[iFi audio]

Just commented elsewhere that the hip dc and these headphones make a pretty amazing pairing.

Thanks! Anything in particular that struck you as inmpressive?

Aren't they hard to drive, I think Jude said, or a bit awkward at best?

I don't have them, so can't say. I guess we'll have to trust Jude's opinion!

Also folks, there are still several hours left to sign-up and win a hip-dac at our booth at NYC CanJam.

 

[435279]

Also folks, there are still several hours left to sign-up and win a hip-dac at our booth at NYC CanJam

I'll let someone else win it, I already have an xDSD.

 

[iFi audio]

I'll let someone else win it, I already have an xDSD.

OK, that's fair enough

 

[iFi audio]

Folks, hip-dac's unboxing vid!

 

[iFi audio]

iFi audio hip-dac: Tech Note #1
Beauty that is not skin deep

Introducing the smallest balanced DAC around

Here at iFi audio, we’ve already created a number of small portable devices. As much as we love them all, we decided to try and give a device that’s smaller, lighter, simpler and more wallet-friendly than ever before – the iFi audio hip-dac.

The hip-dac weighs only 125 grams and measures (L x W x H) 102 x 70 x 14 mm, which makes it a sleek, easy to carry, ultra-portable solution, perfect for consumers after a pocket DAC/amp loaded with cutting-edge technology and features way beyond its price point.

As balanced as it’s hip
One of the hip-dac’s key features is its balanced circuit design, dare we say, unprecedented at its entry-level price point. AMR/iFi audio prides itself on trickle-down technology. The ZEN was the first series to benefit from the flagship balanced Pro machines, but we pushed further and had this topology implemented in our hip-dac.

Why balanced?
Balanced circuits consist of both channels separated and mirrored. This doubles the number of parts involved. That’s why balanced solutions are inherently more complex, twice as costly to develop and far more difficult to implement. That’s also the main reason why balanced circuits are normally reserved for high-end audio components that sell for so much more. Our balanced circuits were developed by the AMR/iFi audio team, led by Thorsten Loesch and supported with invaluable input by John Curl.

Truly native heart
Proper digital to analogue conversion is a must and here, the Burr-Brown DACs have what it takes. Not only to achieve great sound, but also to allow for truly native DSD and PCM data streams. When it comes to D/A converter chips, we don’t cut corners. Our hip-dac’s heart is the very same as in many of our pricier products – Texas Instruments Burr-Brown DSD1793. It truly natively supports digital content up to DSD 256/DXD384/PCM384kHz and handles MQA playback on top of that. Simply put, it does pretty much everything one could want from a portable multi -tasker.

Multibit digital engine with AMR Global Master Timing
The hip-dac is very much akin to the micro iDSD Black Label for a perfectly valid reason. Both products are based on the Burr-Brown DSD1793 D/A converter chip and share extremely similar digital and analogue stages.

The digital section of the hip-dac is drawn from the micro iDSD Black Label. The USB type A OTG/CCK connector offers supreme portability plus dependability and direct connection to Apple CCK/Android OTG.

In the hip-dac, the clock domain naturally covers USB but also synchronizes the MCU (Master Control Unit) to effectively ensure the hip-dac’s entire digital functionality is slaved to the GMT clock system. It is global by name and by nature. The above are all reasons why the hip-dac’s digital heart is as good as it can be.

The key components are:

1. A digitally-controlled stepped attenuator IC
2. iFi audio’s proprietary operational amplifiers (W990VST and the high-performance, low-noise, quad J-Fet OV4627A)
3. Dual-mono power amp IC headphone drivers.

The hip-dac draws upon the existing iFi headphone platform but with the circuitry ratcheted up several notches. Performance is increased, both noise and distortion are lowered and XBass function gains electronic switching.

 

[TooPoorForHiFi]

@iFi audio I'm considering the Hip DAC, My question is, Does it charge fast enough for desktop use? Using it while it's charging? Also does it overcharge while in use?

 

[MarkSubsonik]

Yup, please watch this space!

Question to ifi -

What are the differences between the usb-c OTG cable that comes with the hip-dac vs. the OTG cable that you sell separately? Just bought a hip-dac and was curious. Thanks in advance!

 

[iFi audio]

We had a fantastic weekend at CanJam Global NYC! Thank you for celebrating the launch of the hip-dac with us. A special congratulations goes out to our hip-dac giveaway winners! We had a great time, thanks for having us... until next year!

 

[Matez]

Think they're gonna leave to us to determine

I think so. micro iDSD BL should be clearly better due to its higher price. At lest that makes sense

To me micro BL at times sounds like a big desktop amp/DAC combo and that's something I never got with any other similar device or DAP. I don't think that hip-dac can match this level of performance, but considering its circuit and iFi's track record, we still might be surprised by what their latest can do. I look forward to mine!

 

[iFi audio]

We'll leave this how-to vid here...

 

[iFi audio]

iFi audio hip-dac: Tech Note #2

Digital section: ‘True Native’ augmented by the Octa-Core Transputer

At the heart of the hip-dac is the same Burr-Brown ‘True Native’ chipset as found in the flagship Pro iDSD. It offers two separate signal pathways for PCM and DSD, the ‘best of both formats’ as the signal quality remains native.

Choosing the right DAC topology significantly affects the final sound. We loved the dynamics and slam of the multi-bit topology (e.g. the legendary Philips TDA1541A), however with high-definition it (actually there’s no true multi-bit DAC chipset available yet) doesn't have the low-level linearity of the Delta-Sigma topology.

So to get the best of both worlds, we need:

• Multi-bit for dynamics and slam (the higher bits of the PCB data);
• Delta-Sigma for the low level linearity (the lower bits of the PCB data);

So the DAC chip we picked for hip-dac has the following topology:

• Top 6 bits: true multi-bit;
• Lower bits: Delta-Sigma.

# DSD256 is available on Windows via ASIO DSD and with special firmware on OSX, Windows and Linux via DoP DSD

Running alongside the Burr-Brown ‘True Native’ chipset is the 8-Core XMOS based on our own code, which updates it with our own Star Clocking, just as it was done in the micro iDSD.

The hip-dac implements Version 4 AMR XMOS platform and uses the latest generation 8-Core 500MIPS XMOS1 transputer derived main processor. These processors are quite unique in their architecture and based on a technology once considered to revolutionize computing, the INMOS Transputer.

From Inmos to XMOS

The transputer (Trans – Com – Puter) was a pioneering microprocessor architecture of the 1980’s, intended for parallel (multi-core) computing. It was designed among others by David May and produced by Inmos, a semiconductor company based in Bristol, United Kingdom.

For some time in the late 1980’s many considered the transputer to be the next great design for the future of computing. While INMOS themselves ultimately faded from the scene, their pioneering parallel computing platform is echoed in every modern PC running Dual or Quad Core CPUs and in any multi-core CPUs found in i.e. smartphones and tablets. XMOS “Transputer” Chips have since found many applications where their unique architecture outperforms both traditional CPUs and FPGA systems, not the least in USB Audio.

What all this means for hip-dac? Its XMOS unlocked 384kHz/32Bit PCM and 11.2MHz single bit DSD sample rates.

DSD 256/MQA

Just about every iFi DAC offers MQA because we always pursue better quality music and as many choices for our customers as possible. Our engineers implemented MQA functionality in hip-dac’s firmware, alongside every other format this product can handle. Whatever music type or quality it is you’re into, the hip-dac has you covered.

 

[Currawong]

iFi audio hip-dac: Tech Note #1

I can't see half the images -- the last three from "Multibit...". You appear to have loaded them from another forum where you can only see images if you are logged in.

 

[Gazny]

How is cyber drive different than what is implemented in the hip dac?

 

[Gazny]

The key components are:

1. A digitally-controlled stepped attenuator IC
2. iFi audio’s proprietary operational amplifiers (W990VST and the high-performance, low-noise, quad J-Fet OV4627A)
3. Dual-mono power amp IC headphone drivers.

The hip-dac draws upon the existing iFi headphone platform but with the circuitry ratcheted up several notches. Performance is increased, both noise and distortion are lowered and XBass function gains electronic switching.

The online tech ones on the website state
i. Precision analogue volume control potentiometer
ii. iFi audio’s proprietary high-performance, low-noise, quad J-Fet OV4627A operational amplifiers
iii. Dual-mono power amp IC headphone drivers

I have heard the volume knob is also a ADC to power on the device.

 

[iFi audio]

What are the differences between the usb-c OTG cable that comes with the hip-dac vs. the OTG cable that you sell separately? Just bought a hip-dac and was curious. Thanks in advance!

We're in 99% certain there are none, but I'll check and get back to you shortly.

I can't see half the images

Missing photos should be now visible in their full glory!

@iFi audio I'm considering the Hip DAC, My question is, Does it charge fast enough for desktop use? Using it while it's charging? Also does it overcharge while in use?

By "overcharge" you meant risk of damaging the product if it gets charged once its battery is full? If so, internal circuitry will prevent this. I'll check the exact charge time and will get back to you shortly!

How is cyber drive different than what is implemented in the hip dac?

Our Cyberdrive technology incorporates a chip with analogue volume attenuator, but the chip itself is controlled in the digital domain by an encoder conneted to the knob on xDSD's (or xCAN's) front panel. This solution merges digital and analogue volume control. But hip-dac by design was meant to be affordable, which is why instead of our Cyberdrive it has an analogue potentiometer.