If you wanted digital out from a portable idevice, your. Highdefinition portable listening, ifi audio presents the nano idsd black label pocketsized headphone amplifier and dac. It also supports mqa, thus extending playback to physical mqa files and tidal masters. In fact, with maximum output power around ten times that of iphone 6 285mw vs. The xdsd is a clean, goodlooking device with sleek dark stainlesssteel type casing and a centermounted analog chip volume wheel that also acts as. Its portable form belies its bleedingedge technological design. A usb input also adorns the device, which can charge. I give an overview of the units and what i think about the sound. Nov 03, 2017 ifi audio has introduced a new dac headphone amplifier called the nano idsd black label.
Theres an image of the dac on the front and some technical information on the back. At ifi, they strive to look at whats in front of them, predict what audio enthusiasts might enjoy, then develop a solution, execute it in ifi sunerring fashion and deliver as much musical goodness as is humanly and technologically possible. Inside this box is the nano ione dac, a usb cable, 5v power adapter, an optical spdif adaptor, an rca interconnect cable and some little silicone feet. At ifi, they strive to look at whats in front of them, predict what audio enthusiasts might enjoy, then develop a solution, execute it in ifisunerring fashion and deliver as much musical goodness as is. This pocket rocket comes in at the entry level with a pedigree that offers the same sonic perfo. For digital io, the unit supplies a coaxial jack that supports coaxial and optical spdif input, and coaxial spdif output, with autoswitching between ins and outs. Yet, as a portable ampdac or, even better, as a desktop ampdac, the ifi nano idsd bl offers a lot for a fair price. I tested with a selection of different earphones both iems and full sized. Being this compact and portable, didnt stop ifi from packing it the highest level of technological advancements, with the latest breakthrough true native technology from amr, the music format remains unchanged.
I did raise this issue with the company and, to its credit, ifi replied with, a usb charger of 5v will come with later models. The next dac we have on here is the nano idsd bl dac produced by ifi audio. If youre looking for a lightweight dacamp to improve the audio from your laptop or smartphone, this is a nobrainer. Review and measurements of ifi nano idsd black dac and amp. With a more compact and elegant design, plus both wired and wireless connectivity, ifi audios new topoftherange portable dacheadphone amp seems to have it all the ifi audio range of portable dacs and headphone amps has been one of the main challengers to the popular chord mojo hfn jan 16, with its firstgeneration nano idsd hfn dec 14 picking up an eisa. The obvious comparison is the chord mojo, which is nearly exactly the same size as this unit and does sound a bit nicer.
I have been to shows and have heard expensive headphone setups with amps and cans that can not touch the sq i am getting. The only other portable ampdac that readers may be familiar with is the centrance hifim8, which costs significantly more than the ifi nano idsd black label. If you plan to use the dac for noncomputer activities, budget for a long usb3 cable a cable of two metres will cost. As usual from ifi, it has a solidly isolated circuit design with high quality components. The unit has support for most major hifi audio formats as well as balanced connections, which is rare for entrylevel audio products. Take it anywhere small enough to fit in your pocket, the ifi nano idsd dac and headphone amplifier signifies the first time you can enjoy sterling dsd audio on the go. I show you a portable dac you can use on the go with iphone, android phones, mac, pc and more. If you are looking for a portable and small dac for your iphone the spectra dac by nextdrive is a very good option for you. From in ear monitor earphones to midsize headphones, the nano idsd bl is able to drive them with ease. Able to play any file format from dsd to pcm to mqa highresolution streaming the nano idsd bl is the perfect solution for listening on smartphones and portable devices without compromise. Log in to store this reply to your account for future reference, and to remove the live user verification test. Today we are taking a look at 3 portable dacamp combo units from ifi, the nano, xdsd, and micro. Given the features, this headphone amp is a great deal and is one of our favorites in the series due to its convenient size, sound quality, and overall capabilities.
Jun 29, 2017 in its simplest terms, the ione is a bluetooth compatible dac with inputs for usb and spdif hardware. Supercharge your mobile music and stream to a whole new level with the nano idsd black label dacheadphone amp from ifi. The nano bl is a mqa compatible dac and headphone amp that can be both portable or home based. Jan 28, 2020 the ifi zen dac is an excellent dac and amp for the price. The upgrades include stronger power output, improved power supply, audiophile thin film resistor and polymer capacitors, a new iematch feature, mqa support and a new volume knob design. At 285 mw max output power at 32r, it can drive almost any set of headphones without a problem.
Will put in hour and half for one week listening to zen before flashing gto firmware and deciding which firmware i favor. The nano idsd black label is a portable dac and headphone amplifier. Jul 03, 2018 the obvious comparison is the chord mojo, which is nearly exactly the same size as this unit and does sound a bit nicer. The newest flagship product in ifi s micro series, the ifi audio micro idsd black label is a portable dac and headphone amplifier capable of playing mp3, pcm, dsd, dxd files. Ive always loved the way ifis portable dacamps sound. The idsd le has the same dna as the multiaward winning nano idsd but without the spdif output, digital filter selection and runs on dsd128pcm384. At 285 mw max output power at 32r, it can drive almost any set of headphones without a. The unit has support for most major hifi audio formats as well as balanced connections, which is. The ifi zen dac is an excellent dac and amp for the price. Perfect for the desk at work, or your local coffee shop. The newest flagship product in ifis micro series, the ifi audio micro idsd black label is a portable dac and headphone amplifier capable of playing mp3, pcm, dsd, dxd files. If you wanted digital out from a portable idevice, your options were limited to an ipad mini prior to ios 7. If the ifi nano series is going to be small, i am willing to give this dac a look as my portable solution has been listening to an ipods internal dac, albeit going to a portable amp.
The only other portable amp dac that readers may be familiar with is the centrance hifim8, which costs significantly more than the ifi nano idsd black label. Ive had zero complaints with the product, so i had high expectations when ifi announced they were releasing a new product line generation x spearheaded by the featurepacked xdsd new form factor. The nano idsd black label is the upgraded version of the already successful nano idsd. At the nano ione dacs output, you can connect the rcas to an av amplifier or headphone amplifier. The nano idsd plays any size file with extraordinary sonics. It isnt much to look at and we mean that in a literal sense. Sep 27, 20 if the ifi nano series is going to be small, i am willing to give this dac a look as my portable solution has been listening to an ipods internal dac, albeit going to a portable amp.
Label, and the xdsd my only issue is they were somewhat bulky. If you want fine detail, a measure of clarity and a balanced soundstage then a basic device, spewing forth. How the gear will be used home listening, video calls. Yet, as a portable amp dac or, even better, as a desktop amp dac, the ifi nano idsd bl offers a lot for a fair price. The dac supports pcm up to 32bit384khz and up to dsd 256, as well as mqa. The nanos burrbrown true native dac can handle pcm files all the way up to 32bit384khz arguably more than you need, as well as dxd and dsd256 formats. If you want fine detail, a measure of clarity and a balanced soundstage then a basic. The ifi nano idsd is the worlds smallest, portable weighing only 163g, batterypowered, serious dac that is able to decode all highresolution formats. Similar to what we saw with the nano idsd black label dac, the nano ione comes in a white box, covered in a white, cardboard sleeve with the usual ifi styling. The nano idsd light edition le is newest entrylevel dac from ifi audio. May 15, 2014 the ifi nano idsd dac also doubles as a batterypowered 80mw headphone amp and can handle pcm resolutions up 32384, dxd, single and double rate dsd and with a recent firmware upgrade even quad rate dsd. Jul 01, 2018 with a more compact and elegant design, plus both wired and wireless connectivity, ifi audios new topoftherange portable dacheadphone amp seems to have it all the ifi audio range of portable dacs and headphone amps has been one of the main challengers to the popular chord mojo hfn jan 16, with its firstgeneration nano idsd hfn dec 14 picking up an eisa award back in 2014. May, 2017 in the battle for the best portable headphone dac amp combo two names constantly end up on top the ifi micro idsd black label and chord mojo. With maximum output power around 10 times that of iphone 6, the nano idsd black label can drive most headphones on the market.
Nano idsd sets a new pricetoperformance benchmark that until now wasnt imaginable. More isolation than the m1060 and g12 would be nice. This little bad boy can drive these headphones without issue. Especially if you already love the ifi sound signature. Full disclosure, an original nano idsd has been my goto dac of choice for my stationary headphone tube setup for a few years now.
Ive had zero complaints with the product, so i had high expectations when ifi announced they were releasing a new product line generation x spearheaded by the featurepacked xdsd. The micro idsd bl is substantially larger than the other two but shares the same brushed aluminum casing material as the nano idsd bl. The nano idsd black label is small but mighty with 10x more amplification power than an iphone. This little bad boy can drive these headphones without. We heard so much about this line from respected dealers and audiophiles we had to hear them to believe it. Enter the letters you see in the image without spaces. But however you prefer to connect your system, the ione has it covered, whether its via bluetooth, usb or spdif opticalcoaxial.
On your daily commute or even once you get to in the office, the nano bl will boost the sound quality of your music and supercharge to your day. The next dac and headphone amp in ifis lineup is the micro idsd black label the most featurepacked and highperformance portable headphone amp and dac, yet. At the nano ione dac s output, you can connect the rcas to an av amplifier or headphone amplifier. Lizard king can only be talking about the new nano bl. True native dsddxdpcm playback small enough to fit in your pocket, the ifi nano idsd dac and headphone amplifier signifies the first time you can enjoy sterling dsd audio on the go. Dec 30, 2019 today we are taking a look at 3 portable dac amp combo units from ifi, the nano, xdsd, and micro. The measured noise floor of the nano ione dac is 100times quieter than a common noise filter. Small enough to fit in your pocket, the ifi nano idsd dac and headphone amplifier signifies the first time you can enjoy sterling dsd audio.
Supercharge your mobile music and stream to a whole new level with the nano idsd black label dac headphone amp from ifi. This is incredible audiophile grade gear on a tight budget. Amazonifi hipdac portable dac headphone amp balanced for android, iphone. It is the worlds smallest, portable only 163g, batterypowered, serious dac that plays all highresolution formats. Beneath the outer sleeve is the white box, which is bare except for the ifi branding. Kudos to ifi for bringing this to the market and such a bargain price. Nov 06, 2019 full disclosure, an original nano idsd has been my goto dac of choice for my stationary headphone tube setup for a few years now. That means you can use it either as an upgrade to your existing digital source, or to add wireless capability to a system without a dac. May 24, 2018 i show you a portable dac you can use on the go with iphone, android phones, mac, pc and more.
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