Description
iFi Audio Micro iDSD Black Label Desktop DAC & Headphone Amplifier
The iFi Audio Micro iDSD Black Label Desktop DAC & Headphone Amplifier sports 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.
View Owners Manual >> View Connection Guide >> View iFi Audio Products >>
Features
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 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 Balanced output for headphones offering our S-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.
.
Specifications
| Item | Description | Remarks |
| Inputs/Outputs | ||
| Inputs (rear) | USB 2.0 type A “OTG” Socket (with iPurifier® technology built-in) | Compatible with computers (Apple/Win/Linux), iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad and Android Devices, camera kit or USB-OTG cable required. (Full USB3.0 port compatible) |
| Intelligent SPDIF® Coaxial | 3 Way combo SPDIF port (Coaxial In/Out; Optical In); Up to 192kHz PCM | |
| SPDIF Optical | ||
| Outputs (rear) | Audio RCA L+R | |
| Intelligent SPDIF® Coaxial | Up to 192kHz PCM | |
| Output (right side) | SmartPower® Socket | Fast charge all portable devices. Compliant with USB Battery Charging Standard 1.2 – 5V @ 1.5A |
| Controls | ||
| Controls (front) | ||
| – HP Output | Audio 6.3mm Headphone Jack | |
| – Volume with Power On/Off switch | Precision analogue volume control | <2dB Tracking error |
| – 3.5mm Input | Auto disable the digital section when this is in use | |
| – X-Bass® | On/Off | |
| – 3D Holographic Sound® | On/Off | Auto-switching for Speakers® and Headphones® (two separate and distinct circuits) |
| Controls (left side) | ||
| – Power Mode | Turbo, Normal, Eco | Computer controlled power and gain scaling |
| – Polarity | Normal/Inverted | |
| – Filter | 3 positions, 6 filters | (see filter section below) |
| Controls (bottom) | ||
| – Line Direct/Preamplifier | Preamplifier function Enable/Disable, 0/9dB gain selectable | Fixed 2V or variable with up to 5V available |
| – iEMatch® | Perfect-matching circuit for IEMs (eliminate hiss) | Off / High Sensitivity Headphone / Ultra Sensitivity Headphone |
| DAC section | ||
| DAC | Dual-core DSD, DXD, PCM DAC by Burr Brown | 2-DAC Chip; 4-Channel; 8-Signals, custom interleaving for maximum SNR |
| Bit-Perfect DSD processing, Bit-Perfect PCM processing | ||
| Clock | Ultra low jitter GMT computer controlled Femto Clock | RMS jitter 12kHz – 1MHz < 280 Femtoseconds |
| Audio Formats | DSD 512/256/128/64 24.6/22.6/12.4/11.2/6.2/5.6/3.1/2.8 | All native decoding, no internal hardware conversion |
| DXD 2x/1x 768/705.6/384/352.8kHz | All native decoding, no internal hardware conversion | |
| PCM 768/705.6/384/352.8/192/176.4/96/88.2/ 48/44.1kHz | All native decoding, no internal hardware conversion | |
| Filters | ||
| – PCM | Bit-Perfect Processing/Minimum Phase/Standard | Digital filters selectable |
| – DSD | Extreme/Extended/Standard Range | Analogue filters selectable |
| – DXD | Bit-Perfect Processing | Fixed analogue filter |
| Specifications (DAC Section) | ||
| Dynamic Range (Line) | >117db(A) | |
| THD & N (0dBFS Line) | <0.003% | |
| Output Voltage (Line) | >2V | |
| Output Impedance (Zout) | < 240Ω | |
| Jitter (correlated) | Below AP2 test set limit | |
| Headphone Power Output | ||
| HP Amp Output | Power (max) | Power (continuous.) |
| – Turbo mode | 10.0V/4,000 mW @ 16 Ohm | >1560 mW @ 64 Ohm |
| > 166 mW @ 600 Ohm | ||
| – Normal mode | 5.5V/1,900 mW @ 16 Ohm | > 950 mW @ 32 Ohm |
| > 100 mW @ 300 Ohm | ||
| – Eco mode | 2.0V/500 mW @ 8 Ohm | > 250 mW @ 16 Ohm |
| Specifications (Headamp Section) | ||
| Dynamic Range (HP) | >115dB(A) (Eco Mode, 2V Out) | |
| THD &N (HP 500mW/16R) | < 0.008% | |
| Output Voltage (HP) | >8V (Turbo Mode) | |
| Output Impedance (Zout) | <1Ω (iEMatch not engaged) | |
| Maximum Output Power | 4,000mW @ 16 Ohm Load | when using sinewave testing the micro iDSD BL may engage protection circuits |
| Continuous Output Power | 1,000mW @ 64 Ohm Load |
