iFi Zen Phono 3 Preamplifier Review

[Soniclife]

Oh. Ok. So why aren't all rumble filters made this way? And if that's the case then it's not dynamic processing, or "intelligent" in its operation, although perhaps arguably more intelligently designed.

We can only guess what's dynamic, but it could turn the feature on and off based on the presence of rumble, or set the mono frequency based on some intelligence.

 

[Anthony T]

I'm a Brit and I've never heard the phrase agricultural before.and have no idea what it's supposed to mean....

Built like it’s it made on a farmhouse or a shed. It wouldn’t be easy to break down though…

 

[restorer-john]

I learned the phrase by watching your Top Gear! They use agricultural to mean unrefined/older tech.

We use it all the time to describe a somewhat noisy diesel engine (like a tractor) vs a smooth modern V6. I've often described the turbo diesel in one of our cars as distinctly agricultural.

 

[restorer-john]

I'm a Brit and I've never heard the phrase agricultural before.and have no idea what it's supposed to mean....

You need to visit the country sometime...

 

[restorer-john]

That board looks over-populated to me

The RIAA EQ deviation obsession with perfection results in those twin seas of SMD caps and resistors.

Pit they didn't focus on the important things more, like noise, overload and distortion. The distortion figures are OK, but I've seen a lot better in 30 and 40 year old phono stages.

 

[milosz]

I am still waiting for an ASR analysis of actual LP playback SINAD. If Amirm needs a test LP with test tones on it, I will send him one, just let me know.

 

[milosz]

Speaking of the use of the term "agricultural" by British people to describe something - just read some of the literature describing vintage British motorbikes or vintage British cars. I owned a 1972 Norton 750 which was described in the press as being agricultural. I always assumed it means that the engine used was originally an irrigation pump, or for cars that the engine came from a tractor. The term always conveyed to me a kind of homely mechanical honesty, a low level of technical advancement, and a product that could be repaired with only a pair of pliers and a hammer.

 

[restorer-john]

I am still waiting for an ASR analysis of actual LP playback SINAD. If Amirm needs a test LP with test tones on it, I will send him one, just let me know

I'll bet Amir doesn't even have a turntable.

 

[JSmith]

I'll bet Amir doesn't even have a turntable.

Pro-ject Phono Box MM Review

But if your comment was not sarcastic I do agree, this is the way to make a change, to convert smps to hifi. It's silly, it's marketing. But why not make life easier with basic and cheap PSU implementation. Less snakeoil in the way of $500 PSU upgrades at least. :)

www.audiosciencereview.com

I do have a turntable. Actually it was a kind donation from a member.

Otari MX-5050 Review (Reel to Reel Tape Deck)

I transferred all the DAT tapes and masters I had to hard disk probably 20 years ago, so at this point DAT is a distant memory. I dealt a lot with the Tascam DA-88 8 track digital recorder which used Hi-8 tapes in film post production sound. It was more reliable, at least at the time. :rolleyes...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Use to repair a ton of turntables and decks due to this reason back in late 1970s/early 1980s.

JSmith

 

[NHL99]

We use it all the time to describe a somewhat noisy diesel engine (like a tractor) vs a smooth modern V6. I've often described the turbo diesel in one of our cars as distinctly agricultural.

Perfectly cromulent audio quality!

 

[amirm]

I am still waiting for an ASR analysis of actual LP playback SINAD. If Amirm needs a test LP with test tones on it, I will send him one, just let me know.

I have test LPs. I just don't know where to start with an optimized cartridge/turntable setup.

 

[Frank Dernie]

With most things ifi I find that their strongest point is the quality of the marketing material, this being not an exception:

View attachment 399346


I think it only loses against FiiO's, which often include very elaborate and sometimes animated 3D renders of the most basic and "agricultural" features .

Guangzhou FiiO Electronics Technology Co., Ltd.-FD15

Guangzhou FiiO Electronics Technology Co., Ltd.

www.fiio.com

Nothing coming out of a seismic transducer at a frequency lower than ~ 2x the natural frequency of the seismic mass on its suspension is accurate.
That includes the bass reproduction, it is a feature of how this sort of transducer works and short of repealing the laws of physics we are stuck with it.

If you had a very good dynamic model of the actual arm and cartridge being used so the actual response lower than 2x the Fn were known one could calculate the modification to the cartridge output needed in the bass to compensate for the error. AFAIK the phono stage maker does not have this data for every combination of arm and cartridge.

The reality is that the bass output inaccuracy is a boost, most people like "more bass" so making it accurate is probably not the objective of record player enthusiasts.

I have been seeing this "but it filters out the bass as well as the warps" moan for decades because it seems pretty well nobody understands dynamics and particularly on record players static thinking is applied to what is actually a dynamic transducer system and conclusions drawn that are often 100% wrong - this is just one of them.

 

[Frank Dernie]

I'm a Brit and I've never heard the phrase agricultural before.and have no idea what it's supposed to mean....

Wow, I' an English engineer who worked in the record player then motor racing industries and have seen "agricultural" used quite a bit for crude but effective.

 

[JeremyFife]

I'm a Brit and I've never heard the phrase agricultural before.and have no idea what it's supposed to mean....

I've always taken it as 'built like a tractor' ... function over form, bolts and mechanicals exposed (no fancy case covering them) - rough but gets the job done. Big wheels (less relevant in audio!)

Don't think the iFi is agricultural, not even utilitarian ... its got a 50's retro vibe if anything

 

[Harryharryharry]

I learned the phrase by watching your Top Gear! They use agricultural to mean unrefined/older tech. Here is an example: https://www.topgear.com/videos/top-gear-tv/richard-hammond-drives-chevy-corvette-series-4-episode-10

With this tag line: "The fast, agile but agricultural Corvette is a handful on the track, but Richard has heaps of fun in it anyway. Don’t talk to him about chassis engineering, this is adrenaline."

I recall James May use the term.

You learn something new every day! I used to watch top gear as well...

 

[markstein]

Ouch, this puts me in a bit of a conundrum!
I was already set on getting a Cambridge Alva Duo, but now I'm not so sure anymore, after seeing the extraordinary RIAA equalization of this iFi. I'll describe my system, in case someone can help me decide. Cartridge is a Denon DL-304 (very low output and 40 Ohm) rebuilt with a boron cantilever. It goes to a Denon SUT (AU-320) and then into the MM input of the Phono Preamp.
Until now I'be been using a Pro-Ject Tube Box II. It's the only one I've ever had, and honestly I'm very happy with it; but since my amp is already a tube one (Unison's Simply Italy, Class A), I'd like to experiment changing the phono preamp for a more "accurate" one, hoping to take even more out of the cartridge, which is extraordinary.
Any feedback will be warmly welcome!

If you are happy with your setup, leave it as-is.
The only upgrade I would try is either a product from Michael Fidler (e.g. the MC Pro) for optimal analog performance or the Parks Audio Waxwing for very extensive and useful DSP based functionality.

 

[somebodyelse]

Oh. Ok. So why aren't all rumble filters made this way?

Because it's an extra complication in the design that needs more components. It's the same reason rumble filters are sometimes left out entirely, especially at the bottom of the market.

And if that's the case then it's not dynamic processing, or "intelligent" in its operation, although perhaps arguably more intelligently designed.

It is exactly the sort of rubbish that usually comes out of marketing though - spinning the ordinary into a nice story of uniqueness while not quite crossing the line into false advertising.

 

[teched58]

Wow, I' an English engineer who worked in the record player then motor racing industries and have seen "agricultural" used quite a bit for crude but effective.

Do Brits use the phrase "close enough for government work"? That's the rough US equivalent for crude but effective.

More precisely, it means that the kludge held together with duct tape is good to go; ship it to the customer. ("Government work" = Defense Department contract.)

 

[welwynnick]

Do Brits use the phrase "close enough for government work"? That's the rough US equivalent for crude but effective.
More precisely, it means that the kludge held together with duct tape is good to go; ship it to the customer. ("Government work" = Defense Department contract.)

Nope. Never heard of that one before.
I'm a Brit that's worked with a lot of US DoD contractors over the years, and I've never heard of any of them take that approach, either.

 

[teched58]

Nope. Never heard of that one before.
I'm a Brit that's worked with a lot of US DoD contractors over the years, and I've never heard of any of them take that approach, either.

I didn't say US DoD contractors "take that approach." It's not meant literally. It's what's called a lighthearted or ironic expression, roughly equivalent in meaning (as I explained) to "crude but effective."