[iFi audio]

Had a question about the ifi pro, if I use the unbalanced inputs would it convert the signal to balanced output to use the full power of the amp? Or does it only work as SE in and SE out?

When using SE inputs first and foremost the SE circuit path is completely direct and uncompromised.

In order to allow balanced operation from unbalanced sources a special discrete zero feedback circuit is included that acts as phase-inverter and produces the missing (negative) polarity phase to drive the headphone amplifier in balanced operation.

As a result the performance with either balanced or unbalanced sources remains as nearly identical as possible, for both SE and balanced headphone connections.

 

[rhern213]

When using SE inputs first and foremost the SE circuit path is completely direct and uncompromised.

In order to allow balanced operation from unbalanced sources a special discrete zero feedback circuit is included that acts as phase-inverter and produces the missing (negative) polarity phase to drive the headphone amplifier in balanced operation.

As a result the performance with either balanced or unbalanced sources remains as nearly identical as possible, for both SE and balanced headphone connections.

Understood, thanks for the detailed explanation!

 

[tonyo442]

hello, please i would like to speak to the managers of iFI pro ican, many tickets are distributed at the moment, as long as the equipment is under warranty it does not matter, what will happen if the same failures appear after the warranty, I want to invest on the iDSD pro, but all is failures make me think, and so far the leaders have never intervened to reassure buyers, customers do not they rights to be reassured and have a respect, thank you

 

[the finisher]

So, I was maybe interested in the iFi pro ican to upgrade my Jot, but a 1 year warranty and problems with out responses from iFi Audio has me reconsidering.

 

[colonelkernel8]

So, I was maybe interested in the iFi pro ican to upgrade my Jot, but a 1 year warranty and problems with out responses from iFi Audio has me reconsidering.

Hello fellow MN'er.
I have the Pro iCan...I couldn't be happier with it. Everything about it seems extremely well built, although I did buy mine second hand so if it *did* have issues, it would have been returned/replaced, so it's possible that I merely received a survivor.

 

[DrizztDo]

Hello, is it supposed to be possible to drive 2 different headphones at the same time ? I've connected 2 headphones on both jack outputs and I only have sound coming from the left one, is it normal ?

 

[LoryWiv]

So, I was maybe interested in the iFi pro ican to upgrade my Jot, but a 1 year warranty and problems with out responses from iFi Audio has me reconsidering.

I have had my iCanPro just under a year and it's developed a low level static / droning noise. Opened a ticket with iFi last week and they have been responsive although to date they've not offered to have me send in the unit but have me trying "home remedies," not unreasonable but problem is still unresolved. Today they've asked me to submit an audio clip of the noise. Not sure how I do that in my headphone setup...is there a way to capture it directly from the iCan Pro output?

 

[the finisher]

I have had my iCanPro just under a year and it's developed a low level static / droning noise. Opened a ticket with iFi last week and they have been responsive although to date they've not offered to have me send in the unit but have me trying "home remedies," not unreasonable but problem is still unresolved. Today they've asked me to submit an audio clip of the noise. Not sure how I do that in my headphone setup...is there a way to capture it directly from the iCan Pro output?

Unsure on the easiest way to capture. But if your word about a malfunctioning $1700/$1800 product within a year isn't good enough I'm more concerned. Outlaw audio gave me 2 years on a nice mid-fi receiver and they have been know to help out outside of warranty.

Then there is Schiit's 5 year warranty!

I hear great things about this amp, but for the price the after sale support seems a bit thin.

Hello fellow MN'er.
I have the Pro iCan...I couldn't be happier with it. Everything about it seems extremely well built, although I did buy mine second hand so if it *did* have issues, it would have been returned/replaced, so it's possible that I merely received a survivor.

Glad you like it, I use my Jot for a preamp for my desktop speaker setup which is my priority over my headphones. The Jot does a great job, but I've heard the pro iCan is a bit warmer and even more resolving, and blacker background. And it's got some tubieness options.
But it is over 4 times the price.

I also read somewhere that you can't connect it as a preamp and headphone amp at the same time, even with the amps/monitors switched off. The Jot has all outputs connected now. It will drive my HD6xx's, LCD X's, Focal Solo 6s and a pair of subs all at the same time, no sweat.

One big draw for me is it's size, it would drop in right where the Jot is, but it has to work flawlessly like the Jot to be considered seriously.

 

[LoryWiv]

I have had my iCanPro just under a year and it's developed a low level static / droning noise. Opened a ticket with iFi last week and they have been responsive although to date they've not offered to have me send in the unit but have me trying "home remedies," not unreasonable but problem is still unresolved. Today they've asked me to submit an audio clip of the noise. Not sure how I do that in my headphone setup...is there a way to capture it directly from the iCan Pro output?

Update: While iFi support was responsive, no complaints, it was my own troubleshooting idea to power off the cable modem and router several feet away and sure enough, problem solved. I've now moved these a bit more distant from the amp and (poster crossing fingers tightly) I can hear no detectable static or extraneous noise. It is a bit disconcerting that the iCan Pro appears susceptible to wi-fi band interference but I'm going with the "all's well the ends well" mantra for now, and to reiterate, the iCan pro is a powerful, versatile amp that I do enjoy quite a lot.

 

[LoryWiv]

So, I was maybe interested in the iFi pro ican to upgrade my Jot, but a 1 year warranty and problems with out responses from iFi Audio has me reconsidering.

I heard the Jot at a Canjam and found it harsh, edgy and a bit strident for my taste....fatiguing even w/a 10 minute listen at the show. iCan Pro is much more musical IMHO.

 

[the finisher]

I heard the Jot at a Canjam and found it harsh, edgy and a bit strident for my taste....fatiguing even w/a 10 minute listen at the show. iCan Pro is much more musical IMHO.

I've heard that from some, I've also read nice long winded impressions that claim the Jot is within spitting distance of the iCan as a SS amp, thou somewhat brighter.

I have done everything wrong according to many in audiophile land. I have a great dac, but it has a very forward nature.
All my ICs and HP cables have silver in them. I have a Jot, I have LCD Xs, I have very linear monitors with beryllium tweeters.
All this should add up to an incredibly bright and fatiguing system.

But it's not, I find it incredibly resolving an really fun to listen to, I have never in my life listened to music as much as now.
I have used the tuning ability of my monitors electronic crossovers to tweek the treble down a bit - 1 db. But I had to tweek the bass down even further for a perfect blend to the subs.

However I know the iCan will be mine someday, it is better than the Jot. 4.5 times better, I doubt it.

What I really need to hear is someones experience using the iCan as preamp and a headphone amp in the same system. Or even as a preamp period. Most folks simply gloss over this half of what it's supposed to be.

Or maybe I'll buy Freya and a Goldpoint switcher and more xlr cables, feed the Jot some tubeyness or not, and use it to control my Focals and subs.

 

[datasyd]

Fantastic input Katie88, thanks so much!

Let me contextualize a bit better my setups and all my questions/doubts:

1 - At work I have been using the iFi Micro iDSD (with Roon for my library and Tidal-Hifi) with the Sennheiser HD800 (original non-S version). It is quite good, mostly for work as I am not dedicating 100% of my neurons to the sound quality. So I would say for this purpose, I am quite satisfied.

(As a side note: I would like to say I use the same setup on travel or "around the house", but I have not been able to make the iFi Micro iDSD work with an iPad Pro 10.5'' (2017 version) or with my cell phone Xiaomi Mi5 (2017). It is simply frustrating, it establishes a connection, I get sound for a few seconds and then the connection is lost. I gave up on it, which is quite bad since it should be one of the primary uses of the Micro iDSD - iFi audio team, if you read this, any insight would be very much appreciated)

2 - At home, I have a stereo speaker system with which I feel very happy with:
- Synology DS916+ (running Roon server) - Auralic Aries Mini streamer - USB to Auralic Vega DAC (which in EXACT mode is a totally different beast than AUTO clock mode) - Pathos Ethos amplified - ProAc Response D48R
As you can see, I am unable to listen to headphones at home. I recently brought the iFi Micro iDSD with me to home, and I realized how much better the Sennheiser HD800 can sound if using only the Headphone amp of the Micro iDSD fed with an analogue signal from the Auralic Vega Dac (as would be expected, of course, considering it is a +3000Eur/USD dedicated Dac).

This made me wonder how much of the HD800 potential I have been missing all this time, so a better dedicated Headphone Amp came to my mind.. I have been curious with the iFi iCan Pro, but unfortunately I have not been able to listen to it in Portugal (I contacted the official dealer a week ago by email, but got no response). It would also be nice for me to have an Head-amp with remote control (which the iFi iCan Pro does not have - EDIT: does have a remote!), as I could sit/lay down in my couch 2 meters away from my hifi rack, but I guess if sound-wise it is great, I could adapt to the lack of volume control (maybe controlling volume with the Vega Dac)... I also have a few other amps in mind, including:
- Violectric v281,
- Auralic Taurus mk II,
- SPL Phonitor X or SPL Phonitor E
...but again I have not been able to demo any of these, which at this price range is quite difficult for me to purchase blindly (unless a very good deal shows up...).

Another question I have is whether I should consider Headphone Amps only, or Headphone Amp + DAC, as if I wish to "transport" it to another place (home office, bedside table...), I would be able to do so without depending on another external Dac, such as for example:
- Sony ta zh1es (on offer at 1200Eur; could not use a balanced connection from the Vega Dac)
- Sennheiser HDV 820 (probably a very good match for the Sennheiser HD800, could use balanced connection)
- Chord Hugo 2 (unbalanced only)
- RME ADI-2 Pro (balanced)

Any "fresh" input is very much appreciated!



Thanks iFi audio team. I can easily anticipate the DAC section would be "incomparable" between the Micro iDSD and the iDSD Pro, but my question was more related to the headphone amp section only. In other words, which of these 2 setups do you think would sound better exclusively with the Sennheisers HD800:
- iFi iDSD Pro (only, with its built in headphone output)
- or iFi iDSD Pro DAC feeding an analogue signal to the iFi Micro iDSD

Thanks!

 

[Morimoriya 62]

Hi guys

I want to ask about DAC for pro ican.please tell me about your experience, which DAC is the best results for pro ican and hd800s ?
I currently use idsd silver +pro Ican +hd800s



Regards Mori

 

[bildar]

Hi guys

I want to ask about DAC for pro ican.please tell me about your experience, which DAC is the best results for pro ican and hd800s ?
I currently use idsd silver +pro Ican +hd800s



Regards Mori

I love the sound of my Modi Multibit with the iCan.

 

[Skooks]

The Pro iCan is capable of taking the best from a good DAC and driving it home. But it won’t make better music than what the DAC gives it. I first had an Auralic Vega, which is a darn good DAC. And that combo made really good sound thru my Audeze LCD-3F headphones. But then I traded the Vega in on a new PS Audio DirectStream DSD DAC. And this DAC put the sound into another realm... I mean this system sings!! I set the volume on the Pro iCan at 12 o’clock... it’s best output... and then control the volume with the DirectStream. This sound would be hard to beat... no matter what genre you listen to!