Starting with the Stereo 50, the iFi Retro is a completely new range that has one objective: to include everyone who loves music regardless of age, gender or technology.
The Retro Stereo 50 is an all-in-one tube stereo system: from Bluetooth aptx (phone/pad) to High-res digital (computer) to vinyl (turntable). Everyone can bring their music and be able to connect to the Stereo 50 and produce music that simply astounds. There really is nothing like the Retro Stereo 50.
Music is in the air
Smart devices capable of Bluetooth, aptX (best mode of wireless transmission) and NFC (extreme ease) can be "wirelessly paired" to the Stereo 50. From there, it is a simple case of opening your music app, be it your music collection on your music player, Spotify or Tidal and hit play!
The aptX option offers CD-like-quality wireless audio beyond normal Bluetooth. This means the Stereo 50 is future-proofed for Smart devices for many years to come.
USB and SPDIF for streaming/computer audio
Nowadays, nearly every home is streaming, be it from the set top box, smart device or computer via SPDIF coaxial or the USB 3.0 port. Irrespective of your preferred listening method - from Spotify to J. River; connect to the Stereo 50 and enjoy your favourite tunes at a whole new level!
High-resolution audio (DSD512, PCM768kHz, 2xDXD) via USB, Coaxial and Optical are all catered for. Just connect, sit back and enjoy your music your way.
Space-age digital and classic valve technology
AMR and iFi are renowned for combining classic valve technology with state-of-the-art digital technology such as in the prestigious AMR DP-777 Digital Processor. The Stereo 50 is the latest from a long line of outstanding products. It features 4xEL84X and 2xECF82 tubes with a stunningly advanced ground-up circuit that has DNA from the best of classic amplifiers such as Telefunken, Marantz and Leak.
Running primarily in Class A, its 25W+25W is and sounds astonishingly realistic. This all means a sonic performance that reflects the superb design and implementation.
Burr-Brown brightest chipset + AMR unorthodox technology
At iFi, 'the best format' is not the focus. Rather, we care for replaying each format at the pinnacle.
The Burr-Brown DAC chip used was developed by BB Japan (as opposed to BB/TI) though the product introduction was after the merger. Being Burr-Brown's swan song chipset, it featured their ultimate converter technology and even to this day, is held in the highest esteem.
Having a chipset able to play all formats would count for little if this was not all executed natively, which means no conversion from one format to another. Using trickle-down technology from AMR (who wrote the chipset's unorthodox control software) to drive this Burr-Brown chipset means preservation of the original music format which is essential for reaching the zenith in high-end audio reproduction.
High-Resolution on PCM768/DSD512/2xDXD
Computer-audio playback is advancing at breakneck speed. The Stereo 50 on the outside exudes classic retro styling, but on the inside, is at the cutting-edge.
It is able to play all formats to the highest level:
- PCM, from 16/44kHz all the way up to 32/768kHz
- DSD up to Octa-DSD512 (22.6/24.6MHz)
- DXD, 2x to 768kHz
Not only the hyper-advanced formats/sampling rates, but the filters employed also ensure the most analogue and life-like reproduction. The Minimum Phase filter for PCM and Bit-Perfect filter for DXD/DSD ensure maximum enjoyment. These filters ensure the typical "metallic edginess" to standard digital playback is not present, leaving a smooth and organic tonality.
In-Ear & Headphone lovers in for a treat
Got headphones? The Stereo 50 with separate 3.5mm and 6.3mm inputs is just for you. Each headphone input has its own dedicated gain and sensitivity to perfectly match high-sensitivity In-Ear-Monitors and low-sensitivity Over-the-Ear headphones respectively. The 6.3mm output pumps out a "turbo-charged" 7,000mW. So even the most demanding of headphones such as the HiFi Man HE-6 has met its match.
The Stereo 50 features iFi's widely-regarded 3D Holographic for Headphones and XBass technologies. They have garnered a following with their mesmerizing ability to perfectly match each and every type of recording and headphone. The 3D Holographic for Headphones technology uses pure analogue signal processing which delivers a wide open and spatially correct sound stage for headphones that places the sound field "back outside of the head" to enhance the listening experience. The XBass technology creates the finest bass and dynamically corrects the bass response to perfectly suit the way we hear.
Vinyl oozes verve
iFi's iPhono has already become a modern classic and the Stereo 50's phono stage is set to emulate this feat. It has adjustable ultra-wide gain MM/MC from 38-62dB and its tone control system harks back to classic equalisation technology. With 6 different EQ curves (via the precision tone control), every stereophonic record is catered for. From the default RIAA through to EMI and Decca, as the legion of iPhono users can attest, once dialed-in, each and every record has "a kind of vinyl magic".
The astonishing EQ feature would count for little if the actual sonic ability of the phono stage was not executed with finesse. Well, just like the iPhono, the Stereo 50 is one of only a handful of phono stages whose noise floor is below (as opposed to above) that of the record. With its superb dynamics and resolution, the Stereo 50 comfortably plays in the big league of vinyl.
Analogue Tone, Volume and Remote Controls
Digital volume controls truncate the delicate audio signal so iFi avoids this at all costs. The Tone Controls, Volume Control (with remote control) are all of extreme high-quality. The critical analogue volume control is by Alps (Japan) motorised potentiometer (< 3dB tracking error).
Audio equipment up to four times the price do not possess a volume control as high-quality as the Stereo 50's. It is this fastidious attention to detail and highest-quality composition that sets iFi apart: in our sonic mission, we leave no stone unturned.
Product Specifications:
- Power output (Music): > 25W(majority Class A)
- Total Harmonic Distortion(THD): < 0.2% (@ 2.83V/1W)
- Output bandwidth: 10Hz ~ 60kHz
- Frequency Response: 10Hz ~ 80kHz
- Signal-to-Noise Ratio: Amplifier 101dB (@ max output), Phono MM: 90dB(A), Phono MC: 80dB(A)
- DAC Dynamic Range: > 113dB(A)
- Tone Control: Bass(100Hz) +/-8dB, Treble(10KHz) +/-8dB
- Analogue Signal Processing (ASP): XBass, 3D Holographic
- Phono Gain: 38, 50, 62dB
- MM: 220pF//47k
- MC: 200pF//330R
- RIAA Accuracy: <0.5dB
- Tubes: 2 x ECF82; 4 x EL84X
- Power Supply: AC 100V-240V
- Power consumption: 75W, ~0.1W (Standard mode)
