Greetings mate and Welcome aboard! Stuart Charles here, HomeStudioBasics.com helping YOU make sound decisions, so…
This article will contain all past, current, and future hip-dac models.
Today we’ll go over 3 and help you decide which one is most worth a purchase. If none of them are, I’ll point you in the direction of something that is.
Deal?
Cool.
Let’s dive in.
- Note: Please click the official reviews for a more in-depth look at each.
#3
iFi hip-dac 2
Price: Check Amazon! | Official Review: Here!
- Outputs: 1 x 1/8″ / 3.5 mm TRS Unbalanced Headphone Output, 1 x 4.4 mm TRRS Balanced Headphone Output
- Host Connection: 1x USB Type-A (USB 3.0/3.1 Gen 1)
- USB (Non-Host): 1x USB Type-C (USB 3.0/3.1 Gen 1, Power Input)
- Output Power: 400mW into 32 Ohms (1% THD, Unbalanced), 280 W into 32 Ohms (1% THD, Balanced)
- Sample Rates: 44.1 to 384 kHz (PCM, D/A Conversion)
- Bit-Depths: 24-Bit (PCM, D/A Conversion)
- Digital Audio Decoding: DSD, PCM
- Power Requirements: Battery
- DC Input Power: 1.2 VDC at 1A
- Power Consumption: 2W (Idle) 4W (Maximum)
- Internal Battery: Rechargeable Lithium-Ion, 2200 mAh
- Approximate Battery Life: 8 Hours
- Dimensions: 4 x 2.8 x 0.6″ / 101.6 x 71.1 x 15.2 mm
- Weight: 4.4 oz / 125.0 g
My oh my what a colossal mistake this was.
Companies, by and large, will always do whatever they want, but the “Orange is the new Teal” hip-dac 2 should have never been manufactured considering it’s an exact replica of the original:
Are there any technical differences?
Yes, there are a few:
XMOS Chip
The hip-dac 2 utilizes the 16-core XMOS chip which processes audio data received over USB.
iFi claims this new low-latency XMOS microcontroller has greatly enhanced processing power, providing double the clock speed and four times the memory.
The second difference is an upgraded GMT clock system which eradicates jitter and enhances sound quality.
The third difference is that the hip-dac 2 now supports full MQA decoding whereas the original only supported rendering.
Lastly, the hip-dac 2 is a “vibrant sunset orange” vs. the crappy ugly horrendous God-awful “teal” present in the original (tongue firmly planted in cheek).
Do I notice a difference given the above changes?
Nope.
“Sound” is exactly the same.
Everything else is identical too: The box, the design, weight, dimensions, supported sample rates, connections, buttons, included accessories, etc.
When the hip-dac 2 first came out, it was priced significantly higher and I told people not to buy it.
As of this article, the original hip-dac is more expensive but I’m not sure why. They haven’t discontinued it and it’s still available, so yeah.
Let’s discuss the Teal version.
#2
iFi hip-dac 1
Price: Check Amazon! | Official Review: Here!
Specifications
- Digital Inputs: USB 3.0 Type ‘A’
- High-Speed Asynchronous USB 2.0 (32-bit/384kHz)
- Headphone Output: Balanced 4.4mm, Single-Ended 3.5mm
- Power Output: 2.0V/400mW @ 16 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.)
- Warranty period: 12 months
At its original cheaper than the hip-dac 2 price, hip-dac 1 is a much better value.
Yes, the hip-dac 2 made some improvements but because they make no perceivable difference, there’s no reason to spend more.
Now, if the hip-dac 1 is more expensive, go with whatever is cheapest out of the 3. Prices are subject to change at a moment’s notice, and I will continue to update the article accordingly.
The hip-dac 1 was a fine product, and I really liked it at the time (around 2020).
It’s pretty portable and convenient, built very well, contains a balanced 4.4mm headphone output, and can be used on your desktop if you wish.
The only real issue was the enormous dummy thicc blue cable.
I’m not sure who came up with that idea, but it was awful. The cord was bulky, cumbersome, pulled the unit around unnecessarily, and in general was a huge pain in the ass to use.
I poked fun at that dam thing for years before iFi finally emerged from the Dinosaur age and got rid of it.
Good riddance.
#1
iFi hip-dac 3
Price: Check Amazon! | Official Review: Here!
Specifications:
- Input: USB-C
- Formats: DSD256/11.3MHz, PCM 384kHz, MQA Full Decoder
- DAC: Bit-Perfect DSD & DXD DAC by Burr Brown
- Headphone Outputs: Balanced 4.4mm / S-BAL 3.5mm
- Power Output: 400mW @ 32Ω / 6.3V @ 600Ω, Unbalanced: 280mW @ 32Ω, 3.2V @ 600Ω
- Output Impedance: ≤1Ω (BAL/S-BAL), With IEMatch engaged: ≤4.5Ω
- Signal-to-Noise-Ratio: BAL <109dBA @ 0dBFS / S-BAL <103dBA @ 0dBFS
- Dynamic Range: BAL <109dBA @ 0dBFS / S-BAL <103dBA @ 0dBFS
- Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise: BAL <0.006% (360mW/2V @ 600Ω) / S-BAL <0.01% (100mW/1.27V @ 32Ω)
- Frequency Response: 20Hz – 45kHz (-3dB)
- Power Consumption: <2W idle, 4W max
- Battery: Lithium-polymer 2200mAh, approx. 8-Hour Life
- Power System: Charging via USB-C, BC V1.2 compliant up to 1000mA charging current
- Dimensions: 102 x 70 x 14 mm (4.0″ x 2.8″ x 0.6″)
- Net Weight: 137g (0.3 lbs.)
- Limited Warranty: 12 Months
If I liked the original hip-dac, and couldn’t stand the hip-dac 2, the hip-dac 3 falls somewhere in the middle.
I will admit, I’m ecstatic they scrapped the ridiculous Stone Age blue cable thus why it snags the top spot.
There’s also a bit more power here 400mW into 32Ω instead of only 16 Ohm. Does it make much of a difference when you’re listening? Not really.
And though the color has changed yet again (Titanium Shadow), everything about the hip-dac 3 is still exactly the same as 1 and 2.
Same “sound” same specs, etc. etc.
Are you noticing a trend? Does it sound like I’m beating a dead horse?
Instead of a USB-A port coupled with the USB-C charging slot, we now have 2 USB-C inserts. It’s pretty easy to tell which is which as the charging port has a small LED indicator below.
Speaking of that, here are the Status LEDs:
- White: 76% – 100%
- Green: 21% to 75%
- Red: 11% to 20%
- Flashing Red: 0% – 10%
The unit will shut off once the battery is drained.
Also keep in mind that if you want to use the hip-dac 3 as a desktop Amp/DAC, you’ll need 2 cables to charge and listen at the same time. This is because the data input slot does not charge the battery.
For me, this is a pretty big downside, but your mileage may vary.
The only other difference is the inclusion of the “IEMatch” switch, which is fine. I’m not going to knock it. For those who listen to a lot of IEMs, it’s nice to have I suppose.
The hip-dac 3 also boasts a few circuit enhancements, including new metal film capacitors for a better frequency response (according to iFi).
There’s also an updated version of iFi’s GMT circuitry + a new crystal oscillator.
iFi says this further reduces phase noise, delivering a purer sound.
As for my opinions on all of that?
I’ve condensed most of the headphones I listened with into this article, but there are likely more I forgot about.
Sound
- Playlist: Here and Here!
- Headphones Used: HIFIMAN HE400se (Balanced/Unbalanced) Gold Planar GL2000 (Bal/Unbal), HarmonicDyne G200 (Balanced), HIFIMAN Arya (Bal/Unbal), Sennheiser HD600, AKG K702, HE400se, Arya, DEVA, etc.
- Source(s): Tidal Hi-Fi, Spotify Premium, FLAC.
I’ve compared these exhaustively for many hours and there are no sound differences between them.
In the interest of full transparency, I used to think the Burr-Brown chip “sounded” warmer, but I no longer believe that and any perceived differences I heard in the past are likely a placebo.
Click here and here if you’re interested in my stance.
When I originally compared the 3 hip-dacs side by side with JDS’ ATOM, I thought the hips had a subtle sheen of warmth over them, but it was probably just my imagination.
As of now, I still feel like Output Impedance may be a factor to some extent, but only with really big discrepancies (high numbers) such as the ones you may encounter in home theater receivers or something similar.
The hip-dac’s output impedance is still less than 1, while the ATOM’s is around 0.7. That’s just not enough of a difference to care about in my mind.
Balanced Impressions
With the hip-dac’s balanced connection, typically you’ll receive better resolution, clarity, and a lot of subtle details you missed before.
Attack, Sustain, Decay, and Release also get a boost, so overall, the sound is going to be a lot more realistic.
For more of my balanced impressions, click here.
Final Verdict
If you’re dead set on one of these, I’d simply go with whatever is cheapest. It’s also important to mention that I do feel as though the hip-dac 3 was more of an actual upgrade than hip-dac 2, thus why it’s #1.
As of now, the original hip-dac does make my top portable options list, but do keep in mind I’m constantly adjusting recommendations based on pricing, discontinued units, etc.
In other words, the article linked above is always being updated so bookmark it and check back in from time to time!
Well, that’s about it for today my friend! I hope you’ve enjoyed this iFi hip-dac series rankings list and gained some valuable insight.
Questions? Comments? Requests? Did I miss the mark on something? Please let me know down below or Contact me!!
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Which of these are you going to purchase? I would love to hear from you. Until next time…
All the best and God bless,
-Stu
