iFi Micro iDSD Signature (Open Box) | Transportable DAC and Amp

iFi Micro iDSD Signature delivers the ultimate portable DAC experience

• Powerful portable/transportable DAC and Amp
• Sound signature that can go from warm and musical to detailed and spacious
• Features like XBass+ and XSpace+ to help you find the perfect sound
• Up to 4W of output power to drive the most demanding headphones

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 our 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 our iEMatch technology that adjusts output level and our 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 and passive speakers, to act as a DAC and preamplifier.

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 our ‘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.

Highlights

• The Burr-Brown True Native® chipset means file formats remain unchanged. Listen to music as the artist intended in the format in which it was recorded.
• Doubling the DAC chips results in 3dB lower noise floor and better channel separation. Together with power supply advancements and advanced channel interleaving, the noise floor has been halved.
• Hi-Res True Native® playback for all music formats from MP3 to DSD512, PCM768 and 2xDXD.
• Listen to Master Quality Authenticated audio straight out of the box. Connect to Tidal Masters and check the option to stream MQA.
• This OV series operational amplifier is another example of a top-notch component used to get extremely low noise, low distortion (0.0001%) and wide bandwidth.
• With output power up to 4,100mW, this headphone amplifier drives all headphones with ease. It has 3 power modes – Eco, Normal and Turbo. Power and gain can be dialled-in perfectly to suit ALL headphones.
• iFi’s exclusive S-Balanced® circuit delivers maximum performance from single-ended and balanced headphones alike.

• 3D+ Holographic® delivers an immersive, deep soundstage. Check it out here.

• XBass+® delivers a deep, tighter bass sound. Discover the details.

• TI 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.
• iFi always uses the best components possible. These OS-CON™ capacitors provide excellent noise reduction and have a long life span. They are not often found in products costing <US$1000.
• 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’.

Specs