I’ve seen a million reviews about the specs and what the dongle can power, so I thought I’d record my EXPERIENCE with the iFi-Go Link both at home and prolonged travel.

But first, for those of you who just want to know if I consider it a worthy buy without caring about the “why”, then, “Yes”. I consider the iFi-Go Link to be a very worthwhile travel companion for people both commuting/traveling and those who just need a solid, semi-mid-Fi portable audio solution with an extremely reasonable footprint for the performance and features offered.

That said; I will now go into the “why”.

Almost a decade ago, I reviewed the iFi micro iDSD. And that portable DAC/Amp completely surpassed what I considered possible for a portable DAC and amplifier to be capable of near-desktop-class power output! The features offered (“3D”, “XBass”, “IEMatch”, “Polarity Match”, etc..) were completely beyond anything that I had ever auditioned. So needless to say, I ran right out and immediately bought one that day.

This spring, iFi approached me to review the iFi-Go Link, which I wasn’t expecting to be surprised by after using their new xDSD Gryphon. So a new headphone “DONGLE” initially left me feeling a bit underwhelmed. However, once I started to put iFi’s Go Link through its paces, I realized that I had once again sold one of their new offerings woefully-short.


First – Let me say that I was WRONG about not liking the attached cable. It’s a TRAVEL COMPONENT. I don’t know where ANY of the “original” cables that came with my other dongles are anymore. They get lost in bags, behind monitors, in jacket pockets, etc… Having the cable attached means that it’s ALWAYS THERE, and no last-minute scurrying around to find that darn missing cable!



Simply put, the iFi-Go not only enables you to listen to your music easily, but augments the convenience by providing you with the ability to listen to your music with better than “standard” fidelity as well. Yes, I have other audio sources and even a tiny portable BTR-5 from Fiio that I use regularly. But none of them drive my standard wired earphones on the road/in the air as simply as the iFi-Go Link is able to. Just plug it in, and it works – No menus, buttons, switches… Just plug and listen.

The iFi-Go Link provides mobile audio “transparently”, (It draws power from your phone/mobile device, so no battery weight.) But the best feature to me personally, is the Go Link’s single-ended (3.5mm TRS) output quality.

Traveling with your phone is great and relatively “transparent” since most people now carry their phones with them 24/7. But if you want to step-up your audio experience beyond “low bit-rate” music streaming services and MP3, then getting better audio into your hi-res capable headphones than the typical smartphone can muster is a great way to do so. Enter the iFi Go-Link.



Now, while I still LOVE my micro iDSD, calling it “portable” is a bit of a stretch. (It's better described as "travel sized".) It DOES operate on battery power, but its long, metal chassis stays in my laptop bag on the plane as there usually isn’t room for it anywhere else, and it certainly doesn’t fit in a pocket unless I’m bundled up in a coat. Even the xCAN is about half the length of my micro iDSD, and noticeably thinner as well. The iFi-Go Link blows them both out of the water for portability though!


MANY thanks to Lawrance and all the amazing people over at iFi for making this review unit available to me! I had the opportunity to evaluate "real life" usage of the iFi-Go Link on both short and long flights, (5 hours in the air as well as airport time.) cab rides, and shuttle commutes. In EVERY way, the iFi Go Link performed like a champ. Plenty of power for iems and Bose Quiet Comfort 25 headphones (Wired connection), and great ease of use!

LOOKS
The Go Link sports a matte, anodized finish with gold finish at the audio jack. The controls are also fairly straight-forward – NONE! The Go Link, initially lights the MQA LED up in the color of the selected mode. The modes being: (GREEN light) “PCM” mode, [44.1/48/88.2/96kHz], (CYAN light) “DSD 64/128” mode, (YELLOW light) “PCM” mode [176.4/192/352.8/384kHz], (MAGENTA light) “MQA Renderer” mode, and (BLUE light) “DSD256” mode.



CONTENTS
The iFi-GO Link ships with Go Link dongle unit itself with an attached Type-C connector, USB Type-C to Lightning adapter, & USB Type-C to Type-A adapter.


POWER
The iFi-GO Link powers vast majority of low to medium power headphones I own via my available Android devices (One Plus 8, Lenovo A12, & Samsung Galaxy S22), Macbook Pro M1 16”, Windows 11 Dell i5 Laptop, & Intel I9 PC. iFi cites power output of 70mW into 32 ohms, and a maximum voltage output of 2.05V into 600 ohms.


SOUND
Neutral - So far as I can tell, the Go Link brings nothing to the sound. It just decodes it and then makes it louder. Odd as it sounds, I like this. When I’m comparing headphones, the last thing I want to have to do is to try and “compensate” for my source. Near as I can tell, the source is what you hear. No “Presence”, “3D+”, or “XBass II+” to play with in order to sculpt-in your preferences concerning soundstage, airiness, and “thump”. You just kick back and listen to your songs the way that they were recorded.

Sound Comparisons
I tested the Go Link’s single-ended input, and I heard nothing but extremely clean sound.

1) ZEN Desktop Stack: Samsung Galaxy S22 - TIDAL streaming service (“MASTER” quality)

2) xDSD Gryphon: Samsung Galaxy S22 - TIDAL streaming service (“MASTER” quality)

3) iFi Go Link: Samsung Galaxy S22 - TIDAL streaming service (“MASTER” quality)


1: Zen Stack is the least portable but offers the best sound experience overall. Not TOO much difference between Zen & Gryphon to be honest, but fuller and punchier bass (Without XBASS CUSTOMIZATIONS!), Slightly tamer highs, and lusher mids. Relative to the Go Link, this is music wrapped in velvet

2: xDSD Gryphon is the middle-ground for portability. You can place against the back of your phone, and just let the two sit on your airline tray, between your knees, or sit in a pocket if you’re wearing a jacket. Again, without XBASS or XSPACE, just the flat audio out of the Gryphon is slightly warmer, fuller, and certainly gets LOUDER. But at same listening volumes, while not a “night and day” difference, there IS just a bit more “warmth” to the sound of any genre, and spoken audio is slightly less crisp. Not an issue unless your speaker has a distinctly sibilant quality to their voice.

3: Go Link is my image of just south of dead-neutral. There is a little rawness that can be mistaken for extra resolution, but I’m not sold on that. I just get the impression of an unrefined/raw signal getting tamed, but nothing ADDED short of a slight warming to tone down what some might find to sterile a sound. It’s just “there”. Not thin, not full, not overly-processed, just audio with no bells or whistles.



HEADPHONES:
Inexpensive: Sennheiser CX300 II, Koss Porta Pros, UE Super.Fi 3s, Tin Audio T3
Mid Range: Kanas Pro, BGVP DMGs, One More Quad drivers
Higher end: Mangird Tea, 7Hz Timeless, and Etymotic ER4XRs/ER4SRs

PREFERED CONFIG (For Travel)
Samsung Galaxy -> USB-C to iFi Go Link -> 3.5 unbalanced cable to Mangird Tea (for mobile/on the go) and 7Hz Timeless in a relatively quiet hotel room/office.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Many thanks to Lawrance over at iFi - who has been patient and supportive of getting me info and started with product the past few years. This is my purely subjective review – based on my gear, my ears, and my experience. Please consider and respect this - especially if my impressions do not match your own.

I have used the iFi Zen Stream, (Going forward I will refer to it simply as " Zen Stream") extensively over the past 4 months, and I have clocked a lot of hours with the streamer. This review is MUCH later than I had anticipated because I realized that my then-current audio setup wasn't resolving enough to fairly comment on the capabilities of the Zen Stream. I had to wait for new headphones & amp to arrive, then break-in, and get to where I felt I had a decent baseline again to resume evaluating performance.

You can read specs anywhere, so for the sake of brevity, and since this is coming out much later than anticipated, I will stick to how my experience went and how the Zen Stream fit into my stable of audio devices.

Setup
For this review, I used the Zen Stream PRIMARILY from Tidal & Amazon MusicHD. I also tested against Local Network audio files stored on my PCs and NAS (Network Attached Storage) drives to see differences (if any) in performance. I am not a ROON user, so sorry, I couldn't get myself comfortable enough to try and comment on that functionality.

To ensure that I wasn't penalizing the Zen Stream for sonic differences/preferences, I tried it with a good selection of amps. (Hint: The thing is dang NEUTRAL. None of the amps "liked" or "hated" the Zen Stream.)

In the end, the way I spent most of my time listening to it via Apple, Android, phone, or tablet was like this:
Setup: iFi Power Station-iFi Zen Stream-Denafrips Pontus II-Burson Soloist 3x-Harmon Kardon HK-870-HiFiMan He6se v2 - Running off HK-870's 100w per channel speaker taps. (Yes, to ensure that there was NO question that I was getting the most out of the He6se v2, I A/B'd the Burson 8wpc EXCELLENT headphone amp's Balanced XLR-out against the HK with a speaker tap to XLR adapter cable, and the HK clearly won for dynamics and soundstage, volume-matched with a BAFX3370 decibel meter.)

With the unit sitting right under the spare TV connected to Denafrips Pontus II DAC, Burson Soloist 3x doubling as headphone amp and pre-amp for my Harmon Kardon HK-870 power unit with XLR headphones driven off the speaker taps. (I wanted to see how long it would take for my wife to comment...) In order to better realize the capabilities, I had to upgrade my amplification to properly drive my new HiFiman he6se v2 headphones that I had gotten so that I had something to contrast my HEDDPhone One which was the highest resolving headphone I had. (While my other headphones sounded great, none of them had the resolving capability to truly discern the differences between streaming sources. I imagine this is tied to the argument where people say, "All DACs sound the same." because from my favorite daily-driver headphones: HD-650s, ATH-AD900Xs, Beyerdynamic T1 v2, and others, listening through my Topping A90, Asgard 2, and other entry-level amps there really wasn't a clear difference. They just didn't resolve highly enough to show the differences in levels of performance.)

All this upgrading should give you the idea that the iFi Zen Stream is a VERY technically/sonically capable streamer...
I had to swallow a bitter pill of humility and admit that the amps and headphones I had on-hand weren't up to the task of adequately reviewing Zen Stream.

Right - Now with all that out of the way, on to what matters!

WHAT IT IS
The Stream is a solid-state dual-band Wi-Fi streamer supporting 802.11a/b/g/n/ac from iFi’s ZEN line of products which also includes an ANC noise-reduced USB or iPurifier SPDiF digital connection out to your DAC or multimedia hub.

For my setup the BEST sound came from this chain: NAS-->iFi Stream-->PontusII DAC-->Burson Soloist 3x (Pre-Amp)
-->HK-870-->HiFiMan He6se v2. (Major boosts in dynamic range, spacial placement within soundstage, and greater resolution.) HEDDPhone One came close and was much easier to achieve it's best as it sounded great just from the Burson Soloist 3x Performance amp. Oddly enough, while listening through the HK-870 gave way more power, it actually took a little away from HEDDPhone's clarity & separation.

2nd place: TIDAL-->iFi Stream-->PontusII DAC-->Burson Soloist 3x (Pre-Amp)
-->HK-870-->HiFiMan He6se v2. (Slight drop in dynamic range, and resolution.)

Close 3rd: Amazon HD-->iFi Stream-->PontusII DAC-->Burson Soloist 3x (Pre-Amp)
-->HK-870-->HiFiMan He6se v2. (Slight drop in spacial placements within soundstage, resolution varied more by track.)

*Large gap between 3rd & lower* Differences between Tidal & AmazonHD now negligible.

4th: TIDAL/AmazonHD-->iPad/iPhone/Android Apps-->PontusII DAC-->Burson Soloist 3x (Pre-Amp)
-->HK-870-->HiFiMan He6se v2. (No major difference between the Android's "direct" and IOS "Airplay" implementations for access of the Zen Stream on audio performance.) (Noticeable drops in dynamic range and resolution. A much "smaller" sound and a less engaging listen.)

5th: TIDAL/AmazonHD-->Sony Smart TV App-->PontusII DAC-->Burson Soloist 3x (Pre-Amp)
-->HK-870-->HiFiMan He6se v2. (Major drops in dynamic range, spacial placement within soundstage, and resolution. Sounded comparatively small and "flat".)

REFERENCE MUSIC BY GENRE
Rock –
1. “Kryptonite” – 3 Doors Down (The lead jumps out from the power chords beneath, & lyrics are SUPER (Haha!) clear.)

2. “Du Hast” – Rammstein (What? This WASN'T just cool because it's loud? There's subtlety in there?!?!?)

3. “Why Me?” – Planet P (Opening effects, SOLID and controlled bass-bounce, panning)

4. “Hotel California” – The Eagles (Detail of the strums, instrument placement, the vocals are completely on-point!)

5. “Money For Nothing” – Dire Straits (Panning, instrument placement, background effects, & that awesome "3d effect"!)

6. “Amaranth” – Night Wish (The SIZE of the stage is huge, & when resolved properly, isn't just a "wall of sound" coming at you.)

7. “Money” – Pink Floyd (Opening effects, controlled bass, panning, background effects.)

8. “Lucy” – Skillet (Lead vocals are on-point, and isolated in a black background.)

9. “Layla” – Eric Clapton (Clean vocals, guitar, and percussion instead of a "wall of noise" you need to pick through.)

10. “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” – Jeff Healey (That SOLO!!! Jeff's voice just grabs you out of the black.)

Blues/Jazz –
1. “Round Midnight” – Thelonious Monk (Each bass pluck, the breaths of the sax player, and the piano has "bite" when clean keystrikes, and rolls when his attack is slightly "off". A REAL piano sound.)

2. “Smoking Gun” – Robert Cray (Smooth, and the bounce is tight, I can truly hear more than just the bass, stellar guitar, and main riff behind Robert's vocals.)

3. “A Night In Tunisia” – Dizzy Gillespi (I can clearly hear the piano, (Even the missed notes!) people in the audience, breaths of the sax player, and of course Dizzy sounds remarkable.)

4. “Mood Indigo” – Duke Ellington (The strings scratching on the bass, the breathing of the clarinetist (Is that a word?), the piano (Again, missed notes I never noticed before!), the subtlety of the flutters from the sax, and even the clacks of the sax keys. And those trumpet "wawas" never sounded so gravelly & epic before.)


CONCLUSION

For $399 (At time of this review) the iFi Zen Stream offers serious audio performance above what I'd consider "commercial" audio product capability. As a source, the Zen Stream didn't change the "sound" (warmer/brighter) vs other sources. It DID however seem to determine how much information (detail and sound space structure) reached my DAC for it to work with. Can you enjoy streaming music directly from a PC, Android/IOS tablet, or phone? Of course! And if you want to passively listen to your tunes, then that's all you need. But if you want a source that will likely exceed the capabilities of the average consumer's gear, (With the trade-off of a slightly more technical setup process than some higher-cost solutions.) and that will allow you to "grow" a system around it as you slowly upgrade the rest of your audio components, then the Zen Stream is a solid piece of kit to have in your arsenal.

June 25, 2021


iFi has come back to improve the popular Zen DAC in the form of the new upgraded Zen DAC V2. The first Zen DAC was released at a compelling price point for a compact desktop “all-in-one” audio unit in its class, offering good resolution, overall sound quality, and the ability to power most headphones & iems. The new Zen DAC V2 shares the same build, but there’s an “invisible” upgraded new feature with the Zen DAC V2!



Features:

At first glance, both the original and V2 Zen DACs seem identical aside from the “V2” on the serial number label. Both the original and this version share a matte black metal housing and both share a relatively small desktop footprint and lightweight. Both models share identical inputs and outputs by way of a 6.3mm S-Balanced output, two 4.4mm balanced Pentaconn outputs, (One in front and one in back.), and analog RCA jacks in back. The inputs are a USB Type B, (Power over USB) and a 5V DC power input.

On the front, you find a “PowerMatch” button, (HIGH for harder-to-drive headphones, and LOW for IEMs and easy-to-drive headphones.) There is also a slightly larger “TrueBass” button and A NICE “Volume” dial. Now on the back, you find a “Variable/Fixed” switch, used for the rear balanced 4.4mm and unbalanced RCA outputs, to either enable or disable volume control.

Now inside the Zen DAC V2 is similar to the original, but that are a few key differences:

• The Zen DAC V2 now features a new XMOS 16-Core chip as opposed to the 8-Core XMOS chip of the original Zen DAC. By doubling the number of cores, audio processing power is increased, as well as enhancing clock speed, and memory performance.
• V2 has an updated low-jitter crystal clock, providing >20dB better performance than the original Zen DAC.
• The Zen DAC V2 is now an MQA Decoder device, instead of just being an MQA Renderer like the original Zen DAC.

Sound

What makes a “good amp” can be different to many people. For me, the measure of an amp is how evenly the unit amplifies the source material, how cleanly it amplifies, and how well it maintains the original “integrity” of the dynamics, spacing, and separation within a soundscape. (Staging, or whatever term you wish to use.) The original and new Zen V2 DACs both seem to be competitive for their price points for all of the aforementioned characteristics. I wouldn’t call either Zen DAC exactly “reference”, but they aren’t that far off. I’m going to say that I hear a little added coloring, (Slightly on the warm side) but both offer high quality and I consider a “fun” sound.

In terms of detail, imaging, and overall agility the Zen DAC V2 was obviously better compared to laptop/PC onboard audio or phone/tablet jacks.

The headphones used:

HiFiMan Sundara | Audio Technica ATH-AD900X | Beyerdynamic T1(v2) | Sennheiser HD650 | Gold Planar GL850 | Heddphone

Sundara - While listening to “Mountains” by Hanz Zimmer, there’s a lot of the detail retrieval you’d expect from the Sundara when using the Zen DAC V2. The clocks felt even and vivid.

ATH-AD900X - Listening to “My Immortal” by Evanescence on the ATH-AD900X, I loved not only how clean and nuanced Amy Lee’s vocals felt, but not edgy or shouty. On the same song, the T1(v2) felt like some of the rougher edges of its treble were cleaned up a bit.

HD650 – In “Mountains” the organ was lush, while the runs in the background were clean. A relaxed sound, but not sloppy or loose. Well-controlled and ready in all 3 regions (Lows, Mids, & Highs), but not TRYING to be speedy in terms of response.

GL-850 – Moving up a step, the GL-850 was especially nuanced. (But it took more of the volume overhead than I was comfortable with.) Listening to “My Immortal” again, the song’s soundstage felt dynamic and had very good left-right soundstage size. The treble felt slightly forward, but this could also have been due to better detail retrieval and imaging. Detail and clarity were clearly the best so far.

Heddphone – The Heddphone was one of the harder-to-drive headphones I tested this All-in-one with. YES the PowerMatch button was needed to live at “HIGH”, and after pressing that there was noticeably more volume available for the headphones. But while it was sufficiently loud for a QUIET room, I never felt that the unit was able to properly drive the Heddphone. (But to be fair, it’s not really a headphone meant for amps in this class of power ratings.)



The IEMs I used:

Tin Audio T5 | Mangird Tea

T5 – In the entry-level arena, the T5 seems to be a polarizing iem. With the Zen DAC V2, I found that the top end was never grating or sibilant, and mids never felt “scooped” or thin. In “My Immortal” by Evanescence, I felt that Amy Lee’s vocals were silky yet still ethereal. The piano strikes were crisp and even and the decay never felt smeared or lost. Surprising soundstage width and fullness towards slightly forward. The drum hits were full and authoritative and the guitar solo was gritty and overdriven – never lacking for impact.

Mangird Tea - Keeping it comparable with “My Immortal” by Evanescence again; The sub-bass was more present, Amy Lee’s vocals were brought to the edge of ALMOST too much in the mix, but perfect for focusing on her technique. Not an equal emphasis on the mids, but there is just so much more detail there that I won’t ever feel like I’m missing anything. While this isn’t the most balanced iem, the Zen DAC V2 controls, and powers things so confidently that it maintains dynamic range without allowing the music to stop feeling cohesive.


True Bass

Sorry, but True Bass deserves its own section. This is not a “gimmick” or “snake oil”. The True Bass function adds a substantial and satisfying boost to the low end. In my mind, iFi executed this the RIGHT way. Analog, and not via DSP. It shows as it feels balanced and didn’t come across as distracting. I’m also glad that it is a simple “easy button”, saving you from needing to dig through menus or the like to adjust. If your iem or headphone can use a bit more low end, “PING” you punch the button and you’re good. Don’t need it? Just as simple and quick to defeat the feature without taking you out of music enjoyment mode.

Summary

The ZenDAC V2 offers transparency with some light treble sculpting and just a smidgen of color. I believe that the Zen DAC V2 competes with units well above its price point, and has a more “desktop-friendly” design than many other devices I use at similar price points like the (PORTABLES) Radsone ES100, Qudelix 5K, or Fiio BTR5. All battery-powered, and pocketable, but clumsy to access the controls when compared with the Zen DAC V2s BIG and easy to turn Volume knob, and satisfying buttons on a desk or nightstand. Do I have “better sounding” gear”? Yes, but in order to CLEARLY hear performance improvements over the Zen DAC V2 I have to move up to at least my Denafrips Pontus DAC and Artemis amp costing many times over the ZenDAC V2s cost.

My Review of the iFi Pro iCAN




ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Many thanks to Lawrance over at iFi - who has been patient and supportive of getting me info and started with product the past few years.

This is my purely subjective review – based on my gear, my ears, and my experience. Please consider and respect this - especially if my impressions do not match your own.


I have used the iFi Pro iCAN extensively over the past 6 months, and I have clocked a lot of hours with the amplifier in the last 3 months in particular.

You can read specs anywhere, so for the sake of brevity, I will stick to how my experience went and how the Pro iCAN fit into my stable of audio devices and headphones.

REVIEW

Setup
For this review, I used the PRO iCAN PRIMARILY from PRO iDSD (Also on loan from iFi) Opus #1S, and iBasso DX90. I tested against other amps, (iFi xCAN, iDSD Micro, iCAN SE, Massdrop Liquid Carbon X +SDAC, & Schiit Asgard II) to see differences in performance with various headphones.





Pro iCAN (Bottom) with the Pro iDSD and assorted headphones


WHAT IT IS
The Pro iCAN is the combo solid-state and tube amp section of iFi’s PRO line of products which also includes the dedicated DAC and multimedia hub (Pro iDSD), and the transformer/energizer (Pro iESL) which is specifically for electrostatic headphones.

POWER TO SPARE (0db LOW, 9db MEDIUM, 18db HIGH)

The Pro iCAN is iFi’s flagship headphone/speaker amp blessed with a surplus of power, (Up to 14W for headphones and its 20V mode can output up to 100W into 40 Ohm speakers!) allowing for the proper driving of the most power-hungry headphones. I never felt the need to raise the volume dial past 10 o’clock in HIGH gain or noon in LOW gain with my hardest to drive 300 or 600 Ohm headphones.

BUILD

SOLID. 213(l) x 192.5(w) x 63.3(h) mm metal casing and weighing 1.93kg (4.3lbs) indicates that this is a sturdy and substantial desktop component that was designed to last.







AMP PERFORMANCE




My planar magnetic headphones respond well to the Pro iCAN



Of particular note: The widened soundstage on my Sendy Aivas!



Solid-State - The PRO iCAN was able to drive my old Sennheiser HD-650s to louder volume levels than I am comfortable with even on LOW gain, and both MEDIUM and HIGH gain drove them ridiculously louder! This is my preferred way to listen to the HD-650s. The brighter sound and tighter dynamics of the solid-state mode perfectly balances the HD-650s darker tuning and eradicates any veiling tendencies. While the balanced connection offered more power, the single-ended connections also sounded full and well-rounded.


Tube Mode - I really enjoyed the first tube mode, finding it the ideal balance of “tubey goodness” to enrich slightly thinner sounding headphones and tracks. I especially enjoyed listening to AKG 550s, Thieaudio Phantoms, and (on LOW gain) my Etymotic ER4XR extended response iems. Classical and orchestral pieces found their stride in this mode, filling-in the sound signature without muddying or dulling the performances.



Tube+ Mode – I enjoyed this mode the most on my Beyerdynamic T1 (2nd ver.) and the Sennheiser HD-800. While taming the most punishing tones and ringing in the highs, it simultaneously filled-out the mids to lessen to purely clinical and sterile natures of their presentations while adding a bit of weight to the low end. Just what I want when I want to just relax and enjoy, and I love that I have the option to turn the tube+ mode off if I want to dig-in and examine a piece or a component’s effect on the audio chain.





AMP SOURCE RESULTS BREAKDOWN


In order of performance:

1. Phones – (RCA input) Each sounds about the same.. (Apple or Android) Basic, low detail and flat sounding unless you play with DSP apps. Plenty of volume with low distortion if you adjust your phone’s volume to its particular “sweet spot”.

2. Tablets - (RCA input) Same as phones, but a little more source power. Louder, but still need to adjust volume to prevent distortion.

3. Fiio e17 DAC - (RCA input) Adds a bit of “fullness” to the sound and increased detail over early model phones. Newer phones (iPhone 7 and newer, Note 8) sound about equal with tradeoffs for and against each. The Pro iCAN reveals the strengths and weaknesses easily.

4. iBASSO DX90 DAP - (RCA input) The player offers better detail and resolution than any of the previous choices in the list, and the Pro iCAN easily demonstrates this.

5. Radsone E100 - (RCA input/2.5mm to XLR) The E100’s app gives you great customization choices, EQ, Crossfeed, Filters, etc.. I didn’t feel the need to alter the signature much, but the Pro iCAN handled changes across the full EQ range with no evident distortion. More dependent on original Bluetooth source quality than I wanted, but has plenty of innate resolving capability and clean clarity of sound if the source has it to begin with.

6. iFi iDSD Micro - (RCA input) Increased clarity and resolution due to the DAC improvement over all my previous choices. Additions of XBass and 3D were easily-tolerated with no sense of distortion, but the Pro iCAN’s onboard XBass and 3D settings sound a bit cleaner and more refined.

7. Opus #1S DAP - (RCA input/2.5mm to XLR) Best mobile source I have, and the PRO iCAN really shines with it. The player has a little darker coloring than the DX90 does, which the PRO iCAN displays transparently and perfectly.

8. iFi Pro iDSD – (RCA input/2.5mm to XLR/& XLR to XLR) Clearly made to match the Pro iCAN. A good bit of clarity, fullness, and detail added to music which demonstrates my first REAL experience with higher-grade audio equipment.
SONIC COMPARISONS (Solid-State mode only - No tube options to compare against)


l iFi xCAN - Do you want fun or accuracy? The xCAN is bouncy, robust, energetic, and just plain enjoyable to listen to. Not nearly as accurate, detailed, nuanced, or balanced as the Pro iCAN. Think top of consumer-grade (xCAN) vs hi-end grade (Pro iCAN).

l iFi Micro iDSD – The Micro has a more congested sound than the Pro iDSD does. The Pro iDSD has better presentation, placement, and more “space” between sounds. It’s clearly easier to place instruments within the soundstage. The Pro iDSD has a wider stage and manages to place vocals in front of you better than both the Micro iDSD and Micro iCAN amps do. Vocals sound clearer and more nuanced on the Pro.

l iFi Micro iCAN SE - Out of all my amp choices, only the Micro iDSD & iCAN SE output close to the amount of power the Pro iCAN is capable of. (Though still less than 1/3 of the balanced and only 80% of the single-ended capabilities.) Same as the others, narrower soundstage, less instrument separation, and more of a “wall of sound” than a dynamic soundscape than the Pro iCAN provides. Still, excellent showings for portable amps!

l Schiit Audio Asgard II - This, in the beginning, was my reference for benchmarks. Along with slightly elevated bass, the Asgard II is slightly less neutral and analytical than the Pro iCAN. The exact opposite of the Micro iCAN & iDSD, which I consider more enjoyable for daily driver roles. Narrower soundstage. The lowest dynamic range of the desktop amps compared.

l Liquid Carbon X +SDAC – Closest match I own to the Pro iCAN when run in solid-state mode. MUCH less power, and slightly less detail revealed by the Liquid Carbon. Also, the bass range is much looser than found on the Pro iCAN, but the amp still works as an option for the enjoyment of relaxed and smooth sound signatures. A narrower soundstage, and oddly-offset instrument placements in the soundscape. Not offensive, but inaccurate.

l Pro iDSD – Closest match of all. Truly, the differences are very subtle and require very resolving headphones to really demonstrate the differences. To my ear, the Pro iCAN’s overall presentation seems a bit smoother, but with no actual loss in detail. The soundstage is also slightly wider when listening to certain tracks on the Pro iCAN.




REFERENCE MUSIC BY GENRE

Rock –


1. “Kryptonite” – 3 Doors Down

2. “Du Hast” – Rammstein

3. “Why Me?” – Planet P

4. “Hotel California” – The Eagles

5. “Money For Nothing” – Dire Straits

6. “Amaranth” – Night Wish

7. “Money” – Pink Floyd

8. “Lucy” – Skillet

9. “Layla” – Eric Clapton

10. “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” – Jeff Healey



Blues/Jazz –


1. “Round Midnight” – Thelonious Monk

2. “Smoking Gun” – Robert Cray

3. “A Night In Tunisia” – Dizzy Gillespi

4. “Mood Indigo” – Duke Ellington



Pop/Rap/Electronica –


1. “Lose Yourself” – Eminem

2. “When Doves Cry” – Prince

3. “Bad Romance” – Lady Gaga

4. “No One” – Alicia Keys

5. “Royals” – Lorde

6. “Ride On Time” – Black Box

7. “O Fortuna” – Apotheosis

8. “Obsession” – See-Saw

9. “Guren No Yumia” – Linked Horizon



CONCLUSION

The Pro iCAN is a truly amazing product that has afforded me my first REAL exposure to “the next level” of audio. Just a few years ago, I was blown away by the performance of expensive devices that are now collecting dust because inexpensive devices easily-surpass their capabilities. So, for me, this is a great product that I can’t recall another amp that I’ve heard beating outside of tradeshow booths or swap-meets. Certainly, nothing that I have ever had the pleasure of listening to with my own gear, and in the comfort of my own home. I can easily HIGHLY recommend it!

To me, there are 3 main benefits:

l Great sound – This amp simply stomps any other device that I’ve reviewed.

l Clean power – While I didn’t go into detail about this, the Pro iCAN has great power conditioning built-in. When I connected all devices to bare power mains, there was clearly-discernable audio noise in my Liquid Carbon X and especially my Asgard II that remained until I put them behind an iFi PowerStation that was also on-hand for review. The Pro iCan’s power supply removed all signal interference no matter how I plugged it to mains power.

l Flexibility – The Tube, 3D, and XBass offerings aren’t just “gimmicks” or cheesy afterthoughts. They legitimately offer options to cater to what I want to hear no matter the characteristics of the source, headphones, or just my mood. It’s like getting 2 equally implemented and customizable amplifiers in one device. The Pro iCAN is not a tube amp with an okay solid-state section bolted on. Both flavors are equally capable and very powerful.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Many thanks to the friendly crew over at Linsoul, and in particular, Lillian - who has been patient and supportive of getting me info and started with product the past few months. You are some of the best partners out there to collaborate with!
Linsoul: https://www.linsoul.com/product-page/kz-zs10-pro-iem

WHY I DO THIS HOBBY
This month – (July) I turn 52. Out of those years, I’d say that 51 of them have included a deep love of music. Performing, (Brass – Baritone & Tuba/Sousaphone, Wind – Traditional/Celtic Flute & Pennywhistles, Keyboards - Piano/Synths, & voice (I’m a bass)) so I love almost all music. Since I started with audio, I have slowly changed from the higher-end listening set-ups I grew up with, to my current “lower Mid-Fi” set-up. I rotate my listening from portable (Opus #1S for “balanced-out audio” on the go, or iBasso DX90 – both with my iFi xCAN) to my desktop's set-up (PC --> Coaxial/USB --> iFi iDSD Micro --> Schiit Asgard II amp --> Headphone of choice). My primary recreational listening headphones are the AKG K550&553, Beyerdynamic T1(ver.2) and Sennheiser HD650. Most of my portable listening is done with IEMs - and up till now, it has mainly been with the BGVP DMG (Fun), Kanas Pro (Active Listening), and Etymotic ER4XR (Audio Analysis). For air travel, I still default to my old Bose QC25s for noise canceling.


I have extremely eclectic music tastes listening to a variety from J-POP, classical/opera, and jazz, to Heavy and classic rock. I listen to a lot of blues, jazz, folk music, metal, and alternative rock. My tonal preferences are relatively neutral/balanced, but I do have a fondness for powerful vocals, or dynamic/percussive emphasis in pieces and suspect I might have slight ‘bass-head’ preferences. Though I do not consider myself “treble sensitive”, and in the past have really enjoyed headphones like the T1 and HD800.


This is my purely subjective review – based on my gear, my ears, and my experience. Please consider and respect this - especially if my impressions do not match your own.

I have used the ZS10 Pro extensively over the past 2 weeks, so please account for my relatively short-term listening experiences with it. But I have clocked a lot of hours with the ZS10 Pro in the last week in particular.


REVIEW

Setup
For this review, I used the ZS10 PRO with its stock cable & tips PRIMARILY from my phone, (Samsung Galaxy Note 8) Opus #1S, and iBasso DX90 only because of its portable nature. However, I also tested stronger amps, (Fiio E17, iFi xCAN, iDSD Micro, iCAN SE, & Schiit Asgard II) to see if adding more power impacted the ZS1-PROs performance. This was rechecked periodically, but other than maxing-out volumes faster, I heard little change in terms of the headphones “scaling-up” performance with more powerful amps. So, enjoy using your better-quality smartphones with the ZS10 PRO knowing that these earphones aren’t picky about equipment in order to give their best!




SPECS
KZ ZS10 PRO____________KZ ZS7
Nominal impedance
24ohms_________________24ohms

Wire Length
125cm__________________125cm

Plug Diameter
3.5mm__________________3.5mm

Material
Aluminum alloy, ABS_______Aluminum alloy

Weight
25 grams________________25 grams

Pin Termination
2-Pin 0.75mm Connection___2-Pin 0.75mm Connection

Frequency response
7Hz - 40KHz______________20Hz - 40KHz

Sensitivity
111 dB__________________105 dB

Driver Configuration
2*30095 high frequency___2*30095 high frequency
2*50060 mid frequency____1*31005 upper mid frequency
1*10mm dyn. bass freq.___1*29689 lower mid frequency
______________________1*10mm dynamic bass frequency


FREQUENCY RESPONSE GRAPH

Thanks to PRIMEAUDIO.ORG for making these resources available.


PACKAGING

KZ ZS10 PRO Box Sleeve - Front


KZ ZS10 PRO Box Sleeve - Back


The ZS10 PRO comes in a plain white box with a thin printed outer retail sleeve.

KZ ZS10 PRO inside the sleeve – basic style

The KZ ZS10 PRO housings sit in a foam and cardboard holder under a clear plastic cover. Left and Right earpieces set inside cut-out shaped foam. Included under the foam is a User Guide on a dual-sided 5-fold paper stock booklet, an additional 3 ear tips, and warranty literature.


Printed User Guide – A dual-sided 5-panel foldout (English only)


BUILD

The earphones look built extremely well for their price point – with the ABS backs being rounded, rather than angular, which for me adds to the comfort since there are no sharp corners to dig into sensitive ear surfaces.



KZ ZS10 PRO ABS plastic back, pin receptacles, & output nozzle


The stock cable isn’t the worst, but it gets replaced at review’s end


The cable is almost 1.3 meters braided and twisted cord with stiff ear form sleeves for the over-ear style wearing method. The standard cord is terminated in a Right-angle 3.5mm plug. The cable is removable – but would be one of the first things I would want to replace as it can quickly become a tangled mess. It is quite kinky – and thus, not easy to coil neatly. (See photo below) Fine enough for getting you started out of the box, but I highly recommend a better coiling cable for sanity’s sake if you’re going to be on the go with these regularly.



Cable Pins and angled connector sleeve


While I appreciate the attention to detail, the cable, unfortunately, does stay “kinked”...




The extra stock “Small, Medium & Large” ear tips



The stock tips are okay but sounded relatively thin & hollow.


The ear-tips that arrive on the drivers and the 3 sets of extras in the pouch aren’t bad, but they didn’t allow the drivers to stay securely seated without regularly feeling the need to push them back deeper into my ears. I have no issues with my ears fitting the tips, and they never bothered my ear canals. The drivers just never truly seated properly though and made the ZS10 PRO sound thin - all but outright killing most of the bass. A quick swap to NEW BEE replacement foam tips and these became full and vibrant sounding with solid and deep bass response. (ALMOST too much bass, but just shy of it.)


AMP PERFORMANCE

ZS10 PROs are easily-driven by phones, but get LOUD with amps!


The performance of your SOURCE makes a big difference


The ZS10 PROs were able to be driven to louder volume levels than I am comfortable with on any phone I tried, (Samsung Galaxy Note 8, Apple iPhones 4, 5, & 8) and both Android and Apple tablets (Original and Air iPads as well as Lenovo A12) drove them even louder. So the ZS10 PROs are perfect for plain listening to music, podcasts, or videos with no added gear.

BUT, if you have a player or amp that can add to the basic levels of audio performance over what current-day phones and tablets provide, then the ZS10 PRO has the chops to take advantage and bring out increased detail or dynamic levels of highs, mids, or bass with plenty of room to grow.


AMP RESULTS BREAKDOWN
In order of performance: (Increasing as you move from 1 down)

1. Phones - Each sounds about the same... (Apple or Android) Basic, low detail and flat sounding unless you play with DSP apps. Adequate volume for most situations.
2. Tablets - Same as phones, but a little more power. Louder, but not much more than that.
3. Fiio e17 - Noticeably louder than phones and tablets, and adds a bit of “fullness” to the soundstage.
4. iFi iCAN Micro - More power than I can use! Increases soundstage width if the music offers it, and Bass boost adds more low end than I would normally want unless the audio track was already anemic around the low end.
5. iBASSO DX90 DAP - Much less power than the iCAN, but the player offers better detail and resolution than any of the previous choices in the list. The ZS10 PRO has the capability to render a good amount of the detail any of my sources can provide.
6. Radsone E100 - Surprising amount of power and the E100’s app gives you great customization choices; EQ, Crossfeed, Filters, etc.. I didn’t feel the need to alter the signature much, but the drivers handled increases of up to 5db across the full range with no evident distortion. More than I wanted.
7. iFi iDSD Micro - Devastating amounts of power for a fully-portable solution plus increased clarity and resolution due to the DAC improvement over all my phone and tablet choices. Additions of XBass and 3D were easily-tolerated with no sense of distortion.
8. Opus #1S DAP - Best mobile source I have, and the ZS10 PROs really shine with them. The player has a slightly darker coloring tonally than the DX90 does, which the ZS10 PROs balance-out perfectly.
9. iFi xDSD - Similar power to the E100. (More than enough.) A good bit of clarity and detail added to music when connected via Bluetooth. Similar performance to the E100 when connected as “amp-only”, as the iFi’s DAC benefits are lost with this method.
   
   
   FIT / COMFORT
   The ZS10 PRO is comfortable and stable in my ears. The stock tips are acceptable for basic use, but swapping the stock tips out for New Bee or SpinFit tips increased both the stability and comfort considerably. The shape of the housing works well, the lack of sharp corners and edges making the contact surfaces less irritating than units with corners like the ZS7s.
   
   
   SONIC COMPARISONS
   General frequency summary (supported by the graph above):
   
   
   
   KZ ZS7, Tin T2, Kanas Pro, BGVP DMG, ER4XR, & Super.Fi 3

Drop these stock tips ASAP!

• KZ ZS7 - The closest to the ZS10 PRO signature-wise. More bass being the biggest difference. The ZS7 bass is loose and blooms in comparison to the ZS10 PRO. The treble of the ZS7 is close, but a spike at 10k makes the ZS7 more prone to get uncomfortable with certain high female vocal tracks. Both have excellent detail and good mids presentation for vocals.
  
  
• Tin T2 - Do you want fun or accuracy? ZS10 PRO for fun, and Tin T2 for accuracy. Neither is “better”, just “different” and I switch between the two based on mood. Better-controlled bass and greater imagery accuracy in the T2.
  
  
• Kanas Pro - 3 times the KZ’s cost, so not really fair… Where the ZS10 PROs are fun and lively, the Kanas Pros are more even. This is Ferrari (Kanas) vs Camaro (ZS10 Pro). Both great performers, but the Kanas is just in a different league. Tighter bass, wider soundstage, better-controlled highs, and ability to scale-up with amplification, where the ZS10 PROs give their best as long as the amp makes them loud enough. For lows, mids, & highs description, this is the same as the T2 comparison but taken up a notch.
  
  
• BGVP DMG - (Black filters) The extremes of highs and bass are the pros of the DMGs. The mids are where the ZS10 PRO and DMGs are similar in performance. Slightly-recessed mids in the DMGs are offset by a fuller-thicker sound than the ZS10 PRO. While both image and detail well, the ZS10 PRO does it just a bit better.

• Etymotic ER4XR - These are my reference for benchmarks. Aside from slightly elevated bass, these are neutral and analytical. The exact opposite of the ZS10 PRO, which I consider more enjoyable for a daily driver role.
  
  
• UE Super.Fi 3 - My oldest iems, and what I considered in the upper-end of consumer audio 15 years ago. The ZS10 PRO surpasses these in every aspect of its performance. Soundstage, clarity, imaging, etc.. Think an AM mono crank radio vs a high end 7.1 surround sound home theater.

REFERENCE MUSIC BY GENRE
Rock –

1. “Kryptonite” – 3 Doors Down
2. “Du Hast” – Rammstein
3. “Why Me?” – Planet P
4. “Hotel California” – The Eagles
5. “Money For Nothing” – Dire Straits
6. “Amaranth” – Night Wish
7. “Money” – Pink Floyd
8. “Lucy” – Skillet
9. “Layla” – Eric Clapton
10. “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” – Jeff Healey

Blues/Jazz –

1. “Round Midnight” – Thelonious Monk
2. “Smoking Gun” – Robert Cray
3. “A Night In Tunisia” – Dizzy Gillespi
4. “Mood Indigo” – Duke Ellington

Pop/Rap/Electronica –

1. “Lose Yourself” – Eminem
2. “When Doves Cry” – Prince
3. “Bad Romance” – Lady Gaga
4. “No One” – Alicia Keys
5. “Royals” – Lorde
6. “Ride On Time” – Black Box
7. “O Fortuna” – Apotheosis
8. “Obsession” – See-Saw
9. “Guren No Yumia” – Linked Horizon

CONCLUSION
The ZS10 Pro is an amazing product in the $50 US dollar price range. Just 10 years ago, an iem performing at this level could have been found near the thousand dollar price point. So for me, this is a great product that I can’t recall another iem beating in all categories for under $200, and some of those still don’t surpass these KZs.

To me, there are 3 main benefits:

1. Sound great stock – You can pick these up in an airport terminal as a last minute afterthought, and enjoy great music with no additional purchases, just using your phone.
2. These can sound even better with simple upgrades of the tips. (I had great results from New Bee foams or SpinFit CP145)
3. Better comfort allows for prolonged enjoyment without feeling punished after a few hours. These would be great for monitoring in live performances, editing, or just listening enjoyment.

I’ve taken longer with this review than I’ve taken with any other to date, and it’s for good reasons. (Though I’ve enjoyed the extended listening time because of it.)

But first, for those of you who just want to know if I consider it a worthy buy without caring about the “why”, then, “Yes”. I consider the xCAN to be a very worthwhile travel companion for people both commuting/traveling and those who just need a solid mid-Fi portable audio solution with an extremely reasonable footprint for the performance and features offered.

That said; I will now go into the “why”.

A couple of years ago, I reviewed the iFi micro iDSD. And that portable DAC/Amp completely surpassed what I considered possible for a portable DAC and amplifier to be capable of near-desktop-class power output! The features offered (“3D”, “XBass”, “IEMatch”, “Polarity Match”, etc..) were completely beyond anything that I had ever auditioned. So needless to say, I ran right out and immediately bought one that day.

This winter, iFi approached me to review the xCAN, which I wasn’t expecting to be surprised by after using their new xDSD, which among other things, shrinks the size of the iDSD, and adds Bluetooth connectivity. So a new headphone amplifier with Bluetooth connectivity initially left me feeling a bit underwhelmed. However, once I started to put iFi’s xCAN amplifier through its paces, I realized that I had sold their new offering woefully-short.
Simply put, the xCAN not only enables you to listen to your music while untethered but augments the convenience by providing you with the ability to listen to your music via balanced audio as well. Yes, I have other balanced audio sources and even a tiny portable ES100 from Radsone that I use regularly. But none of them can power my more demanding headphones on the road/in the air like the xCAN is able to.

Truly “portable” at only 131 grams, the xCAN provides mobile audio with a 2200mAh battery which is rated up to eight hours, (I averaged a bit over six hours as I was regularly testing it with more demanding headphones.) But the best features to me personally, are the xCAN’s balanced (2.5mm TRRS) and single-ended (3.5mm TRS) inputs and outputs.

Traveling with your phone is great and relatively “transparent” since most people now carry their phones with them 24/7. But if you want to step-up your audio experience beyond “low bit-rate” music streaming services and MP3, then getting more power into your hi-res capable headphones than the typical smartphone can muster is a great way to do so. Enter the xCAN.
or tablets.
MANY thanks to Lawrance and all the amazing people over at iFi for making this review unit available to me! I had the opportunity to evaluate "real life" usage of the xCAN on both short and long flights, (5 hours in the air as well as airport time.) cab rides, train trips, and shuttle commutes. In EVERY way, the xCAN performed like a champ. Plenty of power for iems and Bose Quiet Comfort 25 headphones (Wired connection), lots of battery longevity, and great ease of use without the need to have my phone attached! (A great convenience when a call comes in and you don't have to hold up a bunch of inter-connected devices just to hold a business conversation.)

LOOKS
The xCAN sports a matte, anodized finish. The controls are also fairly straight-forward - A huge, rotating knob adjusts the volume and also doubles as the “POWER” and “mode” selector. A long-press of the button powers on the xCAN, initially lighting the button up in the color of the selected mode. The two modes being: (GREEN light) “Analog” mode, (You connect to your audio source via an included interconnect cable.) and (BLUE light) “Bluetooth” mode, which pairs with your phone or other Bluetooth-capable media device wirelessly. Short-pressing the button will toggle mute on and off while rotating the knob will change the knob’s color to indicate the color of volume level. (Approx. 100 volume steps, with colors ranging from blue to red to indicate volume of -101dB to +12dB).

An XBass II 3-way selector switch on the rear of the unit allows you to toggle between “Bass”, “Presence”, and both “Bass” and “Presence” settings. Lastly, a “Settings/Bluetooth” multifunction button doubles as a Bluetooth pairing/phonecall HOLD control and a quick way to toggle between “3D+”, “XBass II+”, “Both enabled”, and “None enabled” settings.


CONTENTS
The xCAN ships with both balanced and single-ended interconnect cables and a USB A-to-C charging cable. Also included is a simple, soft, velvet-like carry bag to help keep those darn fingerprints off your shiny-new amplifier.


POWER
iFi reports the xCAN’s power output to be up to 1W into 32 ohms in balanced mode, and 380 mW into the same load in S-Balanced (single-ended mode), with a THD+N measurement of .005% and .006% respectively and an SNR of about 120 dBA. Now even though these ratings show the xCAN to be clearly less powerful than my iDSD micro, I found it to be more than powerful enough for even my power-hungriest full-sized headphones.

The xCAN drove Sennheiser HD650s, & 800s, as well as my Beyerdynamic T1 ver. 2 cans well beyond “too loud” before hitting maximum volume. While at the other end of the spectrum, my most sensitive IEMs gifted me with nothing but inky-black silence when no signal was being transmitted.


SOUND
Neutral - So far as I can tell, when all “effects” are disabled, the xCAN brings nothing to the sound. It just makes it louder. Odd as it sounds, I like this. When I’m comparing headphones, the last thing I want is to try and “compensate” for my source. Near as I can tell, the source is what you hear. Now when you want to have “fun”, then there’s the assortment of “Presence”, “3D+”, and “XBass II+” to play with in order to sculpt-in your preferences concerning soundstage, airiness, and “thump” so that you can just kick back and listen to your songs the way that you want to hear them. While I’d need truly claustrophobia-inducing small sound-stage headphones to convince me to use “3D+”, it’s nice that it’s there when needed. But the “XBass II+” feature gets used quite often with my leaner bass headphones when I want to balance them out a bit for relaxation rather than analysis. (I’m looking at you, you belovedly-clinical Etymotic ER4SRs!)


CONNECTIONS
I tested both the xCAN’s balanced and single-ended inputs and outputs, and I heard nothing but extremely clean sound. I was amazed to find that the xCAN sounds virtually as good in Bluetooth mode as it does when fed signal via cables! To be clear, I wasn’t 100% sure that I could reliably tell the difference between the two...

CONFIGURATIONS
1) Bluetooth connection: Samsung Galaxy Note 8 - TIDAL streaming service (“MASTER” quality)

2) Unbalanced connection: iBasso DX90/OPUS #1s/Lenovo A12 Android Tablet/Dell Inspiron 5675 (Windows 10/Foobar 2000/Tidal (“MASTER” quality)/ JRiver Media Center 24) - FLAC 96kHz/24-bit, DSD 2.8MHz

3) Balanced connection: OPUS #1s - FLAC 96kHz/24-bit, DSD 2.8MHz

Headphones:
Inexpensive: Sennheiser CX300 II, Koss Porta Pros, UE Super.Fi 3s, Tin Audio T3
Mid Range: Sennheiser HD-650, JVC HA-SZ2000, AKG 545, AKG 550, Kanas Pro, BGVP DMGs, One More Quad drivers
Higher end: Beyerdynamics T1 ver. 2, Sennheiser HD-650 & HD-800, and Etymotic ER4XRs/ER4SRs

PREFERED CONFIG
Opus #1s -> balanced-in to iFi xCAN -> balanced cable to Kanas Pros (for mobile/on the go) and balanced cable to Beyerdynamic T1 ver. 2 in a hotel room/office

My whole review won't fit in this space, so here is the link with all of the details and photos:
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/ifi-audio-ipurifier3-0.883536/page-4#post-14508849

In short, I like it A LOT.

• Subtle but noticeable improvement to audio - Silence is low/no noise, music pacing is corrected, & instrument separation is better defined.
  
• Great for your office or home audio setup.
• Great upgrade for your travel destination setup. (Hotel, family/friend's house, or portable party audio, etc..)

My stint on the iFi xDSD tour:

It's been a while since I've been active, and just when I was lamenting my lost time here on Head-Fi, the lovely chaps over at iFi offered up spots on the iFi xDSD introduction tour. So naturally, I jumped in with both feet!

So many veterans have already spoken to the specs and features of the device that I thought I'd try something a bit different. When I saw that I was accepted, I decided to try and answer some basic questions that I had about gear when I was first starting out here: "What is it good for?", "What would I use it with?", "Why would I choose this over "x" device?", and as best I could, "Is it truly worth a spot in my kit bag?". So here we go!



"What is it good for?"

In my view, the xDSD is a perfect travel companion. I fly often and have many hours of downtime at hospital between emergencies when I'm either on the phone or tapping-out e-mails and processing paperwork. Since I don't have a "static" office, I don't put down roots with more than I can carry. So my entertainment options are understandably limited. I have used the iDSD or iDSD/iCAN stack for a couple of years now, and have been very happy with the performance. (It's not like I would lug something as fragile as a Woo Audio WA6 into a ready-room and feel comfortable leaving it unattended.) It/they stay zipped in my GO bag and perhaps secured in a locker, (when it's an option) when I'm needed on floor. For this, the iDSD/iCAN is IDEAL.

But what about flights? True, the TSA staff usually chat me up about my iDSD when it shows up in X-rays, and we have a bit of a laugh, but it's certainly not what I would call "compact", and often, I find myself opting to leave something in favor of making room for it/them. (For which I'm RICHLY rewarded with blissful sounds when I finally get to collapse in my hotel room!) Now comes the xDSD. NO CABLES NEEDED. My phone or tablet can be fully-accessible on my tray, and I can leave xDSD in my bag at my feet with just the head/earphone cable running down into it. I can adjust my audio and select tracks simply on tabletop without the clutter of an audio rig piled-on, leaving plenty of room for my laptop, texts, or tablet without feeling cramped, or fearing something falling over the edge. Worth it for that alone!
And best of all, if you actually manage to exhaust the xDSDs considerable battery run-time, the xDSD will run full-power while it's charging from mains or a sufficient portable battery pack. No waiting!!!



"What would I use it with?"

The answer to this is; "just about any gear short of power hungry cans for clinical examination of tracks or components".

I found the xDSD to be an excellent "all-rounder". It brings fun and excitement to tracks without giving-way to bloated or distorted processing effects on the source. For low-profile, simple listening I adore the old Ultimate Ears Super-Fi 3s and Shure CX300 IIs. The xDSD is dead-sexy with its inky-black noise floor and lively manners. It makes them both punch just slightly above their weight when compared to their sound straight out of my iPhones or Galaxy Note 8.

The 1 MORE Quad earphones are both spacious and emphasize instrumental pieces as a specialty. I often don't even need the 3D+ or Xbass enabled! And the JVC SZ2000 get driven to skull-rattling lows when I need to feed my basshead sweet tooth. (Low-profile be damned, and the 3D+ Usually turned back on for these sessions.)


"Why would I choose this over "x" device?


In short, I find the xDSD to be an upper Mid-Fi "swiss army knife". It certainly brings out more detail and clarity than my similarly sized FIIO E17. It provides a wider soundstage and greater dynamic range (When used coaxially/SPDIF or USB) than my phones or favorite iBASSO DX90 DAP. Lastly, it is the absolute highest quality audio driver device that I have heard with a sub~$500+ price tag, and certainly, the only one that does all this so well while fitting in a trouser pocket. Silly as it sounds, there is REAL convenience and peace of mind in boarding a shuttle with phone in-hand, but your headphone cable tucked securely in your jacket pocket rather than flapping-about all willy-nilly just begging to get snagged on something or another commuter. Few things suck more than the moment you realize that your cherished headphones are mid-fall towards the "sticky" floor of transit you're on.



Conclusion: (Took long enough, right?)
"Is it truly worth a spot in my kit bag?"

YES! While the xDSD doesn't surpass or supplant my iFi Micro line kit or approach desktop performance, I don't believe that is its point. Would it be MAGICAL for a tiny palm-sized box to equal or best a class-A amp like a Ragnarok, WA7, or BHA-1? Yes! Realistic? Maybe one day, but NOT YET. Same for DACs. But to have MQA future-proofing, FUNCTIONAL AptX & AAC Bluetooth implementation, and near iDSD Micro level hi-res audio performance in a piece if kit about the size of a deck of playing cards... What's NOT to like?

(BONUS!!! I just learned that iFi is offering MQA support to their other devices going back as far as 2013! Woo-hoo!!) Details & link here at their Youtube announcement:



Gear used in evaluation:
SOURCES
Android - Lenovo Yoga A12 tablet, Samsung Galaxy Tab-A, & Galaxy Note 8
Apple - iPhone 4s, 5, 6, 7+, iPAD "O.G." & Air, All connections via Apple lightning to USB or 30-pin to USB
Dell - 5675 Desktop, XPS 8500 Desktop
FIIO - E17 DAC/Amp
iBASSO - DX90 DAP
iFi - iCAN Micro SE, iDSD/iDSD BL Micro

HEADPHONES
1MORE - Quad Driver in-ears
AKG - K545 "Mobile Fun cans", K550 "Home FUN cans"
Beyerdynamic - T1 Ver 2 "My go-to cans for critical listening"
Bose - QC 25 Noise Cancelling (Cabled & via Bluetooth adapter) "Awesome Noise Cancellation, "meh" sound."
Etymotic - ER4XR/SR in-ears "My go-to buds for critical listening"
JVC - (HA-M55X) "Meh bass", Esnsy (HA-SR85) "BOOMY bass", Live Beat (HA-SZ2000) "ULTIMATE BASS"
Koss - Porta Pros "Surprisingly-good knock arounds"
Sennheiser - HD650, HD800, HD800S "When the rest of the world needs to go away!"
Shure - CX300II in-ears
Ultimate Ears - Super-Fi 3 Studio "Old school fun, but a bit light in the bass department"


Last questions: "Ken, which of those did you not recommend with the xDSD?" and "Which were the best?"

No secret here. DON'T expect desktop performance out of a sub 1 pound portable. While the xDSD fully powered EVERY headphone above, The 4 I don't feel that it was able to fully/properly drive are:

• T1 (Though it got them the loudest of the cans I wouldn't use, it just didn't bring out the depth and detail that I so love them for. Nothing would stop you from hearing music if that is all you wanted, but it defeats the T1's point. Just throw on the K545 in that case. It's infinitely less harrowing to travel with.)
• Sennheisers - All 3 (Same as with the T1. You'll get sound, but you might as well bring a cheaper/more durable set of cans, or substitute them for the Etymotics or 1MORE Quad driver. You'll get much of the splendid and detailed performance you wanted from the Sennheisers with much less bulk.)

My favorites that I felt the xDSD brought the best out of:

• 1MORE Quad Driver (All the sparkle, nuance, and depth that I love these for was there, and it felt like there was still room to go further.)
• Etymotic ER4XR (Every bit of detail that I was looking for, and doesn't need iFi's XBass to fill out the low end. The sound feels "whole" and not like a jigsaw puzzle where elements are just fitted-in as they come.)
• UE Super Fi 3 Studio (Breathed new life back into these! They don't sound like much out of my phones, and they don't stack up against the CX300IIs normally, but they wrap you in warm velvet on the xDSD. Also note that while these are still in excellent condition, they are almost 20 years old, so they've been WELL broken-in...)
• JVC SZ2000 (While They won't make your skull itch like they can on the iDSD or stronger amps, they still make ridiculous levels of bass and sub-bass on the xDSD. So much so that people asked to see and listen to what I had multiple times throughout the week.)

A special and direct "Thank you" to the iFi tour people who sent out the xDSD for us to take a listen to, and special thank yous to ever-diligent Lawrance, the DELIGHTFUL Karina, and especially the awesome iFi engineers who answer all my hare-brained questions without a second thought.


Ken N.

iFi Micro iTube 2 Review


Problem: I love music. I mean, REALLY love music. There is almost no iteration, form, or flavor that I can’t take joy in listening to given the right mood and environs...

Secondly, I like like SIMPLE. Call me a victim of the “instant gratification age”, but I would rather plug in my headphones/speakers, select a song, and just be swept away by great sounding music, than spend time picking and choosing different parts, components, and mixing combinations is search of the elver-illusive “perfect sound” that I often see others pursue. Doesn’t mean that I don’t respect those who dedicate themselves to it, (And to some, I might seem that way myself! “Why would you ever need more than an iPhone and the stock Apple ear-buds to hear music Ken?”) but I would rather spend my fleeting spare time LISTENING than constantly chasing an aural ideal.


Solution: For me, it’s solid state. I enjoy quality components and have tried many, but I almost always come back to solid state. No warm-up, more durable, (Resistant to shock/drops) and lastly, they are typically much smaller than analogue components.



So that brings me to the subject at hand. I have a number of solid state amps that I use, and I have found my favorite headphone combinations for each. One of my primary criteria after fullness is detail. I love to hear separation and emphasis from each voice or instrument. But some combinations can take it a little too far, and that same lovely detail becomes sibilance, or harshness to the sound. By default, I would simply switch to “warmer-sounding headphones”, but this was usually at the cost of the very detail I valued. Also, what if I only have one set of headphones with me at the time? What then?


Enter the iFi iTube, and now, iTube 2.


I can truly say that I no longer have to rotate headphones with certain songs! When the iTube 2 is paired with a less than stellar DAC, there is marked improvement to the smoothness, and when it is paired with a great one, it still improved audio quality, but to a much less noticeable degree. Point being that it never made things worse by being added to the audio chain.


So what is it?


The iTube 2 has been out for a while so I won’t go into detail with specs, as they are all out there already. In short, the iTube 2 is an amalgam of a number of advances in audio technology:

l Start with clean power! - There is an iPower power supply that provides battery-like quietness while still giving AC power benefits.

l Tube+ circuit - The iTube 2 has a direct tube buffer with selectable sound signatures, (SET, Push-Pull, Classic) and a hi-end preamplifier that banishes digital harshness in favor of a glorious warm and full feel to your music.

l 3D Holographic + - Ever have that “claustrophobic feel” to your sound that makes you wish your music sounded “bigger and fuller”? This is what you want!

l XBASS+ - Xbass gives you a more emphasized low-end without introducing bloat or looseness , and without automatically crushing your mids.



So is it difficult to use?


NO! Remember when I said that I value simplicity in my audio equipment? Well, this is it. No need to “Tube-roll” by plugging fragile tubes with equally-fragile pins into a base that might not line up properly if you’re not careful and bend those same-said pins. With a simple flip of a switch, you can select “SET” (Single Ended Triode) mode, Push-Pull mode, or “Classic” mode. I tend to favor “SET” with 3D Holographic with my headphones that have smaller soundstage, and without 3D when connected to our 7.1 surround sound home theater.


Connections? Super-easy! 1 A/C adapter plug on the side. (Round plug so you can’t plug it in “wrong-ways around”.) 4 RCA connectors on the back. (2 “INPUT” L/R and 2 “OUTPUT” L/R) Plug them in with standard stereo RCA patch cables. NOTE: iFi has consistently provided RCA patch cables with their Micro line of products. Know that these are not poorly-performing “cheap cables”. I have compared the performance between the stock purple iFi-provided cables against Belkin, Cables To Go, and Monoprice, shielded “gold-plated” cables, and found the iFi cables to perform just as well!

Plug your source, (PC, Mp3 player, Phone, DAP, Turntable or DAC) to the INPUT connectors, then plug your amplifier (If using one) or speakers to the OUTPUT connectors. DONE!



How does it sound?


Well, From most impressive, down:

l Lenovo Yoga Android Tablet - (Android 6) Straight, or through DAC, THE most improvement in how smooth, musical, and warm all my music sounded. There is an edge to the audio that I don’t hear from my other devices that makes music sound sharper, but also harsher than any other source I own. Without the DAC, I also hear more audio artifacts, but the iTube 2 helps to minimize their intrusiveness.

l Apple iPhones (4S, 5, 6, & 7Plus) - Straight, or through DAC, the 2nd most improvement in how smooth, musical, and warm my music sounded. Did magic with old, 128-bit encoded MP3s and nicely enhanced iTunes AAC music.

l PC USB --> iDSD DAC - Largely improved the harshness of my most sibilant music files without making them sound “muddy”, or lacking in detail.

l DAP - Straight through my iBASSO DX90 shows the least improvement in how smooth, musical, and warm all my music sounded of all my portable sources. (It’s just THAT good!) With my iDSD Micro acting as DAC, it tends to smooth out any harshness a little more, but that is simply because it is a slightly more analytically-tuned (Precise) DAC than the one in my iBASSO.

l Sony STR-DN1070 - This took forever! There are so many combinations to choose from. Sony as Analogue: Source, Source & Amplifier, Just Amplifier VS Sony as Digital: Source, Source & DAC, Amplifier, USB, WiFi, & Bluetooth. The Sony pretty-well held it’s ground no matter how it was connected. The main changes were in the selection of DSP options that Sony offers. Some smeared the detail completely, while others (bit-perfect) just laid-bare what was in the audio file. In the case of the former, the effects of the iTube 2 was barely detectable. With the latter, the iTube 2 provided similar performance to what I heard with the iPhones when playing well-encoded tracks, and performed more like it did with the Lenovo Yoga tablet with poorly/low encoded music tracks.



Should I buy one?


As always, this is a very personal value that you must weigh for yourself. To me, if you value:

l Simplicity - Easy to use, “Set it and forget it” with no cumbersome menus to hunt around).

l Small footprint - Can sit easily on your desk at home or work, or your nightstand at home or in a hotel while traveling.

l Great buttery-smooth “Tube sound” that you can adjust without swapping parts.

l Solid construction that can weather regular travel in a laptop bag, suitcase, or carry-on with minimal risk of arriving at your destination DOA.


Then I’d answer with a resounding, “Yes”!

Disclaimer:  I was loaned the iFi iCAN SE so that I could have more audio equipment samples to evaluate the iFi iTube, & iPurifier 2 with.  Long after I completed my reviews of those components, I have continued to enjoy using the iCAN SE on a daily basis, and am now writing-up my experience with it as a courtesy, as I must now finally return it.    The past few months have been incredible with it, and I will be purchasing a unit for myself with my own funds as I already know that I am going to miss having it in my audio rack.  I am receiving no discounts for my opinion on this, or any other equipment.  I like what I like, and don't what I don't....  
 
Part 1 - TORTURE TEST

 
I didn't originally intend for my sojourn with the iCAN SE to become an endurance & torture test, but I kept having new headphones that I wanted to try continually "on the horizon".  My birthday was earlier in July, so I finally received the last headphone that I was holding-out for, and was able to run it through its paces with the iCAN SE at long last!
 
Part 2 - THE ACTUAL REVIEW
 
I evaluated the iFi iCAN SE with/against the following equipment:
SOURCE - Dell XPS 8500, Dell Inspiron 530 (Both running Windows 10 PRO 64-bit)
DAC - iFi iDSD (DAC) FIIO e17 (DAC) ONKYO TX-NR636 (DAC) iBASSO DX90 (DAC)
AMP - iFi iDSD, iFi iCAN, FIIO e17, Schiit Audio ASGARD 2, iBASSO DX90 (AMP) & ONKYO TX-NR636
HeadPhones - Beyerdynamic T1 (ver.2), HifiMan HE400i, HE560, Sennheiser HD-650, HD-800, & HD-800S
Player Suite - Foobar 2000, & JRiver Mediacenter 21
 
Again, I'm not going to throw a bunch of specs at you as they are NOT my strong point, so as per usual, I will limit this review merely to "what I experienced personally":
 
When I listen to music over my DLNA server, or when I go directly from my media PCs using FOOBAR or MediaCenter 21, the iCAN SE is best enjoyed (in my opinion) at moderate levels at medium or high power settings.  No matter which headphone I tried,  I never was wanting for more power, or more refined detail from that particular set of cans.  The iCAN SE brings out nuances and "Body" in instruments as well as any amplifier I've heard in memory.  (I've heard up to Chord HUGO-level performing components, which may not be the "End-all and Be-all of what is out there if budget is no concern, but its remarkable performance characteristics are nothing to sneeze at in my book either.)  The only things that any of my equipment even partially surpassed the iCAN SE with were:
    
Width of soundstage  - The ASGARD 2 was able to drive the Sennheiser HD-800 & HD-800S
                                      headphones to greater spacialization heights.  
                                      The HD-650 HifiMan HE400i & HE560 increased soundstage width a little, but
                                      the Beyerdynamic T1 ver.2 cans gave me their max soundstage size almost
                                      no matter what amp they were fed by.  Only when they were fed by an
                                      iPhone, iPad or basic consumer-grade MP3 player, did they not do their
                                      best for me.
 
Fullness of sound  -     The Onkyo TX-NR636 was my only amp that gave the impression of a
                                      "fuller sound", but the loss of detail and almost sluggish feel the amp
                                      had made it feel like it was always struggling to keep pace in parts.
                                      (Mostly Holst, and surprisingly, even Wagner!) 
 
 
So what did I hear?  

1. In my mp3 low-res files, it left the "edge" of some of my harsher low-quality 16-bit recordings unchanged. (If you've got bad source material, you'll pay for it!)  The iCAN SE REVEALS ALL!
2. In my basic 14.4 FLAC files, the iCAN SE leaves little to be desired.  (There seems to be greater resolving power than 14.4 can offer-up if your headphones are up to the task.) 
3. In my Hi-res FLAC rips from CD there was just more of everything.  The iCAN SE clearly showed me which of my rips were superior.  (I had never noticed so much before the HUGO,

​               so I was pleasantly-surprised to see the differences so clearly laid-out again with the iCAN
               SE.  It also prompted me to re-rip recordings that I had been perfectly-happy with before.

1. In my DSD 2.8MHz & 5.6MHz files were the easiest to hear the differences with.  There was much less to correct/forgive, but what was GOOD just sounded great!  

               Holst, Wagner, Clapton, Genesis, Yuki Kajiura, Toshiro Masuda, Kitaro, & Peter Gabriel
               just sound the best that I've heard in my home, or outside of a professional sound stack.
 
 
Part 3 - THE BUILD QUALITY
 
The iCAN SE is built exactly like the other "MICRO" class offerings from iFi.  Sturdy, metal casings fitted in a manner that allows them to stack with each other.  If you dropped one of these on your ceramic floor, I'd wager that your tile would shatter before these Micro cases would be damaged.  The equipment has run on an almost daily basis, and often over-night with no degradation of functionality or appearance.  In short, these things are TANKS.
 
 
 
So is it worth it?
 
For me, the iCAN SE represents tremendous value when compared to other amps I've borrowed or auditioned.  Can I think of an amp that I'd lust after over this?  Sure!  I'd love to have a Grace m920 or SPL Phonitor, but I'm not to the point of looking in the $2K US Dollar neighborhood for amplifiers just yet.

Part 1 - TORTURE TEST
 
So, have you ever heard the noise from an old laptop's hard drive spinning-up, or the electronic "chirp" of your mouse cursor moving across your screen during music playback??  Chances are that if you're using a half-way decent PC/MAC from last 10 years or so, that you haven't.  But hey, I figured why not REALLY test what this device can do?  Where's the challenge in cleaning-up already clean, modern USB 3.0 connections?  (SPOILER!  By the way, it made my modern USB 2.0 & 3.0 signals sound incredibly clear.)  So the performance torture test was devised.  I grabbed our old HP and DELL  laptops from the basement Pentium (Yes, PLAIN INTEL single core PENTIUM CPUs) PC archives (Read as spare parts rack) and coaxed them back to life running old versions of Windows XP & using Windows media player or FOOBAR 2000 and played old 16-bit sampled mp3 files.  Did it magically make this old equipment and poorly sampled, high-loss audio files sound like high-end audiophile-worthy output?  NO.  But what it DID do to my surprise is reduce the harsh, "ringing" (The only way I can describe the distortion/aliasing from the mp3 files) and virtually eliminated the noise from the poorly-shielded components in both laptops.  No screeches or squawks randomly intruding on the playback once the iPurifier 2 was in the audio chain.  Unfortunately, DSD files were a bit too much for these old laptops, but they DID manage to do justice with some of my lower-sampled FLAC files, and actually managed to make them sound GOOD!  (CPU run-time was maxxed-out, and nothing else could be done on the PC at the same time while the files were playing back though.)  All in all, a VERY impressive result.  
 
Part 2 - THE ACTUAL REVIEW
 
I evaluated the iFi iPurifier 2 with the following equipment:
SOURCE - Dell XPS 8500, Dell Inspiron 530 (Both running Windows 10 PRO 64-bit)
DAC - iFi iDSD (DAC) FIIO e17 (DAC) ONKYO TX-NR636 (DAC) iBASSO DX90 (DAC)
AMP - iFi iDSD, iFi iCAN, iFi iCAN SE, Schiit Audio ASGARD 2, & ONKYO TX-NR636
HeadPhones - Beyerdynamic T1 (ver.2), HifiMan HE400i, Sennheiser HD-650, HD-800
Player Suite - Foobar 2000, & JRiver Mediacenter 21
 
Now I'm not going to throw a bunch of specs at you as they are all over the web and in other reviews, so I will keep this to "what I experienced personally":
 
When I listen to music over my DLNA server, I am just listening passively.  When I go directly from my media PCs using FOOBAR or MediaCenter 21, I am usually actively listening, and looking to lose myself in the audio.  The iPurifier 2 is best enjoyed by me during the latter setting.  To be honest, my configuration already sounded pretty good to me as it was.  I never was wanting for clearer signal, or more refined detail.  I knew it was out there, but I figured that the pursuit of it would be so cost-prohibitive, that it really wasn't something that I couldn't live without.  (Incorrect assumption #1)
 
So when I was sent the iPurifier 2 to try out with my audio gear, I was kind of skeptical to be honest.  I mean, USB filtering?  How much of a difference can THAT make? (Incorrect assumption #2)  
 
First, this piece of kit does a good shade more than "just filter";  It re-clocks, conditions, boosts, & noise cancels.  All seamlessly, with NO drivers or configurations needed.  It is literally "plug-n-play", and how often does something THAT simple happen nowadays?
 
So what did I hear?  

1. In my mp3 low-res files, it softened the "edge" of some of my harsher low-quality 16-bit recordings. (Think old Bruce Springsteen and George Thorogood live performances that sound almost 8-bit...  But are SO fun to listen to!)
2. In my basic 14.4 FLAC files, it brought-out more of the layers in instrumentals.  (There are sub-riffs in Pink Floyds' "Learning To Fly" & "Money" that I never heard quite so prominently. before.) 
3. In my Hi-res FLAC rips from CD there was just more "oomf" and weight to song from The Moody Blues, Alan Parson Project (YOU MUST hear "La Sagrada Familia" with the iPurifier 2 enhancing!)
4. In my DSD 2.8MHz & 5.6MHz files the improvements were bother more difficult to catch, yet more impactful at the same time.  There was less to correct, but what WAS corrected just stood out all the more. Holst, Wagner, Clapton, Michael Jackson, Billy Joel, Toshiro Masuda, Kitaro, it all just took me 10s of hours to get past trying to listen the subtle nuances that I had never heard before and truly enjoy!

 
So what's the point?
 
For me, the iPurifier 2 represents if nothing else, the single SIMPLEST way to enhance all of your audio collection in one fell swoop.  Will it be as dramatic an upgrade as upgrading from a sub-$100 "generic" DAC to a higher-end iDSD Micro, Chord Hugo/Mojo or better?  Probably not.  But there is simply no other addition to your audio chain that you can simply "plug-in", and not even have to power it on, that will have as much impact on your audio as the iPurifier 2 that I have ever heard of.

Product name: iFi Micro iTube Tube Buffer/Tube Pre-Amplifier
Manufacturer: iFi
Cost: $329 US dollars.  Provided as a courtesy via iFi Customer Service for evaluation with my currently-owned (All Purchased) iFi equipment .  No incentives given or accepted.
 
Reviewer: Ken Norris - North America, USA, New Jersey
Reviewed: March, 2016
 
 
So, a little over a year ago now, I bought and reviewed a USB DAC from iFi called the iDSD Micro.  Spoiler:  I LOVED IT!  While I am admittedly a relative newcomer to seriously pursuing the ever-moving target known as "Audiophillia", it seems that I have fairly decent luck when it comes to picking people to learn from.  After listening quietly for quite a while to what others who have gone before me had to say, I took the plunge and haven't looked back since. It also turns out that the iDSD is just one device in a whole lineup of products that are designed to work and fit together as the "Micro line" of iFi components. After evaluating the iDSD, and iCAN, I now turn my eye (and ears) towards the iTube in this review.  So what is it?  The iTube is a valve pre-amp that is designed to work harmoniously with the other iFi Micro devices.  I also learned coincidentally, that it works equally well with other brands, but the form-factor is quite literally MADE to fit with the other devices in the iFi Micro line which just makes the whole audio stack affair look so "clean", that even my wife who HATES clutter/wires/gadgets admits that the lineup looks like some kind of industrial art centerpiece.  (Fair warning, I added some "cable management" to tidy-up the power cords!)  To me, a major benefit of the entire MICRO line is that I get serious, full desktop-sized component performance and sound that doesn't ACTUALLY take up a whole desk!  (All 3 MICRO components fit neatly in my backpack or laptop bag for my "on the go" lifestyle.)
 
The review:
 
For starters, the iTube that was shipped to me courtesy of Owen & Karina D. (Rockstars in customer service) arrived in the same iFi-Standard packaging as the iDSD & iCAN did. The box dimensions are all identical which makes for easy bulk-wrapping if giving the set as a gift.  (Very thoughtful!)  
 
Layout - On the front panel is a volume knob and a 2-position switch for Digital Antidote Plus® and another for 3D HolographicSound®.  On the rear panel there are two pairs of RCA jacks for analog audio input and output.  The power socket is on the right-side panel (Looking from the front), with the power supplied from a wallwart power supply with integrated iPower technology to reduce signal interference.  As a nice touch, an L-adapter cable is included so that the power cord doesn't have to stick out of the device at a 90-degree angle!  Underneath there are the pre-amp/buffer preset DIP switches that allow you to select operational modes. This allows you to not only determine how the unit passes or modifies signal, but also how much of an influence the tube/valve circuit will have on your end sound.
 
What does it do?:
The iTube contains two primary switchable circuits. The first is the 3D HolographicSound® system which provides to my ear, a more 3-dimensional effect to the music and slight highlight of soundstage separation.  The second switch is called the Digital Antidote Plus® whose purpose is to soften any harsh, "ringing" digital sources which contribute to "listening fatigue".
 
Does it work?:
In my trials, I primarily used the iTube in series with my iDSD as DAC, RCA'd to the iTube, through to my iCAN.  I sometimes substituted-in my Schiit Audio ASGARD 2 or my ONKYO HT-R693 (Via Phono RCA-in jacks) as amplifiers.  Beautiful in every configuration.  Most importantly, I switched-off between my iBASSO DX90 (Coaxial digital signal into the iDSD) and my Home Theater PC (Windows 10 i7 via USB3 digital signal.)  Why most importantly?  Because I was sampling digital audio files ranging from low bit-rate MP3s through DSD128 via straight digital SPDiF & USB transport methods.  If there is anything that I've read that can indicate a cold, sterile, or harsh sound, it's a pure digital setup amped by solid state.  Now does it ever happen to me?  Heck yes!  I've got an abysmal sampling of Foreigner's "Agent Provocateur" that I ripped from my CD back in college back in the 80s that is my personal BENCHMARK for horribly-sampled sound. Scratchy sound quality with grossly-obvious artifacts throughout.  Even my Sennheiser HD-650s were unable to make it sound good!  Now am I going to tell you that the iTube made it sing like a choir of angels?  NO.  What is lost in sampling can normally never be brought back.  But the inclusion of the iTube DID make the darn tracks sound "listenable".  (Think of going from an old, static-laiden AM band radio to a decent mono FM radio.  Still not what you are used to, but definitely a sight better than what you had!)
 
So, WHY did I start with that example?  Because the point is that the iTube is a very transparent component in the audio chain. It didn't matter if I was using it in pre amp mode, buffer mode, or even with the effects on, the music remained clear, clean, and mostly unaltered. I ran bit-perfect all the way to this device, and it never did anything weird or unexpected to the sound. So I say all that about the worst-case scenario above because it was the only way that I could CLEARLY tell the difference between before & after with almost no effort.  (And I was using Beyer-Dynamic T1 ver. 2s, & Sennheiser HD-800s to check!)
 
Under "normal conditions" I listened to, and loved some sample  tracks that were recorded in NATIVE DSD128 from InterDA Music (http://www.interda.com/)  These "LIVE" recordings allowed me to examine everything from side conversations in the audience, to the scrapes on the floor as instruments were shifted and moved during performances.  TONS of detail.  Not much by way of sibilance, but when you can hear air moving, you know when you're losing detail due to masking.  With the iTube in or out of the chain, I still heard ALL the effects!  It was to me, the difference between a strong knock on your door that startles you, and a strong knock on your door that you are expecting.  No less loud or crisp, but not as jarring.  (There is an audience member who yells, "Whoo!" in the very beginning of the track "Light My Fire".  You can still hear her and others make various sounds in the background throughout the song, even when the brass do their staccato hits.)  Is it harsh with all that detail?  No.  But it just sounds slightly more welcoming, and enveloping when the iTube is in the audio chain.  And that is the point.  SLIGHTLY.  Not night and day, but if you are actively listening, the added warmth IS there to enjoy.  And I do!
 
Equipment:  Sources - iBASSO DX90, Samsung YP-P1, Dell XP 8700 (i7, Win 10, Foobar 2000 ver 1.3.5, JRIVER Media Center 21, TIDAL (Client & Browser players), Amazon Music Player, VLC Player, Groove Music Player, & Windows Media Player) Apple iPad Air (ONKYO Player App), Apple iPhone 4S, 5, & 6 phones (ONKYO Player App)
 
DACs - FIIO e17, iBASSO DX90, iFi iDSD, ONKYO HT-R93
Amps - Schiit Audio ASGARD2, iFi iDSD, iFi iCAN, ONKYO HT-R693
USB Signal Conditioner - iFi iPurifier2
Cables - Monster HDMI, "Generic" USB, Forza Audio Works Digital interconnect, iFi-provided RCA patch cables
Headphones - AKG K545 & K550, Beyer-Dynamics T1 (ver. 2), JVC ESNSY - HA-SR85S-T, HA-SZ2000, Sennheiser HD-650 & HD-800
IEMs - VMODA bass freq, Sony XBA300AP, Sennheiser Momentum
 
Conclusion:
 
Would I buy?  Yes.   But bear in mind that I only found value myself when ACTIVELY listening.  (Others may very-well notice more easily than I...)   Would I use it during a morning commute?  No.  To listen to generic "top 40" background noise while doing chores around the house?  No.  I just wouldn't be paying enough attention to notice the difference.  But to relax in my easy chair and just enjoy seriously listening to some truly great music?  Definitely.  Why 4 1/2 and not the full 5 stars?  Well I want to leave some room for the next piece of kit iFi develops that will by all previous examples, improve all of their current offerings considerably!

****************New iFi iDSD Micro BLACK LABEL Review (3/20/2017)  Original iDSD Micro Review below!
 
I haven't been able to separate the iDSD Micro Black Label review from the original iDSD Micro's old review, so I will build on what's already here:
 
 

Many thanks to Lawrance & the iFi team for allowing me to perform a "head-to-head" comparison between my trusty iDSD Micro, and the new iDSD Micro Black Label (from now on referred to as "BL") 
 
So what is it?  The iFi iDSD Micro BL is in my eyes, an evolution of the original iDSD Micro portable headphone amplifier.
 
So what's different?  Well, it's Black with Orange print instead of the original's silver with black print.  I have read that there are some improvements in "fit and finish", but as I still have no noticeable flaws in my original unit, I can't speak to that myself.  In truth, most of the difference is "under the hood", so to speak.  Improved components in terms of clock timings, circuitry, power, & the like.  (I'm not a spec guy, as you might have guessed.)
 
**SPOILER**  (If you just want the bottom line, here it is up-front,)
So do I think it is worth it?   2 answers for 2 groups:  
 
If you don't already own an iDSD Micro - YES!  This is quite possibly one of the strongest portable amp offerings that I have ever heard of in the sub $2,000 USD portable headphone amp category, period.  Add to that, a very sophisticated and clean DAC section, and you have a portable that can hold its own against many desktop class components out there.  
 
If you already own an iDSD Micro - Maybe?  The problem here is that there wasn't anything that I considered "wrong" with the original.  Yes, there is a certain refinement to the sound of the new iDSD BL when I do A/B side-by-side comparisons between the 2., and yes, if I had the opportunity to buy either at the same price, I'd buy the new unit.  But while the changes are indeed for the better in the new unit to my ears, they are subtle.  In truth, if I were to listen to them hours apart, I'd be hard-pressed to separate the differences between the two from other variations like changes of headphone positioning and quality of seal between the pads and my ears.  
 
 
So let's take a look at what I've been rambling about:

As you can see, my old unit even after years of coast to coast trips still looks pretty darn good!  No problems with construction, switches, or ports.  The label for the serial # has worn away a bit, and some of the lettering on the bottom of the unit has rubbed-off from constant handling.  (Hey, my hands sweat a lot in the summer sometimes!)  So when I saw the two side-by-side, I was pretty impressed!  Most of my gear gets replaced on an annual basis due to "wear and tear" from my mobile lifestyle.  (My iDSD Micro has easily seen 12+ of the 50 states, and many of them multiple times.)
 
 
Underneath, they are again essentially identical.  (I faded the serial labels purposefully as a courtesy to iFi)

 
 
And here you can truly see wear on my old unit.  Still not bad after years of abuse!  (I USE my gear regularly, so they don't stay museum quality sadly...)

 
 
So, why did I spend so much time showing the physical characteristics?  In truth, I struggled with this review.  The new iDSD BL is very similar to my original.  I can't tell you that the battery lasts longer, that it drives headphones much stronger, or that there is an upgrade in construction.  Why?  I suspect that it's because the original never needed improvement.  My old iDSD's battery STILL lasts longer than any of my cell phones or my DAP's batteries.  The construction is tough enough to take a tumble from my lap, to airport/airplane/hotel floors, (Typically carpeted) and not show it.  The power output rivals my Schiit Audio's AGARD 2 dedicated DESKTOP headphone amp while running off battery power., The only thing that I could have asked for is an ON/OFF switch, so that I could leave my volume levels the same when I return to listening.  (Like if I'm comparing different headphones head-to-head and want as little variation as possible.)
 
So what do you get in terms of sound quality?  
 
AMP Section - With the iDSD BL, you get just a little more of what you get from the original.  I spent DAYS trying to find that "A-HA moment" when a clear and defining difference would jump out at me.  It just never happened.  What I heard was a mellow, SPACIOUS sound.  Just like the original.  The fine detail is a little tighter on the original, and more "musical" on the BL.  (I had to listen to Sennheiser HD-650, HD-800, AKG 545/550, JVC HA-SZ2000, and Beyerdynamics T1 ver.2 headphones repeatedly in succession in order to be sure, as each demonstrates their strengths accordingly.  In short, it's a matter of taste.  The original will please those seeking a more analytical presentation, while the BL might please those who felt the original could be just a tad harsh.  
 
DAC Section - Again, SUBTLE differences between the two.  The BL only really sounded different on the T1 & HD-800.  The other headphones sounded essentially identical on both when evaluating their DAC performances.  The T1 just sounded a little crisper on the original, and slightly more "musical" on the BL.  The HD-800 showed the difference to a slightly greater degree, and was slightly more fatiguing on the original.  If I only owned HD-800s, I would upgrade to the BL for this reason more than all the other subtle differences combined. 
 
 
For music, I chose "What God Wants Part-1" (Roger Waters), "Drink Up Me Hearties" (Hans Zimmer),  "Why Me?" (Planet P Project), "La Sagrada Familia" (Alan Parsons Project), "Thriller" (Michael Jackson), "The Kids Aren't Alright" (The Offspring), "On My Level" (Wiz Khalifa (MY ultimate BASS evaluation track!)),  "Ave Maria, for voice & piano" (Mario Lanza)  Each tracks sampled between Mp3, FLAC, & DSD quality versions. (Except Mario Lanza, who I only had in CD format.)
 
Equipment - DAPs iPhone 4S, 5, 6, & 7+, & iPAD Air, iBASSO DX90, Lenovo Yoga A12 (Android version), Dell XPS 8500 (Win 10, 64GB, Foobar2000/JRiver Media Center 21) Schiit Audio ASGARD 2  Forza Audio cables
 
***************************************Original iDSD Micro Review*******************************
 
5 Stars
Summary:  Incredible DAC capable of more than what most users will need for the foreseeable future
 
Pros
Incredible detail and clarity with more power than any portable has a right to put out.
 
Cons 
No actual on/off switch (It would be nice to leave the volume knob where it is when you turn it off), Larger size is pushing the portable envelope
 
I will leave the technical speak and unboxing play-by-play to the reviews that are already here, done by people who do a much better job than I can currently manage.  Just know that the iDSD Micro comes with EVERYTHING that I could ask for to get started in terms of connectivity and accessories already in the box. 
 
First:  When I bought my iDSD Micro, it was $499.  It has gone up since then, but if I was to buy it all over again, I'd still do so as I've heard nothing that touches it in the sub-$2,400 portable DAC/Amp market.
 
I completely lucked-into finding this device simply because I wanted a device that would make my iBASSO DX90 work with my Sennheiser HD-650s in hotel rooms. 
(No, I'm not one of those people who would blast my fellow plane passengers with whatever I'm listening to with open back headphones....)
At first I had a FIIO e17 that I had intended to use with my iPhones (4S & 5) and iPad Air, but learned the hard way that there is no simple way to make that combo work.  So I looked for another solution that would provide a better DAC and enough power to make my HD-650s sound "full" rather than anemic.  The iDSD Micro connects to new-style "Lightning" i-devices simply through a Camera Connection Kit (C.C.K.) cable.  Nice and neat! (Though the old 30-pin apple devices will need a short USB cable to attach the C.C.K. to the iDSD Micro)
 
Boy did I get more than I bargained for.  The iDSD Micro's brightness really brought some crispness to the HD-650s which some have called "veiled".  They do not sound veiled to me at all with this combo.  If I were listening to the GRADO 225Es that I had tried, the highs were far too "sparkly" and I didn't care for them.  Nothing against the headphones, they just didn't fit my tastes with this combo.  Now there is another "DARK SIDE" that I learned that the iDSD Micro excels at;  BASSHEAD HEADPHONES!  I'm a part-time Basshead, and sometimes just want some jaw-rattling "THUMP" to my music.  Enter the JVC HA-SZ2000 (Kings!),  JVC HA-M55x, and Photive PH-BTX6. In order of Bass capability.  One of the first comments about each of these headphones is that they have recessed mids that you'll have to EQ heavily for.  Not so with the iDSD Micro!  Add some 3D to make them feel less closed-in, but retain their bass slam.  Then flip the XBASS switch and EQ your songs to your tastes.  The iDSD never falls short for pushing power through your phones, and the DAC/amp combo works nicely to tighten-up the bass on all three, but especially the PH-BTX6 as it is the most bloated.  The SZ2000s just keep pulling more and more sub-bass out if the source song has it.  Some songs just THUMP, but never get loose and sloppy with the SZ2000s.  This is not the case with other amp/DAC combos I've tried. like the FIIO e17.  It makes all 3 of them louder, but doesn't do much to help keep the dynamics of the music "civilized" once the BASS gets raised beyond moderate levels.  Likewise with my tabletop SCHIIT Audio ASGARD 2 amp.  It does an AWESOME job with making classical, rock, pop, or jazz/Blues sound like new discoveries with the HD-650s, but there is just more loudness when you try to blow up the bass without any or much control over it's presentation.
 
I don't use IEMs often, but when I plug up my UE Super-Fi3s (90% of what I listen to) or VMODA Bass Freqs (For the occasional "in-ear" bass-heavy listening) I set the iDSD micro to "NORMAL" mode for most rock/pop/BASS-heavy listening, and down further to "ECO" mode for classical/lyrical music; all set to "Hi Sensitivity" on IE match settings.  (I've never had to use the "Ultra Sensitivity" setting for super-sensitive IEMs, but it is nice to know that it is there if I ever needed it.)
 
So in summary:  Portable DAC/Amp that rivals some desktop/rack solutions for power output and performance.  Does a great job with High-end music formats (DSD, DXD, FLAC, etc..) making old favorites sound like I've heard them for the first time.  If your headphones are slightly claustrophobic when it comes to soundstage, the 3D feature can help quite a bit without sounding "artificial".  And lastly, if you are a TRUE basshead, I've never heard a portable amp that causes your music to actual bring home the slam as powerfully and neatly as the iDSD Micro does.