iFi Audio xDSD Gryphon Portable DAC and Headphone Amp

iFi Audio xDSD Gryphon Portable DAC and Headphone Amp

The new xDSD Gryphon by iFi Audio is an enhanced version of the original xDSD, featuring an upgraded headphone stage and separate bluetooth and DAC stages meaning there are dedicated components to carry out each task to ensure optimal performance. The Gryphon also features 3.5mm or 4.4mm outputs, allowing compatibility with a wide range of earphones and headphones.

What iFi Audio say

A hi-fi system in your pocket

Premium HD DAC + Powerful Balanced headamp.

Portable DAC/amps tend to be compromised because they focus on a great digital OR a great analogue section. But not both. The xDSD Gryphon is different. Just like its mythical namesake, it is two beasts in one.

From the Ultra-Res digital stage using the Burr-Brown MultiBit at the core to the PureWave analogue power section pumping out 1,000mW and other things in-between, it takes serious headphones to tame the Gryphon.

Well-connected

• Separate Bluetooth + DAC + amp stages: each optimised for maximum performance
• Digital sources via USB, S/PDIF or Bluetooth
• Analogue sources via 4.4mm or 3.5mm inputs

Brilliant Bluetooth. Hi-Res Wireless.

Using the latest QCC 5100 series Bluetooth v5.1 as the starting point, for wireless connectivity, the xDSD Gryphon is at the bleeding-edge when it comes to the latest formats:

• aptX Adaptive and aptX HD
• LDAC and HWA/LHDC
• Regular aptX and aptX Low Latency
• AAC
• SBC (plain vanilla Bluetooth)

Not only this but the above is on the iFi digital platform where each section is distinct. So QC5100 for reception > Global Master Clock for jitter > Burr-Brown for DAC conversion. More effort but that’s why our wireless gives wired a run for its money.

USB & S/PDIF. Wired to the nines.

In terms of wired connectivity, the xDSD Gryphon handles all the formats using a hybrid Burr-Brown DAC chipset which is the same as used in our £3,000 flagship, the Pro iDSD Signature.

Rest assured that all the following latest formats are catered for but most importantly, are pushed to their zenith.

On USB:

• PCM (768/705.6/384/352.8/192/176.4/96/88.2/48/44.1 kHz)
• DSD (512/256/128/64)
• DXD (768/705.6/384/352.8kHz)
• MQA (Decoder)

On S/PDIF

• PCM (192/176.4/96/88.2/48/44.1 kHz)
• DoP

Balance of Power

The xDSD Gryphon uses our PureWave amplification circuitry. It has 1,000mW at 32 Ohms. With a whopping max 6.7v output, bring on the high impedance headphones because the Gryphon will not break a sweat driving them.

This is plenty to drive all manner of headphones. The 4.4mm Pentaconn is the best for balanced playback. The 3.5mm S-Balanced will max SE headphones. And your premium high-sensitivity IEMs have not been forgotten either – iEMatch will cut out the hiss.

Tailored to your ears

XSpace adds back the cavernous sound stage of recordings.

XBass II reinstates the missing bass from open-backed headphones or for recordings that you hanker for bass slam. Under XBass II you can select ‘Bass’ and/or ‘Presence’ so that the upper midrange frequencies are correctly added back into your favourite recording.

iEMatch – is our proprietary tech which reduces the annoying hiss from high-sensitivity headphones without losing any dynamic range.

With digital sources, users can choose between three bespoke digital filters via the on-screen menu: Bit-Perfect, Standard and GTO (Gibbs Transient Optimised), each having a fine-tuning effect on sound.

OLED. Seen but not heard.

The OLED display and iFi’s CyberSync operating system combined, usher in a whole new world of user enjoyment – all information from format to battery life is there. Just as importantly, SilentLine technology means the display does not add noise into the system. It can even be set to off if preferred.

	We use Qualcomm’s new QCC5100 Bluetooth processing IC in combination with proprietary circuits to create an audibly superior ‘Bluetooth engine’. All the current high-definition Bluetooth audio formats are supported – Qualcomm’s aptX Adaptive and aptX HD, Sony’s LDAC and HWA’s LHDC, regular aptX and aptX Low Latency, AAC (Apple iOS devices) and SBC (the ‘plain vanilla’ Bluetooth codec). Of the 24-bit-capable codecs, aptX Adaptive and aptX HD support up to 48kHz, while LDAC and LHDC reach 96kHz. iFi’s ‘Bluetooth engine’ can also be updated over-the-air, so future codecs may be added.
	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.
	MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) MQA is an award-winning British technology that delivers the sound of the original master recording. The master MQA file is fully authenticated and is small enough to stream or download. The xDSD Gryphon adopts MQA technology to receive and decode MQA audio and provide master-level sound.
	It is a superior method to the traditional single-ended circuit approach. Balanced circuits reduce noise and crosstalk. Less Interference – clearer sound. You normally find this set-up in products at the higher end of the price spectrum such as the Pro iCAN but iFi is now using this across its range to produce the best quality audio for all our customers.
	The iFi exclusive S-Balanced technology made its debut in the original Pro iCAN. Since then, it has become a significant feature in across the iFi range and features as an integral part of the xDSD Gryphon. It delivers the maximum performance from both single-ended and balanced headphones. The S-Balanced (single-ended compatible balanced) 3.5mm headphone output delivers the benefits of the balanced connection to single-ended headphones.
	‘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.
	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.
	The OLED in the xDSD Gryphon sports a SilentLine design. This ensures that there is no electrical noise to interfere with the audio signal. The way its switches between settings has been engineered to ensure sonic transparency – FET-based switching is handled by a microcontroller, which only ‘wakes up’ when the user changes a setting, thus eradicating any sonically deleterious interference.
	CyberSync is a software-driven volume control that operates in the analogue domain and the way it synchronises with any digital source to which the xDSD Gryphon is connected is very different. It provides perfect volume synchronisation between the source and the DAC. It detects which operating system (OS) the DAC is connected to – iOS, Android, Windows, Mac OS or Linux – and instructs the source’s OS to bypass its software volume control. Whether volume is adjusted using the xDSD Gryphon’s rotary control or on the source device, CyberSync ensures the change is performed purely by the Gryphon’s superior analogue control chip, while also displaying the adjustment on the source device’s screen. Volume curves differ between operating systems and apps, but CyberSync ensures perfect synchronisation between the source device and the DAC every time.

Specification

Inputs

• Wireless:
  • Bluetooth 5.1 (aptX, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, aptX LL, LDAC, HWA, AAC and SBC Codec)
• Wired (digital):
  
  • USB-C
  • S/PDIF co-axial
• Wired (analogue):
  
  • Balanced 4.4mm
  • Single-Ended 3.5mm

Formats

• DSD: DSD512/256/128/64, Octa/Quad/Double/Single-Speed
• PCM: 768/705.6/384/352.8/192/176.4/ 96/88.2/48/44.1kHz
• DXD: 768/705.6/384/352.8kHz, Double/Single-Speed DXD
• MQA (Decoder): 384/352.8kHz
• Bluetooth: Up to 96kHz

• DAC: Burr-Brown
• Battery: USB-C charging. BC1.2 compliant up to 1900mA charging current
• Dimensions:
  
  • 123x75x19 mm
  • 4.8"x3.0"x0.7"

Line Section

• Outputs:
  • Balanced: 6.7V max. (variable)
  • S-Bal (SE): 3.5V max. (variable)
• Output Impedance:
  • Balanced: ≤200Ω
  • S-Bal (SE): ≤100Ω
  • Balanced: <110dB(A) @ 0dBFS
  • S-Bal (SE): <110dB(A) @ 0dBFS
  • Balanced: <0.007% @ 0dBFS
  • S-Bal (SE): <0.015% @ 0dBFS

Headphone Section

• Outputs:
  • Balanced: 4.4mm Pentaconn
  • S-Bal (SE): 3.5mm SE
• Output Power:
• Balanced:
  
  • >1000mW @ 32Ω
  • >74mW @ 600Ω
  • >6.7V max. @ 600Ω
• S-Bal (SE):
  
  • >320mW @ 32Ω
  • >40mW @ 300Ω
  • >3.5V max. @ 600Ω
• Output Impedance:
  • Balanced: <1Ω
  • S-Bal (SE): <1Ω

• SNR:
  
  • Balanced: <116dB(A) @ 0dBFS
  • S-Bal (SE): <115dB(A) @ 0dBFS
• THD+N: <0.005% (1V @ 16Ω)

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.