[gr8soundz]

I recently started using the extreme DSD filter and noticed how much smoother, less fatiguing, and more analog the Micro sounds. Mids aren't as forward though and treble loses a touch of air but the sound is still a very detailed and musical.
 
Current chain is:
fanless PC > Mercury cable > iDSD Micro > balanced Musical Fidelity amp (powered by a 12V iPower)
 
Still waiting for the type A iPurifier2. Using the Micro as both DAC and preamp and planned to add an iTube (as a buffer) in between the Micro and amp.
 
Does anyone know if, with the extreme filter on, adding an iTube will still make a noticeable difference? Especially since the Micro has a bit of Tubestate tech built-in?

 

[EDM0611]

  I recently started using the extreme DSD filter and noticed how much smoother, less fatiguing, and more analog the Micro sounds. Mids aren't as forward though and treble loses a touch of air but the sound is still a very detailed and musical.
 
Current chain is:
fanless PC > Mercury cable > iDSD Micro > balanced Musical Fidelity amp (powered by a 12V iPower)
 
Still waiting for the type A iPurifier2. Using the Micro as both DAC and preamp and planned to add an iTube (as a buffer) in between the Micro and amp.
 
Does anyone know if, with the extreme filter on, adding an iTube will still make a noticeable difference? Especially since the Micro has a bit of Tubestate tech built-in?

I think you should add a power regenerator to your chain first (uptone or iUsbPower if you already ordered iP2) as I've already done. The improvement is easy to find out when you turn volumn up

 

[Dadracer]

Yes that would be the way to go. Either iUSB with iP2 or the new nano iUSB3 as these perform almost exactly the same according to the gurus at ifi Audio. Either way it will improve the signal quality and remove all the garbage.

 

[gr8soundz]

I already mentioned the IP2 I'll be adding once its available.
 
Why mention that and the iUSB3 when I'm talking about the Micro's extreme filter (along with the iTube if anyone knows)?
 
I'd ask in the iTube thread as well but not much activity there and most wouldn't know about the Micro's filters.
 
Perhaps @iFi audio could chime in.....
 

 

[john57]

  I recently started using the extreme DSD filter and noticed how much smoother, less fatiguing, and more analog the Micro sounds. Mids aren't as forward though and treble loses a touch of air but the sound is still a very detailed and musical.
 
Current chain is:
fanless PC > Mercury cable > iDSD Micro > balanced Musical Fidelity amp (powered by a 12V iPower)
 
Still waiting for the type A iPurifier2. Using the Micro as both DAC and preamp and planned to add an iTube (as a buffer) in between the Micro and amp.
 
Does anyone know if, with the extreme filter on, adding an iTube will still make a noticeable difference? Especially since the Micro has a bit of Tubestate tech built-in?

I would say that since you heard quite a bit difference using the extreme filter it is more likely that you will heard a difference with the  iTube specially with with the Soundstage in music. I own four tube amps at home. I would say that the iCAN and the coming iCAN pro and iDSD pro will be using the same GE5670 tubes as I recall.

 

[gr8soundz]

  I would say that since you heard quite a bit difference using the extreme filter it is more likely that you will heard a difference with the  iTube specially with with the Soundstage in music. I own four tube amps at home. I would say that the iCAN and the coming iCAN pro and iDSD pro will be using the same GE5670 tubes as I recall.

 
Thanks. Right, I assumed they would have even higher grade tubes but the Pro models will have 2 of the 5670 used in the iTube.
 

 

[joshnor713]

Sharing my review
 
http://www.androidguys.com/2016/03/03/ifi-micro-idsd-mobile-dac-review-go-big-or-go-home/
 
Fantastic DAC. Gonna be hard to beat, for me.

 

[iamoneagain]

Has anyone had any issues with the latest firmware 5.1 with regards to popping/clicking?

I just receive a ifi micro idsd last week and first thing I did was install latest firmware. Using Roon/HQPlayer in DSD mode I would get loud pops whenever I stopped or switched tracks. I finally decided to try the previous firmware 5.0a and that fixed the problem. However, there is a sound difference between the two and would also think latest should not lose the fix of previous build.

Other than this, I'm really loving this amp. Old amp needs repairs so thought I'd try cheaper replacement and went with the Explorer2 and soon realized it was under powered. The micro idsd is huge improvement over Explorer2. No comparison. And with umsampling all my tracks sound as good as the few MQA tracks I heard. But to be fair, listening to MQA with Explorer2 not best example of how it would really sound with better equipment.

 

[gr8soundz]

  Sharing my review
 
http://www.androidguys.com/2016/03/03/ifi-micro-idsd-mobile-dac-review-go-big-or-go-home/
 
Fantastic DAC. Gonna be hard to beat, for me.

 
Nice review. Couldn't agree more with your rating.
 

 

[Johnnystuff]

Looking for someone to compare this to the iBasso P5 Falcon. Would pay in e-hugs!

 

[Haris Javed]

  Sharing my review
 
http://www.androidguys.com/2016/03/03/ifi-micro-idsd-mobile-dac-review-go-big-or-go-home/
 
Fantastic DAC. Gonna be hard to beat, for me.

awesome review - this thing is a very nice

 

[john57]

  Looking for someone to compare this to the iBasso P5 Falcon. Would pay in e-hugs!

AS I understand it, the iBasso P5 Falcon is a amp only device and with the iDSD you are getting  a DAC and amp.

 

[Johnnystuff]

  AS I understand it, the iBasso P5 Falcon is a amp only device and with the iDSD you are getting  a DAC and amp.

Yep, I was speaking about the sound presentaion, wideness, clarity, timbre and all those things. The ibasso is no dac but it's more portable being at the same time "more desktop" (it has a separate psu) and it's moddable or tweakable. They're both receiving only amazing reviews so it's hard to understand in which way they can compete and which not (the dac is on the "not" clearly)

 

[Dynaudio lvr]

I used to use the meridian explorer. Love the sound but very little power to exploit my 600 ohm T1's.

I probably should have gotten the Ican and strapped the meridian to it. Ill never know what that would sound like...

I did get the idsd micro and it's great with lots of power.
The explorer has wonderful treble characteristics and (to my ears) the idsd doesnt. I love the mids and lows though.

What im asking is about powering the unit on while connected to usb...if this will produce a slightly warmer sound due to not running off the battery. I think I read this somewhere. i've tried to determine by myslelf but I think the sneaky placebo effect is coloring my opinion.

Do any of you notice a difference in sound between battery power or usb?
My tablet has low power compared to my laptop and that I why im wondering. I use battery power when i use otg cable. ( my explorer wouldnt give hardly any sound from the tablet). The idsd does but id like to use the battery for power...but not if it does give a harsher, less warm sound

 

[gr8soundz]

I used to use the meridian explorer. Love the sound but very little power to exploit my 600 ohm T1's.

I probably should have gotten the Ican and strapped the meridian to it. Ill never know what that would sound like...

I did get the idsd micro and it's great with lots of power.
The explorer has wonderful treble characteristics and (to my ears) the idsd doesnt. I love the mids and lows though.

What im asking is about powering the unit on while connected to usb...if this will produce a slightly warmer sound due to not running off the battery. I think I read this somewhere. i've tried to determine by myslelf but I think the sneaky placebo effect is coloring my opinion.

Do any of you notice a difference in sound between battery power or usb?
My tablet has low power compared to my laptop and that I why im wondering. I use battery power when i use otg cable. ( my explorer wouldnt give hardly any sound from the tablet). The idsd does but id like to use the battery for power...but not if it does give a harsher, less warm sound

 
It will sound better running on cleaner battery power but the difference is not night and day. Easy enough to test: just turn the Micro on before connecting the usb cable for battery power or turn it on after connecting the cable for usb power (assuming the device can power usb devices; think the micro needs at least 500-700mA).
 
I've also found that the Micro can sound like many different dacs in one. Just changing the filter and power settings may yield more of the sound you're looking for. I alternate between min phase and bitperfect filters. Some have even said switching to turbo power with iem match on may work better for certain headphones.
 
Once you start experimenting, it makes you think how limited most other dacs are. If you don't like their sound, you're stuck with that. Not so with the Micro.