iFi Audio Micro iPHONO

iFi Audio iPhono este un preamplificator de doza cat se poate de serios. Designul compact, in ton cu celelalte produse din gama iFi, da aparenta unui produs miniatural. iPhono este departe de asa ceva, sunetul excelent este dublat de o multitudine de reglaje si functionalitati care ii permit sa se adapteze perfect conditiilor din sistemul in care este instalat. iPhono functioneaza in clasa A, zgomotul de fond este extrem de redus, iar dinamica este similara cu ceea ce poate oferi un CDplayer. Preamplificatorul are posibilitatea de a se adapta perfect impedantei dozei, fie ea MM sau MC, poate comuta intre 6 curbe distincte de egalizare, iar circuitele pentru MC sunt separate de cele dedicate MM.

Putine preamplificatoare de doza se pot lauda cu atatea optiuni, fie ele si din game de pret mult mai mari. iFi iPhono poate face o diferenta in sistemul dumneavoastra, la un pret accesibil.

iFi a cautat sa atinga performante fara compromis in iPhono, chiar daca s-a dorit mentinerea pretului in zona accesibila. Circuitele au fost proiectate in stil old-school, inspiratia venind din Epoca de Aur a HiFi. Designul din iFi iPhono este departe de a fi banal. Denumit "Class A TubeState", este o combinatie de Bi-Polari, J-Fet si componente discrete lucrand in clasa A, care reusesc sa atinga o parte dintre atuurile circuitelor pe lampi, fara a avea si dezavantajele lor.

Colectia dumneavoastra de viniluri va fi adusa la viata cu iPhono, indiferent de genul muzical. Preamplificatorul celor de la iFi Audio este insipirat de creatiile firmei mama, Abbingdon Music Research, si ofera un nivel extrem de redus de distorsiuni, tranzienti si dinamica excelenta si ofera un sunet viu, dinamic si natural.

iPhono este proiectat sa se poata adapta perfect dozei pe care o aveti montata, indiferent de tipul sau de caracteristicile ei. De regula, dozele MM ofera curenti de peste 1 mV, iar cele MC sub 1mV. Gainul este selectabil in functie de curentul de iesire al dozei ( peste 3mV, 1-3 mV, 0.3-1 mV, sub 0.3 mV ), preul de doza poate oferi 40, 46, 60 sau 66 dB amplificare. In functie de tipul de doza, iPhono ofera adaptare in capacitate (MM) sau in rezistenta (MC). Valorile pot fi setate in functie de caracteristicile declarate ale dozei sau, in cazul in care acestea nu sunt specificate, se pot seta in urma auditiei ( un sunet plictisitor -> se mareste valoarea / un sunet prea ascutit -> se micsoreaza valoare ). Se pot seta valorile de 22, 33, 75, 100, 250, 330, 1000 sau 47000 ohm pentru sarcinile rezistive, si 100, 200, 300, 400 sau 500 pF pentru cele capacitive. Toate aceste setari se pot face cu ajutorul microswitchurilor existente pe burta preamplificatorului.

iFi iPhono ofera posibilitatea de a alege intre 6 curbe distincte de egalizare, lucru nemaiintalnit pe preamplificatoare de doza din aceasta zona de pret si nu numai. iPhono este unul dintre cele mai corecte preamplificatoare de doza existen, din punct de vedere tonal, existente pe piata.

Decca:London, Deutsche Grammophon(DG), Archiv, EMI, Argo, NAB etc… - valabil pentru discuri editate inainte de 1980

RIAA: curba de egalizare standard, in principiu pentru discuri editate dupa anii '80

Columbia/CBS, Epic, EMI (inregistrari editate initial sub Columbia) - valabil pentru discuri editate inainte de 1980

eRIAA: pentru inregistrari moderne ( corectia Neumann in frecventele inalte )

IEC:RIAA cu filtru subsonic IEC

Curbele RIAA si eRIAA pot fi selectate cu sau fara filtru subsonic. Pentru inregistrarile mai vechi de 1980 se pot utiliza si curbele Columbia sau Decca (pentru casele de discuri indicate mai sus). Pe panoul frontal se afla un comutator cu trei pozitii. Columbia este in pozitia de sus, Decca in cea de jos, iar pozitia din mijloc este asignabila prin microswitchuri ( poate fi RIAA, eRIAA, RIAA + filtru subsonic sau eRIAA + filtru subsonic ).

Enjoy the music:

[…] It is very hard to isolate and describe what should not be there. Nevertheless, or none the less I have discovered a baseline personality. Firstly it is above all dead quiet. The manufacturer says the amplifier is designed to operate in pure Class A operation, and it does but! Do not think of Class A in the same way you think of tube-based amplifiers. This is Class A solid-state and it has absolutely no tube warming tonal colorations. What it does is present musical performance in a distortion-less pristine and pure form. This is as it should be; it will never impose anything on the performance. The caveat is, only if you have not done something stupid.

The $399 price and the unusual range of adaptation make this device truly unique. Buy it if you play vinyl, for you most certainly could not lose. More and more by bucking the pricing escalation this is a rare audiophile no-brainer bargain. On a personal note: "I have learned a few things about my vinyl system and in the process enjoyed every fiddly minute"

ToneAudio:

“When the little iFi iPhono box first landed on my desk, I thought it was my wife’s new iPhone. From its outer appearance to its packaging to its name, the iPhono could indeed be mistaken for an Apple product. The $399 iPhono is part of the iFi Microline series of affordable palm-sized products made by the U.K. firm Abbington Music Research (AMR). It was designed by Thorsten Loesch using technology trickled down from AMR’s nearly $12,000 Reference PH-77 phonostage. The iPhono may be small, but it is loaded with features that you will be hard pressed to find in other similarly priced phonostages. […]

But sonically, the iPhono exceeds all my expectations for a phonostage of its size and price. Compared to the $599 Project Tube Box Phono SE II, the iPhono is considerably less warm, with a wider frequency response and great high-frequency extension. It lacks the harsh graininess associated with competitively priced solid-state phonostages and carries some of the organic characteristics of the much more expensive AMR PH-77, doing so without grain or edginess. 

The iPhono is a fantastic anchor for your first analog setup. Few others can compete with its sonics and there is nothing near it’s price that can compete with its feature set. It also offers a great way to experiment with the various EQ curves for those with a wide range of recordings in their collection. All of this considered, we are happy to award the iPhono our last Exceptional Value Award of 2014.  

CheapTubeAudio ( DoctorJohn ):

“The iPhono is unusually fine-grained and quiet (not just at its price, but comparable to most products regardless of price). It makes the music flow naturally, and has excellent rendition of hall sound. It doesn't play to the gallery, instead rewards in the long term.

The iPhono compares well to more expensive phonostages (even to the Nagra BPS reviewed below), and so is surely a BEST BUY. I think mid-priced phonoamps, not to mention budget ones, will have a hard time going up against the iPhono.

In the company of all the phonoamps I have,  for three months I listened mostly to the iPhono (save for comparison purposes); that should tell you more than this review how satisfying the iPhono is!

Take time to run-in and check for isolation.”

AnalogPlanet ( Michael Fremer ):

“[...] I ran various cartridges into the iPhono and stopped with the Ortofon Anna a .2mV output that costs $8499. A ridiculous mismatch? In some ways yes, but the iPhono managed the low output surprisingly well, producing sufficient gain with just a slight bit of "whooshing" sound audible with an ear at the speaker with the cueing lever up at healthy volume.

Obviously the iPhono is more than capable of providing sufficient gain for all but the ultra-low MCs, of which there are fewer all the time.

How did it sound? The iPhono had excellent "rhythm'n'pacing", with surprisingly taut and well-controlled bass and a clean, dry midrange and a precise, though somewhat clinical top end. It didn't sizzle or produce offensive high frequency nasties though. In other words, what it did was all good and what it didn't do, you won't miss unless you compare it to something else costing well more. Its sins were of omission. Most significant in my opinion was the iPhono's excellent timing and freedom from transient "smear."

[...]

Overall, the iPhono is an incredible value that offers a level of set-up flexibility unusual at any price and sonic performance that was several notches higher than my most optimistic hopes for the sound.

At $399, the iPhono has little competition, though a few of the inexpensive MM only units I've heard can sound a bit sweeter, but less rhythmically assured. The iPhono is easy to recommend as long as you don't have overly unrealistic expectations. Bring your unrealistic ones though because the iPhono will probably exceed them!”

PartTimeAudiophile :

” Despite the moderate size this little playback nowadays for less than $200….iFi Audio has you covered in all imaginable ways with the “Micro” line…..Basic ingredients for your analog rig are a turntable with tonearm, a cartridge and a phono amplifier; you can spice up the result with various cables…..The iPhono is the undisputed champion of configuration flexibility….That said, the iFi iPhono is clearly a significant upgrade for audiophiles either starting out on their vinyl crusade or those of us working within a budget – Recommended.” 

WitchDoctor ( GARY PEARCE ):

“But here’s where it gets interesting: I then compared the same track with my new Sugden Masterclass PA-4 phono stage, a $4000 component. Noticeable was an increase in midrange detail over the iPhono and an improvement in terms of bass depth and control, but the differences weren’t night and day.

Conclusion:

iFi is on a serious roll with its range of Micro components. They’re well made, have excellent specs and are almost embarrassingly inexpensive. The iPhono is no exception, proving faultless in operation, and with excellent ‘giant killing’ sound quality.

No, it’s not a reference phono pre, but it’ll give most phono stages under $3K a real fright.”