iFi's xDSD (official) - Award winning.

[jhwalker]

Very pleased to see this update, but I have a question:  how can you tell if MQA decoding is working?

 

I have updated my iFi Micro iDSD to 5.30, but when sending MQA content from Tidal, Roon, Audirvana, etc., the LED always stays Green (i.e, indicating up to 96k), so it seems there's no visible distinction between a MQA file coming across at 48k (i.e., no decoding) or an MQA file coming across at 48k and later being decoded to 96k, 192k, etc.

 

Pretty sure I've set the players properly (Roon = direct, no DSP, Audirvana = MQA decoder selected, Tidal = software upsampling disabled).

[jhwalker]

6 minutes ago, arglebargle said:

Roon wouldn't work currently as this is a render implementation and they still have no first unfold. I only mention this because I'm not familiar with Audirvana or Tidal app jargon so I can't tell whether you are using the first unfold with these. 

 

Ah, OK.  I didn't see anywhere they documented it's a renderer vs. decoder implementation, so I was ASSUMING decoder

 

Now I know what to do - thanks!

[jhwalker]

I got mine in the a few days back and was initially disappointed when I realized the device MUST be charged separately via the USB-C port - it cannot / does not draw power from the USB-A (i.e., audio) port.  In this sense, it is different from the Nano and Micro lines.

 

That said, WOW.  When fully charged via USB-C, then disconnected to run in battery mode, the sound on this thing is wonderful   I've thrown my MrSpeakers Aeon Closed at it (using a new balanced cable I procured for the purpose) and am now listening via Audeze iSine20 (single-ended) - really magical.  Better (I think) than my original Micro iDSD and better than I remember the Black Label Micro I heard a few months back on the tour.

 

Ticks a lot of boxes for me, and VERY portable, to boot.  Very impressive.