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Ifi IDSD Micro Impressions

I recently bought a used Ifi IDSD Micro because I wanted something that would get good sound on the go for an iPod Touch. I initially wanted an Ifi Nano but I got a great deal on the Micro so I figured I would try it. I don't own any other headphones amps, as I use the headphone jack of my Fisher X-100-3 at home and don't listen to headphones that much anyway, except when working on a mix for one of my records.

I used a pair of Etymotic Research ER4-PT headphones with the Micro.

The array of functions in the Micro is impressive, to say the least. I don't have any DSD files but I appreciate the ability to play them and the fact that it plays every format natively. I preferred the standard filter on PCM material (there are 3 filter options, which do sound a bit different) and used the normal setting of power, as well as the high sensitivity setting for IEM. By ear, it seemed the best match so far with my headphones, it had more impact compared to the Eco setting. I might keep playing around though. Overall, it seems one can match the Micro to pretty much any pair of headphones. I also own a pair of Sennheiser HD600 but I haven't tried them with it yet, as I - somewhat mistakenly - thought of the Micro more as a portable solution and the HD600 are too big for that anyway.

In terms of sound, it's absolutely no contest between the direct output of the iPod Touch and through the Micro. Everything is much better across the board with the Micro. Since the Micro turned out to be a bit bulkier than I thought, I was somewhat hoping that the difference wouldn't be night and day, so I wouldn't have to carry it every time I want to listen to music on the go, but it really is a profound difference. Obviously, the iPod isn't hifi, but for me, simply put, using the Micro is the difference between enjoying music through it, or not.

I didn't care too much for the 3D option and the bass boost myself but I think some users will find them useful. It certainly doesn't hurt to have them.

I am curious about the Ifi Nano, as it's smaller, but people seem to say it doesn't sound quite as good. I might buy one to hear the difference and see if I can live with the smaller Nano, but for now, I am keeping the Micro and will see how it works out in the subway, airplanes etc.

As an aside, I also tried briefly the Micro as a DAC only, in my main system, where my usual DAC is a Wavelength Brick V3 (quite a bit more expensive, with a tube, and older). The Micro has a lot more functions, as the Brick will only go up to 96/24 and won't do DSD. This doesn't really bother me, as I don't have any music at a higher resolution than 96/24 at the moment (except the 192/24 files for my own record). I thought it was quite good and I suspect the battery power supply is a strong asset compared to other DACs. That said, overall, I found the Brick to be more detailed and faithful to recordings that I know the sound of well, starting with my own. As a DAC, in my system, the Micro seemed a bit too forgiving somehow ( and I don't like over-detailed sound). I have no idea why, as I didn't strike me as too forgiving with the headphones. The Brick seemed more "correct" to me (subjectively so, for sure). It's possible that I simply didn't spend enough time with the Micro as a DAC though, since I didn't buy it for that, so this is just a first impression. It certainly is not bad.

A couple of details: obviously, a lot of thought and smart decisions went into this product. I tried changing the USB cable to a Wireworld Ultraviolet and I much preferred the original blue cable, which sounded more focused and right. The Wireworld cable did require an extra USB adapter (included with the Micro) to fit into the Micro socket, perhaps that's why the sound wasn't as good, I don't know. I also tried changing the 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch adapter from the one that comes with the Micro to the one that comes with the ER4-PT and again, the original adapter sounded better to my ears. This suggests an attention to detail that is commendable.

Overall, I am impressed with the Micro, especially for the price.



Edits: 10/07/16

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Topic - Ifi IDSD Micro Impressions - saxman73 13:33:11 10/07/16 (1)

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