iFi Neo iDSD 2 Review

With the Neo iDSD 2, iFi introduces a jack-of-all-trades designed to accomplish more than one task. It is a full-fledged headphone amp but also a DAC that processes various digital input signals—including Bluetooth.

by Thomas Bergbold

But that’s not all, because the Neo iDSD 2 also works as a full-fledged preamplifier and only needs a pair of active speakers or a power amplifier as a companion.

iFi has packed the whole thing into a futuristic case—a combination of a plastic front and metal housing. Practical: Operation is possible both horizontally and vertically. Everything necessary for getting started is included: a decent RCA cable, a 42-centimeter-long USB 3 cable for the digital audio connection to the computer, a small remote control, and an external power supply. For upright positioning, a stand with rubber feet is included. These are important since the stand has sharp edges.

True to the motto “There’s an app for everything,” iFi offers a suitable app in the app stores for settings and firmware updates. However, except for firmware updates, everything can also be set directly on the large display. On the output side, there’s plenty as well: balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA sockets, and at the front, it continues with two headphone outputs—one unbalanced 6.3 millimeter and one balanced 4.4-millimeter Pentaconn port.

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Arranged like a directional pad, buttons for input selection, pre-amplification for the headphone amplifier, and the two sound enhancers XBass II and XSpace are grouped around the power button at the front. To ideally adapt the Neo iDSD 2 to your own needs, there are various settings to make—for example, digital filters for pre and post-ringing of the signal or upsampling. Naturally, the filter can also be deactivated. XSpace is intended to create an expanded soundstage similar to physical speakers, and XBass II is a three-stage bass boost. To drive even demanding headphones, the headphone amp delivers up to 5551 mW at the balanced connection and 2832 mW at the unbalanced port, according to the manufacturer.

In the Soundcheck

Starting as a headphone amplifier. A digitally connected Linn Majik DS or a Mac via USB serves as the source. The Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro acts as the headphone reference. To begin, I chose a very minimalistic piece with violin and harp by Anne Clark from the high-res album “Borderland”. The instruments stood very precisely in the room, as did Anne Clark’s calm voice, which remained clearly in the foreground. You could almost see before your mind’s eye how the harp was being played.

Whether as a DAC, preamplifier, or headphone amplifier: The iFi Neo iDSD 2 doesn’t show any weakness.

Christmas is approaching, and thus calm albums like “Christmas” by Till Brönner are popular again. The Neo iDSD 2 presented me with a full piano here, accompanied by Brönner’s typically rough trumpet. It sounded convincing, neutral, and direct. This lively and direct sound profile also showed positively with my last album: “Point” by Yello. The Swiss bits and bytes were rendered clearly and brightly. I was also curious about what the “sound enhancers” XBass II and XSpace were all about. I picked up the live album by Norah Jones again. XSpace actually broadened the stage, which, however, also leads to a somewhat brighter sound. Such an effect doesn’t suit all albums. The three-stage XBass II can sometimes overshoot the mark; especially in the second stage, Norah’s voice was a bit too aggressive for me.

For me, a more harmonious sound resulted without these circuits. With one exception: When used as a preamplifier and paired with a Fosi Audio digital power amplifier featuring the TPA3255 amplifier chip, I preferred that bit more bass in the first stage of XBass II on many albums.

Use as a Preamplifier

And here we are directly at the use of the Neo iDSD 2 as a preamplifier. As is often the case, the combination of amplifier and speakers determines the sound experience here as well. In any case, the Neo iDSD 2 delivered an extremely clean audio signal. Not a bad trait for a DAC.