iFi Audio - hip-dac
Portable DAC & AmpUnfortunately, even if we desire to, we won't be able to resurrect this product. The Museum is where we pay our respects to end-of-life, old, archived, but not forgotten products. This page was made with a lot of love and will live on for posterity. What to say, we're sentimental people. 😔
While this product is gone forever, here are others we recommend
Customer Reviews
The iFi hip-dac is a great choice if you’re looking for a portable DAC that looks as good as it will make your music sound. a nifty bass-boosting button, the hip-dac is a fantastic piece of audio kit.
Thank you for the awesome review & ratings, shivarama krishna!
Easiest way to describe this is - for audiophiles who are beginning their journey, this is the perfect product.
A- it's not very expensive. Because there are dacs which cost north of 50k as well. And this does the job perfectly which makes it bang for buck.
B- it's drives pretty much anything in the beginner audiophile sections. I personally use a hifiman he400se and this has blown it out of the roof.
C- this provides a very satisfying sound signature which is very tastefully neutral. It also has a xbass option which amps the lower end. Comes in handy for a few headphones which lack the low end thump.
D- it has a power match option which basically matches its power output to the circuit requirements of the headphone attached. Very very cool.
.
They sound very similar to the zen dac. It works great and is very portable ! i loved the convinience factor. it still doesnt match the sound of the zen dac but thats an unfair comparison. it is well worth the buy.
Hey Ashish,
Thank you for the great review! & the zen dac obviously sounds better than the hip-dac as it is not battery-powered. Cheers!
New to Audiophile. Lots of research. Decided on this coz of rave reviews of Xbass. Though notta bass head but that XBASS when switched on, you need to experience it, can't xplain over text, such is the happiness. Paired with DT990 pro (requires power match to be on, a def battery drainer). No complaints, been using it for 2weeks and an absolute necessity for Apple Music Lossless!
HI Vignesh,
Delighted you are loving your purchase, thanks for the great review! Cheers
Thanks Varun of headphone zone for clearing up the queries- Well I had to wait for the original apple otg cable & now we're rockin - this is just fantastic - i have sennheiser 599 - i will definitely upgrade to another open back with a larger soundstage - will definitely do some research unless @someheadphone guru is willing to help - 🎶🥂
HI Mihir,
So delighted that you are loving your purchase, hope it was a comfortable shopping experience & lastly thanks for the lovely review. Cheers & keep the music playing!
No regrets
it looks great and works even better.
I have used it with Meze 99 classics. They are pretty easy to drive and do not require any AMP/DAC. but if you pair it with something like IFI HIP it will enhance the sound.
Design: pretty solid metallic build. looks stylish as well. the volume control/power on knob gets switched on with a satisfying click, and I love the experience of controlling volume manually.
Sound: It has warm sound signature. So if you are looking for neutral sound there are other options available. Its Xbass feature works amazingly well.
Con: the cables provided are pathetic. The one that gets attached to mobile phone is so thick and hard that it becomes really difficult to carry or keep it in pocket. At this price I was expecting better cables.
I have another issue, it's not really IFI's fault. But I am colour blind, so I can't tell the battery percentage. I can understand when it's above 75% as at that time it's white, and then when it starts flashing and under 10. I wish there was an app to control it or something or a better way of checking battery percentage.
HI Vivek,
Delighted you are loving your purchase, hope it was a comfortable shopping experience & thanks for the review. Cheers & Keep the music playing!
iFi Audio - hip-dac
The Hip Dac is so much more than a pretty face. Its a balanced DAC, with a powerful amp module, great battery life, and powerful enough to drive serious headphones. For an audiopihle looking for his first DAC to use on the move - this is Perfect!
About RAGHAV SOMANI
Raghav Somani is the Founder & CEO of Headphone Zone. An avid audiophile and musician since 2008, his choice of headphones include STAX Electrostats, Audeze LCD 3, and for music on the go, the JH Audio Roxanne + Astell&Kern SP1000 is never too far away. On his playlist, you'll find A.R. Rahman, Michael Jackson, and the Eagles.
DESCRIPTION
MEET IFI'S LATEST SUPER-PORTABLE & STYLISH DAC/AMP
Get the best of the beauty and performance with the iFi Audio hip-dac. It has a tiny petrol blue body with a dash of copper which gives it a trendy look while being super-portable. Easily connect it via USB along with a headphone for a rich and dynamic sound. You can stream your music across major websites including Spotify, Apple Music or Tidal.
ADVANCED BURR-BROWN DAC & FIRMWARE UPDATES FOR CERTIFIED HI-RES AUDIO
The hip-dac houses the Burr-Brown True Native chip to give you pitch-perfect and certified hi-res sound. It also supports PCM & DXD up to 384kHz along with DSD256 and MQA for Tidal users. It contains a maxed-out circuitry and easy-to-install firmware. Open DoP256 on your Mac and Linux with 'Limoncello' 5.2A. Add the special GTO filter through 'Cookies and Cream' 5.3C.
STAY BALANCED WITH THE S-BALANCED® CIRCUIT
The balanced circuits are designed to reduce external noise and promote a clearer sound. Regardless of the single-ended or the balanced headphones, you are assured to get superior performance, thanks to iFi's S-Balanced® circuit. With the PowerMatch switchable cable, you can adjust the input sensitivity to match your headphone capacity. Turn it off while using the IEMs and put it on for low impedance headphones that require more oomph.
ALL ABOUT THAT BASS
Missing out on bass is the last thing you need to worry about with the hip-dac. It comes with xBass®—an optional sonic adjustment from iFi that makes up for the low bass which is encountered in in-ear or open-back headphones.
ENJOY LONG LISTENING SESSIONS WITH AN 8-HOUR BATTERY LIFE
The hip-dac comes with an amazing battery life that lasts for almost a day. Even if your headphone consumes a lot of power to run, the hip-dac runs efficiently for up to 8 hours. It comes with two outputs: 4.4mm for balanced headphone cables and 3.5mm for IEMs. 
SPECS
| FORMAT SUPPORTED | DSD256/128/64, Octa/Quad/Double/Single-Speed DSD DXD(384/352.8kHz), PCM(384/352.8/192/176.4/96/88.2/48/44.1 kHz) MQA |
| DIGITAL INPUTS | USB 3.0 type ’A’ High-Speed Asynchronous USB 2.0, (32 Bit/384kHz) |
| HEADPHONE OUTPUTS | Balanced 4.4 mm S-Bal (SE) 3.5 mm |
| POWER OUTPUT (@1% THD) | BAL: 400 mW@32 Ohm ; S-BAL(SE): 280 mW@32 Ohm BAL: 6.3V@600 Ohm ; S-BAL (SE): 3.2V@600 Ohm |
| BATTERY | Lithium-polymer 2200mAh |
| POWER SYSTEM | Charging via USB-C, BC V1.2 compliant up to 1000mA charging current |
| POWER (MAX) | <2W idle, 4W max |
| DIMENSIONS | 102(l) x 70(w) x 14(h) mm |
| WEIGHT | 125g (0.28 lbs) |
| BOX CONTENTS |
1. iFi Audio - hip-dac
|
|
2. 1 X blue ifi usb male to female cable
|
|
|
3. 1 X usb-c to usb male to female (direct connection to Android/DAP’s)
|
|
|
4. 1 X usb-a to usb male to female
|
MEET IFI'S LATEST SUPER-PORTABLE & STYLISH DAC/AMP
Get the best of the beauty and performance with the iFi Audio hip-dac. It has a tiny petrol blue body with a dash of copper which gives it a trendy look while being super-portable. Easily connect it via USB along with a headphone for a rich and dynamic sound. You can stream your music across major websites including Spotify, Apple Music or Tidal.
ADVANCED BURR-BROWN DAC & FIRMWARE UPDATES FOR CERTIFIED HI-RES AUDIO
The hip-dac houses the Burr-Brown True Native chip to give you pitch-perfect and certified hi-res sound. It also supports PCM & DXD up to 384kHz along with DSD256 and MQA for Tidal users. It contains a maxed-out circuitry and easy-to-install firmware. Open DoP256 on your Mac and Linux with 'Limoncello' 5.2A. Add the special GTO filter through 'Cookies and Cream' 5.3C.
STAY BALANCED WITH THE S-BALANCED® CIRCUIT
The balanced circuits are designed to reduce external noise and promote a clearer sound. Regardless of the single-ended or the balanced headphones, you are assured to get superior performance, thanks to iFi's S-Balanced® circuit. With the PowerMatch switchable cable, you can adjust the input sensitivity to match your headphone capacity. Turn it off while using the IEMs and put it on for low impedance headphones that require more oomph.
ALL ABOUT THAT BASS
Missing out on bass is the last thing you need to worry about with the hip-dac. It comes with xBass®—an optional sonic adjustment from iFi that makes up for the low bass which is encountered in in-ear or open-back headphones.
ENJOY LONG LISTENING SESSIONS WITH AN 8-HOUR BATTERY LIFE
The hip-dac comes with an amazing battery life that lasts for almost a day. Even if your headphone consumes a lot of power to run, the hip-dac runs efficiently for up to 8 hours. It comes with two outputs: 4.4mm for balanced headphone cables and 3.5mm for IEMs.
| FORMAT SUPPORTED | DSD256/128/64, Octa/Quad/Double/Single-Speed DSD DXD(384/352.8kHz), PCM(384/352.8/192/176.4/96/88.2/48/44.1 kHz) MQA |
| DIGITAL INPUTS | USB 3.0 type ’A’ High-Speed Asynchronous USB 2.0, (32 Bit/384kHz) |
| HEADPHONE OUTPUTS | Balanced 4.4 mm S-Bal (SE) 3.5 mm |
| POWER OUTPUT (@1% THD) | BAL: 400 mW@32 Ohm ; S-BAL(SE): 280 mW@32 Ohm BAL: 6.3V@600 Ohm ; S-BAL (SE): 3.2V@600 Ohm |
| BATTERY | Lithium-polymer 2200mAh |
| POWER SYSTEM | Charging via USB-C, BC V1.2 compliant up to 1000mA charging current |
| POWER (MAX) | <2W idle, 4W max |
| DIMENSIONS | 102(l) x 70(w) x 14(h) mm |
| WEIGHT | 125g (0.28 lbs) |
| BOX CONTENTS |
1. iFi Audio - hip-dac
|
|
2. 1 X blue ifi usb male to female cable
|
|
|
3. 1 X usb-c to usb male to female (direct connection to Android/DAP’s)
|
|
|
4. 1 X usb-a to usb male to female
|
Don't sweat it, this
iFi Audio - hip-dac comes with a 1 Year warranty
from iFi Audio that covers manufacturing defects.
All products featured on Headphone Zone are backed by an original manufacturer's warranty.
Read more about iFi Audio's warranty in India.
APPLAUSE AWARD
Stereonet
Apr, 2020
HIFI CHOICE AWARD
HiFi choice
May, 2020
HIFI CHOICE RECOMMENDED
HiFi choice
May, 2019
BEST
DAC/Amp
Headfonia
Dec, 2019
"I love its ability to drive full-size headphones with enthusiasm. If you’re looking for a lightweight DAC/Amp to improve the audio from your laptop or mobile this is a no-brainer..”
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"If you want the best possible sound quality from your smartphone or other digital-audio source device, the iFi hip-dac is a no-brainer.”
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"It has great sound quality with flexibility and usefulness for days and the features list is long and does it all without a hitch.”
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"It’s almost an audio miracle as it is so small and yet it packs such a large output power with a few additional features on top of it.”
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"With a portable form factor, a sturdy build, a very smooth sound, and the ability to power all but the highest-impedance of headphones, it’s my pleasure to highly recommend the hip-dac.”
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"It has great sound quality with flexibility and usefulness for days and the features list is long and does it all without a hitch.”
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"IFi’s new hip-dac is as fast, punchy and dynamic as you could hope for at this price, and a world better than most. It really is good enough to stand in the company of far pricier products”
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"If you're looking for a high-quality portable DAC, this talented box of tricks warrants an audition. In short, the iFi hip-dac is a superb buy.”
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