šŸ”· iFi Hip-DAC

Equipment / Electronics / Gear / Accessories Portable DAC/AMPs & Dongles
61

Well thatā€™ll be the reason then lolā€¦I take it he didnā€™t try it when he activated the switch?

62

Just passing on what he said. For more information, have a look through his review video commentsā€¦ or ask him yourself.

63

mattris @15.00 dead fucking silent lol.

3 Likes
65

Zeos also said ā€œalmost undetectable noise floorā€ ā€¦ ā€˜to his earsā€™. And he did not use the same IEMs as Gavin.

66

I have one, the only IEM I tried was the Tin T4, but it was pretty much dead silent in low gain mode.
Iā€™ll post impressions at some point, but I got a lot of stuff yesterday, and listened to it only briefly.
Generally I thought it was good for a portable unit.
Also has enough power to drive my ZMF Eikonā€™s on high gain.

2 Likes
67

Oooohhhhh now I really gotta decide between this and the BTR5 and iFi seems to be calling my name with that bass boost button. The first step is admitting you have a problem.

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68

T2 Pro no problems either. Iā€™ll have my review up some time today

1 Like
69

Iā€™m thinking Iā€™ll just stick with my XD-05 and live without balanced portable. Sadly, I wonā€™t have the replacement for my TA-10 till Tuesday, but thatā€™s okay.

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70

I was just watching Zā€™s review on this. I think iFiā€™s decision to recess the data port so much was a good idea. My Topping NX4-DSD (micro USB) has a fairly loose connection for the the data and charge ports. Itā€™s loose enough that if I put it in my pocket and try to move around while listening to music - you know, like you do for a mobile headphone amp - the cable jostles and looses connection with the phone. Potentially, iFiā€™s choice to use a type A connector might be a bit overkill, but I have to admit that the physical strength of connection there appeals to me.

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71

I actually kinda like the recessed type a, it works well on other ifi devices from others I own

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72

itā€™s a type A plug not socket, so it works with the IPhone camera adapter directly.
There is enough space around it you can use a conventional Male to Female cable.

73

Same dilemma here! I was about to get a discounted BTR5 for $129 (instead of getting a dedicated desktop Zen DAC) to be used via usb dac mode but if the Hip DAC sounds like a portable zen DAC and beats BTR5 with that bass button, Iā€™ll just wait for them to be available.

BTW Isnā€™t there a way to essentially use the Hip DACā€™s sound through BTR5ā€™s bluetooth? Or perhaps any BT transceivers like the Mpow Z uses?

74

I donā€™t know if that would be the best usage of funds lol, and also Iā€™m pretty sure thatā€™s not possible since neither have a line in. You would have to have a Bluetooth receiver that could output usb audio

75

Do you mean using the BTR5 as a glorified BT upgrade for the Hip?

Sorry, I meant if you already have any BT device that you can use for the Hip, I would definitely see it as a great all-in-one.

EDIT: So the Hip still stays as a wired all-in-one option imo despite lacking that BT upgrade

76

Ah ok, yeah you would have to have a blutetooh receiver that can output via usb

77

This seems like a homerun.

You could pair this with iPod and be done.

78

Yeah, itā€™s a more robust setup vs having it hanging off the side.

Iā€™ve been trying to finish up my review but Iā€™ve had errands to run all day. I can talk about it fully now.

I think itā€™s a fantastic product that brings allot of value to someone just starting in hifi as well as those like most of us that have been it a while.

79

Yeah just heard it actually and itā€™s very good balanced, so if you plan to go balanced itā€™s a great option lol

2 Likes
80

yeah, I agree itā€™s not bad at all, especially balanced. I donā€™t think its a good as some of the $100 desktop amps but it is impressive all the same. Someone like a college kid on a budget could buy the Hip DAC connect it to a PC and have a solid experience. Then take it on the go and have a fantastic mobile experience.

What stands out to me isnā€™t the overall sound quality but the gulf in volume and quality when compared to direct smartphone/ dongle output.

5 Likes
81

If the Bass Boost on the Hip DAC is similar to the ifi xDSD Bass Boostā€¦ itā€™s a subtle sound option which is quite cool to have sometimes

I do enjoy it with my Focal Elegia, Tin Hifi T4 and Beyerdynamic DT1990 Pro(analyticalpads)- for example.
It depends on the song and mood.

There are Bass Boost options on other devices, which bloat into the mids or loose base control.
One of these units is the Fiio Q1 II- in my humble opinion.

2 Likes