I’m apprehensive this excessive music streamer may spoil all the opposite methods I take heed to music
Ever been given an surprising improve on a flight? Air journey’s by no means the identical as soon as you understand what you’re lacking whereas slumming it in coach or financial system class. iFi’s new flagship streaming participant is threatening to do one thing just like the way you take heed to music. The iDSD Phantom takes the whole lot the agency is aware of about DACs and headphone amplifiers, then turns it up one other notch with world-first remastering abilities to rival skilled recording studios.
This desktop system is a component hi-res community streamer, half DAC and half headphone amp, with 4 Burr-Brown DACs offering native 768kHz PCM and DSD512 playback – together with from hi-res streaming platforms like Qobuz Join and Tidal Join. Spotify Join and AirPlay 2 are additionally on board.
The key sauce is studio-grade DSD2048 conversion, which samples tracks at an exceptional 90 million occasions per second to ensure minimal distortion. And if you happen to don’t have a library of large DSD information? K2HD upscaling developed by JVC works its magic on PCM audio, making CD high quality tracks sound extra like 192kHz/24-bit ones.
Switchable solid-state and tube phases then let listeners decide between outright precision or a hotter, smoother sound that’s extra consistent with analogue audio gear. The tip outcome must be chic sound, regardless of the supply or your headphone {hardware}.
The iDSD Phantom isn’t quick on connectivity. In addition to one USB-B 3.0, two USB-As and a single USB-C for taking part in again from exterior onerous disks, there’s an Ethernet port for streaming by way of community storage. Optical, S/PDIF and XLR inputs allow you to hook up different hi-fi package, whereas balanced XLR and RCA can ship your tunes to a set of audio system.
It’s primarily designed for private listening although, with an in depth variety of methods to hook up your headphones. There are S-balanced 3.5mm and balanced 4.4mm, 3-pin and 4-pin XLRs, and two 6.3mm ports – one in constructive section and the opposite inverted.
There’s then sufficient Class A amplification inside for an enormous 7,747mW peak output, which ought to let this drive nearly each headphone, regardless of how unique or costly. If the $4499/£4499/€4695 asking value is any indication, iFi expects patrons to have at the least a number of pairs of high-priced cans handy.
The iFi iDSD Phantom is on sale proper now, direct from iFi and from excessive forehead hi-fi sellers.