[TheoS53]

  So I am part of 99 Neo tour and I was writing a review for them. They I got the chance to hear 99Neo + iDSD Micro BL together... This is my honest reaction
 

 
 

  I'll be quoting myself again like the loner I am then 

 

This is partly why I got the BL for myself. As I do more and more reviews, I thought it only fair to get one of the best (the best?) portable DAC/AMP combos to use when testing headphones and IEMs, as it'll allow me to experience those items under their best conditions. 

 

[Dobrescu George]

   
 
This is partly why I got the BL for myself. As I do more and more reviews, I thought it only fair to get one of the best (the best?) portable DAC/AMP combos to use when testing headphones and IEMs, as it'll allow me to experience those items under their best conditions. 

 
Totally 

 
Having literally heard HA-2, Ha-1, Wa22 and the list can go on, I can safely say that this thing is te thing that got me most enthused from them all. 
 
I fell asleep after one - two more hours due to extreme fatigue. iDSD alone managed to keep me around 5 hours awake even though I didn't have two hours of sleep today! There's no device I would recommend better as a DAC / AMP in the entire range of devices tested, regardless of their price. Literally 

 

[Dobrescu George]

This thing doesn't get warm at all - not during usage nor during charging! 

I'm impressed! 

How do we charge it btw? Simply turn it off while it is connected to the computer and the blue light non pulsating means it is charging? 

 

[TheoS53]

  This thing doesn't get warm at all - not during usage nor during charging! 

I'm impressed! 

How do we charge it btw? Simply turn it off while it is connected to the computer and the blue light non pulsating means it is charging? 

Leave it playing on a bed and it'll get a bit warm..but not HOT. 
Yup, that's how you charge it. Or plug it onto the AC adapter for your smartphone 

 

[Dobrescu George]

  Leave it playing on a bed and it'll get a bit warm..but not HOT. 
Yup, that's how you charge it. Or plug it onto the AC adapter for your smartphone 

 
Coming from devices that are fire hazards, iDSD barely gets warm 

 
Let's see if I can connect my smartphone. Uhm... An OTG to iDSD's blue cable should do the trick, right? 

There is something in the package that I don't really understand. 
 
One of the things is a connector kinda thingy that is in a silvery small electro isolation, one thing is kinda similar to that and one looks like a cap of sorts that looks like it should connect to something and has a small plastic cap on it 

 
I don't seem to have any of those connectors on my lappy and I'm not sure what they do 

 
To connect iDSD to FiiO X5ii, to use X5ii as a transport I would need another cable, no?  

 

[TheoS53]

   
Coming from devices that are fire hazards, iDSD barely gets warm 

 
Let's see if I can connect my smartphone. Uhm... An OTG to iDSD's blue cable should do the trick, right? 

There is something in the package that I don't really understand. 
 
One of the things is a connector kinda thingy that is in a silvery small electro isolation, one thing is kinda similar to that and one looks like a cap of sorts that looks like it should connect to something and has a small plastic cap on it 

 
I don't seem to have any of those connectors on my lappy and I'm not sure what they do 

 
To connect iDSD to FiiO X5ii, to use X5ii as a transport I would need another cable, no?  

Huh? Why would you need to use the blue cable to connect it to your phone? The iDSD has a male USB connector, a standard OTG cable has a female USB connector. No need for the blue cable. 

 

[Dobrescu George]

  Huh? Why would you need to use the blue cable to connect it to your phone? The iDSD has a male USB connector, a standard OTG cable has a female USB connector. No need for the blue cable. 

 
Oh... You're right! 
 
My OTG fits perfectly! 

Seems that I should be going back to sleep for now - way too little sleep for me these days 

 

[CoffeeDog]

Well, my review of the Black Label is finally up.  As were so many others, I was blown away by this little unit, and think it has a markedly noticeable improvement in sound versus the original iDSD Silver.   http://www.head-fi.org/products/ifi-audio-micro-idsd/reviews/18405
 
Thank you iFi for letting me post my review a bit late.  I'm a 59 year old college student in physics, and I don't have much time for anything else.  iFi was aware of this and let me evaluate one anyway.  I didn't really have time for much of an evaluation either, much to my disappointment. 
 
Unfortunately, I also have the budget of a college student, which will soon be strained further by the necessary and required (if my wife asks, this is NECESSARY and REQUIRED, right?) purchase of a Black Label edition or even (OK, dreaming here) a Pro iDSD.  I of course can't speak to the latter, but the BL really is that good.  Why hasn't music always sounded like this?

 

[TheoS53]

  Well, my review of the Black Label is finally up.  As were so many others, I was blown away by this little unit, and think it has a markedly noticeable improvement in sound versus the original iDSD Silver.   http://www.head-fi.org/products/ifi-audio-micro-idsd/reviews/18405
 
Thank you iFi for letting me post my review a bit late.  I'm a 59 year old college student in physics, and I don't have much time for anything else.  iFi was aware of this and let me evaluate one anyway.  I didn't really have time for much of an evaluation either, much to my disappointment. 
 
Unfortunately, I also have the budget of a college student, which will soon be strained further by the necessary and required (if my wife asks, this is NECESSARY and REQUIRED, right?) purchase of a Black Label edition or even (OK, dreaming here) a Pro iDSD.  I of course can't speak to the latter, but the BL really is that good.  Why hasn't music always sounded like this?

Great review. 

And kudos for, at your "royal vintageness", going back to college. I do assume, of course, that you're back at college, and not still in college.

 

[CoffeeDog]

  Great review. 

And kudos for, at your "royal vintageness", going back to college. I do assume, of course, that you're back at college, and not still in college.

Heh heh.  Thanks Theo!  And yes, I am "back" in college.  Also, "still"!  Things are different, yet the same.  Back then, we had 'beer pong'.  Now it's 'beer bongs'.  Then it was 'wet T-shirt contests', now it's wet 'T-back contests'.  Then it was 'find opposite gender; have sex', and now it is 'be opposite gender; have sex'.  Back then: play stupid games, win stupid prizes.  Heal injuries and try not to repeat.  Now its: play stupid games, win stupid prizes.  Collect injuries and unable to repeat.
 
And math.  Lots and lots of math.

 

[TheoS53]

 
Heh heh.  Thanks Theo!  And yes, I am "back" in college.  Also, "still"!  Things are different, yet the same.  Back then, we had 'beer pong'.  Now it's 'beer bongs'.  Then it was 'wet T-shirt contests', now it's wet 'T-back contests'.  Then it was 'find opposite gender; have sex', and now it is 'be opposite gender; have sex'.  Back then: play stupid games, win stupid prizes.  Heal injuries and try not to repeat.  Now its: play stupid games, win stupid prizes.  Collect injuries and unable to repeat.
 
And math.  Lots and lots of math.

Haha, yeah, times sure have changed. But believe me, get stuck in that math. It's not about the numbers, it's about training your brain to think logically. But heck, you're studying physics..I don't need to tell you that 

Back in South Africa the pass mark for maths is 20% (nope, that's not a typo)...no wonder the country and government is in the state it is.

 

[Dobrescu George]

  Well, my review of the Black Label is finally up.  As were so many others, I was blown away by this little unit, and think it has a markedly noticeable improvement in sound versus the original iDSD Silver.   http://www.head-fi.org/products/ifi-audio-micro-idsd/reviews/18405
 
Thank you iFi for letting me post my review a bit late.  I'm a 59 year old college student in physics, and I don't have much time for anything else.  iFi was aware of this and let me evaluate one anyway.  I didn't really have time for much of an evaluation either, much to my disappointment. 
 
Unfortunately, I also have the budget of a college student, which will soon be strained further by the necessary and required (if my wife asks, this is NECESSARY and REQUIRED, right?) purchase of a Black Label edition or even (OK, dreaming here) a Pro iDSD.  I of course can't speak to the latter, but the BL really is that good.  Why hasn't music always sounded like this?

 
I hope you'll be able to get what you're dreaming ! 

I have no idea how Pro sounds like, but iDSD is a dream device!
 
I'm also a theoretically a student although I'm kinda at the end of the thing and spending way more time on my working on projects in my company at https://www.facebook.com/seventh.heart.studios/ than being a student. Being married while a student, my university days have been different from what 99% of people usually experience 

 

 

[Dobrescu George]

Quoting myself again like the loner I am

...
 

  I had to travel for a few hours today 
 
The road trip would had been quite boring if it weren't for the meze 99 Classics (my main headphone) and iDSD BL! 

The chatter in the bus was quite unbearable, but the problem was solved very fast by connecting BL to my smartphone via an OTG and connecting 99C to it! The process is really easy and iDSD doesn't look out of place at all with my phone. It is possible to watch movies while holding both in hands and comfortably - for more than one hour and a half without any problems. 
 
Acoustic music is one of the most shocking parts. The few classical and acoustic songs I tried with it sound way more life-like. There is a certain analogue, "real" feeling to sound when using BL. The transient response is way off the charts and same can be said for the realism of soundstage. You can imagine the music having soundstage with mix max as well, but with iDSD the music doesn't come from a soundstage, it comes from the place it is supposed to come from. 

Guitar sounds have a power feeling to them. To describe it, guitar notes sound changes like it does when changing from a cheap guitar + cheap amplifier to an expensive guitar + amplifier if singing live. There is a more depth to everyone note, more sway to what music is. Since I've been there when music was recorded, the only way I can describe this sound is truly life-like and analogue 

By the way, this is the second day of my impressions, and all the fun and excitement is still there! 

 

 

[apaar123]

Should I buy a soundcard if I am already buying this?

 

[XSAMURAI]

Should I buy a soundcard if I am already buying this?

the answer is no , you don't need any other sound card except good digital analog converter & headphone amp