iFi Nano iDSD Black Label Portable USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier with MQA and DSD. Use with Smartphones/DAPs/Tablets/Laptops

The "iFi Nano iDSD Black Label Portable USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier With MQA and DSD. Use With Smartphones/Digital Audio Players/Tablets/Laptops - Headphone Upgrade (Unit Only)" is an upgrade upon the previous model (which lacks the 'Black Label' tag) with several upgraded and more advanced (with additional features) components. As with other such devices from the brand, it has a solid aluminium casing that offers excellent protection for its internals which include a rechargeable lithium battery (via the USB cable).It shares its general appearance, and some features and components of its more expensive relative, the iDSD Micro (£599), while having some features in common with the Hip-DAC to which it has no physical resemblance. It natively supports the majority of audio formats, not just MP3, WAV, FLAC etc but including several streamed formats including MQA (the latter from firmware version 5.3 upwards) and DSD. DSD256 support was removed to allow MQA rendition but there is very little currently available in that format - most such material tends to be DSD64 with some DSD128 but the situation could later change. There is a possibility to 'upgrade' and resample DSD128 to DSD256 and beyond via third-party software but it would not be quite the same as true 256-bit sampling while also requiring a significant outlay, €199 or £190 at review date exchange rates.The Nano iDSD Black Label can be considered as semi-portable as it differs from the Hip-DAC which is purely portable and the Zen-DAC models which are purely desk-bound; this can be either - if powered up first without any connected input, it becomes portable but with a connected and active input it is desk-bound. It can be used at home, college, at work or while travelling and with various devices at different times without needing immediate access to a mains socket (it will after several hours of use) - it does not even have a dedicated power input socket as the function is jointly shared with data input.Its sole input is USB via the supplied 1m cable that can connect to a laptop, desktop and some portable devices but for others an OTG cable or adapter will need to be purchased - Apple and Android versions are offered by iFi and are of high quality (and price); as with other iFi products, it is potentially immediately usable out-of-the-box in some situations and for some users - a few may need additional cables or adapters. A small USB-A to USB-B adapter and a short adapter cable are also included as they will be needed with some devices to connect to the standard input cable.Used as a portable, it will significantly raise the out voltages and current from the low levels that most smartphones provide in order to maintain internal battery power for as long as possible. This will enable a comfortable listening level, usually with power to spare with almost every combination of source and 'phones combination and, almost certainly, an improvement to the audio heard. The DAC will support a wide range of in-ear 'phones from various brands, an extensive range of headphones including some planar models that would otherwise be impossible with a portable device. Whichever type or brand of 'phones are used, an impedance within the 30-600 ohm range is required.As the headphone jacks are wired with individual Left- & Right-side earth (return) connections, balanced headphones or earphones as well as those described variously as unbalanced or single-ended with 3.5 mm, 3-pole jacks (6.3 mm via an optional adapter) can be used at will. Typically, balanced phones are fitted either with 2.5 mm or 4.4 mm 4-pole jacks so an adapter that allows yours to be used with the DAC's 3.5 mm sockets will be required. It can also feed an audio amplifier or active speakers with equal ease via its AUX output but the cable that is not included (readily available in many lengths and not expensive). Unusually, it offers two headphone jack sockets, one labelled 'Direct' for most, the other 'IEMatch' intended expressly for in-ear models. One may be better than the other for different models or brands of 'phones and it may be worthwhile trying both.It offers some variation in performance settings via on-board switches - its 'Listen' mode smooths rendition in a manner that some may prefer but with a slight loss of extreme treble, possibly also a minor boost in the mid-range for added presence to vocals, or a 'Measure' mode which allows unmodified and full-range renditions. It is claimed that 'listen' may be most appropriate for use with in-ear phones although some may then be 'hissy' - it is worth trying both options.The volume control is of a slightly different type than known from other iFi hardware owned and has a Power Off position that most others omit. It has the same easy and smooth action as others from the brand.Its USB input is not the expected A-type socket but a male USB-A connector which iFi claim to be more reliable in the longer term; it is also deeply recessed into the body and therefore better protected. Electronics behind the connector provide iFi's 'iPurifier' technology which smooths input signals, removes any electronic noise that may be present and helps separate data signals from power voltages; that exact function is provided in another iFi device and sold as a separate product at £99!iFi include a soft carry pouch and a thick and wide flexible bands that can help attach the DAC to a smartphone, media player or DAP while in use. It is not as slim and pocket friendly as the Hip-DAC and is heavier while still pocket-sized; it may be more comfortably carried in a back-pack and is claimed to provide up to 10 hours use per charge - about 8 hours is far more likely.While not inexpensive, it offers wide capabilities and good feature-set at a reasonable price. iFi is a UK-based company with excellent support in the event of need. Documentation included is typically limited to a single card but it includes both essential technical and usage information. Simply, it will dramatically improve audio quality with headphones and active speakers up to the peak of their individual capabilities, including but not limited to naturally extended bass and treble frequencies while also allowing music in otherwise previously unsupported formats to be played and enjoyed.While working perfectly for a period of about 30 minutes, it was later noticed after a period in another room that audio output had ceased, the mouse and keyboard ceased to function and a couple of external hard drives and a flash drive all currently in use also ceased to read and write data. The Nano's front LED had turned red which appeared to indicate that its battery had discharged but it had not been disconnected since first used from a known working PC USB port that was its source of power and data and which should have at least maintained its level of charge if not increased it. It had some charge when received but its level was unknown and not ascertainable.As a clear cause of these never before seen problems was unknown and unlikely to be a resource issue with fewer than six connected devices, the system was rebooted but there were several similar events over the next 3-4 hours. Only after disconnecting the Nano was full and normal system functionality returned. It was apparent that it was in conflict with other iFi devices used for different purposes. From the moment of its removal from the system, the problems experienced have not since returned, thus proving it as the cause. It would probably work perfectly when used alone and as a portable although another only recently purchased solution satisfactorily fills that role. With no perceived role remaining, it had to be returned.

Had been running my audio via a cheap Fiio optical DAC into a modded (upgraded the internal op-amp to OPA2227) Creative Labs speaker system. I decided to smarten it all up a bit with something more advanced. After some research I settled on this unit. The dual headphone outputs gave some improved options further down the line if I decided to go more exotic headphone wise. The pure DAC only output is great to pump into my amplified speaker setup. I doubt I'll use it with my phone or mobile but the option is there. The range of digital media it can handle is pretty wide too.As for how it sounds? Well I can tell there is more ambience. I listen to a lot of YouTube channels and you can 'hear' the room the person is talking in far more. The output is also much stronger than my old headphone out. At least double the power I would say. It's enjoyable to listen to so that's as far as I'll go cos you can really start to talk real sloblock when it comes to hi-fi.I just needed to install the Windows driver to get all the digital bit rates available in Windows Sound option. I tweaked the setting to full range/full volume/enhancements off/32bit 44k. I don't listen to hi-res stuff. The filter switch is left on Listen. I also disabled all the other audio ins and outs built into the PC. I left the firmware at 5.20 as it appears the benefits are mainly for hi-res and it changes the LED status lights. If anyone can convince me it's worth upgrading then let me know.So in short..I like it..a lot! Very pleased indeed.Edit August 2021. Had a small issue with my unit. I raised a support ticket with ifi and it was all handled perfectly within a week. Superb service and I didn't realise how much I'd miss my nano black. Thanks guys!

Super happy with the BL Nano. I've come from a Dragonfly Red and this trumps it both in usage/flexibility, and sound (particularly the clear midrange and also the slightly fuller bass). I particularly love: the volume knob, which is smooth and easy to set (though probably too light if looking to use this in your pocket); the two outputs for different impedance headphones; the line out; MQA's from Tidal sound great; the small form factor and build quality. This isn't really a portable (as in walkaround) device, but I use it primarily at my home office desk and when working remotely e.g. from hotels, for which usage it's absolutely perfect. I can also see the line out getting some heavy use. Really excellent and flexible little unit and I can't imagine getting anything better for the money.

I bought this item because it ticked a lot of boxes feature wise and came in a compact portable format. It is both a high resolution digital analogue converter and a headphone amp which I wanted to attach to my Mac, iPhone and iPad to listen to music in the living room without a wall wart attached and when out and about with my phone. It is small but it’s not the most slim or compact dac/amp around especially if you are using it on the go with a phone - for my uses it’s fine. It’s an excellent dac and is a good step up from the ones in my devices, the headphone amp is nice but I feel it just lacks a bit of power to fully drive my 250ohm dt880 headphones to the sound levels I like. However it is very nice with my final e4000 iem’s and should drive most headphones - just watch the headphone impedance isn’t too high if you like your music loud. Out of interest I linked it up with a standalone headphone amp (Zen Can) which has a good amount of power and was really pleased with the result. So I would say it’s a great dac with a good headphone amp - well made and portable with a single USB input, two independent 3.5mm outputs and a 3.5mm line out. It has a nice combined on/off volume knob with a clear led indicator for battery status, charging and playback resolution. It can be charged and powered from your laptop but my tablet and phone prefer it to run off the nano’s own rechargeable battery. I like this device but have marked it down a star because the supplied USB cable and USB adapter introduced some unwanted noises, so I had to buy an replacement audio grade usb cable, it also doesn’t come with adapters or OTG cables for my Apple devices, so I had factor in these additional costs to an already fairly expensive dac/amp. Ifi are a reputable company and make good quality audio products so you can expect solid after sales support.

Being a long time iPhone user, originally using iTunes and now migrated into Apple Music, I wanted to take advantage of the new (and free) Hi-res & lossless features of Apple Music through my Denon receiver and DALI Oberon speakers.Although the Denon has USB connections for playing music, unfortunately it doesn’t support directly streaming off of the iPhone. The receiver does support Airplay 2, so while the iPhone will originate lossless/hi-res music, the Airplay transmission introduces compression the same as Bluetooth headphones will.So after doing a bit of research, there weren’t a great number of options for iPhone connectivity and some of those involved shipping from the US. This iFi unit has good reviews on the likes of What HiFi and elsewhere, plus a great looking set of specs, so I ordered one up and also went with a high quality QED cable with 3.5mm jack (for the rear line-out socket) to RCA (for line in on the Denon).Just to point out, to hook this up to an iPhone you will need the ‘Camera Connection Kit’ cable, you can’t just use a regular Lightning to USB cable as the iPhone will not transfer/output the digital audio using that. I have that latest USB3 version of that and also have it hooked to power - this charges the iPhone while playing, but not the iFi device which must be charged (and switched on) when disconnected from the iPhone.I have to say I was hooked from the first few seconds of Miles Davis Kind of Blue in hi-res and kept listening for quite some time. I won’t give a full review of audio here, but I would say this is throughly recommended if you’re looking to take advantage of the new hi-res formats offered by Apple Music.Note also that currently this is actually one of the few ways to achieve this output, particularly on amp/speakers, as Apple is yet to fully unlock Apple Music hi-red support beyond 16-bit/48KHz on other devices (e.g. Apple TV, HomePod etc).