INTRODUCTION

    If you happen to be a demanding gamer, enthusiast, professional or an audiophile then in all likelihood at some point you've either thought about getting or already own at least one desktop audio DAC/Amplifier. Yes, they might not be as plug & play as some sound cards (also not really the best for gaming) and they most cost more but aside offering higher audio fidelity, increased amplification and better connectivity in some cases they can also be used as standalone music players (for example via online streaming & memory card slots). Back in 2020 iFi audio released one of their top DAC/amplifiers to date called the NEO iDSD which not only earned numerous awards all over the world but also became very popular among audiophiles. Fast forward to 2024 and iFi Audio has released its successor the NEO iDSD 2 which ended up in the lab just over a month ago.

    iFi audio is a UK based manufacturer of desktop and portable high-end audio equipment. Innovative high-end audio should be available to everyone, everywhere, so iFi uses the latest technology, materials and consumer feedback to provide an audiophile quality listening experience at an affordable price. You listen to music, we listen to you.

    Just like the Diablo 2 which I reviewed a while back the NEO iDSD 2 also makes use of an 16-core XMOS processor which iFi audio has paired with a quad-core True Native Burr-Brown DAC chipset, Qualcomm QCC518x Bluetooth v5.4 audio chip, custom OV series operational amplifiers (up to  5.5W via the 4.4mm balanced headphone port - 2530mW RMS per side rating), Texas Instruments low-noise ICs and numerous capacitors (C0G Class 1 Ceramic by TDK and multi-layer ESR ones by Murata). Due to the quad-core Burr Brown DAC and the Qualcomm QCC518x Bluetooth v5.4 chip the NEO iDSD 2 supports full MQA, DXD or Bit-Perfect DSD decoding up to 768kHz (DSD512 also supported) and virtually every wireless audio codec out there including aptX Lossless (1200kbps), aptX HD (576kbps), aptX Adaptive (420kbps), aptX (352kbps), LDAC (990kbps), LHDC/HWA (900kbps), AAC (264kbps) and SBC (345Kbps). Of course technologies like PureWave (elevates clarity by separating channels and reducing noise), XBass II (for deep, clear and solid bass), XSpace (delivers the same spacious sound field of speakers to headphones), 4 different digital filters (BP/GTO/MIN/STD), GMT femto-precision clock (combined with a smart storage cache, forms an advanced jitter reduction system) and even their iPower 2 power supply (utilizes active noise cancellation II technology to deliver ultra-clean power) are all included in/with the NEO iDSD 2. The NEO iDSD 2 also makes use of a multicolor TFT display (auto orientation), supports several streaming services (instruction video online by iFi audio for use with Tidal, Roon, and Audirvana) and as for available connectivity iFi audio has placed 4.4mm (balanced) and 6.3mm (single-ended) output ports at the front and stereo RCA and XLR (balanced) output and 3.5mm analogue, BNC clock, SPDIF optical, coaxial and USB input ports at the rear.