[kadinh]

I have been researching amp/dac combos and would appreciate some guidance.

I would like something

- compatible with iPhone (requirement

- portable/semi portable that preferably has balanced output(s) I have 4.4mm cables right now (not sure if balance really matters that much, does it?)

- MQA compatible

- USB-C pls? Can microUSB go away?

- ability to be used while connected to power for use with desktop and PS4 console

- is detailed and has a good soundstage w my headphones (HD660S and Anandas)

I already have the ifi hipdac and I like it, I’m just wondering if I would be better off with something different. I’d like to keep the price under $350. I’ve been considering:

- Monolith THX AAA Portable

- Chord Mojo (this is my least favorite choice since i think I could do better for the price)

- Schiit Heresy + Modi 3/Topping E30 (I've been reading about the Apple USB-C to 3.5mm dongle, I might pair it with the Heresy and see how that goes)

- Monolith THX 788 (I know this isn’t the most portable, but I’ve heard it works/sounds amazing, just throwing it out there because Ive been interested in it)

- Other ifi products (xCAN, xDSD, etc). ifi micro probably would fit the bill nicely, but I don’t see myself paying $600 and not sure I would utilize all the power it put out.

I wouldn’t mind keeping the hipdac for its portability and getting the THX 788 for home, but i listen to 99% of my music at work. The Heresy+DAC stack would work well on desktop and console, but isn’t battery powered. I guess I’m looking for a desktop power class amp/dac that is also portable. I don’t know if I’m explaining myself well enough for what I’m looking for so any help or questions to make my goal clearer would be appreciated. Thank you very much.

 

[techenthusiast]

Looks like that ifi Hipdac checks a lot of boxes. Since you like that I would seriously consider the Black Label if you really want to see a huge difference. While I personally have not tried it out there have been several rave reviews. I realize that it takes you into a higher price category, but it may be worth it in the long run. You will never be short on power no matter what you choose as headphones and they even have sensitivity adjustments especially designed for IEM's. From what I have read the only thing missing is bluetooth capabilities. Black Friday is around the corner so if you can hold off for a bit you might be able to get it at a discount.

 

[kadinh]

Looks like that ifi Hipdac checks a lot of boxes. Since you like that I would seriously consider the Black Label if you really want to see a huge difference. While I personally have not tried it out there have been several rave reviews. I realize that it takes you into a higher price category, but it may be worth it in the long run. You will never be short on power no matter what you choose as headphones and they even have sensitivity adjustments especially designed for IEM's. From what I have read the only thing missing is bluetooth capabilities. Black Friday is around the corner so if you can hold off for a bit you might be able to get it at a discount.

thank you for the response. i have heard different opinions on how the dac performs, but the micro has a ton of power. i am holding off for the moment since nobody knows how the PS5 is going to export audio and i dont want to drop a couple of bills for something that is incompatible.

bluetooth is something that interests me, not a hard requirement, but if there was a model with and without it, i would get the model with bluetooth.

i was considering the Topping DX7 Pro, but in the end i don't think my audiophile experience is quite there yet.

 

[iFi audio]

Looks like that ifi Hipdac checks a lot of boxes. Since you like that I would seriously consider the Black Label if you really want to see a huge difference.

Yes, the Black Label stuff would be a step up.

thank you for the response. i have heard different opinions on how the dac performs, but the micro has a ton of power. i am holding off for the moment since nobody knows how the PS5 is going to export audio and i dont want to drop a couple of bills for something that is incompatible.

I've been wondering the same thing. Ideally PS5 would allow for USB audio, but that's a big question mark for now. No optical ouptput got me a bit sad and extracting audio data from HDMI ARC isn't convenient. We'll see!

 

[goodleechanghwa]

vote for hip dac too!

 

[iFi audio]

vote for hip dac too!

Thank you