[el tri head]

I use my ican pro as a preamp and love it. It has options and sounds great through my system. I have magnepan speakers and an XTZ class D amp, which allows the preamp to give the voice to the music. I actually have two...and may sell one for the right offer.

 

[MetalVGAnime]

I've had my iCan Pro for nearly five years now and its still my favorite SS amp in my collection for its clean and relatively neutral sound signature, flexibility with different headphones and gobs of power.

Just out of curiosity has anyone ever tried swapping out the stock ifi iPowerPlus for a different external linear power supply such as ifi's newer iPower Elite or perhaps an Sbooster BOTW Eco and noticed any sort of significant difference to the sound quality? I've heard a lot about how connecting a better linear power supply feeding your audio equipment can supposedly give you quite an improvement over a lesser power supply or not having one at all so just curious if someone could chime in with their opinions on this. Thanks

 

[alekc]

I've had my iCan Pro for nearly five years now and its still my favorite SS amp in my collection for its clean and relatively neutral sound signature, flexibility with different headphones and gobs of power.

Just out of curiosity has anyone ever tried swapping out the stock ifi iPowerPlus for a different external linear power supply such as ifi's newer iPower Elite or perhaps an Sbooster BOTW Eco and noticed any sort of significant difference to the sound quality? I've heard a lot about how connecting a better linear power supply feeding your audio equipment can supposedly give you quite an improvement over a lesser power supply or not having one at all so just curious if someone could chime in with their opinions on this. Thanks

Hi and welcome @MetalVGAnime

I've tried to swap original iPowerPlus for iPower Elite and I guess it gives a large percent of Pro iCan Signature. To make a long story short: blacker background and overall better control over sound, cleaner sound signature while not loosing anything from ifi house sound IMHO.

 

[MetalVGAnime]

Thank you for sharing your experience with regards to the different power supplies alekc.

That's certainly interesting how an upgraded power supply would be able to bring the iCan Pro much closer to the Signature version. I might consider upgrading the iPowerPlus to an iPower Elite in future if I can find a good deal for one. May I ask are you using the 12V version or perhaps the 15V version with the iCan Pro?

 

[BillinSF]

The iCan Pro works well as a preamp, and it still gives you access to tube modes, bass boost, and crossfeed functionality. I concur that the Susvara sounds better with more power than the iCan’s headphone out provides.

AHB2 showed up a couple of days ago. Even with DAC, ICan as preamp ... dead quiet noise floor. Susvara very happy now.

 

[DavidWhite]

I upgraded the iPowerPlus to Hypsos PSU and the results are very favorable. Hypsos gives much better punch (dynamics) hence the music becomes more lively. The sound stage may become wider but not obvious to my ear. I tried the iPower Elite a while ago but it caused humming in the iCan Pro. This may had to do with my system or I got a bad unit. Lots of other people here reported good results when upgrade to iPower Elite. The Hypsos is quiet but I cannot tell if it is quieter than iPowerPlus or not since neither of them has humming when I set to the highest volume using HD800S. My setup:
Audiomirror Tubadour IV -> iCan Pro (with Bendix 6385) -> HD800S
My next logic step is to try SR Purplse fuse on the Hypsos.

IMO, upgrading your tube is a highly recommended to get the best out of the iCan Pro. Tubes like GE 5 star or CBS-Hytron or Bendix 2C51 is a good starting point. WE 396A does not fit my taste: too much rolled off on the high frequency hence not good for classical music. With the stock tube, I prefer the SS mode better. In tube mode, I always run Tube+ mode which has minimal feedback.

 

[DavidWhite]

A while ago, I reported that I had a humming issue when trying the iPower Elite. The iPower Elite was returned. But recently I found a smaller humming noise was in my chain and eventually traced down to the Furman power conditioner: when my DAC is too close to the Furman, it picks the Electromagnetic interference of the Furman. This leads to me thinking one possible cause of the humming in iPower Elite was due to being placed on top of the Furman at that time. Theory is not proven though since iPower Elite is not with me now.

 

[Jefecesti]

Does anyone know is the iBasso DX320’s DAC good combo with Ifi Pro iCan?

Is the DX320 enough source to iCan or should I acquire separate DAC?

 

[Shane D]

I had a thought a thought pop into my head about two weeks ago, but never put it together.

How many of you find the 3D setting effective? I find it doesn't do anything for most of my headphones. However, sometimes it is an Amazing feature. And I just put it together: It works great with planar's!

1) Combined with bass boost it gives me an almost magical combo with my HE6se V2's.

2) A couple of months before I bought my HiFimans, I owned the Monoprice M1570's. Using 3D with these was like listening to speakers. If I hadn't bought the V2's, I might still have these. Although they were heavy AF.

3) My newest headphones are the Bee's from Nectar Sound. A Very dark headphone with a veil over the high end, IMO. They also sound very "close". Which is weird as they are a VERY open headphone. When I used the 3D function on the iFi, it opened them right up.

So, IME, the 3D works great on planars, but not much else.
Does anybody else have anything to say about their experience with the 3D option?

 

[Jefecesti]

Have anyone any experience with iCan and Meze Liric combo?

 

[Jefecesti]

Have anyone experience with Ifi Gryphon bass & 3D features compared to iCan?

 

[DavidWhite]

I had a thought a thought pop into my head about two weeks ago, but never put it together.

How many of you find the 3D setting effective? I find it doesn't do anything for most of my headphones. However, sometimes it is an Amazing feature. And I just put it together: It works great with planar's!

1) Combined with bass boost it gives me an almost magical combo with my HE6se V2's.

2) A couple of months before I bought my HiFimans, I owned the Monoprice M1570's. Using 3D with these was like listening to speakers. If I hadn't bought the V2's, I might still have these. Although they were heavy AF.

3) My newest headphones are the Bee's from Nectar Sound. A Very dark headphone with a veil over the high end, IMO. They also sound very "close". Which is weird as they are a VERY open headphone. When I used the 3D function on the iFi, it opened them right up.

So, IME, the 3D works great on planars, but not much else.
Does anybody else have anything to say about their experience with the 3D option?

I used to turn on 3D to have better perceived sound stage. It does push the instruments/voice further away and created a sense of depth. However, after I upgraded the DAC and use better tubes in iCan, my chain's resolution opens up with a lot more details and hence 3D gets in the way in that it recess the holographic of the original sound. So I am no longer using the 3D knob now.

 

[Jefecesti]

Nice set to explore music.

 

[Jefecesti]

Nice set to explore music.

The ones who think Liric has too much treble uppers, iCan tubes really attenuates it.

If you want, iCan also is more than able to increase the bass. I love it!

Fully recommended!

My set is iBasso DX320 with AMP12 + IFI Pro iCan + Meze Liric.

I also have ItsFit Fusion IEMs for portable setup with DX320.

I'm sure that this this my set for a long time.

Allthough, my dream would be Meze Elite.

Any comments? How to improve?

 

[Jefecesti]

The ones who think Liric has too much treble uppers, iCan tubes really attenuates it.

If you want, iCan also is more than able to increase the bass. I love it!

Fully recommended!

My set is iBasso DX320 with AMP12 + IFI Pro iCan + Meze Liric.

I also have ItsFit Fusion IEMs for portable setup with DX320.

I'm sure that this this my set for a long time.

Allthough, my dream would be Meze Elite.

Any comments? How to improve?