles the recharge time that won't work.
 
Thanks,
Mike

 

[Kalavere]

  Anyone know if the recharging time of the Nano is the same whether it's on or off? I.e., assume that you plugged it into a USB port while it was off so it starts charging, and then you either leave it off or turn it on. Is recharging time the same either way?
 
It's beneficial to leave a DAC on all the time. One study (I forget where I saw this or what DAC it was using) showed it took 24 hours of continuous power-up for a DAC to reach minimum jitter.
 
So I would like to leave the Nano on while charging, but if this doubles the recharge time that won't work.
 
Thanks,
Mike

It's a 1400 mAh battery I believe. It doesn't take long to charge, a USB port puts out 500mAh, so it'll take a while to charge compared to a 1 or 2 amp wall charger, but being on or off will make very little difference. I don't notice a difference in charging time.

 

[johncarm]

  It's a 1400 mAh battery I believe. It doesn't take long to charge, a USB port puts out 500mAh, so it'll take a while to charge compared to a 1 or 2 amp wall charger, but being on or off will make very little difference. I don't notice a difference in charging time.

I'm interested in this question. How long have you noticed a full charge takes? The thing is, it can't use the full current draw from the port as some power is needed to operate the USB connector and more power is needed to power the whole thing if it's on. Plus the charging circuit might be deliberately slow to preserve battery life (quick charging them may compromise life, at least it does in certain types of batteries).

 

[earwaxxer]

The only way I can get my Nano to fully charge is with some high amps on the charging side (I use a Sony CycleEnergy battery pack) it does 3.6amp max at 5v. It still takes it some hours to charge from dead. Most of the time, a top off takes less than an hour, and the pack will sense when charge is complete and shut off. From my experience, the laptop USB port will never fully charge the battery. No biggie. I'm just happy as **** about how good the Nano sounds with battery.
 
On another topic re. said Nano. I did some experimenting today with my new Led Zeppelin remasters. First of all - the Zep 1,2,3 albums are of course legendary, but they were also recorded loud, distorted (over-driven tubes of course) and pretty damn close to clipping, but back in the analog days its all good. Its that 'live' sound that everyone was wanting to capture on their record. That kind of distortion does not translate well in digital.
 
Specifically on Led Zep ll, track 2 'What is and what Should never be", at about 1min 15sec into it when the song starts gettin it done, there is tons of 'effects' all hitting your ears at the same time (reverb, fuzz, tube distortion, what could be bass clipping,  etc), I mean Jimmy Page can chime in here, its a balls to the walls recording.
 
So, I was a bit blown away by how good it sounded, but I was having a little trouble 'sorting it all out' so to speak. It sounded a wee bit 'off' when it all got a bit loud and crazy. Thats always a good opportunity to play with the software, hardware etc. That way I can focus on the exact sound(s) that are tweaking me. So the albums are redbood, ripped to WAV to my laptop, and I'm using JRiver 19. So I flipped back and forth between playing it native, to using JRiver to upsample first in PCM to the max sample rate 352,800khz, then to 4xDSD.
 
Upsampling PCM to higher rates did not provide a noticable difference, in terms of the particular sound that I was focusing on. The 4xDSD did. Not 'huge', but a smidgin more 'believable', and a bit more like what I would expect to hear with a good vinyl rendition.  - So there you go. Check for yourselves.

 

 

[johncarm]

  The only way I can get my Nano to fully charge is with some high amps on the charging side (I use a Sony CycleEnergy battery pack) it does 3.6amp max at 5v. It still takes it some hours to charge from dead. Most of the time, a top off takes less than an hour, and the pack will sense when charge is complete and shut off. From my experience, the laptop USB port will never fully charge the battery. No biggie. I'm just happy as **** about how good the Nano sounds with battery.
 
On another topic re. said Nano. I did some experimenting today with my new Led Zeppelin remasters. First of all - the Zep 1,2,3 albums are of course legendary, but they were also recorded loud, distorted (over-driven tubes of course) and pretty damn close to clipping, but back in the analog days its all good. Its that 'live' sound that everyone was wanting to capture on their record. That kind of distortion does not translate well in digital.
 
Specifically on Led Zep ll, track 2 'What is and what Should never be", at about 1min 15sec into it when the song starts gettin it done, there is tons of 'effects' all hitting your ears at the same time (reverb, fuzz, tube distortion, what could be bass clipping,  etc), I mean Jimmy Page can chime in here, its a balls to the walls recording.
 
So, I was a bit blown away by how good it sounded, but I was having a little trouble 'sorting it all out' so to speak. It sounded a wee bit 'off' when it all got a bit loud and crazy. Thats always a good opportunity to play with the software, hardware etc. That way I can focus on the exact sound(s) that are tweaking me. So the albums are redbood, ripped to WAV to my laptop, and I'm using JRiver 19. So I flipped back and forth between playing it native, to using JRiver to upsample first in PCM to the max sample rate 352,800khz, then to 4xDSD.
 
Upsampling PCM to higher rates did not provide a noticable difference, in terms of the particular sound that I was focusing on. The 4xDSD did. Not 'huge', but a smidgin more 'believable', and a bit more like what I would expect to hear with a good vinyl rendition.  - So there you go. Check for yourselves.

 

I've read that those Lithium-Polymer batteries can be damaged from over-discharge. Have you ever left your Nano on too long so that it wasn't even showing the red light, just totally blacked out?

 

[earwaxxer]

No - I havent run it down to nothing, but the iDSD seems to get strange when the battery gets low. -  I think that it is true, in general, to not run LiPo's down to nothing. As a hobbiest I have been using battery power in several of my kits amps, DAC's etc. Its hard to go back to mains power when you get a good taste of that clean power!

 

[mink70]

If anyone is interested in a mint Nano, I'm selling mine. Shoot me a PM if interested.

 

[earwaxxer]

Poor neglected Nano! - There are many of us who still love you!

 

[koolas]

For 150 GBP there is absolutely nothing you can complain about! You just have to love this little cheesy aluminum can of fun

BTW Could someone do comparison with Yulong D18 maybe?

 

[johncarm]

  No - I havent run it down to nothing, but the iDSD seems to get strange when the battery gets low. -  I think that it is true, in general, to not run LiPo's down to nothing. As a hobbiest I have been using battery power in several of my kits amps, DAC's etc. Its hard to go back to mains power when you get a good taste of that clean power!

Yeah, I use a battery to power my other DAC. Power is so critical, clean, quiet power. This is why power conditioners are such a big deal, but can't touch batteries.

 

[iFi audio]

Does the nano iDSD measure: Good, Bad or Ugly?

 
Some of you have enquired as to how the nano iDSD measures* – under conditions similar to those by recognised industry bodies/magazines.
 
The following are our laboratory measurements of the behavior of the iFi nano iDSD using the Audio Precision System Two.
Measurements conducted                      THD                                   Comment                                                                
By iFi                                                 0.02%                                   -
By audio magazine ‘A’                            0.03% to 0.05%                   Perfectly acceptable small variance
By audio magazine ‘B’                            0.15%                                 Measurement error/different methodology?


*Notes:
i. Measurements though scientific and objective, are subject to errors and honest mistakes.
ii. There is no scientifically proven link between “better” measured performance automatically equating to better sound.
Therefore, please bear these points in mind when you read THIS and ANY other measurements article. As always, listen for yourself and let your ears be the judge. Measurements are just that, measurements.
 

Well, we have crunched through a bunch of numbers and summarised the 4 key ones most often referred to.

 
Short answer: it measures pretty well for its class. There are no numbers that are untowards.

Long answer: Please follow the link below. The in-depth blog is here:

http://ifi-audio.com/audio_blog/does-the-nano-idsd-measure-good-bad-or-ugly/

We hope you enjoy reading it.