Product Listing

iFi Micro iCan Headphone Amplifier - Power to the People

By Hurrairah bin Sohail - 26 Apr 2013
Launch SRP: S$339

Final Thoughts

Final Thoughts

A lot of consumers equate price with performance, especially when it comes to audio paraphernalia. The costlier a device is, the better its performance is expected to be. The iFi Micro iCan however boldly proves this statement untrue. Priced at S$339, the amplifier is quite affordable, especially when compared with the rest of the contenders available on the market, and it justifies its cost with its performance levels.

The iFi Micro iCan is an impressive amplifier which is capable of driving any headphones that come its way.

First up, the iFi Micro iCan has enough of a power output to drive any pair of headphones you may possess. The Sennheiser HD700, which has an impedance of 150 Ohms, was set free to unleash its full potential when paired up with this amplifier. With the Beyerdynamic Custom One Pro, which has an impedance of just 16 Ohms, we could not go past the nine o’clock setting on the volume levels because the headphones were simply too loud. Being a Class A amplifier, the audio from the iCan was robust and dynamic. Throughout our listening tests, the amplifier proceeded to drive the headphones we use with vibrancy, especially showcasing the great transient response of the Sennheiser HD700. Making headphones produce audio that can show off their true individual characteristics, makes the iCan a quality amplifier.

Besides meeting the mark for its core functionality, the iFi Micro iCan pays attention to the minute details as well. A common problem which many Class A amplifiers suffer from is hissing or buzzes, especially when no audio is played. However, the iFi Micro iCan didn't face this issue, with or without any audio played back and this is highly commendable. At the same time, the Ultra Low Noise power adapter is a great companion. Subpar power supplies can add to noise and interference which can detract from the overall listening experience. But this is one worry you do not have with this particular amplifier.

The iFi Micro iCan also comes with two sound enhancement features namely XBass and 3D Holographic Sound, with three different setting levels for each. In our opinion, XBass works brilliantly well and will definitely be a draw for bassheads. On the other hand, the 3D Holographic Sound is a tad bit oversold in the marketing spiel. While it does not take the soundstage from "inside your head" to "inside your room", it does perform a decent job in creating a surround-like soundstage. At the maximum setting, the soundstage is expanded both horizontally and vertically. As noted during our performance section, this can be used to reduce the harshness of certain tracks while being perfect for increasing the enjoyment of watching movies with headphones on.

Despite the strongly positive performance, we do have minor annoyances and grievances with the product. The flick switches for the aforementioned sound enhancements are not mirrored. While the top most position represents the neutral "Direct" setting for XBass, the same position for 3D Holographic Sound corresponds to the maximum "Three Dot" mode. This can be somewhat confusing and annoying if you are not paying attention to the markings on the amplifier when toggling between the features. The size, shape and location of the ports also makes cabling somewhat of a hassle. We would have preferred to stack the iCan with the iDAC when we were using the two devices together, but unfortunately due the location of the RCA ports, that was not possible. But if we are serious, there seems to be not much wrong with the iFi Micro iCan. Thanks to its affordable price, it is an excellent device for those looking to take their first steps into high grade audio. Even if you have an existing rig, this amplifier easily surpasses the driving capabilities of a typical outboard DAC unit and would be a worthy addition.

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8.5
  • Design 7.5
  • Performance 8.5
  • Features 9
  • Value 9
The Good
Great power and amplification
Excellent set of features
Very affordable
The Bad
Unimpressive aesthetics
Unwieldy dimensions
Non mirrored flick switch settings
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