HiFi Subjectivist ¦ Audio Forum ¦ NVA User Group

"Here we go again; typical Fret OTT gush of praise for the next gimmicky / unneecessary tweak you may or may not need in your rig!".

Yes, okay, I can get a bit carried away from time to time. But....
.... seriously, you WILL want one of these.



Now, Metal-maestro CN has been using one of this product-range in his setup and appears to be very happy with it, and my own experience has pointed in the direction of Jitter-removal being essential for digital signal integrity. The Oehlbach reclocker on my USB streaming-source does make a big improvement but what about SPDIF? Can that benefit in a similar way?

Enter the Ifi SPDIF iPurifier2. Little white plug-thingy about as big as a cigarette lighter. Plug & Play - No Experience Necessary. Just insert it between your coax or optical connection at the DAC, power it up with its' own (hefty) PSU, and you're off.

What does it do? Well it tidies up and straightens out the data-stream with absolute precision determined by an internal clocking chip. Galvanic isolation means that no EM nasties are transmitted further to disturb the receiving unit. No upsampling - what goes in is what comes out - just better, 'bit-perfect' is the claim. The SPDIF signal carries its own timing information, so the iPurifier can ensure that any jitter-caused disturbance to the synchronicity of the audio information can be eradicated.

How does it sound then? Right, starting in the obvious place with the Kiss DVD player upstairs. Putting the iPurifier in place takes about 30 seconds, press Play and go. When I got hold of this player I was impressed by the level of detail and dynamics it produces, but it did come over as a touch flat and lifeless - well, with the Ifi plug in place the sound is transformed into a full, rich living entity. Space, 3D, subtlety, delicacy! Switching over to the Volumio PC / upsampled and reclocked USB input with the same tracks, there was very little difference to discern and CD playback was coming through with an equally stunning SQ as the streamer.

First impression is that this is a superb upgrade unit, stick it into a DAC with a reasonable CD or DVD player and you have something that will sonically compete with megabuck, high-end CD transports. Price is here €200 which isn't cheap but it is a game-changer.

Next up, I'll try this out in a headphone setup with a Pi / Allo DigiOne streamer and see what it does there. The trick is now to find out where it will give the most use and benefit. Otherwise I will just have to go and get a handful of the things.

'Ifi I was a rich man ... dada dadadada -dum.'

Interesting. I can see an application for that in my own headphone system on the CDT6000. The iFi is supplied with a cheap SMPS, so clearly some additional performance to be gained through the use of a reasonably priced Tomanek LPSU.

I might give one a go. A good way to test whether the Hermes DDC (which has SPDIF Coax in) might be worth the investment.

Thank you!

I found mine got better after some running in. I think it is a bargain and doubt if devices providing similar functions in glitzy impressive looking boxes costing far, far more are any better. Where possible I would rather have a passive device in the chain than an active one. No chance of nasties being introduced from the mains. A case of size matters in reverse.

CN211276 wrote: ↑Tue Mar 28, 2023 11:17 am I found mine got better after some running in. I think it is a bargain and doubt if devices providing similar functions in glitzy impressive looking boxes costing far, far more are any better. Where possible I would rather have a passive device in the chain than an active one. No chance of nasties being introduced from the mains. A case of size matters in reverse.

It does need to be powered though right? Or have I misunderstood what I've read?

George Hincapie wrote: ↑Tue Mar 28, 2023 11:20 am

It does need to be powered though right? Or have I misunderstood what I've read?

Yes and a LED comes on when music is playing. Mine is powered by the Mscaler which is powered by a Sbooster. Although it is not plugged into the mains I suppose it is not strictly passive, unlike the Eno filter and Jitterbug I also have in the chain.

The SPDIF version does need to be separately powered and comes with one of Ifi' s own 'quieter than a battery' 5V wall-warts which looks solid and has a nice, chunky cable. Seems fine to me. The power input on the iPurifier is USB-C so you have the option to change the PSU if you wish.

Fretless wrote: ↑Tue Mar 28, 2023 11:32 am The SPDIF version does need to be separately powered and comes with one of Ifi' s own 'quieter than a battery' 5V wall-warts which looks solid and has a nice, chunky cable. Seems fine to me. The power input on the iPurifier is USB-C so you have the option to change the PSU if you wish.

Is it really quieter than a battery? A battery is pretty bloomin' quiet from an electrical noise perspective! Good news though!

Look forward to seeing what you think of it with the digi one. Don't you have the equivalent hifiberry digi+ as well, or have I confused you with Slinger?

George Hincapie wrote: ↑Tue Mar 28, 2023 1:29 pm

Fretless wrote: ↑Tue Mar 28, 2023 11:32 am The SPDIF version does need to be separately powered and comes with one of Ifi' s own 'quieter than a battery' 5V wall-warts which looks solid and has a nice, chunky cable. Seems fine to me. The power input on the iPurifier is USB-C so you have the option to change the PSU if you wish.

Is it really quieter than a battery? A battery is pretty bloomin' quiet from an electrical noise perspective! Good news though!

It must be like one of those US submarines supposedly quieter than the sea...

Grumpytim wrote: ↑Tue Mar 28, 2023 2:03 pm Look forward to seeing what you think of it with the digi one. Don't you have the equivalent hifiberry digi+ as well, or have I confused you with Slinger?

I've got a Raspberry Pi 4B with a HiFiBerry Digi2 Pro for Volumio, via a QED Reference Optical Quartz cable, straight into my Vincent DAC. I decided to do away with USB altogether.