Small, portable DACs with an integrated headphone amplifier are more and more common, with an ever-increasing variety of inputs and outputs. The Questyle M15 keeps things simple while offering some flexibility with a 4.4 mm balanced output as well as a traditional 3.5 mm jack. What really sets this device apart is the design, which is quite unique, but we shouldn’t judge a book from its cover as there’s much more to it than just nice design.

Disclaimer: I received a free unit directly from the people at Questyle, whom I thank. The M15 retails for $249. Buy from Questyle

I originally posted this Questyle M15 review on my blog, Soundphile Review.

Rating: 9/10​

Packaging & Accessories​

The Questyle M15 comes in a simple yet elegant cardboard box which contains the device itself along with two cables: USB-C to USB-C and USB-C to USB-A. The company kindly sent me an additional USB-C to Lightning cable in a drawstring pouch, which you can buy as an add-on for an additional $20.

Design & Build​

The Questyle M15’s design is surely quite striking. The presence of a transparent window that shows the circuit board with all the components is definitely unusual and shows quite some confidence on the part of Questyle, given how it displays the circuit layout – something that could potentially expose it to criticism from those who are more demanding in this regard. Still, it’s a sight to behold and I applaud this choice as it really sets the M15 apart from the competition. The funny thing about the transparent window is that it allows you to see how Questyle really optimised this device to be as small as possible and there’s no wasted space inside it.




A more practical consideration about the transparent window is that Questyle took advantage of it to show two LEDs on the board: the on the left hand side indicates gain and is either green (low gain) or red (high gain), while the one on the right hand side lights up to show the resolution of audio being reproduced with green (48 kHz or less), red (more than 48 kHz) and magenta (MQA).



The Questyle M15 has a flawless assembly, as far as I can see. The main part of the chassis, made of aluminium, fuses perfectly with the glass of the transparent window. The top hosts a USB-C port, while the left hand side hosts the gain selector and the bottom hosts the two audio ports, one 3.5 mm and the other 4.4 mm.

Features & Specs​

When I first tried out the Questyle M15 it took me a while to understand what was wrong, as the device wouldn’t show up in the available audio devices. Not only that: the system logs (I use Linux) showed that the device wasn’t even being detected as plugged in. It wouldn’t work even with my Android devices. I then realised that the M15 requires headphones to be plugged in in order to show up as an available audio device independently of your operating system, so keep that in mind!

Speaking of operating system support, it is supported by basically every operating system out there and works great with the Steam Deck, too.






The core of the the Questyle M15 is the ESS Sabre ES9281AC DAC, the same as the older M12. The device uses the company’s own Current Mode Amplification circuits, developed in-house to deliver lots of power while maintaining low output impedance and distortion – as evidenced by the data above. It should be noted that the distortion is incredibly low: at 0.0003%, it is even better than on some desktop devices, which is quite the achievement.

In terms of compatible formats, the M15 is able to play everything but the highest-resolution content, with PCM going as far as 32 bit / 384 kHz and DSD up to DSD256. It is also an MQA-compatible device that effects the final unfold.

Sound​

I have tested the Questyle M15 with various headphones, including the Sennheiser HD 6XX, the HiFiMAN Edition XS, the Moondrop Stellaris and the RØDE NTH-100.

The Questyle M15 is notable because it delivers a completely black background – there is no hiss or hum whatsoever to be found, even when using a not-exactly-clean USB port (in terms of power, that is).

It has enough power to drive even demanding headphones with good authority; only the ones with very high impedance or extreme current requirements (like some planars) are not driven to their best. In terms of tonality, I find the M15 to be perfectly neutral, with no alterations made to the sound; it sounds really clean and clear, with great representation of the transients that sound fast and well-controlled. Decay is quite short, too, adding to this sensation of speed. Fast headphones like the NTH-100 delivery great transients with the M15 and sound even more engaging. A by-product of this is that there’s also a whole lot of details to be found.

There’s no significant difference in tonality when switching from the single-ended output to the balanced one; the difference is mostly in power output, which means that you should use the balanced output with higher-impedance or more power-hungry headphones (e.g. the Sennheiser HD 6XX) as it’s better able to drive them.

Final Thoughts​

At $249, the Questyle M15 is certainly not cheap. It has, however, everything you might ever need from a portable DAC – and even from a desktop DAC, to tell the truth – in terms of power output and format support. What’s most notable about the M15 is that it offers a completely black background, with no hiss whatsoever even with noisy source devices. This helps it deliver a great amount of detail. It drives even demanding headphones with authority and with sufficient power to make them loud and clear. The overall impression is that of great cleanliness, both in sound and design. This cleanliness has a price, but overall I feel like it is worth the expense, especially considering this is one of the few portable units that offer 4.4 mm balanced output.

Who said that a big size means big power? They surely hadn't met the SMSL C200, which is sure tiny but mighty. This diminutive desktop DAC with integrated headphone amplifier surely does pack a punch, with 2.6 W of power output at 16 Ω - more than devices several times larger and more expensive! There's few compromises that were made to get to this point, and the result is an incredibly competent device that has everything you need without emptying your wallet.

Disclaimer: many thanks to Aoshida Audio for sending me a free unit. The SMSL C200 retails for $219. There's more info on SMSL's website.

This review was originally posted on my own blog, Soundphile Review.

Packaging & Accessories​

On top of the device itself and the Bluetooth antenna, which you need to install manually, the SMSL C200's box comes with a rather slim set of accessories which only includes the remote control, a USB to USB-C cable and the power cable. There are also a manual and a warranty card.

Design & Build​

The SMSL C200 is really a diminutive device: it is just 139 x 147.5 x 32 mm, which makes it easy to place it on any desk without taking up much space. It features the classic "audio device" aesthetic that we've seen on countless products, from the Topping A30 to SMSL's own DP3 player. That's not a bad thing, either, because the design is really minimalistic and I can see it fit well in any context. The device has a metal chassis (aluminium, if I had to take any guesses) coloured in black, with white text on the front and back. It's an overall very elegantly designed product.

The front hosts a large volume knob in the centre (actually slightly of to the left!), with the two jack outputs to its left (both unbalanced 6.3 mm and balanced 4.4 mm), as well as a display on the right hand side. The back is much more crowded, as it hosts the power connector (the kettle type), an antenna connector for Bluetooth connectivity, optical, USB and coaxial input ports, as well as RCA and TRS 6.3 mm jack outputs.




Back to the size considerations, I find it interesting that, in order to reduce the overall footprint of the device, they used TRS 6.3 mm jacks for balanced connections. These are far smaller than the usual XLR connectors while delivering largely comparable specs, and cables with XLR terminations on the other side are quite commonly found and reasonably priced. Despite the small size, the power supply unit is integrated directly into the device, which is quite something and further limits the space occupied by the unit.



The volume knob is actually a clickwheel, with discrete steps that give you tactile feedback as you rotate the knob. It has a nice weight to it, too, so it's easy to adjust the volume with precision. The downside of having discrete volume levels is that sometimes volume is either too low or too high and there's no in-between, but that's an inherent bug/feature of this type of adjustment.



The unit also comes with a remote controller. It is not necessary to control the SMSL C200, as you can do it using just the volume knob, but it does make things easier and more convenient. It's made of plastic and it has the following buttons: power, up, down, left, right, enter, input, FN (used to switch outputs and, when long pressed, to set the screen to automatically switch off), mute, raise and reduce volume.

Features & Specs​

For a device this small, the SMSL C200 is quite versatile and offers a lot of input and output options. Not only can you use USB, but there are also optical and coaxial ports as well as Bluetooth. Speaking of which, you get Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity with SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX and LDAC codecs, which makes the C200 able to deliver great sound quality even without using the wires. You can select both the input and the output, though you can't differentiate between balanced and unbalanced (and that's reasonable).

Although it only requires 5 W of power, which can be easily provided by USB, the C200 requires the power cable to be connected in order to be powered - a bit of a missed opportunity to make it more portable, but on the other hand this is understandable due to the internal power supply being reasonably (and I am making an unsubstantiated assumption here) better quality than your average cheap USB power brick.

The SMSL C200 works in a plug-and-play fashion with all major operating systems, including Linux and therefore including the Steam Deck. It can be used in USB Audio Class 1.0 mode, which makes it compatible with game consoles.



The SMSL C200 is based on the ESS Sabre ES9038Q2M DAC chip. It appears like just one DAC chip is used, which would make the C200 incapable of "true" balanced audio - which would require two DACs to process the signal in parallel. On the other hand, though, amplification is managed by four OPA1612A chips, which are able to output an overall 2.6 W of power - quite a large amount for a device this small.

Sound​

I have tested the SMSL C200 with various headphones, including the HiFiMAN Edition XS and the 7Hz Salnotes Zero.

Although it's so small, the SMSL C200 is able to drive practically any headphones out there. Even fairly demanding headphones such as the HiFiMAN HE-560 are driven easily and show no issues at all.

As you can legitimately expect, the SMSL C200 has a perfectly neutral signature, which means it's indistinguishable from most other solid-state devices out there. I deem this a good thing as it means the device is not going to add its own flavour to your music, staying instead out of the way and letting you concentrate on the music itself (or on the headphones, if you wish to do so). There's a remarkably low noise floor and there's no hiss nor buzz, despite other devices on my desk having it - which appears to be proof of a good job done by SMSL in managing the power. I find transients to be quite fast, which is especially appreciable with fast headphones like the aforementioned HE-560 or the Edition XS.

Final Thoughts​

It is nothing short of astonishing to think that in such few years there has been such an incredible progress. When I started this blog, six long years ago, there was nothing that was even remotely comparable to the C200 at a similar price point. You had to pay at the very least two times this price, but probably even more, if you wanted something that had a similar set of features. It's impressive to see how much more affordable high-quality audio equipment is nowadays, and with which speed it has arrived. The SMSL C200 is definitely a remarkable device, even more so because it is quite affordable at $210. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles that more expensive devices offer, but it has plenty for anyone who doesn't really want to split hairs while looking at a specs sheet. I can't help but sincerely recommend the SMSL C200 to anyone and everyone: it's a great device under every perspective and it is definitely worth checking out.

IKKO recently unveiled their new product, called the IKKO Zerda ITM01: a small portable DAC meant to be used with computers and smartphones, it uses an ingenious connector (proprietary, unfortunately) to give you the convenience of a high-quality DAC without the inconvenience of cables that wear out. It does in fact use a magnetic connector that makes it super easy to change the cable - quite a good idea! Add to that the fact that it also has multiple modes and you get an interesting product that's worth taking a look at. So we'll do just that!

This review was originally posted on Soundphile Review.

Disclaimer: I received this unit free of charge from IKKO themselves (thanks, Rebecca!). You can find out more about it on the official shop, where it sells for $59.

Rating: 8/10​

Packaging & Accessories​

The IKKO ITM01 comes in a transparent plastic box which holds the device itself along with a 1.5 m USB-A cable, which comes with a (faux?) leather strap to keep it tidy, and a 10 cm USB-C cable. There's also a manual which is only in Chinese - and unfortunately I can't read it, so I had to ask for a translation of some things.

Design & Build​

The design of the IKKO Zerda ITM01 is quite simple, yet effective: it is not the smallest portable DAC I've seen, being 58 x 22 x 11 mm, but it's still small enough to be easily pocketable; the device is made of plastic with metal plates on the front and back which add a bit of sophistication to the looks. It is entirely black with white text printed on it. The front has three buttons (two to adjust the volume and the central one to perform other actions) and the IKKO logo, while the back only has the model number on it, though this text has quickly started disappearing on my unit, as you can see in the following picture.



The sides are made of semi-transparent dark plastic and the reason for this is that there is LED lighting inside the ITM01. Not only this is useful to understand if the device is working or not, but it also shows which mode the ITM01 is in - something we'll talk about in more detail in the next section of the review. I do find this use of lighting quite interesting and I do see it appealing to the younger folks, especially if they are into the whole gaming kind of design.

What I really like about the IKKO ITM01 is the removable cable. It uses a magnetic connector that reminds me a bit of the MagSafe used on older notebooks by Apple. It is strong enough to keep the device attached without issues, but at the same time it is easy to remove it. It's also agnostic to rotation, which means you can plug it in on whichever side you want just like USB-C. It is unfortunately proprietary, but it is a good solution so that doesn't count too much - and it is also quite a welcome change compared to the higher-tiered ITM03, which had a non-removable cable.

The ITM01 is built well and appears to be robust. The USB-A cable has a braided fabric sheath on it that makes it a bit stiff, but it's overall very nice; it is long enough to make the ITM01 usable at your desk with a desktop PC. The USB-C cable is evidently aimed at mobile phones, as it is short and malleable; it is covered in plastic and lacks the fabric sleeve of the USB-A cable.

Features & Specs​

The ITM01 has three different operating modes: music, movies and games. The first is what you would expect from a portable DAC, so it makes the device operate as usual. The movies mode emulates a 5.1 surround setup, giving you a wider soundstage and an illusion of placement that recalls that of home theatre setups; this mode actually doesn't make much difference in my experience. The games mode, on the other hand, allows consoles to "directly control the sound of the game console system by dual decoding method. [It m]akes it easier for gamers to position the sound and have a better gaming experience", as IKKO's Rebecca explained to me. Gaming on a PC, I can't hear much difference between this mode and the music one; I suspect this has also to do with the USB Audio Class that the ITM01 exposes to the host device, as some consoles like the Switch do not support UAC 2.0.

The Zerda ITM01 is compatible with Windows, macOS and Linux, as well as Android (and possibly iPad OS as well). There's also a version that comes with the Lightning connector so that you can use with iPhones.



The IKKO ITM01 uses the ESS Sabre ES9298 DAC chip, which appears to be used only in this device as I wasn't able to find any information on it that wasn't related to the ITM01 - I couldn't find anything on ESS's website, either! It seems like IKKO did their homework, though, as the power output is quite good for a device in this size and price class, while output impedance is great and allows you to drive even very low impedance earphones without issues.

Sound​

I tested the IKKO Zerda ITM01 with a few earphones and headphones, including the IKKO OH1s and the Moondrop A8.

I can't find any fault in how the ITM01 sounds, as it is as neutral as it gets. I can't hear any kind of background noise whatsoever, either. What makes the device more interesting is the presence of various modes but, as I mentioned, I can't really hear massive differences between them. The "movies" mode, which is the most interesting out of the three, doesn't actually make much difference as I can hear some change in how the device sounds, but it's so small it's difficult to put my finger on it - and it doesn't quite give me the full surround-like impression. It's nowhere near Creative SXFi AMP levels, to be clear.

Final Thoughts​

At just $59, the IKKO Zerda ITM01 is simply utterly ridiculous. It does offer quite a decent set of options and it's actually quite convenient to use. It offers enough power for most earphones and headphones to sound good. The fact that it also offers some novel features like the three modes and the magnetic cable only add more value to it. Honestly, I wish IKKO had launched this as the ITM03 as it is just so much better in terms of features and convenience, the only significant difference being that the superior model has optical output. Overall I'm very satisfied with the ITM01 and if you are looking for a portable DAC that you can also use with your computer and your game console easily, this is one very valid option to consider.

Every once in a while a company launches a set of earphones that just looks gorgeous. The IKKO OH1S Gems has a very apt name, as they rally do resemble some ornate piece of jewellery thanks to their use of metal and transparent plastic in their build. They offer IKKO's house sound, which is quite coloured but also balanced enough in this incarnation to be enjoyable with a wide range of music genres.

This review was originally posted on Soundphile Review.

Disclaimer: IKKO sent me a free unit to write this review. There's additional info on the official shop, where the OH01S retail for $199.

Rating: 7.5/10​

(as you may notice, there's a bit of an issue between base 10 and base 5 conversions, so the real rating is actually higher than Head-Fi allows with its system!)

Packaging & Accessories​

The packaging of the OH1S is literally a set of Chinese boxes: there's an outer box/sleeve which contains a second box/sleeve, which in turn contains a third box, this time made with textured heavy cardboard. IKKO surely wanted you to have quite the unboxing experience! Inside the box are the earphones with their cable, a faux leather case and various set of eartips: there's four pairs of traditional silicone tips, two pairs of larger, not-really-in-ear silicone tips and three pairs of "I-Planet" foam tips, which are large and flattened. All in all it's a very decent set of accessories, which also includes IKKO's signature pin.

Design & Comfort​

IKKO thought of a very apt name of these earphones. The OH1S Gems really do look like a piece of jewellery, as they combine the shinyness of the metal with the transparency of the plastic in a sandwich-like configuration that really stands out from the mass. The faceplate has hammered metal looks similar to the OH10, which I deem quite great. The plastic is transparent and shows just enough of the inside to make things interesting, while also adding a bit of bling to it. The main advantage from the use of plastic is that the OH1S are actually much lighter than the OH10, which helps making them more comfortable.



The IKKO OH1S are beautifully put together, although you can see some imperfections due to the transparency of the plastic. Overall, though, they feel quite solid.



They're also quite small, which (should) make them comfortable even to people who have smaller ears. They surely are comfortable to me: I can wear them for a couple of hours without feeling any discomfort or fatigue. I found the foam tips especially comfortable, while the XXL silicone ones were not as comfortable and I found them to influence the sound signature too much, as they made bass basically disappear. As IKKO correctly notes in the manual, though, everyone has different needs so there are probably people who will find them good.

Isolation is surprisingly decent, especially when wearing the foam tips. Although they don't shield you completely from noise and you still have to raise the volume if you use them in a noisy environment such as public transport, they offer enough isolation to let you concentrate on the music without interference in a relatively quiet environment such as a home or office.



I quite like the cable, especially from an aesthetic standpoint: there is a semi-transparent plastic sleeve that covers it, but inside that it has a copper-silvery colour intertwined with blue and red and that gives it a unique look. It is made of two twisted cores, which then separate after the Y-split into two single cores, and it's a bit stiff but generally usable. I quite like that the Y-split, the chin slider and the jack housing are all made of metal. The one thing I don't especially like is that I couldn't take the cable off the earphones once I put it on: it simply would not detach, however hard I tried - and believe me, I tried so hard I was afraid the earphones would break (thankfully that didn't happen!).

Sound & Specs​

I've tested the IKKO OH1s using both the IKKO Zerda ITM01 and a Topping DX7 driving a Drop THX AAA 789.



The IKKO OH1S Gems use two drivers: a 10 mm dynamic driver made with deposited carbon nanotubes plus a Knowles 33518 balanced armature; the former takes care of the bass and mids, while the latter reproduces the highs.

Soundstage is not really large, neither in width nor in depth, and instruments sound really close to the listener; I don't get the impression, common among IEMs, that they are playing inside my head, but they sound as if they were just outside of my ears which is not quite great either. Imaging is also not quite great, as the small soundstage makes it difficult to hear differences in instrument placement on the stage. Instrument separation is decent, but below average for this price range.

Bass is emphasised but, to my surprise, it is not overwhelming. It is in fact a more tame version of the OH10's: it does hit with great strength and it does go quite low, but it never becomes preponderant. In fact I would say that IKKO has found a good enough balance that makes bass colour the sound and gives it more warmth and kick, but not become aggressive and overbearing. There's more concentration in the mid-bass area, but there's very good extension so you can hear the lowest notes just as well. What I really like here is the physicality, as bass does have quite a kick to it, and transients are moderately fast and with a short-enough decay that drumbeats sound convincing and involving.

Again to my surprise, the midrange is really the star of the show as it clearly takes the centre of the stage. There's an imbalance in the midrange that makes it sound a bit honky, as you can hear in Snarky Puppy's Ready Wednesday: the piano lacks the lower base that produces its warmth and tone, while brass instruments are vivacious but kind of muted. I think this is due to a dip in the lower region, followed by a bump in the middle and by a lower than expected rise at the border with treble. This tonal issue is quite apparent independently of the music you listen to, but it is not a major issue in that it doesn't completely ruin the listening experience in my opinion, though it does need to be taken into account. Detail is nice, with good speed and physicality as well.

The only issue that I can find with the IKKO OH1S is that the highs are really emphasised. In a track such as Snarky Puppy's Skate U the cymbals and tambourine are very sharp and almost aggressive, with fatigue emerging after some time, although they never become excessively harsh. This is because of at least two peaks that are present in the curve, namely around 8 kHz and 10 kHz; these peaks are clearly audible and they sound a bit sharp as they are quite sudden (as in, they grow and then descend very fast) and with a relatively large excursion. Apart from these peaks, treble sounds quite alright, with a very good amount of details and good speed - just as you'd expect with balanced armatures.

IKKO OH1S Comparisons​

Here's a couple of comparisons:

• IKKO OH1S vs IKKO OH10: the OH10 are basically a less balanced version of the OH1S. I find them to have a similar level of refinement, especially in terms of detail and instrument separation, but the OH10 are more aggressive in their tuning. Bass is much more preponderant than on the OH1S, where it is also deeper; midrange is a lot more recessed, but also lacking the same weird honkiness; treble is more emphasised by quite a bit and more fatiguing in the long run. The result is that the OH1s is much better as an all-rounder, as they an reproduce more genres. The one thing I like about both is that they are quite physical. Soundstage is larger on the OH10, which also has the upper hand in terms of imaging, while instrument separation is similar. Overall I greatly prefer the OH1S thanks to its balanced character, but I do see some people liking the OH10 due to their aggressiveness.
• IKKO OH1S vs Moondrop KXXS: the KXXS are in some ways similar to the OH1S, as they have a similar bass response which targets an almost-neutral signature; the KXXS offer a bit less presence and less depth as well, with slightly better speed and better detail, but less physicality. Midrange is more balanced, but a bit brighter on the KXXS, where speed is also better but not so is detail. Treble is much more balanced and agreeable on the KXXS, as it lacks the peaks of the OH1S while also offering great detail (maybe even a bit less, actually!). The KXXS win hands down in the technical department: soundstage is wider, imaging is (much) better and instrument separation is better as well. Overall the KXXS are a better-tuned version of the OH1S, which has something going for it anyway, as detail is overall quite good and rivalling (sometimes even beating) the KXXS.

Final Thoughts​

The IKKO OH1S take the company in a new direction, with a more neutral and balanced sound than previous earphones. Still, there are some issues that are worth mentioning regarding tuning: midrange is in fact problematic with its bump in the middle region, while treble has a couple of peaks that can be nasty and surely are fatiguing; technicalities also suffer from a few issues that make them not ideal. Still, the OH1S are good in everything else: they offer a good amount of detail throughout the spectrum, they have good physicality and a great design that results in very good comfort. They surely aren't for everyone, but I do see them being liked by some.

Sivga has made a name for themselves with competitively priced planar headphones and they are now expanding their line-up with new headphones. Among them are the Sivga Robin SV021, which apparently aren’t named after the assistant to the Dark Knight but rather after the European bird. They sport a dynamic driver and wooden earcups that look gorgeous, but are they going to sound anything like they look?

Disclaimer: I received this unit directly from Sivga. My thanks to Collin. The Robin SV021 retail for $149. Additional info is available on the official website.

This review was originally posted on my blog, Soundphile Review.

Important: before publishing this review, I sent Collin a preview in order to rule out that I had a defective unit. He disagreed with my findings, which is fair, but he insisted that everyone else gave the headphones a positive review and so should I. If you read through reviews, you will find that most of them agree with my analysis, only to then diverge when it comes to conclusion: I say that this level of performance is unacceptable, others say that it’s up to your taste – something with which I disagree, given that there are glaring acoustic issues, stemming from the fact that Sivga took the Phoenix’s driver and just put it in closed-back earcups with very little actual tuning work. It is my duty as a reviewer not just to describe the product, but to also judge it so that you, my readers, can understand whether it is good or not. To renounce to this would mean to abdicate to my role as a reviewer, only to become an advertiser. After a long thread of emails in which I explained my position and why even a negative review is important, Collin asked me not to divulge this review beyond my own blog, effectively trying to censor me: he wrote “we hope you not to post this review on other places, as it may mislead customers who like this kind of sound quality”. I invited him to retract his request, something which he did not do. I am therefore forced to publish this information in the sake of transparency. Make of it what you wish.

Rating: 5/10​

Accessories & Packaging​

The Sivga Robin SV021 come in a box that contains the headphones, the cable and a string bag that look to be made of hemp – it’s quite soft and nice! Although not the largest accessory set, it’s enough to cover most needs.

Design & Comfort​

I quite like the simple design of the Sivga Robin SV021. The earcups are made of a dark wood with a matte finish (the company doesn’t disclose which wood it is), while the gimbal is made of metal with a gunmetal colour. The earcups have a inverted drop-like shape with the 2.5 mm jack sockets at their ends. The fact that the earpads and the headband are black, sewn with white thread, adds to the general dark appearance of the Robin SV021 and this lends them quite some elegance. I find them to be rather beautiful, actually!





I find the Robin SV021 to be built quite well, with no creaking whatsoever nor other sign of problems in the way they’re assembled. The only issue I can see is that the earpads are not easily removed (I couldn’t do it at all, truth be told). There are clear steps when adjusting the size and the sliding is easy, but not so much so as to make the headband move inadvertently.





Although the padding is quite generous, it is also extremely soft and therefore it compresses quite a bit, sometimes leading to my ears touching the inner grill that protects the driver. That, in turn, creates some discomfort on the long run. Thankfully, though, that happens rarely and most often the Robin SV021 are quite easy to wear for prolonged sessions. The light weight (267 g) makes it so that despite the almost complete absence of padding on the headband, the headphones stay relatively comfortable relatively to the scalp even after a couple of hours, which is quite an achievement (my scalp is extremely sensitive, unfortunately, so I am forced to be a harsh judge when it comes to comfort).





Although these are closed back, isolation is limited and I can still hear myself typing on my (relatively) silent keyboard, so any louder noise will still be clearly audible.





The cable is actually quite nice: the jacks at both ends have metal housings which are machined so that it’s easy to pull out and push in them. The 3.5 mm jack also has a spring as a strain relief, while the Y-split is made of metal, too. The cable itself is covered with braided fabric which is soft and malleable. Overall it’s a very nice stock cable.

Sound & Specs​

I listened to the Sivga Robin SV021 using a Shanling UP5. Music files were mostly CD-ripped FLACs.







Collin at Sivga introduced the Robin SV021 to me as “neutral and balanced”. It is crystal clear that they are not and, in fact, they are far from being neutral, with a heavily V-shaped signature that sees an overpowering bass section counterbalanced by an aggressive treble area. This is all produced by a 50 mm dynamic driver made of polycarbonate and fibre.


Soundstage is quite small, even for a closed-back model, and it feels like the instruments are really close to the listener and they’re in a very small space. Imaging is not quite there, as it’s really hard to place the instruments on the stage if they’re not all to the left (or to the right); if they are not entirely on the right (or left) hand side, they then sound as if they were around the centre, instead of sounding like they are in any specific position in the left-right spectrum. Instrument separation is not quite sufficient, as instruments appear to have no room to breathe and end up sounding like a hodgepodge of sounds.


Bass is the main issue in the Robin SV021’s signature. It is physical, which is quite good, but then it is way too overpowering, meaning that it ends up covering almost everything else. It surely leaks over the lower mids, making them almost disappear, and this in turn creates balance problems for the whole signature. There’s at least a 10 dB emphasis on the whole bass area, which is massive, and it’s even more when we consider that midrange is recessed. Detail is quite decent actually if the track allows it: bass performance is in fact quite dependent on the track, as those which already have a strong presence tend to expose its issues more and therefore lead the details to disappear, whereas tracks where it’s more subdued sound fine.


The last sentence of the previous paragraph can be also applied to midrange: if you take two tracks from the Master and Commander soundtrack, The Battle and La musica notturna delle strade di Madrid (one of my favourite tracks by Boccherini), you can clearly hear how the latter track sounds more vivid and with the various string instruments being portrayed front and centre, while the former track is a mishmash of sounds where the drums overpower everything else. In general, anyway, midrange has a lot of issues: there is a massive drop in the lower area, followed by a steep rise in the upper one that makes it quite unbalanced. Detail is fine, as long as there’s little bass playing – otherwise it gets lost in the mix.


Treble is quite aggressive as there are multiple peaks: I can point to at least two, one around 5 kHz and the second around 8 kHz (give or take). These two together make instruments quite harsh and fatiguing. Even though detail is fine, it ends up being lost due to the fact that highs are piercing and not quite pleasant to listen to. Extension is fine, with the upmost frequencies being possibly even too present.

Sivga Robin SV021 Comparisons​

At this price point there are gazillions of competitors, but we’ll focus on the two most significant ones: the Sennheiser HD 6XX and the Meze 99 Classics/Noir. At $220, they’re close to 50% more expensive, but the difference is way too large to ignore. The HD 6XX are just way more balanced: their bass is not overpowering and it’s faster and more detailed; midrange is actually coherent and not disappearing due to bass, as well as more detailed; treble is not piercing and, on the contrary, many believe it should be more emphasised, but it’s still well done and without fatiguing peaks. Soundstage is wider, which is almost obvious given the HD 6XX are open back, but imaging is where the largest difference is as it’s actually accurate and allows you to place instruments on the stage, while instrument separation is good enough to allow you to distinguish the various parts.


On the other hand, the Meze 99 Noir are sold on Drop for $200 and they slay the Sivga Robin SV021. Although they’re far from neutral, they are still balanced and lack the overpowering bass and treble, leading them to be a much safer (and saner) choice. Bass is as deep as on the Sivga, but it’s not as emphasised and it’s quite cleaner and clearer; midrange is more present in the mix as well as more balanced; treble is much less emphasised, though it’s still quite present. Detail is better throughout the whole spectrum, while soundstage is wider, imaging has much better accuracy and instruments are actually separated.

Final Thoughts​

Although the Sivga Robin SV021 are quite nice to look at and to wear, thanks to a very appealing design and to plushy padding, their acoustic performance leaves a lot to be desired. While they do have their positives, they have a few glaring issues that can’t be overlooked. It’s the bass and treble especially which are problematic, as they shoot way above levels that I deem appropriate with multiple peaks that result in harshness and fatigue. The Japanese word “bakkushan” (also spelt “bakku-shan”), which I used in the title, indicates a girl who looks beautiful from behind, but then she looks ugly when looked at from the front: although that’s not quite polite (and I only use it jokingly: no offence to anyone is meant!), it seems to be an apt description for these headphones that look good, but then don’t quite sound okay.


Although they are affordable at $149, that’s still a price that needs careful consideration before taking any decisions. For that reason, because of the fact that the Robin SV021 are going to be ideal for a limited range of genres, and because there are better options at comparable price points, I do not recommend getting these headphones unless you have a chance to audition them with the music you like and you are going to be entirely certain that you will like them. If you like heavily V-shaped signatures you might find these to your taste, but otherwise you will probably find them not to be quite your cup of tea.

Although xDuoo updated their renowned XD-05 DAC/amp last year, they still didn't provide a balanced output. That gap has now been bridged with the xDuoo XD-05 Bal, which is a completely re-engineered and re-designed product that's smaller as well as more powerful and richer in features.

As a funny aside, "bal" (pronounced more or less like "bahl") means both "ball" and "lie" in Milanese, the language once spoken in and around Milan (forcefully eliminated by the Italian government in the past few decades and now basically extinct). Thankfully enough, though, there's no lie about the XD-05 Bal!

Disclaimer: I received this unit free of charge from Linsoul, who sells it for $429. Additional info is available on xDuoo's website.

This review was originally posted on Soundphile Review.

Packaging & Accessories​

xDuoo really upped their game when it comes to the packaging: the box is shiny and premium-looking and it contains a treasure trove of accessories. The list is quite long: a metal plate with the xDuoo logo (a key chain?), a set of two op-amps, a 1.2 m USB-C to USB-C cable, a USB-C to USB-A adapter, a screwdriver, three 10 cm long cables with a USB-C connector on one side and USB-C, Lightning and micro-USB terminations on the other, a mini-XLR3 to mini-XLR3 cable, a 3.5 mm to 6.3 mm jack adapter, an adhesive patch to attach the DAC to another device, a set of rubber feet, a set of five spare screws, two pins to seal the 3.5 mm jack ports and a manual.



There's also an optional faux leather case, which in my case is blue; it only protects the sides and it is quite thin, but it does offer protection against scuffs and scratches.

Design & Build​

The design of the xDuoo XD-05 Bal is quite similar to that of the XD-05, with a few key differences. The basics are identical: it is a metal parallelepiped with various ports and connectors on the back, as well as a screen on the front, with additional buttons on the side. The main difference is that the device is now a dark grey instead of black and it has red and white accents, while the volume knob that was on the front has been moved to the right hand side. It's a simple, modern design that's almost austere, but it gives you all the things you need to use the device in a clear, accessible way.



The peculiarity of the XD-05 Bal is the presence of three glass inserts in the posterior area of the top and lateral sides. What appears like a concession to mere form is instead a very functional choice, as the presence of these glass inserts allow Bluetooth to work: if those weren't there, the case would act like a Faraday cage and block (or severely limit the strength of) any signal coming from and going to the inside. These inserts also make the device look quite a bit more stylish, so there's also that. There's also a small metallic circle with holes in it, but it's not clear which function it performs as the manual doesn't mention anything related to it.



The size of the xDuoo XD-05 Bal is certainly not that of a device you can keep in your pocket, unless you have very large pockets; it is more of a desktop device that you can carry around and use with a notebook or another portable device, rather than a DAC/amp you can use while out in the streets. Its weight is considerable at 297 grams, but it's still low enough that it won't weigh you down if you carry it in a backpack.



Build quality is quite nice and in line with expectations from xDuoo, which has progressed quite a bit in the past few years in terms of perceived quality of its products. The metal is machined with precision and there are very small seams between the main section and the two lids, held in place by screws, on the front and the back. xDuoo gives you a screwdriver to remove them so that you can replace the op-amps with ones of your choosing - opening up the device is how I discovered about the function of the glass inserts.

The various buttons and switches are located in logical and easy to access places. The front hosts the 6.3 mm jack and the 4.4 mm jack outputs; the power, gain and bass boost switches, and the main OLED screen. On the right hand side there is the volume wheel, of which you only actually see the side, while on the left hand side are the input, filter and Bluetooth buttons. The back hosts 3.5 mm aux input/output jack, a switch to select if power should be drawn from the battery or from the USB port, the USB-C port that makes this possible, a second USB-C port that handles the signal, a micro-XLR3 port to manage AES input and a combo coaxial and optical input through a 3.5 mm jack. All in all it's a very complete input-output section that puts the XD-05 Bal in iFi micro iDSD series territory in terms of flexibility.



The screen has a yellow-orange hue and is visible even under direct sunlight even though it's not extremely bright; conversely, this means it won't blind you if you use the device in the dark. In general, the colour o the text is quite a bit easier on the eyes than the blue of previous models. The screen tells you information on the input, the sampling rate, the filter and the battery level.

There are also LEDs coupled with the USB ports which are meant to tell you if the device is charging and if it receives the signal correctly. My only complaint with them is that they're placed below the ports, so that it's quite difficult to see them. Placing them above the ports would have made much more sense and would have made it possible to, as an example, see at a glance if the device is still charging when a cable is plugged in.



The volume knob has a good feeling when rotating it, with a nice weight that allows you to adjust volume precisely, but the fact that it is embedded makes it difficult to rotate it without directly looking at it and gives you little space to do so. It has an imbalance zone between 0 and 0.75 in which audio is played with the left channel louder than the right one; after that zone the two channels have the same volume.

Specs & Features​

The xDuoo XD-05 Bal offers many ways to connect it to your sources: USB-C, optical, coaxial and even AES in the digital domain, plus aux in/out. This makes it quite versatile and able to be employed in many different use cases. The AES input is basically made to pair it with the xDuoo X10T II, but there's actually quite a large choice of desktop devices that feature that feature the connection as well.

As I mentioned, there's an aux in port which allows you to use the XD-05 Bal plus just as an amplifier, bypassing the digital stage entirely. Selecting aux as the input method actually shuts down the electronics related to the digital portion, allowing you to save battery life. The port actually works as line out as well, though unfortunately this is a real "line out" with no way to adjust the volume.



On top of all these possible connections, the XD-05 Bal features Bluetooth as well: although xDuoo doesn't disclose what version of the standard it uses, they do say which codecs are available and those are SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX LL, aptX HD and LDAC. That means that basically every codec out there with the exception of LHDC is represented. The Bluetooth connection is relatively stable, but it's a bit temperamental and shows some random dropouts that are difficult to ascribe to anything specific, while the range is not quite large: I can walk around my small studio, but as soon as I get out of it the connection stutters and there are interruptions. Bluetooth is therefore best used to connect to a smartphone or other connected device in a convenient manner, but not as a mean to have the source too distant from the DAC/amp.



xDuoo uses the ESS Sabre ES9038Q2M DAC, made specifically for mobile applications. It's not clear why xDuoo chose this in place of a desktop DAC, but it may involve battery life. The XD-05 Bal supplies 1 W of power from both the balanced and the unbalanced connectors, which is quite unusual and defeats the purpose of using the balanced one in the first place - since the main advantage around it is the additional power output. It's not clear how THD can be lower on balanced than on single-ended, too, given that balanced is inherently more distorted than single-ended, so if the data is to be trusted there's a suspicion that the path may not be fully balanced and that amplification could be actually not balanced. It's only a suspicion, though, and I have no proof either way, so take this with a full mine of salt.

I found the xDuoo XD-05 Bal too powerful for in-ear headphones and other sensitive, low-impedance headphones: even at the minimum volume, music is just too loud and I had to either lower the volume via software or use a device like the iFi IEMatch. Unfortunately the latter is not an option if you have a 4.4 mm cable as no IEMatch-like device exists currently as far as I know.

Battery Life​

xDuoo mentions 9 h of battery life when using the XD-05 Bal with USB input and 24 h when using it with aux input. I found the 9 hours figure with USB to be pretty accurate. Charging takes quite a long time and in my experience it can take up to 5 hours to charge the device an that's quite a long time, even for a device with a battery this large - though once again xDuoo is right here with the numbers.

Since the XD-05 has a hardware switch to power it up, it has no automatic sleep or power off function, so if you forget to power it off it's going to drain the battery completely. I quite like the fact that you can actually choose how to power the XD-05 Bal through a switch on the back, even though I would have preferred for a single USB port to be present since the stock cable xDuoo provides also carries power, defeating the purpose of a distinct port.

Sound​

I've tested the xDuoo XD-05 Bal with a HiFiMAN Arya, a Sivga SV021 Robin and a Sennheiser HD 6XX.

With 1 W output, the XD-05 Bal has enough power for basically any headphones out there; even power hungry headphones such as the HE-560 have no issues getting to very high volume. In addition to this, the background is completely devoid of any hum or hiss: you can hear just the music (or the silence, if you press pause).

Soundwise I find the XD-05 Bal to be quite neutral - I can't hear any effect on sound in terms of pure frequency response, as the device gets totally out of the way.

I can hear very little difference when enabling the "boost" feature. I can sense some change, but it's so slight I don't know if it's a product of my imagination (or of the placebo effect). The same goes for the filters: if there is any difference between them, I can't really say I hear it clearly - and that's expected, so there's nothing really new or surprising here.

Final Thoughts​

The xDuoo XD-05 Bal is a very welcome evolution over the previous XD-05 devices as it integrates a few changes that are quite welcome: USB-C is certainly one of them, but so are Bluetooth and the 4.4 mm output. The XD-05 Bal is quite a complete device that offers a ton of functionality in a design that's quite convenient to use and that's built to last. It also offers some quite unusual options, too, such as AES input, as well as an accessory set that is beyond complete.

Overall, the xDuoo XD-05 Bal is quite a great device that trades blows with the de facto rulers of this space, the iFi products, while having a much lower price. And while it's by no means perfect, it's a device that has a lot to offer as a portable desktop DAC/amp. So much so that I can't see any valid reason not to put it in the "Best of" page - it's just so good I can't avoid recommending it.

There's this obsession in the audiophile world about the need to "purify" every signal because doing so would purportedly lead you to getting a much better experience with never-before-heard details and engagement. Most of that is pure rubbish and akin to homeopathy - in other words, a scam. There is something to be said for some of that, though. When I was reviewing the iFi iDSD Diablo I got the chance of trying out the iFi iPurifier3 as well - it was included in the package, after all. I tried it in multiple conditions and found out that it does... exactly nothing. But does it really?

Disclaimer: I got this unit on loan from iFi. They sell the iPurifier3 for $130. You can take a look at the official product page for further info.

This review was originally posted on Soundphile Review.

Design & Build​

The iFi iPurifier3 is an unassuming device that looks very similar to a common USB key. The only difference is that it's quite bulkier than the average USB key and it has different connectors. My unit had a female USB-A connector on one side and a female USB-B connector on the other, but there is also another variants as well with male USB-B and female USB-B. Choosing which one to use is dependent on which device you are going to use.


The iPurifier3 is, as is customary for iFi, very well built. It is made of two pieces of metal (aluminium?) held together by four screws; the assembly is quite impressive as there is just a very small seam between the two parts. It does feel quite robust. The body is painted white, while the USB connectors are plated in gold. There are also two LEDs: one for power and the other for data. As those are distinct lines in USB connections, the iPurifier3 tells you if there is an issue with either.



The only issue I can find with the build is that the device is quite large and relatively heavy. This places a lot of stress on the USB connector of your receiving device (e.g. DAC), especially once you add the weight of the cable on top of it. It is then surely better to place something underneath for the iFi iPurifier3 to rest on, so that the USB connector's health is preserved for longer.

Sound​

I ran a few tests, both with the iPurifier3 directly attached to the device and with a cable between the iPurifier3 and the device.

The iPurifier3 uses the REGenerate2, REClock2 and REBalance2 technologies, all of which aim to basically "purify" the USB signal in both its data and power components by removing the noise that can build up in the cable between the source device and the destination. Those are built on top of the use of tantalum capacitors, Vishay MELF resistors and Panasonic OS-CON capacitors - basically, top-notch components, as iFi has gotten us used to.



In order to test iFi's claims about noise suppression, I decided to use the E1DA 9038D: the unit I received was part of the initial batch, which had issues with USB 3 that resulted in a faint yet audible hiss in the background. My expectation was that this would be solved by the iFi iPurifier3, given the claims iFi makes about its ability to regenerate the signal and "clean" the power. To my surprise, though, that didn't materialise and I heard the same faint hiss in the background. Now I am quite sure that this is not an issue with the 9038D itself because it does not have the hiss when I connect it to my phone. The same happens with my Topping DX7 and with the iDSD Diablo I reviewed: I could not hear any significant differences.

This is not only limited to removing noise, which is the target application of this device. I couldn't hear any differences in every other regard. I tried listening to it multiple times, putting it in and then taking it out, and I couldn't hear any improvement - nor any deterioration either. It just didn't seem to do anything to the music I was listening to.

The fact that there was no difference I could discern doesn't mean, however, that the iPurifier doesn't do anything at all. The problem with this kind of devices is that they indeed do something, but most often the impact is so small it's not detectable. In my case, the iPurifier3 did not bring any detectable benefit to any of the devices I use: noise was there if it was present before, and if it wasn't I couldn't hear any difference anyway.

Final Thoughts​

The iFi iPurifier3 should, in theory, remove all of the USB-related noise issues. In practical terms, however, this is not the case with any of the devices I have tested. Does this mean that it is pure snake oil? The answer is (probably) no. I guess that if I took an oscilloscope and looked at the USB signal I would indeed find a difference (unfortunately I did not have a good one on hand for this review). Anyway, the main takeaway is: although this difference might be there in theory and in practice, it doesn't really impact what you hear. It may have made the difference twenty years ago, when USB was still nascent and devices were not as sophisticated as they are nowadays, but today this device is probably basically useless unless your system is complete crap (sorry about the language). I've read all sorts of wild claims about the iPurifier3, from people claiming it makes "bass better behaved" (what does that even mean?) to hyperbolic claims of volume being increased (I would really love to hear an explanation of why that would happen...); either there was something very wrong with these people's systems or there's something else at play, probably that thing called "placebo effect" which is always present in these cases.

My tests were not exactly scientific, mind you. I didn't do blind tests. But the issues that this device should have solved were still there when I was using it, and I could not hear any other significant benefit from its use. Should you then buy the iPurifier3? In short, the answer is no, unless you have extremely bad USB issues. In that case, though, my suggestion is to try with a good cable before splurging on an iPurifier3 - it happened to me in the past and a simple £15 cable solved all of my issues (no point in spending more, really). Given that this device costs almost ten times as much, my advice is to try it out with your system before deciding; you might indeed find an improvement, although I suspect that it won't be any of the hyperbolic changes you read around in other reviews: a much subtler difference is to be expected and, considering what the iPurifier3 aims to do, it would be worrying if it was greater.

Back in May 2019, when I was at the Munich High End (it seems like entire lifetimes ago), I spoke with people from iFi Audio and one of the topics that popped up was that of balanced connections: back then no iFi product outside of the Pro line had those, but they promised me something interesting was in the pipeline. A few months later they announced the new xDSD and xCAN, which were the first products to include balanced output. The line-up has since got bigger and better and the iFi NEO iDSD is the first non-Pro product to offer XLR line outputs to drive balanced amplifiers or powered monitors. It also has a 4.4 mm balanced jack and Bluetooth, which all concur to make it quite flexible. Oh, and it's also gorgeous. Need I say more? (spoiler: yes. In fact, this review is 2420 word long.)

Disclaimer: thanks to Karina at iFi Audio for sending me a unit on loan. Additional info is available on the official website. The NEO iDSD retails for £699.

This review was originally posted on Soundphile Review.

Packaging & Accessories​

The package includes an aluminium stand, a USB cable (USB-A to USB-B), an RCA to RCA cable, the (optional) power supply, the remote and a 3.5 mm to 6.3 mm jack adapter.

The only complaint I have with the included accessories is the USB cable, which is really short. I had to use a patch cable in order to connect it to my laptop with both devices on the desk, as otherwise the cable wouldn't have been long enough!

One thing I don't especially like is the marketing jargon used on the box - it says "Ultra HD DAC + headphone amp", creating a parallel with the Ultra HD standard (also known as "4K") used for screens and projector, but there is no such a thing as "Ultra HD audio". While it may convey the idea that the device is able to reproduce music at the highest possible resolution, it still doesn't sound quite right to me.

Design & Build​

The iFi NEO iDSD is absolutely gorgeous. It is absolutely modern in its aesthetics, but in a way that blends in well with more "classic" gear. While the body has classic plain aluminium looks, the front is definitely livelier: on the left there is a black area with an OLED screen, encased by two grooves on each side, leading to the large volume knob. There's then a single, larger groove on the right side where the status LED, the power button, the input selector and the two jacks (6.3 mm and 4.4 mm) are. There's also a "Hi-Res Audio" sticker. The back, on the other hand, has a Bluetooth antenna, a power connector, a USB 3 Type-B port, an optical connector, a coaxial connector, two XLRs and two RCAs (one per channel).



What I find quite interesting about the NEO iDSD is not only that its looks are timeless, so it can blend in whatever era your other gear hails from, but it can be used both horizontally and vertically. If you opt for this second option, iFi was so nice as to include a robust stand made of solid aluminium. It is a bit tricky to put it on, as it is just the right size for the device, but it also holds it quite well and feels secure. It has what seems neoprene strips to avoid scratching the NEO iDSD, plus the base has an anti-slip coating to avoid bad surprises.



The display was quite cleverly engineered, so it rotates together with the rest of the device: if you hold the NEO iDSD vertically, it displays information upright - and it does so automatically! It seems iFi used an accelerometer to manage this without user intervention, which is a nice trick.



The knob is not a real knob in the sense that it spins endlessly and it has discrete levels indicated by clicks. It has a bit of weight to it, but it spins almost freely. It's good to adjust the volume rapidly with large variations, but I would otherwise prefer a bit more weight to it. It has grooves all around it so gripping it is quite easy. What I love about the design of the iFi NEO iDSD is that the area around the knob has a circular depression with a lot of tiny grooves etched on it, so it reflects light in a weird way and creates a lot of interesting effects (which are quite hard to capture on camera).

The NEO iDSD comes with a remote which allows you to access all the features of the device from a distance: you can adjust the volume, switch inputs, adjust the screen brightness (which you can't do without the remote!) and putting the device in mute. The only thing you can't do is turning the device on and off, which is a bit of a bummer. One funny thing I noticed is that there is some interaction with other gear I use. To be more specific, I have been using a Topping DX7 as well, controlling it with its own remote. It seems like the frequencies used by the DX7's remote to lower the volume are the same used by the NEO iDSD to change input. While it's not an issue, it's certainly a funny coincidence.

Features & Specs​

There is quite a lot going on in terms of inputs and outputs on the iFi NEO iDSD: on top of USB there are also optical, coaxial and Bluetooth in terms of input, while output is either headphones, RCA or XLR. One thing you can't do on the NEO iDSD is select the output, so you can't switch between headphones and, say, powered speakers. This is a bit of a limitation and while it isn't a major roadblock, it still would be nice to have in a device that costs around 700 quid.

Output can be either fixed or variable, the latter of which is helpful if you want to use the RCA or XLR output - e.g. to use an external amplifier or powered speakers like the iLoud Micro Monitor or the KEF LS50 Wireless.

The iFi NEO iDSD can be powered using the provided power supply, but it is not strictly needed: the USB cable is more than enough, actually. In fact I wondered how much this was true: would just USB power be enough? I decided that this question needed an answer, so I set up a small experiment (for the sake of science, of course, definitely not for the fun of it): I took the NEO iDSD, hooked it up to a power bank, pressed the power button... and it powered up! This makes the NEO iDSD a portable unit that you can power with anything outputting 0.5 A at 5 V - basically anything with a USB port.

I had no issues using the iFi NEO iDSD with Linux, it's purely plug and play. It should be on macOS, too, while on Windows you might need drivers.



iFi says the NEO iDSD adopts a "purist design", meaning there are "no DSP, no digital filter selection and no change in analogue playback". In other words, it tries to deliver you the music "as it is" without manipulation: that's quite a change from the other products by them, considering most of them have bass boost, a soundstage enlargement feature and a selectable filter. They call their balanced design "PureWave".



iFi chose a Burr-Brown DAC as the base for the device: not really a surprise, given that all of their products use Burr-Brown chips. iFi doesn't clarify neither on their website nor on the manual whether they use a single DAC chip or two; I asked them and they said that in fact there is just one DAC chip, after which the amplification is dual-mono. The takeaway is that the NEO iDSD is not truly balanced: not an issue per se, but a stark difference from the competition that actually offers such a feature. The amplification stage is managed by op-amps, which deliver up to 1,040 mW at 32 Ω using the balanced output - quite a large amount of power that will tame even the hardest headphones out there.



Volume adjustment is done in discrete amounts and with a precision of a single dB - so no half-decibel adjustments are possible. This works quite alright most of the time, though, and I've never found myself wishing I could go just a half dB up (or down).

The iFi NEO iDSD offers Bluetooth 5.0 with a vast amount of codecs which includes aptX, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, aptX LL, LDAC, HWA/LHDC, AAC and SBC - basically every codec out there! That's quite great as it allows you to use practically any device as source, plus it is updatable to include future codecs. It's too bad it can't be used as a transmitter! It has a memory that holds up to 7 paired devices, so you won't have to pair it again every time you switch to another source. The range is quite good and allows you to move your source device around a room (and even outside it) without a hitch; more probably, though, you would want the signal to be stable if the source is far and that's actually the case.

Sound​

I tested the iFi NEO iDSD using various headphones, but mostly the IKKO OH-10 and the HiFiMAN HE-R10 Planar, using my laptop as the source through USB. Most files were FLACs in 16 bit, 44.1 kHz resolution.

The iFi NEO iDSD has an issue: there is a constant background hiss, almost a whistle-like sound actually, even when using the balanced output that should theoretically prevent issues like this. The hiss was especially present when I used low-impedance earphones (think lower than 64 Ω). I am confident the issue lies with the device as I tried various methods of powering it, all leading to the same result: using the provided power supply, the USB cable connected to my PC and even the USB cable connected to a power bank (which delivers clean power by definition, being it a battery) all led to the hiss being present. I thought this might have to do with the choice of USB 3.0, which is far noisier than USB 2.0 and is therefore widely not recommended for audio applications, but that's not the case: the hiss is there even when connecting the device to mains power without any actual USB cable being connected. So what this tells us is that there is an issue with the design of the NEO iDSD which leads to it being noisy. Using a device such as the iFi EarBuddy or earphones and headphones with high impedance and/or low sensitivity I could remove the hiss, but that's not ideal and definitely not what one would want from a device that costs 700 quid.

Update: when I was writing this review, I contacted iFi to inform them of this issue and they said they found a small set of units that had it, but that the issue could be fixed with a firmware update. We agreed to publish the review anyway. They then sent me a second unit that does not have the issue, so you can disregard the paragraph above (but not the one below!).

Allow me to make a brief excursus to emphasise the importance of testing equipment with a large variety of earphones and headphones. Even famous websites that receive a lot of praise often forget to do this, thereby failing to uncover issues such as this and promoting this very device as "lacking hiss, noises, clicks and pops"... just because they did not test it with sensitive earphones. I mentioned two headphones at the beginning of this section, but I actually used about ten with various values of impedance and sensitivity in order to make sure the device worked well with all possible headphones. Having a well-defined and tested method and using it for all reviews, spending actual time with the devices (I tested the NEO iDSD for more than a month before publishing this review! Also, thanks to the fine people at iFi for being so patient!) and trying to understand both the pros and the cons of the products, without turning reviews into advertisement, are all important factors that allow one to produce high-quality reviews.

The iFi NEO iDSD sounds dead neutral to me. Even when compared to the Drop THX AAA 789, which is widely considered among the most neutral amplifiers out there, the NEO iDSD sounds practically indistinguishable when it comes to the tuning. As much as I would like to find minute differences to describe in flowery prose, I can't honestly find any of any significance. What I can hear is a difference in the transients: the NEO iDSD is slightly slower, with a bit less physicality and impact. There's also a smidgen less detail. But this only became noticeable once I compared the two devices, as otherwise the listening experience on the NEO iDSD is absolutely flawless.

All headphones I tried showed no issues at all, including those with higher impedance such as the Sennheiser HD 6XX or the Venture Electronics Zen 2.0. The NEO iDSD drives them all with the same aplomb and with the same good results. Soundstage, imaging, and everything else you can think of is spot-on and doesn't require much comment - it's as you expect it to be.

Final Thoughts​

The iFi NEO iDSD takes balanced outputs for desktop devices to a much lower price point than that of previous iFi products: previously only the Pro line offered balanced outputs, but those products cost thousands of pounds. The NEO iDSD is true to its name in that it is a completely new range for the British manufacturer. It sits in quite a crowded area which is rapidly evolving and where a lot of competition is happening. And this is the main issue of the NEO iDSD. Competitors, such as the Topping DX7 Pro, offer more for the same money: more power output (1,700 mW vs 1,040 mW), more inputs (all of the iFi's, plus AES and IIS), more outputs (DX7 Pro also has XLR for headphones), more flexibility (can select output as well) and better measurements.

While it has quite a few things going on for it, the NEO iDSD is not really competitive with the market right now. Two years ago it would have been much more competitive, but nowadays its specs make it seem less appealing than devices from competing brands. It sounds good and it has a great design, but is that enough? At this price point I expect devices to be near perfect and to offer me great flexibility, which the NEO iDSD doesn't. Had it been priced around £500 it would have been much better. £700 are simply not justifiable at the beginning of 2021.

Just when I thought that iFi was done with the old "micro" line-up, they come up with a new device that promises to make their best portable DAC and amplifier even better. The all-new iFi micro iDSD Signature is an evolution over the previous micro iDSD Black Label that introduces a small yet quite significant addition: a balanced headphone port. Most of what everyone (me included) loved about the Black Label is here as well, sometimes with improvements that make the Signature stand out.

Disclaimer: thank you to Karina at iFi for sending me a unit to review. The official website holds more information.

This review was originally posted on Soundphile Review.

Packaging & Accessories​

iFi kept the packaging identical, with the typical rectangular box shape. Inside the box are a USB 3 cable (with two A connectors, one male and one female), a USB-C cable to charge the device, a black fabric bag, an RCA cable and a manual.

Design & Build​

There's not much to say on the iFi micro iDSD Signature that I haven't already said about the Black Label as the two are identical in all respects, save for a few details. The first is the colour of the metal: it is now a dark blue, with text printed in white. The second is the front and the back: they don't have the protrusions that characterised the BL, instead opting for design that reminds me far more closely of the nano iDSD Black Label. The front also has a different arrangement due to the inclusion of a 4.4 mm jack port and a status LED, which are added to the 6.3 mm jack, the XBass+ and 3D+ switches, and the volume knob; the 3.5 mm input is gone. The third is that there is now a USB-C port on the side instead of the USB-A one, so charging the micro iDSD Signature should be easier now. The various switches that were on the bottom (power mode, filter, IEMatch) are now on the side so they're easier to reach. A couple of switches, the preamplifier type and the polarity, are missing.



The micro iDSD Signature seems like a modernised, streamlined version of the Black Label. It has a couple of additional options, but it also loses a couple so there's no definite answer as to what is better. If you wanted a device that could work as an amplifier only, for example, then the Black Label is better for you.

A very minor detail which I liked is that the Signature has built-in rubber feet. Those prevent the Signature from resting directly on the surface below it and from scratching it.



The knob offers some resistance to turning, so it has a "weight" that makes it possible to turn it with precision. It has quite a large "dead zone" in which no sound is produced even when using very sensitive earphones: it extends from its starting position around 7 o'clock up to 11 o'clock. It doubles as the power button, so once you turn it from its starting position it also powers the device up.

Features & Specs​

The iFi micro iDSD Signature trades the coaxial S/PDIF port for a 3.5 mm one, which doubles as an optical input. This lends the device added flexibility as you can use it with a huge number of sources that offer coaxial or optical but not USB (e.g. TVs, just to name the most common devices).

iFi embedded its IEMatch technology in the micro iDSD Signature, so that you can use lower-impedance earphones. It's basically applying a lower gain (e.g. 0.5x) instead of a higher one. One thing to watch out for is that this alters the output impedance and makes it higher than it normally is, so you could actually want to have a real IEMatch device to keep the impedance low if you have earphones with especially low impedance.

Just like the Black Label, the Signature also has a somewhat loud "pop" sound when it is powered up or down. It is far quieter than the previous model, though, so there has been an improvement in that regard, but it's still there. Honestly, I would expect it not to be present at all, given the price point of this thing. On the other hand, the one-second gap that was there on the Black Label is gone, thankfully, so the micro iDSD Signature is actually playing music as soon as you start playback. That's quite an improvement over the previous device!

The largest news in terms of supported formats is MQA, which is now supported out of the box and requires no special firmware installation.



The micro iDSD Signature is identical to the micro iDSD Black Label from the standpoint of specs: it is built on the exact same foundation and offers the same output and specs down to the bit.

Just like all other iFi products, the micro iDSD Signature also uses Burr-Brown chips; unlike the Neo iDSD, though, it uses two DAC chips that produce a dual-mono signal which is then taken care of by a dual-mono amplification stage. This is not a "true" balanced design in the sense that there is no interleaving, it's a double-mono design with a balanced connector. This means that you can get many of the benefits of balanced designs, but it could be noisier than a "true" balanced signal pathway.

Like its predecessors, the Signature offers three modes: "eco" (low-power), "normal" and "turbo". If you're wondering, yes: the micro iDSD Signature is more than enough to power the HiFiMAN HE6 SEv2. It has in fact loads of power more than is required to bring it to literally deafening levels: with just 700 mW those headphones get to 112 dB, which is enough to make you deaf in less than a minute, and the Signature is more than capable of delivering that power, given it outputs 1,560 mW of continuous power at 64 Ω (meaning that peak power output is even larger than that). You will probably become deaf if you push the device at full volume.

Battery Life​

The micro iDSD Signature offers a full working day of usage in "normal" mode. In "eco" mode you can actually go throughout your whole day, if you exclude meals. That's quite impressive, given the amount of power this thing dishes out! It also takes a while to charge: even using "high-powered" chargers (2 A @ 5 V) it still takes 3 hours. If you use a generic 0.5 A USB charger it takes 12 hours. Luckily most of today's chargers are more than capable of offering 2 A.

That's all good, but there's also a problem: there is unfortunately no way to know how much battery is left, unless you look at the tiny little LED on the side near the USB-C port - though that's not really practical. The micro iDSD Signature has no other indication that you're running out of juice, so if you don't realise in time you will just see the device power off and stop producing any sounds all of a sudden.

The battery also doesn't charge if you simply connect the unit to a computer using its USB cable, like previous iDSD units did. This makes having a second cable almost mandatory if you are going to use the micro iDSD Signature as a desktop device.

Sound​

I spent a good amount of time trying the iFi micro iDSD Signature with various headphones; among them are the Moondrop A8, the HiFiMAN HE-R10P, the Sennheiser HD 6XX and the Fearless Audio S10 Genie. Most source files stored on my computer were FLACs in 16 bit, 44.1 kHz resolution.

As far as I can tell, the micro iDSD Signature introduces no colouration to the sound. I switched back and forth between it and my Drop THX AAA 789 and I couldn't hear any differences in tone, nor in resolution nor in technicalities. It's dead neutral.

Keeping with its own tradition, iFi provided the micro iDSD Signature with the XBass+ effect: a bass boost which the company highlights as being entirely made in the analogue domain. It works quite well and adds a good oomph to the lower end. In fact it adds quite a substantial amount to the sub-bass section, diminishing it as the frequency goes up. The effect is quite good as it adds some kick to the sound, but it doesn't make bass become overbearing. Among bass boost implementations I've heard, this is one of the finest.

3D+ is the soundstage enlargement tech iFi developed. It makes soundstage much wider by giving more emphasis to frequencies in the upper midrange and lower treble region and the effect is quite astonishing - one moment you are in your own room, the next you are in a concert hall. While it doesn't fix depth, the width increases significantly. It's not perfect, as you can hear that there is a change in tone, but it's extremely fun.

The filter switch allows you to choose between bit-perfect, minimum phase and standard. The difference, if it's there, is so small you can't really hear it. Even with the S10 Genie, which has very low impedance and high sensitivity plus an astonishing ability to render detail, I can't hear any difference between them.

iFi micro iDSD Signature Comparisons​

Although I've already spread bits and pieces of this comparison throughout the review, I'm going to do a more thorough comparison of the micro iDSD Signature and micro iDSD Black Label. The largest differences are:

• design: the Black Label is black, while the Signature is blue; the latter has a status LED on the front, while the former has it on the top;
• rubber feet: the Signature has rubber feet built-in;
• USB: the Signature adopts the USB-C standard, whereas the Black Label uses USB-A;
• balanced output: the Signature edition has 4.4 mm balanced output;
• S/PDIF: the Signature only has an input here, while the Black Label offers output as well (meaning you can use it as a bridge between devices);
• preamp mode switch: the Black Label has a switch to select either preamp mode or direct mode, the Signature does not;
• polarity switch: the Signature loses the polarity switch;
• headphone amplifier: the Black Label can also work as a pure amplifier thanks to the 3.5 mm jack on the front;
• charging: the Signature does not charge when connected to the computer or other source through USB;
• availability: the Signature is not available as an audio device on the computer while it's powered off, so you have to power it on and then select it in your operating system's audio menu.

Everything else is the exact same in all regards that matter.

Much to my surprise, there is a slight sonic difference between the two devices. I expected them to be 100% identical, so you may say that I started comparing them with a bias, but that turned out not to be the case. The Black Label is in fact a tiny bit warmer than the Signature! It sounds fuller and with better extension in the sub-bass section, whereas the Signature appears slightly more resolving. It's a very subtle difference, yet it's noticeable.

The Signature is not a perfect replacement of the Black Label, so if you are in doubt over what to buy you should think about what features you need the most or if there is any blocking issue with any of the two. Also, if you already have the Black Label, don't think of the Signature as an upgrade: it's a different beast that does different things and it's not a drop-in replacement.

Final Thoughts​

The truth is that, however you look at it, iFi's micro iDSD line has virtually no competition. No other portable device in this size and price class can shell out as much power while boasting a comparable battery life and with similar accessory features. This is really the Ferrari of portable DACs - and you pay for that, but it's a fair price for the features, a bit like Ferrari cars. The streamlined design, the great build quality, the large amount of options and the incredibly high power output all concur to making the micro iDSD Signature a great device, possibly the best portable DAC/amp under $1000. It's an option you should definitely consider if you want a device to power all of your headphones at the desk as well as everywhere you take it.

iFi recently announced a slew of new accessories, ranging from cables to cases to put your audio stuff in - and the iFi iTraveller is exactly that. It is a small case made of fabric with ample lining to keep all your stuff safe and sound while you are out and about. And it's stylish, too!

This review was originally posted on my blog, Soundphile Review.

Disclaimer: this unit was provided on loan as part of the iDSD Diablo accessories. The iTraveller is available for £49. Further information is available on the official website.



Travelling has not been a thing in the past year, at least for me, and that was quite a big change: I used to travel around Europe quite a bit, for both pleasure and work. What I often found myself missing was a case in which I could keep all my audio-related stuff: my DAP, my IEMs, my cables and accessories. Lacking any other options, I resorted to using an old pencil case from when I was in middle school, but that never was a good option: it just didn't provide the necessary protection for my gear.



In the past couple of years there's been a somewhat sudden flood of dedicated cases for audio devices on the market. The iFi iTraveller is not among the smallest I've seen, measuring 19 x 13.5 x 5 cm, but it's large enough to hold an iFi micro iDSD (e.g. micro iDSD Signature or iDSD Diablo) or a large DAP, plus at least one set of earphones. It can actually hold much more than that, as inside it are: a large space with an elastic where you can place your DAC or DAP, with an optional Velcro divider in case you want to store multiple devices; a smaller space with a Velcro divider where you can place your earphones; a small mesh pocket on the lid, where you can put another pair of earphones or accessories such as USB cables; a large mesh pocket on the lid, where you can put e.g. a smaller DAC/amp like the iFi hip dac or other stuff like power banks. There are also openings on both the top and the bottom where you can route cables through, plus a mesh pocket on the back.



The iTraveller is quite well built: it is soft, yet with generous padding that helps protect your valuable items. While the outside is made of fine-grained canvas, the inside is made of both nylon-like fabric (on the lid) and plushy-looking fabric (on the main compartment). The overall sensation is that the iTraveller can offer very good protection for the most common situations; inside a bag or backpack it is going to keep things safe and sound (unless you really hit that bag or backpack with a hammer). You don't need to put the case inside another bag, though, as there is a small strap to carry it more easily.



I tried fitting in a few devices and it worked perfectly. The iFi iTraveller also fits in perfectly in my backpack (see picture above), which is made for 13/14" notebook PCs and is therefore relatively small, though it is still quite spacious for its size. You should have no issues fitting it even in handbags.

All in all I really like the iFi iTraveller and, considering the flexibility it offers and the alternatives on the market right now, I find it a bit expensive but in line with what it is. I could easily fit everything I need for a short trip in it and I am probably more demanding than most people, considering I review stuff for a living (as it's my full-time job, in addition to being my hobby!). I think iFi really nailed it with this accessory as it made something extremely useful and for which there's not that much competition while keeping the price affordable.

When I was a child, back in the glorious Nineties, I remember I had a model car of what was among the fastest cars back then: the Lamborghini Diablo. It was fantastic and its design and colour really gave the impression of speed and power. Being around 3 years old, I obviously destroyed it and I still regret that. Now, I don't know if the Italian supercar is the inspiration behind the iFi iDSD Diablo, but surely the impression of unrestrained power it gives is the same as the car - and for all the good reasons.

This review was originally posted on Soundphile Review.

Disclaimer: thank you to iFi for sending out this unit on loan. The iDSD Diablo is a hell of a lot expensive (yes, I'm going to make jokes for the whole review), retailing at £999. Additional info on the official website.

Accessories & Packaging​

The iFi iDSD Diablo comes in a very different package from that of the other micro iDSD devices: it's much larger and more akin to the Neo iDSD. That's because the amount of accessories has increased exponentially and includes:

• an iTraveller carrying case
• an iPurifier3 (which is, unfortunately, limited to just the first batch)
• a 3.5 mm to 6.3 mm jack adapter
• a USB-A male to USB-A female cable
• a USB-B male to USB-B female cable (useful if you want to use the iPurifier)
• a short USB-A male to USB-C male (to charge the
• a short USB-C male to USB-A male (basically an OTG cable)
• an optical to mini-optical adapter
• an RCA to RCA cable
• a 4.4 mm to double XLR cable
• an iPower power adapter
• a barrel connector to USB-C connector (to use the iPower)

The list is quite long and shows the sheer quantity of stuff iFi has put into this box. It's quite a complete set and I can't think of anything I would add to it.

Design & Build​

Again, I don't know where iFi drew inspiration from, but the Diablo reminds me of a track by Rodrigo y Gabriela, Diablo Rojo. I know, that's quite an original association, isn't it? I totally don't know where I got that from.

It might be this, it might be Italian cars, it might be something else entirely - but as any fan of Warhammer 40000 knows, just the fact that the iDSD Diablo is red makes it faster, which is obviously great. On a less humorous note, the Diablo is obviously very noticeable in that it uses a very eye-catching colour for its chassis, with a black volume knob on the front. It's certainly unique in an industry dominated by serious, often sombre colours. At first I thought that, contrary to the other micro iDSD devices which use metal for their chassis, the Diablo used plastic. That's actually not the case: the iDSD Diablo's chassis is in fact made of metal just like all of its ancestors. The paint finish, though, is remarkably similar in feel to plastic (and a few hot days here in Scotland meant that it was hot enough for the metal not to feel too cold, tricking me into thinking it was plastic).



The front hosts the aforementioned volume knob, a status LED which indicates the currently-played format (e.g. CD quality, MQA, hi-res, etc), a "turbo mode" switch (a gain switch, basically), a 4.4 mm port and a 6.3 mm port. The back, on the other side (sorry, I had to do this), hosts a full-size male USB-A connector, a female USB-C connector, a 4.4 mm port and a 3.5 mm port for optical SPDIF input. It's a rather complete set of features, but sadly there is no unbalanced line out, which can be a problem if you plan to use the Diablo as a DAC for an unbalanced amplifier.



As with practically every single device by iFi I've ever tried, the iDSD Diablo, too, is built quite well and leaves no room for criticism regarding this area. If anything, some things have improved: the bottom of the device has in fact four rubber feet embedded in it.

The volume knob has a very good weight to it, so it is relatively hard to turn. While this might seem like a flaw, it is in fact a feature as it allows for very precise adjustments. It has a dead zone which goes from its starting position around 7 to around 10 - so in that area you can expect to have large volume imbalances between channels. This, together with other things, contributes to making the iDSD Diablo difficult to use with low-impedance, sensitive headphones and earphones.

Features & Specs​

The Diablo is not a replacement for the other devices in the micro iDSD line-up: in fact it offers quite fewer options in terms of output power, filters and so on, only allowing you to select gain (you can choose between Eco, Normal and Turbo). This is in stark contrast to the micro iDSD Black Label, which offered almost any option under the Sun. It's as if iFi decided to take its previous offerings and extract their essence: lots of power and little compromise in terms of how the audio signal is treated. That's a philosophical approach that leads to some compromises, though, so this needs to be thought of carefully.

Unfortunately the volume of the line output is fixed and can't be controlled using the knob.



As is tradition for iFi, the iDSD Diablo uses a Burr-Brown DAC. The company mentions "[t]he Burr-Brown True Native® chipset" in its material, so I'm taking a guess and say there is a single DAC chip in this device, leading to it not being a "true" balanced design.



On the other hand, the amount of power the iDSD Diablo gives you is astonishing and well into the territory of large desktop amplifiers. At an output power that's just short of 5 W at 32 Ω (theoretically double the output of the micro iDSD Black Label!), this device can drive anything under the Sun save for some earspeakers (e.g. Raal Requisite SR1, AKG K10000, etc). Speaking of output power, the lack of the IEMatch switch is felt when you try to use the Diablo to drive IEMs: it's just too powerful for them, so it ends up being just too loud without using an actual IEMatch or adjusting the volume via software on the source device.

Now, there's also something to be said about the steps of the gain selector. The difference between them is quite large, so going from one to the next means that you get a very large jump in volume, more so than on other amplifiers. This, coupled with the lack of an integrated IEMatch feature, means that it might be hard to use the iDSD Diablo with lower-impedance headphones.

Battery Life​

The iFi iDSD Diablo offers a whole day of activity, which clocks in at around 10 hours using relatively easy to drive headphones and the "eco" mode. The figures will probably be lower when using more demanding headphones, but the result is still quite good.

A major annoyance, though, is the lack of any indication that the battery is running out of charge and the necessity to use a second cable to power the device. "Traditional" desktop use is not quite as convenient as with previous micro iDSD devices, as you have to connect the Diablo to a charger for desktop usage - with all the inconvenience that this entails, of course. I would consider this a desktop device that you can optionally use on a battery, a bit like the Head 'n' HiFi Objective2 amplifier.

One thing about the battery is that it is always used. Even if you plug in the device to the mains outlet, that current will be used to charge the battery which is then going to power your headphones. There is just no way to use the power adapter directly to power your headphones. While this can have a good effect on audio (battery power is, by definition, clean and devoid of noise), on the other hand this might be an issue down the road, as after a few years of use I imagine the battery is going to give up and to be in need of replacement.

This also means that the iPower provided with the device is actually useless: it should theoretically offer less noise and therefore improve the performance of a connected device, but in practice this supposed positive effect is cancelled by the fact that the power to drive your headphones comes from the battery anyway.

Sound​

I tested the iFi iDSD Diablo using my notebook computer, an HP EliteBook 745 G5, and FLAC files (most ripped from CDs).

Despite removing the IEMatch feature, the iDSD Diablo is absolutely dead silent, even when using it with sensitive earphones.

Just like its predecessors, the iDSD Diablo doesn't really have a sound signature of its own that I can discern. In fact it is completely neutral to my ears, as I can hear no differences when comparing it to other DACs and amplifiers. As it offers an insane amount of power, it can drive anything I throw at it without breaking a sweat and with very good speed, too. Maybe (let's put some stress on it: maybe) there is a tad more micro-detail here compared to other devices such as, say, the nano iDSD Black Label - possibly thanks to the pitch black background.

One thing that I miss here is the various options that were there in previous models, such as XBass and 3D+, but the choice of iFi of focusing on pure performance has the side effect of removing these options.

Final Thoughts​

While thinking about what mark I should award the iFi iDSD Diablo, I thought: "you lose some, you win some". And that's exactly what has happened with the Diablo: it got some improvements over its predecessors, but at the same time it gave up some features. It's rare to see a company so hell-bent into creating a portable amplifier so powerful it beats most desktop counterparts, but here we are. And with this also come some compromises.

The iDSD Diablo has a lot of things I really like, from the incredibly powerful output to the balanced port, from the vast amount of accessories to the optical input. It also misses a few things I would have liked to see, such as an IEMatch feature to better drive sensitive earphones. All in all, though, the Diablo is incredibly competent and a great option if you want to experience the sound of very-hard-to-drive headphones with a small DAC/amp instead of large desktop devices. It's just fiendishly good at that.

Hello there! This is my first review here on Head-Fi, though I've been reviewing headphones for more than five years now.

Is it even possible to recreate a classic? They say we're living in the most nostalgic of eras and the various remakes, reboots and sequels of old films and videogames is a proof of this. What I didn't see coming was a remake of old headphones. The HiFiMAN HE-R10 are meant to be spiritual successors to the much-acclaimed Sony MDR-R10, produced between 1989 and the end of the '90s. HiFiMAN saw that the patent for the Sony MDR-R10's earcups had expired, so took the opportunity to launch their own twist on them: thus were born the HE-R10, which are offered in dynamic and planar variants. The one I'm reviewing is the planar one, also known as HE-R10P. I haven't had the luck to try the Sony MDR-R10, but their fame as some of the best-sounding headphones of all times is very well known in the industry and the reason why HiFiMAN decided to pay this "tribute" to them: will the new HE-R10P be able to carry on the legacy of the famous Sony model?

Disclaimer: the unit used in this review was loaned to me by Mark at HiFiMAN Europe. The HE-R10P retail for ~$5,500. This review was originally posted on my blog, Soundphile Review.

Packaging & Accessories


The HiFiMAN HE-R10P comes in a slightly more elaborate version of the brand's usual packaging. The box is covered in what I assume is faux leather, with a large metal plate on the top that has the HiFiMAN logo and the "HE-R10" text etched on it. Inside are the headphones, three cables (all with TRRS 3.5 mm on one side, and then 3.5 mm TRS, 6.3 mm TRS and XLR4 on the other) and a manual, which is actually a hard-cover book.

Design & Comfort


As I mentioned in the introduction, the design of the HiFiMAN HE-R10P is a direct derivation from that of the Sony MDR-R10. To put it more bluntly, HiFiMAN took the MDR-R10's design when the patent on it expired. Although that's fair from a legal standpoint, one wonders why HiFiMAN took the MDR-R10's design without changing it and making it more unique to its brand. This is what has caused a lot of drama in the community around these headphones. I'll leave it up to you to decide what to think of it from an ethical point of view as my opinion on the matter is just as good as yours.



The wood used for the earcups is quite well finished, with a very smooth finish and a choice of the cutting angles that really exposes the various veins. I absolutely love the effect, it's simply stunning. Now I have to admit I have a soft spot for wood, but these cups are just gorgeous. Come on, look at this. It's stunning.



Build quality is honestly very disappointing for headphones that cost several months of most people's salary. The headband is the same used for headphones such as the DEVA, which cost $300, and even the HE-400i 2020, which is the entry-level model at less than $200. That's not okay, HiFiMAN, not in the slightest. Especially because this headband was evidently not designed for earcups as heavy as these and the sliding mechanism has failed on my unit, so the left earcup slides down when picking up the headphones by the headband. Definitely not what I expect out of $5500 headphones - heck, my HE-560 are incredibly better on this front and they have constantly been hammered with criticisms because of their build quality. The Meze 99 Classics, which cost ~$300, look and feel infinitely more premium.



The lack of any clamping force also means that the significant weight of the HE-R10P is placed on the top of your head and if you, like me, have a sensitive scalp... then you're royally screwed. Or at least you're going to curse a lot due to the pain. The headband has poor padding, hard and unable to effectively distribute the large weight (460 g without cable!) as it is narrow, and this results in my scalp being quite unhappy about me wearing the headphones. A suspended headband design such as that used by the Susvara and Arya, or even just the Ananda or the Sundara, would have been much better: not only would it have not been cheap plastic, but it would have also better supported the weight of the headphones. HiFiMAN really needs to improve with this kind of things.



Another possible consequence of the poor clamping force is the relatively low passive isolation: I can hear what's around me perfectly when listening to music at a comfortable (~65 dB) level. There is practically no difference between the HE-R10P and my HiFiMAN HE-560, except that the R10P leak less sound outside. Yes, less sound, as at high but still sane listening levels (~80 dB) the sound is absolutely audible from outside.



The earcups padding is attached to the headphones using Velcro, so it's really easy to take it off and replace it (or just wash it). The paddings are of the slightly angled variety, so the back has a bit of additional padding in it; the difference is slight, though, and much less noticeable than with previous angled pads by HiFiMAN.



Now, the other thing the HE-R10P have in common with the DEVA is that they support the Bluemini device that can turn them into Bluetooth headphones. I tried to use one and it works quite well, even though you can definitely hear a background hiss.

The cables are finally enjoyable! By that I mean that they're soft and easy to bend, with a fabric sleeve that makes them more resistant. They do look and feel like premium cables and I commend HiFiMAN for this improvement. The only complaint I might advance is the lack of a 2.5 mm or 4.4 mm option to take advantage of portable sources.

Sound & Specs
I tested the HiFiMAN HE-R10P using my trusty Topping DX7 connected with RCA cables to my Drop THX AAA 789 amplifier. The largest part of source files were FLACs in standard resolution.



HiFiMAN is famous for having manufactured some of the hardest-to-drive headphones in history. Not so with the HE-R10P, which sound just fine even with portable amplifiers or - dare I say it - DAPs and even laptops and smartphones. Yes, the HE-R10P don't require much power at all, thanks to their low impedance and high sensitivity. You don't need a multi-thousand-quid setup to get the best out of them, really. A humble Topping A30 does the job quite nicely, despite all those who say "but you need more power!" as if physics was just an opinion (spoiler: it's not!).



What I expected before trying the HE-R10P was a large, expansive soundstage that would rival open-back headphones. What I immediately realised is that there's no such thing, however, as soundstage is actually not that wide. Yes, it does have a good amount of space in it, but it's as if you were in a spacious living room, not in a concert hall. There's a good amount of depth that also helps with imaging, but the HE-R10P are unmistakably closed-back in this regard: you definitely hear that the sound comes from headphones on your head (and the imposing weight and uncomfortable headband also do their best to remind you of this).

On the other hand, the imaging on the HE-R10P is absolutely insane! I'm not one to make bold, sensational claims, but the imaging really is in a league of its own. You feel entirely immersed in the sound, as if there was a 3D effect somewhere that places instruments not only at your sides and in front of you, but behind you as well - it's a truly immersive experience that places you at the centre of the stage, and the effect is almost as if you were in your own private home theatre setup. It really stands apart.

It's quite easy to tell the different instruments apart even in very complicated and layered tracks; not only that, but smaller details are also easy to spot even with instruments in the background. The HE-R10P do a wonderful job at allowing you to focus on specific instruments and in keeping every one of them apart from the others.

The HiFiMAN HE-R10P offers all of the features that people look for in planar bass: good linearity down to 20 Hz, physicality, speed and control. In fact there is a lot of bass if you listen to the right track: Solar Field's Cobalt 2.5 has this massive wall of bass that is thrown at you with relentless force and the HE-R10P deliver this sensation really well. Due to the way the signature was done, though, in general I'd say that the HE-R10P's bass is not so much as reserved, but more-or-less neutral: AC/DC's Let me put my love into you is an example of this, as bass is undoubtedly there, but it's left behind everything else. The influence of the closed earcups, if it's even there, is barely noticeable: bass is really fast and lacks that kind of reverberation that you usually hear with closed-back headphones, having instead the agility and swiftness (and openness, in a sense) of open-back headphones. In Aes Dana's wonderful Inks you can really feel the texture, so much so that you can almost touch it. HiFiMAN managed to get the best of both worlds in several ways , which is a great achievement requiring recognition.

Midrange is definitely the centrepiece of these headphones - it is the appetizer, first course, second course and dessert. The first thing you notice is the resolution: micro-details abound and you can really get into those even when you listen to background instruments, which shows how far the technical ability of these headphones can go. They're so resolving they approach the power of electrostats, falling just short of them. The other thing that you notice is that mids are damn thin. There's a decently large emphasis on the upper region which lends many instruments additional liveliness and fun, but which makes male voices sound as if they lacked body and female voices sound excessively breathy, as if there was excessive emphasis on the breathing nature of the voice. This makes voices unnatural and fatiguing in the long run as they sound a bit aggressive. This tuning is great for classic rock where electric guitars abound, as they get more bite, but I found it is just a bit too bright for basically anything else. To put this into perspective, the emphasis is more audible than it is on earphones such as the Tin HiFi T2 which are already considered quite bright.

Treble is superbly detailed and presents even micro-details in a way that makes them apparent and makes hearing them effortless, you don't even have to concentrate to get them. And that's honestly great, as it is the kind of thing I expect from high-end equipment: to basically do a bit of work for me to be able to better appreciate the music. The HE-R10P have a very good extension that lends their treble a good sense of air and openness. It's really a light treble, as it is clearly audible and it's not fatiguing at all, adding lightness and ease to the sound. There's one issue, though: there is a dip around 5 kHz that make violins, among other instruments that operate in the lower area, sound less convincing and present than they should, and this is true for all instruments whose harmonics are in this area. A boost by 3 dB makes the situation much better and restores the balance, making voices more realistic as well. Cymbals are especially impacted, as they sound less incisive and defined than they should. There's then a small peak around 10 kHz which can become fatiguing with the right track: in Azymuth's famous Jazz Carnival the synth harmonics at the end of the track are boosted over the comfort level and become harsh.

Mind you, this is nitpicking, but with headphones in this price range I expect them not to have flaws like this. It's not even a matter of what I personally like or not: in fact I really enjoy the R-10P, as they are easily among the most interesting headphones I've tried. I've even tried using them for gaming (heresy, I know) and they are just out of this world for that due to their wonderful imaging. But the thing I need to ask myself when I review products is: what is their price/performance ratio? That ratio is influenced by the flaws of the headphones and if the price is really high, then it's easy to get a ratio that's not favourable. With a higher price come greater responsibilities, to paraphrase a famous spidery quote, so even smaller flaws need to be reported, discussed and judged.

Final Thoughts
It's quite rare for a product to generate a high amount of controversy before even being launched. However that's exactly what has happened with the HiFiMAN HE-R10P. Their design, which was taken as-is from the Sony R10, is what caused all this controversy: legally it's all good, since the patents covering the design expired, but from a broader moral perspective? It's a much less clear-cut situation. Now, if I were Fang Bian, as an enthusiast with the ability to reproduce the design of a highly sought-after product, I would probably go with it... but I would also include my own touch, as that's the difference between a copycat and a tribute. As a musical metaphor, it's like publishing a cover of a famous song making it exactly identical: okay, that's actually good, but where's your personal touch? I would have loved to see more HiFiMAN touches on this, beyond the headband - which is ironically the single largest issue with how the headphones are built. This is my opinion which, again, is just as good as yours, so I encourage you to share your own.

All considered, the HE-R10P deserve an 8/10 mark. That's because their build quality is not up to standards, there is a large dip around 5 kHz and a spike around 10 kHz, the soundstage is small, and the tuning is only really good for some specific genres: those wouldn't be big issues on $500 headphones, but on $5,500 ones - eleven times as much? I expect issues like these not to be there or, if they are, to be smaller.

Don't get me wrong, the HiFiMAN HE-R10P have a lot going for them: their imaging is absolutely superb, their resolution displays even micro-details effortlessly, the bass hits just about the right spot, the speed and physicality of the driver are great. All of these are the reason why I decided to give them 8/10, despite their limitations. Had they not sounded so good, I'm not sure I'd have given them such a mark - even though I can't help but put the spotlight on the fact that you really want a higher mark for a headphone that costs this much.

If you really like genres such as rock, where the emphasis on the midrange can make a good difference, and if you are a fan of the earcups, the HiFiMAN HE-R10P are surely a very interesting headphone. But, exactly because they are top-of-the-line headphones, their flaws can't be ignored and require careful consideration.