iFi audio hip-dac2 Portable USB DAC/Amp Combo

Wanted to love this product as it’s beautifully designed and looks really cool. I was ready to go all in and buy a leather case for it to make it look like a canteen, but the sound of this device didn’t agree with me. On the surface, the sound signature is much like other iFi products: warm, chocolatey, buttery smooth, but with punch (when bass boost is activated), great imagining, but a bit lacking in detail compared to Sabre/AKM DACs. What ultimately made me return this unit was the lack of adjustment on the bass boost feature. With bass boost turned off (Xbass as it’s called here), the sound is way too bass lite, but when I put it on, it sounds far better but it’s also too much and on certain passages of music (electronic, pop I mainly listen to) it sounds too boomy and bloated. The iFi Zen Dac gives you the option to choose between low and high bass boost, this unit however only lets you choose between on or off. The iFi Go Blu (which also offers Xspace) has a much more subtle implementation of Bass boost that for me worked well. This Hip Dac ought to be a step up from that product and offer you as much or more flexibility in terms of that but it doesn’t. I found myself having to choose between too much bass or no bass at all. If this product simply provided a low vs high option, it would have been a keeper for me, but for the price it’s too limited on features compared to the GoBlue and the bass boost compared to that product I found to be too overbearing. If iFi could make it so that the bass boost button could clicked a few times to switch between a low mode and a high mode for bass boost, that would make me reconsider one of these in the future.

Gear used:

Ath AD1000x, Ath R70x, final b3

The new hip dac 2:

iFi Audio hit the homerun with the original Hip-DAC. It had excellent build, the design was unique, and the sound was different to most in the market with a warm, rich tuning that could power most reasonable headphones and IEMs.

The release of the Hip-DAC2 came as a surprise to me as I didn’t think the Hip-DAC was being outperformed by its peers. In fact, the Hip-DAC is still on of the best portable DAC/Amps under $250. On paper it appears that the Hip-DAC2 is mostly geared towards Tidal enthusiasts, having a major improvement in MQA decoding capabilities.

Let’s see if the Hip-DAC2 can prove itself to be just as good as its predecessor.

This review originally appeared on Audioreviews.

Note: the ratings given will be subjective to the price tier. iFi Audio was kind enough to send me the Hip-DAC2 as a loaner.

Earphones/Headphones used: Dunu Zen, Dunu Zen Pro, Final FI-BA-SS, Campfire Andromeda 2020, Sennheiser HD650, Sennheiser HD560S, Final Sonorous III.
Firmware versions: 7.30, 7.3b
Price, while reviewed: 190 euros. Can be bought from WOD Audio.

Click to expand...

PHYSICAL THINGS AND USABILITY​

PACKAGING AND ACCESSORIES​

iFi Audio went for a minimalist package with the Hip-DAC2. You get the essentials: a type-C to USB type-A female cable (for connecting to phones), a USB type-A male to female cable (for connecting with the PC), and a type-C to USB type-A male cable for charging.

There is an optional case that you can buy but it cost 29 euros extra.

BUILD QUALITY​

Build quality of the Hip-DAC2 mimics that of the original Hip-DAC and it is excellent. The housing is sandblasted aluminium with a Sunset Orange color scheme (vs Petrol Blue on the original). The volume pot has a silver-gray finish this time around whereas the OG had a golden knob.



There are two buttons on the left side of the volume pot (xBass and PowerMatch respectively) and two headphone outputs on the right side (4.4mm balanced and 3.5mm single-ended). The bottom of the device houses a USB type-A male port for connecting to devices, and a type-C port for charging.



The volume pot also acts as a power button and has two LEDs on both sides to indicate remaining charge (white for >75%, green for >25%, and red for >10% capacity). These LEDs also show the current sample rate and file format. The following image shows all the colors and their corresponding sample rate or format (image courtesy of iFi Audio).




Engaging either xBass or PowerMatch lights up the tiny white LEDs underneath the buttons. Overall, excellent build quality with no noticeable room for improvement.
5/5

HANDLING​

The Hip-DAC2 is fairly lightweight at 125gm, but due to the 70mm width can be awkward to hold in hand. This becomes more noticeable when you’re stacking the DAC/Amp with a large phone (most modern phones are large anyway). As a result, I preferred to use the Hip-DAC2 with my laptop rather than on-the-go with my phone. Also, the aluminium shell is quite slippery, so not the best experience when using as a portable device.
3.5/5



BATTERY LIFE
Clocking at around 8hrs of playback time, the battery life on the Hip-DAC2 is decent if unremarkable. The 2200mAh battery pack could have been upgraded over the original but that would increase weight and thickness so it’s a compromise iFi has to make. Recharging takes about 3 hours on a typical phone charger.
3.5/5

INTERNAL HARDWARE​

iFi Audio are most comfortable with using the BurrBrown chipset and here it appears again. The BB DSD1793 chipset offers native DSD encoding and with the updated XMOS controller can now decode MQA files at a hardware level. This feature, admittedly, is of little use to non-TIdal HiFi users but it doesn’t hurt to have an extra feature.



The potentiometer is fully analog, thus not facing some of the limitations that digital potentiometers may have. However, being analog in nature, it may degrade over time. The Global Master Timing clock has been upgraded here over the original Hip-DAC. The amp sections remains unchanged on paper, with quad JFET OV4627 op-amps (customized for iFi Audio). The amp circuit also uses a dual-mono design for the balanced output.



Other extras include the xBass feature which is an analog EQ and mostly aims to “fix” the sub-bass roll-off issue on open-back headphones. In reality, many open-back headphones suffer from distortion in those regions and applying an EQ might cause further distortion and clipping. The other feature is the PowerMatch button that acts as a gain switch for headphones (iFi advises keeping it off for sensitive IEMs).

Speaking of power outputs, the Hip-DAC2 outputs 0.4W @ 32ohms from the balanced out and 280mW @ 32ohms from the single-ended output (which also supports their proprietary S-balanced tech). The voltage swing can go as high as 6.3Vrms from the balanced out and this comes handy when driving high impedance dynamic driver headphones.

The PCB design is excellent and the components are high quality so I have no qualms about the internals of the Hip-DAC2. I would have loved it even more had it had a true line-out with fixed voltage output. Pairing the Hip-DAC with external amps could make it a great desktop solution. Maybe something for the Hip-DAC3.

TONALITY AND TECHNICALITIES​

The general sound of the iFi Hip-DAC2 can be summarized as warm-neutral. It has the characteristic iFi Audio warmth with smooth treble and an engaging midrange. The bass is mostly neutral but can be pushed higher with the xBass switch.

One area where the Hip-DAC2 falls short of its peers is the soundstage width. You won’t have the stage width of some of the ESS chipset-based DACs in the price range. On the plus side, the imaging was precise for the most part, provided you have headphones/IEMs with good imaging. Treble also doesn’t exhibit the rather common “glare” you find in many dongles these days.

One thing to note is that changing the firmware can bring subtle changes to the sound due to changes in reconstruction filter. I used both the default 7.30 firmware and the 7.3b firmware. The former had a more laid-back treble and had a slightly wider stage, while the latter had sharper treble with more up-front upper-mids. Do note that these are subtle changes and won’t drastically alter the sound.

Overall transparency and resolution was good for the price point, though again I could hear some roll-off in the upper-treble frequencies and separation was nothing exceptional. Moreover, the background hiss is noticeable with sensitive IEMs, so if you want a very dark background the Hip-DAC2 will disappoint.

PAIRING NOTES​

Sennheiser HD650​

The Sennheiser HD650 is one of the few headphones that scale according to the source quality. On paper, the Hip-DAC2 has the required voltage swing to power it, but reality is a mixed bag. The HD650 got loud from the balanced out but lacked the dynamics it can display on a more powerful amp. Separation was not the best either. I would not recommend the Hip-DAC2 for such high impedance dynamic drivers if you want to maximize their potential.

Final Sonorous III​

Final Sonorous III are closed back pair of headphones and very efficient. Despite the efficiency they are quite transparent to source quality. The Hip-DAC2 drove them excellently with no loss in dynamics and the bass was quite pleasant. The upper-mids had more glare than usual, though, and the treble extension was lacking somewhat. Nonetheless, I would call the Hip-DAC2 a good pairing for efficient dynamic driver headphones.

Hifiman Sundara​

On the planar magnetic side, we have the Hifiman Sundara. With a 94dB @ 37ohms efficiency, these are not the easiest headphones to drive. The Hip-DAC2 did get them loud with good enough dynamics. Moreover, the xBass switch was handy to add some slam and physicality to Sundara’s otherwise flat, dry bass. I would call these two a good pairing, though Sundara can do better when paired with high end amps.

Dunu Zen and Dunu Zen Pro​

The Dunu Zen and Zen Pro both exhibited hiss from the balanced out of the Hip-DAC. However, the overall sound was quite pleasant. The Hip-DAC2 was not as resolving as the Questyle CMA-400i or Lotoo PAW 6000 with the Dunu Zen and Zen Pro, but none of its $200 peers sound any better with these IEMs so there’s that.



In general, the Hip-DAC2 pairs well with moderately efficient IEMs and some inefficient ones. The warm signature complements somewhat analytical headphones and IEMs. On the other hand, I would not recommend it for power-hungry planar magnetic headphones and IEMs, or very high impedance dynamic driver headphones. Headphones and IEMs with a warm tonality might not be the best pairing as well, e.g. Final E5000.

SELECT COMPARISONS​

vs iFi Hip-DAC​

There is little to externally differentiate between the original Hip-DAC and the Hip-DAC2 other than the different paintjob. In terms of sound, the changes are mostly minor. The Hip-DAC2 has more transparency in the upper-mids (OG Hip-DAC sounded smoothed out in that region) and slightly wider stage. The imaging also seems somewhat more precise though I’m not too convinced about this improvement.

Most noticeable difference will be for those who believe in MQA. I am not an MQA user and these supposed improvements were thus untested. I mostly stuck with DSD and PCM files and for those, the OG iFi Hip-DAC is nearly as good as the newer version.

vs Apogee Groove​

Apogee Groove has a very different amp architecture and is not really smartphone-friendly due to its higher power-draw and lack of internal battery. The amp architecture is also very different and has a very high output-impedance that messes with most multi-driver IEMs.

I found the Groove to pair really well with high impedance dynamic driver headphones, esp the HD650 and the likes. Some inefficient single-dynamic IEMs like the Final E5000 also pair excellently with the Groove. Unfortunately, the Groove is abysmal with low-impedance low-sensitivity planar magnetic headphones. They are also not as intuitive to operate as the Hip-DAC and lacks the xBass/PowerMatch features.

Overall, the Hip-DAC2 is more universal whereas the Groove is superb with a select few headphones and IEMs but below-par with the rest.

CONCLUDING REMARKS​

Holistically, the iFi Hip-DAC2 is a minor improvement over the original. I don’t think existing Hip-DAC owners need to upgrade to the Hip-DAC2 unless they are fully into the Tidal ecosystem and appreciates hardware MQA decoding.

That being said, those who are looking for a battery-powered DAC/Amp for desktop or laptop use and occasional phone pairing, the Hip-DAC2 is pretty much one of the best under $200. The original Hip-DAC is still available at Amazon Germany and costs $20 less, but I think you can just get the newer version since the price increase is marginal.

The Hip-DAC2 remains one of the best portable DAC/Amps under $200 and rightly earns my recommendation for using with desktops and laptops. Sadly, it is still not a good pairing for sensitive IEMs and leaves room for improvement when powering planar magnetic headphones. Something’s gotta give, after all.

iFi Hip Dac V2
Hi Guys,

Today we are back to a review of an iFi Audio piece of gear. Their new Hip DAC V2. For the rest of this review, I will refer to it as the “V2.”

The V2 is the same size as the V1 Hip DAC from iFi. It embraces a new orange colour, with a silver volume knob vs. the blue paint, and gold knob of the original. The V2 has an upgraded XMOS USB processing chip, full MQA decoding, and a new crystal clock which supposedly helps overall sound quality. I don’t care about MQA at all to be honest, but the other changes are nice little upgrades that will help the overall quality of the unit.

The V2 has a 3.5mm output which uses iFi’s “S-Balanced” tech, and also has a 4.4mm output for fully balanced use. Also on the front panel are a low/high gain selector, and an XBASS selector, which is iFi’s take on a simple bass boost, done in the analog domain.

Nice and Portable
On the rear of the device, there is iFi’s usual type A USB for data, and also a USB-C port for charging. Now, I understand that separating these two inputs has benefits for noise, especially from the charging side. I will be honest though, this is probably my only large gripe with the unit. I don’t really see a device aimed at a more “consumer” market, and everyday use VS “High end” use, needing this separation of power and data. For this type of device I’m a huge fan of a “one and done” type of connection. It’s frustrating to have the two cables going from your laptop to deliver the data, and also keep the battery charging. It’s not a huge deal, just something I don’t fully agree with on this type of device.

Speaking of the battery, depending on the headphones you are using, you will get about 7-8 hours out of a fully charged V2, which is enough I find. Its not class leading, but it’s certainly enough for a few hours at a coffee shop, or 6-7 hours on a flight. That sort of thing.

The overall sound of the V2 is fairly in line with iFi’s other equipment, but obviously on a scaled down level. I find it somewhat warm, but not syrupy or gooey. The V2 is a bit brighter than other iFi gear that I’ve listened too. Overall detail levels are totally inline with the price point, but also not a strong point. I don’t really think that is the point of this piece of gear though. The XBASS is great with headphones that are a bit bass light, but I found with neutral or bass heavy headphones, it was a bit strong. Thus, with the headphones I have, I preferred to just dial in my preferred bass levels with EQ, rather than the units own bass adjustment.

Front View
With 400mw into 32ohms from the balanced output, that Hip DAC has enough power for most easier to drive headphones. I wouldn’t recommend it for something very difficult to drive, other than a back up option. However, with something like the Meze Empyrean, or ELITE, it’s a great match for a portable option. I only have fairly difficult (in IEM terms) IEM’s on hand, and I had no problems with hiss using them with the V2. I have read other users report a bit hiss with very sensitive IEMs. In this case I would recommend using iFi’s “ear buddy” or “IEmatch” dongles, which will cut the hiss out. Obviously, it’s not ideal, but at the price point and size of the V2, I can’t see iFi managing to build all their features internally. If you want IEmatch built in, their new XDSD Gryphon might be worth a look. I haven’t had a chance to hear that piece of gear yet, but its feature set is astounding. However, it is double the price of the V2, so that’s entirely understandable.

Rear View
In terms of comparisons, I wanted to find something that was similar to the V2 to compare it with. I found a Fiio Q3 on craigslist for 100 dollars, so I snapped that up, and have been doing back and forth listening with the units. The Q3 is a little bit longer length wise, and the V2 is a little bit wider, but they are largely the same size. They also have mostly comparable specifications, with the V2 being slightly more powerful. The Q3 does have a single input cable, which I appreciate. The Q3 sounds a bit leaner, less presence in the mids. It also has a tiny bit sharpness in the highs vs iFi. Detail levels are largely similar, with the iFi taking the edge. The Fiio retails at $150USD, and the V2 retails at $300USD. I think if you just need a back up option for occasional use, I would get the Q3. However, if this is going to be your main piece of source gear, and you will use it often, it would be worth springing the extra cash for the V2.

Hip Dac V2, with the Fiio Q3
Overall, I think the Hip DAC V2 does what it is designed to do very well. It isn’t a top of the line piece of gear, nor does it sound like one. However, if you need an option that you can plug into your laptop, or use on the go on a flight, or similar, it makes a very compelling case for its use. It can drive a large segment of the headphone market with no problems, has gain and bass boost options to tailor the sound further, and has a very solid battery lifetime should you need to go free from being plugged in. I think that for a large segment of people using headphones, the V2 might fit them very, very well, and would certainly be a huge upgrade from simply using their laptops built in headphone output. This is where the V2 shines, and is at its best.

If it fits your use case, and headphones or IEMs, the V2 is certainly worth checking out, and is a great, tiny little piece of source equipment. The fact it looks great too, is just a bonus

The ifi HIP-DAC2 comes in the same style box same assortment of cables and basically same metal body with cool orange coloring. Inside there are a lot of micro changes and upgrades. It still is built exceptional and has that ifi sound we love so much.

Specifications
DAC chip: Burr Brown True Native DSD1793
The XMOS 16-Core chip
Formats supported:
DSD 256/128/64, Quad/Double/Single-Speed
PCM 384/352.8/192/176.4/96/88.2/48/44.1kHz
DXD 384/352.8kHz
MQA 384/352.8kHz
Digital Inputs USB 3.0 Type 'A' (USB2.0 compatible)
Headphone Outputs:
Balanced 4.4mm
S-Balanced (S-E) 3.5mm
Power Output (@1% THD):
Balanced 400mW@32Ω; 6.3V@600Ω
S-Balanced (S-E) 280mW@32Ω; 3.2V@600Ω
Power System:
Charging via USB-C, BC V1.2 compliant up to 1000mA charging current and 6.3 volts
Power (max): <2W idle, 4W max
Dimensions:
102 x 70 x 14mm
4.0" x 2.8" x 0.6"
Weight: 125g (0.28 lbs)
Performance : Is the same as the green gen one hip-dac same power and portability we love.
Balanced
S-Balanced (S-E) 400mW@32Ω; 6.3V@600Ω
280mW@32Ω; 3.2V@600Ω

Sound:
The hip-dac 2 presents with that classic analog sound.

Bass and Mid Bass have some elevation and some warmth is present in the lower Mids but overall performance in Neutral / Balanced and XBass is still quite tasteful and well implemented just adding a extra bit of power to the low end without the muddy consequences of some other Bass boosts. Bass has good control and depth.

Mids the Midrange is presented with both warmth in the lower and clarity throughout. good details and the neutrality are pleasant to my ears.
Treble presents with a nice extension and just a slight lift in the upper highs , no harshness and for the most part are neutral and detailed.
Soundstage: Is open and a little more spacious than the previous Hip-Dac, though not overly wide it has a good natural width with a little more depth. imaging is good as well and improved slightly.

Conclusion:
If you already own the Hip-1 then the 2 might not be worth the upgrade as it is a little better and slightly more detailed. Its more of the same but better and I for one like it because the portability and power are great in this price range.

Hi friends!

Autumn reigns supreme in the city, and the trees turn yellow every day. Well, we have our own "ginger" in our editorial office - an updated version of the USB-DAC / AMP Hip-DAC with the index "2" from the British brand iFi audio.

It must be said that his predecessor gained wide fame among music lovers around the world and won a lot of awards in the most prestigious audio publications for his outstanding abilities.
And so, when I took our current ginger hero out of the box and put it next to the green predecessor, they formed a single harmonious color picture, becoming a wonderful artistic and musical display of how autumn repaints the city outside our windows.

However, let's put aside the romantic mood and return to our "hippies". I'll run ahead and say right away that the newcomer has hardly changed in appearance, but at the same time he began to sing even more interesting. Read all the important details in the review itself, to which let's immediately move on.







Specifications
DAC chip: Burr Brown True Native DSD1793
The XMOS 16-Core chip
Formats supported:
DSD 256/128/64, Quad/Double/Single-Speed
PCM 384/352.8/192/176.4/96/88.2/48/44.1kHz
DXD 384/352.8kHz
MQA 384/352.8kHz
Digital Inputs USB 3.0 Type 'A' (USB2.0 compatible)
Headphone Outputs:
Balanced 4.4mm
S-Balanced (S-E) 3.5mm
Power Output (@1% THD):
Balanced 400mW@32Ω; 6.3V@600Ω
S-Balanced (S-E) 280mW@32Ω; 3.2V@600Ω
Power System:
Charging via USB-C, BC V1.2 compliant up to 1000mA charging current and 6.3 volts
Power (max): <2W idle, 4W max
Dimensions:
102 x 70 x 14mm
4.0" x 2.8" x 0.6"
Weight: 125g (0.28 lbs)


Text: Alexey Kashirskey (aka Hans Barbarossa)



Appearance and kit

A neat white box with the iFi logo, in which the device rests, in addition to the obligatory golden square of Hi-Res Audio in such cases, also has a sticker with five stars from the editorial office "What Hi-Fi?" There is also a photo of our current hero and his occupation: Hip DAC2 portable dac / headphone amp. Detailed specifications can be found on the side and back of the package.







We eagerly open the box and extract all the contents from it: Hip-DAC 2 in a new color appearance, a blue USB cable for connecting to a PC and two black short wires for transferring data to the device from a digital signal source and for recharging from a power adapter or PowerBank. The latter, it seems to me, could have been a little more authentic, but oh well. For this purpose, you can use a cable and a power adapter from a smartphone. A manual and a warranty card complete the standard kit.









The company has also released an elegant case that is compatible with both the first and second version of the Hip-DAC, which is sold separately. It is made in the colors "Dove gray", the material is eco-suede.









Well, now let's get down to admiring, without this, in the case of iFi products, it will not work. Like its predecessor, the Hip-DAC 2 looks like an exquisite flask, which an English aristocrat must take with him on a hunt in cold weather in order to sip from it from time to time and feel how cognac aged for many years in barrels fills the whole body with warmth. Believe me, our musical "flask" has the same beneficial effect on the listener.

Hip-DAC 2 rectangular (12 cm x 7 cm x 1.4 cm) with smooth rounded sides, material - aluminum. Matte Sunset Orange with a black iFI logo in the center. Well, we expect the popularity of this color to grow in the fashion world. I tell you exactly, because the Hip-DAC of the first version set the tone in the entire fashion industry with its OXIDIZE color last year!









On the front of the HipDAC2 are two silver named buttons: PowerMatch for boost and XBass for bass boost. When switched on, they are illuminated with white LEDs. In the middle there is a round volume control, similar to a flask lid, thereby completing the image. It is followed by two headphone outputs: 4.4 mm balanced (Pentacon) and 3.5 mm regular stereo / SE balanced. The ribbed "lid" - a twist around the circumference also changes the backlight depending on the audio format and the frequency of the transmitted signal:

Yellow: PCM 44.1 / 48kHz
White: PCM 88.2 / 96 / 176.4 / 192 / 352.8 / 384kHz
Cyan: DSD 64/128
Red: DSD 256
Green: MQA
Blue: MQA Studio
Magenta: Original Sample Rate * (* MQB)









The rear panel has a USB type-A input for connecting to a PC or smartphone. To work with Apple devices, you will additionally need a Lightning Audio cable, but for Android adherents, everything is already included. Here, a little to the right, there is a place for a USB type-C connector, which is responsible for charging the device. Under it is a LED indicator that signals to us about the battery charge level:

White: > 75%
Green: > 25%
Red: > 10%
Red flashing: ≤ 10%
If there is no light, then the electricity in the device has run out or it is turned off / fully charged.

The battery capacity is 2200 mAh, and according to the manufacturer, depending on the connected headphones and the files being played, the Hip-DAC 2 can work for about 8 hours on a single charge. In my experience of use, it turned out that way: about 7-8 hours is pretty good for such a kid.









Now let's see what's new in the second version besides the colors:
New low-jitter GMT oscillator
New 16-core XMOS chip with full MQA support
Supports formats up to: PCM384 and DSD256
Outputs: 4.4mm balanced (Pentacon) and 3.5mm normal stereo / (added) SE balanced


In general, I get the impression that in addition to the above innovations, the iFi audio engineers also made some changes to the circuitry of the device, since the Hip-DAC 2 sounds a little more interesting than its predecessor. But let's talk about this in the next part of our review.


So, forward to the sound experience!



Sound Impressions

iFi Hip DAC 2 uses Burr-Brown DSD1793 DAC chip with True Native architecture.

The circuit includes a number of high quality components carefully selected to work in the audio context, including a dedicated iFi OV op amp, TDK C0G ceramic premium capacitors, a precision low noise power supply from Texas Instruments, and an analog volume control.


The following IEM/CIEM/Headphones were used for listening / testing:
Vision Ears VE8/VE7/VE4.2, SoftEars RSV/RS10, InEar ProMission X/PP8, FIR Audio M5, 64 Audio A12t, PHONON 4400 & Beyerdynamic DT 250/250ohm.


Digital signal sources: xDuoo X10t II digital transport, Huawei p20 pro smartphone (USB Audio Player PRO), Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 plus, ASUS VivoBook Pro laptop and PC.
The device played very well with all the headphones/IEM, no genre deviations were noticed.







The sound difference between the first and second version of the Hip-DAC is not striking, but, nevertheless, it is distinguishable in direct comparison and manifests itself in nuances.

If the device of the first version delivers sound massively, deeply, together and very musically, then a beginner, with a similar manner, pays more attention to small details, speed and practicing attacks. But overall, the tonal balance of both audio units remains similar.








The blow is powerful, with a crisp clap. Bass parts are worked out more precisely and bitingly, in a massive, but at the same time neutral manner. The focus here is on the midrange. This register is transmitted cleanly, in detail, with proper expression. I would say that Mids in the second version took a slightly more analytical manner in comparison with the melodious rendering of this register in the predecessor. The high-frequency range is worked out a little cleaner and more accurately, but again, this becomes especially noticeable when listening to some paired compositions and in certain Headphones / IEMs.

The sound of Hip-DAC 2 can be described as well-balanced, clean, with excellent transmission of the emotional component, solid attack training, display of micro and macro nuances, excellent speed characteristics and amazing musicality. The musical canvas is drawn with extraordinary vividness, relief, richness and contrast, in a neutral manner.

From the very first minutes of listening, this device impresses with a decent resolution and a rather sprawling stereo panorama, with precise localization of apparent sound sources in space, where each musical instrument is clearly in its place.

This is a sweet-voiced manner of sound with a wide dynamic range, excellent technicality and a light, emotional color. All material Hip-DAC 2 delivers quite reliably, thoroughly and very musically. There is both drive, and pressure, and a light unforgettable charm.









Bass parts sound accurate, energetic, with enviable articulation and a good depiction of depth. They are well built, weighty and have excellent speed characteristics.

The midbass area is served tightly and accurately, in a neutral key, which allows us to speak of a comfortable, plastic and very melodic manner. The beat is precise and biting, it sounds massive, dynamic, with the correct phrasing and proper volume, without encroaching on the mids.


The mids are clean, smooth and intelligible, with good detail, decent resolution and even tonal balance. The emotional component of the composition is conveyed in an extremely naturalistic way. Stringed instruments and winds sound chiseled and clean, guitar riffs cut through the air, vocal parts excite the ear and are so impressive that sometimes it takes their breath away, and piano overflows catch the soul with their skillful and graceful manner: everything is beautiful, at ease and with a proper shade of expression. The positioning of the instruments in space is clearly verified and realistic.


High frequencies are transmitted accurately, in detail and legibly, with good articulation, and enviable correctness. In general, they have a good resolution, are served comfortably and lingeringly, adding contrast and airiness to the overall picture, do not excite the ear and contribute to long-term listening to music.









I will also note the ability to add bass using the Xbass function. This option works correctly here.



Conclusion

As is the case with its green predecessor, there is absolutely nothing to criticize the iFi Hip-DAC 2 for, the newcomer deserves only praise.

The device immediately captivates with its clean, interesting and mature sound, looks stunning, and its compact size allows you to take it with you wherever you go.

Well, the development of streaming services such as Tidal, Spotify, Deezer and others makes this DAC/AMP the perfect companion for your smartphone, tablet or laptop. So, if you are looking for a reliable and convenient audio partner for your gadget, then purchasing the Hip-DAC 2, in my opinion, is the perfect choice.

The cost of the novelty is also pleasing. At the time of writing, the iFi Hip-DAC 2 has a suggested retail price of approximately $ 189. Considering all the advantages of the device, I recommend Hip-DAC 2 for purchase without the slightest hesitation.

TL;DR​

With improvements in its detail and separation, the iFi hip dac2 is a worthy upgrade to the original.

Intro​

Back in January of 2020, iFi dropped a new battery-powered portable amp that was slimmer and lighter than anything they had released to date. It was called the hip-dac, named as such because the design resembled a hip flask.

I felt the design was ingenious because the flask shape was a tried and tested concept of pocketability, plus it looked pretty slick. In my review, I raved about its ability to drive full-size headphones with enthusiasm, and I‌ also loved the crisp, transparent sound.

I plainly wasn’t alone, because the hip dac has proven to be extremely popular. I talk to folks all the time who profess their love for its sound.

Well, at the beginning of this month, iFi unveiled the sequel, the $189 hip dac2. It’s $20 more than the original, and while the looks/features are pretty much the same (outside of a cool new orange paint job), the internals have received similar upgrades to its desktop cousin, the ZEN Dac V2 (our review here).

These enhancements are said to make the hip dac2 more transparent than its predecessor, as well as open the door for full MQA decoding, which the first one didn’t do.



So the question is with the first hip dac being so good, can the new one improve significantly on its ability to provide one of the best battery-powered DAC/Amp experiences for under $200?

Or,

if you already have the hip-dac, should you upgrade to the new one?

Well read on, and I’ll let you what I think!

Disclaimer: The review unit I have on hand is provided on loan by iFi Audio. No input has been given regarding the content contained in this evaluation. The hip dac2 will be returned at the end of my trial.

Specs​

Build/Features​

So, as I said earlier, externally the hip dac2 looks almost exactly like the original, save the new metallic orange color. The size and weight, noted above, remain the same.

I was ok with the teal blue on the first hip dac, but I LOVE the orange on the new model. It just looks more premium to me, like those Audi R8’s that come in a similar color.

That said, features and power are the same, with output rated at 2.0V / 400mW @ 32 ohms via the 4.4mm balanced jack and 280mW @ 32 ohms via the 3.5mm unbalanced jack. iFi’s excellent XBass processing for bass boost returns as well, along with their PowerMatch 2-level gain control. They also use the same volume control pot.


On the rear of the unit, they have brought back their unique USB-A connector with allows the use of USB OTG cables as well as the Apple Lightning to USB Camera Adapter for connection to iPhones.

As with the first hip dac, the USB-A connector will not charge the battery (rated for 8 hrs.), for that you have to use the USB-C port next to it. Battery life is good, but watch out for a decrease in sound quality when the battery gets low.

As far as the DAC chip, the hip dac 2 uses the same Burr-Brown chip as the original and therefore supports the same audio files: PCM up to 32-bit/384kHz, and DSD 256 (11.2 MHz).

So What’s The Difference?​

So far, I’ve spent a lot of time talking about the similarities between the first and second hip dac, so I’m sure you’re wondering about the differences.

Well, as I said before, the differences are mostly internal. To begin with, like the new ZEN Dac V2, the hip dac2 now has a 16-core XMOS processor/microcontroller pulled from the flagship Diablo and NEO DAC/amps.

This chip, which processes data received via USB, is now said to deliver double the clock speed and four times the memory of the old 8-core chip.

Because of the new XMOS chipset, the hip dac2 also becomes a full MQA decoder like the iFi Diablo, NEO, and ZEN Dac 2. This means that it does all the MQA processing inside of the DAC, and because of this, it can authenticate “MQA Studio” files, which are files where the sound is supposedly approved by the artist/producer or verified by the copyright owner.


A blue light on the front of the DAC signifies “provenance”, which in MQA parlance means you’re playing an MQA Studio file and hearing the exact sound that was approved in the studio.


The original hip-dac was just an MQA “renderer”, which means it could only play MQA files that were first decoded by software like the TIDAL app.

This is significant because there are very few battery-powered full MQA Decoders that are as compact and have the same level of power output as the hip dac2.

According to iFi, the new hip dac also has an upgraded crystal clock which removes more jitter or digital distortion than the one in the first model.

Sound​

For my sound tests, I connected the hip dac2 both to my HP Envy X360 laptop and my Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra using the included USB-C adapter. As far as headphones go, I used the $350 Hifiman SUNDARA, as it’s relatively neutral and matches up pricewise.

To test the output power, I also tried the Mr. Speakers AEON Flow Closed, which is tricky to drive. Without the PowerMatch gain engaged, it took about three-quarters of a turn on the volume knob to get them going.

However, with the gain button turned on, the hip dac2 needed less than a half-turn on the knob to get them up to a good listening volume. This amp should drive anything but the most inefficient planar headphones, which are probably not a good match for this battery-powered product anyway.

By the way, with the SUNDARA, I used it with PowerMatch turned off, and the volume knob just below a half-turn.



This was all via the Single-Ended output, so that should give you an idea of just how potent this amp is. For kicks, I hooked up the SUNDARA up to the balanced out just to gauge the power coming from there, and I barely got the knob up past a quarter-turn before killing my eardrums. That was on the low gain setting.

Tonal Balance

As with the first hip dac, the tuning of the hip dac2 DAC/Amp is overall pretty balanced, with a slight elevation in the upper mids and the midbass for a tad bit of warmth. For the most part, it doesn’t add anything to the music other than a little bit of sparkle up top. The perspective is decidedly forward, giving you a front-row seat at the show.

If you want a little extra warmth you can turn on the XBass, but it will come at the expense of a little bloom in the mids. I don’t think it’s necessary for the SUNDARA personally, but for headphones that sound a little too flat, XBass is the best at adding in some excitement without totally muddying up the midrange.

Detail

I liked the detail on the original hip dac, but the hip dac2 definitely has more crispness than the first one. Top-end detail and harmonics are extremely rich, with strings and vocals just a little more filled out on the new model than on the old one. It’s a similar experience to when I compared the ZEN Dac and ZEN Dac V2.


I guess the only thing some could say is that the new presentation borders on too analytical, especially with something like the SUNDARA, which trends that way with certain music. I don’t think so, I rather enjoy the crispness, although it can come across as synthetic at times, especially with Planars.

Soundstage and Imaging

As far as Soundstage goes, it has a stage that’s more deep than wide. But the depth was decent for a DAC/Amp under $200. It seems just a little bit deeper than the original hip dac.

When I listened to “Afro-Bossa” by Duke Ellington and his Orchestra, The width of the soundstage just went beyond the earcups and I could hear some decent layering from front to back.

The drums appeared clearly at the back of the stage, while the horns appeared up front on either side. The separation of elements in the mix had just a little more definition than on the original hip dac.

Listening to “Unplugged” by Eric Clapton, I was pleased with how well the hip dac2 placed the vocalist and background guitarists in their own little bubbles. I would say imaging is very good for the price point, with delineation approaching DAC/Amp combos in the next price tier.

I would’ve personally liked to hear just a little more soundstage width, but it was in no way a dealbreaker.

In General…

If you know what the first hip dac sounds like, then I wouldn’t expect wholesale changes in the overall sound signature, but instead a refinement of the sound with more transparency and detail. The second hip dac is a little more analytical than the first, but not to the point of fatigue. To me, the additional resolution allows the hip dac2 to pull out more music information which gives you a more vivid picture of what’s going on in a recording. At the end of the day, expect a more intimate performance with a lot of presence.

Comparisons

That said, I didn’t quite get the spatiality or separation of the $249 EarMen TR Amp which I also had on hand. On the hip dac2, the elements of the mix, while rich and detailed, felt a little more squeezed in, with everything placed almost on top of one another.




However, the hip dac2 sells for $60 less, and I would say it gives you about 90 percent of the TR-Amp’s separation. Not to mention it has a balanced output and full MQA decoding, which the EarMen amp doesn’t. It’s also a lot slimmer and lighter.

Compared to the $199 THX Onyx, which is a USB DAC/Amp in the same price range as the hip dac2, I felt the iFi had more focused imaging and better detail, but the Onyx had a wider soundstage.

The Wrap Up​

If you’re looking for a battery-powered portable DAC/Amp combo under $200, the iFi hip dac2 is hard to beat. It has an excellent mix of features, remarkable power, and most importantly it sounds damn good. If you have the original hip dac, I wouldn’t say there’s a wholesale change to the sound, but I believe the additional detail and transparency make it worth the upgrade. Highly Recommended!

This review was originally posted at hifitrends.com