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

[AMR/iFi audio]

Also, for anyone interested in Roon and Pro iDSD, this is how the chain should look like:

 

Roon --> Squeezebox streaming --> UPnP-bridge --> UPnP renderer (ethernet port of iFi Pro iDSD).

[pat_kwok]

45 minutes ago, AMR/iFi audio said:

 

Hi,

 

Please take a look at links to tutorial vids in our signature, these will guide you how to enable MQA via Tidal on your Pro iDSD. Thanks!

Okay.  So does it mean that I need to connect my android device via USB cable to the Pro iDSD in order to enjoy the "Master" streaming of Tidal?

[o.fz]

OK, Mr Ifi doesn't answer to precise technical questions. I made several test by myself, and I would conclude that the iDSD indeed works better with the phase on the right side of the plug. So, on the continent, one should use German "Schuko" sockets, or, with French sockets swap the wires inside it, if the electric wiring is conform to the norm.

 

Btw, a single AC purifier has a homeopatic effect in my system, wherever it's pluged. I ordered a second one, if the results aren't more convincing, both will go back to Amazon. 

 

 

[Holzohr]

3 hours ago, AMR/iFi audio said:

Also, for anyone interested in Roon and Pro iDSD, this is how the chain should look like:

 

Roon --> Squeezebox streaming --> UPnP-bridge --> UPnP renderer (ethernet port of iFi Pro iDSD).

 

Copycat! 😎

 

 

2 hours ago, o.fz said:

OK, Mr Ifi doesn't answer to precise technical questions. I made several test by myself, and I would conclude that the iDSD indeed works better with the phase on the right side of the plug. So, on the continent, one should use German "Schuko" sockets, or, with French sockets swap the wires inside it, if the electric wiring is conform to the norm.

 

I now have a Keces BP-600 in use and "behind" the Keces it doesn't matter how to plug the plug. At least from a technical view.

[o.fz]

8 hours ago, Holzohr said:

I now have a Keces BP-600 in use and "behind" the Keces it doesn't matter how to plug the plug. At least from a technical view.

 

Really? How does it work? My Accustic Arts powerstrip keeps the difference between phase and neutral. Fortunately.

Here I guess that Ifi wrongly assumed that the phase should be on the right side of the socket (they also live in a country where they drive on the wrong side of the road, you know 😁). It may be troublesome with French type sockets, where the ground pin allows only one way to insert the plug. That said, in many houses, where wiring is poorly done, phase and neutral are mixed.

[gordec]

12 hours ago, pat_kwok said:

Okay.  So does it mean that I need to connect my android device via USB cable to the Pro iDSD in order to enjoy the "Master" streaming of Tidal?

No, in Muzo app you can link your Tidal account. Then you'll stream to Pro iDSD via network. The best option is to get Audirvana which has Tidal integration.

[AMR/iFi audio]

11 hours ago, Holzohr said:

Copycat! 😎

 

 

Yes! It's useful and useful things should be propagated. But in all fairness, we should actually say who wrote it originally. It is... you sir! Thanks!

[Holzohr]

2 hours ago, o.fz said:

 

Really? How does it work? My Accustic Arts powerstrip keeps the difference between phase and neutral.

 

Let me quote Mr Feickert (vinyl lovers should have heard about him) from a German forum (translated by Google):

 

Quote

Another fact that is often overlooked is that there is no explicit phase and no neutral in the traditional sense after the transformer. Thus, the "phasing out" loses most of its importance ... You can test it very nicely with a phase tester itself - behind the transformer it lightens on both sides of the can ... 

 

I have tested it with my phase tester. It's true behind the Keces (the transformer) it lightens on both sides. 

[Holzohr]

11 minutes ago, AMR/iFi audio said:

 

Yes! It's useful and useful things should be propagated. But in all fairness, we should actually say who wrote it originally. It is... you sir! Thanks!

 

Concerning the UPnP-bridge thing indeed all the kudos belong to Mr DC from that Jplay forum. And yes, useful things should be shared.

 

Cheers! 

[pat_kwok]

3 hours ago, gordec said:

No, in Muzo app you can link your Tidal account. Then you'll stream to Pro iDSD via network. The best option is to get Audirvana which has Tidal integration.

Does the Muzo app allows Tidal "Master" streaming to Pro iDSD?

Audirvana run in PC, right?

[o.fz]

Suddenly the streamer stopped working. I turner it off and on . Now, at each restart, I have an error message:

 

DSD1793

Init error

Please reboot

 

What should I do?

 

[o.fz]

OK, I unplugged it for a while. It works again. 😥

 

Less bugs, they say... 😒

 

[AMR/iFi audio]

9 hours ago, o.fz said:

Less bugs, they say... 😒

 

If there are any, we'd appreciate letting us know about them via our support: http://support.ifi-audio.com/

 

Honestly, this does help us a ton to improve things.

[o.fz]

9 hours ago, AMR/iFi audio said:

 

If there are any, we'd appreciate letting us know about them via our support: http://support.ifi-audio.com/

 

Honestly, this does help us a ton to improve things.

I understand,  but it was Sunday afternoon and I can't say more than what I wrote in my posts above; there was nothing specific in the situation. If the streamer saves log files somewhere, I may send them to your support team.

[datasyd]

On 3/4/2019 at 8:07 AM, AMR/iFi audio said:

 

Please contact us here: http://support.ifi-audio.com/

 

I rather stubbornly chose to install the firmware without help from ifi. Ultimately, I installed VirtualBox and upgraded ifi's Pro iDSD firmware without spending money. But I hasten to add that it took no fewer than 14 attempts using a variety of very different methods before I achieved success.  Along the way, over about two days, some of the approaches I chose had me fearing the worst.  For instance, one attempt somehow downgraded the firmware to V1.38 and (perhaps) because I was moving the DAC closer to various devices even the final apprach had the ifi warning me of an external clock error, I must have moved one of the back screws on the DAC but your website might do with better instructions for what ultimately was a simple fix. Also, at one point you moved the firmware off your site while (presumably) moving it around, which had me huntinging for it for hours (this also happened last time with version 2.0.) Ultimately I used Google cache to locate the firmware and the sound is astonishing. I'm hoing to have to sweat every upgrade i think😂 

 

[AMR/iFi audio]

10 hours ago, datasyd said:

For instance, one attempt somehow downgraded the firmware to V1.38

 

This we know about and investigate.. Changing USB sockets usually helps.

[o.fz]

I didn't really enjoy the tube output so far. I thought that it has inferior precision and transparency. Yesterday, I took the time to break it in. I let it play for one night and one day, with the amplifiers off. Now, I'm listening to this ripped CD: Raphaël Fays'Andalucia. https://www.allmusic.com/album/andalucia-mw0000804900

Sorry to say this, but OMG (and I'm an atheist) the sound is SO beautiful!

I never heard any digital unit producing such moving timbres (pardon my French).

If you never listen to the streamer's tube output, do yourself a favor: break it in and play acoustic music, you should stay speachless.

 

On a more mundane and technical side, I'm now using the Wireworld Electra 7 power cable. It works very well with the iDSD in my system. It helps a lot to clean up the treble, thighten the bass and improve the soundstage.

 

[o.fz]

It's now possible to listen to the digital version of recordings that used to sound like a dentist's drill:  http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=29673

[AMR/iFi audio]

38 minutes ago, o.fz said:

Sorry to say this, but OMG (and I'm an atheist) the sound is SO beautiful!

 

 

Good to hear! enjoy!

 

P.S. Tubes in our TOTL DAC are able to turn music into something beautiful alright 😜

[o.fz]

Do you want to convert me to Totaldac? 😁

The price tag is not the same, and you don't have the choice of tubes vs solid state, or do you?

Tubes sound fantastic with Ella and Louis, I'm less sure about Daydream Nation. Don't even feel like trying it. 😈

In general, I think it's to soon to invest into expensive digital gear, as the technology evolves so fast. The iDSD is a very efficient and rational solution at the moment, imho.

 

[AMR/iFi audio]

6 minutes ago, o.fz said:

The iDSD is a very efficient and rational solution at the moment, imho.

 

Thanks, we believe so as well. It sounds really nice and provides lots of options. That was our goal at the drawing board stage and we pretty much were able to do everything we had planned. 

[AMR/iFi audio]

MQA is now officially available for the Pro iDSD

 

As some of you good people know, Beta firmware v2.1MQA has been available on our website since 27 February.

 

The Beta version has now been confirmed as the official current firmware for the Pro iDSD.

From MQA:

 

“iFi Audio is announcing the latest firmware update for the Pro iDSD making it the first in the range to support full MQA decoding. The DAC can also be paired with any CD player to experience MQA-CD playback.”

 

You can download the firmware here (if you haven’t already!)

 

https://ifi-audio.com/downloads/

 

Also don’t forget our handy Pro iDSD Tidal MQA tutorials on YouTube.

• Via USB http://bit.ly/DecoderUSB
• Via SPDIF http://bit.ly/DecoderSPDIF

  Come and try it out at Axpona – The iFI team are located at Ear Gear Booth 8323.

 

[AMR/iFi audio]

Folks, something from our friends at NativeDSD:

 

We are pleased to announce the availability of Native DSD Presents 5 Tracks in DSD 512. The album brings you some of the highest quality DSD 256 stereo recordings from the NativeDSD Music catalog in DSD 512 stereo.

This special album made its debut at 2019 High End Munich. It is an album that will bring owners of DSD 512 capable Portable Players and DACs (Digital to Analog Converters) from iFi Audio some amazing DSD 512 listening experiences. 

NativeDSD has given iFi Audio permission to share 1 track with you for free, as an instant download in this Dropbox folder:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/uynhtxephlr7dpu/AAB6lv2iOP8WOZfKbhKeWqNXa?dl=0

The Track in DSD 512: Yuko Mabuchi Plays Miles Davis – Milestones

Recorded and Released by Yarlung Records, with special thanks to Bob Attiyeh. Yuko Mabuchi Plays Miles Davis is a tribute to the music of legendary Jazz trumpeter Miles Davis.  It features 5 tracks written by Miles Davis plus 3 original compositions by Yuko Mabuchi.  For this special album, recorded live in concert in Stereo and Multichannel DSD 256, the Yuko Mabuchi Trio - Yuko Mabuchi (piano), Del Atkins (bass) and Bobby Breton (drums) - is joined by trumpeter JJ Kirkpatrick from the Sophisticated Lady Jazz Quartet.  With this line-up of musicians, it is a musical adventure you won't want to miss.

If you want to hear more, you can check out their 5 Tracks in DSD 512 sampler, available for only 10 USD.

https://nativedsd.com/albums/NDSD013-nativedsd-presents-5-tracks-in-dsd-512
 

 

Included in the collection are performances by Les Chats Noirs, Yuko Mabuchi Trio with JJ Kirkpatrick, Rachel Podger with Brecon Baroque, Ricardo Gallen, and the Feenbrothers. The music covers a variety of styles and genres including French Vocal and Chanson, Jazz Quartets, Classical Ensemble, and Guitar.

These higher bit rate DSD 512 tracks are all pure DSD created. They are not up samplings, for there are no PCM or DXD conversions involved in their production. They are re-modulations of the original DSD 256 encoding modulation that produced the DSD 256 releases. The sonic advantage to these new Stereo DSD 512 releases, as with all higher DSD bit rate releases, is the wider frequency passband prior to the onset of modulation noise. This results in the listener’s DAC using gentler and more phase linear filters for playback of the music.

The resulting DSD 512 music files were monitored with a DSD 512 Stereo system that included HiFiMan HE-1000 Stereo Headphones with Lazuli HF Headphone Cables by Dana Cable and the iFi Audio iDSD Micro Black Label Headphone Amp and DAC (available for purchase at the NativeDSD Gear Store). 

We want to thank the labels Forward Music Italy, Yarlung Artists, Channel Classics, Eudora and Sound Liaison for their participation in this project.

 

Don’t forget to share your thoughts on the DSD 512 listening experience!

Or go straight to More Music in DSD 512

[AMR/iFi audio]

Folks, just a quick announcement to make:

 

Pro iDSD with 4.4mm headphone out is officially available!

 

The price for Pro iDSD 4.4mm is US$2.749 (ex-tax) or €2,999/£2,749 (incl. VAT).

 

Also, Pro iDSD 4.4mm headphone out's power output is (16 Ω balanced/single-ended) >4200mW/1,575mW.

[AudioDoctor]

3 hours ago, AMR/iFi audio said:

(16 Ω balanced/single-ended) >4200mW/1>1,575mW.

 

Would you explain what this is telling me?

Is it 4.2 watts at 16 Ohms at 1 something is better than 1.575 watts?