The iFi Schiit experience

[G8YU]

The DAC and source USB cable used for this review is a Schiit Gungnir and XLO UltraPlus USB respectively. Music source is a laptop running Windows 7.

When I heard about iFi audio I became interested in their products meant to improve USB audio. I'll leave full product descriptions for the ifi website. Here's the basics: the iUSB Power, powered from it's own AC adapter, takes the USB input from your source and splits the power from the data. The Gemini USB cable carries the signal and power physically separated in their own wires from the iUSB Power to the iPurifier (which plugs into your DAC). Just as the name suggests, the iPurifier cleans up the signal.

I intended to try only the iPurifier. Before I clicked "Purchase" I thought: Well the iUSB Power has favorable reviews and isn't exactly expensive; and, of course, I have to get the Gemini to get the full potential from the iUSB Power. Then, as I'm about to buy all three, I thought: Wait, I'm about to spend more than half the price of my Schiit Gungnir on things that might slightly improve USB sound quality; and the Gungnir USB input is supposed to be very good already. Oh well, it's not a waste of money if I send them back when they don't help.

Spoiler alert: The ifi stuff isn't getting sent back.
First I used the iPurifier by itself. Intallation is easy. Unplug the USB cable at the DAC, insert the USB cable into the iPurifier then the iPurifier plugs into the DAC. The changes it brought were immediate and obvious. The ambience and reverb were increased, which at first seemed overpowering. As my brain got accustomed to the increased ambient information, I noticed the increase in transparency and air. The music sound-stage also seemed closer with better focused and detailed images of instruments and voice. Almost forgot to mention, there was an apparent increase overall in volume.

Then I added the iUSB Power and Gemini which connects between the music source USB cable and the iPurifier. The improvements were mostly of the subtle refinement variety. The sound was smoother and there was a bit more detail and image focus. Turning on the IsoEarth switch mostly just seemed to increase bass and/or weight. I did try the iUSB Power and Gemini without the iPurifier. The results were basically as expected. The sound was a little bit more detailed, smoother and the sound-stage was improved; but it lacked the degree of eye-opening improvements that the iPurifier could bring.

To sum up what these ifi products did for the sound. It was like moving from a seat that was rows back from the stage in an acoustically damped space to go up to the stage and hear a more immersive and alive sound with resolution and clarity. I knew my USB sound was lacking in comparison to CD on optical input. With the ifi additions the USB sound now surpasses the sound from CD in all but one area that I've noticed. CD over optical seems to offer a little more body than USB. For example, the impression I get from the sound of a guitar over USB is of strings vibrating; while the CD played over optical connection gives the impression of a guitar emitting the resonation of the strings.

Based on my experience, if you're considering these ifi products then the iPurifier is the best bang for your buck. The iPurifier alone won't completely clear up bad sounding USB audio though. For that you'll need the iUSB and Gemini which offer more complete and overall improvements in addition to the iPurifier; but at a much higher price. I think these ifi products were aimed more to help DACs powered from the USB connection; which is another reason for my surprise at how they transformed the USB audio of my Schiit Gungnir. So, no matter your DAC, if you feel your music over USB is lacking, adding these ifi devices might help.

A more in-depth comparison:
I wasn't satisfied leaving such a simple description of the differences between a CD over optical and USB with the ifi devices. There was more going on than a difference in music body. Here is what I found after noting the differing characteristics across many songs of varying genre.
The sound from USB with the ifi devices could be described as slightly analytical, but only as compared to my reference, CD over optical. USB's tighter focused and defined instrumental images were on a sound-stage that was mostly in front of me with more air space around the instruments. There was also more inner detail and musical note sustain and decay were separated more from the ambient echo or reverb.
Now I see that CD over optical was more of a sound filling the room around me experience instead of having defined instrument images in front of me in my room. The musical note sustain and decay was more blended with the ambience, which must be what I initially identified as being more music body from CD over optical.

This review ended up being longer than I expected. I hope those who are looking for info relevant to DAC USB inputs and iFi products find my experience descriptions helpful.

Edit on 2/23/2014: If it makes any difference, I always have the iUSB Power placed on two model 1 Vibrapods; and never bothered trying it without them.

[G8YU]

A follow up on the review above concerning the source USB cable.

I wondered if the source USB cable still made any difference to sound quality with the iUSB Power, Gemini cable and iPurifier working their magic. This is assuming you believe different USB cables influence the sound in various ways; but I guess you wouldn't be reading this thread if you thought all cables were the same. As stated in the previous review I've been using a two meter XLO Ultraplus USB cable. For comparison I used in it's place a one meter WireWorld Starlight 7.

Surprisingly, the differences between the cables seemed more pronounced with the iFi products in use than when the cables were used by themselves. I immediately noticed the Starlight 7 sounding a little smoother and more natural; but also congested during complex passages like orchestral climaxes and the sound-stage was narrow and/or constricted. The Starlight 7 also seemed to have an annoying veil, which wasn't there with the Ultraplus. Even though the Ultraplus had the advantage of transparency and a wide, deep, airy sound-stage with well defined images, I was hearing a bit more digital grain or hash overall. There also wasn't as much bass as the Starlight 7 offered. One last difference is that the Starlight 7 was more upfront with the sound-stage or seemed to force the sound at me. While that can be more exciting, the more laid back sound-stage of the Ultraplus seemed to leave more room for dynamics. It reminded me of the difference between something typed normally and something TYPED IN ALL CAPITALS (the internet equivalent to shouting). By the way for clarification, these are the same types of differences I heard between the cables before I used the iFi products.

It turns out that just as a power conditioner or filter needs a good cable between it and the wall; the iFi products are dependent on the cable that's feeding them data. I had assumed that the iFi products were diminishing the influence of the source USB cable. Apparently they are cleaning up the signal data (or whatever their magic is); and still letting the cable's various traits or sonic character through. An example to make sense of this (as much for myself as for someone else): In the review above, when I was impressed by the expanded sound-stage and defined images after adding the iPurifier; that's actually a trait of the Ultraplus that the iPurifier is revealing or enhancing. The lesson is: The iFi products will only improve the sound as much as the source USB cable allows them; and the sound quality gains possible from a good source cable will make the investment in the iFi products worthwhile.

Edit on 3/18/2013: For those of you that buy any iFi products you can register it on their website for an extra six months of warranty. When I registered I didn't get an automatic email confirmation of registration received like many of us are accustomed to seeing nowadays. Now, more than a month later I received a polite email confirming the registration. So don't panic if you register with iFi and don't see any email confirmation, it takes them a while.

[jdandy]

G8YU.......Thanks for the interesting read. Cables do matter.

[G8YU]

The .7 meter Gemini USB cable I have has been a bit too short; so I recently purchased a 1.5 meter Gemini USB to replace it. At first I just removed the .7 meter Gemini and put the 1.5 meter in it's place, leaving the XLO UltraPlus USB between the laptop and iFi iUSB Power.

As I was sitting there listening to music I had a thought: What if I replaced the UltraPlus with the Gemini? Well, the double connector end (USB A) of the Gemini fit into two USB ports of my laptop at exactly the precise distance that allowed for no air gap in between (the iUSB Power has about a 7mm gap between the connectors). Since my laptop has USB ports on the left and right side, I could plug one of the Gemini USB A on one side of the laptop and the remaining USB A on the other side, but haven't tried it yet. The instructions state to keep the RF Silencers as close to their respective ends as possible though, and splitting the Gemini that far would put that RF Silencer about halfway down it's length.

Enough about the connections, did the sound change? Well, I wasn't prepared to hear the improvements that the pair of Gemini would bring. I was hoping there wouldn't be an improvement because I would be back to using a USB connection that was too short. I'd played music with the Ultraplus in my connection chain for at least six months; and was quite satisfied with it's performance, not really hearing any serious faults with it.

With a Gemini between the laptop to iUSB Power and between iUSB Power to DAC I immediately noticed a more immersive sound stage and a smoother quality to the sound. Music notes had more body and were decaying or reverberating within a more coherent space. The Ultraplus was just giving a slightly jagged, grainy outline of notes that seemed to decay into a rather undefined or unbounded space. I also heard a crisp splash from cymbals with the Gemini while the Ultraplus offered more of a gritty static sound for cymbals. If there was one drawback to the Gemini it was that I was occasionally hearing intermittent noises in the background, usually only between songs or when no music was playing. I don't know if the 1.5 meter Gemini isn't blocking noise as well as the Ultraplus or if the Gemini just enables a quieter background that is revealing noise. The natural and involving sound from the pair of Gemini makes me feel closer to the music, but my laptop is still too close to my Gungnir DAC.

[vinod_david]

Wow, great review. I am interested to insert Purifier.

[G8YU]

Thanks for the kind words guys.


I have an update concerning the iFi iUSB Power and FM Tuners.
I've noticed more static than normal on some FM radio stations. I even had one radio station disappear. I didn't realize it was the iUSB Power causing this until I unplugged the electric adapter from the iUSB while I was listening to a radio. Suddenly the extra static was gone and I could tune in the station that had gone missing. So, if you have a iUSB that you leave plugged in, you should probably unplug the iUSB's electric connection before listening to FM radio to avoid frustratingly futile antenna adjustments.