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iFi audio hip-dac 2: just the tonic for headphone fans
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Well worth the wait, for the price fantastic piece of kit
srkbear
500+ Head-Fier
Having owned many iFi-audio products, I’m familiar with their many firmware options for the GTO filter, MQA functionality, etc. So out of curiosity I decided to check out which firmware version the Hip Dac v2 has loaded from the factory, and it’s a mysterious version 7.3.
When checking on the iFi-Audio website for firmware downloads for the Hip Dac v2, it only offers 7.2x firmware options–in fact I can’t find this 7.3 revision anywhere on the site for download anywhere, under any product.
IFi (or anyone!), could you please explain what this stock version 7.3 is, and why it’s not available for download should I wish to try the GTO filter on my new Hip Dac v2 and decide to flash back to stock firmware?
When checking on the iFi-Audio website for firmware downloads for the Hip Dac v2, it only offers 7.2x firmware options–in fact I can’t find this 7.3 revision anywhere on the site for download anywhere, under any product.
IFi (or anyone!), could you please explain what this stock version 7.3 is, and why it’s not available for download should I wish to try the GTO filter on my new Hip Dac v2 and decide to flash back to stock firmware?
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Can you please take a screenshot and send over via PM?
kgs51
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From an MQA standpoint, is a decoder better than a renderer. I have Tidal and am looking to purchase either the FiiO BTR5 which is an mqa renderer vs. the hip dac 2 which is a decoder. Would the sound quality be the same or better with a decoder?
kgs51
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Where did you get that case from. It looks very nice.
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Those things connect and represent two MQA processing stages (also known as unfolds) that come one after another; decoding and then rendering. Some audio products (i.e. hip-dac 2 and our other DAC/amp devices) have enough processing power to execute both unfolds (decoding and rendering) on their own, and some can do only the second unfold while the first occurs in the software used for MQA playback.
TL;DR: if you listen to MQA, ideally you'd want to get a product that is a MQA decoder.
I believe this is the Pelican case from Hart Audio Cables!
I really like Hip-Dac (April 2020), but there is no full WMA decoding. But Hip-Dac 2 came out with full decoding!!! What should I , the old man , do with the First One ????
What is the upgrade difference compared to the first version?
Did anyone use the Hip-Dac 2 for an extended duration? I was looking to buy this, just wanted to know how the battery performed in the new version.
I have been using it from full charge and the red battery light has just begun flashing at 8 hours. I was using it with power match off and xbass on at 45% volume. I was also running both the balanced and the single-ended outputs in parallel. Hope that helps.
pk4425
1000+ Head-Fier
Interesting. Power match (high gain) must inhale power, then. iFi has confirmed here that the batteries in the hip-dac 1 and hip-dac 2 are identical, and I'm lucky if I reach four hours from a single charge with my hip-dac 1 while driving my HiFiMan HE-400se in high gain and no xBass. To be fair, the HE-400se are power-hungry planars, too.
Battery life is my only complaint about the original hip-dac. Otherwise it's a terrific device.
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