micro iDSD Black Label

“A big, portable device with so many options. Can it be that good? Sure it can… If you’re looking for a source that lets your headphones perform with their own style, you should check this one.”

I had to return a different iFi product since it stopped working in a week, but I tried giving iFi another go. You will not regret this product; the design is great, and the sound is top notch. Drives my headphones and IEMs perfectly.

I am running this with Baerdynamic DT770 Pros, and just about everything I use this combo for is excellent. As someone stated before, the bass boost, and 3D sound are track specific. At this price point, I am not disappointed at all. It runs perfectly with my laptop, as well as my Note 10+, so I am happy all around. If you have the spare change laying around, and want something that isn’t all hype, this is the way to go. Naturally, I think my next purchase will be the DT1770, or something in that realm.

I have it already two years and my life of audio totally changed them use with Sennheiser HD650 and now with focal ELEAR, I wanted to replace them with fiio M11 and HIBY R6 but they did not achieve the same quality.. buy it will be the best investment of your life

I can’t really explain in detail but this is definitely an audiophiles dac. It got more buttons than I care to mess with, but at the same, it’s simple to hook up and listen to music with. The only thing I mess with is the volume, x-bass and 3-D buttons. I just use headphones when I use this dac. Also depending what headphones I use I’ll mess with the Power mode and that’s it.

The dac performs great on my laptop when hooked up. Now depending on what headphones you use, you will have to adjust the volume button and probably the power mode, other than that you should have no problems with this dac.

This came with a manual, just follow it and it will answer all your questions as it did mine b/c there are more options you can use, this thing is a workhorse and it should meet all your needs.

I use this with my HD800S and HifiMan HEKs and it sounds excellent . Its not far off my main rig set up which costs a lot lot more so very pleased. I NEVER use things like bass boost, biut it has transformed my HD800S listening and I think this unit is well worth the price.
Had a few issues with MQA dropping out occasionally , but apart from that its been excellent

I use this to drive HIFIMAN Sundaras and Audio Technica R70x headphones. I use both my phone and laptop as a source with CD quality files and MQA from tidal. First Off this thing has power both headphones i use are very power hungry. Even on eco mode this thing will get painfully loud without a hint of a distortion. The battery is also great i listen to music while i work for 10hours and have never had the battery die on me.

As for sound quality i use my reference setup involving a khadas tone board DAC and THX 888 amplifier riving sundarras as a very neutral revealing setup. When i compare this setup and the IFI i noticed clarity is the same but the ifi has a smoother, musical and overall more pleasant to listen to over a long period of time. This thing may be expensive but it is a solid piece for quality sound on the go.

I love everything about this amp, is sounds amazing, battery life is great, and it is just portable enough for my needs. Highly recommend. Works great w my mac and iphone too. Youll need the cck camera adapter for your iphone.

Portable hi-fi enthusiasts are often smitten by that virus that makes you think “the higher the price, the better the quality.” I own or have owned much-more expensive DAC/Amps such as the Chord Hugo (1 and 2), ALO Continental Dual Mono, Woo Audio WA8 Eclipse, among others, and none can match the sheer musicality of the Black Label. Whatever its minor flaws, this is one magical piece of gear that can make any headphone shine in my experience.

Case in point, the Argon MK3 modded T50RP headphones. I never understood what all the hoopla was about until I plugged them into the Black Label with the 3D enhancement switch turned on—a match made in audiophile heaven. Which brings me to this: Unlike sound altering functions in other devices, those in the Black Label really improve the sound of overly dark or bright headphones. These features are not there for show.

Let’s talk about power. This device has tons of it. In addition to the power-hungry Argons, the Black Label drives my Sennheiser HD650s effortlessly and beautifully, bringing out the best in these classic cans.

Whatever gear (portable or otherwise) you may be thinking of buying next, this is the one to get.

Had the non-black for years. It finally died (an issue with the analog output card). Was going to have that one repaired, but they’ve made so many improvements over the years, figured what the heck, get the new model. Glad I did. It wasn’t exactly inexpensive, but it sounds really really good.

Great match for HD800s headphones. Gives the sound more body and weight while also lifting the bass a little.

The idsd black label also has a 3.5mm analogue input as well as the digital input which is very useful.

The sound on this amp is amazing! The bass boost (I normally hate these) is the best I’ve ever heard, subtle but adds another dimension to bass lacking recordings. More power than you will ever need for ANY headphones and packed with features.

Sound is very clean and detailed with tight punchy (Not booming) bass.
It is a bit on the pricey side though compared to the £300 mojo which I like equally for it’s melodic yet powerful grunting/growling music presentation.

The IFI Micro iDSD Black Label DAC/Headphone Amplifier/Preamp with MQA and DSD works wonderfully with my Sennheiser HD 800s. It delivers the needed power with the cleanest warmest sound. You could listen for hours because the highs don’t have the digital edgy sound to it and the base is very natural sounding.

The EQ is not abnormally adjusted. You hear what was intended for you to hear. Like the gray scale of an Ansel Adams black and white photograph. The sound stage is wide allowing you to almost imagine you’re at a live event and you are sitting up front in an intimate setting. Just beautiful!

only 5 stars ????

Wow incredible sound and built. I did a lot research to pair this with my hd 820’s and I can’t believe how this puppy handled it with ease. Turns out this is monster in puppies body.

Not long ago the iFi xCAN treated, which turned out to be a rival who planted the famous Mojo without problems. And if you have been following the web a bit lately, you may have noticed this micro iDSD Black Label; forming an important piece in the test of many headphones and iems that I have been analyzing.

A faithful companion of battles, on which he would highlight his immense versatility, designed for a desktop environment, and for a diverse fleet of headphones…

I’ve got a few iFi products at home, but I wanted something for the office. I usually use my phone with my headphones but wanted something for my computer, and I found this bad boy!

This was exactly what I needed and the quality of my music is second to none. I like a bit of bass in my music and this definitely drives it! I look forward to going into the office again!

“It has every little thing that you would so desire…This is the Swiss Army knife of DAC amps, I mean this thing is incredible”

“This thing is actually pretty amazing”

“At the level of pure and simple listening , there is nothing to say, it is simply fantastic ”

“We are very satisfied with the test of the ifi micro iDSD , a complete and very high performance product for its reference market.”

iFi Audio is a company based in UK launched in 2012 with a vision of improving sound quality and eradicating distortion, noise and hiss from different audio equipment.

They are well known for their plethora of DACs, AMPs and a lot more that usually fits in an audiophile’s everyday audio chain. One of their well-known offering was the Micro iDSD which gained them more respect resulting in a fan base which in turn voiced feedbacks on improvements the Micro iDSD could have.

With iFi Audio’s mantra of improving sound quality, they were more than willing to take in the feedback of their product users which eventually gave birth to a beefed up version of the Micro iDSD.

I went through 3 DAPs costing up to $1200 but was not satisfied. I did my research on this idsd black for two months and was convinced that this was it. I use Shure SRH1840 head phones which some say can sound grainy, but not with this beauty.

These 1840s will bring out both the good and the bad, and they show how good this dac/amp really is. If you are using so-so head phones you will miss the quality of this unit. Its that good.

Now I am just enjoying my music and not looking for something better.
I am now using lap top with jRiver usb out. I need a good transport for transportable use. Any suggestions?

After owning and returning a Plenue R, Plenue PM2, and Sony WM1A, my search is finally over with this incredible dac/amp.
After 2 months of research I decided to go for this iDSD micro black after seeing mostly only very positive reviews.
Coming from a Lumin D1 Dac which is one of the most analogue desk top sounding Dacs, it has been difficult for me to be satisfied with any of the 3 aforementioned DAPs. I did not really need a portable DAP (which are more expensive and sacrifice SQ) because I only needed a transportable Dac/Amp to move around the house or on a trip, so this idsd seemed like the answer…

This is a beast of a USB DAC/Amp! Great. Detailed sound and a ludicrous amount of power! Is able to power HD 6XX and Mr. Speakers Æon Flow Open perfectly even on the normal gain setting!

“I can honestly say that this is the best portable DAC/Amp that I have tried”

“The iFi Audio micro iDSD BL is one hell of a DAC and amp that is able to drive any headphone to decent levels. As a desktop device it works extremely well, yet it can be used as a portable device that lasts 12 hours on battery. Highly recommended.”

Purchased this to run between my Mac and recently bought Astell & Kern TP5 (2nd gen) high end headphones. Wow! What an amazing piece of kit. Native decoding of MQA means streaming music via Tidal takes on a whole new dimension. Resolution and detail is top notch, with the A&Ks easily driven by the ifi. A real piece of audio nirvana for a steal at this price. Brings a genuine smile and sense of renewed excitement each time I power it up. Best tech purchase I’ve made in quite some while. Makes a serious difference. Buy one.

I was surprised with the sound quality of the iFi Micro iDSD. It has so many utilities. it really is the “Swiss army knife” of portable DACs

Had many DAC+amp pairs over the years. This is an absolute king of value for money, able to perfectly drive big boys like the Sony Z1R as well as sensitive IEMs like the output impedance sensitive Campfire Audio Andromeda.

3D ASP is great for gaming and the Bass Boost is actually great for thinner bodied cans like the HD800.

Outstanding value for money, this box sounds thrice its price.

The sound signature is quite neutral and the soundstage average in size and natural/realistic.

Clarity is outstanding, high end studio level in my opinion.

Overpowers the HD600s with ease at medium power.

Plenty of juice for literally any headphone.

I love this little Amp/Dac so much. I just got it yesterday and as soon as I hooked it up I was blown away. I’ve previously had the Schiit Fulla, Schiit Fulla 2, and the Schiit Modi 2/Magni 3. I always liked the Schiit products but hadn’t heard anything else and I decided to try something new and I’m blown away by how much better this iFi Nano is. It’s better at everything than all of my Schiit products. I’m not someone who leaves many reviews but this little thing is just so good. I’m excited to get a couple hundred hours through it to see if it gets even better.

Packed with excellence, power and versatility. Regardless of the hheadphones or monitors you prefer, you will not be disappointed.

iFi audio’s efforts have succeeded brilliantly. I’m often asked by headphone newcomers to recommend headphone amp/DACs that are not too expensive, but that also offer very serious high performance. Judging by the performance I observed from the BL, it perfectly fits that bill – and then some.

The amp sound great and will power even hard to drive headphones.

A generous set of accessories can be found in the luxuriously decorated package. The BL sets a very high bar, leaving connoisseurs the opportunity to enjoy the process, experiment and the subtle nuances of taste.

The BL can also form the basis in a stationary location in a traditional audio setup where USB often plays a role. It can also be used in a living room setup that has the potential to give your music quality.

What is Stereo Mecmuasi talking about?

The Micro BL of course!

It achieves impressive work in this price class. Micro BL is a very successful device.

It’s a fantastic investment for people that are interested in just a DAC. I recommend this highly. Thumbs up! Good stuff!

The biggest thing about this micro BL is that it has tons of features which for its size, is impressive. Excellent amp that is capable of powering pretty much anything I have thrown at it.

What is Audio-PH referring to?

Then the fun begins. iFi micro Black Label is such a device.

The BL is an incomparable device. For me it is perfect – starting with the set, design, functions and ending with the most important – the Sound! You will not find anything like this in the portable segment.

It was worth every penny I paid for it. I really, really like this unit.

Micro BL is equipped with a high quality headphone amplifier…It is an extremely successful design. Phenomenal equipment and excellent multi-functionality.

The next standard in portable DACs and amplifiers. The BL looks like an instrument from a future engineering laboratory, fitting well in with the industrial design work but able to pass fairly well for a modern piece of equipment. There are lots of reasons to get an iFi iDSD micro Black Label and in fact, given its versatility and sonic abilities…I can’t really fault this device.

The iDSD BL delivers a thick, sweet, candy sound. It renders liquid smooth and is profoundly resolving. The BL excels at depth and layering….It sounds damn good. Dynamics for days. Punch, sparkle and clarity. The BL is chocolaty and decadent, while creating exceptionally high resolution images.

Micro iDSD Black Label: “Good gaming devices do not have to cost a fortune!

The Black Label functionality is also fabulous…Wow! I am very impressed.

Pros: Sound, functionality, build quality, price-to-performance ratio…..Go for the iDSD BL, you’ll thank me later!

The iDSD BL is a great product to have. It’s well-made, exceptionally versatile, quite convenient to use, has enough power to handle literally every set of cans out there and it’s price-to-performance ratio is – in my humble opinion – off the charts.

iFi announced their top-dog DAC and amp combo the Micro iDSD Black Label was their #1 seller in Japan so it’s no wonder it’s taking hold of audiophiles in the US like wildfire.

Design for portability…there is a section of people who wants it…It does everything…Feast your eyes on it.

It does not disappoint us even a bit! …the dynamic response of the BL is even more impressive… The BL is more clear and bright.

The iDSD BL reproduces everything in all formats with the class of large DACs for a fraction of the price. That is why it already deserves the recommendation of the Hificlube.

Pros: Excellent sound, feature rich, high performance to price ratio.

There is some added warmth that makes for a more musical tilt…The iDSD BL comes with a myriad of features.

So let’s sum this up.

• Powerful amp with the ability to drive most sensitive IEMs to most demanding headphones ✓
• Plenty of detail, resolution, and nice musical sound ✓
• Support for every possible music format every invented ✓
• 3D+ and XBass+ effects , yes please ✓✓✓✓✓
• Affordable price ✓

I don’t know what those folks over at AMR/iFi are up to, but it seems like there may be a little black magic in there to go with the black paint job. The Black Label sounds perfect.

The iFi Micro iDSD will recharge a smartphone from its side-mounted Type A USB port. Perhaps this is how we might best think of iFi’s latest portable DAC/headphone amplifier: a smartphone charger that will also extract the very best performance from a nice pair of connected headphones.

There are internal upgrades from the original iDSD that have been put into the Black version….The iDSD Black Label also has upgraded capacitors and the analogue side helps with the bass reproduction…definitely recommends it to people to try out if you can as it is one of the best sounding DAC in its price range…Two thumbs up for this device!

The construction of the Micro iDSD BL is neat and sought after..it can bend to a multitude of uses…The sound reproduction of the Micro iDSD BL is both soft and warm, full of life.

Product Score Summary:

• Value: 5/5
• Audio Quality: 4.5/%
• Quality: 4/5

Pros: Octa-speed DSD, femto clocks, overall sound quality gain options, digital filter options, discrete XBass + and 3D+ sections, battery powered

“Most people don’t know this, but the orange paint on the Micro iDSD Black Label fluoresces under UV light..Like most, if not all, iFi products, you will be equipped with all of the items you would ever need for the product inside of the box…One of the things that sets the Micro iDSD Black Label apart from other DAC/amps is its design….If you want to use the Micro iDSD Black Label as a truly portable DAC/amp, there is a battery inside of it that lasts 6-12 hours depending on usage….The whole concept of the Micro iDSD BL being the ‘Swiss Army knife of audio’ is really exciting to see…”I really, really, really like the Micro iDSD BL, and especially for the price…Seriously, this is one beast of a device…I’d whole heartily give the Micro iDSD BL two thumbs up!

Mr Suzuki is actually a heavy user of iFi Audio…Mr Suzuki was surprised at the quality when he listened to the Micro iDSD BL for the first time..Mr Suzuki favourite micro iDSD has evolved into a Micro iDSD BL wearing a black body…When I listened to the sound of the Micro iDSD BL this time, the sound was clear and the turbidity of the space remarkably decreased, and various places were upgrading, burt especially the sound of the analog output was heard as a very good feeling anyway. I think that this is the biggest difference with the old Micro iDSD…Fundamentally firmly makes iFi Audio’s big appeal.

iFis have already got a nickname ‘Swiss Army Penknife….This small device is a digital-to-analog converter, headphone amplifier and line preamplifier…The device is equipped with variable digital and analog filters, step-change output voltage for the headphone output to match the signal strength to their performance, 3D processor + Holographic sound system, XBass + and more…Its heart is two, one per channel, latest Burr Brown DAC converters used in this device…iDSD BL is powered by lithium polymer battery. That’s why it can be treated as a portable device…The sound of the BL transducer has been shaped to sound as cool as a turntable sounds…iDSD BL will fit into both budget and much more expensive systems. Sounds is slightly warm, with emphasis on low diameter.

Pros: Very musical and resolving sound, versatility, great bass/treble boost, amazing build quality

I would like to thank the folks at iFi Audio for organising this EU demo tour and giving us the opportunity to list to the BL….such quality products like the BL…This is a great DAC/AMP. I really like what I was hearing and could not turn it down once I started listening to it…The sound was very enjoyable to my ears. The BL sounds full and musical but withough sacrificing clarity. It has an almost perfect balance of musicality and clarity. The bass hits very, very nicely without sounding bloated. I was really impressed by how good the lows sounded… Great job there iFi. The mids are lush and musical…No complaints there again. The highs feel sparkly…3D switch is a nice touch…BL definitely feels like a step up in dynamics, sonic finesse and overall enjoyment….BL is an amazing device and I was quite amazed by it. In fact, if you are on the market for a DAC/AMP that shoots way about its price and screams ‘QUALITY’, then the BL should definitely be on your shortlist.

Despite being lightweight, the whole machine feels surprisingly solid in my hands….There’s a lot going on with the specs for the iDSD Black Label…this thing is packing some power….the black magic of the iDSD Black Label is real, folks – and it’s immediately apparent that the sound greatly benefits from this DAC…. Bass Boost is natural and nowhere near as under-powered or oppressive as on other DACs. Bit Perfect Processing is no joke, either – the sound at once takes on a new and very precise degree of sharpness and contrast…. The real coup de grace, though, is the 3D Matrix Plus Technology, which turns even my lower-end earbuds into an audio tour-de-force. Recreating an almost holographic sense of placement and depth, it’ll add soundstage to any pair of cans, but sounds ASTOUNDING with open-back models. ..the iDSD Black Label crushes its competition…you’ve got some serious audio business.

Pros: Very smooth and natural sound, immense versatility.

Cons: NONE.

To begin with, I would like to thank iFi for making this great tour and allowing some of us to test this product..Rubber feet are smaller and have an iFi logo on it (Cool addition). All accessories are now separated in two white mate carton boxes with satin iFi logo on it. I like it, cleaner and easier to pack…They give an Apple-like experience for the unboxing, simple and elegant….they give a ton more of accessories…Ain’t that sexy?….The results proved this new unit instantly superior to the old one, giving far better texture, a better detailed bass, smoother sound and a better defined stereo images….it’s one of the easiest DACs to listen to that I have tested..I listened to hours of music without noticing any disturbance in the sound…I noticed a smoother sound, slightly better tone wise, with much better controlled highs, providing a solid image. I sounds more natural with better texture and dynamics…Sincerely, I would love to keep this unit with me. It sounds so great that I do not want to stop the music. It sounds so great that I don’t even have to worry about audio.

Pros: Crazy amounts of power, beautiful sound, portable, doesn’t require drivers to work.

The new iDSD Micro Black Label is iFi’s first major upgrade to the iDSD Micro…ecstatic to find that I have been one of the chosen reviewers for it…the Black Label uses a Burr Brown DAC…it was on a whole different level than any of my gear…the Black Label was all business. Custom-designed op-amps, a stunning capacitor selection…with the Black Edition, I like what I am hearing an awful lot…the Black Edition has me enjoying the device as an amp thoroughly…I was pleasantly surprised to hear that the bass boost was certainly more present on this unit…it added a great amount of weight to the bass with any headphones used. The background is silent and the detailing and clarity is top notch…the difference was huge with the switch flipped…the Black Label goes so much farther past the all-in-one replacement for your listening setup…this is the all-in-one unit for you…offers such a fast and detailed yet slightly warm sound…The improvements iFi brought to the table with the Black Label really shows. No longer do you have to pick between two desktop stack replacements which approached the problem in completely different ways for great all-in-one portable device…iFi did an excellent job…Listening to the Black Label has made me so uninterested in all the other DACs and amps I have lying around. They all are so inferior to the Black Label in my mind now. Every headphone I have tried it with, it’s a gorgeous, lively pairing….Everything works so amazingly with it and the Black Label is able to make anything I throw at it -source material or headphones- sound the best I’ve heard most of it ever be….recommend any lovers of that lively, energetic sound prioritise investing in this unit.

Pros: Sound quality, balanced, no channel imbalance, versatile with anything and power.

Why I love iFi and their products…iFi has been known, reputably for their amazing amplifiers and DAC. Ranging from Nano to Micro to Retro and the most recent addition, the Pro line, iFi has an amplifier and DAC for different purposes and price ranges….When they introduced the Black Label edition of the Micro iDSD, I was all hyped and even more when they announced a tour for it! A huge thanks to iFi for adding me to the tour for this iFi Micro iDSD BL! ….What’s so cool about this BL?…Not only does it look like Bruce Wayne’s multibillion techs but it also features like his utility belt. It is a DAC and amplifier that allow works as a preamplifier that can power from the smallest earphones to the giant Bane…With all the Batman’s design and features aside, the sound quality itself is not joke either. I find it is an amazing piece of amplifier and DAC combo….I find it entirely to be ultimately smooth, while attaining that speed on the punches at the same time, not missing any details. It just feels like you are driving a Porsche at say 170kmph but you feel that the car is doing it effortlessly and this is how it feels like to listen to the Micro iDSD BL as a standalone….it is as if the musician just immediately speed out themselves from a small stage to an opera theatre and for movies you could better aware of the environment of the scene…It is amazing and it still did not fail to wow me away….Overall, it is very versatile with anything you throws at.

This new product works 6 to 12 hours on its built-in lithium/polymer battery…decoding of the PCM up to 768 kHz and the DSD 512 under the native mode. The conversion is provided by two Burr Brown DACs….Latest generation…The iDSD Micro Black Label integrates a high clock accuracy (280 femtoseconds), to avoid jitter audible. All internal circuits have been redesigned and improved….Very engaging, practical and very highly musical….The iFi Audio iDSD Micro Black Label is a stunning product at all levels: technical, musical and price quality. A small masterpiece.

The iFi Audio DAC built-in portable headphone amplifier ‘Micro iDSD’ and ‘Nano iDSD’ which quickly became popular models with high-spec functionality and high-quality sound that cannot be imagined from a compact body…Nano iDSD will be hight cost performance…this Nano iDSD was the only one that was compatible up to PCM 384 kHz/32 bit, DSD 256 (11.2 MHz)…even the battery was built even further. That’s why I am excited…Two new models, such as a model that further promotes quality improvement by reviewing the parts…it is a product that the British gentleman’s genius engineer made a black and hard aluminium body….Speaking of the major feature of the following Micro iDSD BL, it is probably the abundance of input terminals…I can enjoy various products with the best sound from my favourite artist…Micro iDSD BL will entertain a pleasantly pure and comfortable sound. At the same time, vocals are felt to be very real and the power of music is further increased. A good sound is a lot of fun. It is a product that you can feel such a simple fact…sound quality is absolute with the Micro iDSD BL…enhanced cost performance of the Nano iDSD LE…The low range of the Nano iDSD LE is somewhat warmy, an image that emphasises power….can enjoy the powerful and overwhelming sound from the iDSD Nano. Conversely, vocals so close to singing voice that their voice arrive clearly, so people may feel that this is fun to listen outdoors…this one is more portable…By price and portable nature is definitely the Nano iDSD LE.

Pros: Clarity, power, versatility, build quality.

It is with great pleasure that I can say that I have been selected to take part in the iFi Micro iDSD Black Label listening tour…a DAC utilising a dual core Burr-Brown DSD512/PCM768/2xDXD chip and headphone amplifier..The iDSD BL came with a generous amount of accessories…There are so many things this little beast can do…(orange on black is very legible, thank you!)…It had copious amounts of power when called for…The iDSD BL is unwieldy, but is indeed portable enough to move from room to room, or take with you for listening while writing in a coffee shop or other stationary activity….The iDSD BL did pair easily to my Samsung Galaxy S7…I do think most people will opt to use this primarily as a DAC/amp, either on a desktop, or portably with a laptop..I enjoyed the iDSD BL so much…I lean slightly towards the iFi…I am truly sorry to see the iDSD BL leave…iFi has done a great job with the iDSD BL. It’s well built, very versatile, has plenty of power on tap and sounds fantastic…you do get a lot for your money….I can definitely recommend checking it out if you’re in the market for a DAC/amp. It is definitely worth a listen.

Pros: Great all around bang for the buck.

It feels like a well made piece of gear…I found it extremely sturdy and very spacious…Listening to a few tracks the iDSD BL sounds balanced to me and very similar to what I’m used to hearing out of the Mojo…has nice warmth and the mids sound proper, not thin….the BL sounds a bit more laid back than the Mojo…The iFi BL tends to have a softer sound…the iDSD BL did really well on my desk…In my opinion iFi have themselves a winner in this device and I would have no reservations recommending this to anyone who is in the market for a DAC/AMP combo in this price range and a bit beyond really, whether it be desktop, transportable or portable. This thing is very good and certainly up there with the Chord Mojo on a short list of what to by under $1000. Great bang for the buck!

Pros: Desktop class sound, DAC/amp very versatile for a wide range of iem/hp pairings, neutral and resolving yet engaging sound signature that pairs easily.

Thanks and appreciation goes out to iFi Audio for organising this tour – it is a privilege to be given this opportunity to review the BL… The BL is solidly built, and beautifully finished. I personally love the metallic black finish and aesthetically I prefer it to its predecessor in silver. It is a compact design…it is definitely transportable…The volume knob allows you to do very fine adjustments which can be very useful and is quite smooth but retains enough traction for accuracy…The XBass and 3D switches feel sturdy and have a nice tactile feel when flipped…allowing for fairly convenient volume manipulation on-the-go…the audible difference is already significant…Norah Jones’ voice is more focused, instrument placement increase in definition and clarity and soundstage also gains more width and air…I loved the presentation with both the XBass and 3D switches turned on. The 3D switch rebalances the tonality of only the XBass switch by giving the music a treble lift…Vocals become a bit more forward and engaging without loosing transparency. The soundstage increases in height, fills up the imaginary areas somewhere above your forehead…Greater immersion into music with excellent resolution, transparency and musicality…gives your desktop class performance that you can actually carry around in a messenger bag…The iDSD Micro BL is truly a formidable device with a fantastic DAC and a ton of functionality, suited to the most sensitive of in ear monitors to the most inefficient and demanding headphones…Its functionality and small footprint is an added bonus. Bravo, iFi Audio, for a most excellent product!

Pros: Feature rich with high performance to price ratio. Multi-platform compatibility. Isolated USB and analogue ground with excellent USB EMI noise rejection.

Many thanks to iFi for the tour program, to let us have some experience with the new iFi micro iDSD Black Label!…The iFi micro iDSD Black Label is the improved version of the previous iFi micro iDSD…The improvement is more on the sound quality….In summary, the iFi micro iDSD Black Label is an excellent sounding, feature rich DAC & headphone amplifier….Transparency, clarity, speed and detail retrieval are still the main characteristics of the iFi micro iDSD Black Label sound signature…And iFi has improved it further in a more musical manner on the Black Label version..Besides some technical improvement from the proviso iFi micro iDSD, the sound quality improvement that I observed on the Black Label are transparency, dynamic and instrument separation. The Black Label is more transparent and realistic sounding than the already transparent sounding iFi micro iDSD….it actually sounds more musical to me….iFi micro iDSD Black Label has excellent stereo imaging, spacious and holographic with good depth. The headphone output is powerful with lightning fast transient, always giving the impression that it can drive any IEMs and headphones with ease…be the sound engineer favourite portable DAC.

Pros: Superbly clean output, lots of power, dynamic, practical, Features (3D Holographic & XBass), battery life, construction, design, value.

This company AMR iFi, is remarkable to start with. They have made so many amplifiers and dads with different functions, size and price points, all to their signature minimalist aluminium block design. All of their products have performance which far exceeds their price point, making every purchase, worth it. …I am very much impressed with every single one of them…When you first open the box, like every other of their products, it feels like you are unravelling something of very high quality, which turns out to be true…Everything required is present and it felt like it was all geared up to go….The famous iFi 3D Holographic, it widens the sound-stage of your music beautifully….It really brings your music to like, makes it more tangible and believable, even for headphones…All these features are already good enough to be sold on their own!…it reduces the noise of your noisy source input, like from your laptop or PC, all digital-electric noise will be eliminated as this brings your on board DAC, outside…A show piece indeed, take a look at that beautifully finished aluminium brick, as minimalist as design can get, sticking true to the rest of their iFi series of products, this one blends in perfectly. It is as durable as it seems, knobs and switches feel like they are of quality. The overall product has a very nice quality weight to it, which make it feel really premium unlike other amps which uses plastic to ‘reduce weight’ which simply made it feels and look cheap…Until now, iFi has never made a product that disappoint, they are a truly remarkable company which makes remarkable products.

If you’re an audiophile who loves new gear and you haven’t heard of iFi portable amplifiers and DACs, you’re really missing out. There’s a wide range of products available from this UK based company and one of their hottest items right now is the micro iDSD Black Label DAC and amplifier. This could looking portable DAC/amp is packed with features to keep even the most demanding audiophile happy….The micro iDSD Black Label uses a USB digital input. You can connect your smartphone or digital player directly to the input for instant digital audio conversion. Once your audio signal is converted you’ve got several options in customising your output..The XBass is of course a hot bass-boost function and the 3D Sound switch adds a little soundstage and high-end to your music…The micro iDSD Black Label is compatible to several forms of digital audio including DSD, DXD and PCM. This premium quality portable headphone amplifier is one of the hottest selling DAC amps in the world and for good reason. This quality DAC/Amp is packed with desirable user options and built to last….pick up the iFi micro iDSD Black Label before they’re all gone..

iFi included a great number of bits and pieces with the Black Label. Pretty much anything you could possibly need to use this device are included in the box. You get a simply 3.5mm audio interconnect if you only want to use the Black Label a an amplifier, or you could use the RCSA cables if you want to connect it to stereo speakers or a different amplifier…Featuring an all-black body and orange label, the Black Label is indeed a ruggedly handsome device…The Black Label sounds incredible. Honestly, how is it even possible for a portable audio device to sound this damn good?….the Black Label is just something else….quite a strange sensation to feel like you’re almost listening to a surround sound system…Everything just sounds so open, so natural, so immersive and surrounding…..the Black Lable does exhibit some sonic differences….the Black Label does sound a bit clearer, and has a wider sound stage…I honestly don’t know if a stand-alone portable player that sounds this good even exists….The iFi makes perfect sense for someone who would prefer to use their smartphone as the source. I say this, because relatively speaking, that works out cheaper.

Pros: Sound improvements across the board vs the original (silver) iDSD, greatly improved headphone sound.

I was fortunate to be part of the iDSD BL Tour (US)……I find most of the knobs and switches useful for dealing in a good combination with whatever particular headphones I a using…appreciate the flexibility these different settings provide for personal customisation….I listened solely to the BL…I enjoyed the heck out of the BL. It’s a more immersive experience than the iDSD…BL’s black color is classier than iDSD silver….BL has better dynamics, air, soundstage depth and bass control. BL has a fuller, more refined presentation…BL seems considerably more powerful…I think BL’s 3D and xBass are better….the major difference ws the overall sound improvement….just wanted to maximise my time with the BL…Job very well done, iFi. The BL is an evolutionary improvement…the BL is noticeably better and well worth the audition, even if you are considering more expensive gear.

Pros: Plays just about anything, great build quality, good sonic.

iFi follows some great design and build practices, high quality material and parts are standard on every iFi products I’ve seen to date….The BL comes in a nice box with a sleeve on the outside that has the graphics….There is a ton of accessories….the BL is more of a desktop solution….the BL is like a swiss army knife….The BL and all the accessories it comes with are actually very nicely built. The chassis feels very solid and all the ports, knobs and switches feel solid….Overall, the BL has a very good build quality and is what you would expect at this price point….The battery. It lasts a long time….I found the BL to be extremely competent….I think the BL is a great example of what is possible today in audio….A device that can easily be transported, plays basically every format …provides a ton of options and flexibility…

Pros: Flexible with lots of input and output. Musical Powerful AMP.

A tweaked to the roof original Micro iDSD…a satin black version (with silk orange writings) of original Micro iDSD…sonically much better version of original Micro iDSD….loaded with latest 3D+ and XBass+ tech, superior over ones in original Micro iDSD….a clean and good support to the DAC circuit….much high class than the original silver colour….BL has powerful AMP inside…. with more bass and better sound stage….It was a musical DAC, warm sound with good punch.

Pros: True hifi gear – Quality for money – Powerful enough output to drive power amps

Cons: none

Immediate comparison between the Standard and Black label unit shows indisputable improvements…Voice are more natural, I would say more transparent, but without loss of impact and presence….Bass seems to extend deeper, lighter, but this extension comes without any negative artefact..The unit is more dynamic than the standard iDSD…I clearly prefer this new unit. It is more to my taste: closer to the reality of dynamics…A true bargain.

iFi Audio is a brand that requires little introduction here on Head-Fi….Uk’s largest manufacturers of high-end audio systems…one-stop shop for computer audio….the greatest depth and breadth in USB power and signal clean-up devices on the planet…by a huge margin….iFi Audio has a deep understanding of how and why clean power is important to computer audio, and that understanding drives their product design and product enhancements…The most recent product to benefit from this understanding is the new micro iDSD BL…Think of the iDSD BL as the personal audio equivalent of one of those big, fat pocket knives with a dozen or two different tools…This new DAC is fast…you get the sense that the DAC is tracking each string and the associated harmonics with tremendous speed and accuracy. No details are lost…The sound is energetic, punchy, and engaging both in the big rig and with headphones…the new BL is going to be your favourite by a mile…so the contrast in presentation between the Mojo and the BL is quite stark…the BL presents a blacker background with greater dynamic contrast and is my pick between the two for best value for money.

Smooth delivery of orgasmic sound. Powerful enough to drive a planar, whilst gentle enough for sensitive IEM…the iDSD BL presents a harder bass kicks in the opening, overall enhacing the imaging and musicality of the song….The iDSD BL brought Norah Jones directly to my room. The darker Black Label makes her voice sound as smooth as honey….The notes from the double bass and piano was well rounded and punchy which added some depth to the sound….I would call this unit a more matured iDSD with minor refinements that makes it great….The iDSD BL would be more polite to most songs, and also able to satisfy your inner bass-head…

On a side note, they are a customer-oriented company. A rare thing nowadays……..iDSD Black Label comes with a well designed, elegant cardboard packaging. You can find everything about the Black Label on the box. Specs, features, technologies…
I must congratulate iFi for thinking and including the accessories like no company ever does….The only difference in the accessories between regular iDSD is the improved USB3.0 cable. It looks more durable now!…Black Label’s finish is truly mesmerising…BL looks utterly amazing….Black Label sounds more organic and musical compared to regular iDSD. I personally, always wanted my regular iDSD to sound fuller, more natural.. Well, I definitely got what I wanted!…….If you are looking for a DAC/AMP between 350-750$ this is your safest bet. Go get one!

So what is the BL model and what can the iDSD do?… The iDSD is a Decamp…It can be fed music from a laptop with it’s high quality USB cable….The iDSD also can be used as a preamp or direct line out, to form part of a full sized HiFi….The iDSD will easily outlast your phone so should be able to keep it going until you can get to a proper power source…The packaging is beautiful. The unpacking of the unit was a sensual pleasure…The iDSD is a clear winner …The iDSD BL offers an awful lot of options for the money….

This Micro IDSD as much as its evolution Black-label give me a great listening pleasure. They are powerful, autonomous, resistant in time thanks to their all-metal short design a beautiful object and a high-performance product!….For iFi-Audio the work done on the first version of the IDSD seemed so fair, and well-designed that they simply did not want to replace the Micro IDSD. They have updated the components, taking care to choose the most recent and the best performers. So they have evolved with some optimizations and adjustments here and there the original model…..the IDSD or the IDSD black each has arguments and gives a lot of fun. On both the dynamics is excellent, one will be more sharp the other will be a can more tolerant!….I think it will not be very useful to continue to divide these two excellent amp / dac.

Pros: Tonally similar to its predecessor yet packs in that last ounce of oomph, slam, musicality and finesse in just the right spectrums of audio. Worth it!”

“Went into the shop to audition the original Micro (my current desktop setup) vs the BL…….I have concluded that the upgraded components really make that last ounce of difference in an already fine product! Bass slam that was already pretty good in the original, is now more pronounced and adds to the oomph and color and the low end. Overall clarity, already good on the original, is now slightly increased and subtly smoother and sweeter. Overall image width and height, on the Senn HD599, is about the same to me, but then, with the added clarity+sweetness+slam, that same stereo image suddenly snaps into sharper focus on good recordings. On bad or average recordings the BL actually makes the music tolerable due to the added musicality. Ahhhh… musicality… that is the one elusive trait which could justify giving up my beloved Micro. The BL definitely has a palpable increase in musicality which I didn’t even know I was hungering for, til today.

iFi have today announced an updated version. The new Black Label edition has, as its name suggests, been moved to a satin black chassis with orange accents. However, this is no superficial re-skinning; it’s a complete overhaul. The upgrades can be summarised thusly:
· re-designed output stabilisation
· OV2627 op-amps upgraded analogue section
· Panasonic OSCON capacitors loaded power supply
· OV2028 op-amps loaded DAC power supply
· DAC voltage decoupling based on audio-grade ECPU film capacitors
· GMT® Femto precision clock system power supply upgraded”

This model dresses black for a special edition that has seen some internal components replaced by more qualitative models, a cosmetic evolution without touching the fundamentals….With the title You Win Again Album The Warner Bros. Years 1987-1991 Bee Gees, yet we are treated to a beautiful sound reproduction from the DAC micro iFi Black Label Edition, dense and warm and very present voice….As for the 3D process, it brings a pleasant feeling of space while preserving the salt of music, so to speak, with the headphones as listening on speakers, which is rather good.

Go get one. What the heck are you waiting for? There isn’t a so easily transportable DAC/Amp combo out there with the technical capabilities of the iDSD Black Label. It has a crisp, transparent, neutral presentation. It can power headphones from the most delicate flower sensitive custom IEMs all the way up to the man eating Bengal tigers of audiophilia: the HE-6 and other rare beasts. Beyond having power and finesse, it also plays any kind of music you throw at it natively—no signal degrading conversion. If you needed some dessert with this 15 course dinner, the XBass and 3D effect switches give it to you. Have all the pudding you like, I promise the enhanced treble and bass won’t screw up your appetite.