ifi iPhono 3 "Black Label" Anyone?

I literally just saw and read the Analogplanet review of this unit. Check it out.

What does the iFi DC iPurifier do? Is it essentially adding more capacitance to the filter stage of the PS?  Fremer loved the iFi2, so I am guessing he will have even more love for the iFi3.

Never mind on the DC iPurifier.  I see that it is to be placed between the SMPS and the device itself, in line. A noise filter.

lewm:

yeah Fremer loved the 3 even comparing it to his $50k CH P1/X1 combo at one point. He was expecting to be let down via the juxtaposition of the two stages but that didn’t happen. His experience was similar to mine when I compared it to the ARC REF 10 Phonostage. Now that my unit is fully run-in I have no doubt I would choose it over the Ref 10, whereas with 100 hours on the unit, it held its own with the Ref 10 (while still resolving far more information as read by the stylus). Now that this unit has over 1300 play time hours on the clock what little it may have seeded to the ARC as it relates to musical flow has evaporated. Transient speed and information retrieval abilities of the 3 are far beyond the capabilities of the ARC Ref 10.

After extended listening I’ll go on record and call this thing reference caliber. Yes my tube based units do some things better (the things tubes do) such as interstitial continuity in the overall gestalt but then the IPhono3 counters (in the case of the Luxman EQ 500) with a more precise transient attack (faster slew rate) while still managing to sound like there is a very refined tube circuit hidden in there somewhere. 
It’s become difficult to translate everything I am hearing into words, I’m trying :)

I think this unit could live in any system regardless of the cost, now, the owners ego? That’s a problem for some, and I’ve known people who have passed on a clearly superior product for one that cost more and was Bling-EEE!