iUSBPower – back
Listening for changes
Generally speaking, the overall sound is smoother with the full complement of iFi devices in just about every recording I played. This added smoothness made listening more appealing. With one notable exception, I could not determine if the background is any quieter, though I listened repeatedly. The background level was already very quiet, even without using the additional three components.
I did hear changes in other areas. Both the sound of the upright bass and piano have more weight, while bass notes are tighter on Holly Cole’s “I Can See Clearly Now.” The most perceptible change is sibilance has been reduced to almost nil when Holly sings “s” words, making the performance very natural sounding.
There is also a further reduction in Daniel Martin Moore’s sibilant singing on “Set Things Aright,” though the reduction is not as big as the Holly Cole song. Perhaps there is more sibilance engineered into the recording. Again, bass notes are weightier and more articulate. The other instruments in the mix seem to have a nice tonal balance as they play off each other.
On “In the End” Ida Maria’s voice is more pronounced and immediate, giving her a more solid “presence” in my room. This presentation grabbed my attention, and made me fixated on her performance. Well done!
The one exception where the background seems quieter is Dvorak’s Ninth Symphony, where the lack of noise provides a more spacious presentation, allowing me to “hear” more deeply into the recording venue, or hall ambience if you will.
There is one glitch in my setup with the iPurifier/iUSBPower/Gemini combination while the other iFi-audio devices performed flawlessly. My Asus laptop fails to read the AMR/iFi driver on my Device Panel each time I disconnect and reconnect the three devices combination. The solution is to reboot. This is a minor annoyance but an annoyance nevertheless.
iPurifier
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Interesting concept with the power split also the fact that other current Dacs are mentioned this unit seems like a easy budget winner………
They are amazingly good for the price. They would make good entry level or desktop systems, or even main components for people on a budget.
I am using the iUSB Power, the iDSD dac, and the iPurifier for my desktop system. Connected to them is an Audioengine N22 amp and Mirage OMD-5 speakers, USB cords are Pangea AG’s and interconnects are AQ Colorado. I am running JRiver Media Center 19 on my Windows 7 pc. I play the music while using the computer for all my normal tasks (it’s playing now). I don’t experience any drop-outs and few extraneous noises.
The sound of this combination is delicious – deep and wide soundstage with an overall warm, inviting sound. I was running ASIO until I read your review, now I am trying WASAPI and so far like it better (richer timbres).
My main system uses an Auralic-Vega dac and sounds excellent – but this iFi combo is not embarrassed by the comparison. Both systems use the same NAS for music storage.
The fact that it handles DSD as well as hi-rez PCM is important to me. Computer audio is becoming easier and more essential every day. The iFi components are a very satisfying entry point as well as a final destination.
Hi Gary,
You put together a very nice desktop system, congrats. Are you using the nano iDSD or the new micro iDSD? If you are using the latter, my colleague Doug Schroeder is auditioning it now, so look for his review when it’s online. If the former, Part 3 of my iFi-audio review focuses on the nano iDSD, and should be online in a few days. If you desire even richer harmonics, see if you can borrow an iTube which I cover in Part 1, the 3D holographic feature is a hoot for a desktop system. Computer audio is becoming essential for me also, especially with hi-res music files being easier to obtain and thus becoming more common.
Cheers,
Paul
enjoyed the review and history of company. I might want to invest in a entry level DSD DAC such as the IFI .
Hi Tom,
It’s the cheapest way to find out if DSD is to your liking.
Paul
Thanks, Paul, for the extended review.
I concur with your iDAC results, but using just the iDAC alone, without the Mercury cable or iUSBPower unit. Working with blu-ray format and Windows 7 foobar and ASUS Xonar Essence STX soundcard, I found that (L)PCM sounded clean, transparent and surprisingly natural.
Novices, the hi-end curious, hobbyists and assorted sonic thrill-seekers can take comfort that hi-end is not just for the well-heeled. I very much appreciate your efforts, Paul, in bringing news of good-valued, hi-end sound to most of the audiophile faithful, who lack large, disposable bank accounts. There seems to be a slight imbalance with much industry attention being paid to gear with stratospheric prices, and your reviews help to redress this imbalance. After all, for most of us, this hi-end thing began as a hobby.
Also, I eagerly look forward to examining DSD sound, when I am able.
Thanks Jason, for the compliment. Once you have had a taste of DSD, you may never go back. Lol.
Cheers,
Paul