iFi Audio - xDSD

The ifi xDSD is by far one o the best DACs in that price range (and also compared with some in the highest price ranges). It is really portable and great looking to boot. The controls are not intuitive and take some time to get used to. For instance, switching from wired to bluetooth modes requires rebooting and while continuing to hold the large power cum indicator button down until it changes colour from green to blue or blue to green (green- wired: Blue - bluetooth). The volume ring is endlessly adjustable that is, one can keep on turning it in a particular direction for ever. No that doing so endlessly increase or decreases the volume. The volume is indicated by changing colour of the dial, something again one needs to get used to.

This device not only supports Hi-res but also MQA (the 2014 audio codec standard with very high sampling rates). So it is sort of Future-proofed as of now. No need to go into audio quality etc for me here except to say that the quality is really very high. Chord Mojo killer? For me it seems to be.

I had problems with the charging and the charging indicators, but with the support of Headphone Zone, it was actually replaced twice - yes twice. It was possible only because of Headphone Zone. So I recommend that one buys it only from here. The price is very reasonable and the after-sales (which in my case was crucial) of HPZ is absolutely terrific.One of the most satisfying DACs I own.

I like this product, XBASS+ & 3D+👍👍👍👍👍👍

Well I would like to put in my thoughts about the IFI XDSD DAC/AMP after about one week of its usage. Beyond a doubt it is indeed a sublime DAC and the sound quality is superb what IFI is known for its products.It has a clearer sound with added features and hardly any noticeable difference between the wired and the wireless connections which cannot be pin pointed unless you are a critical audiophile. Except the volume knob which also acts as the power on off button, which appears to be made of a flimsy plasticky material, the build quality of the device otherwise is pretty good.It can pretty much drive headphones with high impedance though not sure how power rich it would be to drive a 600 ohm headphones. It drives my Ananda and Ultrasones seamlessly. Battery life is very decent which would provide you 5 to 6 hours of wireless musical bliss and even more with the wired connectivity.. Absence of Aptx HD is little disappointing at the price it is which selling though the sound quality is near to supreme.There is a separate USB type C port usable only for charging.

However for any one looking to buy a DAC / AMP around this price range I feel Mojo is a better bet, purely in terms of sound quality for me., if you are willing to forego the bluetooth functionality of this DAC and considering Mojo is selling at only a few thousands more than this.
Nano Idsd BL from Ifi which also I own is also a strong contender and preferable choice for many to drive headphones under 100 ohms..ofcourse here there is a trade off with the bluetooth functionality for nearly half the price you pay for the xdsd.The sound quality of both the IFI DACs are of from different zones with hardly any resemblence, both being extremely good depending on one's preference. Having said this the fact remains somehow I keep going back to my old mojo for a soulful musical experience....
Special thanks to Headphone zone team who time and again makes delivery of products a charm and are always there f...

Stupendous. Beats anything I have heard. Near mojo and bluetooth too.

I’ll be honest, I was in two minds between this and the Uber popular FiiO Q5 and the only reason I went for this was the privilege of hearing out the iDSD micro BL at last year’s headphone connect and this safe to say, this didn’t disappoint at all.

I had read about many users complaining about the the Bluetooth connectivity and frequent dropouts using USB but it seems ifi has fixed all those issues in their 5.30 update. I am yet to see any connectivity issues in USB or Bluetooth. Flawless.
I further updated the firmware to 5.30C which has the GTO filter for USB inputs.

While I agree the controls aren't straightforward but it took me less than 15 mins to fully understand everything.

The build quality is great but probably not as good as the Q5. Although it definitely looks better (when it doesn't have my fingerprints on it) But I don't care about all that. The sound is all that matters.

The DAC section is very clean. I tested in line out mode with my Apollo Twin solo as the amp driving my Modded T40RPmkii and it's right up there in terms of fidelity. Anyways, a DAC should essentially be neutral. The Amp section Is a tricky little thing. It won't sound good with just everything. Using the unit to drive my KSC75 wasn't too enjoyable. The highs were just lacking. Using it with Tin Audio T2..Well let's just say I haven't had a better portable setup until this.
The detailing on this baby is absolutely stellar though. Perhaps a few steps above my Apollo Twin as well! that's just crazy when you realise you just compared it with pro audio gear. It just accentuates the transients but not by much.overall effect is a very musical experience that doesnt sacrifice on the details
details.
Using as an ASIO/core audio device showed no issues as well. To summarize, it's a very musical sounding super portable device truly worth the price. These days, I feel consumer devices convey the transparency easier than the emotion and this device finds the perfect balance ...