iFi Audio - Pro iDSD Signature

Enjoy the best your audio has to offer with the iFi Audio Pro iDSD Signature. The Pro iDSD Signature has a ‘quad stack’ of Bit-Perfect DSD and DXD DACs by Burr-Brown. The ‘interleaved’ configuration means up to 8 pairs of differential signals can be used and mixed, equal to 4 pairs of signals per channel. Every signal that flows to the Quad-Core Burr Brown MultiBit/DSD hybrid DAC is re-clocked via the low-jitter Global Master Timing® derived master clock from AMR DP-777. The X-Core 200 processor decodes all kinds of audio files via a USB input. The Crysopeia FPGA engine handles digital filtering and PCM-to-DSD remastering up to DSD1024. The Pro iDSD Signature is packed full of premium components including a Japan Alps rotary volume potentiometer, audio-grade ELNA Silmic capacitors and a bank of Elna Dynacaps 'supercapacitors. The device has also been equipped with an iPower Elite power supply to lower the overall system noise by 300%. These new components deliver a sonically darker background and overall life-like audio.

The iFi Audio Pro iDSD Signature offers three different playback modes on which you can enjoy your music. Unlike other amplifiers that have the same circuit and just switch in/out the tube section, the original Pro iDSD and now the Pro iDSD Signature is among the first to have two individual input circuits – one tube (General Electric 5670 tubes!) and one solid-state. This results in the best sonics of both worlds. The amplifier audio circuit is fully discrete, fully balanced with either tube or J-FET input switchable, bipolar second stage and MOSFET-buffered bipolar Class A Power stage. We’ve given the Pro iDSD Signature an extra Tube+ setting. This reduces overall loop-gain and negative feedback to the minimum and presents a different sonic perspective between the tube’s natural harmonics and transient performance. All of this is available at the flick of a switch.

To truly experience pure audio it is imperative to reduce the noise caused due to digital processing. Thus all the inputs are galvanically isolated (including USB). The USB input section has its separate power management system with multiple regulators and filtering operating from the galvanically isolated voltage generated to power this section. An isolation barrier is also placed near the DAC, clock and processors so that you can hear each note. If you want better sync, the Pro iDSD supports an AES3id based Digital Audio Reference Signal (DARS) according to AES11 as well as atomic clocks of the Sanford Research Systems (PERF10 quality or higher). This enhances the already great internal timing of this DAC.


The analogue circuitry in the Pro iDSD is a line/ headphone driver stage. It is direct-coupled, entirely balanced as well as 100% discrete. The Pro iDSD Signature employs the new XMOS XU216 X-Core 200 Series 16-Core processor. All-digital processing is Bit-Perfect unless particular digital filters are explicitly selected. The Crysopeia FPGA Digital Engine strikes again as it enables the Pro iDSD Signature to offer several options in digital filtering. The GTO filter adds gravitas and a new dimension, and while the Bit Perfect, Bit Perfect+, Apodising and Transient Aligned filters give you even more choices to tweak the sound. You can even select between tube/ solid-state in the Output Section Mode. Precisely matched NOS GE5670s tubes in the signal path enhance the sound even more. This DAC decodes all MQA files to give you great quality audio. The Pro iDSD Signature adopts MQA technology to receive and decode MQA audio and provide master-level sound.

The Pro iDSD makes it easy to connect to your favourite music player. It has a USB input, Coaxial/Optical Digital input, XLR Digital input and BNC Digital input. Apart from these, it includes a WiFi/network system that lets you play hi-res audio. It even supports streaming services like Tidal, Spotify, Napster, QQ Music and more. Use Airplay to enjoy playback from your iPhone, iPad or Mac. Go wired via an Ethernet connection to play from a router or NAS (Network Attached Storage). Use DLNA network audio playback with smartphones, tablets, Windows/Linux computers. Connect to a hard disc drive (HDD). Pop in a USB memory stick or SDHC card and with a variety of headphone outputs – Single-Ended 6.3mm, S-Balanced 3.5mm and Balanced 4.4mm – the only choice is your choice. The device also comes with LINKPLAY™ WiFi/network playback, built-in Spotify and Tidal, and wide protocol support for 32-Bit/192kHz and DSD64, the Pro iDSD Signature can be also used without a computer to stream audio directly. To further add to the convenience of users the device comes bundled with an aluminium remote control, allowing for easy connectivity with various devices and accessing frequently used functions without having to reach for the device.