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

Would love to have current owners input. Since late 2018 this thread hasnt gotten very many complaints really, same on Amazon.

 

Yes, and rightly so. They did indeed experience massive problems with that PSU. I hope yours will remain ok as it is a fantastic RIAA when working.

 

It was never really explored in this thread either, but Im really curious what their eRIAA setting actually does or looks like on a frequency sweep. With very limited testing, normal RIAA seemed better to me.

 

Why did you like the regular instead of the enhanced?

 

Seemed slightly clearer but I only did a quick test and the differences are likely small and only reside in the extreme frequencies.

 

Well everyone, I just added the 3 Black Label a few days ago and it's really singing beautifully in my system.

 

So did I and I love it. After 50+ hours it really unfolds and I’m left with the feeling it’s without limits in its performance.

 

Now in this whole debate of "to burn in, or not to burn in", it can burn in just by being on even when not playing music right?

 

Depends on who you ask. I say leaving it on for a few hours is more than enough.

 

Yes. It says nowhere it should have an auto stand by function so just leaving it on is enough.

 

I am not sure if not playing yields a burn in effect. The best way would be to record a piece when it’s new then again when after being left on and then after say 50-100 hours of playing music.
I just noted with my DAC that running it repeatedly through a burn in CD improved it further, which did not happen after just leaving it on.

 

It's interesting that I found this thread and your comments about this unit. I've been 'burning it in' (although you mentioned it wasn't necessary ) for about 20-30 hours. What was REALLY weird is that when I very first put it in my system (with a brand new Audioquest Big Sur interconnect, which I know NOTHING about and I have NO bloody idea how it will affect the sound AND also likely needs to be burned it) immediately the soundstage, image, and detail jumped right out at me and I thought, Wow this is going to sound great!

But, then today a most weird thing happened... I went to do some critical listening after playing a few more sides through the unit with the volume off, and WHOA, it sounded horrible! I'm like WTF!!!? So, I was playing around with the dip switches (and being a big Dipswitch myself likely helps...) trying to decide whether it sounded better with or without the +12db gain (my old, classic AT cartridge is rated right at 4.2 mV supposedly, so it's kind of in between) and I THINK what happened, I'm not sure yet, is that maybe I moved the switches for the eRIAA curve back to 'OFF' from their default 'ON'... I'm thinking, OH okay, let's bloody HOPE that's it! So, I just did a quick 5 second listen and I THINK it now sounds back to like it was, but I need to do a more critical listen later on. MAN... that was super scary, I'm like, what the living F*** did I do!!? So, here's hoping that I got it straightened out, because quite honestly my first impression was excellent!

If that IS indeed what happened, I am really surprised that just that setting would throw off everything SO damn much! Of course, I'm fervently hoping that's it, because I'm telling you the sound went from glorious to total $*** in a moment! I hope that means that my system is resolving enough to notice that is such a huge way

 

If it happened right after you fiddled with the dipswitches then thats probably it.

Something else it could be is if you turn your system off a lot. I usually leave mine on but one time I tried playing it straight after turning it on and found there to be more bass than usual, had to change a review of a record because of that. But I only tried it once so who knows.

As for the Gain, yeah its tricky when your cart goes inbetween settings, mine does too and I just decided to go with the lower side of things, dont think it matters much but I never tested it carefully.

 

I've had a good deal of translating and researching, but I also integrated my iPhono3 into my setup after determining what kind of Audio Tech cartridge I have (hardest part of the process honestly) and I love playing between the DECCA, Columbia, and RIAA filters. Most of my records are old Jazz ones I've scooped from value bins, but since those can be old, I like using the 3 filters to best attenuate each time period the records were made in. It's all in the dipswitches. My best advice is to take each step one at a time, google setup tutorials and reviews on it to get a better understanding on how the controls work. That's the only way I figured it out.

 

I dont play with the different curves as Ive understood it to just be an overblown topic according to Fremer.

 

At the moment I’m actually running mine with the eriaa setting on. I feel it gives a little more high frequency energy without making the overall presentation brighter and thus suits my system well.

 

I meant the Decca and Columbia vs RIAA settings but thats interesting. Isnt the eRIAA just supposed to cut some lower frequencies where rumble resides?

 

I think that’s the IEC setting though I’m not sure. I’m rather certain I’m hearing a bit more high frequency energy by activating the eriaa setting.

 

Ahh perhaps, although a cut in low freqiencies might also give the perception of a brighter sound.

 

Yes, but I found this on the ifi site:
“Rectify high-frequency roll-off and excessive phase shift of all, including Neumann and Western Electric vinyl cutting lathes (Enhanced RIAA EQ)”.

 

Huh, nice to know what it stands for. I wonder about the roll off and phase shift though, but if you like it thats great.

 

Yessir, you are right! I do leave most of my system on most of the time. The IFI (since it has no 'Off' switch and never seems to get too warm) I leave on all the time. In my old sound room (I have pictures of it in my profile) I used to run that inverse RIAA circuit board with an old tuner always live through my amps phono sections, so that when I drove over there to listen, the system would always be warmed up and ready.

 

I thought you said that Fremer was overblown

 

That he is too ;^)

 

Yeah! That is what I'm HOPING that I screwed with when I was messing with the +12db switch! The sound took such a HUGE dump I was wondering if maybe something blew up inside the IFI! All I could guess was that since I BELIEVE that the default setting is indeed for the eRIAA to be 'ON', and after I fiddled with the +12db switch it was 'OFF', maybe I just needed to put it back. I am just NOW going to listen more carefully and I certainly HOPE that was it because seriously the sound went from awesome to horrible. I just hope it's back to awesome again!