iFi Hip Dac

amazon iFi Hip Dac reviews

iFi Hip DAC is the latest handheld DAC/AMP model from the British brand. Located in the popular segment, but iFi Hipdac is equipped with very prominent configurations such as DSD decoding, MQA, supporting Balanced 4.4mm. Coming from the world’s leading brand, iFi Hip DAC wants to compete fairly with low-cost, high-performance DAC/AMP models from China. Whether iFi Hip DAC can do what we expect, let’s find out through this detailed review to get the answer.

About iFi:

iFi Audio is a UK-based company; since 2012, iFi has developed and manufactured more than 30 high-quality audio products with one goal “Improve your music enjoyment.”

Specifications:

BOXING AND ACCESSORIES

iFi Hip DAC comes in a minimalist white paper box with a product illustration printed on the front and detailed product and brand information behind it.

Inside the box, we can find the accompanying accessories such as the USB-C to USB-A Male cable, USB-C to USB-A Female, the warranty card, the manual, and the main product, iFi Hip DAC.

where can you get a iFi Hip Dac online

DESIGN AND FINISHING

iFi Hip DAC has a small design like a wine bottle, similar to FiiO’s Q1 series. The entire metal body is sturdy and curved for easy grip. The surface of the case is sandblasted and painted in a beautiful blue color and anti-fingerprint.

You can find two control buttons on the front: PowerMatch to increase the power for use with high impedance headphones, and the other is XBass for boosting the bass. Also, you can see the volume control dial used to turn the device on/off.

Inside, the iFi Hip DAC is equipped with a Burr-Brown decoding chip to decode PCM 32bit/384kHz, DSD256, and MQA.

iFi Hip DAC uses “S-Balanced” technology for maximum performance in Single-Ended and Balanced headphones. Finally, with a balanced 4.4mm output, the Hip DAC can provide enough power for most high-impedance headphones.

iFi Hip DAC is easy to use with Android or IOS phones; plug and play. A separate charging port will never drain the phone’s battery like some devices share the same charging port. Hip DAC needs 3 hours to charge fully and can play continuously for 6-8 hours.

The perfection of iFi Hip DAC is good but not too outstanding compared to competitors in the same price range. The buttons on the iFi Hip Dac still rattle when experiencing strong vibrations.

EXPERIENCE AND SOUND QUALITY

The background sound of iFi Hip DAC is not very clean when it is hissing in most high-sensitivity IEM headphones. With headphones with impedances from 32Ohms and up, background boiling almost disappears. Therefore, you should consider this factor before owning the iFi Hip DAC.

The knob on the iFi Hip DAC is very sensitive to adjust the volume accurately, but be careful when you put it in your pocket because it can slip.

As for the sound, sweet and warm are two words that can easily describe the sound quality of the Hip DAC.

Bass: When the XBass feature is turned off, Hip DAC delivers bass with good force but not much in volume, good bass rate, does not encroach on mids, and keeps mids clear. When the XBass feature is enabled, the amount of bass increases significantly but the bass speed decreases, which can easily satisfy any basshead. The Hip DAC is great for pop, rap, or hip hop tracks with a good amount of bass, and I love this XBass feature; it makes a huge difference.

Mids: Hip DAC brings a smooth and sweet midrange; the mids range is not neutral but adds a bit of color. The Hip DAC’s mids range focuses on balance and harmony, which helps achieve a very pleasant midrange even on poor recordings. Acoustic vocalists and instruments are more prominent and show a richer timbre. The instrument’s separation is above average, the imaging is very accurate, and the soundstage has depth but not too much.

Treble: Natural, clear, and thoughtful expression with good levels of detail. The overall warm sound of the Hip DAC does not affect the treble range; such friendly headphones like the Cat Ear MIA or the Blon BL03 still deliver a very detailed treble range.

Blending:

Audiosense AQ7: The clear and separate midrange of the AQ7 is supplemented with Hip DAC’s warm sound and color to make them sound more special.

Beyerdynamic DT150: DT150 headphones with an impedance of up to 250 Ohms, but the iFi Hip DAC can still be easily pulled when the PowerMatch feature is turned on and the volume is within 50%. The bass has good depth and control, the mids are clean, and the mix is ​​very good, although I prefer colder sources to these headphones.

Sennheiser HD650: With a 4.4mm output, the Hip DAC can pull HD650 headphones well; although it has not pulled out all the quality of the HD650, it is good enough to enjoy a song. Turning on the XBass feature does not affect the HD650; the treble strip has good separation and escape, the singer’s voice is also more natural.

EPILOGUE

It is no coincidence that iFi Hip DAC received a lot of compliments along with prestigious awards. With a $150, you will own a device with a solid design, large enough capacity for most headphones, balanced output, MQA compatibility. The sound is very sweet, warm, rich in music without lacking in technical parts. iFi Hip DAC is a very bright new option for those just starting on the audio path.