[Kane Williams]

Good day! Im planning to buy one of these and Im wondering if it could bypass thr power supply (battery) if its connected to a PC? Many thanks!

Yes, if you don’t have the DAC switched on before you connect it to the computer it will run from the USB port when you switch it on.

The quality is marginally improved when run from its own battery apparently.

 

[lucifero13]

Yes, if you don’t have the DAC switched on before you connect it to the computer it will run from the USB port when you switch it on.

The quality is marginally improved when run from its own battery apparently.

So SQ is better when used with its own battery?

 

[Kane Williams]

So SQ is better when used with its own battery?

That is what iFi state yes. I cannot say for sure I have noticed a difference. However, i use a split USB cable that has the data and the power separated (using two ports on the laptop), so this MAY help if the power coming from the computer is not as clean as from the internal battery of the iDSD.

 

[iFi audio]

power coming from the computer is not as clean as from the internal battery of the iDSD

What comes out of a PC in most cases ain't clean.

 

[Dobrescu George]

So SQ is better when used with its own battery?

Yes, batteries are the cleanest for of power, everything else is a certain degree of dirty, your PC being the most dirty stuff you have ever seen 99% of times

I have a gaming grade PC, with a lot of high-end tech, and it is extremely dirty and noisy in the USB outputs, when it comes to its power

 

[lucifero13]

Thank you for the inputs guys! Im looking for something to replace my Oppo HA2. I know is a sidegrade, but my budget only allows until Nano and I dont do portable setups.

 

[lucifero13]

Double

 

[Dobrescu George]

Thank you for the inputs guys! Im looking for something to replace my Oppo HA2. I know is a sidegrade, but my budget only allows until Nano and I dont do portable setups.

If you could get xDSD, it is a huge step up

 

[lucifero13]

If you could get xDSD, it is a huge step up

I would love to, but I money does not allow it. I need to sell my HA2 first. btw, I am planning to buy the BL one.

 

[Dobrescu George]

I would love to, but I money does not allow it. I need to sell my HA2 first. btw, I am planning to buy the BL one.

BL Micro, or BL Nano?

I think that Nano isn't the best example of iFi's devices, most of them outperform it heavily

 

[iFi audio]

I think that Nano isn't the best example of iFi's devices, most of them outperform it heavily

It was designed to be affordable and up there on performance, but not the best one we have

 

[TheoS53]

It was designed to be affordable and up there on performance, but not the best one we have

Out of interest, in terms of sonic performance (outright quality, not power etc), which section would you say is the Nano BL's bottleneck, the amp or DAC? i.e would connecting an external amp really bring out the Nano's true colours (or lack thereof)?

 

[iFi audio]

Out of interest, in terms of sonic performance (outright quality, not power etc), which section would you say is the Nano BL's bottleneck, the amp or DAC? i.e would connecting an external amp really bring out the Nano's true colours (or lack thereof)?

No such thing as one specific section bottlenecking everything else. At least that's not how we do our products. The goal was to fit in a given price bracket and do the best we could. You be the judge whether we delivered

 

[TheoS53]

No such thing as one specific section bottlenecking everything else. At least that's not how we do our products. The goal was to fit in a given price bracket and do the best we could. You be the judge whether we delivered

Umm, ok, perhaps let me try asking it in a different way then.
If a person purchased the Nano BL and wanted to get the best possible audio experience from it, would you say in objective terms that they will get all they can by just plugging their headphones into the headphone port on the front, or would there be a benefit to hooking up an external amplifier of superior technical capabilities (which are not power output related)?

 

[iFi audio]

Umm, ok, perhaps let me try asking it in a different way then.
If a person purchased the Nano BL and wanted to get the best possible audio experience from it, would you say in objective terms that they will get all they can by just plugging their headphones into the headphone port on the front, or would there be a benefit to hooking up an external amplifier of superior technical capabilities (which are not power output related)?

xDSD is a DAC in the first place and one with a nice headphone out, xCAN is a headphone amp before all else and has a nice DAC inside. Now to follow in this direction Nano BL was designed to be a portable integrated machine in the first place, it's as much a DAC as it is a headphone amp.