Found a worthy companion for my trusty sennies hd 650 - the Focal Elear. Stand back CIEMs, we're switching to high power today! 
ifI iCan Pro - Impressions & Discussion
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BarDash
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Found a worthy companion for my trusty sennies hd 650 - the Focal Elear. Stand back CIEMs, we're switching to high power today!
Nice, what DAC are you using?
"Just" an iDSD micro for now, sounds good to me!
BarDash
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This may sound like a dumb question but does the iCan automatically go into stand-by mode if it's not used continuously? Sorry if this has been answered before.
No, it doesn't, sadly. I really like this feature in the iDSD especially since it synergizes with my active monitors' exact same feature. It's a small inconvenience though, it doesn't use THAT much power and tubes last much longer than my LTRs
BarDash
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No, it doesn't, sadly. I really like this feature in the iDSD especially since it synergizes with my active monitors' exact same feature. It's a small inconvenience though, it doesn't use THAT much power and tubes last much longer than my LTRs
I think the tubes shut off or go into SS mode after not being used for awhile. (Someone please feel free to correct me if I'm off) Also from what I understand Class A amps can notoriously use quite a bit of power. (Again someone with more knowledge than I can comment please)
No, it doesn't, sadly. I really like this feature in the iDSD especially since it synergizes with my active monitors' exact same feature. It's a small inconvenience though, it doesn't use THAT much power and tubes last much longer than my LTRs
I think the tubes shut off or go into SS mode after not being used for awhile. (Someone please feel free to correct me if I'm off) Also from what I understand Class A amps can notoriously use quite a bit of power. (Again someone with more knowledge than I can comment please)
When you temporarily switch to SS, tubes don't immediately turn off to prevent undue stress from frequent turning off and on. The amp itself won't turn itself off on its own.
What I do find quite strange is how ridiculously feature-rich the iDSD Pro is shaping up to be, almost to the point of making the ICAN Pro unnecessary for thrifty audiophiles. Perhaps they complement each other somehow?
BarDash
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My thoughts as well on the iDSD. Although I didn't have the patience to wait. I ended up getting the Yggy, which really pairs well with the iCAN Pro IMO.
That's an elegant-looking device. Does the multibit DAC makes a significant impact vs regular DACs? Is it similar to what Chord have been doing or am I may be way off here?
BarDash
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iFi Audio Pro iDSD discussion thread Preliminary specs are on the first page but I'm sure I've seen an update. Just haven't been on this thread in a while.
BarDash
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Don't know about other DACs but the multibit makes a big difference in my opinion on the Schitt DACs. I own the Modi Multibit (&Yggy) and for a small "inexpensive" DAC consensus seems to say it's a huge difference which I'm in agreement with.
gr8soundz
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How true. Seems the only benefits of the iCan Pro will be the extra balanced outputs, xbass and 3d (which are so far absent from the iDSD Pro despite the iDSD Micro having them), and connections for the ESL attachment.
I'm planning to buy my first (full) multibit dac in the next month or so. Who knows when the iDSD Pro will ever be released and no idea how much multibit architecture it'll have (the iDSD Micro is a hybrid multibit dac).
Still considering the Mimby but might go something else that's DSD capable. Similar to the Yggy, does the Modi Multibit take days to warm up and do you have to always leave it on?
BarDash
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To me it sounds better warmed up so I leave it running continuously. However IMO it only took a couple of hours before the sound got to where I thought it was at its best. Mine does not run hot at all, in fact mildly warm so I never shut it off unless I'm going to be away for a few days. The Yggy is warmer than the Mimby but still not hot.
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The (5670) electron valve. It matters. - Part 2/3
In many ways the 5670 when introduced was a revolutionary electron valve. Ostensibly an RF device for VHF use, thanks to a usable frequency range to 800MHz it also offered good linearity, low harmonic distortion and low-noise in audio applications. Yet the 5670 electron valves never really went into audio gear much. Why?
First, being a relatively expensive electron valve to make made them less attractive for mass production.
Second, they saw wide military equipment use, including fire control computers and communication systems.
So before the late 80's the US Military & Nato stockpiled most of the production. Production of the 5670 ended in the 1980’s almost completely, so stockpiles were retained until the equipment they supported was removed from inventory in the latter part of the 90’s.
Third, and in addition, the 5670 uses a non-standard pinout. If one looks at 12AX7, 12AU7 or 6DJ8/6922, all of these have an identical or very similar pinout. The 5670 pinout is radically different. Electrically and in terms of internal design it is very similar to the 6DJ8/6922 which became very popular in American high end audio gear, but one can't plug it into a 6922 socket.
Well, physically it's doable, mechanically the 5670 will plug into a 6922 socket, yet the result may be deadly for the Preamplifier/Amplifier as heater and anode pins are mixed up, shorting out the high voltage power supply. Just don’t go there girlfriend.
Now let's add the price factor to the mix. Military parts always cost at least 10 more in comparison to identical civilian parts. Which for 5670 model meant that no-one designed audio gear with these electron valves during the golden age of Valve Audio.
After the military blew out these stocks from their warehouses when the cold war ended (those cavernous places like the one shown at the end in Indiana Jones "Raiders of the Lost Ark")...
...still very few people used them, as they couldn't be plugged into existing gear due to the non-standard pin-out. Long story short, NOS 6922 became very popular and their rare cousins worth 100's of Dollars while no-one wanted the 5670.
In many ways the 5670 when introduced was a revolutionary electron valve. Ostensibly an RF device for VHF use, thanks to a usable frequency range to 800MHz it also offered good linearity, low harmonic distortion and low-noise in audio applications. Yet the 5670 electron valves never really went into audio gear much. Why?
First, being a relatively expensive electron valve to make made them less attractive for mass production.
Second, they saw wide military equipment use, including fire control computers and communication systems.
So before the late 80's the US Military & Nato stockpiled most of the production. Production of the 5670 ended in the 1980’s almost completely, so stockpiles were retained until the equipment they supported was removed from inventory in the latter part of the 90’s.
Third, and in addition, the 5670 uses a non-standard pinout. If one looks at 12AX7, 12AU7 or 6DJ8/6922, all of these have an identical or very similar pinout. The 5670 pinout is radically different. Electrically and in terms of internal design it is very similar to the 6DJ8/6922 which became very popular in American high end audio gear, but one can't plug it into a 6922 socket.
Well, physically it's doable, mechanically the 5670 will plug into a 6922 socket, yet the result may be deadly for the Preamplifier/Amplifier as heater and anode pins are mixed up, shorting out the high voltage power supply. Just don’t go there girlfriend.
Now let's add the price factor to the mix. Military parts always cost at least 10 more in comparison to identical civilian parts. Which for 5670 model meant that no-one designed audio gear with these electron valves during the golden age of Valve Audio.
After the military blew out these stocks from their warehouses when the cold war ended (those cavernous places like the one shown at the end in Indiana Jones "Raiders of the Lost Ark")...
...still very few people used them, as they couldn't be plugged into existing gear due to the non-standard pin-out. Long story short, NOS 6922 became very popular and their rare cousins worth 100's of Dollars while no-one wanted the 5670.
For the last 25 years plus dealers and audiophiles have been depleting very limited 6922 NOS stocks and that's why today it is next to impossible to find decent electron valves of this sort. And what about the unloved but excellent 5670? It sat nice and snug in warehouses like the proverbial Ark of the Covenant waiting for someone to discover it. That would be first of all Eric Barbour of Vacuum Tube Valley Magazine (but his article was also widely ignored) and then us.
Stay tuned, there's more...
Stay tuned, there's more...
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