I just got one of these in for review as well - enormously powerful for being a portable amp and packed with features. For $499 considering portability and power alone, let alone all the features in here, it's a solid deal. EDIT: released my review and it's basically the same as this one. hah
To make it even better, it seems to go on sale for under $400 on a fairly regular basis. Adorama is where I got mine and I actually prefer it over my other equipment.
Have a Chord Hugo 2 in front of me at the moment. It's very well-featured as well.It's also a $$$ luxury item. Want an affordable desktop amp that sounds just as good (as in audibly transparent)? Just get an O2/ODAC and call it a day. Don't spend $2800 on some DAC / AMP, spend it on the transducer (headphone). The iFi Micro iDSD, less costly than the Hugo 2, may be worth it if you need all its features. It's transportable, rather than portable.
I've been looking to buy the R2R 11 or the iFi Black Label. I like the features that the iFi has. How does the iFi handle gaming? Especially with the bass boost and 3D sound. The R2R is a dac that goes well with planar magnetic headphones.
What you think I should buy, this or the NFB 11.28? Portability is not really a big deal for me. I love your videos, way better than the other folks doing this types of videos.
anime is evil thanks! I've never seen anyone with quality problems with the NFB, actually from the reviews that I saw they say that one of the reasons for the delay for delivery is the quality control.
Ive never heard anyone have problems with audiogd products, i think its because they have amazing gc. And zero warranty, is that true? Ive heard they have warranty when you order it from their site.
anime is evil you don't get the nfb 11.28 off some random website. its not like there is a fraud going on. thousands have been sold and because of its popularity nowadays you don't even have a month delay like it used to. Mine came in 3 days after I set the order, and it works perfectly fine.
Hey, could you comment a bit more on the speed of the devices? You said that the NFB is faster. Could you explain that a bit more? Also, when would I want that over some other characteristic? I'm thinking about buying the NFB or this, and every bit of info helps. You said that the iFi drives everything better, which is quite a big thing for me, but more info on that would be welcome, too. Thanks!
I woudn't buy that much into his ramblings, if you look at the NFB-11 review he lends everything he says about the sound from other people and quotes people he doesn't even mention in a correct manner just saying "people who know a lot more than me"
"in almost every other regard I take the iFi" - 3:09 So the NFB-11 is not objectively better? I have the Beyer Amirons and it sounds a bit 'meh' at the moment. More energy at the higher frequencies (brighter sound signature), with more forward, "intimidating" sound with better separation and higher resolution is what I'm looking for. I live in Europe, with taxes and all the stuff the audio-gd wouldn't be much cheaper. Sound quality aside, the iFi is clearly better (more features). How would you describe the iFi's character? Does it fit the above description? Thanks in advance. Buying audio gear without trying them out is pain in the ass. Your answer would be incredibly useful.
Good amp, but for $20 I have a Brookstone Big Blue amp (recent clearance deal) that is hard to beat for the price. Sure the iFi black label is nicer, but not $400 nicer for me. :) I do also have an uber Schiit Stack for my desktop solution. Both of which powers my 600 ohm DT 880 pro just fine... I do have to have the volume knob up a bit more on the Big Blue compared to the Schiit, but I hear everything still. The Big blue is warmer though with a bit more bass boost compared to the flatter Schiit solution.
You dont understand the difference a quality DAC makes its not about the amp (so much) its the dac implementation going on here and from personal use music has never sounded more life like is the only way to put it, especially with music that uses live instruments and is well recorded. And yes it is worth it.
Hi there! Thanks for the reviews. What about this as an external DAC for a Bluesound Node 2, for instance? Does it make sense? A good idea? What do you think?
cuz it sounds like shit. I owned and broke my very own se215s, the right side started making static noise within the first 2 weeks since I bought it, and within the next month the left side started doing the same. It isn't really well built and the sound quality is nothing impressive. ppl say its the best bang for buck, which isn't a lie because there isn't much you can actually get under 100$. But if you give the slightest shit about audio quality I'd save up and buy a really nice pair of cans from sennheiser or stax.
Erik Leonardi from everything I've read is personally go for the iFi, especially since I like the idea of the bass boost. But if you want it to be portable for on the go use the Mojo is likely the better option. The iFi is more transportable than truly portable.
I’ve owned both. The Dac is nicer than this, but in terms of power, technicality, and bells in whistles, this is unmatched. I use this with my th-900’s and arya’s and it’s pure bliss. Oh an MQA. This also can be used as a dac as DMS said
Ali Almatook okay, you don’t necessarily need a player cause you can actually use an iPhone or iPad & your music that you already have on iPhone may be enough but if you want a full experience 1. buy lossless music from HDtracks.com on your computer then you can copy it to your iPhone. Then download this app from the AppStore on your iPhone called VOX, it’s very simple to use & it allows you to play FLAC files instead of jus ALAC & it allows for higher playback quality if the sample rate is very high than the stock music app 2. To completely bypass the Dac on iPhone you can buy Apple’s camera adapter & then you can then get the full Dac experience. Now you’re done, your iPhone is now also a high res music player. Things to keep in mind HDtracks.com may not have all music that you want & if it’s not on there than you kinda wont find anywhere else in 24-bit lossless so if the album isn’t there than it may be on 7digital.com in 16-but lossless
Ali Almatook also keep in mind you *HAVE* to buy these lossless files from HDtracks but if you want full experience then I’d recommend it, if you have Spotify or Apple Music & listen to a TON of music then it would probably be better jus to stick with Spotify or Apple Music or even TIdal I heard they better quality than both Spotify & Apple Music but back to the point buying a lot of lossless music can get expensive & for the main point yes you can use the ifi with iPhone, jus buy Apple’s camera adapter to bypass the iPhones Dac. If you don’t buy lossless music then you don’t really have to download the vox app from the AppStore
In its price, you can probably get an amazing desktop amp that is probably better than this... Exactly the reason I'm against turning everything portable and mobile except things that meant to be from the beginning, like that. Turns everything worse for the price, much better quality on desktop. Good portable equipment, costs always, more than desktop, and I get it, make it portable, tinier parts, harder assembly, complicated design, I do, but for me, I rather have an amazing desktop thing, rather than good portable thing at the same price. After all, everything, in a way, is portable. In the pocket, or in a truck, its still, in a way, kind of portable...
Aviad Leibovich Care to name a few examples of such "amazing desktop setups"? Because I'm fairly sure this iFi unit can count as amazing desktop solution as well.
CamperIV take for example astell and kernel ak380. It's a 3000$ amp/dac portable player. Now, take violectric HPA-V281 at 2400$. I can assure you, violectric's amp is much better than the ak380. I'm not saying the AK sucks, its just you are paying for the name, portability, miniature parts, player etc, while violectric's amps are a good match to a lot of headphones, orthos, dynamic, and awesome match with audeze, so violectric in that term is better, and probably in the sound quality, and amplify better than the AK... And, besides all that, it's cheaper, so buy whatever you want, but I know what I would buy
also... care to explain what the phrase "I'm against turning everything portable and mobile except things that meant to be from the beginning, like that."? im particularly confused at the "like that" part. are u refering to the ifi? or what may u be referring to if that is not the case
my advice is don't buy ifi micro dsd...dac is not good at the highs..bright other than that I'll give 7.5 for the price..mojo need an amp...don't use it alone it won't shine
The best thing you own is a entry level $76 Fiio E10K, you're inexperienced enough to consider the O2 an 'upgrade', and you're still arrogant enough to make a universal claim about the effect of amplifiers? This is my trigger. There are so many wannabe objectivists like you in this hobby who have literally never even tried good gear, I honestly wish you people would fuck off.
I just got one of these in for review as well - enormously powerful for being a portable amp and packed with features. For $499 considering portability and power alone, let alone all the features in here, it's a solid deal. EDIT: released my review and it's basically the same as this one. hah
Here in Italy cost about 780$ ( 680 euro) so is pretty expensive
Always good stuff. Thanks man. I'd love to see you review some of the popular cheap Chi-Fi dac/amps - Zishan Z1/Z2 and Walnut V2 etc. 👍
i just dig this video style and quality, nice job
To make it even better, it seems to go on sale for under $400 on a fairly regular basis. Adorama is where I got mine and I actually prefer it over my other equipment.
Have a Chord Hugo 2 in front of me at the moment. It's very well-featured as well.It's also a $$$ luxury item. Want an affordable desktop amp that sounds just as good (as in audibly transparent)? Just get an O2/ODAC and call it a day. Don't spend $2800 on some DAC / AMP, spend it on the transducer (headphone).
The iFi Micro iDSD, less costly than the Hugo 2, may be worth it if you need all its features. It's transportable, rather than portable.
I was lucky enough to try this out the other day. Compared to to Mojo it’s smoother and I preferred it quite a bit.
I've been looking to buy the R2R 11 or the iFi Black Label. I like the features that the iFi has. How does the iFi handle gaming? Especially with the bass boost and 3D sound. The R2R is a dac that goes well with planar magnetic headphones.
What you think I should buy, this or the NFB 11.28? Portability is not really a big deal for me. I love your videos, way better than the other folks doing this types of videos.
anime is evil thanks! I've never seen anyone with quality problems with the NFB, actually from the reviews that I saw they say that one of the reasons for the delay for delivery is the quality control.
Ive never heard anyone have problems with audiogd products, i think its because they have amazing gc. And zero warranty, is that true? Ive heard they have warranty when you order it from their site.
anime is evil don't say shit you don't know anything about
Caynan Landim I prefer NFB-11 if portability isn't a concern.
anime is evil you don't get the nfb 11.28 off some random website. its not like there is a fraud going on. thousands have been sold and because of its popularity nowadays you don't even have a month delay like it used to. Mine came in 3 days after I set the order, and it works perfectly fine.
Hey, could you comment a bit more on the speed of the devices?
You said that the NFB is faster. Could you explain that a bit more? Also, when would I want that over some other characteristic?
I'm thinking about buying the NFB or this, and every bit of info helps. You said that the iFi drives everything better, which is quite a big thing for me, but more info on that would be welcome, too.
Thanks!
I woudn't buy that much into his ramblings, if you look at the NFB-11 review he lends everything he says about the sound from other people and quotes people he doesn't even mention in a correct manner just saying "people who know a lot more than me"
Rrationality what about yr views about the nfb
Hey DMS do you think the M1060 is fast enough for alternative and metal? And how is the instrument separation? My amp is the NFB11
"in almost every other regard I take the iFi" - 3:09
So the NFB-11 is not objectively better? I have the Beyer Amirons and it sounds a bit 'meh' at the moment. More energy at the higher frequencies (brighter sound signature), with more forward, "intimidating" sound with better separation and higher resolution is what I'm looking for. I live in Europe, with taxes and all the stuff the audio-gd wouldn't be much cheaper. Sound quality aside, the iFi is clearly better (more features). How would you describe the iFi's character? Does it fit the above description?
Thanks in advance. Buying audio gear without trying them out is pain in the ass. Your answer would be incredibly useful.
Good amp, but for $20 I have a Brookstone Big Blue amp (recent clearance deal) that is hard to beat for the price. Sure the iFi black label is nicer, but not $400 nicer for me. :) I do also have an uber Schiit Stack for my desktop solution. Both of which powers my 600 ohm DT 880 pro just fine... I do have to have the volume knob up a bit more on the Big Blue compared to the Schiit, but I hear everything still. The Big blue is warmer though with a bit more bass boost compared to the flatter Schiit solution.
You dont understand the difference a quality DAC makes its not about the amp (so much) its the dac implementation going on here and from personal use music has never sounded more life like is the only way to put it, especially with music that uses live instruments and is well recorded. And yes it is worth it.
How did you like the Black Label with the 700s? I'm looking to find some use for them in a portable rig.
Hi there! Thanks for the reviews. What about this as an external DAC for a Bluesound Node 2, for instance? Does it make sense? A good idea? What do you think?
you sold me ! how about some Burson dac/amp's in the future ?
Where did you buy those translucent thin rubber bands? The ones that come with Ifi are too thick..
I prefered the ifi dsd bl over the nfb11. Superior dac and amp performance imo.
the xduoo xd05 is a budget ifi :)
Yannick Khong Have you compared them? I have an '05 but I think I want to upgrade to ifi idsd bl.
I am upgrading to the idsd bl myself. ak4490's velvet sound rolls off way too much stuff that the sound flattens out -_-
You should do revision 2 of m1060.
Why haven't you done a review on the all popular Shure se215??
cuz it sounds like shit. I owned and broke my very own se215s, the right side started making static noise within the first 2 weeks since I bought it, and within the next month the left side started doing the same. It isn't really well built and the sound quality is nothing impressive. ppl say its the best bang for buck, which isn't a lie because there isn't much you can actually get under 100$. But if you give the slightest shit about audio quality I'd save up and buy a really nice pair of cans from sennheiser or stax.
I rather just go for a pure desktop ampdac for headphone use at home and a portable dac like mojo or idsd nano and use them with iems.
Hey dms ! Can i run the isds plugged into dc outlet ? Like a desktop amp ?
Is it worth to buy a new NFB-11.28 ?
Norek912 depends on if you need something portable or desktop
desktop
I think it's worth it. NFB is still my go-to amp
It sounded a bit digital to me I prefer the mojo just saying
This or chord mojo ?
Erik Leonardi mentioned that in the video actually. Didn't have a mojo with me to compare.
Erik Leonardi from everything I've read is personally go for the iFi, especially since I like the idea of the bass boost. But if you want it to be portable for on the go use the Mojo is likely the better option. The iFi is more transportable than truly portable.
This, any day. Mojo has literally no features and is pretty overpriced for what it does. Also the volume adjusting on it gets annoying quickly.
How do this vs the Hugo 1?
I’ve owned both. The Dac is nicer than this, but in terms of power, technicality, and bells in whistles, this is unmatched. I use this with my th-900’s and arya’s and it’s pure bliss. Oh an MQA. This also can be used as a dac as DMS said
Shahzad Khan do is the chord’s dac nicer than the ifi ? But ifi has a better amp ?
Nicely done..
Im just confuse .. if i have this ifi amp with sennhiser650 do i still need an audio player or the mobile just enough ??
I've hooked it up to a phone via lightning and type C and both were great
I’ve been there too man, it was very complicated to me but now I understand it all. 1. are you android or iOS? 2. Do you have a computer?!
@@irun2sanaxox sure .. i have pc and android and ios
Ali Almatook okay, you don’t necessarily need a player cause you can actually use an iPhone or iPad & your music that you already have on iPhone may be enough but if you want a full experience 1. buy lossless music from HDtracks.com on your computer then you can copy it to your iPhone. Then download this app from the AppStore on your iPhone called VOX, it’s very simple to use & it allows you to play FLAC files instead of jus ALAC & it allows for higher playback quality if the sample rate is very high than the stock music app 2. To completely bypass the Dac on iPhone you can buy Apple’s camera adapter & then you can then get the full Dac experience. Now you’re done, your iPhone is now also a high res music player. Things to keep in mind HDtracks.com may not have all music that you want & if it’s not on there than you kinda wont find anywhere else in 24-bit lossless so if the album isn’t there than it may be on 7digital.com in 16-but lossless
Ali Almatook also keep in mind you *HAVE* to buy these lossless files from HDtracks but if you want full experience then I’d recommend it, if you have Spotify or Apple Music & listen to a TON of music then it would probably be better jus to stick with Spotify or Apple Music or even TIdal I heard they better quality than both Spotify & Apple Music but back to the point buying a lot of lossless music can get expensive & for the main point yes you can use the ifi with iPhone, jus buy Apple’s camera adapter to bypass the iPhones Dac. If you don’t buy lossless music then you don’t really have to download the vox app from the AppStore
damn expensive
only 1080p and 2K, nice
In its price, you can probably get an amazing desktop amp that is probably better than this... Exactly the reason I'm against turning everything portable and mobile except things that meant to be from the beginning, like that. Turns everything worse for the price, much better quality on desktop. Good portable equipment, costs always, more than desktop, and I get it, make it portable, tinier parts, harder assembly, complicated design, I do, but for me, I rather have an amazing desktop thing, rather than good portable thing at the same price. After all, everything, in a way, is portable. In the pocket, or in a truck, its still, in a way, kind of portable...
Aviad Leibovich Care to name a few examples of such "amazing desktop setups"? Because I'm fairly sure this iFi unit can count as amazing desktop solution as well.
Different strokes for different folks. I can think of lots of places I'd rather be sitting listening to music that at my desk.
CamperIV take for example astell and kernel ak380. It's a 3000$ amp/dac portable player. Now, take violectric HPA-V281 at 2400$. I can assure you, violectric's amp is much better than the ak380. I'm not saying the AK sucks, its just you are paying for the name, portability, miniature parts, player etc, while violectric's amps are a good match to a lot of headphones, orthos, dynamic, and awesome match with audeze, so violectric in that term is better, and probably in the sound quality, and amplify better than the AK... And, besides all that, it's cheaper, so buy whatever you want, but I know what I would buy
aviad. why not buy both. i know frens that have both aks and great desk amp
also... care to explain what the phrase "I'm against turning everything portable and mobile except things that meant to be from the beginning, like that."? im particularly confused at the "like that" part. are u refering to the ifi? or what may u be referring to if that is not the case
Nice shirt, wear a bucket hat with it in the next video.
sup bro lol
my advice is don't buy ifi micro dsd...dac is not good at the highs..bright
other than that I'll give 7.5 for the price..mojo need an amp...don't use it alone it won't shine
There is very little to none difference in amps, it's mostly a subjective thing.
brf 100 you should hear a good amp in a blind listening test. It can be very eye opening.
DMS3 TV I will test the O2 in the near future to see if this is different from my fiio e10k.
The best thing you own is a entry level $76 Fiio E10K, you're inexperienced enough to consider the O2 an 'upgrade', and you're still arrogant enough to make a universal claim about the effect of amplifiers? This is my trigger.
There are so many wannabe objectivists like you in this hobby who have literally never even tried good gear, I honestly wish you people would fuck off.
brf 100 not to be insulting but the E10K and O2 are both very low quality amps. : (
DMS3 TV what you would consider a good amp?