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iFi Hip-dac2 - Portable Balanced DAC Headphone Amplifier for Android, iPhone with USB Input Only/Outputs: 3.5mm Unbalanced / 4.4mm Balanced – MQA Decoder

4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 764 ratings

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Brand iFi
Color Orange
Material Aluminum
Model Name Hip DAC 2
Power Source Battery Powered

About this item

  • ✅PORTABLE DESIGN - Your music will never stop with 6-8 hrs of battery life (depending on use) and a slim, lightweight design perfect for carrying in your pocket wherever life takes you.
  • ✅HIGH RESOLUTION AUDIO - From Spotify to Tidal MQA to MP3 and beyond, play any high res audio format with native digital to analog conversion so you can listen to any song the way the original recording was intended
  • ✅POWERFUL AMPLIFIER - Suited to your style, listen to in ear monitors or drive over the ear headphones with 400 mW max power output from the on-board amplifier
  • ✅EASY CONNECTIVITY – Connects directly to your smartphone with the USB Input, and works with balanced 4.4mm or S-Bal 3.5mm headphone plugs for ultimate convenience and versatility
  • ✅UPGRADED - The hip-dac2 has been upgraded to give you an even more pleasurable portable audio experience, it now is a full MQA decoder and has an upgraded GMT Clock.
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Product Description

ifi hip-dac2 headphone amplifier dac
ifi hip-dac2 headphone amplifier dac
ifi hip-dac2 headphone amplifier dac
ifi hip-dac2 headphone amplifier dac
ifi hip-dac2 headphone amplifier dac
ifi hip-dac2 headphone amplifier dac

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iFi

iFi Hip-dac2 - Portable Balanced DAC Headphone Amplifier for Android, iPhone with USB Input Only/Outputs: 3.5mm Unbalanced / 4.4mm Balanced – MQA Decoder


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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
764 global ratings

Customers say

Customers like the sound quality, portability, and build quality of the hearing amplifier. For example, they mention the bass boost is nice, and it allows them to truly enjoy their hi-res music. That said, opinions are mixed on performance, quality, battery life, and ease of connection.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

66 customers mention49 positive17 negative

Customers like the sound quality of the hearing amplifier. They mention that the sound is awesome, the bass boost is very nice, and the analog sound control is great. The device allows them to truly enjoy their hi-res music without breaking the bank. They also appreciate the hefty volume knob and the amp and base boost buttons.

"...steaming and frankly for all day listening I find Spotify audio quality very consistent and non-fatiguing...." Read more

"...Even a Nintendo Switch Lite. As far as audio goes, it sounds great. I really can’t elaborate much more than that...." Read more

"...pretty underwhelming, this amp/dac will wake them up and the sound quality is fantastic...." Read more

"Audio quality is great, the build quality is nice and I would recommend it overall, but there are a couple of significant drawbacks that if improved..." Read more

23 customers mention16 positive7 negative

Customers are mixed about the quality of the hearing amplifier. Some mention it's worth the purchase, for portable hi-fi with high-end, high-bass headphones, with good sound and decent power. However, others say that it seems like it'd been built in a cheap way, especially the connectors and adapters. They also say that the device routinely cuts out during MQA decoding.

"...impressed with this DAC and it suits my needs for portable hi-fi with high-end, high-bass headphones. The price point was excellent...." Read more

"...The Hip-DAC pushes out some serious sound for its small build and modest price tag...." Read more

"...Cheap jack they must be using for that side or the adapter is made cheap to where it’s not connecting properly inside ...." Read more

"Excellent product. Using it to get Hi res Lossless out of my Iphone and it sounds very good. Noticeably better...." Read more

20 customers mention14 positive6 negative

Customers like the portability of the hearing amplifier. They mention that it is very compact, sits nice in a coat pocket, and has a rechargeable battery. Some say that it's an excellent portable DAC and a hi-end DAC in your pocket.

"...The HipDac is the most powerful, portable and flexible DAC you can buy for under $200...." Read more

"...Very compact and sits nice in coat pocket with phone. Hefty volume knob is an awesome touch, as are the amp and base boost buttons...." Read more

"...are sitting on a desk, but when you are on the go etc, this becomes quite clunky and inconvenient...." Read more

"...This is my best portable Dac, much better than Audioquest Dragonfly Cobalt and cost less. Sign me up again and again." Read more

12 customers mention12 positive0 negative

Customers are satisfied with the build quality of the hearing amplifier. They mention that it is fantastic, solid, and has an extremely high-quality DAC. Some say that the unit stopped working.

"...Tidal MQA works well and is extremely high quality, so much so it will show you the true levels of the recordings complete with all the scratchy..." Read more

"...I wish everything had the recessed USB A connection. It feels more sturdy to be shoved in a pocket than any other option...." Read more

"Audio quality is great, the build quality is nice and I would recommend it overall, but there are a couple of significant drawbacks that if improved..." Read more

"...The build quality is fantastic too. The reason I returned this amp is, I'd forgotten that some of the more..." Read more

12 customers mention12 positive0 negative

Customers are satisfied with the power of the hearing amplifier. They mention that it has decent power, enough to handle 300 ohms, and is smooth and compact. Some say that the amp is a good amp as long as they are not using it on a phone. The power and clarity are phenomenal, and it holds a charge well.

"...The HipDac is the most powerful, portable and flexible DAC you can buy for under $200...." Read more

"...No issues powering everything from high end Shure IEMs to Grado SR325i's to Sennheiser 660s...." Read more

"...I am glad I did. The power and clarity and just phenomenal, and are driving the 650s as well as my 200 watt per channel amp, creating the same..." Read more

"...Powerful enough to handle 300 ohms. Burr Brown buttery goodness. Get it on sale...." Read more

32 customers mention20 positive12 negative

Customers are mixed about the performance of the DAC. Some mention that it works really well paired with CNCESS CESS-267 Male 4.4mm to Locking, and does a killer job. They also find it to be a quite capable desktop DAC, while others say that it didn't work at all, stopped working, and was not as powerful as they expected.

"...Plus they have excellent playlists for office/work music. Tidal MQA works well and is extremely high quality, so much so it will show you the true..." Read more

"...Sometimes it goes away. Other times the HipDAC stops working and you have to turn it off and on...." Read more

"...This DAC works really well paired with CNCESS CESS-267 Male 4.4mm to Locking Type 6.35mm 1/4 Inch TRS Female Jack Adapter Cable (on Amazon)...." Read more

"...So far it works amazing! I use an HD 58x, HE-4xx, and in a few days the Meze 99 Noir...." Read more

9 customers mention5 positive4 negative

Customers are mixed about the ease of connection. Some mention that it's very easy to connect and works well, while others say that it has been a nightmare to connect to their iPhone. They say that the product is made cheap and not connecting properly inside.

"...is a version issue, I am not sure, but for me the connection was completely straight forward and as follows:..." Read more

"...cables and connectors as shown in image-1 but they were all useless for iPhone connection...." Read more

"...need to download a driver from their webside and install it, it is very easy and works so well...." Read more

"...So why the mediocre review? It truly sounded and is super easy to use but . . ...." Read more

8 customers mention3 positive5 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the battery life of the hearing amplifier. Some mention that it has been longer than expected, while others say that it only lasts a few hours and quickly drains their phone battery.

"...'ll need all your cables around almost always because the battery only lasts a few hours, I include a portable battery pack with everything - so 5..." Read more

"...It’ll make your headphones come alive!! Battery life has been longer than expected...." Read more

"...I also found it to quickly drain my phone battery.I returned it and ordered what I wanted, the HD2...." Read more

"...nitpick, the only downside to the iFi Hip-dac2 is that the battery life is not as long as I would like it to be...." Read more

If you’re on the fence, JUMP!
5 Stars
If you’re on the fence, JUMP!
It’s awesome. Don’t overthink it. If you’ve got some nice over ear headphones especially. If you’ve got some cans that cost you a bunch of money and you’re thinking they kinda suck, they most likely need amplification! Just hooking them up to your phone directly is going to be pretty underwhelming, this amp/dac will wake them up and the sound quality is fantastic. While the typical audiophile or audio enthusiast will know this, the average person may not realize it. I’m in a situation where I can’t blast my speaker towers the way I could before I moved. So I, as at least an audio enthusiast lol, put together a little portable system to get my fix. I went on EBay and won an auction for some Sennheiser/MassDrop 58x Jubilee’s that I paired with this mini powerhouse lol, and my iPhone 15pro. If your iPhone is 14 or older, you’ll need the camera/lightning connection. Thank you Apple for finally getting with the program🤨🙏. In closing, I tried to start with a dongle about half as much as this cost me. The $160 I paid for the gold edition ($147 for the original orange/bronzish color) was some of the best money I’ve spent on audio equipment since my Klipsch towers 😂. I guarantee this is at least the best amp/hi-res dac $200 or less out there. Portable wise it’s not even close. I could really go on and into the details but I’m telling you truly, just get it, my expectations were blown away, I went from thinking I’d return these headphones to loving them. There is no sense in buying good cans if you can’t push them. The specs on this thing say they can power up to 600 ohms of impedance which is crazy! I know the 150 on mine is a breeze, I can’t get near turning them up all the way, a little past half on most everything. See I’m going on anyway, try it out, no ones returning them if you haven’t noticed, and you won’t either!!!
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Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2022
Color: OrangeVerified Purchase
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5.0 out of 5 stars useful, sounds excellent, high value
Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2022
PIC: Under the phone is the HipDac 2.

I bought the original HipDac and liked it so much getting the HipDac2 was a no brainer. The HipDac is the most powerful, portable and flexible DAC you can buy for under $200. Despite it being geared for headphone mobile us, after looking at the specs and the capabilities, I literally found it to be a quite capable desktop DAC. The only drawback in doing so is having to use a 3mm headphone jack for output to the rest of my stereo chain. I listen to Spotify or Tidal all day in my home office. I use the premium subscriptions for each Spotify for playlist listening, Tidal for reviewing artists and previewing for vinyl purchases.

The HipDac goes into other low cost gear...from the HipDac it goes to a Fosi MM tube pre-amp that also doubles as a signal pre. From there it loops through a Bellari EQ570 and on to a Nobsound 6p1 tube amp. (Rolled to HQ tubes) from there out to the very excellent Wharfdale 80th Anniversary Dentons. I use the line matching button and extra bass, I run the level on the HipDac at about 1 o'clock and control the overall volume at the amp.

Some caveats of using it as a HiFi system DAC. The major drawback is getting the streaming audio to it takes up some space on the rack. Yes, you can use a phone, PC, laptop or tablet but for phones and tablets, it is problematic to charge and play at the same time. I have had inconsistent success doing so with both Android and iOS devices. I ended up sticking with a Lenovo tablet and using USB Audio Player Pro's custom android audio driver for Tidal and native spotify use. USBAPP drive will take over chores and provide bit perfect streaming with their Tidal implementation. Using spotify native app is pretty much seamless. The Lenovo gives me 12-14 hours of playing time. Spotify premium allows 320 kbits steaming and frankly for all day listening I find Spotify audio quality very consistent and non-fatiguing. Plus they have excellent playlists for office/work music. Tidal MQA works well and is extremely high quality, so much so it will show you the true levels of the recordings complete with all the scratchy instrument hairballs and magnetic dust bunnies. This detail can be fatiguing to listen to.

There is a learning curve to getting the highest audio quality possible for least amount of $$ possible. If you are into that quest the HipDac2 is a good place to start regardless how you use it, it is simply a really good device.

If it is your first time using a DAC you discover things in your favorite music, in the recording and in the voices of singers and instruments that you never heard before because you were listening to a crappy DAC and low resolution stream. If you are already a long time audiophile and want to move beyond the limitations of wireless headphone listening or phone onboard DACS you will. be rewarded.
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25 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2022
Color: OrangeVerified Purchase
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5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Worth it for Mobile Fidelity
Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2022
I’ve looked in to many pocket DACs, and I’m glad I settled on this one. It checks all the boxes. Almost as thin as a phone, balanced output, driverless, and modularity. Setting aside audiophile pickiness, for me, convenience features are more important for a mobile solution. I wish everything had the recessed USB A connection. It feels more sturdy to be shoved in a pocket than any other option. My only wish is that when charging, it would also act as a power pass through to charge the device it’s on. Being driverless means it works with anything willing to offload audio processing. Even a Nintendo Switch Lite. As far as audio goes, it sounds great. I really can’t elaborate much more than that. There’s no hindrance to stereo separation and what they call sound stage and imaging. It just plays sound the way it was intended with no coloration, until you use the bass boost for fun. Paired with a HD650, 95% of the time, the bass boost tapers off right before the vocal range. Which is the perfect pair for movies, TV shows, and even most YouTube videos. The only real issue I’ve found is more or less a compatibility issue. Not the fault of the HipDAC, and more of Apple’s fault. Every dongle I’ve tried with it works flawlessly… except the official Apple Lightning to “camera” dongle. It gets some rhythmic digital noise, almost like a GSM signal. Sometimes it goes away. Other times the HipDAC stops working and you have to turn it off and on. Why it’s an Apple problem, is because Lightning is only capable of USB 2.0 standards and speed. I feel like the noise and crash is because it sometimes bottlenecks, or the timing gets too far out of sync. It never happens with any form of USB 3.0 cable.
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12 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2024
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5.0 out of 5 stars If you’re on the fence, JUMP!
Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2024
It’s awesome. Don’t overthink it. If you’ve got some nice over ear headphones especially. If you’ve got some cans that cost you a bunch of money and you’re thinking they kinda suck, they most likely need amplification! Just hooking them up to your phone directly is going to be pretty underwhelming, this amp/dac will wake them up and the sound quality is fantastic. While the typical audiophile or audio enthusiast will know this, the average person may not realize it. I’m in a situation where I can’t blast my speaker towers the way I could before I moved. So I, as at least an audio enthusiast lol, put together a little portable system to get my fix. I went on EBay and won an auction for some Sennheiser/MassDrop 58x Jubilee’s that I paired with this mini powerhouse lol, and my iPhone 15pro. If your iPhone is 14 or older, you’ll need the camera/lightning connection. Thank you Apple for finally getting with the program🤨🙏. In closing, I tried to start with a dongle about half as much as this cost me. The $160 I paid for the gold edition ($147 for the original orange/bronzish color) was some of the best money I’ve spent on audio equipment since my Klipsch towers 😂. I guarantee this is at least the best amp/hi-res dac $200 or less out there. Portable wise it’s not even close. I could really go on and into the details but I’m telling you truly, just get it, my expectations were blown away, I went from thinking I’d return these headphones to loving them. There is no sense in buying good cans if you can’t push them. The specs on this thing say they can power up to 600 ohms of impedance which is crazy! I know the 150 on mine is a breeze, I can’t get near turning them up all the way, a little past half on most everything. See I’m going on anyway, try it out, no ones returning them if you haven’t noticed, and you won’t either!!!
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3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Roger Bradley
5.0 out of 5 stars Massive sound improvement
Reviewed in Canada on January 24, 2023
Color: OrangeVerified Purchase
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Roger Bradley
5.0 out of 5 stars Massive sound improvement
Reviewed in Canada on January 24, 2023
Controls are easy and bass boost is a must. If you have high quality headphones this an integral piece to your phone/music player.
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Ricardo Zavala
5.0 out of 5 stars Excelente DAC
Reviewed in Mexico on February 7, 2022
Color: OrangeVerified Purchase
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Ricardo Zavala
5.0 out of 5 stars Excelente DAC
Reviewed in Mexico on February 7, 2022
El hip DAC es un excelente DAC para poder utilizarlo con tu laptop, tablet o celular.

En cuanto a materiales tiene excelente calidad de construcción y ese color naranja está increíble (eso depende de los gustos y es muy subjetivo). Los botones se sienten sólidos y la rueda de volumen de excelente calidad. Su tamaño es bastante compacto para lo que es (y su potencia de amplificación).

Decidí comprar este DAC y hacerlo mi segundo (el primero fue iFi Zen DAC) ya que me gusta esta firma de sonido, bastante cálida y sabrosa, tiene muy buena extensión en graves (no necesito usar el Extra Bass, al menos no con mis audífonos Sennheiser IE300), y bastante claridad en medios; los agudos se sienten redondeados y poco o nada sibilantes.

Utilizo el Hip DAC con Apple Music Lossless y Hi-Res Lossless, lo he utilizado con un iPad Pro, un iPhone y una MacBook y va increíblemente bien.

En general, es una gran opción para llevar al trabajo, a la oficina, o andar por ahí y tener una buena calidad de audio.

Pros:
+ Buen sonido, cálido y claro.
+ Buen bajo.
+ Excelentes materiales de construcción.
+ Bonito color (subjetivo).

Contras:
- Puede ser muy grande para algunas personas, sobre todo incómodo para llevártelo en tu pantalón.
- Si eres usuario de iOS (iPhone) necesitarás un adaptador u OTG.

Conclusión:
Recomendado.
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20 people found this helpful
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Cliente Amazon
5.0 out of 5 stars Un 10
Reviewed in Spain on September 26, 2023
Color: OrangeVerified Purchase
PH
5.0 out of 5 stars Nice unit, simple to use, good sound quality
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 18, 2023
Color: OrangeVerified Purchase
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PH
5.0 out of 5 stars Nice unit, simple to use, good sound quality
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 18, 2023
I previously had a Audioquest Dragonfly Cobalt DAC, but it broke (the headphone socket in the unit detached itself) so I was looking for a replacement.

I settled on this iFi hip DAC2 based on reading numerous reviews, and I thought the price was good for the features provided.

The battery was pretty much flat when it arrived, and the initial full charge took a couple of hours or so.

I use this with an Android phone and an Android tablet, the tablet runs on Android 10 and the phone on Android 13.

This DAC is plug and play. Both the phone and tablet found it immediately.

The sound quality is very good, particularly with high resolution files. The highest resolution I've played so far is 24 bit 19,khz. I've also tried it with MQA files from Tidal, and that also works well and sounds good. It drives my Beyerdynamic DT770 pro headphones without any problems.

There's a button on the DAC that is supposed to match the output to the headphone impedance, not sure how that works but my impression isnit is pretty much just a loudness button and I've left that turned off. There's also a bass boost button, which does add a little bass to the sound, it fills the sound out rather than adding a lot of low frequency, but I've also left that turned off.

It's a nice quality unit. The cable between the DAC and my phone / tablet is quite short, but these aren't expensive to buy if a longer one is needed, it certainly isn't a deal breaker for me. There are also other USB cables provided, if for example it's being used with the usb output of a computer.

Summary - I think this is easily as good as the Audioquest Dragonfly Cobalt I used to have, and I actually think it feels like a better made product. I'm very happy with it, and the price is very competitive. The sound quality is very good, probably a little warmer sounding and less analytical than the Dragonfly Cobalt - just different rather than better or worse.
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5 people found this helpful
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Braintime
5.0 out of 5 stars Richtig, richtig gut!
Reviewed in Germany on January 5, 2023
Color: OrangeVerified Purchase
14 people found this helpful
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