iFi Audio iDSD Diablo 2 Portable DAC / Headphone Amplifier

iFi Audio iDSD Diablo 2 Portable DAC / Headphone Amplifier

 

The iFi Audio iDSD Diablo 2 Portable DAC / Headphone Amplifier is truly a must-have for any audiophile. With its impressive list of features and enhancements, this devilishly red device offers the best of both worlds: powerful output for both home and mobile setups.

One of the standout features of the Diablo 2 is its support for lossless Bluetooth codecs, including the world's first Bluetooth 5.4 technology. This means you can stream music without sacrificing audio quality, making it a top choice for high-quality sound on-the-go. And with a maximum output of 5,180mW and balanced dual-mono circuitry, it is the most powerful headphone amplifier of its size, ensuring a superior listening experience.

The Diablo 2 also boasts the latest xMEMS technology, which enhances the performance of both IEMs and headphones. With its lightning-fast mechanical response and precise sound and phase matching, you'll experience unparalleled audio quality. Additionally, the use of piezoelectric technology allows for paper-thin solid-state speakers, delivering powerful sound waves for an enhanced audio output.

But it's not just about power and technology. The Diablo 2 also offers versatility in its power modes and headphone compatibility. Whether you use IEMs or power-hungry over-ear headphones, this device has you covered with three different power modes and various output options. It even comes with an adapter for even more connectivity options.

In addition, the Diablo 2 features advanced technologies such as PureWave, Servoless DirectDrive, OptimaLoop, and Advanced Jitter Reduction, which work together to deliver exceptionally pure and detailed sound. And with the ability to decode Bit-Perfect DSD and PCM at high sample rates, as well as full MQA decoding, you won't miss a beat.

And let's not forget about design and convenience. The Diablo 2 comes with customisable wings, allowing you to position it either horizontally or vertically to suit your setup and space. It also features twenty-two rails for improved cooling performance and a volume lock switch to prevent accidental adjustments while on the move.

Whether you prefer battery or mains power, the Diablo 2 has you covered, with the option to use the bundled iPower2 power supply with Active Noise Cancellation II for an even cleaner sound.

"If the original Diablo headphone amp from iFi Audio was a breath of fresh air, this second-gen model will blow you away. Upgrades include a mode for MEMS earphones, Bluetooth 5.4 with aptX Lossless, and the latest implementation of iFi Audio’s PureWave balanced circuit design, plus a new metallic-red chassis with grooves to support the Diablo 2’s desktop stand at different angles. Flexibility impresses, both in terms of functionality (the Diablo 2 will serve as an external DAC/preamp if desired) and headphone compatibility. Use iFi Audio’s iEMatch technology with sensitive in-ears, and be rest assured this amp’s 4800mAh battery can drive demanding headphones with ease, aided by ‘Turbo’ and ‘Nitro’ modes." EISA Awards 2024 - Best Headphone Amplifier

Features

• Increased headphone output power: With a powerful 5,180mW maximum output, it can drive a wide range of headphones effectively.
• Support for lossless Bluetooth codecs: It is the first portable DAC/amp to support Bluetooth 5.4 and aptX Lossless, ensuring high-quality audio streaming without sacrificing quality.
• xMEMS technology: Enhances IEM and headphone performance with benefits like faster mechanical response, flat phase response, and a silicon speaker diaphragm for clearer mid-high frequencies.
• Versatile connectivity: Features a 6.3mm single-ended headphone socket, a 4.4mm balanced output, and includes a 3.5mm to 6.35mm adapter for compatibility with various headphones.
• High-resolution audio support: Provides Bit-Perfect DSD and PCM support at sample rates up to 768kHz, DSD512, and full MQA decoding, ensuring exceptional audio quality for audiophiles.

 

Heavenly Sound. Devilish Power.

The Diablo 2, dressed in Devilish Red, succeeds the Diablo-X, boasting a slew of enhancements such as increased headphone output power, support for lossless Bluetooth codecs, xMEMS technology, iEMatch, a USB-C input, improved circuitry, and more.

As an audiophile, you likely use different systems for home and mobile setups. The Diablo 2 offers the best of both worlds with its powerful 5,180mW maximium output and balanced dual-mono circuitry, making it the most powerful headphone amplifier of its size.

 

Diabolical Innovation. Shattering Boundaries.

The Diablo 2 is the world’s first portable DAC/Amp with Bluetooth 5.4, it supports aptX Lossless, the only Bluetooth codec for lossless CD-quality streaming without sacrificing audio quality.

The predecessor of Diablo 2 pioneered support for xMEMS solid-state micro-speaker technology, enhancing IEM and headphone performance with several unique benefits:

• A 15µsec mechanical response, 150 times faster than typical drivers.
• A 2° flat phase response for precise sound and precise +/- 1° phase matching for enhanced spatial sound accuracy.
• A speaker diaphragm made of silicon, 95 times stiffer than plastic, reducing speaker break-up and delivering clearer mid-high frequencies.

Due to the high voltage requirements of xMEMS, iFi has partnered with them to integrate this technology into the new Diablo 2. It utilises the piezoelectric effect to create paper-thin solid-state speakers by converting electrical energy into mechanical energy, exciting an integrated silicon membrane to generate powerful acoustic sound waves for enhanced audio output.

 

“It’s got a NOS fogger system and a T4 Turbo, Dominic.”

Struggling with your power-hungry headphones? Press the NOS button, and our Diablo goes into beast mode. The Diablo 2 offers three power modes: Normal for IEMs, Turbo for mid-sensitivity headphones, and Nitro for demanding headphones, boasting a 19.2V maximum output.

A switch underneath activates iFi’s iEMatch technology. This feature is tailored for high-sensitivity headphones and earphones, greatly benefiting your in-ear monitors (IEMs). It removes background noise and increases the usable volume range.

The Diablo 2 accommodates a wide range of headphones, from IEMs to power-hungry over-ears. It features a 6.3mm single-ended headphone socket and a 4.4mm balanced output. Additionally, a 3.5mm to 6.35mm adapter is included for versatile connectivity.

 

Ruling all Bluetooth codec and music formats.

The Diablo 2 features the latest Bluetooth 5.4 technology, supporting the new aptX Lossless codec, which provides a maximum bitrate of 1,200kbps. In comparison, aptX Adaptive has a maximum bitrate of 420kbps, while LDACTM offers a higher bitrate of 990kbps.

The Diablo 2 used Qualcomm’s new QCC518x Bluetooth audio chip, is qualified to Bluetooth 5.4, supported all* Bluetooth formats including: aptX Lossless, aptX Adaptive, aptX, LDACTM, LHDC/HWA, AAC and SBC.

*As of 10 Nov 2023. Check your device for Bluetooth codec support.
**LDAC and LDAC logo are trademarks of Sony Corporation.

Dual Core Burr Brown chipset provides Bit-Perfect DSD and PCM support at sample rates up to 768kHz, DSD512, and Full MQA decoding. Even as Spotify is moving towards Lossless, don’t get left behind.

 

Wings of Inferno.

The Diablo 2 comes with four wings that you can customise to position it horizontally, like a desktop DAC/amp, or vertically to save space.

Additionally, it features twenty-two rails for improved cooling performance, with eight of these rails being compatible with the Diablo wings, enabling desktop stand use.

 

Devil in the details.

When examining the Diablo 2’s front panel, you’ll find a new Volume Lock switch next to the volume control, preventing accidental adjustments during transport.

At the back panel’s left side, there’s a switch for mode selection and Bluetooth pairing. On the right side, two USB-C ports streamline cable management—one for audio and the other for charging.

 

Sound So Moving. Even the Devil May Cry.

Diablo 2 features PureWave, Servoless DirectDrive, OptimaLoop, and Advanced Jitter Reduction Technology, delivering exceptionally pure, detailed, and emotionally touching sound, these technologies elevate performance to unparalleled heights, even challenging desktop DAC/amps.

PureWave’s full balanced dual-mono circuitry elevates clarity by separating channels and reducing noise. DirectDrive removes the need for coupling capacitors, ensuring purer audio.

OptimaLoop employs tailored multiple feedback paths in amplifiers, refining gain control and reducing distortion. The enhanced GMT femto-precision clock with Smart storage cache minimises phase noise for cleaner sound.

Diablo 2 is the most formidable DAC/Amp on the planet. Your headphones should be scared.

 

Diablo’s Energy Sources

The Diablo 2 can be powered by battery or mains.

Battery power provides ultra-clean and stable DC current, avoiding mains electricity issues like dips, spikes, and noise inducing RFI/EMI pollution. However, there are sonic downsides due to low output voltage and inconsistent output impedance as batteries discharge.

The bundled iPower2 power supply features Active Noise Cancellation II, effectively cancelling out all incoming EMI and RFI noise and making it more than 10 times quieter than most audiophile power supplies.

To make less efficient headphones, like planar magnetics, sing, the voltage needs to be stepped up from 3.7V to +/- 15V. We use a step-up converter operating at 1.2MHz – a frequency far beyond audibility and easier to filter than a typical switch-mode supply, ensuring high linearity and ultra-low noise.

 

Accessories for Diablo 2

Diablo 2 comes with a variety of accessories, all included with the product, so you won’t need to make separate purchases.

These accessories include the iPower 2 power supply (which is 10 times quieter than typical audiophile power supplies), a USB-C cable, a USB-C-to-A adapter, a TOSLINK optical adapter, a 3.5mm to 6.3mm headphone adapter, and an iTraveller carrying case.

 

	Extensive jitter-eradication technologies are applied to the digital stage, including our GMT (Global Master Timing) femto-precision clock and intelligent memory buffer. This represents a total ‘out-of-the-box’ systematic digital solution that solves jitter once and for all.
	The Burr-Brown True Native® chipset means file formats remain unchanged or ‘bit-perfect’. This means you are listening to music as the artist intended in the format in which it was recorded. At iFi we use Burr Brown extensively in our products having selected it for its natural-sounding ‘musicality’ and True Native architecture. Our experience with this IC means we know how to make the most of it.
	The XMOS 16-Core chip processes the audio data received via the USB* digital input. This low-latency XMOS microcontroller has greatly enhanced processing power. Compared to the current generation of eight-core chips, this 16-core IC delivers double the clock speed (2000MIPS) and four times the memory (512KB), as well as the latest SuperSpeed USB standard. iFi’s in-house digital development team has programmed the XMOS firmware to optimise sound quality and ensure a perfect partnership with the Burr-Brown DAC. (* Also on S/PDIF on the Diablo-X)
	MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) is supported through the USB with full decoding of MQA files up to 384kHz thanks to the processing power of the new 16-core XMOS chip. This means that the full ‘three unfold’ decoding process is performed internally, as opposed to only the final unfold in the manner of an MQA ‘renderer’. Globally, MQA has become an important consideration for any comprehensively equipped DAC. It is available through for Tidal Masters, Audirvana and Roon.
	An important aspect of the circuit design is its direct-coupled nature (no coupling capacitor is present), achieved without a conventionally applied DC servo. DirectDrive® equals a direct signal path which means less signal degradation. This direct signal path is unequalled in audio and is the reason why the sound is so ‘true’.
	‘Negative feedback’ is used in amplifier circuits to compare the output signal with the input signal and correct errors, in order to control gain and reduce distortion. For sound quality, this is positive; BUT commonly applied, one-size-fits-all ‘global negative feedback’ can also highlight different problems at the same time as solving others – corruption of the error signal, phase shifts, group delay and so on can all have a negative impact on sound quality. We recognised that different parts of a circuit benefit from specifically optimised feedback loops and have developed a negative feedback system that is much more accurate than the usual approach. This incorporates multiple feedback paths instead of a global loop, each path optimised for a particular function and working synergistically with the others to deliver optimal overall performance.
	As with many other iFi audio products, we’ve incorporated a custom OV Series operational-amplifier. This top-notch component contributes to the extremely low noise, low distortion (0.0001%) and wide bandwidth.
	Balanced, differential analogue circuit design has long been championed for its ability to reduce noise and cross-talk within the signal path by fully separating the left and right channels. PureWave is a new, balanced, symmetrical dual-mono topology with short, direct signal paths. The name refers to the sonic purity it achieves thanks to exceptional linearity and infinitesimally low levels of noise and distortion.
	Switching between settings has been engineered to ensure sonic transparency with advanced trench technology MOSFET is used as a muting switch. This FET-based switching is handled by a micro-controller, which only ‘wakes up’ when the user changes a setting, thus eradicating any sonically deleterious interference.
	TDK C0G (Class 1 ceramic) capacitors offer high stability and low losses for resonant circuit applications. Getting ever closer to the theoretical ideal of pure, frequency-constant capacitance, these capacitors reduce capacitor-induced distortion to vanishingly low levels. They are pricey but are a perfect addition to our products.
	Vishay MELF resistors – complex, costly but superior. These metal electrode leadless face resistors have excellent accuracy, stability, reliability, and pulse load capability. They provide optimal power rating and pulse load capability. They show some of the lowest noise and distortion of any resistor available in the market, period.
	Panasonic OS-CON caps totalling 5,410uF give very-low Equivalent Series Resistance (ESR), excellent noise reduction capability and frequency response characteristics. In addition, OS-CONs have a long-life span and its ESR changes little even at low temperatures since the electrolyte is solid. They are not often found in products costing <US$1000.
	Texas Instruments low-noise ICs offer great unity-gain bandwidth, very low noise and distortion, high output drive capability, Common-mode and Power Supply Rejection Ratios of over 100 dB, wide maximum-output-swing bandwidths and high slew rates.
	muRata control-type, low-ESR high-Q multi-layer capacitors. The ‘ESR control’ aspect of the Murata is something special. Their noise suppression abilities are impressive.

 

Specification

• Hi-res support:
  •  768kHz
  • DSD512
  • full MQA
• Bluetooth formats aptX Lossless:
  • aptX Adaptive
  • aptX
  • LDAC
  • LHDC/HWA
  • AAC
  • SBC
• Output:
  • 4.4mm
  • 6.3mm
• 4.4mm:
  • >19.2V/611mW (@600Ω);
  • >12.87V/5180mW (@32Ω)
• 6.3mm:
  • >9.6V/153mW (@600Ω);
  • >8.85V/2450mW (@32Ω)
• xMEMS:
  • >28Vpp (4.4mm output)
• RMS output power
• 4.4mm:
  • >19.2V/611mW (@600Ω);
  • >7.4/1710mW (@32Ω);
  • >11.5/2060mW (@64Ω)
• 6.3mm:
  • >9.6V/150mW (@600Ω);
  • >8.1V/2050mW (@32Ω);
  • >9.3V/1360mW (@64Ω)
• Line output
• Output impedance: ≤200Ω
• SNR: ≥114dB(A)
• DNR: ≥114dB(A)
• THD+N: 0.002% @ 0dBFS 200kΩ
• Power consumption:
  • Nitro 12W
  • Turbo 5W
  • Normal 2W
  • xMEMS 8W
• Battery: Lithium-polymer 4800mAh
• Charging: Via USB-C – BC v1.2 compliant up to 1900mA
• Dimensions: 166x85x28.5mm
• Net weight: 455g (1.0Ibs)
• Digital inputs:
  • 1x USB-C; 1x S/PDIF (optical/coaxial)
  • Bluetooth 5.4™
• Headphone outputs:
  • 1x balanced 4.4mm
  • 1x 6.3mm
• Line output: 1x balanced 4.4mm
• Power/charging: 1x USB-C

 

About iFi Audio 

iFi Audio is an award-winning audio tech company dedicated to enhancing your music enjoyment. With a mission to improve sound quality and eliminate noise, distortion, and hiss, iFi Audio offers a wide range of products that cater to headphones, speakers, portable audio devices, phones, and TVs. By doing so, they aim to deliver studio-quality audio that allows you to experience music as the artists intended.

Since its establishment in 2012, iFi Audio has been driven by the love of music and a commitment to making a difference in people's lives. With over 50 meticulously designed and manufactured products, they ensure every detail meets their high standards. Sourcing parts from around the world, including Germany, the USA, and Japan, they bring together global expertise to create exceptional audio devices.

At the heart of iFi Audio's business are its customers. They prioritise delivering the highest quality audio wherever you are, whether in the comfort of your home or on the go. Their distribution centre in the USA serves renowned retailers such as B&H and etailz, expanding their global network and reaching more music enthusiasts.

iFi Audio takes pride in its eco-friendly practices, using recyclable materials like aluminium, paper, and recycled plastics for its products and packaging. They strictly adhere to environmental standards, ensuring their components are hazardous toxins-free.

With a focus on Class A analogue circuitry and maintaining the audio signal's integrity, iFi Audio's products offer exceptional performance without compromising environmental sustainability. They believe that how a product looks, performs, and impacts the environment all matter, and they strive to deliver audio solutions that meet these criteria.

Experience the difference of high-quality audio with iFi Audio and immerse yourself in the joy of music.