Amplificator casti iFi Audio Micro iCAN SE

iFi Audio micro iCAN este un amplificator de casti extrem de versatil. micro iCAN se poate adapta la diverse perechi de casti, indiferent de particularitatile lor constructive. 

Puterea de iesire

In general, inregistrarile audio sunt gandite a fi reproduse pe boxe si nu in casti. Din acest motiv, la auditia pe casti se creaza senzatia de "sunet in cap" - castile nu sunt capabile sa creeze imaginea stereofonica pe care o creaza un sistem de boxe conventionale ( o scena sonora aflata in fata ascultatorului, la distanta - pe casti ai mereu senzatia ca te afli pe scena, in mijlocul interpretilor, si nu in sala ). 

"3D Holographic Sound" este un circuit electronic care incearca sa rectifice aceasta senzatie de nerealism. Scena stereofonica este mai mare si senzatia de adancime este cumva amplificata. Efectul este obtinut pe cale analogica, fara sa se apeleze la un DSP.

Without 3D HolographicSound	WITH 3D HolographicSound

micro iCAN foloseste pentru partea de amplificare o tipologie neobisnuita de circuite. Denumite "Class A TubeState", circuitele respective, brevetate de catre iFi Audio, reproduc sunetul specific amplificatoarelor pe lampi cu ajutorul unor componente solid-state, obtinand beneficiile sonore ale tuburilor si evitand neajunsurile acestora. Aceste circuite sunt inspirate de solutii din Epoca de Aur a HiFi Audio si sunt dezvoltate plecand de la solutii implementate in echipamente dezvoltate de Abbingdon Music Research.

Este utilizat un amestec de tranzistori bipolari, J-Fet si de componente discrete, lucrand in clasa A. Rezultatul este spectaculos, distorsiuni minime, sunet natural si viu, dinamica excelenta si tranzienti perfect reprodusi. Muzica prinde viata, sunetul este placut si dinamic, rezolut si muzical in acelasi timp.

Pentru a reusi sa se adapteze perfect unei game largi de casti, inginerii de la iFi au petrecut timp indelungat studiind, masurand si ascultand o mare diversitate de modele de casti. Circuitul XBass, implementat in produsele iFi, aduce un imbunatatire in reproducerea frecventelor joase, aplicabila oricarui tip de casti si fara sa strice naturaletea si echilibrul sunetului. Fie ca sunt casti in-ear sau over-ear, orice casca beneficiaza de pe urma acestui circuit, basul adanc este reprodus mai bine si mai autoritar.

La fel ca si in cazul circuitului "3D Holographic Sound", "XBass" este implementat strict in domeniul analogic, fara utilizarea unui DSP.

Designerii de la iFi Audio nu s-au oprit aici. Tehnologia "Direct Drive" asigura cel mai scurt traseu de semnal. "DirectDrive" asigura livrarea unei puteri mai mari si nedistorsionate fata de multe dispozitive alimentate pe USB.

micro iCAN este de 27 de ori mai puternic decat Apple® iPod® Touch sau de noua ori mai puternic decat MacBook® Air. Saxofonul capata viata, bogatie timbrala si realism, vocile capata corp si adancime, iar tobele pot fi reproduse cu un dinamism extraordinar.

Damping Factor

HeadFi :

"Very musical and smooth sounding. Great XBass and 3D implementation. Gain setting is very useful.   [...]   Top notch SQ + EQ, transparency.  [...]  Good sound, sane price, drives pretty much everything you throw at it, 3D sound and XBass work well to help out otherwise deficient headphones  [...]  Excellent warm sound, Powerful, Detailed, Transparent, Black silent background, Form factor and design  [...]  Powerful, transparent, fantastic soundstage   [...]   Detailed, Exciting, Awesome Bass and Soundstage. Sounds much more than £225, feels like much more than £225"

The Absolute Sound :

"My favorite headphones with the iCAN were the Audeze LCD-2 (version 2.2) with upgraded Cardas headphone cabling. The combination produced a high-resolution, yet full-bodied presentation that rivaled my reference Stax setup, which consists of the SR-X Mark 3 and SRM1 Mark-2 amplifier. The LCD- 2/iCAN combo matched the Stax in low-level detail and immediacy, and beat the Stax when it came to low-frequency impact and dynamics. The Stax SR-X Mark 3 headphones still had an edge when it came to high-frequency air and detail. But in the critical midrange both setups delivered a level of finesse and musicality that distanced them from all the other headphone/ amp combinations I’ve heard recently. For the price, the LCD-2/ iCAN combo makes an unbeatable pairing."

SoundandVision :

"The iCAN…well, it reallycan. It should be able to drive most anything you have on hand - I got good results from the HiFiMan and Audeze planar magnetic headphones I had on hand (which, while not incredibly difficult to drive, do need more power than many portables can dish out on), and more importantly it's a great sounding device with very usable functionality.

Aside from plenty of juice, you get a simple but very effective bass boost, and stereo expansion and well-implementedcrossfeedsettings that actually enhance the listeningexperience.Next to the substantial, solid-feeling front-panel volume pot you'll find an "XBass" circuit, offering a flat setting and two boost settings; a "3D" switch,with flat, stereo expander, andcrossfeed settings.

Compared to my usual desktop setup (a Musical Fidelity V-DAC II/V-CAN combo), the iFi rig feels like it has more headroom, and the front panel mode switches (which I'd initially figured I'd never touch) proved surprisingly handy. The milder of the two bass-boost settings is actually quite pleasant sounding and goes a long way towards warming up brighter headphones and giving bass-heavy tracks more kick. The more extreme bass boost was a bit much for me in most situations - it just made the overall sonics too cloudy with low-end energy - but it actually does seem focused securely in the bass. It isn't overly honky, a win as these things go, and that's a good thing. If you really want depth-charge bass, it pairs quite well with headphones that can really deliver the lows cleanly, like the Audezes and the HE-500."

PartTime Audiophile :

"Actual headphone volumes were very impressive for full size headphones. The iCAN specs come in at 150mW (15 ohms) for output power, and had no trouble driving any of the headphones I had on hand. Considering the overall size of the unit and comparable competition, I would say that this is where the iCAN really shines; the considerable power output was able to face off with higher priced amps like the ALO Audio Pan Am ($500). The 300 ohm Sennheiser 650s were loud by the time they barely reached noon on the volume dial."

HiFi+ :

"To hear what I mean, try this acid test: plug a pair of HiFiMAN HE-6’s (or other tricky-to-drive ‘phones) into the iCAN and then put on a compelling electric blues track like Hadden Sayer’s “Back to the Blues” from Hard Dollar and note what happens. You’ll find that Sayer’s warm but also slightly gritty-sounding vocals are just as rich and evocative as could be, while his scorching hot electric guitar solos have real fire and expressiveness. At the same time, Ruthie Foster’s earthy yet achingly beautiful vocals form a perfect complement, in part because they are infused with the iCAN’s uncanny qualities of warmth, three-dimensionality and depth. But perhaps the most surprising part of all is that the electric bass and kick drum have serious extension, weight, definition, and slam. As you listen to the iCAN, then, you might feel – as I did – that its sound would be praiseworthy in an amp two to four times its price. It’s that good.

In terms of timbre and overall presentation, the iCAN has a contemporary amp’s emphasis on wide bandwidth and extension at the frequency extremes, but tempered with what I consider a characteristically British emphasis on such essential musical priorities as natural warmth, smoothness, midrange subtlety and finesse, and over-arching three-dimensionality.

While there might be a few comparably priced amps that could give you slightly more detail or more crisply delineated transient sounds, you will be hard pressed to name a like-priced competitor that can even come close to the iCAN in terms of real-world power, versatility, or overall musicality.

I consider the iCAN a new benchmark in its price class and would add that it makes a perfect entry point for high-enders who would like to experiment with top-tier headphones, yet without investing an arm and a leg in dedicated headphone electronics. Enthusiastically recommended.+"

SoundPerfection :

"Well this amp may not put out as much current into the same load as my O2 or Bravo Ocean but it does have a lot more gain options and also has 3D sound and Xbass. With no settings applied it sounds nearly identical to my O2, compared to the O2 it may have an ever so slight hint of warmth (not a problem) and maybe a slightly smaller soundstage. That is it, so it is as good as the O2, which is very impressive, if it isn't loud enough on unity gain just switch it to 10dB or 20dB gain and this will power a lot of headphones without problems. So we have established that the sound is very linear, it also has very good soundstage but not quite as expansive as the O2's. [...]

The high setting now brings out the rumbling sub bass with excellent realistic mid-bass punch, the only problem with the higher setting is that it now encroaches on the lower mids, but it still doesn't veil the overall sound. Bass guitars have excellent articulation and are in your face, kick drum punch with authority, a very fun energetic bass boost without sacrificing the mids or veiling the overall sound.

So there we have it, an excellent amp that is transparent and has added features over the O2.  It is no surprise that this is now ranked #1 in the Desktop amp section of Head-fi, it has been getting a lot of good reviews and this is another, the only thing I would change is putting a on/off switch on it.

Sound Perfection Rating: 10/10 (pairs well with everything and has many great features)"

Noble HiFi :

"The iCan is a tough, well styled chassis with a nice volume dial and solid connections. Although I was a little dubious about the sound controls before I'd heard them, they are very well implemented and don't impact the final sound quality much (if at all). They not only fine-tune your headphones in general, but can be used to get the best from various genres of music and for me this was worth it's weight in gold!

Even with these enhanced abilities turned off the iCan's sound is powerful, engaging, delicate, spacious and smooth. I would highly recommend the iCan to anyone on the hunt for a headphone amplifier, even if you have more to spend. Very highly recommended!"

Musical Musings :

 "I like the iCAN. I like it quite a bit. It has a flat frequency response, ample power and gain for just about any headphone you can think to throw at it, a slightly warm and pleasing sound and a couple of sound enhancements that don’t compromise resolution when active. Its downsides are relatively minor (though the interference could be a problem if you have especially sensitive headphones) and while I can’t say this is the best choice for IEM users due to the massive gain, this is a very versatile amplifier that should suit a wide array of headphones and user preferences."