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Best Headphone Amplifier Award, 2024-2025 – EISA
World's First Portable DAC / Amp with Bluetooth 5.4. and xMEMS Micro-Speaker Support
The Diablo 2 from iFi Audio is the world's first portable DAC/Amp with Bluetooth 5.4. It supports aptX Lossless, the only Bluetooth codec for CD-quality streaming with no sacrifice of audio quality. It also offers enhanced xMEMS micro- speaker support.
As an audiophile, you likely use different systems for home and mobile setups. The Diablo 2 offers the best of both worlds with its powerful 5,180mW maximum output and balanced dual-mono circuitry, making it the most powerful headphone amplifier of its size.
Award-Winning Performance
The Expert Sound and Imaging Association (EISA) gave the Diablo 2 its Best Headphone Amplifier Award for 2024-2025.
"If the original Diablo headphone amp from iFi Audio was a breath of fresh air, this second-gen model will blow you away. Upgrades include a mode for MEMS earphones, Bluetooth 5.4 with aptX Lossless, and the latest implementation of iFi Audio’s PureWave balanced circuit design, plus a new metallic-red chassis with grooves to support the Diablo 2’s desktop stand at different angles."
"Flexibility impresses, both in terms of functionality (the Diablo 2 will serve as an external DAC/preamp if desired) and headphone compatibility. Use iFi Audio’s iEMatch technology with sensitive in-ears, and be rest assured this amp’s 4800mAh battery can drive demanding headphones with ease, aided by ‘Turbo’ and ‘Nitro’ modes."
"Punched Way Above Its Weight and Price Class"
"The Diablo 2’s virtues as a headphone amplifier were immediately obvious. It drove my demanding Audeze ’phones with blissful ease, handily outclassing the headphone amp in my Moon 390.," reports Killain Jones, soundstagehifi.com, July 1, 2024.
"And the iDSD Diablo 2 punched way above its weight and price class when used as a source component in a two-channel setup for out-loud listening."
"Detail Retrieval Comes Across with Aplomb"
"As the name implies, the Diablo 2 is not shy about its signature," notes ngoshawk, head-fi.org, April 22, 2024. "Running on the brighter, or hotter end of the spectrum, there is (to me) also the traditional iFi warmth and richness in the sound signature as well. Detail retrieval comes across with aplomb, rather than succinctly, making for a vibrant, rich character instead of a detail-driven cacophony of musical notes."
"The Beast Is Back and Improved"
"When pushed to its fullest specification, the iFi iDSD Diablo 2 is a very impressive DAC and headphone amp indeed," reports Simon Lucas, techradar.com, April 21, 2024. "It’s a vividly detailed and balanced listen, handling complicated mixes with a skilled hand. It's also able to extract every last ounce of information from your digital audio files with apparent ease."
"The beast is back and improved," observes Senyor C, head-fi.org, August 18, 2024. "The aesthetics are much more modern, it has more functions, it has a better sound presentation (from what I remember and noted back then) and is just as well built… It is perfect for moving between my home, my office, the studio, the beach house and even on those longer trips away from home."
"The iFi Audio iDSD Diablo 2 is certainly a step above the original Diablo when it comes down to sheer detail production and sonic performance in general," notes Louis, headfonics.com, January 27, 2024. "One could say it’s also a complete, versatile, portable, and future-proof package with the inclusion of all the new features."
Help for Power-Hungry Headphones
Struggling with your power-hungry headphones? Press the NOS button, and the Diablo 2 goes into beast mode. The Diablo 2 offers three power modes: Normal for IEMs, Turbo for mid-sensitivity headphones, and Nitro for demanding headphones, boasting a 19.2V maximum output.
A switch underneath activates iFi's iEMatch technology. This feature is tailored for high-sensitivity headphones and earphones, greatly benefiting your in-ear monitors (IEMs). It removes background noise and increases the usable volume range.
The Diablo 2 accommodates a wide range of headphones, from IEMs to power-hungry over-ears. It features a 6.3mm single-ended headphone socket and a 4.4mm balanced output. Additionally, a 3.5mm to 6.35mm adapter is included for versatile connectivity.
Enhanced Support for Solid-State Micro-Speaker Technology
Diablo 2's predecessor pioneered support for xMEMS solid-state micro-speaker technology, enhancing IEM and headphone performance with several unique benefits. These benefits include a 15µsec mechanical response, 150 times faster than typical drivers plus 2-degree flat phase response for precise sound and precise +/- 1-degree phase matching for enhanced spatial sound accuracy.
xMEMs uses a speaker diaphragm made of silicon, 95 times stiffer than plastic, reducing speaker break-up and delivering clearer mid-high frequencies. Due to the high voltage requirements of xMEMS, iFi has partnered with the manufacturer to integrate this technology into the new Diablo 2. It utilizes the piezoelectric effect to create paper-thin solid-state speakers by converting electrical energy into mechanical energy, exciting an integrated silicon membrane to generate powerful acoustic sound waves for enhanced audio output.
Ruling all Bluetooth Codec and Music Formats
The Diablo 2 features the latest Bluetooth 5.4 technology, supporting the new aptX Lossless codec, which provides a maximum bitrate of 1,200kbps. In comparison, aptX Adaptive has a maximum bitrate of 420kbps, while LDAC™ offers a higher bitrate of 990kbps.
The Diablo 2 used Qualcomm's new QCC518x Bluetooth audio chip, is qualified to Bluetooth 5.4, supported all Bluetooth formats including: aptX Lossless, aptX Adaptive, aptX, LDAC™, LHDC/HWA, AAC and SBC (as of 10 Nov 2023; check your device for Bluetooth codec support).
The Dual Core Burr Brown chipset provides Bit-Perfect DSD and PCM support at sample rates up to 768kHz, DSD512, and Full MQA decoding. Even Spotify is moving towards Lossless, so don't get left behind.
Engineered for Elevated Sound
Diablo 2 features PureWave, Servoless DirectDrive, OptimaLoop, and Advanced Jitter Reduction Technology, delivering exceptionally pure, detailed, and emotionally touching sound. These technologies elevate performance to unparalleled heights, even challenging desktop DAC/amps.
PureWave's fully balanced dual-mono circuitry elevates clarity by separating channels and reducing noise. DirectDrive removes the need for coupling capacitors, ensuring purer audio.
OptimaLoop employs tailored multiple feedback paths in amplifiers, refining gain control and reducing distortion. The enhanced GMT femto-precision clock with Smart storage cache minimizes phase noise for cleaner sound.
Choose Your Energy Source
The Diablo 2 can be powered by battery, or plug it into the wall.
Battery power provides ultra-clean and stable DC current, avoiding mains electricity issues like dips, spikes, and noise inducing RFI/EMI pollution. However, there are sonic downsides due to low output voltage and inconsistent output impedance as batteries discharge.
The bundled iPower2 power supply features Active Noise Cancellation II, effectively cancelling out all incoming EMI and RFI noise and making it more than 10 times quieter than most audiophile power supplies.
To make less efficient headphones (such as planar magnetics) sing, the voltage needs to be stepped up from 3.7V to +/- 15V. iFi uses a step-up converter operating at 1.2MHz – a frequency far beyond audibility and easier to filter than a typical switch-mode supply, ensuring high linearity and ultra-low noise.
XMOS 16-Core Chip
The XMOS 16-Core chip processes the audio data received via the USB digital input.
This low-latency XMOS microcontroller has greatly enhanced processing power. Compared to the current generation of eight-core chips, this 16-core IC delivers double the clock speed (2000MIPS) and four times the memory (512KB), as well as the latest SuperSpeed USB standard.
iFi's in-house digital development team has programmed the XMOS firmware to optimize sound quality and ensure a perfect partnership with the Burr-Brown DAC.
Full MQA Decoding
MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) is supported through the USB with full decoding of MQA files up to 384kHz thanks to the processing power of the new 16-core XMOS chip. This means that the full ‘three unfold' decoding process is performed internally, as opposed to only the final unfold in the manner of an MQA ‘renderer'.
Globally, MQA has become an important consideration for any comprehensively equipped DAC. It is available through Tidal Masters, Audirvana, and Roon.
Another Case Solved
When examining the front panel of Diablo 2's casework, you'll find a new Volume Lock switch next to the volume control, preventing accidental adjustments during transport.
At the back panel's left side, there's a switch for mode selection and Bluetooth pairing. On the right side, two USB-C ports streamline cable management. One is for audio and the other is for charging.
It Even Has Wings… And Rails
The Diablo 2 comes with four 'wings' forming a stand that you can customize to position it horizontally, like a desktop DAC/amp, or vertically to save space.
Additionally, it features twenty-two rails for improved cooling performance, with eight of these rails being compatible with the Diablo wings, enabling desktop stand use.
Included Accessories
Diablo 2 comes with a variety of accessories, all included with the product, so you won't need to make separate purchases.
These accessories include the iPower 2 power supply (which is 10 times quieter than typical audiophile power supplies), a USB-C cable, a USB-C-to-A adapter, a TOSLINK optical adapter, a 3.5mm to 6.3mm headphone adapter, and an iTraveller carrying case.
