iFi Audio iGalvanic3.0 - The Holy Grail of Computer Audio

[Chopin75]

I am new to this thread and I am about to buy the bundle iGal + ipwr idefend etc 

I was thinking of INtona since it has been out for a while and good review but perhaps the iGal being newer may have more updated tech and more future proof. Anyone commented or compared the 2 ?  I may have missed it in this 2 yr long thread!  Compare Intona + iGalvanic alone without other gadgets in the chain? 

 

[Chopin75]

Thanks for all your input! I can get the IFI bundle at music direct and have had great service from them. It does appear the bundle offers some good option including being able to use a battery run macbook (I have Mac air) via idefender. I presume that way using idenfender + ipower, entire system is run on battery + dc power till the DAC. I presume without idefender battery run Mac may not run as efficiently ? 

[Chopin75]

Looks like idefender is more for ground and AC power issue, none applies to me as I have laptop on battery. There is a slight harder less relaxed sound with AC power plugged in, so perhaps the idefender can work on that if I use AC power, Anyway your analogy makes sense. The bundle costs the same as only getting the iFi gal so I may just get it. I can also use the ipower on another DAC that I will get - minidsp u- DAC 8 for multi-ch playback

[Chopin75]

Ok the iFi package arrived! 

‘I tried the iFi gal & idefender + ipower

here is a brief review before I forget:

 

System:

Mac air With Audirvana - via USB to Geek Pulse DAC - DACware Tori junior tube amp.

 

out of box, no burn in - straight between Mac and DAC: sound is warmer, smoother and deeper/wider sound stage, more air to sound, darker background

 

Compairing between my Macbook plug to AC vs running on its battery :

 

with AC cord -  more dynamic and harder sound, sounds a bit harsh, more digital

with battery only - softer and smoother, more analogue but less dynamic, quieter and a bit too gentle, not enough meat to the sound, 

 

I am not really satisfied with either , one too hard and one too soft.  When I play without the AC cord, the dynamic is much better if I don’t use the igalvanic, but the harshness is back. There is greater air and space without the igalvanic. With igalvanic while using battery on Mac, it feels like it is muting something, like having a tube gear that is coloring something but not really improving the sound much. If I put back the AC, it is much better but there is still some degree of harshness/hard feel. So I thought adding the igalvanic while running Mac on battery is not helping much. 

 

Maybe it really needs a separate power source from ipower to run better.

 

before I do that, I stick the idefender in:

 

mac —> idefender ->  igalvanic —> DAC

 

On battery only -  sounds much more open and more air, more dynamic  no harshness added 

 

on AC cord - the dynamics improves a bit but  hard sound is coming back a bit, though not as much as before, the warmth, improved sound stage is still there and perhaps one will feel reasonably good about this by now.

 

however I feel without needing AC still sound more organic/analogue but I want the punch of the AC power.

 

so comes the ipower!

 

Mac —> idefender fed by ipower —> Igalvanic —> DAC

 

things are much better now.

 

with battery: the dynamics and punch all back, like when the AC cord is there but without the harshness/digital feel etc, bass is deep, organic feel all there...

 

with AC - not really giving much more dynamic or power but the sound stage actually is thinner, bass is not as good,  more flat, less organic; so really no advantage of having AC cord. Clarity also not as good.

 

i am surprised that idefender helps a lot and that despite using separate ipower to boost the idefender thus isolating the source AC power, the lack of AC power makes the whole gear so much better, probably more obvious than before. 

 

My setting is - down - RF soft ground-link

the default causes dropout and clicks - ? Clocking issue with DAC? i suppose my DAC or the MAC is doing some clocking that is causing this issue ? Is this down setting less than optimal ? Maybe the manufacturer can comment on this ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Chopin75]

Another question, can the idefender run by a battery like this ? :

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CEZBKTO/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A294P4X9EWVXLJ&psc=1

 

I read from some forum that someone has successfully used something like this to drive a DAC that uses low voltage. Unsure if this would sound better or worse than iPower but good thing is it is portable if one needs to carry the MACbook to play music without need of finding a wall socket to plug in

 

Adrian 

 

[Chopin75]

Hi Franatic,

 

Are u using separate power to IGalvanic e.g. via Idefender + ipower. Perhaps that would reduce the heat as it would then be powered separately?  

[Chopin75]

I am also wondering if this new product iFi DC purifier 2 can be used on the iPower? Would it improve things or just overkill? I also wonder what would work better ?  ipower alone vs stock DC power + ipurifer2 ?

 

Any comment from manufacturer?

 

 

[Chopin75]

Mine never gets warm, luke warm maybe. My connection is so simple: macbook - idefender + ipower —- > igalvanic ——> Dac that has its own power supply. Only one time it was hot was when i left it on attached to my macbook overnight but the DAC is off. I figured it might be somehow running by itself. Not sure if this is damaging i disconnected everythng before sleep. U should contact the company and ask them what the heck is going on. This does not seem normal.

[Chopin75]

Quote

 

I am also wondering if this new product iFi DC purifier 2 can be used on the iPower? Would it improve things or just overkill? I also wonder what would work better ?  ipower alone vs stock DC power + ipurifer2 ?

 

Any comment from manufacturer?

 

According someone who tested, adding iPurifier won;'t help and may worsen the ipower performance so it appears redundant 

[Chopin75]

Also can the iFi Silencer  be used together with the idefender/igalvanic combo? It should improve by adding active cancellation.

 

Should it be:

 

Music server ---> ifi silencer ---> idefender with ipower ---> igalvanic ---> DAC

 

Or 

 

Music server ---> idefender with ipower  ---> iFi silencer ----> igalvanic ___ >

 

Does it matter?

 

 Adrian 

 

 

[Chopin75]

Congrats on getting this, a great bargain this bundle. I was debating if I should get the intona instead but glad I made this choice instead as it has more options for upgrade matching and also you get USB 3 instead of 2. (I am planning on using Macbook PRO with USB 3 in future which is supposed to work better).  I find the idefender works very well to improve the sound futher. igal alone loses some energy and air/soundstage, probably  because i use battery powered Macbook Air, no ground. I suppuse idefender helps with ground issue, so I need to keep the igal switch Down (for no ground) . At neutral it causes disconnection/pauses (some clocking issue?) Adding ipower improves further to give the power and energy needed when I run on battery only from my Mac so  it won't need to power the iGalvanic. Definitely enhances musicality without causing it ti be sterile or analytical. 

 

 Could you clarify how you use ipower from USB 3 socket? I thought it has to be going to AC socket??

 

[Chopin75]

34 minutes ago, AMR/iFi audio said:

 

DC iPurifier (all versions) is in effect the same tech embedded in iPower, but scaled for higher current and voltage.

 

Adding one of these to iPower may still provide minor improvements, however it will not be as dramatic as with generic power supplies (SMPS & linear).

Could you comment if I silencer can be used too along same chain which I typed as example above?

 

[Chopin75]

Where should I place the isilencer? Before ot after the iGalvanic? I don’t have iDAC.

[Chopin75]

isilencer does seem to make quite

an impact, currently placed after igalvanic, before getting to DAC. Its effect is most felt when no galvanic isolation is the chain. Everything becomes

clearer, more vivid and detailed where as before it is kind of muddy. It appears to work better post igalvanic than pre but I only did a rough quick test. 

[Chopin75]

Did anyone try adding isilencer ? I tried adding it to my chain and it alone makes a huge difference though after adding back the igalvanic and idefender the effect is less but still noticeable. So u think the ipurifier is still needed after igalvanic. There is reclock in igalvanic and isn’t it redundant to reclock again? I suppose if a crappy USB or very long USB is used between igalvanic and the DAC would be useful. I already have a reclocker in my DAC so I got the isilencer which has some sort of active cancellation too. Unfortunately it seems to disconnect my DAC from the computer, or takes much longer for my Mac to detect the DAC. It seems to also shut down the sound of my DAC, silencing it completely! And I would need to reboot my DAC. I have the F1 USB board in the DAC which also reclock. So I have to take the isilencer out of the chain and leave it at a different USB port that connects to my external drive which also helps. I am now wondering if the ipurifier 3 would work better in the chain:

‘idefender + ipower —-> usb cord —> igalvanic —> Regen Ultra short USB adaptor—> ipurifier 

[Chopin75]

isilencer does seem to make quite

an impact, currently placed after igalvanic, before getting to DAC. Its effect is most felt when no galvanic isolation is the chain. Everything becomes

clearer, more vivid and detailed where as before it is kind of muddy. It appears to work better post igalvanic than pre but I only did a rough quick test. 

[Chopin75]

You nean igalvanic—->micro iusb? Would ipurifier 3 after igalvanic work well too? I presume it would work better for ipurifier 3 to be after than before ifalvanic, just before it enters dac