[Khragon]

At $2000 iDSD is competing with top tier DAC like Schiit yggy and Audio gd Master/NOS 7, not sure if Delta sigma DAC can deliver that multibit goodness. I enjoyed both the Yggy and Master 11 DAC quite a bit.

 

[JWahl]

Given that this thread is in the source component section, and a thread for the Pro iCan exists seperately, I've edited the title to reflect focus on the Pro iDSD.

 

[technobear]

At $2000 iDSD is competing with top tier DAC like Schiit yggy and Audio gd Master/NOS 7, not sure if Delta sigma DAC can deliver that multibit goodness. I enjoyed both the Yggy and Master 11 DAC quite a bit.

Just as well then that the iDSD Pro is not a pure delta sigma DAC (Nor are any of the other DACs in the iFi lineup)

http://www.head-fi.org/t/711217/idsd-micro-black-label-tour-details-page-147-release-info-page-153/60#post_10404689

http://www.head-fi.org/t/711217/idsd-micro-black-label-tour-details-page-147-release-info-page-153/690#post_10617050

http://www.head-fi.org/t/711217/idsd-micro-black-label-tour-details-page-147-release-info-page-153/840#post_10641478

In fact, just go read all the articles/posts indexed here:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/711217/idsd-micro-black-label-tour-details-page-147-release-info-page-153#post_10383226

 

[iFi audio]

Just as well then that the iDSD Pro is not a pure delta sigma DAC (Nor are any of the other DACs in the iFi lineup)

http://www.head-fi.org/t/711217/idsd-micro-black-label-tour-details-page-147-release-info-page-153/60#post_10404689

http://www.head-fi.org/t/711217/idsd-micro-black-label-tour-details-page-147-release-info-page-153/690#post_10617050

http://www.head-fi.org/t/711217/idsd-micro-black-label-tour-details-page-147-release-info-page-153/840#post_10641478

In fact, just go read all the articles/posts indexed here:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/711217/idsd-micro-black-label-tour-details-page-147-release-info-page-153#post_10383226

 
Ah, you were quicker with these links!
 
At iFi, we do things our way from engineering perspective. That approach oftentimes nets grand results. And this exactly we've done with Pro iDSD. It has many surprises, is packed with lots of goodies and in many ways is in fact different. Soon we'll release more informations about this deck, in our typical fashion. Technical insight is something we'll surely share with this community.

 

[Trogdor]

At $2000 iDSD is competing with top tier DAC like Schiit yggy and Audio gd Master/NOS 7, not sure if Delta sigma DAC can deliver that multibit goodness. I enjoyed both the Yggy and Master 11 DAC quite a bit.

If you want native DSD playback, then you need delta sigma.

Comparing DAC architectures like this is a recipe for disaster.

 

[loplop]

Bought a iDSD BL to play with while waiting. To me it's significantly better than the original as a standalone DAC. It's easily worth the extra Money, but do wonder if the pro will be leaps ahead of BL..

 

I bought a Micro iDSD BL, as well, and I find myself using it quite a bit as a standalone DAC. I think the DAC implementation is truly excellent, whereas the amp section is good (aka not quite on the same level).

I just got an iCAN Pro, and running my iDSD BL into it sounds mighty fine. As you, I'm really looking forward to trying the iDAC Pro vs the iDSD BL and see what it brings to the table..

How's the bass boost on the ican pro compare to the micro ican and ican se? +12 db at 10, 20, 40 Hz ***sounds*** awesome.

 

I don't have a ton of experience with my iCAN yet, and I haven't used the Micro iCAN, but I do have a Micro iDSD BL. Although Bass Boost on the iDSD BL is very good, the iCAN certainly gives you more options with the switch. And all of the choices seem well-implemented, with no extraneous bleeding into the mids. The BL's won't work as well across as wide of a range of 'phones and recordings, as it's only on/off. I think that's the iCAN's MO, to be honest--to be highly configurable to take any can you want to throw at it.

Still, the iDSD BL XBass+ is pretty nice, in it's own right.

 

[227qed]

Bought a iDSD BL to play with while waiting. To me it's significantly better than the original as a standalone DAC. It's easily worth the extra Money, but do wonder if the pro will be leaps ahead of BL..

 

I bought a Micro iDSD BL, as well, and I find myself using it quite a bit as a standalone DAC. I think the DAC implementation is truly excellent, whereas the amp section is good (aka not quite on the same level).

I just got an iCAN Pro, and running my iDSD BL into it sounds mighty fine. As you, I'm really looking forward to trying the iDAC Pro vs the iDSD BL and see what it brings to the table..

How's the bass boost on the ican pro compare to the micro ican and ican se? +12 db at 10, 20, 40 Hz ***sounds*** awesome.

 

I don't have a ton of experience with my iCAN yet, and I haven't used the Micro iCAN, but I do have a Micro iDSD BL. Although Bass Boost on the iDSD BL is very good, the iCAN certainly gives you more options with the switch. And all of the choices seem well-implemented, with no extraneous bleeding into the mids. The BL's won't work as well across as wide of a range of 'phones and recordings, as it's only on/off. I think that's the iCAN's MO, to be honest--to be highly configurable to take any can you want to throw at it.

Still, the iDSD BL XBass+ is pretty nice, in it's own right.

Nice, thanks for sharing. A black label for dac and portable, and ican pro for home is my dream right now. I've been really pleased with my micro ican and am looking forward to stepping up this year. Really not that impressed my my schiit modi 2 uber dac. Can't tell much difference between my phone and it so hopefully a good dac like the idsd bl will really step up the quality of my chain.

But as a basshead, the xbass on the ican pro is very very intriguing. Hoping to get some th900s too for what should be endgame for a long time.

 

[iFi audio]

Buying some vinyl for the micro iDSD BL (and its other siblings)
 
 
On a side note, for those of you who're into black stuff... We took the liberty to find ourselves some nice LPs in Greece, somewhere between exhibition days. There is ALWAYS a good time to get these. Why? There are many reasons. But the fact that we simply love the sound of a fine vinyl record is more than enough! And we compare all our digital equipment in R&D to our in-house vinyl setups. This is what we benchmark our digital reference gear to. As such, we do not expect iFi DACs to sound like other DACs! 
 
So here's what we've found...  
 
 

The Dave Brubeck Trio Featuring Gerry Mulligan Blues Roots

1. Label : Pure Pleasure - Re-mastering by Ray Staff at Air Mastering!

1. Limited Edition

 


Everybody knows ‘Take Five.’ This is a really nice album and Broke Blues is also exceptional, Highly recommended.

 
 

Dinah Washington Back To the Blues

 

 

1. Label : Pure Pleasure - Re-mastering by Ray Staff at Air Mastering!

 

Talented Singer in Blues form, if you are new to Blues, it is easy to listen and fun. 

 
 

Dexter Gordon Daddy Plays The Horn 180g LP (Mono)

 

 

1. Label : Pure Pleasure

 

180 Gram Mono Vinyl! Re-mastering by Ray Staff at Air Mastering! Stellar, Emotive Musical Expressions! Pressed at Pallas in Germany! Good mono recordings always more than welcome, played the LP with EMT mono cartridge and it was so much fun. Playing is not really the right word, Dexter and his party had so much fun.


 
 

Stanley Turrentine Sugar 180g LP

 

1. Label : Pure Pleasure

 


They call him Mr T or The Sugar Man. If you never heard him before this is the album you must have, upbeat funk and rock elements to his mixture of soul jazz

 

 

Paul Desmond Desmond Blue 180g LP

 

1. Label : Pure Pleasure

 


Everybody know Desmond, best known with Dave Brubeck's  biggest hit "Take Five”. This one totally different, his cool and silky tones fits in perfectly with the strings. 
 
 

More to come…

 

 

[iFi audio]

'Nuff said!
 

 

[iFi audio]

Oops, double!

 

[Whitigir]

At $2000 iDSD is competing with top tier DAC like Schiit yggy and Audio gd Master/NOS 7, not sure if Delta sigma DAC can deliver that multibit goodness. I enjoyed both the Yggy and Master 11 DAC quite a bit.

And the new Sony TA-ZH1ES

 

[Esprit]

Can the iDSD Pro convert from pcm to dsd internally (like Sony, Mytek, Teac and other DAC)?

 

[bluesaint]

Can the iDSD Pro convert from pcm to dsd internally (like Sony, Mytek, Teac and other DAC)?

I actually hope they don't. No device level conversion will be nearly as good as a pc/Mac real-time conversion software like HQplayer.

 

[technobear]

Can the iDSD Pro convert from pcm to dsd internally (like Sony, Mytek, Teac and other DAC)?

No.

 

[Esprit]

I actually hope they don't. No device level conversion will be nearly as good as a pc/Mac real-time conversion software like HQplayer.

In other DACs this is an option (you can use it or not..)
I use Dirac which is limited to 192kHz PCM so I like the opportunity of upsampling, from PCM to DSD, inside the DAC.
I've used HQPlayer from years but the advantage of Dirac is huge compared to the pleasure of using HQP