Today we check out the $149 iFi Hip-Dac for the first time before the full review.
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Disclaimer: The iFi Hip-Dac was provided directly by iFi Audio. This post is part of our new First Look Sunday series, you can find all of the previous ones here.
About iFi Audio
Belonging to the group AMR (Abbingdon Music Research Group), which is one of the largest audio equipment manufacturers in the UK, iFi Audio is a manufacturer of several DACs and amplifiers, as well as other accessories for computer & home audio. I already reviewed four different iFi products before this one, which are the Nano iOne, the Nano iDSD Black Label, the xDSD, and the xCAN. I also reviewed the great iFi ZEN Blue most recently and it entered our Best Wireless Recommendations list.
iFi Audio has a very open and charming communication which makes things a lot easier, at least it’s been the case for me. They pay attention to the products of course, but they also pay attention to make you happy. I’m pretty sure this is also the case for their actual customers. Also, I would like to pay special thanks to Karina for this review sample.
About iFi Hip-DAC
The iFi Hip-Dac is a very compact and portable DAC/Amp mostly for mobile users. It supports hi-res PCM up to 384kHz as well as DSD256 and MQA as used by Tidal’s ‘Master’ tier. The Hip-Dac has standard iFi traits such as “power match” -which is the gain switch-, and an X-Bass switch for more oomph. The new thing here is the 4.4mm balanced output. This is becoming the standard socket for balanced audio nowadays. You have a standard 3.5mm as well of course.
Take the hip-dac, our mini DAC/headphone amplifier, with you wherever you go.
iFi Hip-Dac
The new design is also very modern, sleek and to me stunning. The xDSD’s design was also very nice, but I think this simply is the next level in terms of looks and convenience. It’s very slim, very compact and sexy looking.
First Impressions
The new iFi Hip-Dac is a stunning device. It is a fresh renovation in their line-up in terms of portable DAC/Amps. It’s very flashy, eye-catching and cool. It’s somewhat less serious with a more consumer looking approach when compared to iFi’s previous devices. The outside of the device is full aluminum. The front side has a black plastic panel as well as the backside. The color scheme is beautiful with a petrol blue and black combination. The design is finished nicely with a copper volume pot and it gives the device a certain character.
The recessed USB socket of the device is very rigid and I find this solution thoughtful overall from iFi. This way you can use this device many years to come without worrying about the lifetime of the USB input. iFi supplies a USB-C cable for that purpose, meaning you can use every modern smartphone with it. In the past, I criticized iFi for not putting that cable in the package of their DAC/Amps. This time you have it, and it looks like it’s the same cable that I covered in 2018; the iFi OTG Cable.
The build quality is very good and the volume pot, in particular, gives a very premium feel. The xDSD was not good in that regard as well as the xCAN, as I mentioned in their respective reviews. The xBass feature is really useful if you want to enjoy EDM tunes, but I mostly kept that off since I don’t like artificial effects. The device supports every file format you can think of, and it’s flawless to listen to MQA recordings from Tidal with USB Audio Player Pro with a smartphone.
iFi Hip-Dac
Sound-wise the device is a bit warmer than neutral with a good sense of space and resolution. The overall separation is very successful, and the sound-stage is wider and deeper than what I expected. The Hip-Dac has excellent imaging as a direct result, and it is combined with good transparency, especially in mids. Presentation-wise I think the device is mid-centric as a whole. The tonality in the instruments is very satisfying and you have a good body in the whole sound. So I liked the sound performance and I think it’s better than what xDSD and CAN had to offer in the past.
The iFi Hip-Dac looks like a great performer at this time and I don’t think my opinion will change after the full review either. One of my friends has already sold his DAP and he’s happily using the Hip-Dac with his smartphone. Of course, the decision depends on your usage preferences. Yet that still tells something, doesn’t it?
Hackintosh
The iFi Hip-Dac has very lousy headphones connectors (especially the 4.4mm).
The connection is too tight and in some cases you’ll have difficulty getting the phones in and or out.
Do not recommend this DAC !
Berkhan
My experience hasn’t been consistent with your thoughts. You might want to check out your jacks or you may have a faulty unit.
Leo C
I listen to HipDAC on my galaxy s10 using BLON-03 iem, (medium spinfit eartips, kbear 2pin .78mm cable) my source is Qobuz 24bit streaming and the sound is utterly amazing. Using dekoni foam eartips the sound is great. But the Spinfits allow the bass to go to a deeper level which I enjoy. This setup is just around $225 and for a budget setup the price is just right.
Sigur Ros – I Gaer
The xylophone dances left to right and back really showcases the soundstage in a really fascinating experience.
Hanz Zimmer live in Prague – Gladiator Medley
Boy this track has it all, low rumbling bass, full orchestra instrumentals, and showcases a full sonical spectrum. Great track to A and B any headphones, ear tips, audio gear. HipDAC xbass is phenomenal on this track. Deep rumble absolutely clear and makes your brain feel funny.
Post Malone – WoW.
This track is really bumpin on the HipDAC. Xbass shines in quality without smearing bass into a muddled mess.
Billie Elish – Bad Guy
Hits asmr levels of detail. The left and right simultaneous whispers get creepy and amusing. Wide in separation but intimate in your head. Not a big fan of the artist but the track explores a fun sound and I only like it with the HipDAC setup.
I fell in for the hype train on this dac and it absolutely delivers. Mqa, bass boost, power to fully drive my 300 ohms sennheiser open backs till it makes the plastic shake, this is an all around excellent amp dac.
I highly recommend it.
Berkhan
Thank you for your impressions!
chong kuo liang
my Sony Xperia X attach with hip dac it sound perfect (only 16bit/44k files), and with ifi hip dac 4.4mm jack balanced output to my Sony 1Am2 ???? is crazy stunning crystal clear sound, no matter play music, gaming & movies. It blow me away, must use the balanced output, is 2-3 times sounds better than 3.5mm unbalanced. (with GTO firmware update)
Berkhan
You can install USB Audio Player Pro for higher bitrates.
Ken
Few questions:
1. How is the hiss with sensitive IEM (I. E. Shure 846)
2. Can it decode or unfold MQA with the app Neutron running on iPhone?
Berkhan
I have no experience with the iPhone so I can’t tell. However I don’t recommend it with too sensitive IEMs. Not because of hiss, but it’s a powerful unit so you might struggle setting the volume.
Kenneth C
I purchased the Zen Dac first and a dongle Dac (which I shall not name), and for a while I was quite happy with the music. But then the dongle had issues matching with my Samsung S10+ and the gain was too high that I had to reduce the gain on the S10+ which degraded the sound. Meanwhile I discovered the benefits of the GTO filter on the Zen Dac, so I decided to switch to the Hip Dac (GTO installed) for my portable setup.
I enjoyed it paired with the Blessing2 while on the move, but some music still exhibited a tinge of treble brightness that would quickly become fatiguing. Meanwhile I tried out the Thieaudio L3, L5, Clairvoyance and Monarch, and got the L5 as I felt it had the best balance of detail and warm and $$$. Then the 4.4 balanced silver plated copper (SPC) cable I ordered to try came which I immediately put into service and that was another revelation…now I can’t go back to SE.
Now my optimal portable setup is: S10+ > Hip Dac (GTO) > balanced SPC > Legacy 5. The GTO filter upsamples PCM making it sound like HD Audio. Going balanced removed a veil over the music and let it flow, making it sound more dynamic and liquid. The SPC cable give it air and tightened the bass, which improved the soundstage and 3D image. Tiny micro details were audible that added to the sense of a live performance.
Music I tested were FLAC files as well as Spotify (high quality) files which when upsampled sounded pretty good, despite the lossy format.
Berkhan
Glad that you’re enjoying it. Thank you for sharing your experience Kenneth.