A high-resolution, battery-powered portable headphone amplifier/DAC is adorned in the Titanium Shadow shade, radiating timeless elegance with a touch of modern sophistication. The transformation extends beyond aesthetics. The hip-dac 3's sleek aluminium casing houses new features, designed to enhance your audio experience.
Two USB-C ports simplify cable management: one for audio and one for charging. A switch on the bottom activates iFi's iEMatch technology, which is optimised for high-sensitivity headphones and earphones, making it especially beneficial for your in-ear monitors (IEMs).
Inside, the device features circuit improvements, including new metal film capacitors for improved frequency response. In addition, an updated version of iFi's GMT circuitry, along with a new crystal oscillator, further reduces phase noise and gives you a purer sound.
With its sleek, rugged aluminium casing, the portable hip-dac 3 fits discreetly into a pocket or bag. It replaces the deficient DAC and amplifier in smartphones, tablets, PCs and Macs. Simply plug it in via USB-C, connect your favourite headphones and enjoy rich, dynamic sound.
IFi's experience with the Burr-Brown chipset guarantees optimal performance. However, a superior DAC stage involves more than just the DAC chip. A crucial element is the XMOS chip for processing digital audio inputs. The hip-dac 3 features a 16-core XMOS microcontroller, programmed by iFi's in-house team to optimise sound quality and ensure a seamless, high-resolution partnership with the Burr-Brown DAC.
The hip-dac 3 features a truly balanced circuit design, rare in its price range. This design minimises signal distortion, resulting in a purer, more captivating sound for your headphones.
The circuit incorporates high-quality components, including a custom iFi OV operational amplifier, a Texas Instruments low-noise power supply integrated circuit and a premium analogue volume potentiometer.
The amplifier stage can deliver up to 400 mW into a 32-ohm headphone load, making it compatible with a wide range of headphones. In addition, it efficiently drives high-impedance headphones with an output voltage of 6.3 V at 600 ohms from the balanced output.
The amplifier stage has switchable gain, called PowerMatch, to ensure optimum power for the headphones you are using.
A switch on the bottom activates iFi's iEMatch technology, optimising the output for high-sensitivity headphones, especially in-ear monitors (IEMs). It reduces hiss, improves detail and dynamic range and enhances the range of volume control.
XBass is a user-selectable function that boosts bass without muddying the midrange, ideal for your open headphones and earphones. It works in the analogue domain, avoiding alterations via DSP.
High-resolution PCM and DXD audio data is supported at sample rates up to 384 kHz, along with DSD from 2.8 MHz to 12.4 MHz (DSD64, 128 and 256).
Full MQA decoding is also supported, the high-resolution streaming technology, used by Tidal's 'HiFi Plus' tier, which performs the full 'three display' decoding process (rather than just the final display in the manner of an MQA). renderer').
On either side of the rotary volume control are a pair of LEDs that change colour to indicate the format and sample rate of the incoming audio.
The hip-dac 3's USB-C input supports up to 32-bit/384 kHz audio, compatible with USB 3.0 and 2.0.. Its asynchronous design ensures jitter-free data transfer. A separate USB-C charging port allows use while charging, preserving a pure audio signal path.
The hip-dac 3 provides two outputs: a 3.5mm jack for single-ended headphones and a balanced 4.4mm output for those with balanced connectivity, taking advantage of the device's differential amplifier design. The 3.5mm output uses iFi's S-Balanced circuitry, minimising crosstalk and distortion for single-ended connections.
The hip-dac 3's 2200 mAh battery provides up to 12 hours of playback, depending on the volume and power needs of the headphones. A USB-C OTG cable and a USB-A to USB-C cable are included.
The hip-dac series features a durable 102x70x14 mm aluminium housing. For added protection and a suede-like feel. Including a hip case in dove grey synthetic suede is perfect. Fits all hip-dac models perfectly without compromising function.
The Burr-Brown True Native® chipset means that file formats remain unchanged or bit-perfect. This means you are listening to music as the artist intended it in the format in which it was recorded. This chipset has been selected for its natural sounding "musicality" and True Native architecture. Our experience with this IC means we know how to get the most out of it.
This new low latency XMOS microcontroller has vastly improved processing power. Compared to the current generation of eight-core chips, this new 16-core IC offers twice the clock speed (2000 MIPS) and four times the memory (512 KB), as well as the latest USB SuperSpeed standard.
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