So I just received my iPurifier 2 with USB type A connector. I had waited around 4 months to receive it do to the bog log of orders and re-engineering of the type A female connector. I am using it with my iDSD Micro, Pangea Audio - USB cable - 24 ga solid silver, and Vanguard USB power injection cable V! (USB Power splitter). Both Usb A cables are connected to, Two jitterbugs, then into my iPurifier 2.
So my signal chain is:
Macbook Pro 2011--->Jitterbug x2---> Usb Cables x2---> iPurifier 2---> iDSD Micro--> Furutech ADL IHP 35HX cable--> AKG K7XX
I have used both Audirvana and HQ player Up Res'ed to DSD 256. I am going to try it later on a PC with HQ player as I think adding ASIO control sounds better with this DAC Much to my chagrin. Please iFi come out with an iFi ASIO solution that will work with HQ Player on Mac!
I feel like I am getting close to the performance of the iFi USB 3.0 Nano, but I have no way of knowing this without having heard that unit. However, I can say that having the jitterbugs, and after yesterday the iPurifier 2, in my system has made it far more resolving.
After adding the iPurifier 2 last night, Images blur together less, there is greater instrument separation. I am hearing more subtlety with high end frequencies. Acoustic strings especially sound more separated and have an almost silken quality to them, I am definitely getting better bass extension and the midrange has become far more coherent and complex, the jitterbugs tend to add almost a sagging lush sound to the midrange which sounds nice, but isn't accurate and the iPurifier 2 takes that away but keeps the midrange complexity. Images are more forward sounding and have greater image depth and width. The overall fuzziness and shrill or sharp qualities to the music are gone. and there is a slightly darker background, not inky, super black (I don't think the DAC is capable of that given it's SNR rating) but blacker than it was.
I did remove the jitterbug just in the signal usb slot, and found that I didn't like the sound at all, It got really grainy and pretty awful sounding again, so I think there is good synergy between the two components and would recommend using them together, or as iFi recommend with which ever one of their 3 USB Power models you might want to choose.
To put it simply, the iPurifier 2 adds dimensionality that wasn't there and clears up a lot of the grainy qualities, plus adds frequency extension. Overall it is a good addition, and I am hopeful burn in will add even more benefits down the line.
Here are photos of my system incase you wanted to see the configuration.
