Features
| Colour | White |
|---|---|
| Brand | iFi Audio |
Tech Specs
Digital - USB3.0 B (USB2.0 compatible); S/PDIF (coaxial/optical)
Bluetooth 5.4 (aptX Lossless, aptX Adaptive, aptx, LDAC, HWA/LHDC, AAC and SBC)
Analogue - UnBAL 3.5mm
Clock: - External Sync Clock 10MHz, 1Vpp nominal, 75Ω. Sinewave or Squarewave
Format: - PCM 768kHz; DSD 512 (22.6MHz); MQA Full Decoder
Line Section -
Outputs: - Balanced XLR - 19.5V max. (variable) 4.4V fixed - UnBAL RCA - 10.5V max. (variable) 2.2V fixed
Output Impedance: - XLR ≤100Ω; RCA ≤50Ω
SNR: - <-120dB(A) @ 0dBFS
DNR: - >120dB(A) @ -60dBFS
THD+N: - <0.0015% @ 0dBFS
Headphone Section -
Output: - Balanced 4.4mm - 3.5V / 19.5V max. (12Ω - 600Ω Headphone) - UnBAL 6.3mm - 4.5V / 9.50V max. (12Ω - 300Ω Headphone)
Output Power: - Balanced - >19.5V/650 mW (@ 600Ω); >13.3V/5,551 mW (@ 32Ω) - UnBAL - >10.5V/184 mW (@ 600Ω); >9.5V/2,832 mW (@ 32Ω)
Output Impedance: - <1Ω
SNR: - >120dB(A) (3.3V 6.3mm/6.2V 4.4mm)
DNR: - -120dB(A)
THD + N: - <0.0015% (125mW @ 32Ω)
Power supply requirement: - DC 9V/1.5A - 15V/0.9A (centre +ve)*
Power consumption: - No Signal ~5W; Max Signal ~13.5W
Dimensions: - 214 x 158 x 41 mm (8.4" x 6.2" x 1.6")
Net weight: - 916g (2.0 Ibs)
Limited Warranty: - 12 months
*A power supply unit must be able to deliver minimum rated repetitive current
Product Description
The iFi Audio Neo iDSD 2 Headphone Amplifier and DAC is now capable of supporting aptX lossless. This is a new Bluetooth codec that can stream CD-quality audio with no loss of fidelity. Moreover, this unit has a powerful 5551mW output headphone amplifier.
Versatile options allow this unit to be used as a headphone DAC amp, a stand-alone DAC for your integrated amplifier, or a DAC/preamp front end for your active speakers or power amp. Other features include XSpace and XBass enhancements as well as four gain settings. Lastly, the unit can be used either horizontally or vertically.
Lossless Bluetooth 5.4
The latest Bluetooth 5.4 lossless technology is supported by the iFi Audio Neo iDSD 2 Headphone Amplifier and DAC. This has a maximum bitrate of 1,200kbps compared to aptX adaptive which has a bitrate of 420kbp. Notably, LDAC supports 990kbps.
However, the latter two codecs use lossy compression that degrades the sound. Also. the iFi Audio Neo iDSD 2 Headphone Amplifier and DAC uses Qualcomm’s new QCC518x Bluetooth audio chip. This chip can support all of the Bluetooth codecs including 5.4 lossless.
High output headphone amplifier
The headphone output power of the iFi Audio Neo iDSD 2 Headphone Amplifier and DAC is now 5 times more powerful than the previous version. The output is over 5 watts at 32 Ohms. This is a better performance than most dedicated headphone amplifiers. As a result, this unit can handle even the most demanding headphones.
Moreover, Auto iEmatch reduces the hiss you get from high-sensitivity headphones without losing dynamic range. Additionally, there are four gain settings so that you can match the capabilities of your headphones. Furthermore, there are matching circuits known as XSpace and XBass II as well as four digital filters. These are pure analogue and can be used to fine-tune the sound.
Rotating colour display
The iFi Audio Neo iDSD 2 Headphone Amplifier and DAC can be used horizontally or vertically. Notably, the display automatically changes direction. You can use the unit as a front end with your active speakers, and the output is balanced.
The built-in volume control is analogue which is superior to digital types. Place it horizontally and the unit can be used as a pure DAC playing Hi-Res music files from PCM 32-bit/768kHz to DSD512. It also has full MQA decoding.
Reduced jitter from a GMT femto-precision clock
A GMT femto-precision clock is used by the iFi Audio Neo iDSD 2 Headphone Amplifier and DAC. This is combined with a smart storage cache. These two systems effectively reduced jitter in the original signal.
The result is a cleaner and more accurate sound. Additionally, you can connect an external clock to the 10Mhz External Synch Clock input. You can then run all of your devices from the external clock if needed.
Enhanced circuit design
The iFi Audio Neo iDSD 2 Headphone Amplifier and DAC feature an enhanced PureWave circuit design. This is a dual mono, balanced topology with short signal paths. The result is outstanding linearity and minimal noise. The signal-to-noise ratio is a super-low >120dB(A) and THD is only 0.0015%.
Connectivity
The front of the iFi Audio Neo iDSD 2 Headphone Amplifier and DAC features standard 3.5mm and 6.3mm headphone sockets. Additionally, the back has a wide range of inputs and outputs. Standard RCA outputs are provided along with Balanced XLR.
Also, there is a coaxial and optical digital input as well as USB. There is also a 3.5mm analogue input. An external power supply is used and there is an input socket for that unit to connect.
