[odib]

Thanks guys just received my Micro. The 24 hour first charging time is killing me =[ lol.

 

[KritiKal]

Thanks guys just received my Micro. The 24 hour first charging time is killing me =[ lol.

No need to charge it for 24 hours, just until the blue light switches off. Ifi mentioned a while back that that's a precautionary measure in case the iDSD came to you near flat, and you were charging it with a standard USB 500mAh charger, in which case it would take quite a fair few hours. So if the blue light is out, go for it!

 

[odib]

Sweet thanks for letting me know. Can't wait to try it out =].

 

[rcoleman1]

  Sweet thanks for letting me know. Can't wait to try it out =].

You're in for a real treat I tell you. I've had mine for about 6 months and I'm totally impressed with the sound signature of my iDSD! I use mine with my Sennheiser HD650s, my Sony MDR-Z7s and all my IEMs with pleasure. It's so versatile.

 

[odib]

Finally had a chance to listen to the Micro with the HD800 and they sounded great. I love the fact that I could use the XBass to boost up the bass up a notch, especially when listening to EDM. I couldn't really hear too much differences when I compared it to my Concero HP (which is a good thing), except for the small channel imbalance at very low listening levels which I read on here was normal, so that's ok. So now my Concero HP is up for sale (hated the volume knob on that thing) and keeping the wonderful Micro

.

 

[hennezzy]

 
Just got my Micro IDSD, I was so close in selling my OPPO PM2, but the pair has blown my mind. Thanks to iFi for making such a wonderful device, it is amazing! 

 

[rickyleelee]

Hi iFi, can you make a pdf on the software to play DSD vis Spotify. Would love it. Just like your MP3 to DSd article.

 

[obsidyen]

Where are iFi's articles? There are so many pages, it's impossible to through them all! I'd be glad if they were consolidated into a single post.

 

[iFi audio]

Hi iFi, can you make a pdf on the software to play DSD vis Spotify. Would love it. Just like your MP3 to DSd article.

 
 
You mean this one?
 
Software:

> I used your DSD 512/ mp3 method for foobar 2000 and it sounded well. But i see many options for this software only.
> Many playlists of mine are in Youtube, Soundcloud and now Spotify (Free). Premium is lossy anyway and not all is 320kpbs.
> Since you are experts in audio, do you know anything good software wise to improve SQ, using those sources?
> The only mode i found is add : " -exclusive-mode-audio" on the path of chrome or spotify.
 
For those who are handy around computers, you MAY wish to attempt the following.
 
J-River in the latest version can act as "virtual soundcard" that can process any sound on PC via DSP plugins and also output sound via Foobar's ASIO Proxy.
 
https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=92593.0
 
Other software are VST Plugins aimed at professional audio (Terry West productions have a good selection http://www.terrywest.nl/plugins.html), but generally while very powerful tools such software requires individual settings per track for best results, which goes beyond the remit of iFi's Support Ticket System!
 
Though it should may be possible to generate some general pre-sets including something like "Re-Life" and "De-Harsh" (both under UTILS) to restore lost dynamics and reduce the harshness of low grade compression combined with commercial mixes. This may need some experimentation. Generally such effects are best used in great moderation. More advanced "re-mastering" may use "MHORSE P3" (under equalisers) and "Re-Life", but initially this Mastering processor may seem intimidating.

But in principle a chain in Windows of :

Spotify ->
J-River MC (V 20 and up) ->
Re-Life ->        
De-Harsh or Mhorse P3 ->
J-River Asio Output to ASIO-Proxy ->
DSD-512 via ASIO-Proxy ->
iDSD micro

is entirely possible and can be used to correct some of issues streaming audio faces. Of course, it will never match a real high grade, uncompressed High Resolution recording. That said, even many CD rips and even some SACD rips can definitely benefit from some gentle "re-mastering", especially "re-life" in small doses and some EQ (see also Dick Burwen's Bobcat", essentially the 21st century Cello Palette).
 
 
As an example, The Glitch Mob (famous for their Tron Legacy: DeRezzed) is wonderful but unfortunately as with all their music, is compressed to heck.
 
 
Using Audacity, we took one of the latest tracks from the album "Love Death Immortality > Cant Kill Us" and it looks like this, everythng is at the point of clipping and compressed like nobody's business.

But with just a little Audacity + ReLife, it looks like this: the top-end clipping is reduced and there is a semblance of some dynamic range as the peaks and troughs are that bit better.

This does not make a silk purse out of a sow's ear but.....it is nicer to listen to and who doesn't like to improve the SQ of their fav recordings?
 
 
 
Please give us some time as it is not a 10-minute task!

 

[rickyleelee]

That's exactly the one I meant!

 

[ubikutz]

   
Hi,
 
Yes for sure because it is about the micro DSD & headphone matching.
 
Take for example the Remiyo PAT-777 which is a 300B power amplifier. If it was paired with a pair of Magico Q1s, then this combination would sound dull and lifeless.  Neither the PAT-777 nor the Q1s are poor products. Far from it in fact.
 
It is just a simple matter of 7W+7W into 86dB sensitivity speakers being a poor match.
 
The same principle applies to any amplifier & heaphones.
 
 
For example, the HD650 being an average-ish sensitivity headphone would not "sing" if it ran in Eco mode. We would recommend trying
 
1) Normal + iEMatch off
or
2) Turbo + High-Sensitivity
 
Ideally get the listening level to 3 o clock is when the matching is for us (the least resistance, hence the most resolution/dynamics), the most ideal. For us, anything <12 o clock is not ideal. Where the volume position is, does not reflect the power.
 
A lot of people say when the loudness of an amplifier goes to 12 o clock, it has a lot of power. This just isn't the case.

Hi,
 
Need a bit of help after trying to apply the above.
 
My normal listening levels are between 55 - 70db (a-weighted) measured with a micw i436 calibrated microphone set between the ear and earphone.
 
My experience with the IFI Micro DSD and the HD650 (300ohm) is that i can only get it between 12 and 3 o'clock in this volume range on "Eco" with "Ultra-Sensitivity". Needless to say things sound pretty muddy here with little dynamic range or clarity
 
If i set it to "Normal" and "Off", at 9 o'clock it is already as loud as i would dare listen for any prolonged period (70dba with 85dba peaks), but there's channel imbalance and it's quite outside the normal range advised.
12 o'clock it's already too loud (87dba with 105db peaks). I did not dare go to 3 o'clock.
This was "George Michal - Spinning the Wheel".
 
So I'm a bit puzzled... What about listening to low volumes to preserve hearing? I can't find any mode that allows me to do that and keep decent sound quality. 
These headphones can give out a lot of micro-detail at low volumes where things are safe and non fatiguing for long periods of listening.
 
By comparison, my crappy 2000$ Onkyo AV Receiver has a digital volume knob that has perfect channel balance at volume level 1 out of 100, and already by 5-6 it gets the HD650 to 55db with lots of dynamic range.
It's certainly light ears away from how the IFI can sound if you compare them volume matched at 90dba from clarity or instrument separation point of view, but that is to be expected; Onkyo probably kept costs minimal when designing that headphone jack.
 
So what I'm wondering is:
- how can the IFI be used to listen to what i call "normal" listening levels? it seems impossible with a 300ohm headphone, i'm imagining a 50/150ohm headphone would make things ever worse
- why do we need to be plagued with channel imbalance at low volumes? can't there be a better solution to this problem? i'm already paying a lot for this, i would not mind pay a bit more to get proper volume control
- why is digital volume control avoided? it is such a problem for sound quality? digital volume doesn't seem to have channel imbalance at low volumes, nor dynamic range problems outside the "recommended" area.
 
So far I'm a bit unhappy with my purchase

 

[maricius]

 
Hi,
 
Need a bit of help after trying to apply the above.
 
My normal listening levels are between 55 - 70db (a-weighted) measured with a micw i436 calibrated microphone set between the ear and earphone.
 
My experience with the IFI Micro DSD and the HD650 (300ohm) is that i can only get it between 12 and 3 o'clock in this volume range on "Eco" with "Ultra-Sensitivity". Needless to say things sound pretty muddy here with little dynamic range or clarity
 
If i set it to "Normal" and "Off", at 9 o'clock it is already as loud as i would dare listen for any prolonged period (70dba with 85dba peaks), but there's channel imbalance and it's quite outside the normal range advised.
12 o'clock it's already too loud (87dba with 105db peaks). I did not dare go to 3 o'clock.
This was "George Michal - Spinning the Wheel".
 
So I'm a bit puzzled... What about listening to low volumes to preserve hearing? I can't find any mode that allows me to do that and keep decent sound quality. 
These headphones can give out a lot of micro-detail at low volumes where things are safe and non fatiguing for long periods of listening.
 
By comparison, my crappy 2000$ Onkyo AV Receiver has a digital volume knob that has perfect channel balance at volume level 1 out of 100, and already by 5-6 it gets the HD650 to 55db with lots of dynamic range.
It's certainly light ears away from how the IFI can sound if you compare them volume matched at 90dba from clarity or instrument separation point of view, but that is to be expected; Onkyo probably kept costs minimal when designing that headphone jack.
 
So what I'm wondering is:
- how can the IFI be used to listen to what i call "normal" listening levels? it seems impossible with a 300ohm headphone, i'm imagining a 50/150ohm headphone would make things ever worse
- why do we need to be plagued with channel imbalance at low volumes? can't there be a better solution to this problem? i'm already paying a lot for this, i would not mind pay a bit more to get proper volume control
- why is digital volume control avoided? it is such a problem for sound quality? digital volume doesn't seem to have channel imbalance at low volumes, nor dynamic range problems outside the "recommended" area.
 
So far I'm a bit unhappy with my purchase

 
First and foremost, have you burned-in your iDSD for at least a hundred hours? Second, my experience with the HD650 and the iDSD was either Eco or Normal with iEMatch on "Off" or Normal with iEMatch on "High Sensitivity."
 
Yes, iFi believes an analog potentiometer yields less sacrifice to the sound quality compared to a digital volume control. 

 

[iFi audio]

 
Hi,
 
Need a bit of help after trying to apply the above.
 
So what I'm wondering is: - how can the IFI be used to listen to what i call "normal" listening levels? it seems impossible with a 300ohm headphone, i'm imagining a 50/150ohm headphone would make things ever worse
- why do we need to be plagued with channel imbalance at low volumes? can't there be a better solution to this problem? i'm already paying a lot for this, i would not mind pay a bit more to get proper volume control
- why is digital volume control avoided? it is such a problem for sound quality? digital volume doesn't seem to have channel imbalance at low volumes, nor dynamic range problems outside the "recommended" area.

 
Hi,
 
To answer your questions:
 
 
> how can the IFI be used to listen to what i call "normal" listening levels?
 
Most would probably call your levels very low. 70dBA for example is 15dB quieter than a classical orchestra at a crescendo. We listen louder. Audio really is quite subjective - just set your preferred listening using combination of power and iEMatch to 3 o' clock. This is approximate.
 
 
> why is digital volume control avoided? it is such a problem for sound quality? digital volume doesn't seem to have channel imbalance at low volumes, nor dynamic range problems outside the "recommended" area.
 
The digital volume control costs £0 (it is built-into pretty much all modern DACs...hint: the TDA 1541A does not have this)
 
The analogue potentiometer by contrast, does not cost £0.
 
Playing music at 9 o' clock level is similar to buying a Honda Civic VTEC and then running it at 1,000-2,000 revs - it just won't drive well. So set it up so that it is cranked to 3 o' clock.
 
We have found that in the sub-US$1,000 sector as often found on Head-Fi, the digital volume control is pretty ubiquitous. Therefore, if we wanted to, we could have just done the same as others. But there is a very strong reason why we did not use the onboard digital volume control - sound quality. Because the digital audio signal is not truncated. We are quite besotted by this. It does not make business sense to spend money if it could be avoided yet we did go the extra mile.
 
Looking higher up where AMR is based, in high-end audio, just about all amplifiers eschew the digital volume control and use an analogue volume control. Take for example the US$22,500 Reimyo CAT-777 which naturally uses an analogue volume control. Needless to say, the sound quality is exceptional for this Japanese device designed by Kiuchi-san. It really is the cat's meow. Yet it has a channel imbalance up to 11 o' clock. But used by its customers and at shows etc, it is always run past 12 o' clock.
 

 
Cheers.

 

[Music Path]

Hi iFi, can you make a pdf on the software to play DSD vis Spotify. Would love it. Just like your MP3 to DSd article.

That would be great to
Listening spotify (free) with dsd512 would be better. But couldnt manage that. Even with the later explanation of ifi it's still not easy for me to make it.

 

[WriterHead]

 
Hi,
 
Need a bit of help after trying to apply the above.
 
My normal listening levels are between 55 - 70db (a-weighted) measured with a micw i436 calibrated microphone set between the ear and earphone.
 
My experience with the IFI Micro DSD and the HD650 (300ohm) is that i can only get it between 12 and 3 o'clock in this volume range on "Eco" with "Ultra-Sensitivity". Needless to say things sound pretty muddy here with little dynamic range or clarity
 
If i set it to "Normal" and "Off", at 9 o'clock it is already as loud as i would dare listen for any prolonged period (70dba with 85dba peaks), but there's channel imbalance and it's quite outside the normal range advised.
12 o'clock it's already too loud (87dba with 105db peaks). I did not dare go to 3 o'clock.
This was "George Michal - Spinning the Wheel".
 
So I'm a bit puzzled... What about listening to low volumes to preserve hearing? I can't find any mode that allows me to do that and keep decent sound quality. 
These headphones can give out a lot of micro-detail at low volumes where things are safe and non fatiguing for long periods of listening.
 
By comparison, my crappy 2000$ Onkyo AV Receiver has a digital volume knob that has perfect channel balance at volume level 1 out of 100, and already by 5-6 it gets the HD650 to 55db with lots of dynamic range.
It's certainly light ears away from how the IFI can sound if you compare them volume matched at 90dba from clarity or instrument separation point of view, but that is to be expected; Onkyo probably kept costs minimal when designing that headphone jack.
 
So what I'm wondering is:
- how can the IFI be used to listen to what i call "normal" listening levels? it seems impossible with a 300ohm headphone, i'm imagining a 50/150ohm headphone would make things ever worse
- why do we need to be plagued with channel imbalance at low volumes? can't there be a better solution to this problem? i'm already paying a lot for this, i would not mind pay a bit more to get proper volume control
- why is digital volume control avoided? it is such a problem for sound quality? digital volume doesn't seem to have channel imbalance at low volumes, nor dynamic range problems outside the "recommended" area.
 
So far I'm a bit unhappy with my purchase

 

 I don't understand your problem. I have used iDSD micro with HD650, Grado 325i, HE400i, and LCD2 rev2 and have none of those problems. You just have to put  iematch off and select the eco or normal gain level depending on the volume level of the recording, enjoy your music and stop becoming obsessed with technicalities.