iFi Pro iDSD

During my recent revelations with the Moor Amps Angel power amplifiers, I was urged by their designer to listen to this iFi Pro iDSD as an upgrade path to a Naim NDX streamer. Both share Burr Brown DAC chips, however, the iFi Pro iDSD uses four of them!

Design

The iFi Pro iDSD features Burr-Brown ‘True Native’ multibit DAC chips in a ‘Quad stack’ of four chips in a custom configuration that delivers up to eight pairs of differential signals. This arrangement is designed to deliver ‘exceptional resolving ability’ and ‘bit perfect’ fidelity.

On the DAC input side, there is a range of galvanically isolated digital inputs, including USB (Type A and B), S/PDIF (optical/coaxial) and AES-EBU, plus Ethernet and a micro SDHC card.

The remaining technical features of the iFi Pro iDSD are well documented on the site and there is a greater description at the end of this review. The iFi supports Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Tidal, Qobuz, Deezer, Napster and more, it has MQA decoding but there is no Tidal Connect or Chromecast that I can see.

Thereafter there are an array of options to tailor the sound of the iFi Pro iDSD to your tastes by varying Bit Perfect settings to Bit Perfect+, and a choice of three other filters. There is even a choice of output options after you have filtered your input. These are Solid State, Tube and Tube+, the tube option uses GE 5670 valves.

There are 3 headphone output sockets 6.3mm (single-ended), 3.5mm (single-ended/S-balanced) and 2.5mm TRRS (fully balanced). There is an output gain switch for all headphone outputs (0dB, 9dB and 18dB) offering multiple headphone flexibility.

Finally, as well as the headphone output there are single-ended (RCA) and balanced (XLR) line-level outputs on which there is a selectable fixed or variable output with a choice of signal levels for home or studio use.

The iFi Pro iDSD RRP is £2,499 inc. VAT.

Quality

Out of the box the iFi Pro iDSD feels solid and chunky it feels like what you have in your hands is all on the inside. On the outside it has a powder-coated finish, the top is slightly corrugated which is a bit odd.

The front is brushed aluminium. There are several knobs, two symmetrically on either side of the front OLED display with the left knob slightly over-engineered for input selection, upon which a simple press light selects your source (you can also vary brightness and polarity with this selector). The right-hand knob is the analogue volume control that is motorised and can be adjusted with a rather disappointing thin plastic remote control (in fairness I’ve not touched it being as I have been mostly on fixed output or headphones).

The dial to the right of the Input Selector is the digital filter adjustment, below that is a small switch selecting the output mode between Solid State, Tube and Tube+. In the centre of the front panel is a porthole style OLED display showing your source bit rates and PCM, MQA, DSD detail.

The crowded rear section somehow works with a logical arrangement of analogue outputs and digital inputs (there is, pointedly, no digital output). Also, there is a WiFi antenna and an ethernet input. By the analogue output section, there is a fixed/variable output selector that requires a small flathead screwdriver. Since I’m using an analogue preamplifier, this makes sense to me.

Performance

Review Equipment

I’m using the iFi Pro iDSD analogue output, fixed, to a Moor Amps preamplifier using Tellurium Q Ultra Black II XLRs into the amazing Moor Amps Angel 6. I’ve been driving mainly Kudos Cardea C10s with Tellurium Q Ultra Black II speaker cable. I’m finding this arrangement to be as revealing as I have experienced with the controlled muscle of the Angel 6 leaving nothing undelivered.

Headphone wise, I’ve listened with planar magnetic Oppo PM-2s, Focal’s Radiance and the fabulous T+A Solitaire P-SE.

Separately, I had a chance to use a new Bluesound Node Gen 3 as streaming transport to the iFi Pro iDSD.

Physically

The iFi Pro iDSD is diminutive in size but packs a compact punch. I thought everything would be a little cluttered, but I have everything set up without bother. With a prudent reorganisation of wires, the box sits comfortably on its padded rubber base though I have a small amount of Blu tac securing the box at the rear.

I’m using the mconnect App on my Android phone which is fine for sending MQA and Qobuz files to the iFi Pro iDSD and networked files are handled with ease via DNLA. I have to say, I’m still really enjoying the Chord 2Go/2Yu networked storage option and this arrangement is very useful as a reviewer with (a limited number) DSD files on MicroSD cards.

Digital Filters etc.

I’m bound to say I have found this iDSD complicated to set up and to get correct, however, once I decided to run it fixed into the Moor Amp preamplifier rather than variable into the power amplifier, I was a good deal happier and more in control.

I’ve ended up with the iFi set up ‘Direct – Bit Perfect’, with no filtering/upsampling. I had a play with the other settings but if I’m honest about this, I like to have the options but really, choice is so overrated; we want it but the filters only make marginal changes, so I wasn’t sure why I was doing it if I was adjusting such a clean source. If you think about it, why are we adjusting an MQA file which is meant to be how the artist wants is to hear it?

At the end of the day, once I’ve settled back, the iFi Pro iDSD is sublime.

Solid State v Tube v Tube+

Having got up and running with the Moor Amps pre and power the Kudos C10s which are more marvellous every time I hear them. I have an open soundstage that I’m very happy with and the control I have is how I need it, I’m fixed output from the iFi and I’m hearing the bits I’m listening for with as much ease as I would want. I’ve been listening to a lot, and I have no aural fatigue.

The Tube setting over the solid-state setting is quite subtle, but I will agree with myself in that it serves to slightly soften the treble in the Kudos speakers which are lively, but I like it. This is consistent, interestingly, to my preferring Naim amplification over the T+A amplification in the C10 review, the former being apparently warmer in my thoughts at the time.

DSD

I do have a few DSD files. I must be honest; I have no tracks on DSD I really want, Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 is not my bag really, it sounds great to me but how would I know? There is no Ryan Adams on DSD or Amos Lee or Tom Petty. The Eagles I’d go for, even Coldplay, though not the new album which is dreadful. So, the iFi Pro iDSD does Shostakovich on DSD really well.

Bluesound Node Gen 3

Using the new 2021 Bluesound Node (it can be called Gen 3, it could be a 2 or a 2i really) as a transport you need to set it to fixed output, then select MQA pass through to send the file to the iFi. Thereafter you simply have a transport delivering your music files, including MQA unpacked, to the iFis quad DAC. There are several benefits to doing this, mainly you can use BluOS instead of mconnect to manage your music which is a very good thing.

The overall performance of the DAC is enhanced in my view, and the music management experience is better handled perfectly by BluOS. The files slip through and the display in the iFi reflects the bit rate and depth as needed, the iFi is doing all the music processing, excellently. Helplessness Blues (Qobuz 24 bit, 96kHz)) by Fleet Foxes is such a layered and complex track and yet here everything is so open in the presentation through the Kudos speakers, this album has just never sounded as serene as this.

Headphone Amplifier with T+A Solitaire P-SE headphones

…it is totally immersive and just serves to reveal the transparent pass-through from the iFi

As a headphone amplifier, the iFi Pro iDSD is a fine performer (particularly with the BluOS transport). The gain switch enables you to find the right level for your headphones, with the T+A Solitaires, which are planar magnetic, I find them easy to drive so I put the Gain setting up one to 9dbs but I probably could have left it at 0db. The output is vibrant and energetic, the headphones retain their poise and easy-going output. I have stumbled across an Amos Lee Radio Playlist on Tidal that features Ben Harper and Brett Dennan. My goodness Ben Harper’s track Picture of Jesus (Tidal MQA 24bit, 48kHz) is a magnificent track and the Solitaires leave nothing behind, it is totally immersive and just serves to reveal the transparent pass-through from the iFi.

Listening to the same track with a pair of Focal Radiance headphones the presentation is dynamic, and the head stage remains wide and particularly warm.

Streaming DACs at HF&MS

I said of the Auralic Vega 2.1 “I would go for the Vega G2.1 without a moment’s hesitation”, I think the caveat would be the budget there. Recently I was particularly taken by the Moon 280D which was simply a streaming DAC, no preamplifier, fixed out, functional and totally focussed on the job. Then there’s the Chord Hugo 2, outstanding performance at such a competitive price point not to mention that flexibility with the 2Go. However, the iFi Pro iDSD has such an open and satisfactory faultless presentation what are we to conclude? I can’t really recall the Vega that clearly in the review fuzz, but this could be almost as good at nearly half the price, thing is you could say the same of the Hugo 2 at a third of the price.

Overall

….offers an open performance I’ve not heard in recent times

The iFi Pro iDSD is at this price outstanding piece of equipment, it is clear crisp and very flexible and offers an open performance I’ve not heard in recent times. As a streaming DAC, it is beautiful to listen to and with decent transport it is faultless. As a headphone amplifier, similarly, there is a great deal to merit it.

Specification

The iFi Pro iDSD features Burr-Brown ‘True Native’ multibit DAC chips in a ‘Quad stack’ of four chips in a custom configuration that delivers up to eight pairs of differential signals. This arrangement is designed to deliver ‘exceptional resolving ability’ and ‘bit perfect’ fidelity. Additionally, there is a Crysopeia FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) chip that manages the DACs digital performance and offers PCM-to-DSD remastering up to DSD1024.

The Pro iDSD is iFi’s flagship hi-res streaming DAC/preamplifier with a range of options and filters for both home and studio use. It supports PCM up to 32-bit/768kHz, DXD (24-bit/352.8kHz), DSD up to 22.57MHz (DSD512) and wireless streaming of hi-res up to 32-bit/192kHz.

On the DAC input side, there is a range of galvanically isolated digital inputs, including USB (Type A and B), S/PDIF (optical/coaxial) and AES-EBU, plus Ethernet and a micro SDHC card. The signal input is handled by yet another chip, an XMOS XU216 X-Core 200 Series processor. The input side features an option to connect the clock to an external source via a BNC input or you have the option to connect other components to the Clock, for example, an iFi iCan headphone amplifier.

The remaining technical features of the iFi Pro iDSD are well documented on the site, suffice to say it supports Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Tidal, Qobuz, Deezer, Napster and more, it has MQA decoding but there is no Tidal Connect or Chromecast that I can see.

Thereafter there are an array of options to tailor the sound of the iFi Pro iDSD to your tastes by varying Bit Perfect settings to Bit Perfect+, and a choice of three other filters. There is even a choice of output options after you have filtered your input. These are Solid State, Tube and Tube+, the tube option uses GE5670 valves.

There are 3 headphone output sockets 6.3mm (single-ended), 3.5mm (single-ended/S-balanced) and 2.5mm TRRS (fully balanced). There is an output gain switch for all headphone outputs (0dB, 9dB and 18dB) offering multiple headphone flexibility.

Finally, as well as the headphone output there are single-ended (RCA) and balanced (XLR) line-level outputs on which there is a selectable fixed or variable output with a choice of signal levels for home or studio use.

Full details of the Specification are on the company’s site.

About iFi

iFi is the sister brand of Abbingdon Music Research (AMR) and is headquartered in Southport, UK. The two brands respectively design and manufacture portable and desktop audio products and high-end hi-fi components. The combined in-house hardware and software development team and ‘music first’ approach enable iFi and AMR to bring to manufacture advanced audio products that deliver new levels of design, functionality and performance and their respective price points.

Web: www.ifi-audio.com

Tel. for consumer enquiries: 01900 601954 (Select Audio – iFi’s UK distributor)

Tel. for trade enquiries: 01704 227204