iFi's Pro iDSD (official) - NEW Firmware - MQA and more.

[Samuel T Cogley]

On 1/27/2018 at 2:43 PM, AMR/iFi audio said:

 

 

Hello @AMR/iFi audio

 

Can you detail the switch that appears to have a transistor, valve, and valve+ symbol?

 

And is the iDSD Pro manual available for download yet, or not until after 2/15?

 

Thanks

[Samuel T Cogley]

On 1/19/2018 at 12:26 AM, AMR/iFi audio said:

 

Yes, in our iDSD Pro anything non-MQA will not pass through MQA upsampling.

 

Our nano iDSD BL's MQA beta firmware currently up-samples non-MQA streams to 8 x PCM via a filter of our specification.

 

We are working with MQA o allow us to fully bypass this upsampling, until then for all iFi products our standard firmware V5.2 without MQA is available.

 

Is the iDSD Pro's MQA implementation full decode, or render only?

[Samuel T Cogley]

Hello @AMR/iFi audio

 

Does this delay in the release of the iDSD Pro correspond to a delay in the release of photos of the back panel of the unit?

[Samuel T Cogley]

On 3/9/2018 at 2:32 PM, AMR/iFi audio said:

Folks, we have a major announcement.

 

iFi audio has recently returned from a couple of outstanding audio shows – CanJam in New York, USA and Bristol Sound and Vision, UK.

As promised, audiences had the chance to audition the pre-production model of the new Pro iDSD. This gave us the invaluable opportunity to gather feedback from the end user, directly. 

 

We couldn’t miss out on the final chance to let our potential customers drive the Pro concept forward just one more time.

So, as is our want, we have taken the feedback on board and are tweaking the hardware and the software in response to these comments.

 

It seems that certain markets required the additional 2.5mm headphone socket and some the 4.4mm – so we’re doing both. Watch this space for more info on how and why!

 

Inevitably this will have an impact on the official launch date of both the Pro iDSD and the Pro iRack which we intend to launch together.

Skin says he needs more time (until the end of May) to implement these tweaks and will be able to give us a definite launch date nearer the time.

 

Hello iFI.  I've purchased a total of 8 items of yours over the last few years, including five separate DACs.  When I first heard about this new delay, I was encouraged that iFI finally saw the light and decided to include a 4-pin XLR jack on the iDSD Pro.  But apparently not.  I suppose the inescapable reality is that the audiophile market is flat (or worse) in the U.S., but is doing well in the Asia.  Ergo, the 4.4mm Pentaconn connector seems to be a way to help sell the unit in Asian markets.

 

I note that what iFI is saying is that hopefully, you'll (at last?) have an announcement for a solid release date at the end of May, not that the iDSD Pro will be released then.  Understand that many (including myself) are waiting for units to appear in the wild so that we can begin to get feedback on the sound quality.  That will be months after the initial rollout when the first units go to head-fi crowd which typically gives rave reviews to almost everything.  So now things are looking more like 2019.  Wow.

 

I wish iFI the best, but this latest snafu makes me doubt the competence of your design and marketing teams.  Good luck.