Welcome to the “First Look” of the iFi iDSD GR 2, the newest true-portable DAC and headphone amplifier from iFi audio and the direct successor to the celebrated xDSD Gryphon.
Kind of product?
The iFi iDSD GR 2 is a pocketable USB DAC and headphone amplifier, the kind of device that turns a laptop or smartphone into a genuinely high-resolution source on the move. It handles PCM up to 768kHz and DSD512, alongside a full suite of Bluetooth codecs including aptX Lossless and LDAC.
Brand?
iFi audio, the UK-based portable audio specialist behind the original xDSD Gryphon, the GO series and the Diablo line of desktop DACs. The iDSD GR 2 sits at the top of the brand’s true-portable range.
Current price?
iFi lists the iFi iDSD GR 2 at €549, with a dedicated protective case available separately for €49.95.
What’s in the box?
- 1x iFi iDSD GR 2
- 1x USB Type A to Type C cable
- 1x USB Type C to Type C cable
- 1x Microfibre protective bag
- 1x User manual
Features?
The iFi iDSD GR 2 leads with a new Burr-Brown PCM1795 current-output DAC chipset, a first for iFi, promising true 32-bit resolution and lower distortion than the outgoing Gryphon. The press materials highlight several headline features:
- Power: up to 1,513mW RMS output, around 50 percent more headphone drive than the xDSD Gryphon
- Display: a new capacitive touchscreen OLED colour display for direct control without menu diving
- K2HD processing: JVCKENWOOD’s K2HD technology, designed to restore harmonic detail lost during digitisation
- Hybrid power mode: intelligently balances mains and battery power to extend listening sessions
- Wireless: Bluetooth 5.4 with aptX Lossless, aptX Adaptive and LDAC up to 990kbps
- Control app: iFi Nexis compatibility for deeper settings and over-the-air updates (USB-based Nexis features are Android-exclusive)
Key specifications
- DAC chipset: Burr-Brown PCM1795
- Hi-res support: PCM up to 768kHz, DSD512
- Bluetooth: 5.4, aptX Lossless/Adaptive/aptX/LDAC/LHDC/AAC/SBC
- Digital inputs: USB-C, S/PDIF (optical/coaxial), Bluetooth
- Analogue I/O: balanced 4.4mm and single-ended 3.5mm in and out
- Headphone outputs: balanced 4.4mm, S-Balanced 3.5mm
- Power output: up to 1,513mW RMS
Closer look?
A slab-sided aluminium chassis keeps the Gryphon’s pocketable footprint while making room for the new touchscreen. The front panel display packs in Bluetooth codec, filter, volume and lock indicators around a large, legible level readout, with the volume wheel keeping its familiar position on the left edge. Around the back, iFi has grouped USB-C data and power, S/PDIF and a balanced 4.4mm line output on a single end panel, while the opposite end carries the balanced and single-ended headphone jacks alongside XSpace and XBass+ toggles. On specs alone, the move to a current-output DAC and a fully balanced analogue stage looks like the biggest architectural change since the original xDSD launched.
For whom is this product?
The iFi iDSD GR 2 is aimed at headphone listeners who want a true-portable source with desktop-level power and features, rather than a simple USB dongle DAC. Against direct competitors, its combination of a touchscreen interface, aptX Lossless Bluetooth and over 1.5W of output power is unusual at the €549 price point; rivals such as Chord’s Mojo 2 or FiiO’s Q7 compete on similar territory but without a colour touchscreen or the same claimed power headroom. Anyone upgrading from a phone’s built-in DAC, or from the original xDSD Gryphon, is the obvious target buyer.
Conclusion?
The iFi iDSD GR 2 reads as a substantial update to one of iFi’s most popular portables: a new flagship-adjacent DAC chipset, meaningfully more power, and a touchscreen that should make day-to-day use noticeably easier. We have not yet had the iDSD GR 2 in for a full listen, but the spec sheet alone makes it one of the more interesting true-portable DACs to watch this year.
For more on iFi’s portable range, our earlier coverage of the FiiO K17 R2R Pro covers a similarly ambitious rival in the same category. Full specifications and ordering are available directly from iFi audio.
