ifi iPhono 3 "Black Label" Anyone?


Curious to hear your early impressions of the new iPhono3 Black Label.

A review sample arrived here Friday (6/12/2020) and I'm still getting some hours on the unit before doing any critical listening, but first impressions are of a real punchy, dynamic unit that will hopefully bloom as I get more miles on the clock.
For $995 it already sounds like it's going to be competitive with units a couple of rungs up the ladder. I just got done with an initial review and a quickly thrown together youtube vid, if anyone's interested. - 
https://audioresurgence.com/2020/06/ifi-iphono-3-black-label-phono-review-first-look.html
https://youtu.be/3ONQLwf9zVk

I owned the iPhono2 for a while and it was pretty good. It'll be interesting to hear how good the "Black Label" sounds at the 400-hour mark and also what other folks think of it.

Speak up!

Rooze
128x128rooze
Update on the iPhono3 - 

I'm at around the 100-hour mark with the unit and sat down again last night for a serious listen.
The sound has certainly evolved since my last listening session a week or so ago. The soundstage has deepened significantly, and there's a far more 3-dimensional aspect to the sound that's verging on the best I've had in my system to date.
There's abundant detail retrieval. Microdynamics are up there with the Zesto Andros 1.2. 
Both frequency extremes are very good. Low bass is excellent and has more solidity than the Allnic H-1202 and there's more airiness in the HF than the Allnic but less so than the Zesto.
It's missing out in the areas of midrange purity and 'flesh on bones.' The Allnic H-1202 has a great midrange (tone and texture) and a pure and unforced presentation, where the ifi Phono3 is a little forward, edgy, and slightly aggressive. 
The Allnic envelopes you with lush sound where the iPhono3 has you squirreling in your seat a little, kind of like a sonic onslaught of information.
I'm assuming things will settle down with more burn-in and the sound will (hopefully) become less forced.
But I have to say this is one nice little unit for the money, far, far more agile than its predecessor the iPhono2. It's a completely different animal than the 2, in my experience so far. 
More to come.

@rooze 

I did find that using the $100 iFi DC iPurifier definitely helped and made the iP3 sound fuller, richer and simply more grounded.

Are you considering adding the above?

Based on the classic geometric proof, "things equal to the same thing are equal to each other", can we infer that you like the Allnic H1202 better than the ARC Ref 10 and the Zesto best of all, so far?
@lewm Hi, not sure if your question is aimed toward me (the OP) or Audiofun, but I've never heard the ARC Ref 10 and I favor the Allnic H-1202 over the Zesto Andros.

Rooze