Written by:- Isabel Gallagher

A Spectre of Sound:

iDSD PHANTOM Launch at Tower Bridge, London

To celebrate the launch of our latest flagship, iDSD PHANTOM, we brought together two feats of British engineering and innovation under one iconic roof. On one side, Tower Bridge - a symbol of Victorian ingenuity that has stood proudly over London for more than a century. On the other, the iDSD PHANTOM - our most ambitious, uncompromising expression of modern audio engineering to date. It was a meeting of past and present, tradition and technology, set against sweeping views of the River Thames and the unmistakable London skyline.

Guests were welcomed into the space with martinis in hand - shaken, not stirred - a subtle nod to the evening’s theme: a spectre of sound. The James Bond influence was hard to miss, with some members of our iFi team fully committing to the part, suited and booted for the occasion. A touch of cinematic flair, perfectly in keeping with a product that refuses to be understated.

From First Impressions to First Notes

The night began with relaxed mingling as the room filled with familiar faces from across the audio world. Soon after, guests were guided to their seats as iDSD PHANTOM was formerly introduced as a trinity of iFi innovation, engineered for complete musical immersion, uniting a reference-class DAC, ultra-res streamer and a powerful headphone amp into one device.

A short presentation outlined the vision behind the iDSD PHANTOM - our most accomplished iFi listening experience to date - followed by the official launch video. This set the tone for a deeper dive, led by Miles Roberts, Director of Global Business Development, and Nath Chinn, Product Marketing Associate.

Together, they unpacked what makes PHANTOM so special:
its powerful streaming capabilities, JVCKENWOOD’s K2HD Technology, DSD2048, and the meticulous design choices that push it firmly into flagship territory.

Real-World Insights from the Studio

Next, we welcomed our first guest speaker, Madison Claridge, engineer at Cenzo Townshend’s Decoy Sound Studio, whose credits include work with Lola Young, Sam Fender, Kojey Radical, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, and more.

Madison spoke candidly about how the iDSD PHANTOM fits into his professional workflow:

“We use it in our studio as a separate digital-to-analogue converter, which allows our clients to reference systems like Spotify and Apple Music - and it sounds fantastic.”

He also highlighted one aspect that immediately stood out during use:

“The most notable thing we identified was bass response. It’s a very premium product - exactly what our clients would expect from a studio like ours.”

Hearing PHANTOM discussed not as a concept, but as a working studio tool, grounded the evening in real-world credibility.

A Producer’s Perspective

Our second guest speaker was Steve Levine - BRIT Award-winning producer whose legendary career includes work with The Beach Boys, Culture Club, The Clash, and many more.

Steve shared how he switches between solid-state, tube, and tube+ modes depending on where he is in the creative process, before summing up PHANTOM’s sonic character:

“Using this, it was like I’d taken a tea towel off my own speakers - and they’re good Neumann speakers too!”

Letting the Music Speak

With the technicalities covered, attention turned to what mattered most: the music.

Guests were treated to demonstrations of our guest speakers’ own work, including
“Breathe” by Kojey Radical (engineered by Madison Claridge) and “So Glad” by Maevy (produced by Steve Levine).

As the tracks played, conversation faded and the room fell still - iDSD PHANTOM left to speak for itself.

Four Ways to Experience PHANTOM

Next came the moment everyone had been waiting for. With Tower Bridge traffic flowing below and the Thames stretching out beyond the windows, four iDSD PHANTOM listening stations were revealed each attached to a different set of high-end cans, including the Sennheiser HD800, the Sennheiser HD820, Audeze LCD-5 and the Final D8000 DC Pro Edition, with a companion iPad streaming from Tidal, inviting guests to engage with the PHANTOM at their own pace and experience its capabilities firsthand.

As guests spent time with the device, conversations naturally shifted from first reactions to deeper technical discussion, with our team on hand to explore the finer details behind the design. One comment was even made about the device’s solid-state mode, stating “It’s like a sushi knife,” demonstrating just how devastatingly precise and deliberate the PHANTOM can be.

We’d like to extend a huge thank you to everyone who helped make this night possible - Tower Bridge, our incredible guest speakers, and all the engineers, producers, and journalists who joined us to celebrate the launch of iDSD PHANTOM.

And if you’re wondering how the wider world received it:

“Headphone listening has rarely felt so luxurious” - The Luxe Review

“It’s all more than I’m used to hearing; more information, greater intensity, a more notable dynamic rise and fall…” - TechRadar

“The PHANTOM once again seems to paint upon an open soundstage, granting tracks an airy, cinematic feel” - What Hi-Fi?

A fitting response to a launch that was anything but ordinary. Curious? Here's a sneak peek.

Vanish into the Music: All-in-One Streaming DAC & Headphone Amplifier