Ifi Hip-Dac2 - Portable Balanced Dac Headphone Amplifier For Android, Iphone With Usb Input Only/Out
iFi Hip-dac2 - Portable Balanced DAC Headphone Amplifier for Android, iPhone with USB Input Only/Outputs: 3.5mm Unbalanced / 4.4mm Balanced – MQA Decoder
- ✅PORTABLE DESIGN - Your music will never stop with 6-8 hrs of battery life (depending on use) and a slim, lightweight design perfect for carrying in your pocket wherever life takes you.
- ✅HIGH RESOLUTION AUDIO - From Spotify to Tidal MQA to MP3 and beyond, play any high res audio format with native digital to analog conversion so you can listen to any song the way the original recording was intended
- ✅POWERFUL AMPLIFIER - Suited to your style, listen to in ear monitors or drive over the ear headphones with 400 mW max power output from the on-board amplifier
- ✅EASY CONNECTIVITY – Connects directly to your smartphone with the USB Input, and works with balanced 4.4mm or S-Bal 3.5mm headphone plugs for ultimate convenience and versatility
- ✅UPGRADED - The hip-dac2 has been upgraded to give you an even more pleasurable portable audio experience, it now is a full MQA decoder and has an upgraded GMT Clock.
Brand : IFI
Category : Electronics,Headphones, Earbuds & Accessories,Amplifiers
Rating : 4.5
Price : US $189
Review Count : 617
SalesRank : 0
iFi Hip-dac2 - Portable Balanced DAC Headphone Amplifier for Android, iPhone with USB Input Only/Outputs: 3.5mm Unbalanced / 4.4mm Balanced – MQA Decoder
- I ordered the Hip Dac v2 in the hopes of upgrading my wired audio rig (with Fiio player and variousmidFi to upscale headphones) a few notches. I know IFi stuff is great, don\'t need to be told that.The build quality is fantastic too. The reason I returned this amp is, I\'d forgotten that some of the moreportable IFi amps of late, have been designed with no 3.5\" basic plug input, with the only input optionbeing the USB-A on the back of the amp. So, note to Amazon and IFI: I\'m not trashing the amp ormfgr. or product, I\'m lamenting the lack of a key feature that I expected this amp to have, and didn\'t.The Hip Dac might have been great if I\'d been intending to only useit with m iPhone14, or PC, or an Android device, but I wasn\'t: I simply wanted to integrateit into my Fiio player rig exclusively: run the head out from the Fiio player with short cableto the headphone amp 3.5\" input, and you\'re done. They don\'t even give you a Lightning adapter with the hip Dac, so I couldn\'t even test it out with my phone, even had I wanted to. This situation is pretty absurd,in my opinion. What audiophiles are using their phones for most of their critical listening?I would bet, not many. A 3.5\" input would have been nice on here, but instead they got rid of itto make way, I suppose, for the 4.4\" balanced output on the front. I don\'t think it was worth it for sucha portable sized head amp. Why would I use a balanced headphone cable for my phone? It\'s not even worth it.In any case, for $200 this was not going to suit my needs at all, so back it went to Amazon.I greatly regret having to return such a wonderful amp, although I still haven\'t actually HEARD it,since I couldn\'t even CONNECT to it! A very frustrating and silly situation. Since when isUSB of any kind, a \"HiRes.\" audiophile method of transferring HD audio content? 3.5\"or coaxial would be a hell of a lot better. Bluetooth I don\'t like at all. USB is convenientonly for using with a PC or Mac, perhaps. For phones and portable devices, really NOTconvenient if I have to use an outboard adapter to connect. Remember, this was supposedto be a portable \"pocket\" amp of sorts. Even the Little Bear tube pocket amp has 3.5\"!Which I\'m now tempted to buy, let me tell you!If you just want the Hip Dac v2 to use with your smartphone or PC, this is a good choice,although you\'ll still need a better quality adapter in most cases, no matter what, aftermarket,since they\'re not even giving you any! For $200, that\'s not acceptable to me. And anyreally portable headphone amp SHOULD have a 3.5\" stock standard input, even as a safetybackup in case the USB-A dies or gets damaged. And, if you\'re relying on your smartphonefor \"Hi Res Audio,\" well, I honestly don\'t know why. You can buy a new Bluetooth ampand get good results, or the same, really, than with this amp that requires you to buythree adapters to even get it working out of the box. For the money I expected a lot more.I note that most of the more desktop IFi amps do give you every possible input option,including coaxial and 3.5\", RCA outs, etc. But those cost upwards of $400-700, of course.And they\'re not portable. I\'m not doubting the Hip Dac\'s quality and power, which I havebeen told is exemplary, and is the main reason I bought it at all. I already own threerock solid head amps including a Fiio Mont Blanc and my newer FosiAudio N2 head. ampthat has a bass boost and gain boost. I have a Topping somewhere here, too.All have 3.5\" and I haven\'t had any issues with any of them. No adapters minusbasic cables required. I think even the IFi Nano (black) amp lacks a 3.5\" input as well.I just don\'t understand why. I guess there\'s a whole audience now who relies onsmartphones for their music sources. I use my phone too for music, but mainly in the car,or on the go. Not for real critical listening, for which I rely on my wired rig here.I haven\'t met a single person who uses a bulky amp with their smartphones. Most peoplelook at me like I have 5 heads when I mention a headphone amp, and they usually alsohave cheap \"AirPods\" stuck in their ears! LOL They wouldn\'t know HiDef from Def Jam.
- PIC: Under the phone is the HipDac 2.I bought the original HipDac and liked it so much getting the HipDac2 was a no brainer. The HipDac is the most powerful, portable and flexible DAC you can buy for under $200. Despite it being geared for headphone mobile us, after looking at the specs and the capabilities, I literally found it to be a quite capable desktop DAC. The only drawback in doing so is having to use a 3mm headphone jack for output to the rest of my stereo chain. I listen to Spotify or Tidal all day in my home office. I use the premium subscriptions for each Spotify for playlist listening, Tidal for reviewing artists and previewing for vinyl purchases.The HipDac goes into other low cost gear...from the HipDac it goes to a Fosi MM tube pre-amp that also doubles as a signal pre. From there it loops through a Bellari EQ570 and on to a Nobsound 6p1 tube amp. (Rolled to HQ tubes) from there out to the very excellent Wharfdale 80th Anniversary Dentons. I use the line matching button and extra bass, I run the level on the HipDac at about 1 o\'clock and control the overall volume at the amp.Some caveats of using it as a HiFi system DAC. The major drawback is getting the streaming audio to it takes up some space on the rack. Yes, you can use a phone, PC, laptop or tablet but for phones and tablets, it is problematic to charge and play at the same time. I have had inconsistent success doing so with both Android and iOS devices. I ended up sticking with a Lenovo tablet and using USB Audio Player Pro\'s custom android audio driver for Tidal and native spotify use. USBAPP drive will take over chores and provide bit perfect streaming with their Tidal implementation. Using spotify native app is pretty much seamless. The Lenovo gives me 12-14 hours of playing time. Spotify premium allows 320 kbits steaming and frankly for all day listening I find Spotify audio quality very consistent and non-fatiguing. Plus they have excellent playlists for office/work music. Tidal MQA works well and is extremely high quality, so much so it will show you the true levels of the recordings complete with all the scratchy instrument hairballs and magnetic dust bunnies. This detail can be fatiguing to listen to.There is a learning curve to getting the highest audio quality possible for least amount of $$ possible. If you are into that quest the HipDac2 is a good place to start regardless how you use it, it is simply a really good device.If it is your first time using a DAC you discover things in your favorite music, in the recording and in the voices of singers and instruments that you never heard before because you were listening to a crappy DAC and low resolution stream. If you are already a long time audiophile and want to move beyond the limitations of wireless headphone listening or phone onboard DACS you will. be rewarded.
- Bought this to replace my Fiio K5 Pro... This thing adds so much bass to my little IEMs (Timeless 7Hz) and I\'m happy. iFi\'s sound stage is unmatched in my opinion.Plus this thing is portable so I\'m always jamming.
- Damn, this little device pumps out some serious audio. Originally got it to play Tidal through my phone and it does a killer job. No issues powering everything from high end Shure IEMs to Grado SR325i\'s to Sennheiser 660s.Very compact and sits nice in coat pocket with phone. Hefty volume knob is an awesome touch, as are the amp and base boost buttons.Lately using it through my MacBook Pro and Grados at the office and loving it.I also use the Sony Walkman WM-1AM2 which is 7x the cost and not 7x as good. Not even 2x as good to be honest.If you\'re looking for an affordable hifi option that you can toss in your pocket, this is what you want.
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