iFi Audio Hip-dac2 Portable USB DAC and Headphone Amp

Colorful. Capable. Crisper.

The much-loved, original hip-dac has had a makeover!

iFi Audio's portable, hi-res DAC/headphone amp looks ultra-cool in its new vibrant Sunset Orange. Not only has the hip-dac2's super sleek aluminum case had an update, but its insides have also been enhanced.

The new 16-core XMOS chip, which processes data over USB, delivers double the clock speed and four times the memory. This improves overall performance and adds full MQA decoding to the hip-dac2's skill set. There is also an upgraded crystal clock which contributes to the purer, crisper sound.

So, whether you are working in your fav coffee shop or chilling on your daily commute, sunrise or sunset, you’ll definitely want to take the hip-dac2 with you wherever you go.

Shooting from the hip

The hip-dac2 replaces the inferior DAC (Digital-to-Analog Converter) and amp circuitry in smartphones, tablets, PCS, and Macs to vastly improve headphone sound.

Connect your playback device via USB, plug in your favorite corded headphones or in-ear monitors, and the hip-dac2 delivers a sound brimming with bold dynamism and fluid refinement. 

MQA Decoded

Thanks to the XMOS 16 core tech, the hip-dac2 is now an MQA Decoder rather than a Renderer only. This enables you to playback MQA audio files and streams, delivering the sound of the original master recording. The LED glows green or blue to indicate that the unit is decoding and playing an MQA stream or file, and denotes provenance to ensure that the sound is identical to that of the source material. It glows blue to indicate it is playing an MQA Studio file, which has either been approved in the studio by the artist/producer or has been verified by the copyright owner. 

Power-hungry? hip-dac2 it!

The hip-dac2's amp circuitry, like the original, is of balanced (differential) design.

The circuitry incorporates a range of high-quality components, carefully selected for their performance in an audio context, including a custom iFi OV op-amp, TDK C0G class 1 ceramic capacitor, a precision low-noise power supply IC from Texas Instruments, and a high-quality analog volume pot.

The amp stage can deliver 400mW into a 32-ohm headphone load, ensuring compatibility with a wide range of headphone and earphone types with power to spare. Even high-impedance headphones are handled with ease thanks to an output voltage of 6.3V into 600 ohms (from the balanced output).

Switchable sonics

The amp stage features switchable gain, which iFi calls PowerMatch. This matches the level of drive to the load presented by the headphones, by adjusting input sensitivity and thereby signal strength. Use the lower setting with high-sensitivity headphones. If your headphones require more drive, use PowerMatch to increase gain.