ifi iDSD Diablo, Signature, Black Label review and comparison

[@Dominari66]

Bought the signature 4 weeks ago, running just sundara's, HD6XX and focal Elegia's and I'm extremely happy !

[@kingjongun7295]

So all the sounds go brrrrrrrrrrr

[@artyboy1377]

I got the Signature and I'm thoroughly happy with it. I wanted the Signature but i couldn't live without the XBass feature which is really needed for music albums which are not well recorded and lacks bass (main culprits being certain 70s/80s mainstream recordings). The main attraction of both are their true portability and their powerful output. I'm coming from the old iCan SE which also has XBass/XSpare and in fact, has TWO levels of bass boost/spaciousness! I love ifi DAC/amps for their high power output and their XBass feature (not so much XSpace as I find it boosts spaciousness but at the expense of raising the treble as well). I'm using the Signature mainly to drive my Audeze planar cans but they also added heft when driving my Xenns Up IEMs. The Diablo's awesome 5watts output is truly phenomenal just a pity that so many features have been removed, especially the much needed XBass.

[@bruhmomento758]

I’m really enjoying your videos, not just for the product reviews ( most of the stuff you do reveiw, im in no postition to buy), but also just for the learning opportunity’s about amps, dacs, and how they function/how they measure and what that does to sound. Keep making stuff man.

[@wouterkolkman]

Enjoyed your review! The original iDSD was my very first DAC 5 years ago:-) I since moved on via Holo Spring and now Denafrips Terminator Plus.

[@M0N0KIRA]

Great video, I went into the store and A/B both the Diablo and Signature. Driving the new Arya Organics... They're both good.. but I went home with the Diablo. Oof!!

[@Usernotknown21]

Thanks for getting to the summary in the beginning

[@bomt697]

Dude I’m so glad I found your channel, I get to learn so many technical and slang terms for audio equipment. Thanks for what you do

[@spicyonlyable]

I just bought a Diablo 2 days ago at the store. I tried out both of Diablo and signature for 10 minutes each. Headphone were Focal elegia, cable were black dragon premium. The Diablo sounded cleaner, more solid and very natural. Compared to the signature, which is more functional, the Xbass can get more intense feedback than the Diablo, but the 3D sound part is not advantageous when listening to music. Overall, the Diablo is a big win for me in great sounding, while the signature has the advantage of a lower price and more features.

[@mysosjalapss6488]

preference and personality. He has another personality than you

[@nono9370]

why mention cable?

[@lotharwolf5002]

After a few years of experience with various headphones & DAC / AMP combinations, there is no longer any question for me that it depends on the interaction of the units. But the synergy between the ifi iDSD Signature and almost all Hifiman headphones, starting with the Sundara, is unbelievably good. For me personally, a combination, consisting of iPad - iDSD Signature - Hifiman Arya, is absolutely competitive with CLEARLY more expensive hi-fi chains.

[@ramaidaugirdas]

Have you compared the Signature with the Diablo? With your Arya.

[@mccririck01]

Can't wait for the Aeres II and Holo Spring 3 reviews!

[@ManuManu-rl6pl]

Thanks for this comparison ! I'm very happy with the signature, the turbo mode is perfect for a DT 1770 pro with Audirvana ;-)

[@evtyler]

The exact review I've been looking for. Fantastic job!!! Thanks so much for sharing.

[@fairyball3929]

Woo, I was waiting for this video to be made

[@Chamiman]

Excellent review. Thank you.

[@cesargutierrez4999]

Amazing review man Great style!!!!!!

[@laurencerobinson1427]

well done superb review!!!!

[@the_wau_]

congrats on getting the APx555 :D edit: hadn't gotten to the point where you mentioned renting it

[@GoldenSound]

Yep not quite there yet. Sooo close now!

[@metal571]

This channel about to move to the very forefront of all reviews if a GRAS 43AG is also in the plans

[@the_wau_]

@@metal571 more so if he also gets a hold of an abx switch

[@GoldenSound]

@@metal571 That's something I'd love in future but definitely wouldn't happen soon. Not just the expense but also actually getting a suitable environment to do the testing is tricky. If it's possible then I'd love to though! But for now the APx555 is first priority

[@fclp67]

@@metal571 any other underrated channels you follow?, besides the headphone show of course

[@Emrah2908]

Oh the snapping :)

[@prestondufauchard5919]

Love your reviews, and this is nice, once again. I just got the Diablo to pair with Arya's, but haven't yet listened to that pairing because the Diablo makes my 6XX's sound better than I've heard. Would be nice to include your cable set up in the info provided if not mentioned in the reviews. Thanks for your KZbin contributions.

[@MayTheSchwartzBeWithYou]

How do these compare to a "proper" desktop DAC/amp setup? I assume amps like the Schiit Jotunheim 2, Singxer SA-1, and Burson Soloist 3X Performance would all sound better? Or not necessarily? Specifically asking with respect to the Arya.

[@dHolbach77]

I'd like to know too. I'm looking at the Burson Funk or Diablo.

[@noahgrose]

“Full MQA decoder, if that’s your thing”…lemme guess, it’s not yours ;)

[@GoldenSound]

However could you have guessed? ;)

[@peterlarkin762]

Golden's videos on MQA are well worth a look. Educational about corporate marketing and lack of consumer awareness.

[@S.Madman]

@@peterlarkin762 MQA is the antichrist, no amount of Diablo will fix that.

[@robm321]

Not mine either.

[@jonhoneyball194]

Congrats on the ap. I just bought full spec 517 and gras hats with the 50kHz ears and voice box for my lab. Ap UK is next door to me in Huntingdon - James popped in today with a cable for me

[@rafael6769]

This is alot of work for one video , good job

[@lukephillips3751]

Can you please do some more budget Hi- Fi amp/dac/headphones all coming to $400 thanks

[@luanjoel7424]

Sennheiser 650+ amp

[@cyberletho]

Any comparison of the Signature and the newer Gryphon

[@adityataneja2000]

Congrats on the Audio Precision! Anyways, any particular reason why the amps were chosen to be measured at 1 Vrms, isn't 2 Vrms the standard for measuring?

[@GoldenSound]

2vrms is what ASR uses, it's not a standard, just what he chose, but it's way more than you would ever put into your headphones and so is quite unrealistic. Most headphones you will be listening at about 700mv. So I figured that (which will get something like HD800 to 100dB...) plus a little extra was an ideal level. A lot of amps might not even have 2v output. But they would never need it anyway as that's simply too much voltage for any headphone I'm aware of unless you're listening at 120dB or something silly

[@adityataneja2000]

@@GoldenSoundthat makes sense, but even if they aren't the ideal test for headphones, isn't 2 Vrms the industrial standard for almost all amp inputs. Wouldn't this create sort of dissonance for viewers when you're measuring other stuff like DACs, since then you'd be using a different reference voltage for measuring performance? Just curious.

[@GoldenSound]

@@adityataneja2000 2v is the standard for voltage input to an amp. It's also the 'normal' value for RCA line level (4v for XLR). But the graphs are showing voltage OUT from the headphone amp. There is no normal/standard for headphone amplifier output. ASR simply chose to use unity gain. And that's fine. I personally think that number is fairly useless. It's like testing a car's turning circle whilst going 150mph. When testing a headphone amp, I publish a full APx report (all are available in my discord atm) which tests at unity gain, 700mv, and 50mv. This shows proper realistic performance at various levels representing what would be used for IEMs and Headphones. This also includes a SINAD/Voltage out chart, so the viewer can simply look up the SINAD value at any level they are interested in. Quite frankly there are all sorts of issues with how ASR conducts their testing and I would encourage others to look at the tests done by people such as AtomicBob instead as they are MUCH more comprehensive, transparent about the test setup, and realistic.

[@abdo-dr1tu]

@@GoldenSound i think it’s better to keep a standard (even an arbitrary one) just so you could do an apples to apples comparison between different products. If 2 Vrms is too high (which is surprising to hear from you knowing you use an ABH2 for some of your headphones) then do 1 Vrms, 0.5 whichever you think is enough.

[@michaelhutchinson1789]

@@abdo-dr1tu I think he agrees with you about a standard but just thinks a realistic standard for listening volume makes sense, which makes sense 😁

[@joshbritton3268]

Would be very interesting to see your thoughts on ifi's various power and usb conditioners/isolators.

[@fairyball3929]

Just a note, Golden Sound has already made a video about USB isolators, and he included a discussion about the ifi iGalvanic in that video.

[@chamade166]

Snake oils

[@tcc5750]

I love you, keep making videos please.

[@Antagonist]

Thank you for your great. review! I would be very interested in a deeper look into the ZEN DAC and CAN. The DAC seems to get a lot of negative reviews because of their measurement. Your view would be very welcomed because you don't just measure, you also describe the sound, which is the most important thing! Also a lot of reviews don't cover measurements with a power supply on the DAC or even try the different software upgrades which influence the sound signature quite a bit!

[@ej1025]

Wonder how the Finale compares to these?

[@Tripokaridos22]

I like the analogue valume knob but i can hear channel in balance on low volumes.

[@luisnavarrete1602]

I just got the hip dac and love it, i want the signature now.

[@newkid7]

I guess the moment you hear Signature you'll appreciate how great Hip Dac is.

[@WolfAyron]

Thank you very much for this detailed comparison review. I found your channel by your 2 MQA videos and subscribed. I have a pre-owned Black Label because I could get it on a good price. I use it with my HD 800S and I really like the sound of this brick. I was wondering if it's worth the upgrade to either Signature or Diablo so I'm really glad that you made this video of exactly these three. You helped me decide. :)

[@AJL713]

Any thoughts on the iFi xDSD Gryphon?😁

[@kermeetton]

Hi Golden Sound, how do you think Signature compares to Ibasso DX300 or other current flagship DAPs that you listened? Is it better sounding, worse? Thanks!

[@PhotoTerco]

I just got the Mest 2 & the Denafrips Ares 2 and I love both, I'm looking forward to heard your impressions on these :)

[@john0416]

Please compare the xdsd gryphon and signature 🙏

[@soundknight]

Reverse polarity is for dirty ground supplies (common in the US)... i believe, they do this in audio production / live sound (my field)

[@facm417]

How does the diablo/signature compare to Chord Mojo as a dac-amp combo?

[@Atlas348]

Have both Signature and Mojo. Signature is a bit warmer with vocals pushed back and a larger soundstage whereas the Mojo has a little more coloration to its tone, with a narrower soundstage and the vocals up front. Resolution is similar. Maybe a slight edge to the Mojo. But that could be perception from the forward learning Mojo compared to the flatter/warmer Signature (w/o bass boost and 3D on). For longer listening, I’d go with the Signature. Both have their uses - depending on your mood/tastes.

[@facm417]

@@Atlas348 - Thank you. Much appreciated 👍🏼

[@michasieczko9654]

Is it fair to compare those devices to stacks like A90/D90? If yes, is there much of a trade-off? Edit: Based purely on technical performance and sound subjectively?

[@chamade166]

They are just as good, if not better. The problem is audiophiles and thinking you need giant 1000$+ boxes on your desktop. I have the HE1000SE and actually prefer the Black Label over the Signature since it makes these hyper resolving headphones sound more organic.

[@dHolbach77]

@@chamade166 Thanks, helpful. I'm looking at the Burson Funk or Diablo right now and trying to fight the "big heavy box means more serious sound" bias (I have a few box-on-desk amps, ranging from $300 to $550, but I've never tried a portable amp, just used DAP headphone outs with IEMs).

[@ktech4246]

Thanks for the very detailed review. I am using the Slate VSX headphones/room emulation for mixing music on the go. Which one do you recommend for mixing music? ie looking for the most flat response?

[@JKT-e9z]

Does the IFI IEMATCH 4.4MM allow you to use IEMS?

[@quartzofcourse]

Surprised we didn’t get a little tear down showing the inside of these

[@eskamobob8662]

Probabaly just too much to cover in one video tbh

[@r.adamberk4904]

Did you manually install the non-MQA firmware on these? If not, I believe the filter switch changes NOTHING, so any difference in sound reported would have likely been entirely imagined...

[@GoldenSound]

Yes, I avoided the GTO/MQA firmware (Also did measure/test the filter responses)

[@soundknight]

Red 15:14 Blue 16:04 Blue xbass 17:17

[@digitalnation2876]

is this better than the Honey H1 ? in sound quality, thank you, 🙏

[@GoldenSound]

Definitely. I have the Honey H1 here at the moment and it's kinda meh

[@yogibear2584]

Woop woop been waiting on this one had the idsd bl then upgraded to the signature on release day, never looked back since.... never heard that red devil yet though

[@corbinchristensen1555]

My signature makes some noise sometimes. Staticy buzz sound that is real annoying when it's not playing music. Not always, but often enough that it's irritating. I'm thinking of switching to the Dethonray Honey H1. You just mentioned it (I'm not to the end yet) so I'm very curious on the comparisons

[@tecno4u31]

I have hip dac. Will I noticed difference between other ifi dacs? I can't decide between signature or gryphon.

[@chefsteve8381]

Why no love for smsl su8 v2 very similar to soncoz la-qxd1 ? maybe a review/ comparison is in order.

[@FabioGnecco]

Do you think you can share some audio samples of those dacs ? 10 second sample of the same song in different models For newer vídeos or something lol Well, take care !

[@satriany31]

Hello, do you think the signature has enough power for a heddphone? Thanks

[@yugioh887]

Really wish you can get your hands on a Denafrips Ares ii

[@GoldenSound]

I have one :) Review coming soon

[@yugioh887]

@@GoldenSound Noice! Cant wait

[@bryce74]

Can the signature drive the LCD 3 well with good sound or is the diablo better? Lcd 3 is 101 sens and 110ohms.

[@xyanide1986]

I'm very likely to upgrade to an ifi Neo idsd combined with my old iCAN SE (4W + xbass), but I will side-by-side with the signature. This dealer has pretty much all their products. Kind of a shame they discontinued the iCAN SE considering the bang-for-buck, it's only sold with the built in DACs now in the form of the diablo and signature.

[@juliangst]

I always explained that to Zeos, so now I'm gonna do that here too: It uses a male USB A connector because the only way to get audio out of an iPhone is by using the Apple camera-connection kit which is USB A female to lightning. If the device is Mfi certified like many fiio dac amps it would work with provided usb c to lightning adapters (like my Fiio BTR5), but on most DACs you have to use that apple adapter; no third party adapter will work with an i device. So the male USB A is for convenience, that apple users don't need a usb c to usb a and the apple adapter after that.

[@rjy8960]

I'd disagree regarding the Apple camera adaptor - I have been using a Lightening to micro-USB cable between my iPhones (8 and 11) and Mojo for years. Mine is from Meenova and I bought a spare just in case. Takes out all of the faff of having to use the camera adaptor and they do work. I'm not sure if the Meenova has the MFI chip embedded but the Mojo isn't MFI certified.

[@juliangst]

@@rjy8960 I think some of these cables exist. They have the camera connection kit chip build into them. I don't know if they're allowed to use that chip tho, but chinese companies don't really care lol

[@rjy8960]

@@juliangst I'm not sure about the legality of the devices, but the whole MFI thing is a PITA. Although saying that, I've recently gone for the new M1 iPad Pro with a USB-C connector and just using a standard USB-C to USB mini also works. I did buy a kosher Apple camera cable and it didn't last for long before the cable insulation started to break up due to physical stresses . It's good to have a "better" solution and the camera cable if I need it. Darko has also been whingeing about the faff needed with Apple devices - it's just unnecessary, especially given that the lightening will yield HD straight out of the connector without third party s/w and ropey support that is required on Android for HD. But I totally get why they designed the USB connector on the IFI to accept the camera connector - that was something I didn't get until reading your comments, so thanks for that :)

[@mensrea1251]

Good points. Just to add though the camera kit does come in usb c flavours so it’s just as functional for non iOS devices. So the way the port is implemented maximizes coverage for all device users, not just Apple.

[@krucacing]

how does signature compared to similarly priced desktop amp+dac combo?

[@ramaidaugirdas]

Can I use the Diablo as an AMP only? (other DAC + Diablo)

[@xyanide1986]

yessssssssss

[@DeAudiofilosyLocos]

the diablo is much better as a DAC and the circuit is fully balanced differential and more power. But the signature is a better value for those who want features. I use the diablo in my reference system as a DAC and I also have a pro idsd which I think the diablo comes close to.

[@adrianmorrish8494]

how would the idsd compare in terms of resolution, slam etc to say a midfi stack like a topping d30 pro into a Jottenheim 2?

[@RayCabrera1]

I own the A30 D30 pro stack, and going back and forth with the Idsd Signature with my Focal Clear MG. The Topping is slightly clearer and has a more pronounced slam then the Signature. The Signature bass lingers a little more and overall has a warmer or fuller sound. They both sound good but there are slightly different.

[@reflection1119]

Great review! How do you rate the Signature in comparison to the Honey H1 in terms of sound quality? (it's clear features and power are a win for the signature).

[@eskamobob8662]

He has my honey in so hopefully we see this touched upon in that review

[@Aquiiin]

Also: how does the Signature and Diablo compare the the RME Adi Pro 2 in conversion and headphone amp quality?

[@swolowski]

You're using an XLR cable with a Pentaconn adapter. Do you notice any significant SQ degradation? I'm about to buy a new cable for my Ether Flows and I was wondering should I go for an XLR (or Pentaconn) terminated one and making some adapters for it. Btw Thanks for the review. I just ordered both Diablo and Signature to compare. : )

[@whosonedphone]

No link about the power supply In the description... Do you have any recommendations for a quick charging power supply. I'd like try a good power supply for the Nintendo Switch lol.

[@raysclim]

Hope to see review on xdsd gryphon soon

[@Clickarn93]

Hello I'm Gaming-Audiophile and Im using ifi black label. For me its too airy and I cant tell exactly where the enemy is in shooting games. Which dac would you recommend to easy pinpoint enemy by sound? I am using Sennheiser 800s.

[@soundknight]

Which for classical music? ( totally smooth and refined detail)

[@adamjohari]

This? Or the Topping EX5? Or the RME ADI 2 DAC FS?

[@thunderstar254]

Or the Grace m900? We seem to be looking for the same kind of dac/amp, please update if you decide on one

[@013aleksy]

Cameron, you beautiful bastard, thanks to this vid I've just ordered a ifi Signature (and Hifiman sundara)

[@olimphus26]

Any plans for reviewing the pro iDSD?

[@TheDevestatorX]

I hope you'll review the Geshelli J2

[@alex-su81]

What's the recommended 4.4 balanced cable for LCD-X?

[@bomt697]

are these made mostly for headphones or can bookshelf speakers be used as well?

[@eliyahu3013]

im a gold patreon now hehehhe

[@AJL713]

The features on these products are great. How would you compare them to the Mojo?

[@mensrea1251]

The Mojos were game changers when they came out but have long since been surpassed. They shouldn’t compete with these (maybe the BL’s???), although results may vary depending on personal preference and what’s being used along the full chain.

[@AJL713]

@@mensrea1251 the one I want to see reviewed now is the iFi DSD Gryphon. That one seems dope.

[@mensrea1251]

@@AJL713 It looks amazing. It checks all the boxes as far as features are concerned including BT. It’s also supposed to have the same balanced circuitry as the Diablo (unlike the Signature that doesn’t have balanced circuitry, only balanced connection which is almost meaningless). Won’t have the same output power though, it will remain the same as the Signature I believe. Of course for certain people (ie those who want to be able to drive the very best flagship headphones in the best way possible in a transportable form factor and who aren’t concerned with features like XBass, 3D, ieMatch and don’t care about BT) the Diablo is still the way to go.

[@OptLab]

​@@mensrea1251 The mojo2 has more to offer than the original Mojo. I still can't decide between the signature and the mojo 2

[@עידןתמיר-ה3ס]

Hi, I have the black label worth upgrading to signature?

[@НатальяАлександрова-в5ц]

IFI Signature or Centrance M8 V2 ?

[@Aquiiin]

Signature or Diablo for pro audio mastering and mixing with LCD-5 or MM-500 / LCD-X ? Which one would you think is better suited?

[@boobiewatchr]

The diablo has a dash of flavor added sound signature. I've owned both and I much prefer the diablo because of the lower, almost inaudable noise floor (except with iems!!!). Also the signature has an audible pop of the electronics powering on when you click the volume pot into the on position.

[@M0N0KIRA]

Diablo.

[@corndog9482]

If I'm using Oppo's PM-3 and PM-2, with their slightly warm sound and rolled off treble, would those cans be a good match with these, in particular the Signature model? And would I be able to connect my Galaxy S10+ to them?

[@Lego6980]

Thanks for the review. I have the original silver micro iDSD. I was wondering what’s actually different under the hood between the that and the signature version. Btw - Loved your review of the Hugo Dave etc. have you reviewed the ifi Audio pro iDSD?

[@allansh828]

Can they drive Arya?

[@eskamobob8662]

Yes. Bl does some wierd stuff with arya though making it feel kinda congested somehow. Sig and diablo don't have the same issue afaik

[@WelkySchullin]

Thx

[@Usernotknown21]

They make iems sound great too. I don't know why so many reviewers act like they're only for headphones

[@levinste2750]

is Diablo more powerful than Gryphon xDSD?

[@dixter1652]

you have to love audio people who claim they won't EQ their TOTL Headphones and yet they flip the bass boost and say wow, I like that, but won't admit that the bass boost switch is EQ by definition....

[@mensrea1251]

IKR lol

[@AKL764]

What do you think of the signiture vs honey H1? Just in terms of sound

[@frantotti9754]

ifi micro ican vs ifi zen can > ? both in the same price , which one should I got for ? thanks for the video + like and sub

[@soundknight]

I can't believe the price difference between these. In Australia : Red is $1500 Blue is $1100 Black is $1100 !!!

[@robertrichards9565]

I wish I can hear a demo of the 3d. I’m listening to a lot of very early stereo music and I’m hyper sensitive to super isolated stereo of which I have a nearly zero threshold for. Does anyone have any suggestions for a dac with good crossfeed? I prefer to have it hardware based.

[@seif.z]

Monoprice thx 788 has great function, Rme fs does has adjustable cross-feed but that's more expensive

[@thunderstar254]

Grace m900

[@daretobe957]

Diablo can be utilized purely as an amplifier. It's a hidden feature and all what you need to do is using the balanced output as a balanced input. Totally agreed that IEmatch is very much needed. I use the IEmatch adapters with Diablo, but it's super inconvenient. ifi never made 1/4 inch or 4.4mm IEmatch adapters, so I have to plug in extra 1/4 to 3.5 or 4.4 to 2.5 adapters. The whole things looks stupid after all these adapters...

[@mrjohnsuen]

Interesting .. have you tried using the 4.4 out on the back as a 4.4 in? would this cause any tissue / damage to the unit?

[@screwb1882]

I would say these are "transportable" amps. Not really "portable".

[@DoctorHero]

The best thing about the Diablo is that it has blown up a few nuggetphones. That's how you know you're thinnin' out the soup too much, mate.

[@kevin26exe]

I hope you can try ipurifier with different sources :)

[@OverHaze]

Do you think you will review any of the Zen series?

[@paolovolante]

SMSL DP3 vs Black Label: in your opinion witch one sounds better?

[@nutzerlossprivataccount6586]

5:28 its really nice to see an type a port, becaus you can use the included "charging" cable from your smartphone.

[@Wyd4]

Just stumbled on this review, but they use that usb port so an apple camera adapter or an otg cable from an android device can plug straight in without the need for a second usb cable. It is a pain when using it with a PC though.

[@paolovolante]

Hi, great video as always. I recently bought a Black Label (unfortunately this review came too late ;) I must say that I quite satisfied about it (except the useless - for me - MQA feature ). I use it link to a Mac Book Pro 2018 with Roon. I'm facing a major problem with the connection, though... Roon often "loses" it, I have to unplug and plug several times before the DAC get recognized by coreaudio process and Roon. The Mac has an USB-C port. I changed cable but the problem remains. Do you had the same issue? Mac 2018 has several problem with coreaudio process. In your opinion is a cable or driver problem? If it is a cable problem could you suggest me where to buy a more reliable cable?