Reference portable DAC and headphone amplifier, up to 5,180 mW
The iFi Audio iDSD Diablo 2 is a portable DAC and headphone amplifier with exceptional power: its 4.4 mm balanced output reaches 5,180 mW into 32 Ω (12.87 V) and exceeds 19.2 V into 600 Ω, enough to drive even the most demanding headphones. The 6.3 mm single-ended output delivers up to 2,450 mW into 32 Ω.
It runs on battery (4,800 mAh lithium-polymer, charged via USB-C) and can be used on the move or on the desk, where it holds its own against desktop electronics. It measures 166 x 85 x 28.5 mm and weighs 455 g.
Three power levels, iEMatch and xMEMS support
Power is matched to the headphones with three modes: Normal for in-ear monitors, Turbo for mid-sensitivity headphones and Nitro for the hardest loads. A switch on the underside activates iEMatch, which removes background noise and widens the usable volume range with very sensitive headphones and earphones.
The Diablo 2 is ready for xMEMS drivers, solid-state silicon speakers that rely on the piezoelectric effect and require high voltages: in this mode the 4.4 mm output exceeds 28 Vpp. On the front panel, next to the knob, a volume lock prevents accidental adjustments in transit.
Bluetooth 5.4 with aptX Lossless, USB-C and S/PDIF
The wireless section is built on a Qualcomm QCC518x series chipset with Bluetooth 5.4. The aptX Lossless codec carries CD-quality audio (16-bit/44.1 kHz) with no data loss, at a maximum bitrate of 1,200 kbps; LDAC and LHDC/HWA take resolution up to 96 kHz. aptX Adaptive, aptX, AAC and SBC are supported too.
Over a cable the Diablo 2 accepts USB-C and optical or coaxial S/PDIF and plays PCM up to 768 kHz, DSD up to DSD512 and DXD, with full MQA decoding. There are two USB-C ports on the back, one for audio and one for charging; a switch selects the mode and starts Bluetooth pairing.
Balanced dual-mono circuit and winged chassis
The PureWave circuit is fully balanced and dual-mono, with the two channels kept separate to reduce noise and crosstalk. The Servoless DirectDrive stage removes coupling capacitors from the signal path, while OptimaLoop uses multiple feedback loops to control gain and lower distortion. Stated dynamic range is at least 114 dB(A) and THD+N is 0.002%.
The red chassis has twenty-two rails that improve cooling; eight of them take the four supplied wings, which let the unit sit horizontally like a desktop component or vertically to save space. The box also includes the iTraveller case, a USB-C cable and the iPower 2 power supply.
