DuckToller's Sonic Encounters

HD DAC Updates on the Arylic HD DAC – it’s (more) functional now! - PLUS WIIM Pro Plus in the store

I have some good news about the HD DAC: The firmware has got an update in March (4.6.509530.45 / 20230302) and it doesn’t brick the device anymore, at least with the unit under review. The 4stream app received as well an overhaul (3.1.18.230210) in February, and they included the 5Ghz network toggle that was missing and which was heavily criticized. Thumbs up for that! The app itself still has a search engine on valium, but the app throughput i.e. like Radio Pa

August 8, 2023

ifi The long promised iFi iDSD Signature & NEO iDSD review (Part 4) - The Red Elephant

The red elephant & the art of product life cycle enhancement There is an elephant in the room, and it is kinda red. PART IV: The micro iDSD Signature by design is a transition product between the good-ole iDSD Black Label edition and the new streamlined iDSD Diablo. This might explain why it comes with a limited availability. The Diablo may show the new direction of iFi products - it comes in aggressive Lamborghini Red as the king of the purist design hill, a top-o

January 5, 2023

Music & Playlists

qobuz A recent Qobuz offer - 2 month free testing gift code (expired)

Bonjour Blog readers! I have received information from Qobuz that right right now the standard 1-month trial has been enhanced to a 2 month sequence, using this link and the code below. Though, I have no idea how long the offer will be valid, you better redeem asap ;-) I have also understood that this offer is limited to the 24 countries Qobuz operates and read that it may work adding that gift code to your existing subscription. The link works only without VPN, or at least us

DuckToller in Music & Playlists

January 5, 2023

iDSD NEO The long promised iFi iDSD Signature & NEO iDSD review (Part three) - NEO iDSD

NEO iDSD (around 700-800 $) : HIGH HOPES I need to underline that iFi had understood some of the critical input raised by the reviewers and made changes to the package and the firmware selection. The recent incarnation of iFi neo iDSD comes along as the iFi Audio Performance Edition at 799$ MSRP. The NEO iDSD Performance Edition now does include now the iPurifier3 USB B reclocker plus the SPDIF iPurifier and gives you a firmware choice that allows you to use all capabilities of the B

December 21, 2022

Music & Playlists

An Xmas Mixtape for the AS readers / members chez Qobuz

How boring ;-) Stop right there! The tapes are coming back …. Just click here … https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep365-the-return-of-the-cassette-tape/id1048766030?i=1000586927145 https://www.reddit.com/r/audiophile/comments/zdovki/the_return_of_the_cassette_tape/ https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-start-cassette-collection/ It’s a thing. And it brings up memories. I had roughly 2 decades in my life in which I was working with tapes. From cutting mu

DuckToller in Music & Playlists

December 12, 2022

ifi audio The long promised iFi iDSD Signature & NEO iDSD review (Part two) - iDSD Signature

Great expectations, high hopes & the elephant in the room iFi Audio Micro iDSD Signature & NEO iDSD review The Micro iDSD Signature - Great Expectations Contents Part two: Signature review Exhibt 2: 4.4mm balanced output Pentaconn Exhibit 3: The GTO filter Signature review Last November I was kind of surprised when I read the announcement of a Signature edition for the iFi Micro iDSD. Great expectations had been raised instantly about this shiny new

December 5, 2022

ifi idsd The long promised iFi iDSD Signature & NEO iDSD review (Part one)

I have re-read my 2021 review about these two iFi devices, which I wrote between December 20 and Mars 21, and found that the work is likely worth to be published, even it is seemingly kind of old news, as the Neo iDSD has already received a revamp. I will make a series of entries out of the material, starting today with Part 1 1. Review intro and overview 2. The Micro iDSD Signature - Great Expectations 3. NEO iDSD - HIGH HOPES 4. The red elephant & the art of product life

December 3, 2022

Amplifier

DA, DAW, AIO and nCore

I have already posted the pics and the links for the Audiophonics.fr DA and DAW all-in-one amplifier here. Here are the links to Audiophonics . DA250NC and DAW250NC . From my personal experience with AIO amplifiers, the integration of different PCBs with specialized services & functions, like DAC input /output, Wifi and BT input isn’t easy-peasy at all. You’ll get something wrong in the firmware, and your units suddenly lose a lot of their value. No UPnP/DLNA? Meh! Spdif in

DuckToller in Amplifier

November 22, 2022

Arylic UP2STREAM HD DAC – A blog rant

The company has sent me this device, the Arylic UP2STREAM HD DAC and the S50+ Pro Pre-amp / Streamer / DAC in return for giving it a thorough and honest review. With the HD DAC board I received a remote control and the Arylic acrylic case option (no pun intended). I was asked to publish the review this week, starting yesterday, and the company was aware of my findings. I’ve produced a set of pictures that you’ll find in the galleries, a work which may underline my serious enthusiasm to revi

November 18, 2022

Music & Playlists

An introduction to ALAN BANGS - BFBS / WDR Radio DJ and TV presenter - and a playlist

In my formative years (1978 - 88 or so) there had been one outstanding Radio DJ for me, an Englishmen from Dartford / Kent (by chance the hometown of Mick Jagger), presenting radio shows from Cologne and Essen, Germany: Mr. Alan Bangs (born 1951), working for BFBS (British Forces Broadcasting Service) and WDR (West German Broadcast): For young DuckToller he took over musical education from Wolfman, whose US Top 40 I had heard almost every Sunday afternoon when I was 12, but Al

DuckToller in Music & Playlists

November 7, 2022

Update - WIIM mini HD Streamer - a success story

Update - WIIM Mini Streamer: The WIIM Mini Streamer is a cheap - puck sized - device for streaming Hi-Res Audio up to 192kHz/24bit from your home network or mobile phone to your DAC or preamp. It is a budget wise investment for multiroom scenarios - think BlueSound Node or Sonos. Plus, it is easier to setup than any RPI3/4 solution. The device was bought chez Amazon France for 99 Euros in April 2022. For the record: I have had two trips to Germany, a quite miserable Covid infecti

September 30, 2022

Saturday evening was a testing one.

The setup of the device via Bluetooth using the WiiM HOME app did work smoothly. But I rather like BubbleUPNP for playback cues. JRIVER and FOOBAR detected the device sans fault. Checking out the killer feature of the WiiM, the 24bit 192 hz digital output to an external DAC. It didn't work at the beginning with native bitrates, but worked well with 24bit 96hz, though. Or with down sampled streams from JRIVER or BubbleUNPN. As it didn't work out with the Toslink cable provided by

September 6, 2022

TOSLINK - I stand corrected!!!

I stand corrected: The Toslink cable provided by WIIM does work with 24bit - 192 kHz files. Just tested it together with the two new short digital cables that arrived yesterday, no difference by performance except for my personal Bias for the shortest one of 50 cm. It's quite handy ;-) Possible reason for my fail: Firmware update in the meantime or multiple human mismatch. Prefer the first option ;-) However, it is important to underline that you won't need to add another cable to

April 14, 2022

Pretty much excited to get the WIIM mini Airplay 2 in my hands tonight.

What's that ? It's kind of chromecast on XTC for music lovers. A lightweight puck of 48 gramms, infused with technology of from Linkplay Technolgy Inc, Newark, California, who owns the brand Wiim, which once was called WiimU and has its home in Nanjing, China, somewhere between Shanghai and Wuhan. Funny thing is, I bought it at Amazon.fr from a company called Arylic-Eu.com, which is the brand name of Rakoit.com, another Chinese enterprise from Shenzhen. This company has contact