iFi iCAN Phantom – Premium vinyl record cleaners

iFi iCAN Phantom

Tube or transistor? Spacious imaging or tonal precision? Straightforward or stress-free euphony? How typically are we confronted with these questions? And how good when you’ll be able to merely give “sure” as a solution.

Ever because the first audio part noticed the sunshine of day that differed from current units when it comes to sound, now we have been confronted with the dilemma of asking what it ought to sound like after we purchase it. Because the reality, no matter that could be, is after all supplied by all producers, every in their very own means, which is often troublesome to argue towards. Some persist with measured efficiency, others additionally belief their ears, nonetheless others belief solely their ears, and yet one more faction leaves objectivity behind fully and proclaims that their elements will help you perceive the composer. Since I can’t ask Mr. Mozart and Mr. Bach, I discover it troublesome to contradict them – as a lot as I’m tempted to take action. But after this little digression, let’s get again on monitor …

In this case, it’s expressly not about who is perhaps proper about what, however solely concerning the query of how we should always cope with our tastes and needs when making an upcoming buy choice. All too typically – and I’ve felt this far more than as soon as – we permit ourselves to be talked into issues. Friends, sellers and take a look at magazines inform us how we should always take heed to music and affect our buying choices. However, as soon as the smoke has cleared and we’re sitting alone within the music listening room with our new buy, we’re the one ones who ought to be proud of it. Then it’ll change into clear if now we have served ourselves or some trendsetter with our buy, questioning the place we’ve sunk all that cash with a bleak take a look at the acoustic ingredient between the audio system.

It’s after we admit to ourselves that we aren’t all the time in the identical temper and subsequently don’t all the time pay attention in the identical means that it will get actually sophisticated. So it will get worse and worse. One resolution to that is referred to as a “secondary system”. It’s not for nothing that I’ve setups in a number of rooms that sound very totally different. However, this requires a specific amount of effort when it comes to monetary enter, area necessities and the companion’s forbearance. iFi Audio now presents a much more elegant resolution with the iCAN Phantom headphone amplifier. Well, this colleague isn’t a cut price both, however he can reply each doable query about shopping for new headphones with a really relaxed sure.

A primary take a look at the Phantom results in blended reactions. Its design is unquestionably polarizing. I heard just about the whole lot starting from “cool” to “hideous”. Once the exterior energy provide unit, which powers the inner battery, is stowed away behind the rack, we are able to proceed. The entrance presents extra connections and adjustment choices than I’ve ever seen earlier than.

The two giant rotary knobs for enter choice and quantity dominate. So far, so regular. In between, nevertheless, issues actually get going: a small swap permits the achieve to be adjusted in steps of 9 decibels, and on the opposite facet there’s a small toggle swap that makes the Phantom so distinctive. Here you’ll be able to select between totally different enter phases (you learn that proper) and thus resolve whether or not a good transistor stage, a moderately heat tube circuit or a really charming tube stage referred to as “Tube+” takes over the work and thus principally steers the sound in numerous instructions proper from the beginning. Furthermore, as with the SPL amplifiers acquainted from the studio sector, the room impression might be modified in 4 phases utilizing a crossfeed circuit. Depending on the recording, this may both do nothing in any respect or it could make the whole lot fall into place. In any case, you even have a selection right here, and the variety of “unlistenable” albums on the shelf shall be tremendously diminished. One perform that I used to be much less fascinated by is named “xBass” and produces precisely that: plenty of bass. At least it’s nonetheless well-textured, and you’ll select between three totally different frequencies at which the increase ought to happen. I can think about that some overproduced pop albums from the 80s may benefit from this. My cabinets didn’t comprise something that may have wanted this type of assist. My daughter, nevertheless, was greater than thrilled with it on a current Taylor Swift album.

Connectivity-wise, there may be the whole lot you possibly can dream of. Headphones might be related by way of the same old jacks, in 3.5 and 4.4 millimeter variations in addition to balanced connections. Electrostats might be operated by way of 4 or five-pin sockets. The rear panel presents balanced and unbalanced inputs in addition to – and that is the place it will get much more thrilling – a correct preamp output, once more providing each XLR and RCA sockets. The Phantom can subsequently even be used as a veritable preamplifier. Hidden behind a small magnetic plate are six SD-like playing cards that can be utilized to exactly modify the bias voltage for the related electrostats. This could appear awkward at first, nevertheless it’s really fairly good, because it means you’ll be able to’t by accident modify the values and injury the headphones. In phrases of sound, the iFi Phantom could be very troublesome to familiarize yourself with. The many setting choices, which might be mixed with one another, open up such an unimaginable variety of essentially totally different sound signatures that it’s nearly not possible to speak a few single sound. In normal, it may be stated that all the circuits are very stable and clear, an excessive amount of experience has been utilized right here.

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In transistor mode, for instance, I hear a reside recording of a Rossini opera in a really clear and cleanly outlined means. The singers are meticulously separated from one another on the stage, the orchestra in entrance of them is exactly illuminated proper by way of to the rear desks. When I swap to “Tube”, nearly the whole lot modifications. The stage turns into wider, however above all a lot deeper. The singers can now not be localized as clearly, however they occupy extra space. The voices now come out of the diaphragms just a little meatier, the minimal lack of articulation is bearable. Switched to “Tube+”, the image intensifies. Everything turns into golden, charming, broad, lovely. So lovely.

When I then play Richard Strauss’ Four Last Songs with Elisabeth Schwarzkopf on this setting, honey flows out of the headphones. Even my Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro overlook their Prussian perspective right here and beguile themselves with their sudden appeal.

So is the iCAN Phantom the perfect headphone amplifier for everybody? Certainly not. Because you probably have discovered your favourite headphones, listening style, music type and don’t care about electrostats, you will get away cheaper elsewhere, since you merely don’t want the various abilities of the Phantom. For everybody else: This is the place the Phantom is in its ingredient, as a result of it permits you to play on the highest degree with out having to commit your self – and that is one thing many people have been ready for for a really very long time! And the gross sales division is speaking loudly a few new amplifier within the class under, which gained’t have the ability to deal with electrostats, however will do the whole lot else within the common competent method and doubtless at a considerably cheaper price.

But even so, I’ve by no means skilled a headphone amplifier just like the Phantom. Top-notch sound, excellent options. And it provides its purchaser nearly infinite freedom.

Accompanying Equipment

Turntable: Transrotor Apollon TMD with SME 5, SME 3012 and others | Cartridges: Clearaudio Talisman and Stradivari V2, Ortofon Vienna and Jubilee, Denon DL-103 | CD-Player: Mark Levinson No. 390S | DAC: Merging Technologies | Preamplifier: Crane Song Avocet | Power amplifier: Digital energy amplifier primarily based on ICE Power, Accuphase P-4200 | Integrated amplifier: Lavardin IT | Loudspeakers: Spendor Classic 3/5, Wilson Audio Sasha DAW | Cables: Vovox and others

Headphone amplifier iFi Audio iCAN Phantom

Concept: analog headphone amplifier with adjustable achieve | Inputs: 3 x RCA, 1 x XLR | Analog outputs: 1 x RCA, 1 x XLR | Headphone outputs: 3.5 mm jack, 3-pin XLR, 4-pin XLR, 4.4 mm Pentaconn, 6.3 mm jack (constructive part), 6.3 mm jack (detrimental part), 5-pin regular bias, 5-pin customized bias | Gain: 0 dB, 9 dB and 18 dB | Frequency response: 0.5 Hz to 500 okHz (-3 dB) | THD & N balanced/unbalanced: transistor ≤ 0.0015 %/≤ 0.007 %, tube ≤ 0.002 %/≤ 0.006 %, tube+ ≤ 0.012 %/≤ 0.2 % | SNR balanced/unbalanced: < 145 dB (A)/< 130 dB (A) | Output energy balanced/unbalanced: > 15 000 mW (@16 Ω)/> 5760 mW (@16 Ω) | Input voltage: DC 12 V/4 A or 15 V/3 A | Power consumption: < 27 W, max. 75 W | Dimensions (W/H/D): 26/19/12 cm | Weight: 4.2 kg | Warranty interval: 2 years | Price: round € 3750