[iFi audio]

  The last line of ifi's last post on July 15th read:
" This is not a 'standard' iFi product. It is our flagship - so if it never sees the light of day because we are not 110% happy with it, it will not. But fingers crossed that it does."
 
That statement seems to make any release of the idsd pro "IFFY". I'm at the point where I don't know what to think. My impression is that the whole prior development has been scuttled and they are restarting. Of course, we can only make conjectures because anything ifi says these days is cryptic at best and possibly misleading.
 
I have been asking for updates for months and each statement seems to lead further and further from release. 

 
Hi,
 
What we mean is that this product needs to quite spectacular otherwise it wont go on sale.
 
If it takes is longer to make it truly stellar - it will take longer. If we are not happy with its sonics to challenge uber DACs, then we wont bring it out for sale, ever. Of course we dont want that to happen. But we say this because we have the luxury of making the Pro series because we can, not because we have to.
 
We genuinely appreciate everyone's patience - our industry friends tell us the Pro line is being closely watched. So there has been an embargo on what we are able to say.
 
Therefore, for the time being, we prefer to keep mum until it is soup.
 
Then we'll happily divulge the inner workings.

 

[xuan87]

   
Hi,
 
What we mean is that this product needs to quite spectacular otherwise it wont go on sale.
 
If it takes is longer to make it truly stellar - it will take longer. If we are not happy with its sonics to challenge uber DACs, then we wont bring it out for sale, ever. Of course we dont want that to happen. But we say this because we have the luxury of making the Pro series because we can, not because we have to.
 
We genuinely appreciate everyone's patience - our industry friends tell us the Pro line is being closely watched. So there has been an embargo on what we are able to say.
 
Therefore, for the time being, we prefer to keep mum until it is soup.
 
Then we'll happily divulge the inner workings.

 
If only everyone in the audio industry has your attitude and pride in their works. You're totally right, don't release something just for the sake of releasing something. And you don't own us anything. Any hint or teaser that you give us is a bonus but not a necessity. 

 

[rickyleelee]

Agree fully. But me got wondering who is watching the Pro line. Are we able to guess???????

 

[EVOLVIST]

Agree fully. But me got wondering who is watching the Pro line. Are we able to guess???????

I've already told you. It's zee Germans.

The Americans who masquerade as Vikings have no horse in the DSD race.

 

[Franatic]

Oh no!! Perhaps Thorsten Loesch has been kidnapped!!  

 

 

[Franatic]

Dear ifi,
 
All kidding aside, I do want you to make the idsd pro the best it can be. I have much confidence then when (not if) it comes out, it will slay anything in its price range. For me, I see it as my end game dac.
 
I am sure you can understand our frustration in seeing it so close to release, then pulled back. I will wait....and continue to prod for info, just to let you know we are out here.......waiting
 
In the meantime, I added the Uptone Regen to the input of the micro idsd with fantastic results. It will help me be more patient. Stunning sound quality coming from the micro!

 

[sdolezalek]

I too want the iFi  iDSD Pro to be the absolute standard setter for its price range and more.  I am curious, however, whether you think we are approaching the "Pentium stage" for DACs.  By that, I mean the point at which improvements are certainly still possible, but where the overall step-up compared to that in the 286 to 386 and 386 to 486 series of computer chips became less and less obvious.  In computers it meant we stopped upgrading our PC every two years.  In DACs it feels like we might be approaching the same point, where a really great iDSD Pro might be a customer's last DAC for 5+ years....   
 
For iFi, as a DAC manufacturer, that might not be a good thing.  You might rather continue to have us upgrade to the next level every other year.  But I'm curoius as to how far along that path we (and more specifically iFi has now come)?

 

[tf10charged]

dear IFI,
 
is this another thousand dollars dac that is out of reach for many? would appreciate if it is a little price friendly like your micro and nano line
 

 

[iFi audio]

  I too want the iFi  iDSD Pro to be the absolute standard setter for its price range and more.  I am curious, however, whether you think we are approaching the "Pentium stage" for DACs.  By that, I mean the point at which improvements are certainly still possible, but where the overall step-up compared to that in the 286 to 386 and 386 to 486 series of computer chips became less and less obvious.  In computers it meant we stopped upgrading our PC every two years.  In DACs it feels like we might be approaching the same point, where a really great iDSD Pro might be a customer's last DAC for 5+ years....   
 
For iFi, as a DAC manufacturer, that might not be a good thing.  You might rather continue to have us upgrade to the next level every other year.  But I'm curoius as to how far along that path we (and more specifically iFi has now come)?

 
 
Hi,
 
Yes - is the short answer as the 'sound for the £' today compared to only a few years ago is much better. We are not the only ones, there are many other manufacturers who are on the same track and doing good things.
 
One thing we do is try to give the best value for money over the long term. So the recently launched iPOWER is a new power supply upgrade for existing iFi equipment.
 
This short comment just went live today:
http://ifi-audio.com/reviews/diminuitive-iphonoipower-david-slays-goliaths-and-then-some/
 
From AMR equipment - the 77 through to the 777, we always try to offer upgrades/updates where possible. For iFi, this has been the iPOWER but also the iTUBE and iUSB do similar things as it squeezes more out of existing equipment.
 
With regards to the other question, the Pro series is undoubtedly the flagship/helicarrier so it is not going to be priced in the nano/micro class.

 

 

[sdolezalek]

Actually, one of the things that I really like about the whole iFi line is its modularity. Rather than having to return a big piece of electronics, I can simple buy an iPower, iTube or other upgrade as it becomes available and thereby improve my audio system incrementally. Although the Pro series is the flagship line, I do hope that you will retain some degree of this modularity so that as components improve, we can continue along that upgrade path without starting over.

In addition, my kids like it because when Dad upgrades from Nano to Micro, they get the Nano, so they too are eagerly awaiting the Pro so they can get their hands on the Micro.

 

[semeniub]

Actually, one of the things that I really like about the whole iFi line is its modularity. Rather than having to return a big piece of electronics, I can simple buy an iPower, iTube or other upgrade as it becomes available and thereby improve my audio system incrementally. Although the Pro series is the flagship line, I do hope that you will retain some degree of this modularity so that as components improve, we can continue along that upgrade path without starting over.

In addition, my kids like it because when Dad upgrades from Nano to Micro, they get the Nano, so they too are eagerly awaiting the Pro so they can get their hands on the Micro.

Completely agree with this, upgrade path modularity and value-for-money are definitely key features of the iFi product line.

 

[Franatic]

 
Completely agree with this, upgrade path modularity and value-for-money are definitely key features of the iFi product line.

Originally the price ifi was projecting was in the $1500 range. It seems they have raised their aim for the idsd pro. Let's hope the doesn't lead to raising the price. 

 

[semeniub]

  Originally the price ifi was projecting was in the $1500 range. It seems they have raised their aim for the idsd pro. Let's hope the doesn't lead to raising the price. 

(Regen with good LPS) + micro iDSD + decent interconnects + micro iTube already gets you into the $1500 range and the combo sounds great. If the iDSD Pro can do better than that for similar money, I won't be too upset about the price.

 

[kurb1980]

I'm holding off on selling my Benchmark HGC DAC2 until they launch the pro flagship!  I like that they have high standards and are not rushing to get a product out there without scrutiny.  With that said I'm hoping for a end of the year release early FY16 latest.

 

[EVOLVIST]

You know, I read through this whole thread and two things popped out to me:

1.) Boy, did I write some ignorant stuff, as I was learning the audio concepts I know now! Haha.

2.) This thread was started in January 2014. Since that time iFi launched the iDSD micro, the Retro 50, and the iDAC2. That's pretty fast work, actually. This thread helped me put that in perspective.

In October iFi will have the prototype for the iCAN Pro for listening. This made me think, "What is the iCAN Pro without an eventual iDSD Pro to follow?" That is, one can't just have one product and call it a "line" can they?

I'll admit, I too, have been looking at other products, but I just can't seem to budge myself from the iFi bug.

I know a few other people out there like that, but I have to figure that patience will pay off for all of us. Now, I'm even wondering if the iCAN Pro might be suited for me, as well, even though I've sworn by my SPL Auditor HP amp as end-game. I keep reading the specs for the iCAN Pro, looking at the versatility, and really wanting to get my hands on that thing.

Anyway, what made me snap out of my hunt for another DAC was listening to Roger Waters' "Amused to Death" with my iDSD micro and thinking that if it can get better than this with iFi, I really want it.