iFi Audio - Micro iDSD Signature - Transportable DAC & Headphone Amp

iFi Audio - Micro iDSD Signature - Transportable DAC & Headphone Amp

Out of this world
iFi Audio's top-of-the-range desktop/transportable DAC and headphone amp will supercharge your tunes.

Sporting a Space Blue finish and powered by a built-in rechargeable battery, the micro iDSD Signature is a transportable DAC/headphone amp that’s ready for anything that the universe throws at it. Battery power means it’s ultra-clean with ultra-stable DC power and avoids the pitfalls of AC mains – dips, spike and noise-inducing RFI/EMI pollution. And with up to 12 hours playing time, depending on the headphones and performance mode engaged, it feels like you could take it to the moon and back.

Finely tuned
Based around two Burr-Brown DAC chips in a custom ‘interleaved’ configuration, the digital engine has four pairs of differential signals – two pairs per channel. This means:

A lower noise floor
Improved channel separation
Finer musical detail and micro-dynamics

The micro iDSD Signature handles up to PCM 768, DSD 512, 2xDXD and MQA. All this is done natively. Both PCM and DSD remain ‘bit-perfect’.

Precision personified
Extensive jitter-eradication technologies are applied to the digital engine, including iFi’s GMT (Global Master Timing) femto-precision clock and the intelligent memory buffer. The micro iDSD Signature also comes with iFi’s GTO (Gibbs Transient Optimized) digital filter installed. And exclusive firmware available on iFi's website means you can change digital filters as you wish.

Circuit training
With up to 4100mW of power the micro iDSD Signature can drive all manner of headphones with aplomb, from highly sensitive in-ear monitors to current hungry planar headphones. The signal path has been refined to maximise sonic texture. High spec components featuring class-leading qualities such as low ESR (Equivalent Series Resistance), high stability and low distortion mean top-notch sound quality and maximum musical enjoyment. Add in the direct-coupled nature of the circuit – no coupling capacitor is present – and the micro iDSD Signature definitely runs rings around the competition.

Versatile sonic tailoring
One size no longer fits all when it comes to quality listening.

The digital stage of the micro iDSD Signature features a variety of filter settings:

• ‘Standard’, ‘Minimum Phase’ and ‘Bit-Perfect’ for PCM files
• ‘Standard Bandwidth’, ‘Extended Bandwidth’ and ‘Extreme Bandwidth’ for DSD

The amp stage also has three settings to adjust power and gain. As well as ‘Normal’, you get

• ‘Turbo’  to ramp up the level of drive for current-hungry headphones
• ‘Eco’ to dial down the power to suit high-sensitivity in-ear monitors and/or to extend battery life

Complete this with iFi's iEMatch technology that adjusts output level and their XBass+ and 3D+ signature sonic tweaks, and the micro iDSD Signature is flexible to the max.

Get connected
The micro iDSD Signature features two digital audio inputs – USB Type-A and an S/PDIF socket that accepts both electrical, via a 3.5mm connector, and optical signals – adapter supplied. It also houses a pair of RCA analogue outputs to connect to a pair of powered speakers or a power amp to act as a DAC. There is a 6.3mm output for headphones that have a standard single-ended connector (headphones with a 3.5mm jack can be connected using an adapter) and a 4.4mm Pentaconn output for headphones offering balanced connection. Both headphone outputs utilise iFi's ‘S-Balanced’ output circuitry. This delivers the sonic benefits of balanced connections with all headphone/earphone types – even those with single-ended connectors – cutting crosstalk and associated distortion in half.