[dan.gheorghe]

Here is my review of iFi Micro iDSD.

 

[technobear]

Here is my review of iFi Micro iDSD.

"One of the strong things about this unit is that it sounds quite natural for a Delta Sigma."

Actually the DAC is a hybrid. The top 6 bits are pure multi-bit.

The treble is better from the RCA outs. If you connect it to a micro iCAN for example, you will hear a bit more going on up top. The headphone amp in the micro iDSD is a class A/B type in order to keep the heat and power consumption low. It's good but it doesn't match a good class A design like the micro iCAN.

 

[maricius]

  Here is my review of iFi Micro iDSD.

I personally find the bass boost to add little or no mid-bass at all and to add sub-bass. I listen to a lot of rock and hip hop. 

 

[dan.gheorghe]

Actually the DAC is a hybrid. The top 6 bits are pure multi-bit.

The treble is better from the RCA outs. If you connect it to a micro iCAN for example, you will hear a bit more going on up top. The headphone amp in the micro iDSD is a class A/B type in order to keep the heat and power consumption low. It's good but it doesn't match a good class A design like the micro iCAN.

Thank you, techno. I didn't find that info about the DAC chip anywhere on their website. Where did you read this? 
 
I am sure iCAN is better, but I liked the one in iDSD as well. 
 

 
I personally find the bass boost to add little or no mid-bass at all and to add sub-bass. I listen to a lot of rock and hip hop. 
 

 
I was comparing the xbass boost to the one in fiio E12A which I liked more. (added this in the review)
 
 
I think this unit is remarkably awesome for the price. 

 

[technobear]

Actually the DAC is a hybrid. The top 6 bits are pure multi-bit.


The treble is better from the RCA outs. If you connect it to a micro iCAN for example, you will hear a bit more going on up top. The headphone amp in the micro iDSD is a class A/B type in order to keep the heat and power consumption low. It's good but it doesn't match a good class A design like the micro iCAN.

Thank you, techno. I didn't find that info about the DAC chip anywhere. Where did you read this?  

http://www.head-fi.org/t/711217/idsd-micro-crowd-designed-cutting-edge-portable-hi-res-on-ios-update-page-134/60#post_10404689

 

[dan.gheorghe]

http://www.head-fi.org/t/711217/idsd-micro-crowd-designed-cutting-edge-portable-hi-res-on-ios-update-page-134/60#post_10404689

Thank you very much. Added the info in the review. This seems like a very important feature in my opinion. They should also write that on their website. 

 

[technobear]

http://www.head-fi.org/t/711217/idsd-micro-crowd-designed-cutting-edge-portable-hi-res-on-ios-update-page-134/60#post_10404689

Thank you very much. Added the info in the review. This seems like a very important feature in my opinion. They should also write that on their website. 

On page 1 of that thread, there is an index of important posts.

 

[essentiale]

Hi! i've been combing these threads to find what amps some of you guys pair the Micro iDSD with. Could some of you please kindly share your iFi Micro iDSD set ups with full desktop amps / tube amps please? thank you!

 

[BillsonChang007]

On page 1 of that thread, there is an index of important posts.

 
I think people really need to start going through those list before asking some of the questions. Most of the questions are answered in the exhausting long list! 

  Hi! i've been combing these threads to find what amps some of you guys pair the Micro iDSD with. Could some of you please kindly share your iFi Micro iDSD set ups with full desktop amps / tube amps please? thank you!

Heya!

Glad you asked. I personally uses Garage1217 Project Sunrise III with Amperex 6DJ8 with the Micro iDSD and its an great combo for whatever you listens to! 

 

[h1f1add1cted]

Short question to iFi Audio:
 
Is the 3D sound from the nano iCAN (I've owned last year) the same as with the micro iDSD (I own currently)? I can't compare both sadly.
 
I have the micro iCAN too, which has two levels of 3D sound, but on nano iCAN and micro iDSD we can only switch on or off - so my question "sound" it simlar if only the amp part is used?

 

[EVOLVIST]

Hi! i've been combing these threads to find what amps some of you guys pair the Micro iDSD with. Could some of you please kindly share your iFi Micro iDSD set ups with full desktop amps / tube amps please? thank you!

I'm using the iDSD micro and running it out into a SPL Auditor headphone amp, into my HD800s. I've never heard a HP amp with this much width and depth: pure transparency: pro audio gear. And it helps, greatly, that the iDSD micro is the near perfect DAC to move my whole system along.

 

[Triodemode]

A bit perfect mode question to the folks here.  I understand this mode only applies a filter with no oversampling and when playing 16/44.1khz red book music there will be a higher noise floor however, I am clearly hearing digital noise during quiet passages or when the music is paused (of course at 88.2khz or above the noise is gone). 
 
Is it possible my unit's filter may be out of spec and allowing this noise to be louder?  Just trying to gauge whether the noise from my iDSD micro is at a higher level than what others are experiencing.  If this noise is heard by other users during quiet musical passages as well, then I understand this is just a tradeoff for what many consider (myself included) to be a more analog sound.

 

[john57]

  A bit perfect mode question to the folks here.  I understand this mode only applies a filter with no oversampling and when playing 16/44.1khz red book music there will be a higher noise floor however, I am clearly hearing digital noise during quiet passages or when the music is paused (of course at 88.2khz or above the noise is gone). 
 
Is it possible my unit's filter may be out of spec and allowing this noise to be louder?  Just trying to gauge whether the noise from my iDSD micro is at a higher level than what others are experiencing.  If this noise is heard by other users during quiet musical passages as well, then I understand this is just a tradeoff for what many consider (myself included) to be a more analog sound.

Some people will hear the very high frequency noise of the bit perfect filter setting at low sampling rates. Yes that is a trade off. That is normal as far I can tell.

 

[Franatic]

  Hi! i've been combing these threads to find what amps some of you guys pair the Micro iDSD with. Could some of you please kindly share your iFi Micro iDSD set ups with full desktop amps / tube amps please? thank you!

I am running the setup you are asking about. I use the idsd micro purely as a dac in direct mode. The dac is the real gem of the idsd. The amplifier section is good, but not the level of the superb dac section.
 
The idsd rca output feeds my Woo WA2 tube amp which doubles as a headphone amp for my Beyerdynamic T1s or as a preamp for my main system. My main system amp is an Exposure 2010S2. I can highly recommend this combo. My speakers are Monitor Audio GX-100s and they are awesome.
 
A tube preamp is sweet with the idsd micro in a full system. I hear that it pairs very well with the itube in this manner.
 
I finally settled into the digital filter set on Bitperfect/Extreme (PCM/DSD). Now I never have to touch the idsd micro's switches at all.
 
This little device Rocks!

 

[fleemur12]

About a week back, I posted about an iTube unit I received that had some issues with alignment of the switches, volume knob and MicroSwitches.  I returned it to musicdirect.com and they promptly sent me a new unit.  The second unit is in much better shape than the first one I received, but the MicroSwitches on the underside are misaligned (see pic). 
 
I have the iDSD, iCan and iUSBPower and these units arrived in perfect shape, plus I love the sound I get out of the iFi stack.  I haven't tried plugging in this unit to my stack yet, but if it works, should I just keep it?  It is a relatively minor issue, and it may not even affect the functioning of the unit, but I kind of expect to get a mint-condition item when I purchase something that is brand-new.  Am I being unreasonable to expect the iTube to also be in totally mint-perfect condition, or is misalignment a common issue with this particular unit? 
 
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. 
 

 
 
UPDATED PIC