[iFi audio]

You were ahead of me then. I was expecting a 'Skin' T-shirt or a Skunk Anansie CD

This iPurifier 2 has arrived at a bad time. I haven't had chance to try it out yet but that should change tomorrow. I have a demo iUSB3.0 headed my way to.

A big Thank You to iFi for this latest prize. I just hope it makes a difference. We'll see.

 
Hi,
 
It sure does. BUT the iPurifier2 and iUSB3.0 make even MORE of a difference with non AMR/iFi products.
 
Customers with XXXX and XXXXXX report pretty substantial improvements. No need to name names but they are in this sector so not difficult to work out. 

 

[rickyleelee]

why other products get deep impact from Purifier 2 or USB30?

 

[EH-Yeon]

   
Hi,
 
It sure does. BUT the iPurifier2 and iUSB3.0 make even MORE of a difference with non AMR/iFi products.
 
Customers with XXXX and XXXXXX report pretty substantial improvements. No need to name names but they are in this sector so not difficult to work out. 

Does the Ipurifier2 ship now to replace ipurifier? 

 

[iFi audio]

why other products get deep impact from Purifier 2 or USB30?

 
Hi,
 
A lot of the iFi DACs etc already pay quite a lot of attention to audio+noise issues.eg the micro iDSD has iPurfier built-in.  iDAC2 has serious attention to power supply as it is the first product with Active Noise Cancellation etc.
 
Hope this sheds more light.

 

[iFi audio]

  Does the Ipurifier2 ship now to replace ipurifier? 

 
Yes, the iPurifier2 supercedes the iPurifier.
 
It is an Active Asynchronous USB Purifier.
 
Sneak peek:
 

More information once these first customers report in. Preferrably sonic findings with non-iFi gear too!
 
Put it this way, the iPurifier2 is that clever, it can take the existing USB signal and boost it to extend USB runs!  (ie. without the need for extra mains power). SO one can add 1.5m + iP2 + 1.5m to get a stable 3m USB run!
 
To start with, there is the obligatory USB 'B' connector but later on, we shall make other types for non-iFi products to satisfy requests.

 

[glassmonkey]

iLOVE the iUSB3.0. I found that it improved even the vaunted Schiit Yggdrasil playing through the Ragnarok and a set of HE-1000 headphones. I've left some impressions on the iUSB3.0 in a thread for a little get-together of friends in Oxfordshire:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/784530/uk-head-fi-mini-meet-oxford-october-9-10-2015
 
I really want to write a formal review, but I'm having trouble creating the device. Head-Fi won't cooperate with me.

 

[technobear]

A big Thank You to iFi for this latest prize. I just hope it makes a difference. We'll see.

OK, yesterday evening I got to spend a few hours with and without the iPurifier 2.

Your wallets are going to hate this (and we don't even know the price yet).

Does it make a difference? Oh yes.

I'm not very good at flowery hi-fi speak and review writing so I've had to think quite hard how to describe the differences. It's not night and day. The differences are subtle but once heard, it's hard to go back.

I suppose I should list the system:

Acer Aspire V11 fanless laptop running Windows 8.1 and foobar2000.

Kimber USB 1.5m

iFi Audio micro iDSD

Krystal Kables Prism 0.3m

iFi Audio micro iCAN (with iPower)

Beyerdynamic T1
​

I started with the legendary Danny Gatton and a number called Red Label. There's a lot going on in this track - guitars, trumpets, saxophone, drums including a nice drum solo, lots of tinkly cymbals. I played this track about 20 times with and without the iPurifier2 to get a good sense of what it was doing.

The first thing I noticed, I can best describe as a sort of relaxation or calmness. This is noticeable on all the tracks I played and from pretty much the opening note. I don't know how else to describe it. It's kind of like I'm stealing myself against a slight roughness that is no longer present and then relax as soon as that becomes evident.

The second thing I noticed was on the saxophone, though I discovered after that it also applies to the trumpets and to voices on other tracks. A slight tendency to 'shout' is revealed by its absence with the iPurifier2. I'd never noticed this before but now it's gone, the sound is much more natural and easier to listen to, less fatiguing.

Thirdly on this track, there is something going on with those tinkly cymbals. Hard to describe it but they just sound a tiny bit more resolved.

Finally, the drum hits hit harder and faster and there is more going on in the impact of drumstick on skin. It's like I'm much closer to the sound. Less like a reproduction and more like the drum is in my head.

So, better timing, less shout, better resolution and a slight veil of roughness removed.

Then I played Fade to Black by Dire Straits...

Now this is a nice recording that I have always enjoyed from the superb capture of Mark Knoplers voice to the tinkly cymbals and brushed drums. It has always sounded good like a good recording should. Not so with the iPurifier2. It no longer sounds like a good recording of Mark Knopler. It now sounds like Mark Knopfler is standing two feet away from me. The extra texture in his voice is very obvious and makes for an eerily real presentation. Take out the iPurifier2 and it goes back to being just a recording.

I played a lot of other tracks and the same thoughts emerged. I deliberately played some rough tracks to see what would happen. I've always found Kashmir by Led Zepellin a tad rough on the ears. The iPurifier2 does a great job of cleaning this up. It even makes Drenge sound good. In fact they sound awesome.

Timing has also improved as well across the board but particularly noticeable on Burn by Deep Purple. Oh joy! Best I've heard that track I think.

After roaming my collection for a little while it dawned on me that I hadn't listened to any female singers. On went Eve Cassidy and Stormy Monday (from Live At Blues Alley). Oh - my - God. Amazing! Just amazing!

If this iPurifier2 was on demo, it would not be going back. It would appear that iFi have hit the ball right out of the park again.

I shudder to think what the iUSB3.0 is going to do. It hasn't arrived yet.

 

[EVOLVIST]

Really a great review Techobear. I've learned to value your opinion and well though out questions on this forum.

Of course I don't have the iPurifier2, but my experience with the iUSB3.0 is that the more instruments in the mix - the denser the sound - the better the overall effect. That is, the iUSB3.0 really creates a separation between those instruments that immediately noticeable.

What it sounds like you're saying is that with the iPurifier2 is the device cuts any digital glare which allows the natural tonality and textures of instruments shine through? I don't want to put words in your mouth, but I'd be interested in hearing what the pairing of the iPurifier2 and iUSB3.0 does for you. Because I still detect a tad digital "stuff" with the iUSB3.0, but I don't think it's design is to "purify," but to make the most out of the original signal, unhampered by artifacts inherent in computer audio.

 

[technobear]

Really a great review Techobear. I've learned to value your opinion and well though out questions on this forum.

Of course I don't have the iPurifier2, but my experience with the iUSB3.0

Funny you mention the latter as it has just this second arrived

Here in the meantime is what I am currently up to:





I thought I would see how much of the effect of the iPurifier can still be heard with an Arcam rPAC and an Audio Technica ATH-M50 and ATH-MSR7.

Stay tuned.


Edit: as someone is bound to question it, yes those are Rothwell Attenuators stuffed in the back of the iCAN

 

[d1sturb3d]

Hey iFi!

My sister received the package and I was surprised by the picture she took, I was only expecting the cool iFi stick but lo there is more. I will ask her to ship it to me here in the Phil. I'll test it with my DC-1 when I receive it.

 

[rickyleelee]

Quite easy. just go here and find the relevant section. Then add to it.

for example.

http://www.head-fi.org/products/superlux-hd-660/reviews

And just add review

 

[rickyleelee]

iLOVE the iUSB3.0. I found that it improved even the vaunted Schiit Yggdrasil playing through the Ragnarok and a set of HE-1000 headphones. I've left some impressions on the iUSB3.0 in a thread for a little get-together of friends in Oxfordshire:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/784530/uk-head-fi-mini-meet-oxford-october-9-10-2015

I really want to write a formal review, but I'm having trouble creating the device. Head-Fi won't cooperate with me.

Quite easy. just go here and find the relevant section. Then add to it.

for example.

http://www.head-fi.org/products/superlux-hd-660/reviews

And just add review

 

[technobear]

I thought I would see how much of the effect of the iPurifier2 can still be heard with an Arcam rPAC and an Audio Technica ATH-M50 and ATH-MSR7.

Well, this turned out to be quicker than I thought it would be. This was mainly because the sound from the M50 and MSR7 was so dull and boring compared to the T1 that I couldn't concentrate on it and my mind kept wandering onto more interesting things. The MSR7 is better than the M50 but with both of these phones the treble is largely missing in action. Cymbals fade to the back of the mix and are obscured most of the time. I tried with the rPAC and with the iFi but gave up after a short time. Basically if you have headphones of this calibre, forget iPurifier2 and start saving for better headphones because you aren't really going to hear what the iPurifier2 brings to the party.

As for the Arcam rPAC, the iPurifier2 does improve it but to a lesser degree than the iDSD. How do I know this given the Audio Technicas were so bad. Well I plugged the T1 into the rPAC using a short adaptor cable. The rPAC actually makes a fair fist of driving the T1 although it sounds a bit dull and boring compared to the iFi as you might expect. The relaxation/calmness phenomenon I mentioned earlier when testing with the iFi was absent on the rPAC. Nor was there any noticeable change in the treble. However I could hear the change in Mark Knopler's vocal texture when adding the iPurifier2 and the drum skins vibrating was more resolved. Otherwise I think I was up against the resolving limits of the rPAC.

So the iPurifier2 does improve the rPAC slightly but quite honestly I think you should be buying a higher calibre of DAC than this before worrying about the iPurifier2 - and you will need high grade headphones too. Think of it as the icing on the cake. If you ice a lousy cake, it's still a lousy cake just with icing.

I think I might need a better travelling can. The MSR7s aren't really doing it in the way I'd hoped they would. Better than the M50 but still not good enough.

Perhaps I'd better listen to the DT1770's

 

[john57]

Strange my MSR7 has one of best midrange and treble I heard in a headphone.

 

[technobear]

Strange my MSR7 has one of best midrange and treble I heard in a headphone.

All these things are relative. The MSR7 is good for its price and in isolation sounds fine. It's totally unfair to use it in the same company as a T1. The latter is a simply outstanding headphone. It's hugely more resolved. The treble is not hidden away. Deep bass drum rolls appear out of nowhere. On lesser headphones those bass notes are accompanied by a cacophony of unwanted resonances and boominess and you can feel the headphone shaking as it tries to cope. With the T1 it's like the headphone isn't there. The sound just appears fully formed in the space around your head. You can forget you're wearing them.

I had not been aware previously that the MSR7 treble was a bit laid back. Only after doing this comparison.

The midrange in the MSR7 (and the M50) sounds 'nice' and 'smooth' because they are simply failing to resolve any roughness coming from the source. If you are using them with budget components then this is a good thing. The slight roughness that the iPurifier2 removed simply isn't reproduced in the first place. They produce an enjoyable sound but they also throw out the baby with the bathwater. The texture in a voice that fools you a real person is standing two feet away is simply not reproduced. Nor is the amazing shimmer and decay of multiple cymbals playing together.

You get what your pay for sadly.