hip-dac2 - Portable Balanced DAC Headphone Amplifier for Android, iPhone with USB Input Only/Outputs: 3.5mm Unbalanced / 4.4mm Balanced – MQA Decoder

I previously had a Audioquest Dragonfly Cobalt DAC, but it broke (the headphone socket in the unit detached itself) so I was looking for a replacement. I settled on this iFi hip DAC2 based on reading numerous reviews, and I thought the price was good for the features provided. The battery was pretty much flat when it arrived, and the initial full charge took a couple of hours or so. I use this with an Android phone and an Android tablet, the tablet runs on Android 10 and the phone on Android 13. This DAC is plug and play. Both the phone and tablet found it immediately. The sound quality is very good, particularly with high resolution files. The highest resolution I've played so far is 24 bit 19,khz. I've also tried it with MQA files from Tidal, and that also works well and sounds good. It drives my Beyerdynamic DT770 pro headphones without any problems. There's a button on the DAC that is supposed to match the output to the headphone impedance, not sure how that works but my impression isnit is pretty much just a loudness button and I've left that turned off. There's also a bass boost button, which does add a little bass to the sound, it fills the sound out rather than adding a lot of low frequency, but I've also left that turned off. It's a nice quality unit. The cable between the DAC and my phone / tablet is quite short, but these aren't expensive to buy if a longer one is needed, it certainly isn't a deal breaker for me. There are also other USB cables provided, if for example it's being used with the usb output of a computer. Summary - I think this is easily as good as the Audioquest Dragonfly Cobalt I used to have, and I actually think it feels like a better made product. I'm very happy with it, and the price is very competitive. The sound quality is very good, probably a little warmer sounding and less analytical than the Dragonfly Cobalt - just different rather than better or worse.

First, confession I love Ifi products. Second, I was with a very big Japanese electronics manufacturer which made Walkmans and PlayStations. Third, I love Music especially if it’s hi res. Ifi Hip Dac2. Yep it does what it says on the product blurb. The Uk tech press wows about Chord. They are good but are they great? You spend that sort of money and you are in the rarefied world of high end DAC’s chasing the elusive dream of perfect music. Back to the Hip Dac 2. I had Hip Dac 1 and thought it was right up there. I have Mojo,Zen, Diablo and idsd and this can compete with the very best. I have used AKG N40 (now discontinued), Grado 325S, Sony XM4 but with the wire and the Hip Dac 2 delivers in spades. The processor is the same as the Diablo (more expensive Ifi Dac). The USB C charging is a plus. My streaming platform is Qobuz but the MQA masters will be a real big plus for Tidal Users. I love the Burr Brown chip as it warms up the music. Conclusion. Buy yes. Especially if you want pin sharp clarity from your phone or portable music player. I hitched my DAC2to Sony’s Zx 500 and also to my A&K Norma and Kann and it stepped up their presentation. Most noticeable uplift was my Hi res streaming via my iPhone. Product build and quality fantastic. Any gripes- Would have preferred the pricing around £ 150 - £160 but versus the venerable Mojo this is a winner. Cases and accessories unnecessarily pricey.

Sound Quality Like everything related to sound it is completely subjective. For me, this makes a discernable upgrade to the sound quality of my iphone. How much of an upgrade depends on a few things - primarily what quality of music you are streaming and what quality of headphones you are using. I'm using this with Beyerdynamic Amiron's, streamed via Qobuz, and I'm very happy with what I am hearing. Worth noting that there is a 'powermatch' button which is used to match the power output to your headphones. Without this on the sound was good but nothing amazing. When switched on (recommended for above headphones) there was a big difference. There is also an 'xbass' bass enhancer - this works but can be overpowering on certain types of music. Build Build quality seems excellent. I really like having an analogue volume control rather than buttons and everything feels and looks great. Portability This is certainly portable in as much as it is about the size of a small mobile phone. When it is less portable is when it is connected to the source - as mentioned, I use this with my iphone and the pair are quite chunky to fit in your pocket together. Value for money Overall I have given the HipDac2 4 stars because to use it with an iphone requires another £30 outlay to get the right cable. This pushes the overall price to over £200 which is a significant outlay. Personally I think it is worth it but it is worth having a think about how you will use it - if for example you listen to low quality streamed music through cheap ear buds you are unlikely to get your moneys worth. But get the right set up and this takes your music to a different level. Overall, very happy.

Wow! What an incredibly ‘Big’ sound from such a small package. Listening via Tidal HiFi From an IPad Pro into the ifi hip DAC ii driving a pair of either Shure 535s or Sennheiser HD600 (Customcans Mod weight with all foam removed, Oem 3.5mm cable or Van Damme handmade 4.4mm balanced cable) both balanced and unbalanced I am absolutely blown away. Listening to Music I am very familiar with from a variety of Genres, the depth that this little gem adds is sublime. Genuinely I’m not sure I’ve heard the HD600 sound better even on Tubes. The sound is very rich and opens up the Sennheisers (even compared to a Valhalla 2 or Darkvoice I dare say) but still not even sounding bloated. Balanced or unbalanced it’s still an enjoyable listen. Balanced I feel does give a noticeable improvement in soundstaging, I would say this is to be expected though? The Shure Iems also sound fantastic, a very involving sound. Of course this could be as they are being listened to balanced but still, really gets you sitting up listening. I can’t say the amp has a particular sound signature other than very airy. Rich sounding but not warm. Smooth but not laid back nor too punchy. Instrument separation is a particularly strong point of the amp. The last section of Dave Brubecks “Take Five” is a fantastic show of this, you feel you can point to where each musician is playing from and the drums….oh the drums! In a live version of Fink’s “Troubles what you’re in” you're able to hear every rasp of his voice and without cliché, feel like your 8 feet away from the stage! I am ashamed to say I had never brought an ifi product before and had stuck with other Brands of audio gear, however, if this is a benchmark of there house sound, I’m hooked. An absolute steal! Genuinely cannot believe how this is under £600 let alone £200. Pick one up before they realise how good it is. Thanks to Sevenoaks sound for incredibly quick dispatch and delivery. A huge thank you to ifi for such a great Amp/DAC

If you like how your little white headphones sound listening to streaming mp3 then this isn’t for you but if you want to extract the very best from you digital media and headphones then this thing is quite something. I’ve always known cabled connections are better than Bluetooth but a friend kept going on about headphone amps so I thought I’d try this one. The hifi magazines seem to like it so worth a try. Well, it just brings a whole new dimension to my music, regardless of which headphones I use. My cheap in ears sound so much better but it’s not until you plug your more expensive ones in you realise what you’ve been missing. I use Shure Aonic 4s for in ear and Sony MDR-1As for over ear and the hipDAC brings them to life. More than enough power to drive the bigger ones with plenty of weight and detail in whatever music you like. There’s a handy power boost for larger, more demanding cans, and a bass boost which is effective if a little bit boomy, but it depends what you like. So, criticisms. This is a bit churlish in a way because it’s not directly the hipDAC that’s at fault but the connecting cables. They are on the short side and it seems impossible to find sensible length ones. There’s probably a technical reason but it can make things fiddly. Also if you’re an iPhone user you’ll need to budget in a camera connection kit as you only get USBa and USBc included.

I own a pair of Hifiman Sundara's. I was looking for a long time for good quality portable headphone amp with dac under £200. I was using a Chord Mojo for my Bowers and Wilkins P9 signature. I didn't like the sound of the Mojo with the Sundara. After reading, and reviewing YouTube videos I settled on the Hip dac 2. The sound of theses two is nothing short of bliss. I am using a Pioneer XDP-30r dap as a transport connected to the Hip dac 2. I've gone the whole hog and using the ifi 3.0 otg cable as well. I have the high gain button pressed on along with the x bass on. I also subscribe to Tidal and love playing MQA tracks. I also purchased the Hip dac 2 case to protect my investment. I can't speak highly enough of the Hip dac 2/ Sundara commendation.

This is an incredible piece of kit. Tried today for the first time properly playing my go-to test track, I am the Sea, the first track on Quadrophenia by The Who where the sound of the stormy seas at the beginning tend to become almost just noise as the track progresses even with some expensive headphones. Played on a Galaxy S20 SE the storm sounds were so impressive you could almost hear individual drops of rain falling in the guttering along with the crashing of the waves and the bell and cat sounds along with Daltrey's vocals were absolutely clear, with the burst of Entwhistles bass coming in fabulously at the end of these effects. Now the downside, and the reason for the 4-star review. The bundled cables are an unbranded and unmitigated disaster. The USB C to Female USB connector supplied didn't work at all. As I was aware that Amazon would advise returning the product for a replacement with the hassle this represents, I contacted iFi hoping that they might send one of their cables or at least give a small discount on the purchase of one as I was pretty certain the issue was the cable. The response was to contact Amazon for a replacement DAC. Bought an iFi branded cable instead which is brilliant, so why not bundle this in the first place. Companies really do themselves no favours in this type of situation as there is no shortage of alternatives. Would I go back to iFi, probably, as the quality of the main product is excellent at the price, but I would now certainly give more attention to alternatives than I otherwise would have. PS iFi your customer support page is horrible. Rant over!!

This is a great sounding DAC, no doubt. And plenty of power to drive my Sennheiser HD650s. However, I had a couple of problems with mine. Firstly, the 4.4mm headphone socket didn't work properly. Inserting the headphones all the way in would result in sound coming out of one ear only. I had to pull it out of the socket slightly. And then the slightest movement would result in the sound cutting out again in one ear. And secondly, if my iphone 14 pro and the hip dac were placed back to back, I would hear a metallic sound and the sound would cut out after a minute or two. I would have to reconnect the dac to get it working again, but it would only work for another minute or two before doing the same thing. I think it's the signal from my phone causing this, but whatever it is, this is crucial. It works fine with sitting apart from my phone, but this is meant to be a portable dac, it should be able to sit back to back with my phone. This is a deal breaker for me, so back it goes. It's a real shame as the sound, looks, form factor and functionality are all superb. Replacing it with the Fiio Q3. I hope it can match up.

PIC: Under the phone is the HipDac 2. I bought the original HipDac and liked it so much getting the HipDac2 was a no brainer. The HipDac is the most powerful, portable and flexible DAC you can buy for under $200. Despite it being geared for headphone mobile us, after looking at the specs and the capabilities, I literally found it to be a quite capable desktop DAC. The only drawback in doing so is having to use a 3mm headphone jack for output to the rest of my stereo chain. I listen to Spotify or Tidal all day in my home office. I use the premium subscriptions for each Spotify for playlist listening, Tidal for reviewing artists and previewing for vinyl purchases. The HipDac goes into other low cost gear...from the HipDac it goes to a Fosi MM tube pre-amp that also doubles as a signal pre. From there it loops through a Bellari EQ570 and on to a Nobsound 6p1 tube amp. (Rolled to HQ tubes) from there out to the very excellent Wharfdale 80th Anniversary Dentons. I use the line matching button and extra bass, I run the level on the HipDac at about 1 o'clock and control the overall volume at the amp. Some caveats of using it as a HiFi system DAC. The major drawback is getting the streaming audio to it takes up some space on the rack. Yes, you can use a phone, PC, laptop or tablet but for phones and tablets, it is problematic to charge and play at the same time. I have had inconsistent success doing so with both Android and iOS devices. I ended up sticking with a Lenovo tablet and using USB Audio Player Pro's custom android audio driver for Tidal and native spotify use. USBAPP drive will take over chores and provide bit perfect streaming with their Tidal implementation. Using spotify native app is pretty much seamless. The Lenovo gives me 12-14 hours of playing time. Spotify premium allows 320 kbits steaming and frankly for all day listening I find Spotify audio quality very consistent and non-fatiguing. Plus they have excellent playlists for office/work music. Tidal MQA works well and is extremely high quality, so much so it will show you the true levels of the recordings complete with all the scratchy instrument hairballs and magnetic dust bunnies. This detail can be fatiguing to listen to. There is a learning curve to getting the highest audio quality possible for least amount of $$ possible. If you are into that quest the HipDac2 is a good place to start regardless how you use it, it is simply a really good device. If it is your first time using a DAC you discover things in your favorite music, in the recording and in the voices of singers and instruments that you never heard before because you were listening to a crappy DAC and low resolution stream. If you are already a long time audiophile and want to move beyond the limitations of wireless headphone listening or phone onboard DACS you will. be rewarded.

Pas adapté du tout comme ampli casque nomade avec FIIO 5II pas de cable adapté en asymétrique ou symétrique, peux de détails ou options sur le manuel de branchement, je pense avoir mal choisi mon ampli casque à mettre notamment avec casque beyer dynamic DT990 pro 250 ohms, le produit est de parfaite fabrication et d'une écoute optimume branché sur un ordi pc ou mac les drivers à télécharger sont adaptés à tous systémes pc ou Mac

El hip DAC es un excelente DAC para poder utilizarlo con tu laptop, tablet o celular. En cuanto a materiales tiene excelente calidad de construcción y ese color naranja está increíble (eso depende de los gustos y es muy subjetivo). Los botones se sienten sólidos y la rueda de volumen de excelente calidad. Su tamaño es bastante compacto para lo que es (y su potencia de amplificación). Decidí comprar este DAC y hacerlo mi segundo (el primero fue iFi Zen DAC) ya que me gusta esta firma de sonido, bastante cálida y sabrosa, tiene muy buena extensión en graves (no necesito usar el Extra Bass, al menos no con mis audífonos Sennheiser IE300), y bastante claridad en medios; los agudos se sienten redondeados y poco o nada sibilantes. Utilizo el Hip DAC con Apple Music Lossless y Hi-Res Lossless, lo he utilizado con un iPad Pro, un iPhone y una MacBook y va increíblemente bien. En general, es una gran opción para llevar al trabajo, a la oficina, o andar por ahí y tener una buena calidad de audio. Pros: + Buen sonido, cálido y claro. + Buen bajo. + Excelentes materiales de construcción. + Bonito color (subjetivo). Contras: - Puede ser muy grande para algunas personas, sobre todo incómodo para llevártelo en tu pantalón. - Si eres usuario de iOS (iPhone) necesitarás un adaptador u OTG. Conclusión: Recomendado.

Este DAC pode funcionar de duas formas distintas. Como um DAC portátil ligado a um telemovel para fornecer uma qualidade de som que o telemovel não consegue fornecer, usando phones de boa qualidade. Também pode ser usado como um DAC desktop ligado a um PC, fornecendo aqui também uma qualidade de som que a maioria das placas/chips de som não conseguem fornecer. Neste modo, ligamos o DAC via USB-A para a transmissão da informação musical, e ligamos via USB-C a um adaptador AC ou a outro porto USB do PC para fornecer energia ao DAC. Seja de que modo se usar, o resultado é fant'stico a nivel sonoro. Obviamente para tirar proveito do som, é obrigatório usar phones/auscultadores de qualidade... Os produtos iFi são excelentes. Quanto ao serviço de transporte, a encomenda foi entregue em menos de 24h em Lisboa, portanto, excelente serviço por parte da empresa distribuidora da marca iFi em Espanha. Recomendo!

Ich muss vorweg schicken, dass ich, neben einer hochwertigen, stationären Anlage, die aus Zeitgründen und anderen Prioritäten, mittlerweile leider viel zu selten "angeworfen" wird, Musik intensiv ausschließlich per Smartphone (Iphone 13pro) und einem Spotify Account höre. Also bekanntermaßen eigentlich nicht die allerbesten Voraussetzungen für hochwertigen Klang. Hab mir vor 2 Jahren dafür, aber auch für andere Zwecke, einen Kopfhörer aus dem € 200.- Segment gekauft, der auf verschiedenen Portalen recht gute Bewertungen hatte. War damit bisher auch ganz zufrieden bis ich zufällig einen Bericht über Kopfhörerverstärker las und wie das so ist bei Highendern... Naja, hab mich eingelesen, Testberichte, Videos, das Übliche halt und mir dann 3 Geräte zum Testen bestellt, die beiden FiiO's KA3 und Q3 sowie den hip-dac 2 von ifi. Erwartung war lediglich, erstmal schauen, ob das alles nicht mal wieder zu gehypt ist, wie meistens, was u. a. auch mal der Hauptgrund war, dass ich vor Jahren aus der "Szene" ausgestiegen bin und seitdem wieder mit mehr Spaß Musik hören konnte. Die beiden FiiO's kamen recht schnell an, gestartet bin ich dann gleich mit dem "Kleinen". Einfach angestöpselt und wow, da passiert ja schonmal richtig was. Ohne jede Einstellmöglichkeit war der Klang deutlich erwachsener, kräftiger, nuancierter, hatte Drive, das berühmte Fußwippen... Geladen werden musste er nicht, er zieht den benötigten Strom aus dem Iphone. Danach mit ein bisschen Aufwand auch den Q3 zum Laufen gekriegt (gerichtet von USB-C zum Lightning, entgegen einiger gegenteiliger Kommentare hier) und da war doch nochmal deutlich mehr zu hören. War aber nur ein kurzes Vergnügen, da der Akku geladen werden musste aber der erste Eindruck war schon mal top. Als es dann richtig losgehen konnte, hab ich permanent hin- und hergestöpselt um die beiden möglichst direkt vergleichen zu können. Ergebnis, der Q3 ist in jeder Beziehung deutlich besser als der KA3 aber dafür auch teurer und ob's das wert ist... Mit dem KA3 wäre ich zu dem Zeitpunkt irgendwie auch zufrieden gewesen, Klang deutlich besser als ohne alles und ist super bequem im Handling, anstöpseln und ab in die Hosentasche. Aber er saugt den Akku vom Iphone schon ordentlich schnell leer, das war mir bekannt, hat mich dann aber doch ziemlich gestört. Ich war also unschlüssig ob und wenn ja, welchen. Und dann kam glücklicherweise der hip-dac2 an, den ich erst einmal nicht ins Laufen gekriegt habe, da die mitgelieferten Anschlusskabel allesamt nicht für den Betrieb am Iphone geeignet sind. Der Apple Kameraadapter mit passendem USB-Anschluss musste noch her, das dauerte dann nochmal 3 Tage aber dann konnte es tatsächlich endlich losgehen. Und schnell war klar, meine Unschlüssigkeit wird ein jähes Ende finden, die beiden FiiO's waren nach den ersten Takten meiner kleinen, neu zusammengestellten Kopfhörer Playlist richtiggehend raus. Der hip-dac 2 war einfach soviel besser als die beiden, dass ich mit keinem je wieder glücklich geworden wäre. Ich höre übrigens viele Genres, gerne auch mal audiophil, Jazz, Klassik aber eben auch Rock, ältere wie neuere Produktionen. Was dieser kleine Flachmann dabei abliefert, ist wirklich mehr als hörenswert. Alles ist in der richtigen Ausprägung "da", nichts ist überhöht oder unterdimensioniert, es macht durchgängig Spaß, damit stundenlang Musik zu hören und nicht von Titel zu Titel zu skippen sondern die Stücke zu Ende zu hören, zu genießen und das nächste einfach beginnen und weiterlaufen zu lassen, so möchte ich Musik hören. Seitdem weiß ich auch erst, welches Potenzial mein Kopfhörer hat, der Bass geht wirklich ordentlich tief runter, bleibt dabei konturiert, wird keinesfalls dominant oder überlagert sogar andere Frequenzbereiche. Die Mitten unverfärbt, klar abgegrenzt aber trotzdem schön eingebunden, wunderbare Übergänge, mir hat nichts gefehlt und auch die Höhen wirklich brillant ohne spitz zu werden, Metall klingt nach Metall mit Nachschwingen, hohe Töne werden kräftig, klar und unverzerrt wiedergegeben. Genau so hab ich mir das vorgestellt, immer vorausgesetzt, das Musikmaterial und die Aufnahme geben es her, denn wenn's Müll ist, klingt's auch danach. Die Räumlichkeit ist sowohl in der Breite als auch in der Tiefe sehr gut "erkennbar", Instrumente stehen an ihren Plätzen, die Staffelung ist nachvollziehbar, Sänger/ innen stehen genau da, wo man sie verorten würde und bei den Aufnahmen wohl auch gestanden haben. Kurzum, ein toller Auftritt, der mich aktuell wunschlos macht. Bin trotzdem recht sicher, dass ich vielleicht doch noch den ein oder anderen Kopfhörer ausprobieren werde, so ganz wird man dieses Streben nach immer besserem Klang wohl doch nie los. Der hip-dac 2 wird in jedem Fall bleiben, da ist dann auch der nochmal etwas höhere Preis kein Thema mehr - im Gegenteil, für mich dafür definitv ein Best Buy! Die Einstellmöglichkeiten sind im Net hinlänglich beschrieben, ich benutze die Bassverstärkung in Abstimmung mit dem Equalizer von Spotify, die Gain-Funktion brauche ich nicht, mein Audio Technica MSR7b hat einen sehr guten Wirkungsgrad, im Übrigen nutze ich den Balanced-Eingang beim hip-dac 2, beim ATH war das passende Kabel Bestandteil des Lieferumfangs. Klanglich dürfte die 3,5mm Klinke aber nicht weit abfallen, wenn überhaupt. Also, klare Kaufempfehlung!