mmg_fan

Am auditioning the iFi Micro DAC but have yet to determine its optimum settings. For instance I've read 3 different reviews, each of which suggest a different filter setting for optimum sound! There's also power mode, IEmatch, as well as XBassand 3D switches. For serious listening I usually pair with my HiFi man 400i's. Can any experienced iFi users weigh in with their preferences? Also, as a newcomer to the world of USB DAC's, I am very interested in finding the best way to conduct a listening test to highlite the differences (if any) between audio coming directly from the headphone out on my iMac, and thru the iFi Micro. Pretty difficult to do a proper AB test! Also choice of music is important... Suggestions welcome....

Theres a long thread here http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f6-dac-digital-analog-conversion/light-harmonic-geek-digital-analogue-converter-17179/ But now that it is shipping, has anyone done any actual listening tests and can comment? About to get the iFi micro DSD but if something a couple hundred $ cheaper sounds just as good....

Andrew Scheps makes the point in the following (excellent) talk that 80% of all new music is now discovered on youtube, which I guess is a generational thing. Probably true for anyone under 20. Just wondering, how can you tell what actual audio codec and sampling rate, and transcoding method if any were used on any youtube video you come across? For instance, this uploaded(official?) of Pink Floyd's DSOTM. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyVlmTClHPQ Sounds great to my untrained ears but...