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
Thanks that is what i was hoping, you have a Anna would love to hear that cartridge. The iFi power a is better than the Sbooster wow that's something, the general thought is that linear power supply is better than smps? All though I do think the Feickert power supply does seem better on my table, I guess I will have to compare them, Thanks again @audiofun 
I am not a fan of SMPS’s as I’m sure many on this forum are aware. I generally believe they are a scourge to anything hi-end audio related and I have made this point many times on this forum :)

I found the SBooster to be better than every other SMPS I have heard but the iPower X is something special. The X is the only SMPS I have found to not cause problems (shrillness, sterility, roughness in the mids and removal of life) with my sound.

As I’ve mentioned in a previous post, I went so far as to replace the sound killing SMPS that shipped with my super cool articulated TT L.E.D. lamp. I found a 24v regulated linear brick, sourced from Mouser (at least I think it was Mouser :) to power the lamp.

I am actually planning to order another X to power the external radiator to my KLAUDIO rcm so I don’t have to disconnect it from the wall between cleanings. The KLAudio cleaner itself has a linear supply thank goodness.
Just got the Zen Phono. I’m not going to say too much until I have about 250 hours on it (it’s breaking in 24/7 as I type) but I will say it surprised me quite a bit right out of the box. I’ve never heard a stage so low in cost sound anything like this unit. This is the one Thorsten designed with John Curl onboard as a consultant, and it’s internally balanced.
this is a review from member Pedrooboe on youtube of the IFI ZEN, btw he has  also a review of  the ifi black 3 https://youtu.be/pBAdLY3Upbo