[iFi audio]

1. Does the package include 4.4mm to 4PIN xlr adapter?
2. Can it support pure DAC or Dac only mode?
3. I don't quite like the 5V adapter. Maybe replace with 5V precision linear power supply.
4. Are there any reviews and measurements?

1. Nope.
2. As in, a DAC with its volume control bypassed? If that's what you ask for, then yes.
3. You can if you like.
4. NEO iDSD was just released, so it should take several days more before we'll see more reviews.

 

[Superpong]

1. Nope.
2. As in, a DAC with its volume control bypassed? If that's what you ask for, then yes.
3. You can if you like.
4. NEO iDSD was just released, so it should take several days more before we'll see more reviews.

Thanks!

 

[Cuthbert 80]

Heh, it's funny how @PortableMusic dug up the interesting info about the NEO iDSD utilizing a DAC chip from 2003.

I'm sitting at home now listening to music, being an actual owner of the new NEO and I chuckle to myself cause I'm thinking....how is it that I'm loving what I'm hearing via my Focal Clear Pros....knowing that I'm listening to a brand new device with a DAC that is 17 years old!
It doesn't make sense but I can't deny how damn good this thing sounds and I'm currently running it single ended, heh.

The fact that iFi specifically chose this DSD1793 Burr Brown DAC for this machine as well as choosing Burr Brown DAC's in general pretty much throughout their entire range (including the Pro series) actually makes me more interested in the company.

iFi are clearly not so keen on blending in with the crowd which sits well with me personally. I've not heard any of their other products but I'm willing to bet that they have a distinctive "house sound".

Nothing beats actually listening to a product instead of relying almost solely on specs although yes....I do understand that not everyone has easy access to hear brand new devices at their local dealer/Amazon etc

 

[PortableMusic]

@Cuthbert 80: true, what you said. the truth is in the listening, but like many have said before:

measure twice, cut once!

anyway, there is some info on iFi's site for their older and more costly iFi Pro iDSD device's MQA decoder. rather convoluted and difficult to understand by me, a mere amateur hobbyist, but maybe some of the good folks here with more knowledge might be able to decipher this information:

" GTO TRICKLE-DOWN

Unlike the xCore-200 series which include built-in DSP capabilities, implementing MQA on xCore-100 required the ground-up design of a DSP engine. With the DSP engine now available, our natural inclination was to have our new filter baked onto the XMOS Firmware.

Technical assistance came from an unexpected source; MQA. Using very different filter parameters as part of a more complex system including the decoder section requires serious DSP chops. The implementation of MQA rendering on the original xCore-100 series XMOS processors widely used in the iFi products required extensive DSP work.

This took some extra work, and some fine-tuning of resource allocation, however with the version 5.3C of our XMOS firmware we now offer this new, Global Transient Optimised digital filter to all our customers, including just about all our legacy products, as an alternate option to the filters implemented in the DAC chip that apply for version 5.30 and before.

TECHNICAL BACKDROP

The ‘Gibbs Transient Optimised’ filter was developed by iFi according to our specifications in conjunction with the MQA team. We must make clear that GTO is not directly related to filter types used by MQA, it is not “MQA through the backdoor”, but instead what we feel is the optimum solution for the playback of digital audio that has not undergone the MQA process. We would like to thank MQA for their technical assistance in integrating this into our firmware."


This is copied and pasted from iFi's document here:

https://ifi-audio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/iFi-audio-Tech-Note-The-GTO-Filter.pdf

 

[jsmiller58]

@Cuthbert 80: true, what you said. the truth is in the listening, but like many have said before:

measure twice, cut once!

anyway, there is some info on iFi's site for their older and more costly iFi Pro iDSD device's MQA decoder. rather convoluted and difficult to understand by me, a mere amateur hobbyist, but maybe some of the good folks here with more knowledge might be able to decipher this information:

" GTO TRICKLE-DOWN

Unlike the xCore-200 series which include built-in DSP capabilities, implementing MQA on xCore-100 required the ground-up design of a DSP engine. With the DSP engine now available, our natural inclination was to have our new filter baked onto the XMOS Firmware.

Technical assistance came from an unexpected source; MQA. Using very different filter parameters as part of a more complex system including the decoder section requires serious DSP chops. The implementation of MQA rendering on the original xCore-100 series XMOS processors widely used in the iFi products required extensive DSP work.

This took some extra work, and some fine-tuning of resource allocation, however with the version 5.3C of our XMOS firmware we now offer this new, Global Transient Optimised digital filter to all our customers, including just about all our legacy products, as an alternate option to the filters implemented in the DAC chip that apply for version 5.30 and before.

TECHNICAL BACKDROP

The ‘Gibbs Transient Optimised’ filter was developed by iFi according to our specifications in conjunction with the MQA team. We must make clear that GTO is not directly related to filter types used by MQA, it is not “MQA through the backdoor”, but instead what we feel is the optimum solution for the playback of digital audio that has not undergone the MQA process. We would like to thank MQA for their technical assistance in integrating this into our firmware."


This is copied and pasted from iFi's document here:

https://ifi-audio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/iFi-audio-Tech-Note-The-GTO-Filter.pdf

I think you are pretty keen on MQA capable DACs that use much newer tech... Since there is no chance you’ll convince iFi to change this device, or in general change their overall design philosophy, I think that you might want to spend time on threads covering SMSL M400, SMSL SU-9, Topping D90, and Gustard X16 as some very recent examples of newer tech, with one even doing the MQA decoding in the DAC as opposed to XMOS chip... Not suggesting that you leave this thread, but rather observing you might be “tilting at windmills”...

 

[PortableMusic]

I think that you might want to spend time on threads covering SMSL M400...

well...so i've discovered that people on this thread are tired of me researching into the details of the iFi Neo iDSD.

oh well.

 

[jsmiller58]

well...so i've discovered that people on this thread are tired of me researching into the details of the iFi Neo iDSD.

oh well.

I think you misunderstand. No one is tired of anything... it is just not clear what you are hoping to achieve. But regardless, you are definitely not happy with this design and design approach, and there are products out there that you might be much happier with.

 

[FearfulSymmetry]

well...so i've discovered that people on this thread are tired of me researching into the details of the iFi Neo iDSD.

oh well.

Please don't take this one person's opinion on your post. The research you did saved me a lot of time doing the same thing, so thank you very much! Many of us appreciate valuable, well-researched posts like yours and they are always welcome.

 

[alreadyused]

Declaring low value is illegal. How do you even imagine they would go with such option?

The item in his example isn’t being sold or gifted or exchanged at all so it isn’t being imported or exported. A repair is being sold so the correct value to declare is the value of the repair charge. No?

 

[qsk78]

The item in his example isn’t being sold or gifted or exchanged at all so it isn’t being imported or exported. A repair is being sold so the correct value to declare is the value of the repair charge. No?

This is how it was for Earsonics in France:
- I shipped my broken IEM (S-EM6 v2) to France from Russia with a note "returner repair" @ 20 Euro
- They shipped fixed IEM back from France to Russia with a full value of a repair cost declared (150 Euro - right shell replacement)
I did not pay any fee since the limit is 200 Euro.

So the repair cost only was documented and not the full price of a brand new S-EM6 v2 (~1000 Euro)

That was also one more case with another their IEM (ES5) which they fixed for free. Need to find the invoice to see what they wrote in there for customs.

 

[pompecukor]

I am not sure what you guys are arguing about or trying to prove any more.
If you don't believe me that it is "illegal" to falsify value on customs declaration then just phone your nearest Freelance clearing/customs agent and ask.
If you are just trying to tell me that it is being done even though it is illegal, then you are barking up the wrong tree. I know it is. It is common practice.
My point was for something like this that will as you imagine go from courtry to country for IFI to knowingly falsify the value is unlikely as it is illegal and there is a risk. Not sure how it is done in your country but a lot of EU customs agencies do random checks (exactly for this reason as people illegally try to evade customs duties by undervalueing items, which causes a financial loss to the recieveing country.
So this is not an IEM that may be hard to identify. This is an item. that your average IQ customs agent can just punch in to the internet anytime and find the value. Then the best argument that you can make is that it is used, but not that it is 5% of the original commercial value.

I am almost sure that what will happen is the following. One or two will be circulated within the EU. no Customs requirement.
Then another within US (probably from one of the reseller that already had it imported). Then once the rounda are made is can be sold off as a refurbished unit with some discount agian within that country.
So no need for any shinanigans or false declaration. It is that simple. Why complicate it in your mind?

 

[pompecukor]

well...so i've discovered that people on this thread are tired of me researching into the details of the iFi Neo iDSD.

oh well.

Absolutely not. Just like the other guy said. I too think that you are doing a valuable job. Just because one guy does care for it does not me we don't.

 

[BattousaiX26]

The amp section seems weaker than the zen can, I hope someone can test using the built in amplifier then compare it with using the zen can as amplifier and neo dsd as DAC only

 

[Superpong]

The amp section seems weaker than the zen can, I hope someone can test using the built in amplifier then compare it with using the zen can as amplifier and neo dsd as DAC only

Does it mean that "weak" means less output power, not quality of power?

 

[BattousaiX26]

Does it mean that "weak" means less output power, not quality of power?

Less output power