Home Amps/DACS iFi xDSD Review – Still Worth A Look In 2023?

iFi xDSD Review – Still Worth A Look In 2023?

by Stuart Charles Black

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Hey there friend, and Welcome aboard!!

Before we get into the ifi xDSD Review, grab a snack, sit back and relax because…

You’ve come to the right place!!

iFi xDSD Review

What I will bring you in this review


Table Of Contents

Click to navigate the review!

What’s in the Box?
Build Quality
Features & Usage
Ergonomics
Console Set Up/Gaming
Video Review
Photo Gallery
Sound
Final Grade

Now without further ado, let’s get rolling!

What’s in the Box?

With the xDSD, you’re getting:

  • The Amp/DAC
  • Velvet Carrying Pouch
  • OTG Cable with USB-B Port
  • USB-A to USB-B converter
  • Short Micro USB Charging Cable
  • 3.5mm Optical Adapter
  • 4 Velcro Strips: One for your phone, and the other three attach to the xDSD in the ridges on the bottom. You simply attach both and you’ve got a nice portable set up for on-the-go listening.
  • Instruction Cards

This is a great kit, don’t get me wrong.

But I would have liked to see the inclusion of an OTG cable for my phone.

Because I don’t have a compatible aptX phone for Bluetooth capability, I’m pretty much SOL unless I buy this separate iFi Audio OTG Cable for USB C for Android Phones and Digital Audio Players (DAPs).

That’s an extra $15 on top of the already semi-hefty price tag (roughly $400).

Why can’t they just include it? Kind of irritating if you ask me. Anyways…

Let’s get into build!

Build Quality

The xDSD feels a little underwhelming in your hand, not gonna lie.

I wouldn’t call it cheap, but it does feel fairly lighter than I was expecting given that great-looking magnesium-aluminum finish.

There’s matte black on the end which does compliment nicely with the small rubber feet on the bottom.

You’re not going to have to worry much about this unit moving around on your desk.

The volume/power knob on the front feels solid enough if a bit too plastic feeling for my tastes.

For the price, I thought this amp/DAC should have felt more substantial all-around in your hand.

The Connections on the back are all fine.

Overall,

I can’t dock too many points simply because I don’t approve of how it actually feels.

It holds up well, and that’s all that matters.

The only other minor complaint I have is that it gathers fingerprints with reckless abandon.

Fortunately, the velvet pouch takes care of that or you can just wipe it with your shirt or something.

I found it to be a bit off-putting but it’s a minor nit-pick at the end of the day.

BUILD SCORE: A-

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On to features…

Features & Usage

Here’s where it gets interesting, as the xDSD, in the tradition of iFi, is capable of quite a lot. Let’s run it down:

Bluetooth

It can be used wireless Bluetooth with your phone if you can get aptX enabled.

I tried it on my phone and the particular model (LG-X Charge) does not support it. Womp.

The steps are simple to get it going though. Check out Headphone Zone’s great post on How to Activate aptX on your smartphone in 5 easy steps.

MQA

It supports MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) and makes a great pairing with Tidal/Lossless/Master tracks.

More on the experience later!

3D+/XBass+

These two come in handy when you want some extra bass or Soundstage.

I really have enjoyed the Soundstage feature on both the xDSD as well as the Micro iDSD Black Label.

It really does open up the instrument separation on my HD600s and adds a nice amount of air and spacing.

DSD/Volume Knob

Obviously, this unit supports DSD as it’s in the name! I myself kind of tend to forget, lol.

The big knob front and center doubles as a power button as well as volume control.

To turn it on, just hold it until it lights up. It also lights up different colors according to which format you’re in.

Let’s dive deeper:

  • Green = PCM 44.1/48/88.2/96kHz
  • Yellow = PCM 176/384kHz
  • White = PCM 768kHz
  • Cyan = DSD64/DSD128
  • Blue = DSD256
  • Red = DSD512
  • Magenta = MQA
  • Off = No Valid Signal

The Volume level also uses colors to correspond with dB level, and the unit will cycle between wired and wireless depending on which you’re using.

Rotary Knob/Volume

  • Red = -9 to 0 dB (100 – 91%)
  • Yellow = -27 to -10 dB (90% – 73%)
  • Green = -45 to -28 dB (72% – 55%)
  • Cyan = -63 to -46 dB (54% – 37%)
  • Magenta = -81 to -64 dB (36% – 19%)
  • Blue = -101 to -82 dB (18% – 0%)
  • Off = Mute (Press once to mute – flashes red)
  • White = Line Output Mode (2V)

The input LED indicator to the left of the volume knob also displays certain colors depending on your connection:

  • Flashing Green = Awaiting Source
  • Green = Wired (S/PDIF or USB)
  • Red/Blue Cycle = Wireless BT pairing in progress
  • Blue = Wireless

iFi xDSD Review

An audio format LED sits above the input one.

As alluded to earlier, there are two LEDs for the 3D+ and XBass+.

Press once for bass, twice for 3D+, and a third time to enable both. A 4th press turns them all off.

Let’s take a look at the connections!

Front Panel

  • 3.5mm/Line Output. This utilizes a 3.5mm TRRS/TRS connection.

Rear Panel

  • S/PDIF/Optical. Just use the supplied adapter for Gaming. More on how to hook it up in a bit!
  • USB-A Input
  • Micro USB Input (Charging Only)

There’s also a measure/listen switch.

Measure is a filter for critical listening whereas listening is for just that. The only difference is pretty subtle.

The “Measure” setting provides a bit more detail retrieval and clarity while the “Listen” setting is a bit warmer and more enjoyable overall.

Battery Life

This is another one of my gripes about the unit.

Like the Chord Mojo, you have to charge it but that’s not really the issue.

In that case, I would just treat it like my phone.

The problem is that you may run into a situation where you want to Game or listen to music and the thing is dead because you forgot to charge it.

It’s kind of a hassle only because, in my humble opinion, the charge simply doesn’t last that long.

6-8 hours is a bit meh with as much music/gaming as I do.

I’d say make sure you always remember to turn it off when you’re not using it.

I suppose this may not really be the fault of iFi but it does take quite a bit of getting used to if you’re new to these types of Amp/DAC.

Battery Status

  • White = >75%
  • Green = 74% – 25%
  • Red = 24% – 10%
  • Red (Flashing) < 10%

Whew! Now that that’s all out of the way, let’s talk a bit about Ergonomics.

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Ergonomics

This thing is extremely efficient and provides a ton of power resulting in LOTS of headroom (always the main concern for snobby audiophiles) 😛

Not only that, but it’s super quiet as well.

Pushing it quite a bit resulted in no noise whatsoever.

Let’s take a look at its power specs as well as some other important ones:

  • 2.82V/500mW @ 16 Ohm
  • 3.7V/270mW @ 50 Ohm
  • 3.8V/48 mW @ 300 Ohm
  • 3.8V/24 mW @ 600 Ohm
  • Line Out Level: 2.1V @ 0dBFS
  • THD &N (1V/16R): 0.005%
  • Output Impedance: <2 Ohm. What is Output Impedance?
  • Battery: 3.8V/2200mAh
  • Dimensions: 95 (l) x 66.5 (w) x 19 (h) mm
  • Weight: 127g (0.28 lbs.)
  • Warranty: 12 months

Boring, but had to be done. The xDSD is also equipped with a Burr-Brown Hi-Res Native DSD DAC chipset, and this thing will power pretty much anything you throw at it without question.

Never having to worry about power is most certainly a good thing.

But how do you set it up for console gaming? Glad you asked.

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Console Set Up

For PS4 Users

Easy

  • From my experience, all I had to do was:
  • Plug the big blue cable from your xDSD into the PS4.
  • Use the supplied Adapter with an Optical Cable. Plug one end into the back of the PS4 in the appropriate slot, while plugging the other end into the S/PDIF jack on the back.
  • Turn it on and it should be immediately recognized without you having to do anything. Yes, it was that simple!

I was shocked that it was that easy.

With other amps like the Audioengine D1 and Objective 2 paired with a Cambridge Audio DAC Magic 100, the process went like this:

  • The PS4 receives an optical cable in the rear.
  • The other end of the optical cable plugs into the back of the D1.
  • Use a USB cable from the back of the D1 into the front of the PS4 or Xbox One. I’m not familiar with the SexBox because I don’t have one, but there are USB inputs on it so don’t fret!
  • Plug your headphones in.
  • Go to Settings > Sound & Screen on your PS4.
  • Go to Audio Output Settings.
  • Click Primary Output Port
  • Change it to “Digital Out”
  • The Input format should be Linear PCM.
  • Go back to Settings > Devices > Audio Devices.
  • The Output Device should be the name of your DAC, i.e Audioengine D1.

The main difference here was that I didn’t have to mess with any of the audio settings at all with the xDSD. I thought that was amazing and definitely makes up for some of its other shortcomings.

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Video…

Video Review

Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe to my growing channel! Any support is much appreciated 🙂

Photo Gallery

Photo Gallery

Click to see the xDSD!

iFi xDSD ReviewiFi xDSD ReviewiFi xDSD ReviewiFi xDSD ReviewiFi xDSD Reviewifi xDSD vs. xCAN vs. Chord Mojoifi xDSD vs. xCAN vs. Chord MojoiFi xDSD ReviewiFi xDSD Review

What about sound?

Sound

The sound quality here is marvelous.

I would say the overall vibe I got was detail and clarity mixed with some warmth.

It struck a nice balance of not being too overly clinical and not overly warm like the sound you’d get out of a tube amp.

Now, the iFi xDSD vs. Chord Mojo? That’s an interesting comparison.

The Mojo to me had a bit more of a warmish tilt to it, while the xDSD came across as more sterile/clinical.

The 3D+ feature is one thing that really sets apart iFi from its competitors.

Soundstage is such an important thing in audio, and sometimes headphones don’t really provide all that much of it.

Take for instance the venerable HD600 – A great headphone with narrow imaging. Its younger brother HD650 actually provides a bit better soundscape and immersion, especially for gaming.

But if you want to really open up the HD600, using the 3D+ with a unit like the xDSD or Micro iDSD is extremely satisfying.

I found it to provide more air and spacing to the tracks, really opening things up and giving instruments and voices room to breathe.

Thoughts from Stu’s Notepad

Sources: Tidal with Lossless (FLAC) and Masters, Sennheiser HD650

  • The HD650 with Chon’s “Book” is a fantastic example of how well instruments are spaced out. Left to right there is better clarity and the separation of guitars specifically on this track is excellent.
  • Mac Miller – Ladders. The resolution at the beginning was incredible. You could hear so much more going on specifically in the background. There’s this pulsating sound that really comes to life. At 3:26 there’s a sound in the background that becomes so lifelike. Had to rewind.
  • Mac Miller – Ascension. Car crash sounds heard. Ridiculous clarity. A bad omen for Mac? Crazy. The song was from an album that came out 3 years prior to his death.

The overall impression of the xDSD is that of extreme clarity with a touch of warmth.

It’s never a chore to listen to a song through this Amp/DAC. I loved it!

A couple of potential issues I had was that I had to turn it off and on quite a few times in the beginning when I first received it.

The audio was skipping, with some static and dropouts.

I contacted Lawrance just the other day at iFi and here’s what I wrote:

“Going well. I think the issue that I thought was the Black Label and xDSD is actually my computer or Tidal itself and not either amp. It’s happened with the FiiO Q1 and also the HA-2 so that’s good news I think. I don’t know if running an old outdated laptop with Windows 7 has anything to do with it, but I update Tidal when it asks, etc. Do you know of anyone else that has issues with streaming or is it common? Music will just randomly stop playing and you have to close it and re-open it.”

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So what’s my final grade?


Final Grade


Going to give the xDSD an A-.

It’s not without its shortcomings, namely the lack of an OTG cable included for phone, charge time (in my opinion) and some other minor nitpicks like the fingerprint thing and strangely unsatisfying build when you hold it in your hand.

I just wanted it to be a bit heavier is all. I know, it’s ridiculous.

I absolutely love that I can plug and play for gaming without having to do anything else.

It sounds amazing, has plenty of features, lots of power, and supports wireless Bluetooth as long as you have a phone that supports aptX.

It’s also MQA supported and works wonderfully with Tidal.

Since this writing, the xDSD Gryphon has come out.

Normally I don’t make auto recommendations for the newer product, but in this case, it makes sense as iFi basically combined the xCAN and xDSD into one unit.

Interested in the updated unit?

Learn More:

 

Well that’s about it for today my friend! I hope you’ve enjoyed this iFi xDSD Review and came away with some valuable insight.

Questions? Comments? Requests? Did I miss the mark on something? Please let me know down below or Contact me!!

Hey Marvin, what do you make of all this? I would love to hear from you.

Until next time..

All the best and God bless,

 

 

-Stu

[Xtr@Ba$eHitZ]

Can’t decide which headphones to purchase? Interested in a complete buyers guide outlining over 40 of the best options on the market? Click on over to the best audiophile headphones to learn more!!

Be sure to also check out my Reviews and Resources page for more helpful and informative articles!

ifi xDSD

4.8

Build

5.0/5

Sound

5.0/5

Features

5.0/5

Ease of Use

4.3/5

Pros

  • Plethora of Features
  • Amazing Sound
  • Great Build

Cons

  • Slight Learning Curve

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4 comments

Tom G April 13, 2019 - 6:22 pm

Hey Stu,

How did you find the sound quality of the ifi xDSD vs. the ifi micro black label?
Curious as I have the xDSD but haven’t heard the latter.

Reply
Stuart Charles Black April 14, 2019 - 11:44 pm

Hey Tom!

I think the Black Label was more sterile and crisper which I enjoyed. I also liked the xDSD. It has a slightly warmer tilt to it but the differences are very subtle. I would probably buy the Black Label over the xDSD, personally (if I was in the market). It’s more powerful and has more features. You may just sit tight with the xDSD unless you need line out, 3 power modes, and some other stuff. Check out my iFi micro iDSD Black Label Review. Everything you would ever need out of an amp, really. Let me know your thoughts man!

Reply
Manuel Iniesta July 25, 2023 - 7:31 pm

Hi there Stuart! Even though this piece of gear is from 2018, do you think is worth buying if the price is right? I have the opportunity to buy one at half the retail price. I would just use it connected to my home amp, a Cambridge Audio without internal DAC. Do you think the Ifi Uno is better suited for that task? That would save me a few bucks too.

Sorry for such lengthy message! Thanks in advance

Reply
Stuart Charles Black July 26, 2023 - 2:27 pm

Manuel,

Your message is not long haha. Trust me, I get novels written here in the comment section.

Anyways, what exactly is the price? I forgot what the XDSD retailed at. Apologies.

Uno is okay, but it wasn’t really necessary. I’m actually still demoing it for gaming and film with my PS4, but yeah. So you’re basically needing a DAC to connect to your Cambridge Audio home amp?

Why not just get something like an ATOM DAC? JDS makes excellent products and I know you’ll love it.

Let me know and keep me posted.

Cheers,

-Stu

Reply

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