The iFi iDSD 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 5180mW output and balanced dual-mono circuitry, making it the most powerful headphone amplifier of its size.
The Diablo 2 features the latest Bluetooth 5.4 technology, supporting the new aptX Lossless codec with a maximum bitrate of 1200kbps. In comparison, aptX Adaptive has a maximum bitrate of 420kbps, while LDAC offers a higher bitrate of 990kbps.
The Diablo 2 used Qualcomm’s new QCC518x Bluetooth audio chip, is qualified to Bluetooth 5.4, supports all (as of Nov. 2023) Bluetooth formats including: aptX Lossless, aptX Adaptive, aptX, LDAC, LHDC/HWA, AAC and SBC.
Dual Core Burr Brown chipset provides Bit-Perfect DSD and PCM support at sample rates up to 768kHz, DSD512, and Full MQA decoding. Even Spotify is moving towards Lossless, so don’t get left behind!
The predecessor of Diablo 2 pioneered support for xMEMS solid-state micro-speaker technology, enhancing IEM and headphone performance with several unique benefits:
Due to the high voltage requirements of xMEMS, iFi has partnered with them to integrate this tech into the Diablo 2. It utilizes the piezoelectric effect to create paper-thin solid-state speakers by converting electrical energy into mechanical, exciting a silicon membrane to generate powerful acoustic sound waves for enhanced output.
The Diablo 2 comes with x4 wings that you can customize to position it horizontally like a desktop DAC/amp, or vertically to save space. Additionally, it features 22 rails for improved cooling performance, with 8 of these rails being compatible with the Diablo wings, enabling desktop stand use.
NOS Sensitivity Switch
Press the NOS button for beast mode, offering 3 power modes: Normal for IEMs, Turbo for mid-sensitivity cans, and Nitro for demanding headphones (19.2V maximum output.)
iEMatch
A switch underneath activates iFi’s iEMatch. This feature is tailored for high-sensitivity headphones and earphones, greatly benefiting your IEMs by removing background noise and increasing usable volume range.
Switches and USB
Drives my DCA Stealth with complete ease. Bluetooth is very handy for watching movies.
As always, Bloom was stellar to deal with. My only source for high-end head-fi.