[rocksarkar]

Hello guys.. need advice.. recently acquired used idsd pro and woo audio wa22 gen 2.. need advice on finding good settings.. should be setting in tube more or standard on idsd.. trying to use tidal thru muzo app for tidal and its me login but comes back to login screen and end up using airplay and not happy

 

[Sphere 57]

I prefer the solid-state output to the tube modes. To me, the valve output sounds good at first but the sound becomes fatiguing, I can listen longer with the solid-state output. A set of springy damping feet from Amazon made the sound better when using the valves. I use this DAC in my loudspeaker system and valves are microphonic, so that's why I find the springs beneficial, they probably don't make a difference with headphones.

I tend to use DSD 512 mode as default, if I want to make the sound smoother I go to DSD 1024, if I want to make it sharper I switch off DSD.

As for the Muzo app, it's terrible (and it used to be even worse). I ditched the onboard streaming because it does not do gapless. I would recommend using an external streamer such as the WiiM mini (which has a great app and loads of streaming options), and plug it into the optical input. Alternatively an Android phone or tablet running the 'USB Audio Player Pro' app into the USB input will give slightly better sound quality from Tidal, you can operate it remotely with another phone or tablet as a UPnP renderer.

 

[rocksarkar]

Thanks for response.. i have bluesound node 2i should i use as streamer and by doing this which dac i will be using.. is that going to be bluesound or idsd

 

[Sphere 57]

I had a Bluesound node for a few weeks on demo a couple of years ago, if I remember correctly it has an electrical coax digital output? Plug that output, or the optical output, into the iDSD, you will be using the iFi as a DAC and the Bluesound as a streaming transport.

 

[rocksarkar]

perfect man so much better i was wondering if i made wrong choice with dsd.. now with bulesound.. should i set MQA external dac and anything with audio clock trim

iDSD:wat filter settings should i be using

 

[Sphere 57]

The bit perfect and bit perfect+ filters have a more analogue type sound. Bit perfect lacks very high treble with lower sample rates, '+' adds the top end back, but I find that sometimes '+' can be a little gritty-sounding. There is not much difference between the other options to my ears.

I don't remember the Node settings, but the Pro iDSD is a full MQA decoder, so if there is an option on the Node to pass an undecoded signal, use that. If the Node can pass a pure signal, the display will say MQA (unless your Pro iDSD has the first firmware version installed). If the Node is doing some of the MQA processing before the digital output, I don't know what you will see on the Pro iDSD display, if the Node has a setting for renderer only DACs I would expect the DAC to switch to MQA, if not then you might want to use the GTO filter for Tidal Masters, GTO filter is supposed to be the same as the MQA filter.

 

[rocksarkar]

Thanks for super tips.. i am enjoying a lot now.. i have antoehr question.. now i have node/idsd/w22 on my desk occupying all the desk space.. was wondering if i should got with smaller size WiiM mini rather than using node 2i....and will i lose any quality for streaming node2i vs WiiM mini... i stream tidal/amazon/apple music/spotiy and airplay for indian music streaming apps...

 

[Sphere 57]

I can't really say how the WiiM mini and Bluesound node compare because there was over a year between trying the Node and getting the mini, and I used them in my bedroom system, not with the Pro iDSD in the living room (where I have an Auralic Aries streamer). What I can say, is that neither of them sounded quite as clear as an old Android phone running UAPP (that's why I returned the Node to the shop), so I guess they are pretty level in sound quality.

I like the WiiM for convenient features like AirPlay and Tidal connect, but when I really want to get into the music I use the phone.

People praise the Bluesound app as one of the best streaming UIs and I thought so too, but the WiiM app is actually very close and they have regularly updated it over the year and a half I've owned it.

 

[MLGrado]

Not that after all this time a new review is needed... but perhaps it can put some perspective on how GREAT this DAC still is compared to today's market.

https://www.euphonicreview.com/revi...ntaconn-jack-of-all-trades-the-master-product

 

[deanorthk]

Not that after all this time a new review is needed... but perhaps it can put some perspective on how GREAT this DAC still is compared to today's market.

https://www.euphonicreview.com/revi...ntaconn-jack-of-all-trades-the-master-product

That's one hell of a job that you have done. And it shows really why the iDSD pro (and the signature) are really not just a hype product full of gadgets, but a serious piece of gear that first and foremost, will make music live.
I'm waiting to catch a Senn HD820 to try it with the iDSD, not that I'm tired of my TH900, but the more I listen to my custom intra that are very neutral, the more I tend to find the TH900 less neutral, which had never been a drawback for years, but now I want to move to something closer to how I like my music to sound .

 

[OneEyedHito]

Absolutely a great DAC and Very good Amp, the only thing it is missing is Roon Ready Support via Ethernet. It would be the desktop unit of choice for me if that was available.

 

[deanorthk]

Absolutely a great DAC and Very good Amp, the only thing it is missing is Roon Ready Support via Ethernet. It would be the desktop unit of choice for me if that was available.

don't mention it, for me it's a major drawback, though not a reason enough to move away from it. But I just got myself a Tambaki for my hifi setup, and to have a roon ready dac is for me another experience , especially in the ergonomic side of the thing. Maybe a future firmware update, but it's not as simple, roon ready require a licence from roon, that I bet is not free for ifi Audio. Plus some technical changes that are far beyond my knowledge. But if there is in a future a iDSD 2, if it's roon ready, it's going to be a must have.
Btw, I'm listening to the latest Joe Satriani album, Tube mode+, bit perfect +, and DSD1024. And there is magic in there, beyond the fact that the music really "flow" so naturally

i wonder if you guys could test your headphone and iDSD with this song :
Samuel La Manna - Children Under the Star.
It's NOT my music style (I'm a death metal fan), but it's really amazingly handled by this dac. bass are physical, yet really well tight and impactfull.

 

[TooFrank]

don't mention it, for me it's a major drawback, though not a reason enough to move away from it. But I just got myself a Tambaki for my hifi setup, and to have a roon ready dac is for me another experience , especially in the ergonomic side of the thing. Maybe a future firmware update, but it's not as simple, roon ready require a licence from roon, that I bet is not free for ifi Audio. Plus some technical changes that are far beyond my knowledge. But if there is in a future a iDSD 2, if it's roon ready, it's going to be a must have.
Btw, I'm listening to the latest Joe Satriani album, Tube mode+, bit perfect +, and DSD1024. And there is magic in there, beyond the fact that the music really "flow" so naturally

i wonder if you guys could test your headphone and iDSD with this song :
Samuel La Manna - Children Under the Star.
It's NOT my music style (I'm a death metal fan), but it's really amazingly handled by this dac. bass are physical, yet really well tight and impactfull.

+1 very intense (iDSD + ICAN in tube+1+ZMF VC)

 

[deanorthk]

+1 very intense (iDSD + ICAN in tube+1+ZMF VC)

Out of curiosity, you have tested your headphone with the iDSD and with it iCAN, the gap is really audible? I'm kinda dreaming about it, I must admit

 

[TooFrank]

Out of curiosity, you have tested your headphone with the iDSD and with it iCAN, the gap is really audible? I'm kinda dreaming about it, I must admit

Maybe I am biased, but I do find there is a bit more oomph with the iCAN. Not that it is a question of power it self. Also there is the very useful X-bass feature which I use quite a lot. Finally, I can use the balance XLR. So it is a kind of swiss army knife, including double up on tubes...FWIW
However, I did buy the iCAN 2nd hand to a very nice price and just couldn't resist.