Country of Origin
Reviewer: Srajan Ebaen ⇒
Financial interests: click here
Main system: Sources: Retina 5K 27" iMac (4GHz quad-core with Turbo, 32GB RAM, 3TB FusionDrive, OSX Yosemite. iTunes 14.4), PureMusic 3.02, Audirvana 3, Qobuz, Tidal, Singxer SU-6 USB bridge, Sonnet Pasithea DAC; Active filter: icOn 80Hz/4th-order hi/lo-pass; Power amplifiers: Kinki Studio EX-B7 monos and EX-M1 integrated, Enleum AMP-23R, Crayon CFA-1.2; Headamp: Cen.Grand Silver Fox; Phones: HifiMan Susvara; Loudspeakers: sound|kaos Vox 3awf + sound|kaos DSUB15 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: Soundaware D300Ref SD transport clock-slaved to Denafrips Terminator +; Preamp/filter: icOn 4Pro SE; Amplifier: Goldmund Job 225; Loudspeakers: MonAcoustic SuperMon Mini or Acelec Model One + Dynaudio S18 sub; Power delivery: Furutech GTO 2D NCF; 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; Active DSP speakers: Fram Midi 120
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: €299 1.8m Nova, €499 1.8m Supanova, €699 PowerStation
Power up the people. Ongoing political events in the UK could suggest otherwise but in Southport, it's still a thing. It's home to iFi Audio, an address known for cost-effective high-performance audio solutions. They're engineered by Thorsten Loesch and manufactured in China to expand our buying power. When their Victoria Pickles popped the question—would I review a complete iFi power loom—I didn't feel in a pickle or picking a pig in a poke but positively peachy.
To complement this older video, there's also this year's interview with Thorsten Loesch here.
It's because my desktop DAC/headfi amp is iFi's iDSD Pro Signature with Gemini USB 3.0 cable and iPurifier 3. Superb stuff. And by burning off less cashish than heavyweight competitors do for a single AC cord, iFi can wire up an entire system then throw in an 8-outlet power distributor [6 outlets in UK version] with pure copper busbars rather than wiring, active noise cancellation and surge protection of 30'000A and 1'000V/10µs. Power up the people indeed.
Use mouse-over for loupe function.
To get arterial requires power cabling. iFi give us two choices. Go Nova or Supanova. Both run the same fully balanced geometry whose quad of conductors creates mutually cancelling magnetic fields around the ground's central fifth. Supanova adds iFi's 2nd-gen active noise cancellation and over-voltage protection inside its central barrel. If one just goes Supa once, between wall and conditioner is probably the best place to flare up and splash out. Either way the outer sleeve remains transparent to show off the copper contents.
I took a tacky tally on how many cords I'd need to power my upstairs and downstairs systems, at what lengths and terminations. Then I let iFi decide on what to ship. Though Vic had said "whatever you need", I don't expect cable makers to mint non-standard lengths which they can't easily sell on afterwards. Because my audio career started stateside, all my AC cords and distributors terminate US. So I asked for the same to enable comparative plug'n'play swaps. Only the cable connecting PowerStation to wall needed this UK plug.
This SoundStage! video visits iFi's UK HQ…
… and interviews their Vincent Luke for more color commentary on the operation.
