Gear fetishism has become a thing in the personal audio category; the Head-Fi crowd is notorious for getting excited about something and then moving on after a few months. That scenario should sound familiar to seasoned audiophiles who have been subjected to that over the years from the consumer A/V press.
Some of us love to jump on the bandwagon; having not even heard the product or had limited exposure to it and suddenly it becomes the “next new thing” before it gets replaced by something else.
We’ve become little puppies that run when a new toy is opened and toss it about for about 8 minutes and then decide it’s time for something else.
Don’t make that a habit. It’s not good for your wallet or appreciation of music as a form of enjoyment or therapy.
None of that makes the new iFi Audio iDSD Diablo 2 portable DAC/Headphone amplifier a product you should not consider.
If it offers a big step up from the iFi Audio iDSD Diablo currently in my bag that sounds absolutely terrific with the Meze Audio 109 Pro Headphones — then it probably makes sense to try it out.
But I think I am going to hang onto this one for a year or so. Why fix what is not broken?
iFi Audio, however, wants people looking for their first portable DAC/Headphone amplifier to consider the new iDSD Diablo 2 and there is a lot going on under its gorgeous red hood.
In January 2021, iFi introduced the battery powered iDSD Diablo DAC/Headphone Amplifier and the market certainly responded to it.
Two years have gone by and the team at iFi felt that they could improve the existing unit in a few ways that would significantly change its performance; especially on the streaming front with advancements in Bluetooth technology.
The iDSD Diablo 2 has been thoroughly redesigned inside and out, building on the performance-tuned design philosophy and prodigious power of its predecessor’s amp stage with technical advances across the board. Its versatility has been enhanced too; while the original Diablo focused solely on cable connectivity from the source device – be it a PC or a Mac, a smartphone or a tablet – the Diablo 2 adds the latest generation of iFi’s famous Bluetooth engine, complete with aptX Lossless support.
This makes it the world’s first portable DAC/headphone amp capable of processing lossless Bluetooth audio.
The iDSD Diablo 2 is similar in size to the original – 166 x85 x 28.5mm – which makes it more ‘transportable’ than ‘pocket-size’. It was designed to sit on a desk or be taken with you inside a knapsack or laptop bag.
From a design perspective, the unit might be similar in size to its predecessor, but it now features a new grooved aluminum enclosure finished in a new shade of metallic crimson.
The 22 grooves are not just for show; they aid thermal dissipation and double as fixing rails for the devilish ‘wings’ supplied with the iDSD Diablo 2. These detachable appendages act as a desk stand and can be positioned in different ways, allowing the Diablo 2 to be placed horizontally or vertically as its owner prefers.
DAC and Format Support
The iDSD Diablo 2’s digital stage incorporates a Burr-Brown DAC chip that iFi uses extensively, selected for its True Native architecture. Here, two of these chips are installed in a custom ‘interleaved’ configuration – this enables four pairs of differential signals (two pairs per channel) which lowers the noise floor, improves channel separation and enhances the DAC’s ability to resolve fine musical detail and micro-dynamics.
One such critical component is the XMOS chip that iFi uses to process audio data received over the digital inputs. The iDSD Diablo 2 incorporates a 32-bit, 16-core XMOS Cortex microcontroller, its processing power utilised by iFi to optimise sound quality and unlock the full potential of the Burr- Brown DAC chip.
Extensive jitter-eradication technologies are also applied, including the latest version of iFi’s GMT (Global Master Timing) femtosecond-precision clock and smart storage cache. This combination of technologies forms the basis of a proprietary ‘digital engine’ that is unique to iFi.
iFi has always tried to support every hi-res codec and the new IDSD Diablo 2 offers support for 32-bit/768kHz PCM and all levels of DSD to 22.5792MHz (DSD512).
It also offers support for MQA, but we’ll have to see how things unfold going forward in regard to Lenbrook’s recent acquisition of the technology.
Lossless Bluetooth Support
The headline addition for this next-generation iFi module is aptX Lossless – the first ‘lossless’ Bluetooth audio format. While other Bluetooth formats described as ‘hi-res’ already exist – for example, aptX Adaptive can stream audio up to 24-bit/96kHz and LDAC’s specification stretches up to 32-bit/96kHz – these are ‘lossy’ formats.
aptX Lossless is the first Bluetooth audio format capable of streaming CD-quality (16-bit/44.1kHz) audio ‘losslessly’. Technically it still applies a form of compression, but it ‘zips’ and ‘unzips’ the audio file in a way that preserves the original data.
It achieves bitrates of up to 1.2Mbps at CD-quality – that’s more than twice the maximum bitrate of aptX Adaptive and aptX HD, and roughly 20 per cent higher than LDAC’s maximum figure.
To benefit from the format, however, both the source device (perhaps an Android smartphone) and the receiving device (Bluetooth headphones or earphones, a DAC or an audio system) must incorporate a suitably equipped Snapdragon chipset.
iFi’s NEO iDSD 2 ($899) was the world’s first DAC to include aptX Lossless decoding; now, a month later, the iDSD Diablo 2 becomes the first portable DAC to do so, benefitting from iFi’s close collaboration with Qualcomm to ensure the format’s benefits are maximised.
In addition to aptX Lossless, a full suite of Bluetooth formats is supported, including aptX Adaptive (backwards compatible with aptX and aptX HD), LDAC, HWA/LHDC, AAC and SBC.
iFi’s Bluetooth module can also be updated over-the-air, so further codecs may be added as they emerge in future.
As well as being the first portable DAC to support aptX Lossless, the iDSD Diablo 2 is the first to include Bluetooth version 5.4 – the newest Bluetooth standard, announced earlier this year.
How Much Power Does it Have?
With output power of 5,180mW/12.9V into 32 ohms and 611mW/19.2V into 600 ohms through its 4.4mm balanced output, the Diablo 2 has more power to drive the toughest headphone loads than any other portable DAC/headphone amp currently available.
The amp stage supplies three gain settings to suit the drive requirements of the connected headphones or IEMs. The default mode is Normal (0dB); from there you can step up to Turbo (+8dB) or Nitro (+16dB).
There is also an IEMatch attenuation mode – this is particularly useful with super-sensitive IEMs, removing potential background noise and increasing the usable volume range.
Volume is controlled by a high-quality analogue potentiometer, which delivers superior sonic transparency compared to chip-based volume controls and can be locked in place to avoid accidental adjustment.
Connectivity?
As well as wirelessly over Bluetooth, source devices such as PCs/Macs, smartphones, tablets and other digital entertainment devices can connect asynchronously to the iDSD Diablo 2’s USB-C port (certified to 5 Gbps). A 3.5mm S/PDIF input is also provided; this accepts both coaxial and optical connections (a 3.5mm to Toslink adapter is supplied).
Both digital inputs reside at the rear, alongside a separate USB-C port for mains power/charging. Balanced analogue outputs are supplied, making the most of the iDSD Diablo 2’s fully balanced PureWave circuitry.
At the front, alongside a standard 6.3mm single-ended headphone socket, resides a 4.4mm output for headphones offering balanced connection – an increasing number of high-quality headphones and IEMs either come so equipped or give the option of detaching the cable and upgrading to a 4.4mm balanced connector.
A second 4.4mm socket resides at the back; this can be used as a fixed-level line output, bypassing the headphone amp to connect the iDSD Diablo 2 to an external amp/speakers in ‘pure DAC’ mode.
This enables a fully balanced connection to high-end amps and powered speakers with balanced inputs, while single-ended connections can be made via an adapter.
This 4.4mm socket also doubles as a balanced analogue input, bypassing the DAC stage to so that source devices with an analogue output can connect to the Diablo 2’s headphone amp.
Truckload of Accessories?
iFi has always been rather generous when it comes to accessories and the iDSD Diablo 2 continues that trend.
Along with the ultra-low-noise iPower 2 AC/DC adapter and associated USB-C charging cable, three digital audio cables are supplied: a USB-C OTG cable for smartphones and other portable devices, a longer USB-C cable for PCs/Macs, and a Lightning to USB-C cable for iOS devices equipped with Apple’s proprietary connector.
Various adapters are included for different connector types: USB-C to USB-A (to connect the USB-C cable to source devices with USB-A outputs); 3.5mm to Toslink (to convert the iDSD Diablo 2’s S/PDIF input to Toslink optical); and a 3.5mm to 6.3mm headphone adapter.
The wing-style appendages that serve as a rather clever desktop stand are also supplied, together with a premium-quality travel case to protect the Diablo 2 and keep everything neat and tidy.
Where to buy: $1,299 at Audio46 (save 5% with coupon code: ecoustics)
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Asa
November 14, 2023 at 6:18 pm
Thanks for the review, Ian. I’ve had my Helm Bolt DAC for a while now and this would be quite a step up…and the color :)…and the price :(.
What’s your best value/prop in the Head-Fi arena? Anything else on your radar? It may have to be 2024 acquisition.
This would drain my Freedom Fund. What is that you say? A separate set of funds for myself and my better half that are available to purchase whatever you want. The amount is based on your own budget and added to each month. Ex: Start with $200/mo (or whatever works for your overall budget), and add that each month. You can spend it all each month or save it over several months, etc. to buy whatever w/ no dirty looks from anyone. A relationship saver!
Ian White
November 15, 2023 at 5:21 pm
Asa,
It depends on the headphones.
Ian