[vo_obgyn]

I have a question for the forum. When I am playing DSD files the iDSD lights up cyan as expected. When I look at the MAC Audio MIDI setup, the frequency says 176,000 Hz Output format. Is that right, or should the Audio MIDI setup show a higher frequency than that? Just wondering. I am using Audirvana Plus with all the iFi recommended settings.

Bump. Can anyone with MacOSX Yosemite help?

 

[john57]

According to Audirvana support;
 
Audirvana Plus makes use of optimizations not known by regular CoreAudio (e.g. Integer Mode).
Audio Midi Setup is using the standard CoreAudio functions to retrieve its information that then may not be correct during Audirvana Plus playback
 
What you see on the LED light on the micro is the final say what is being delivered to the DAC. 

 

[semeniub]

I see the same, and DSD128 shows up as 352kHz in Mac Audio Midi. Interesting; never even thought of checking the Midi before during DSD playback. 

 

[semeniub]

  According to Audirvana support;
 
Audirvana Plus makes use of optimizations not known by regular CoreAudio (e.g. Integer Mode).
Audio Midi Setup is using the standard CoreAudio functions to retrieve its information that then may not be correct during Audirvana Plus playback
 
What you see on the LED light on the micro is the final say what is being delivered to the DAC. 

Makes sense, thanks.

 

[senorx12562]

I'm very much enjoying the sound quality of the iDSD. Very resolving, great soundstage, (although not terribly wide), and for the most part (more below) a black background. This is with redbook-level files, using either Music Bee or Tidal, and with my HD600s. This is actually a very good pairing, as the 600s have enough detail retrieval to take advantage of the same characteristic of the iDSD. Same with the soundstage and instrument location in space,(especially with the 3D on).
 
One anomaly though. On two different occasions now, I've been able to hear some very quiet clicks and pops in the background during and between songs. It sounded very similar to an old vinyl album ironically. I don't think its the same thing as others have reported because I don't have any DSD tracks (yet, I'll probably try at least one or two albums). Each time, it has been present no matter the settings of the iDSD. The first time it happened with Tidal, but when I switched to my collection, no noise.  I assumed it was more teething pains with Tidal (which I love overall). The second time was last night, and was present with any source. When I noticed it I was trying out some iems (w40, DJ-E1500, XBA-H100) for the first time with the iDSD, but it happened with the 600s as well. No noise today, so keeping my fingers crossed. I was very tired and decidedly unsober last night though, so who knows? It does work well and sound great w/ iems btw, but with this much power on tap (with most sources I can drive the 600s to listening volume on normal power mode at 12-2 o'clock), I'm going to have to remember to be careful with the settings so I don't deafen myself or send a set of iems flying out of my ears.
 
I hated the 3d mode with the iDSD in preamp mode feeding a receiver and speakers through  the analog outs. It created some weird artifacts and sounded very unatural in this totally lo-fi set-up, but that's not what I got it for anyway. I'm still learning its sound and features, but so far, barring a repeat of the noise, two thumbs up. 

 

[vo_obgyn]

  According to Audirvana support;
 
Audirvana Plus makes use of optimizations not known by regular CoreAudio (e.g. Integer Mode).
Audio Midi Setup is using the standard CoreAudio functions to retrieve its information that then may not be correct during Audirvana Plus playback
 
What you see on the LED light on the micro is the final say what is being delivered to the DAC. 

 
Thanks for your help. I could not find the above information in the user manual, but Audirvana mentions it in the FAQ support section online. Thanks for pointing it out. 
 
Before I had the above info, I was beginning to wonder two things:
 
1.) Maybe Audirvana was down-sampling the DSD files to 176K.
2.) Maybe the iDSD was not playing true DSD.
 
I was not sure altogether, but I believe that I have it figured out. When using Audirvana, I get the same 176K reading in Audio MIDI setup when I have my Hugo connected as well.

 

[vo_obgyn]

  I see the same, and DSD128 shows up as 352kHz in Mac Audio Midi. Interesting; never even thought of checking the Midi before during DSD playback. 

 
That is interesting. I agree. That was nice for john57 to point out what Audirvana says about the situation.

 

[KmanChu]

  I have a question for the forum. When I am playing DSD files the iDSD lights up cyan as expected. When I look at the MAC Audio MIDI setup, the frequency says 176,000 Hz Output format. Is that right, or should the Audio MIDI setup show a higher frequency than that? Just wondering. I am using Audirvana Plus with all the iFi recommended settings.

It sounds like it is functioning properly and you are bitstreaming using DoP. When using the DoP signaling scheme it disguises the DSD64 signal as a 176k 24bit PCM stream so that the USB Audio 2.0 standard can be utilized for driverless function. Using the Windows ASIO driver you can avoid using DoP and stream directly, but I don't know if this is possible right now with Mac. I think exaSound makes an ASIO mac driver for their dacs, but they are the only one so far.

 

[szymonsays]

Stupid question, but will the micro iDSD be able to play high res mp3 files and flac? I will, however, also be looking into DSD some time in the near future. 

 

[vo_obgyn]

  It sounds like it is functioning properly and you are bitstreaming using DoP. When using the DoP signaling scheme it disguises the DSD64 signal as a 176k 24bit PCM stream so that the USB Audio 2.0 standard can be utilized for driverless function. Using the Windows ASIO driver you can avoid using DoP and stream directly, but I don't know if this is possible right now with Mac. I think exaSound makes an ASIO mac driver for their dacs, but they are the only one so far.

 
Hi KmanChu. Thanks for the reply. As noted above when I use Audirvana Plus, I get the same 176K reading in Audio MIDI setup on my Chord Hugo DAC as I do on the iFi micro iDSD when playing DSD files. So, I agree with you that the micro iDSD is functioning properly and that I am indeed bitstreaming using DoP. I appreciate your input.

 

[BillsonChang007]

Stupid question, but will the micro iDSD be able to play high res mp3 files and flac? I will, however, also be looking into DSD some time in the near future. 

It can play anything up to DSD512 and that includes any mp3, FLAC, etc. So as long as your software PC supports it (Foobar2000 supports all music formats if I am not mistaken).

 

[iFi audio]

  According to Audirvana support;

 
Audirvana Plus makes use of optimizations not known by regular CoreAudio (e.g. Integer Mode).
Audio Midi Setup is using the standard CoreAudio functions to retrieve its information that then may not be correct during Audirvana Plus playback

 
What you see on the LED light on the micro is the final say what is being delivered to the DAC.

Hi,
 
This is indeed correct.
 
The micro iDSD "only" plays what it is fed.
 
The Computer is the Host. The micro iDSD is the Client.
 
Hence, the micro iDSD plays what is incoming and the LED depicts as such.
 
If the LED differs from what is expected, then 99.9%, check the PC settings because it is sending and what the user expects it to send are likely not the same.
 
Hope this clarifies.

 

[Sound Eq]

I have few questions:
 
1-I would like to ask if the bass when turned on in ifi micro dsd is better than the hugo, as I owned the hugo before and I found the bass a little lacking, so I having an option to extend the bass in ifi sounds good to me, but does have a good effect or is it just placebo effect
 
2- can it drive the lcd2 rev2 with authority
 
3- does it have a warm sound sig as I hate shouty mids especially when I turn on the volume to high
 
4- does the bass have a great extension
 
5- is the dac in the ifi micro dsd better than the idac in regards to sound signature
 
6- is there any combination recommended to buy with and add to idsd to improve sound

 

[maricius]

I have few questions:

1-I would like to ask if the bass when turned on in ifi micro dsd is better than the hugo, as I owned the hugo before and I found the bass a little lacking, so I having an option to extend the bass in ifi sounds good to me, but does have a good effect or is it just placebo effect

2- can it drive the lcd2 rev2 with authority

3- does it have a warm sound sig as I hate shouty mids especially when I turn on the volume to high

4- does the bass have a great extension

5- is the dac in the ifi micro dsd better than the idac in regards to sound signature

6- is there any combination recommended to buy with and add to idsd to improve sound

1- I don't know
2- Yes
3- Slightly warm mids overall, slightly south of neutral with less emphasis on upper midrange relative to lower midrange
4- Very. If it's not enough, the XBass option is lovely for increased subbass
5- It's better overall in musicality and technicality. Not as warm though if that's what you're looking for
6- Some still decide on an external headphone amp, surely not for the lack of power but for the final pieces of added synergy with their headphones. Having heard them with the LCD-2 (not sure what revision, for that pairing, my only problem was the LCD-2's soundstage width and openness (or lack thereof).

 

[Sound Eq]

1- I don't know
2- Yes
3- Slightly warm mids overall, slightly south of neutral with less emphasis on upper midrange relative to lower midrange
4- Very. If it's not enough, the XBass option is lovely for increased subbass
5- It's better overall in musicality and technicality. Not as warm though if that's what you're looking for
6- Some still decide on an external headphone amp, surely not for the lack of power but for the final pieces of added synergy with their headphones. Having heard them with the LCD-2 (not sure what revision, for that pairing, my only problem was the LCD-2's soundstage width and openness (or lack thereof).

I love warm sound signatures, but since I want to be transportable I guess the idac will not work for me as it does not have a battery and so I can not use it on the go
 
I am open to add an amp to the idsd but is the ican micro suitable for this, and does the ican micro have a battery I guess not ?
 
now I bought the hugo as I mentioned before and then I bought the denon da-10 and in my last purchase I was disappointed  so not I am in the hunt for a warm lush sound am/dac and I hope idsd will meet those needs, and what I like most is that it has the bass boost which in some song I need more bass
 
any bad things or negatives I should know ahead before jumping into buying it and using it with my ipod and audeze lcd2rev2
 
also if I may ask again tunring on the bass on in idsd does it really make a big difference in bass as that is really important for me to know, as I mentioned I am a bass lover and I find most dac/amp lack in bass quantity