DC iPurifier2

Reviewer: Srajan Ebaen
Financial interests: click here
Main system: Sources: Retina 5K 27" iMac late 2020 with Ventura 13.3, 40GB RAM, Audirvana Origin, Qobuz Sublime, Singxer SU-6 USB bridge, LHY Audio SW-8 network switch, Sonnet Pasithea DAC; Active filter: icOn Gradient Box at 80Hz/4th-order hi/lo-pass; Power amplifiers: Kinki Studio EX-B7 monos, Goldmund Job 225; Headamp: Cen.Grand Silver Fox; Phones: HifiMan Susvara; Loudspeakers: Qualio Audio IQ w. sound|kaos DSUB 15 on Carbide Audio footers, Audio Physic Codex, Cube Audio Nenuphar Cables: Complete loom of Allnic Audio ZL; Power delivery: Vibex Granada/Alhambra on all source components, Vibex One 11R on amps, Furutech DPS-4.1 between wall and conditioners; Equipment rack: Artesanía Audio Exoteryc double-wide 3-tier with optional glass shelves, Exoteryc Krion and glass amp stands; Sundry accessories: Acoustic System resonators, LessLoss Firewall for loudspeakers, Furutech NCF Signal Boosters; Room: 6 x 8m with open door behind listening seat
2nd system: Source: Shanling M3 Ultra, Soundaware D300Ref; DAC: Cen.Grand DSDAC 1.0 Deluxe; Preamp/filter: Vinnie Rossi Signature L2 + icOn 4Pro + 4th-order/40Hz hi-low pass; Amplifier: Enleum AMP-23R; Loudspeakers: MonAcoustic SuperMon Mini, Dynaudio S18 sub; Power delivery: Furutech GTO 2D NCF + Akiko Audio Corelli; Equipment rack: Hifistay Mythology Transform X-Frame [on extended loan]; Sundry accessories: Audioquest Fog Lifters; Furutech NFC Clear Lines; Room: ~3.5 x 8m
Desktop system: Source: HP Z230 work station Win10/64; USB bridge: Singxer SU-2; Headamp/DAC: iFi iDSD Pro Signature;  Headphones: Final D-8000; Active speakers: DMAX SC5
Upstairs headfi/speaker system: Source: smsl Dp5 transport; DAC: Auralic Vega; Integrated amplifier: Schiit Jotunheim R; Phones: Raal-Requisite SR1a
2-channel video system: Source: Oppo BDP-105; All-in-One: Gold Note IS-1000 Deluxe; Loudspeakers: Zu Soul VI; Subwoofer: Zu Submission; Power delivery: Furutech eTP-8, Room: ~6x4m
Review component retail: €129

The device ships with these plug adaptors to spread around its luv to more kit that slurps its milkshake through a switching wall-wart straw.

Worship of self. When more enlightened future times look back on 2023—if humans still populate Gaia by then—one hopes that the selfie era's inane obsession with living through the eyes of others will have dropped. If so, the current craze about all iThings will have evolved into something more inclusive so less self-referential. Of course it still is 2023 so today can be all on about iFi Audio's DC iPurifier2. Which arrived by iMistake. I'd ordered a second iPurifier3 to put back into the below desktop system after…

… I'd moved my unit into the main downstairs system. But as I told my iFi contact Victoria Pickles, I'd find a place where to stick their erroneous arrival. The below Singxer SU-6 USB Bridge was one potential destination. Its DC input simply charges ultra capacitors which then power the circuitry. If the snazzy white metal doodad could do anything audible, it'd have to be cutting UHF hash which made it past the virtual batteries to still interfere with the actual signal path. Was that even possible?

Rather more needful of noise-killing ministrations seemed our fiber-optic router from whence all our computers hardwire via up to 30 meters of industrial CAT8a cable. Affixing my evil eye on it, I added a horned hand tribute to really let it know what I thought of its audio credentials. That's one significant finger different from a chilled shaka brah; and one finger more than Johnny Cash's eternal salute. I grabbed an adapter plug. The iPurifier2 otherwise wouldn't seat in in the router's smaller power inlet.

Reflecting decibel's log scale, iFi promise us noise reduction from 316 to 100'000 times across 1Hz to 5GHz. If anything in our digs needed such help, it had to be the generic router from our domestic telecom company. With proper Irish petulance, it returned my maloik right back. Even though the adapter plug seated fine, the iFi's red power light didn't wake. Rebooting the router's SMPS didn't help. Its own power LED right on the wall outlet refused to alight as long as iFi were in the game. Once they unplugged, all was well and we online again. Drat. Unexpectedly the DC iPurifier2's 5-24V/3.5A rating and our router refused to get on. Was I down to massaging my super caps? That didn't read properly catholic. A quick think identified one more DC input in the main system; that on the tail end of my icOn Gradient Box smart crossover. The iPurifier2 had its marching orders for a two-pronged pincer attack. Or so I thought. Upon closer inspection, I was reminded that the Gradient Box AC adapter uses a 2-prong locking connector. The component does feature an alternate 2.1mm power port to give aftermarket linear power supplies an entry. I simply didn't have a wallwart of the correct value to use there with/out the iFi. Downstairs was down to a single experiment: massaging those super caps. For less questionable fun I'd have to go upstairs.