Review: iFi nano iOne – The Atom Ant

SOUND

The sound of the Nano iOne is not easy to understand, because depends on the amplifier you’ll use it with. I don’t have a stereo system in my house to try it that way, but I had a fair time to test it with IEMs. What I can clearly say is that the Nano iOne has an easy going, satisfying and a safe sound. It’s quite natural with a slight warmth in general and it has very good clarity. I think for this price this is a killer product, if you’re looking for an entry-level, standalone DAC for your system. iFi is always assertive when it comes to sound quality and this is no exception.

BASS

Bass is not very present with the iOne. Therefore it doesn’t have a meaty, full bodied sound character. Instead you get a more roomy sound with a linear bass response. Actually this is the only thing I can bring up about this DAC for the price. That I’m not sure if this is a negative thing after all. That would depend on your preferences, but sure thing is this Nano DAC performs very well with the bass except the overall rumble and punch. Midbass is very very controlled and there’s no bleeding into the mids. In general, the bass is very tight as well, making it a fast and precise sounding DAC.

MIDS

Mids are quite neutral with the iOne and they don’t have the lushness that high level DACs give. But it has that a touch of musicality and warmth in them so mids never disappoint. The dynamism in this part is very nice as well. Transparency is good, resolution-wise you get a very good performance as it has a clean background. iFi always pays attention to the details in circuit design, so I can make sure it has very good instrument separation thanks to the performance of the electronics. If you have speakers or headphones which have very good mid performances, then it’s likely to be a great companion for you!

TREBLE

Treble is very clear but not aggressive, yet this is not a surprise, The Nano iOne picks up a safe and all around road to sound very well. That makes it very versatile and convenient for the most setups out there. The extension on the top end is pretty nice and airy enough to feel relaxed. The resolving nature of this DAC is excellent and clarity is its strong suit. The separation of the high range is apparent, as treble has its own space in the sound.

TECHNICAL

The iOne has great resolution for the price. I’m not surprised to be honest, as I knew what iFi could do. This is a dedicated DAC by iFi, so I shouldn’t have been worried about it’s transparency and general dynamics. The detail retrieval level is absolutely good thanks to its great electrical performance. You also have a clean and dark background with the iOne.

Sound stage dimensions are good but not spectacular. Of course your amplifier will play some role here, just as the other parts. But in this department it puts up a very nice performance again. Don’t forget that this is a not a DAC that will give you the TOTL sound performance on your system. Yet, it’s a great DAC on its own in terms of technicalities. I found the width better than the depth though.

The Nano iOne has great control over the sound at the same time, which is awesome in my book. I don’t like edgy, clinical and flat kind of sources so that slight musicality and non-fatiguing approach makes me a fan of this DAC. But again, your amp will play it’s part as well. I recommend amps with good low frequency performance. A slightly elevated bass presentation would make it even better, compensating the linear bass and giving you a richer, fuller sound.

The filter switch on the front makes an extremely subtle difference in sound. I honestly can say that I tried hard to hear a difference between “Listen” and “Measure”. There’s a very small difference and that you can guess from the names of the two settings. Measure gives a more linear and technical sound, whilst Listen gives a little more body and warmth. But again, it’s really tough to hear a difference.

BLUETOOTH

The performance with the Bluetooth connection is great, in terms of sound quality. If you have aptX feature in your source device then it will be even better. Most of the time you feel a big difference with Bluetooth and wired connections, however I didn’t hear a huge difference with the Nano iOne, indicating it has a great bluetooth sound. Of course there’s still a difference in terms of technicalities and especially naturalness, but these differences are not fully apparent in the first or the second song. Just after some time you hear that USB connection is a little better. So in the end, I can make sure you’ll have a wonderful sound with the Bluetooth connection as well. I already told you that I’ve been using it with this feature most of the time.

The signal connection is still not the very best. When you get a little away from the unit, the sound stops sometimes. So don’t expect an exceptional range of Bluetooth connectivity. You still have to be quite close to it for getting the best connection. Otherwise, your songs would start stuttering and believe me that’s annoying.

CONCLUSION

The Nano iOne is the perfect all in one DAC that supports every kind of file codec. It even has the Native DSD with it’s Burr Brown DAC chip. It has the necessary inputs and outputs to connect it to desktop or portable amps. Also it has bluetooth which I think is the glowing feature as I mentioned. Great build quality and design (although it is a step down in terms of the premium look) and very small footprint are the other positive points. It also looks really cool as you can see in the photos!

What else you might expect? Well, apart from that short USB cable, I would say there’s no issue whatsoever with the iOne. From the design elements to the final sound, it’s a great piece of work, especially for the low asking price of $199. If you’re looking for this kind of a solution in your living room for your stereo system, and if you don’t want to spend crazy amounts to a DAC, and finally if you have a great amplifier sitting there, then I can’t recommend this DAC enough. It can also be a great entrance to this world of DACs/DAPs and amplifiers. I think a newbie to this hobby can also take it and use it comfortably.

Great job by iFi. Recommended.