Heads up!........ifi Phono 2

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by sailfish, Dec 1, 2016.

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  1. 808_state

    808_state ヤマハで再生中

    Oh I wouldn't drop a dime on them right now but it would be interesting to see if that is the key to not killing a fresh unit. It would be really sad if that's all there is to it. Too cheap to provide a quality power supply? Seriously?
     
    patient_ot likes this.
  2. bluemooze

    bluemooze Senior Member

    Location:
    Frenchtown NJ USA
    13 pages on a faulty product and people are still buying it. :shake:
     
  3. This Heat

    This Heat Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago, IL
    I'd bet that it is the power supply given how mine failed. It would work briefly before either it got very hot when channels would drop out or not turn on at all.

    It does sound good but if you have to upgrade the power supply right away might as well invest in a better unit.
     
    808_state likes this.
  4. vs_jk

    vs_jk Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    Please post back with your thoughts on the upgrade. I'm also considering this. Thanks
     
  5. HankM

    HankM Senior Member

    Location:
    Upstate NY
    Well, after web searching last night about quality control I decided to cancel my order with Amazon but I missed the window, it's on its way. I'll just send it back. I ended up buying a Lehmann Black Cube SE II on Audiogon for a great price. I figure that will be a pretty damn good upgrade
     
    Ulises, bluemooze and Strat-Mangler like this.
  6. 808_state

    808_state ヤマハで再生中

    It's hard to believe but apparently the issues with this model really are that bad. Somewhere along the chain someone tried to save money by cutting a corner and now they've officially screwed their customers and they don't seem terribly interested in damage control.
     
    patient_ot, TheVinylAddict and HankM like this.
  7. TerpStation

    TerpStation "Music's not for everyone."

    Location:
    Maryland
    Bob Dylan sings "You just kind of wasted my precious time" which is what i just realized with my iphono2. Had it for 2 weeks, running my VPI Prime with a Hana MC SL, and tonight it quit working. When it was going it really did sound good. But tonight, all green lights are on, but no sound, no signal to the amp. Bought it amazon, so its going back. Now i have to quickly find a new phono stage....damn

    and yes i did get quite hot running the Hana MC....but when i had the MM on it ran much cooler.
     
    patient_ot likes this.
  8. brendans

    brendans Forum Resident

    Location:
    colorado
    I had one that would do this and then work fine if I unplugged it and plugged it back in.
     
  9. TerpStation

    TerpStation "Music's not for everyone."

    Location:
    Maryland
    I tried it, only waited a min or two, and then it still didnt work....that is enough for me, the product is defective if it doesnt work immediately and is going back. So frustrated, have to start the search again....
     
    patient_ot likes this.
  10. TheVinylAddict

    TheVinylAddict Look what I found

    Location:
    AZ
    If you are thinking of the Jr., and plan on running LOMC carts below 0.5mV, take a long hard look at the Input Sensitivity for the 60Db setting.
     
  11. TheVinylAddict

    TheVinylAddict Look what I found

    Location:
    AZ
    This is really too bad about the iFi iPhono 2 - the way some on these threads have pumped it, you would think it was a giant killer, and perfect. I have even stated in past threads that it may be a contender for the sub $500 range - that'll teach me never to go on a limb unless I hear it with my own ears... I just took on faith from others.

    I'm sure any new Google searches are going to disclose all these known issues as the first hits.... :)
     
  12. TheVinylAddict

    TheVinylAddict Look what I found

    Location:
    AZ
    Yeah, but would you buy it given the history?
     
  13. HiFi Guy

    HiFi Guy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Lakeland, FL
    I ended up with a Sutherland KC Vibe. I might move up to the Insight.
     
    displayname and TheVinylAddict like this.
  14. 808_state

    808_state ヤマハで再生中

    If there was a way to confirm that it was caused by the PSU alone...maybe. Otherwise not a snowball's chance. I wonder if they realize how badly this will hurt their future sales.
     
    patient_ot and TheVinylAddict like this.
  15. TheVinylAddict

    TheVinylAddict Look what I found

    Location:
    AZ
    Companies that are responsive to customer issues, are accountable and first own up to the problem in writing, then fix or replace without question - companies like that who do damage control and put the customer first are the ones that survive the best.

    It does not sound like iFi did this from the thread above... it shouldn't still be a mystery if the company looked into it at all - it has to be just a poor choice on their end on how it has been handled. To me, that says it all. It's already a done deal.

    So yes, I agree with you, this will definitely hurt their future sales.... but remember, future customers are going to have to find threads like this first... you know how that works.
     
  16. TheVinylAddict

    TheVinylAddict Look what I found

    Location:
    AZ
    Thanks for sharing....
     
  17. 808_state

    808_state ヤマハで再生中

    Indeed...the amazon reviews are mostly positive and it seems that all the people with issues haven't left a review about their experience. The "3" will be an even bigger gamble at what will likely be $600.
     
  18. TheVinylAddict

    TheVinylAddict Look what I found

    Location:
    AZ
    So it sounds like the unhappy owners should do everyone a favor and go to places like Amazon and write a review - whether or not they purchased it on Amazon. As a buyer, I like it much better when I know the facts, but we all have to do our part.
     
    patient_ot and 808_state like this.
  19. TerpStation

    TerpStation "Music's not for everyone."

    Location:
    Maryland
    Thanks for pointing this out. I have the Hana SL mc, which is .5mV....i see the input sensitivity is .9mV for the parasound jr. So maybe not a great match from what i understand.......I am looking at other brands/models like the Sutherland and i don't even see that they publish an input sensitivity....musical surroundings do not appear to either with their products. Any thoughts, TheVinylAddict, on a good match for my cart given its output? thanks much!
     
  20. Ulises

    Ulises Forum Resident

    Location:
    Denver, CO
    Sadly, I’ve also had a bad experience with Ifi. I bought four of the spidf purifiers to pair with my Chromecasts. All four failed because the socket for the power supply popped out, making them impossible to power/ use. Admittedly, I should have created tickets after each one went, but since I could still play music by going directly from Chromecast to Dac, I let it go.

    Until after number four went. I reached out to customer service and told them about my situation. Their response was basically, why didn’t you reach out sooner (the longest I’ve had one of these products was a little over a year, but I bought them around the same time). I wrote back explaining why and suggesting they propose a solution. I haven’t heard anything for 48 hours.

    In comparison, when I’ve written VPI or Schitt, I’ve gotten instantaneous responses (sometimes from Matt or Jason) and the situation has always been resolved quickly and to my satisfaction. These are companies that get it.

    My takeaway is that it’s easy to get swayed by reviews, but you’re far better off going with a company that has a proven record of quality and service. I certainly will never buy another product from Ifi.
     
    displayname, mikeyt and Strat-Mangler like this.
  21. TheVinylAddict

    TheVinylAddict Look what I found

    Location:
    AZ
    Actually, the specs on the Parasound website are not 100% correct - for instance the S/N is quoted at 94db for the 60db gain setting, that is not correct, it should read 74Db S/N(and 71Db for unweighted) at 60Db.

    Plus, that 74Db S/N at 60Db gain is with a 0.5mv Input Sensitivity... so I am not sure about the 0.9mV number that you see on their website came from either.

    There was a great write up on the Parasound JC3 Jr released recently http://www.parasound.com/reviews/hi-fi-news-2018-2.pdf. I take more stock in the write up by HiFiNews than I do in the specs / data Parasound website. (if you call them and talk to them about the JC3, you would understand why I say that).

    It's rare to see such a quality write up on any gear like HiFiNews did on the JC3 Jr - It definitely changed my mind about buying it and its release was timely and welcomed. I am looking for a preamp that does LOMC in the 0.2mv - 0.35mv optimally, and it's clear from the write up that the JC3 Jr's sweet spot is MM or HOMC, or LOMC above 0.5mV. Don't get me wrong, I am sure the JC3 Jr is a great preamp, it is just not ideal for my needs with the LOMC carts I use.

    I would think the Hana is a decent match for the Jr. actually - it is when you get into carts like the DL-103r at 0.25mV for instance does the 2x difference to Input Sensitivity become more of an issue. But if you suspect you would ever consider buying a different LOMC, and that it would be in the lower mV range, keep that in mind.

    The sweet spot with this stage is really MM carts at the 50 Db rating, that is where the S/N performs best (89Db A weighted), with a 1.5mV Input Sensitivity, meaning it will match up well with many carts, including some HOMC at this setting.

    As an aside - I contacted Parasound to ask some detailed data / design / architecture questions on the JC3 Jr, and they weren't much help.... both sales and engineering did not know much about the JC3 Jr specifics / design data since it's so new.
     
  22. Shiver

    Shiver Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    If the fault is with the PSU, is it the same iPower one that can be bought separately?

    If so, has that caused issues where it's been used away from the Phono 2?

    I used the new iPower with the iPhono 1 for a while before selling it. Had no issues.
     
  23. TerpStation

    TerpStation "Music's not for everyone."

    Location:
    Maryland
    Music direct had 20 percent off last weekend and 8 shiny new records arrived this morning....this made me abruptly end my research and buy an Arcam rphono as it appears to have gain well over the 60db my .5mv hana needs and it was the last one I was reading about. Appears to be a new product....will see how it sounds vs the iphono soon.....
     
    Anquetil likes this.
  24. TheVinylAddict

    TheVinylAddict Look what I found

    Location:
    AZ
    I've never even heard of the Arcam Rphono until I read your post above - and I pay attention! :) But obviously not closely enough as WhatFi gave it a 5.

    Hope it works out, I looked online and did not see a whole lot of user reviews, etc - you are a braver soul than I to dive in on a relatively obscure item from a user testimony standpoint. What pushed you over the edge and led you to the Arcam, and how did it win out over so many other choices (some more mainstream) such that you ended your research??
     
  25. Lymbo

    Lymbo Forum Resident

    Location:
    Huntsville, AL
    To make matters worse for iFi....their customer support absolutely sucks. I'll never buy another product from them. No way.
     
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