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Great Little Amp!
So I was a little apprehensive about this amp based on some of the negative reviews but so far I love it! I don't any channel imbalance to speak of and no background noise when it's on. I was also sure to register for the warranty on their website right away. The amp, in general has a very "smooth" sound. It's not cold and harsh like my first gen Magni. It's not super warm, either. But I would say it's a little warm of neutral. Their "TubeState" tech does make it sound different. It has some...
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Creating a one-box-fits-all-headphones amplifier was a challenge. That's because headphones are a diverse lot. So when iFi engineers designed the new iCAN, they didn't start with the amplifier; they started with the headphones. Unlike traditional headphone amplifiers, the design of the iCAN is based on the whole gamut of headphones. This atypical approach has bestowed upon the iCAN a unique ability to realise the full potential of each and every headphone. First and foremost, it was designed for the finest sound quality. With XBass you hear deeper, richer and cleaner bass. The 3D Holographic Sound system creates headphone-based music that is free-flowing rather than restricted.
Recordings are made for speakers not headphones. This explains the oft-found 'inside your head' headphone listening experience. The 3D Holographic Sound system rectifies this to transport the performer from inside your head, to in your room. iFi wanted a headphone amplifier that recreates the most vivid music performance to let your imagination run free; similar to a live concert where the group is playing in front of you. Vibrant, dynamic and resolving: the music stirs you. Above all, with the 3D Holographic Sound system, iFi created a truly high-end 3D sound field without the use of any sound-damaging DSP# whatsoever.
The only thing to come close? Only a few of the best professional-grade headphone amplifiers used in international recording studios. The iCAN is in a class of its own making studio-quality audio affordable. From the instant you connect your headphones to the iCAN, you realise this is exactly how headphones should sound. This Class A TubeState amplification plays a large part; giving an unprecedented level of clarity and authenticity to deliver a 'living in the moment' listening experience.
To attain the ultimate sonic quality, iFi engineers looked to the Golden Age of audio design. The ground-up iCAN design boasts an unconventional Class A TubeState amplification not of 'hybrid' but 'tri-brid' circuitry; blending the best of Bi-Polar devices, J-Fets and Advanced Discrete components. With negligible distortion, superior damping factor and excellent transient response, your music simply sounds better than ever. This means perfect-matching of the iCAN to your headphones. Whatever your genre; Rock, Jazz and Classical - music is sweet, vivid and above all: lifelike.
To achieve the best match to extract the maximum performance from all manner of headphones, iFi engineers painstakingly tested, measured and auditioned hundreds of headphones. The end justified the means as the XBass sound enhancement system is adjustable to suit each and every pair of headphones; large and small headphones alike now reach the deepest bass notes like never before. Like the 3D Holographic Sound system and true to iFi's high-end audio DNA, the XBass circuitry functions without the use of any sound-damaging DSP# whatsoever.
iFi designers left no stone unturned to achieve the finest audio quality. iFi's DirectDrive technology is directly-coupled for the shortest signal path. It is also more as DriveDrive delivers higher power with lower distortion compared to many USB-powered audio devices. With real control and sonic authority, the iCAN is 27x more powerful than the Apple iPod Touch and 9x more powerful than the MacBook Air. Saxophones have that golden leading-edge just like the real thing. Vocals have a palpable body and depth. Drums sizzle one moment yet are thunderous the next.