All
iFi Audio
Website:https://www.ifi-audio.com
Est. year: 2012
iFi audio is a British company launched in 2012 by Abbingdon Music Research (AMR) to bring the group's high-end circuit know-how into smaller and more affordable products. It makes DACs, headphone amplifiers, streamers, phono stages, Bluetooth receivers and USB-C dongles, covering portable and desktop use, and today its catalogue runs to dozens of current models across home and portable ranges.
Range & what it's known for
The home range is built around the compact ZEN family - ZEN DAC 3, ZEN CAN 3, ZEN Phono 3, ZEN Stream 3 and ZEN Blue 3 - with Signature versions above them. The NEO tier adds the NEO iDSD 3 DAC and NEO Stream 3, while the Elite Audio Range at the top includes the iDSD Phantom, the iCAN Phantom headphone amplifier and the iDSD Valkyrie. Portable products start with the GO link and UP Play dongles and rise through the Hip-Dac 3, GO bar Kensei, GO pod and iDSD Diablo 2. Early traction came with the Micro and Nano series, led by the iDSD Micro DAC and headphone amplifier around 2014-2015, and later with the xDSD, xCAN and the flask-shaped Hip DAC.
Who owns it and where it's made
iFi is the smaller-format sister brand of AMR, the British high-end electronics maker founded in the early 2000s, and it was set up as part of that group rather than as an independent start-up. The company presents itself as a British hi-fi technology business, and product design is led in-house under its technical director Thorsten Loesch, drawing on the circuit work AMR had already done for its more expensive components.
The lineup in this catalog
DACs, headphone amplifiers and power accessories. On the maker's own UK price list, current products start around GBP 59 for the GO link dongle and reach GBP 4,499 for the iDSD Phantom.
Who it's for
Growing a system from one small box while keeping the same brand is practical with iFi. A phone user can begin with a GO link or UP Play dongle, a desk setup with a ZEN DAC 3 and ZEN CAN 3 stack, and a home system can move later to the NEO iDSD 3 or one of the Phantom units. Portable users who drive harder headphones away from home have the Hip-Dac 3, GO bar Kensei and iDSD Diablo 2 as steps up.
Range & what it's known for
The home range is built around the compact ZEN family - ZEN DAC 3, ZEN CAN 3, ZEN Phono 3, ZEN Stream 3 and ZEN Blue 3 - with Signature versions above them. The NEO tier adds the NEO iDSD 3 DAC and NEO Stream 3, while the Elite Audio Range at the top includes the iDSD Phantom, the iCAN Phantom headphone amplifier and the iDSD Valkyrie. Portable products start with the GO link and UP Play dongles and rise through the Hip-Dac 3, GO bar Kensei, GO pod and iDSD Diablo 2. Early traction came with the Micro and Nano series, led by the iDSD Micro DAC and headphone amplifier around 2014-2015, and later with the xDSD, xCAN and the flask-shaped Hip DAC.
Who owns it and where it's made
iFi is the smaller-format sister brand of AMR, the British high-end electronics maker founded in the early 2000s, and it was set up as part of that group rather than as an independent start-up. The company presents itself as a British hi-fi technology business, and product design is led in-house under its technical director Thorsten Loesch, drawing on the circuit work AMR had already done for its more expensive components.
The lineup in this catalog
DACs, headphone amplifiers and power accessories. On the maker's own UK price list, current products start around GBP 59 for the GO link dongle and reach GBP 4,499 for the iDSD Phantom.
Who it's for
Growing a system from one small box while keeping the same brand is practical with iFi. A phone user can begin with a GO link or UP Play dongle, a desk setup with a ZEN DAC 3 and ZEN CAN 3 stack, and a home system can move later to the NEO iDSD 3 or one of the Phantom units. Portable users who drive harder headphones away from home have the Hip-Dac 3, GO bar Kensei and iDSD Diablo 2 as steps up.
