ifi uno
SummaryThe IFI Uno is a popular budget desktop dac amp coming in at 80$. The Uno is simple and to the point dac with additional three EQ presets for more versatile use. The small form factor and attractive design are a plus point in my opinion. This uses a single type C cable for input and you get a 3.5mm jack and RCA for output. Although this is meant for desktop use, this could also be a decent portable solution because of its small footprint and single type C input. Inside, the Uno uses an ESS dac chip, ESS9219 to be specific. Interestingly, despite using an ESS dac, iFi has managed to retain its signature sound profile, similar to their Burr Brown dac based products. Talking about the amp, it has a power output of 211mw at 32ohms, which is able to drive almost all iems comfortably and can drive efficient to most moderate power hungry headphones. Tonally it delivers an organic, rich, and musical sound, although its technical performance is fairly standard. The three EQ presets for gaming, music and movies are also decent. All in all, the Uno is a great budget starter desktop dac amp in my opinion.

Intro
Hey guys, whats up
Today I am checking out a budget desktop dac from “ifi audio” called the “iFi Uno”. The Uno is a compact desktop dac amp coming in at 80$.
About the brand
First, lets get to know the brand, ifi audio is a very popular and highly beloved audio brand from the UK. They have been around for quite a while since 2012. So far they have made many iconic products in both the budget and high end space. I have used and owned many ifi products and fairly recently did a review on the Go Link. Anyways enough yapping, lets get into the review starting off with specs.
Disclaimer: thanks to “Gears For Ears” for loaning me this unit, they are a local audio shop here, if you are from Bangladesh do check them out. However, please note that this review reflects my honest and unbiased opinion. I strive for transparency in all my reviews, whether the product is self-purchased, a free sample, loaned or received at a discount.

SPECS
Digital Input: USB-C
Formats: DSD 256 /11.3MHz, DXD 384kHz, PCM 384kHz, MQA
DAC: Bit-Perfect DSD & DXD DAC by ESS
Output: 2V max.
Output: Impedance <100ohms
SNR: ≥119dBA
DNR: ≥115dB @ OdBFS
THD+N: ≤0.03% @ OdBFS
Headphone Section
Output: ≥2.6V / 3.5V max. at 320/3000
Output Power: ≥211mW @ 32ohms; 39mW @ 300ohms
Output Impedance: <1ohms
SNR: ≥113dBA
DNR: ≥110dB @ OdBFS
THD+N: ≤0.02% (1.27V @ 16ohms)
Channel separation: ≥80dB (1kHz/600ohms)
Frequency Response: 10-80kHz(-0.5dB)
Power supply requirement: USB-C 5V/0.5A
Power consumption: No Signal ~0.8W Max Signal ~1.5W
Dimensions: 88 x 81 x 26 mm (3.5" x 2.8" x 1.0")
Weight: 92 g
Packaging
Starting off with the packaging of the Uno, it comes in a simple, to the point style box with some branding on top. Opening the box, inside you will find some basic paper works, a USB C cable and the dac itself. List of box contents:
ifi Uno
USB C cable
Papers
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Build and Design
Moving on to the build and design of the Uno. This has a very similar but more compact design as their Zen series products, which I think looks quite striking. Build wise this uses high quality plastic with a textured finish. The greenish casing paired with the grey finish looks nice. The buttons, connectors and the volume knob are of good quality. The Uno is quite light weight coming in at 92 grams. Fingerprints or scratches were not an issue in my use case. There are three LED indicators on the top showing which mode you are in (I will get into more detail about the modes in the features and functionality section). There is another LED on the front which shows the sample rate of you track with color indicators. The are two rubber feet in the bottom to keep the Uno from sliding around.

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Functionality & Features
Buttons and ControlsFor the physical controls the Uno has two buttons and a volume knob. The volume knob is step less and smooth. The volume knob is also the power on & off switch. One of the other two buttons is the EQ selector and the second button is Power Match (I will discuss more about its EQ and Power Match below).
Inputs and Outputs
For the input we have a single type C port for both data and power. For the outputs we have a RCA out and a 3.5mm out. Whats interesting about the 3.5mm out is that it uses ifi’s proprietary “S Balanced” technology, which has many pros of a balanced connector but in the classic 3.5mm port (i will not get into the technical description as it will get too lengthy).
EQ and Power Match
The ifi Uno comes with three different EQ presets for music, movies or general video consumption and for gaming. You can choose any of these three modes or turn off the EQ altogether using the EQ button. I tried all the EQ options, but personally I prefer no EQ. Moving on, Power Match is basically ifi’s version of gain setting. If you find yourself pushing the volume to its max, switching the Power Match to high gain will push more power.
LED Indicators
The Uno has three LED indicators on top to show which EQ mode you are in, if you have EQ turned off then the LED indicators will remain off. There is another LED indicator in the front, which represents the sample rate of your tracks with different colors.
User Experience
The best thing about the Uno is its user experience, in my opinion. The simplicity paired with just the right amount of features is perfect for anyone who is just looking to get higher quality audio from their default set up without breaking the bank. Other than for testing I mainly used it with my pc for regular tasks and casual entertainment purposes. Although nowadays budget dongles are great, I still prefer something like this, big enough for a physical volume knob and small enough to throw in my bag. Moreover I think this looks quite attractive in a small desktop setup. Although this is a desktop dac, I find this very usable with phone as a portable dac. 
Sound
Please Note: Listening impressions are highly subjective and can vary based on the equipment you are using, your music library, and personal preferences. Your experience may differ from mine. When it comes to audio sources, changes in sound are typically subtle or not that significant, they will not drastically change the sound of your current gear but rather will add some flavor to it. I personally always use and test all my gear in various setups to get a generalized idea on it. You can find my “tested with” info below.The Uno retains the ifi signature house sound, smooth, musical, and rich. What’s surprising is how well they have achieved this using an ESS based dac chip, specially at a budget price point. Ifi is known for using Burr Brown dacs in their higher end models, which deliver their classic sound. Despite the different dac architecture, they have managed to make the ESS dac emulate that familiar, engaging audio experience.
Tonally this has a overall organic presentation with punchy bass and smooth treble. This is not super detailed or analytical sounding. Technical sound wise it scales nicely maintaining decent width and depth in soundstage. Imaging and sound separation is fairly accurate but nothing outstanding.
But yes, this is a budget dac, so this will not replace your trusty Zen stack

Talking about the EQ, the Uno has three different EQ presets as mentioned above. All the EQ is done in the analog domain so as to not hamper the sound quality. Gaming mode increases the lows and the upper mids section. Movie mode improves the vocals. And the music mode increases the low frequencies. I mostly used the Uno with the EQ presets turned off.
Tested with:
IEMS: Simgot EA500LM, Dunu DaVinci, Aful Explorer, Hiby Project Ace, Thie Audio Hype 4.
Headphones: Koss KPH30i, Aune AR5000, Sennheiser hd6xx

Conclusion
So to conclude the review, Is it worth the price, who is this for and do I recommend it? Yes this is worth the price in my opinion for the value it provides. All in all, the Uno is a great budget starter desktop dac amp in my opinion. Whether you are looking for your first or an upgrade from the default desktop audio. You can easily get a more powerful dac or one with balanced output from ChiFi brands but ifi is ifi lol. But seriously tho, if you a decent sounding dac from a renowned and trust worthy brand, this is a fantastic option. Props to iFi for the Uno.
And huge thanks to you all for sticking around, see yall in the next one.