[In Stock] iFi – iDSD Phantom Flagship Streamer+DAC+Balanced Headphone Amp | XLR 4-pin,3-pin, 4.4mm, 3.5mm Phone out | K2HD, DSD2048 Remastering | 4x Burr-Brown DAC | 7,747mW Class A | Tube, Solid-state mode

iFi’s new flagship desktop unit combines DAC, network streamer and headphone amplifier in a single chassis (that looks like two). It’s aimed squarely at listeners who believe higher sample rates deliver audible benefits or those who want the option for tubes in the signal path.

The iDSD Phantom succeeds the Pro iDSD with a rebuilt streaming engine that now includes Qobuz Connect alongside Tidal Connect, Spotify Connect, AirPlay 2 and Roon Readiness. Network connectivity handles PCM up to 768kHz and native DSD512. In Normal mode, DSD signals pass directly to the DAC while PCM goes through user-selectable digital filters. Those who prefer their music reprocessed can engage Remastered mode, where iFi’s Chrysopoeia FPGA engine upsamples everything to DSD512, DSD1024 or the new DSD2048. That’s roughly 90 million samples per second at the top setting, should you fancy such things.

At the conversion stage, four Burr-Brown DSD1793 DACs operate in an interleaved configuration. iFi claims this draws inspiration from the Philips TDA1541A chipset beloved by vintage enthusiasts. Volume control for DSD signals happens in the analogue domain rather than digital, which purists tend to appreciate.

Sound shaping

Additional features include JVCKENWOOD’s K2HD processing for harmonic restoration. XBass Pro provides fully analogue bass shelving at 10Hz, 20Hz or 40Hz, useful for restoring low-end weight to open-back headphones that trade bass extension for spatial openness. XSpace Pro tackles the opposite problem: adding loudspeaker-like depth to headphone listening via crossfeed settings at 30, 60 or 90 degrees.

Three flavours of amplification