Watched this video months ago and re-watched today. Had my iFi Micro iDSD Signature since Nov. 2020 and just got the HiFiMan Arya this week (Sep. 19, 2021). Truly, great synergy between the two. The Arya can be competently driven on Normal Mode (that's how powerful it is). Lovin' the X-Bass on the Arya as it added a yummy yet natural sounding slam. Many in the audio groups I am in keep on saying get so and so DAC/amp stack to drive my Arya. The iDSD Signature is more than enough for me in driving the Arya. I appreciate your reviews a lot and been enjoying them. You've got a fan from the Philippines!
Ordered my Arya and my Signature a week ago and expecting them in a few days. What a coincidence! Looks like my choice was right. Thanks for your detailed review 👌
The very reason I have stuck to iFi DAC-amps is its XBass feature - its mandatory when listening to old 80/90s mainstream pop which suffer from a lack of bass. But when I listen to audiophile recordings I usually switch off XBass as it artificially thickens string/wind instruments and you also lose airiness. Having a truly portable high power output DAC/Amp is a true godsend for the freedom it gives when listening outdoors or when lounging on the sofa at home without being tethered to a power point. The only I didnt like was the XSpace feature which added spaciousness but at the expense of introducing an (unwanted) boosted treble.
I just went back to the Micro iDSD after running the Arya with the Singxter SA-1 and SMSL SU9 combo for a couple of days. Going back to the iFi, I realized I will be selling all my desktop gear. This little beast is all I need.
I matched up my Aryas with the woo audio wa11 topaz and they sound good together.Not great ,but it’s a solid matchup.Now that you have peaked my curiosity,I’ll have to demo the signature/Arya pairing.
Wanted to add the the filter options don't work on the stock firmware. The one that allows you to decode MQA. This is probably why you didn't hear a difference. Great review, I'm a big fan of the Arya Signature combo too :) - *Edit* disregard - I had that wrong.
Again this is not true. The stock firmware is 5.3 which does not include the GTO filter which replaces all the filters in the different switch positions. I have a Signature and it shipped with 5.3. Only 5.3c with the GTO filter disables switch filters. MQA is available with GTO or without GTO. 5.2 older firmware doesnt have MQA or GTO filter and all switch filters work. Also upto DSD512 works. 5.3 MQA and switch filters work. 5.3c MQA and GTO Filter that disables switch. The changes are very very subtle so you need to know what to listen for and listen carefully with the right sort of tracks.
I've got an Arya and a Schiit Bifrost 2, with a Schiit Jotunheim 2 on the way. I'm contemplating getting this to see if it might be a cheaper desktop alternative which can provide similar results. Thoughts? What had been the best DAC/amp combo you had tried with the Arya prior to the Signature? I assume this ain't a great option for classical and jazz, but neither is the Schiit stack, so I'm thinking maybe I could replace the Schiit stack with this for pop and rock and then buy a separate DAC/amp combo specifically for classical and jazz. Alternatively, maybe pairing the HD 800 S with this (with bass boost off) would be a more price-efficient option for classical and jazz than pairing the Arya with an equivalently priced ($1,400) DAC/amp combo.
Hey man, can you try to get your hand on ifi idsd micro black label(BL). As the Micro BL can be found now for much less cost in used market. I want to know what i miss with micro BL, other than the balanced output. Your headphone comparison are spot-on. Hope you do a comparison video of micro signature with other amp/dac just like your headphone comparison:)
I read a review on the Signature that said even though it has the 4.4 balanced... the Signature does NOT use a Balanced circuitry Internally. So the Signature is NOT a balanced Dac/AMP... and you don't need the 4.4 socket to get the full power out of the device. The only thing that's probably different between the Signature and the Black Label is their sound. I've got the ifi idsd micro black label and to me the Signature is a side grade, not an upgrade over the Black Label. Below is some write up I found online about the Signature sound The Signature is slightly warm, but on the neutral end of iFi's house sound . The stage is quite good, and it provides excellent dynamics and response. In terms of overall sonic performance, it provides an improvement in detail, resolution, and soundstage over the micro Black Label.
Hey @@chuckolatte600, I know i tell you to review so many stuff.. Sorry but you and resolve (from headphoneshow) are my go-to reviewer for audio gear. And, headphoneshow being big, my comment stay lost in the crowd. So, you're my only hope. And, if you can get your hands on dethonray honey h1, please do a review and comparison with signature (based on your memory) would be nice :)
Thanks for the review. Would you recommend this dac/amp for someone who is less interested in bass and more interested in the mids for vocals, particularly female ballads? Classical music?
Of course they can use something better, as with all other TOTL headphones. Currently they're hooked to a TT2 playing Gwilym Gold. The thing about Empyreans is that they sound very good with the iFi Signature for my portable needs while scaling really well with a TOTL desktop dac/amp. iFi Signature rewards efficient headphones like an Arya or Empy as its DAC section is really good while pushing enough power. I also prefer its sound signature match--up with the Empys over a Cayin C9 or iFi Diablo.
You should compare the 3D+ on this to Dirac Sensaround on the monoprice monolith THX portable at 300$ I want to buy this for a balanced option, but it's really expensive and it is likely NOT better than my THX portable. I wish someone could compare. Also, Tell Bad Gu Good Audio about The Arya & the XBass. He loves The Arya
I have a question Chuck does running a mobile AMP like this one out of a dac gets you the same sound quality as running it out of a dedicated headphone jack?
Planning to get this to use as a desktop main DAC for studio monitors and IEM's? Can i keep the monitors connected and the IEM's in at the same time? Is this thing overkill for my intent?
Although I've never personally tried the RME before, this DAC/amp is clean and perfect. Just ask yourself if you're willing to remember to charge the unit lol
I'm planning on buying an arya first and then gradually, gonna upgrade my source to topping a90 and d90 stack. Would you say that the idsd signature would suffice and somewhat offer comparable sound to those stack ? Or should I just save up to buy those stack ? Right now, I only have mojo as my source. Thank you in advance
Usually, yeah. But I found myself forced to keep it at a slightly lower volume because the iFi Signature already pushes out extreme amounts of power, haha. And I was trying to match the output on a PC with THAT volume set to 100
@@chuckolatte600 Your using it wrong if you're using phone volume. You should have iFi on lowest gain and max volume on phone. That's how you get the best signal to noise and best drive from the AMP. Also I guess you must be using an Android device. iPhone volume control doesnt work as it's routed as bit perfect with DAC volume control only. If you want bit-perfect volume output on Android you need to use Apps like USB Audio Player Pro as Android will down-sample and up-sample everything to 16bit 48khz. This is not a limitation of the iFi, its a limitation of Android!
@@Hiltondk69 How about android system based DAPs like iBasso dx160 or Sony A100? If I wanted to use them as USB source to this ifi signature dac/amp are they going to behave like the phone and resample everything to 16bit/48kHz as well?
@@sapphiro Nope same problem. It's an Android limitation. Though if using USB Audio Player pro you can bypass the standard Android audio stack and get bit perfect.
@@Hiltondk69 iBasso uses Mango player and Sony also uses proprietary player. Are you sure those apps do not bypass android settings like the usb audio player app you mentioned?
Not sure, haven't heard the stealth magnet revision quite yet. From what I hear though, it gets rid of what makes the Aryas so special by trying to perfect its response. But like I said, idk quite yet.
I can say the Diablo sounds better in balanced mode than the Signature..... if they had made the Signature with balanced outputs and 5 watts of power it would have been great... but, they didn't
@@chuckolatte600 it was a disappointment when they added the 4.4mm connector to the signature and then tried to sugar coat the fact that its not a 4.4mm balanced output... who in their right mind would try to trick a customer into thinking they were getting a 4.4mm balanced output... do you know of any manufacturer that has a 4.4mm as an output that isn't balanced... it is like they cheated here...
Yeah 650 sounds steep but it's portable and versitile, Its only missing bluetooth. I don't need a stack of gear in my room. I need a one hitter quiter. Hmmmmm !
I don't get it why the new ifi products are not mute/adjustable on windows. With my ifi nano black label I can still change the volume in windows or mute the device.
That is not the case at all. If you load the GTO 5.3c firmware then the filter switch wont work. I just purchased an Signature and it shipped with 5.3 not 5.3c and filters definitely work in 5.3.
@@Hiltondk69 maybe now it doesn't come with the firmware where it's disabled but according to another review it did so it's a possibility. He can always just check the version.
I bought this. Soundwise it bests my fiio m17 and every other dap except the calyxm. I could've saved alot of money if i would've heard this first. But it has too many qa issues
Hey there , I have the fiio m17 and I'm wondering what I would gain exactly going to the idsd signature. If you don't mind, what in the sound quality do you prefer on the idsd signature?
Just ordered this to replace my schitt stack, the dac just died on me. I don't really care much about portability as it's going to replace my desktop setup.
If you're considering a desktop setup, the Jotunheim seems to be the better choice (since you won't have to deal with batteries and whatnot). If you want something portable, I can only vouch for the iFi Signature, since I haven't tried the Honey H1
The mojo doesn’t have the output to power the Aryas properly.I got rid of my mojo because it had a tough time powering most of the higher end planar headphones on the market.Dynamic headphones,like the focal clears,sounded great but my Aryas and Audeze LCD 2 and LCD 3 struggled with the mojo.I ended up replacing the mojo with the woo audio wa11 topaz
@@planetarydislocation3495 look up the headphones your looking to run and see what their power requirements are.Most highend planar headphones like,hifiman ,Audeze etc need 1watt+ of power for them to perform properly.The IFI micro IDSD puts out 1-1 1/2 watts at normal setting and up to 4 watts at turbo setting.That will power any headphone you’ll ever buy.I believe the Mojo outputs 1/2 watt to 3/4 watts which is cutting it close.When I had my mojo,it powered my focal clears fine.However when I hooked them up to my ifi micro idsd black label there was a notable difference in performance.The Clears sounded tighter,more dynamic,had better slam and bass response and obviously played louder.I also have the Woo audio wa11 topaz ,which also outputs above 1 watt and it powers all my headphones also.My daily carry setup is the AK Kahn cube which also has a fantastic amp which powers all my headphones perfectly at 1-3 watts.Remember power doesn’t just mean that your speakers will play louder,the extra power also allows them to perform the way they were designed too.Like I said ,all you have to do is check out the amps output under specs and match it to your headphones sensitivity(db) and it’s ohms to get an idea on how much power you will need.Some headphones are more sensitive then others and are designed to be powered by low output sources,like a smartphone,but even these headphones will benefit from a more powerful,clean sounding,amp. Hope this helps
@@scary_scat3924 thank you so much for your very detailed reply. As a newbie, this helped me understand the need for amps and the reason people upgrade to more expensive ones. Thought it was only for the increased volume. I currently have the Ananda paired with an iFi Hip Dac. Do you think upgrading my dac/amp to the iFi Signature will give me a noticeable improvement in sound?
Pretty well, considering the Clears don't need all that much power. As for the Xbass, I really didn't think the Clears needed more bass. Up to your preferences though
I have this exact combination, Clear and Signature. It’s an excellent pair. I didn’t try clear with any other source, but for me, this is sounding great.
im using the fiio k5 pro for a while and i feel like fiio k5 pro has details but cuts the low end from the headphone. Did u feel like the default mode of micro idsd signature does the same thing to headphones? Planning to pair them with dt 880 250ohm/600 ohm is a good idea?
Yes, actually. Using the RCA outs on the rear of the device will send the signal at full blast to the next item on your chain. That said, I recommend you get something for volume adjustments (ex: a Schiit Sys)
It uses 2 dual core (4 channels) in a dual-mono configuration to reduce distortion with a dual mono Amp section using their unique S-Balance output stage. (note its a not fully balanced design as they believe that fully balanced outputs introduce more noise than their unique S-Balanced design)
Watched this video months ago and re-watched today. Had my iFi Micro iDSD Signature since Nov. 2020 and just got the HiFiMan Arya this week (Sep. 19, 2021). Truly, great synergy between the two. The Arya can be competently driven on Normal Mode (that's how powerful it is). Lovin' the X-Bass on the Arya as it added a yummy yet natural sounding slam. Many in the audio groups I am in keep on saying get so and so DAC/amp stack to drive my Arya. The iDSD Signature is more than enough for me in driving the Arya. I appreciate your reviews a lot and been enjoying them. You've got a fan from the Philippines!
Another one here !
Thanks my friend
Ordered my Arya and my Signature a week ago and expecting them in a few days. What a coincidence! Looks like my choice was right. Thanks for your detailed review 👌
The very reason I have stuck to iFi DAC-amps is its XBass feature - its mandatory when listening to old 80/90s mainstream pop which suffer from a lack of bass. But when I listen to audiophile recordings I usually switch off XBass as it artificially thickens string/wind instruments and you also lose airiness. Having a truly portable high power output DAC/Amp is a true godsend for the freedom it gives when listening outdoors or when lounging on the sofa at home without being tethered to a power point. The only I didnt like was the XSpace feature which added spaciousness but at the expense of introducing an (unwanted) boosted treble.
Thanks for the review of the Signature chucko!
I just went back to the Micro iDSD after running the Arya with the Singxter SA-1 and SMSL SU9 combo for a couple of days. Going back to the iFi, I realized I will be selling all my desktop gear. This little beast is all I need.
YEAH. It's really impressive to see how much this little thing can do, huh?
Are they comparable or better than your desktop set up for your arya ? How's the technical performance on the idsd signature ?
I matched up my Aryas with the woo audio wa11 topaz and they sound good together.Not great ,but it’s a solid matchup.Now that you have peaked my curiosity,I’ll have to demo the signature/Arya pairing.
Yeah if you're somewhat into heavy bass for bass-oriented tracks, it'll make you do some funny things lol
So got this having owned the Arya for a while, and you're correct they make them come alive! Such an awesome combo. Thanks for the recommendation
try the monolith m1070s or m1570s
Synergy of amp/dac - hp:s are so rare to see imo its super nice that you take those to the account and i love you EL Chucko! :D
Wanted to add the the filter options don't work on the stock firmware. The one that allows you to decode MQA. This is probably why you didn't hear a difference. Great review, I'm a big fan of the Arya Signature combo too :) - *Edit* disregard - I had that wrong.
Again this is not true. The stock firmware is 5.3 which does not include the GTO filter which replaces all the filters in the different switch positions. I have a Signature and it shipped with 5.3. Only 5.3c with the GTO filter disables switch filters. MQA is available with GTO or without GTO. 5.2 older firmware doesnt have MQA or GTO filter and all switch filters work. Also upto DSD512 works. 5.3 MQA and switch filters work. 5.3c MQA and GTO Filter that disables switch. The changes are very very subtle so you need to know what to listen for and listen carefully with the right sort of tracks.
@@Hiltondk69 Thanks for the clarification.
9:30 arya owners
"Arya Plus" love this and agree 100% Great stuff!
I've got an Arya and a Schiit Bifrost 2, with a Schiit Jotunheim 2 on the way. I'm contemplating getting this to see if it might be a cheaper desktop alternative which can provide similar results. Thoughts? What had been the best DAC/amp combo you had tried with the Arya prior to the Signature? I assume this ain't a great option for classical and jazz, but neither is the Schiit stack, so I'm thinking maybe I could replace the Schiit stack with this for pop and rock and then buy a separate DAC/amp combo specifically for classical and jazz. Alternatively, maybe pairing the HD 800 S with this (with bass boost off) would be a more price-efficient option for classical and jazz than pairing the Arya with an equivalently priced ($1,400) DAC/amp combo.
I'd have loved to see a reply to this
Hey man, can you try to get your hand on ifi idsd micro black label(BL). As the Micro BL can be found now for much less cost in used market. I want to know what i miss with micro BL, other than the balanced output.
Your headphone comparison are spot-on. Hope you do a comparison video of micro signature with other amp/dac just like your headphone comparison:)
Interesting
I read a review on the Signature that said even though it has the 4.4 balanced... the Signature does NOT use a Balanced circuitry Internally. So the Signature is NOT a balanced Dac/AMP... and you don't need the 4.4 socket to get the full power out of the device. The only thing that's probably different between the Signature and the Black Label is their sound. I've got the ifi idsd micro black label and to me the Signature is a side grade, not an upgrade over the Black Label.
Below is some write up I found online about the Signature sound
The Signature is slightly warm, but on the neutral end of iFi's house sound . The stage is quite good, and it provides excellent dynamics and response. In terms of overall sonic performance, it provides an improvement in detail, resolution, and soundstage over the micro Black Label.
Hey @@chuckolatte600, I know i tell you to review so many stuff.. Sorry but you and resolve (from headphoneshow) are my go-to reviewer for audio gear. And, headphoneshow being big, my comment stay lost in the crowd.
So, you're my only hope. And, if you can get your hands on dethonray honey h1, please do a review and comparison with signature (based on your memory) would be nice :)
@@syncwork Thanks! I'll see what I can do--it ain't cheap, haha!
Thanks for the review. Would you recommend this dac/amp for someone who is less interested in bass and more interested in the mids for vocals, particularly female ballads? Classical music?
Oh yeah, definitely. It just so happens that the Xbass toggle works well for certain HPs, but leaving that off makes it sound quite neutral.
I agree re: Arya. I can also say the synergy with my Empyreans is amazing
Don't remind me, I gotta get my hands on the empyreans too lol. Fork out that moolah haha
I assume Empyreans can use something better.
Of course they can use something better, as with all other TOTL headphones. Currently they're hooked to a TT2 playing Gwilym Gold. The thing about Empyreans is that they sound very good with the iFi Signature for my portable needs while scaling really well with a TOTL desktop dac/amp. iFi Signature rewards efficient headphones like an Arya or Empy as its DAC section is really good while pushing enough power. I also prefer its sound signature match--up with the Empys over a Cayin C9 or iFi Diablo.
Hi, do you think that changes the HD800s as the Arya? Thx
Another excellent review sir. Keep bringing em.
You should compare the 3D+ on this to Dirac Sensaround on the monoprice monolith THX portable at 300$
I want to buy this for a balanced option, but it's really expensive and it is likely NOT better than my THX portable.
I wish someone could compare. Also, Tell Bad Gu Good Audio about The Arya & the XBass. He loves The Arya
I have a question Chuck does running a mobile AMP like this one out of a dac gets you the same sound quality as running it out of a dedicated headphone jack?
Planning to get this to use as a desktop main DAC for studio monitors and IEM's?
Can i keep the monitors connected and the IEM's in at the same time?
Is this thing overkill for my intent?
Thank you for the great explanation
So this is the 3rd version already? Any idea when the next version releases, based on previous release cycle?
Anyone compared this with the hip dac? How much of an improvement? I am mainly going to use it as a Desktop setup
Looking for a amp/dac combo for my new arya's. I wonder if this would be able to get as good results as something like an rme adi-2...?
Although I've never personally tried the RME before, this DAC/amp is clean and perfect. Just ask yourself if you're willing to remember to charge the unit lol
chuckolatte no worries thanks mate!
First arya owner to like this video
First Arya owner to like your comment about being the first Arya owner to like this video
I'm planning on buying an arya first and then gradually, gonna upgrade my source to topping a90 and d90 stack. Would you say that the idsd signature would suffice and somewhat offer comparable sound to those stack ? Or should I just save up to buy those stack ? Right now, I only have mojo as my source. Thank you in advance
Yeah the signature has definitely surprised me! The only downside of course, you'll have to keep it charged.
@@chuckolatte600 do you have any other desktop dac amp recommendation for the arya ? I've got the V2 here
So is this the best dac/amp combi for Aryas until 750$? And how js it for gaming?
Shouldn't you have turned the volume all the way up on your phone? Usually source audio volume should be all the way up for best sound.
Usually, yeah. But I found myself forced to keep it at a slightly lower volume because the iFi Signature already pushes out extreme amounts of power, haha. And I was trying to match the output on a PC with THAT volume set to 100
@@chuckolatte600 Your using it wrong if you're using phone volume. You should have iFi on lowest gain and max volume on phone. That's how you get the best signal to noise and best drive from the AMP. Also I guess you must be using an Android device. iPhone volume control doesnt work as it's routed as bit perfect with DAC volume control only. If you want bit-perfect volume output on Android you need to use Apps like USB Audio Player Pro as Android will down-sample and up-sample everything to 16bit 48khz. This is not a limitation of the iFi, its a limitation of Android!
@@Hiltondk69 How about android system based DAPs like iBasso dx160 or Sony A100? If I wanted to use them as USB source to this ifi signature dac/amp are they going to behave like the phone and resample everything to 16bit/48kHz as well?
@@sapphiro Nope same problem. It's an Android limitation. Though if using USB Audio Player pro you can bypass the standard Android audio stack and get bit perfect.
@@Hiltondk69 iBasso uses Mango player and Sony also uses proprietary player.
Are you sure those apps do not bypass android settings like the usb audio player app you mentioned?
What's your thoughts on the new Arya with stealth magnets vs the v2 paired with the Signature?
Not sure, haven't heard the stealth magnet revision quite yet. From what I hear though, it gets rid of what makes the Aryas so special by trying to perfect its response. But like I said, idk quite yet.
I already halfway through the review take my money
You know where to click ;)
11am isnt loud enough. 11pm is where it's at😎 *Death stranding soundtrack on your laptop eh? hehe
;)
@@chuckolatte600 I love it.
I can say the Diablo sounds better in balanced mode than the Signature..... if they had made the Signature with balanced outputs and 5 watts of power it would have been great... but, they didn't
That'll be something quite important to try out...once I get my Diablo in :O
@@chuckolatte600 it was a disappointment when they added the 4.4mm connector to the signature and then tried to sugar coat the fact that its not a 4.4mm balanced output... who in their right mind would try to trick a customer into thinking they were getting a 4.4mm balanced output... do you know of any manufacturer that has a 4.4mm as an output that isn't balanced... it is like they cheated here...
@@dixter1652 Not quite sure, haven't explored the 4.4mm route myself. Need to start doing that though lol
Can you compare the sound to your DAC/AMP combo?
Yeah 650 sounds steep but it's portable and versitile, Its only missing bluetooth. I don't need a stack of gear in my room. I need a one hitter quiter. Hmmmmm !
I don't get it why the new ifi products are not mute/adjustable on windows.
With my ifi nano black label I can still change the volume in windows or mute the device.
Hmm
I wonder how elex and lcd-2c would sound with x-bass on.
It also pairs well with he1000v2 :0)
Apparently the filter settings are disabled with the stock firmware. That might be why you couldn't tell the difference.
That is not the case at all. If you load the GTO 5.3c firmware then the filter switch wont work. I just purchased an Signature and it shipped with 5.3 not 5.3c and filters definitely work in 5.3.
@@Hiltondk69 maybe now it doesn't come with the firmware where it's disabled but according to another review it did so it's a possibility. He can always just check the version.
Hi, I have the black label worth upgrading to signature?
I bought this. Soundwise it bests my fiio m17 and every other dap except the calyxm. I could've saved alot of money if i would've heard this first. But it has too many qa issues
Hey there , I have the fiio m17 and I'm wondering what I would gain exactly going to the idsd signature. If you don't mind, what in the sound quality do you prefer on the idsd signature?
There is also a black label with the same output and cost less
I'll have to try out the black label. If it can do most of what the signature can, then it's a REAL value
centrance hifi-m8 v2 or ifi dsd signure?
Do you notice small lag when chating on skype or playing games ?
Nah I didn't really notice that. Didn't use them for skype though...
Whats your dac amp stack?
Currently, my main is the SMSL SU-8 V2 and the THX AAA 789
Just ordered this to replace my schitt stack, the dac just died on me. I don't really care much about portability as it's going to replace my desktop setup.
Well, it's definitely a good replacement. Maybe you'll miss things like a remote control, BT, and more I/O. Enjoy!
I cannot decide between ifi signature, honey H1, jotunheim 2,
need help,
If you're considering a desktop setup, the Jotunheim seems to be the better choice (since you won't have to deal with batteries and whatnot). If you want something portable, I can only vouch for the iFi Signature, since I haven't tried the Honey H1
idsd signature or mojo ? i use ThieAudio Monarch and i like warm sound with more bass than the average
Not sure, haven't heard the Mojo yet...
The mojo doesn’t have the output to power the Aryas properly.I got rid of my mojo because it had a tough time powering most of the higher end planar headphones on the market.Dynamic headphones,like the focal clears,sounded great but my Aryas and Audeze LCD 2 and LCD 3 struggled with the mojo.I ended up replacing the mojo with the woo audio wa11 topaz
@@scary_scat3924 hi there. Newbie here. How does one know if their amp does not power a headphone properly/enough?
@@planetarydislocation3495 look up the headphones your looking to run and see what their power requirements are.Most highend planar headphones like,hifiman ,Audeze etc need 1watt+ of power for them to perform properly.The IFI micro IDSD puts out 1-1 1/2 watts at normal setting and up to 4 watts at turbo setting.That will power any headphone you’ll ever buy.I believe the Mojo outputs 1/2 watt to 3/4 watts which is cutting it close.When I had my mojo,it powered my focal clears fine.However when I hooked them up to my ifi micro idsd black label there was a notable difference in performance.The Clears sounded tighter,more dynamic,had better slam and bass response and obviously played louder.I also have the Woo audio wa11 topaz ,which also outputs above 1 watt and it powers all my headphones also.My daily carry setup is the AK Kahn cube which also has a fantastic amp which powers all my headphones perfectly at 1-3 watts.Remember power doesn’t just mean that your speakers will play louder,the extra power also allows them to perform the way they were designed too.Like I said ,all you have to do is check out the amps output under specs and match it to your headphones sensitivity(db) and it’s ohms to get an idea on how much power you will need.Some headphones are more sensitive then others and are designed to be powered by low output sources,like a smartphone,but even these headphones will benefit from a more powerful,clean sounding,amp.
Hope this helps
@@scary_scat3924 thank you so much for your very detailed reply. As a newbie, this helped me understand the need for amps and the reason people upgrade to more expensive ones. Thought it was only for the increased volume.
I currently have the Ananda paired with an iFi Hip Dac. Do you think upgrading my dac/amp to the iFi Signature will give me a noticeable improvement in sound?
How do you think this would pair with Focal Clear?
Pretty well, considering the Clears don't need all that much power. As for the Xbass, I really didn't think the Clears needed more bass. Up to your preferences though
I have this exact combination, Clear and Signature. It’s an excellent pair. I didn’t try clear with any other source, but for me, this is sounding great.
Can i have it? I just got my open box aryas today. Using it with a sad little Earstudio Es100
Is it safe to charge this with my Galaxy Note 20 USB type-c charger? Or will it damage the circuitry?
Nah, you'll be fine. I've charged the Signature with my Galaxy S20+ charger plenty of times
What about ananda?
im using the fiio k5 pro for a while and i feel like fiio k5 pro has details but cuts the low end from the headphone. Did u feel like the default mode of micro idsd signature does the same thing to headphones? Planning to pair them with dt 880 250ohm/600 ohm is a good idea?
Not really. The entire sound signature felt as complete as can be to me
Hello, can these be used as a dac and bypass the amp? Thanks!
A DAC to what?> It has line out so yes if that's what you're after.
Yes, actually. Using the RCA outs on the rear of the device will send the signal at full blast to the next item on your chain. That said, I recommend you get something for volume adjustments (ex: a Schiit Sys)
is it dual mono with 2 dac chip?
It uses 2 dual core (4 channels) in a dual-mono configuration to reduce distortion with a dual mono Amp section using their unique S-Balance output stage. (note its a not fully balanced design as they believe that fully balanced outputs introduce more noise than their unique S-Balanced design)
how does it compare with your desktop stack in sound quality?
thank you, 🙏
Honestly man, it's right up there! This thing definitely packs a great value.
Picks up 650$ piece of highly sensitive audio equipment ... then drops it on marble countertop 😨
yee
this thing can drive Arya? How loud do you listen?
Not as loud as you do, it seems...?
Anything can drive Arya if you use a 3.5 adaptor. The Sennhiser adaptor is what I'm using
Sorry...
It's NOT balanced.
😢
It doesn't matter