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Review and Measurements of ifi nano iDSD Black DAC and Amp

Thomas savage

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@amirm & @Thomas savage , I don't know whether this is happening by system or wat, but this is second time I hv experienced tht my 2 comments hs been cut!

This is just waste of my time bros!

Either u guys, check your system or tell me whether I should comment here, share my work & exp & should ask questions to admins like @amirm or not?

I m fed up after post same things again & again bros! :facepalm::rolleyes:
Nothing’s been cut or edited and non of your posts have been held up in our spam quarantine area. I’m not sure what’s happening but there’s no reports from other members with similar issues so possibly it’s your end.
 

Bhavin

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Nothing’s been cut or edited and non of your posts have been held up in our spam quarantine area. I’m not sure what’s happening but there’s no reports from other members with similar issues so possibly it’s your end.
Ok I m trying to post again.
 

Bhavin

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First of all, I want to request @amirm to compare sound signatures of both, (1). NX4 DSD & (2). Nano BL & post here in brief, so tht friends like me can decide which among these 2 r worth to b given first preferance fr buying.

Later on, I wl discuss second issue which I faced through ifi.
 
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amirm

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First of all, I want to request @amirm to compare sound signatures of both, (1). NX4 DSD & (2). Nano BL & post here in brief, so tht friends like me can decide which among these 2 r worth to b given first preferance fr buying.
I don't have either one anymore. They were on loan and returned to their owners.
 
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amirm

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Oh man @amirm ! Now hw wl we judge whose sound signature is better frm 1. NX4 DSD & 2. Nano BL? :facepalm:
Oh wait, I do have the Nano but the Topping is gone so still in same place.

Best I can suggest is to go by measurements as posted.
 

Bhavin

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Oh wait, I do have the Nano but the Topping is gone so still in same place.

Best I can suggest is to go by measurements as posted.
Ok @amirm . I m comparing measurement of both.

But b4 tht pls tell tht according to u, whose measurements r better frm both bro?
 
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amirm

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But b4 tht pls tell tht according to u, whose measurements r better frm both bro?
Topping NX4 DSD. It has a much better DAC and more power. It is also more portable.
 

Bhavin

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Ok @amirm bro. Thanks for info. I m definitely considering NX4 DSD now.
Also I want to share one bad experience I faced from ifi.

I mailed them to complain tht there is only one distributor is there fr ifi in my country India & he is selling ifi products very costly than 200$. So pls regulate price.

But, they told tht price regulation isn't in our hand!

Also, ifi customer care guy did racism wd me. But, apologise later on when I warned him to take action against him.
 

Blumlein 88

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@amirm

It would be more work for you, but could you do the following.

Record some 30 second segments of a few music selections for each DAC you review. My suggestion would be to record at 96khz the DUT playing at 44 or 48 khz. This way people could download and listen for differences in sound of devices. You need a good ADC (I'm assuming it isn't convenient to do this with the AP).
 
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amirm

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@amirm

It would be more work for you, but could you do the following.

Record some 30 second segments of a few music selections for each DAC you review. My suggestion would be to record at 96khz the DUT playing at 44 or 48 khz. This way people could download and listen for differences in sound of devices. You need a good ADC (I'm assuming it isn't convenient to do this with the AP).
It is a nightmare for someone as lazy as me. :) As It is, even though I am almost averaging one review a day, I have a mountain of backlog of gear to review.
 

Bhavin

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Exactly bro.
Guys, I want to discuss one more thing.

ifi guys say tht they use TI Burr Brown DAC chipset in Nano BL. & This chipset doesn't change output. Means, PCM stays PCM at output, DSD stays DSD etc.

I don't buy this theory of them.

Wat do u guys believe? Is this theory right?
 

Bhavin

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Guys, I want to discuss one more thing.

ifi guys say tht they use TI Burr Brown DAC chipset in Nano BL. & This chipset doesn't change output. Means, PCM stays PCM at output, DSD stays DSD etc.

I don't buy this theory of them.

Wat do u guys believe? Is this theory right?
When we listen DSD file through any DSD supported DAC, it sounds like DSD.

When we listen FLAC files from FLAC supporting DAC, it sounds like FLAC.

That's same for all files from all DAC.

Then hw can we believe tht ifi Nano's TI Burr Brown only let PCM to PCM, FLAC to FLAC etc.?
 

RayDunzl

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andreasmaaan

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Hi @Bhavin,

I think what you mean is that DSD is processed in its native DSD format by the Nano, and that PCM (which includes FLAC, but also all other PCM formats) is played back in its native PCM format.

That's correct according to the iFi website. I'm not sure if anyone's tested it to see if it's true, but there's no reason I know of that it shouldn't be true.

Anyway, the different formats probably don't sound different, but that is how the DAC is supposed to work. In other words, it plays back both DSD and PCM (and MQA, I believe) in their native formats, without converting them to another format first.
 
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