ЦАПы — iFi Audio iDSD Phantom

The iDSD Phantom is a desktop unit from iFi Audio that combines a DAC, network streamer, headphone amplifier and preamplifier in one chassis, and the brand places it at the top of its range as a reference-class design. It was announced in February 2026 at GBP 4,499, USD 4,499, EUR 4,695 and CAD 6,999, and the box includes an iPower Elite 15 V supply, an infrared remote, an Optibox, an antenna and optical, RCA and USB 3.0 cables.

Key specs that matter

Decoding runs natively to PCM 768 kHz and DSD512 through four Burr-Brown DSD1793 chips in a custom interleaved arrangement. Digital inputs comprise USB-B 3.0, two USB-A and one USB-C host ports, coaxial S/PDIF, AES3 on XLR, an SC optical socket, RJ45 and M12 network ports and a BNC sync input. Line outputs are XLR and RCA, with a Hi-Fi range of 0 to 4.5 V balanced or 0 to 2.2 V single-ended and a Pro range reaching 18 V and 9 V. Measured into 600 ohm at maximum output, SNR is at least 116 dBA balanced and 114 dBA single-ended, and noise stays below 30 and 20 microvolts. THD+N is under 0.005% into 16 ohm balanced at 2.4 V. Headphones connect through 3.5 mm S-Balanced, 4.4 mm, 4-pin XLR, twin 3-pin XLR and two 6.3 mm sockets, one of them phase-inverted, and the balanced stage gives 4,676 mW RMS into 64 ohm (7,747 mW peak), while single-ended output is 2,311 mW into 32 ohm. The case is 256 x 185 x 120 mm and 3.6 kg, and draws under 27 W at idle and 75 W at most.

Engineering and use context

A Chrysopoeia FPGA engine running at 90 million samples per second can remaster incoming data up to DSD2048, and JVCKENWOOD K2 and K2HD processing is included along with a set of digital filters. The Class A headphone stage switches in real time between three front ends - a discrete J-FET solid-state path, a Tube mode with hand-selected, matched NOS GE5670 valves, and Tube+, which lowers global feedback and lifts second-order harmonics by 6 dB. XBass Pro offers shelving at 10, 20 or 40 Hz and XSpace Pro adds crossfeed at 30, 60 or 90 degrees. The Ethernet, S/PDIF and AES/EBU inputs are galvanically isolated, and power regulation is segmented for low noise.

Pairing

Working as a preamplifier, the unit sends a variable signal from its balanced or single-ended sockets straight into power stages or active monitors, and the Pro range gives four times the Hi-Fi voltage. Streaming runs over Wi-Fi or Ethernet through Tidal Connect, Spotify Connect, Qobuz Connect, Roon Ready, AirPlay 2, DLNA and UPnP, and the Nexis app handles Bluetooth pairing.

Alternatives

The iFi Pro iDSD is an earlier desktop DAC from the brand with twin GE5670 valves and the same choice of J-FET, Tube and Tube+ front ends.