Product Description
Engineered for demanding audiophiles looking for a portable DAC and headphone amplifier with high-quality Bluetooth streaming, the xDSD Gryphon from iFi audio offers a sophisticated feature set in a pocket-sized form factor with intuitive controls and a SilentLine OLED screen. The unit supports digital inputs via the USB Type-C and 3.5mm coaxial/optical connectors, while analog sources can be connected to the 4.4mm balanced input or the 3.5mm unbalanced input. Connect balanced headphones to the 4.4mm output or unbalanced headphones to the 3.5mm jack, which uses S-balanced circuitry to reduce crosstalk and distortion.
The iFi digital platform keeps each processing section separate to ensure a pristine signal flow. The Qualcomm Bluetooth chip supports high-definition Bluetooth audio formats, while 5.1 compliance ensures the best possible range, stability, and performance—allowing you to ditch the cable to your mobile device and still get great-sounding results. Global Master Clock (GMC) technology eliminates jitter, while the Burr-Brown True Native chipset provides outstanding digital-to-analog conversion. The xDSD Gryphon features a rechargeable battery; three USB cables and a carrying pouch are also included.
Hi-Res Portable DAC with Bluetooth & SilentLine OLED
- Qualcomm’s QCC5100 Bluetooth IC in combination with the Burr-Brown MultiBit digital-to-analog converter create an audibly superior Bluetooth engine.
- A plethora of high-definition Bluetooth audio formats are supported—aptX, aptX Adaptive, aptX HD, and aptX LL; Sony’s LDAC; HWA’s LHDC; Apple's AAC; and the base SBC codec.
- Of the 24-bit-capable codecs, aptX Adaptive and aptX HD support up to 48 kHz, while LDAC and LHDC reach 96 kHz.
- iFi’s Bluetooth engine can also be updated over-the-air, so future codecs may be added.
- The xDSD Gryphon's clever design packs in separate Bluetooth, DAC, and amp stages, each engineered in distinct blocks to deliver the ideal combination of cutting-edge specification and superb sound.
- The OLED screen sports a SilentLine design that ensures that there is no electrical noise to interfere with the audio signal. The way its switches between settings has been engineered to ensure sonic transparency—FET-based switching is handled by a microcontroller, which only wakes up when the user changes a setting, thus eradicating any sonically deleterious interference.
Balanced & Unbalanced Headphone Outputs
- Whether you use balanced or unbalanced headphones, the xDSD Gryphon is designed to produce the least noise and best channel separation for an enjoyable music experience with outstanding fidelity.
- The unit boasts a balanced 4.4mm output, enabling headphones equipped with balanced connectivity to take full advantage of the balanced amp design.
- In addition, the 3.5mm output benefits from iFi’s proprietary S-Balanced circuitry. This cuts crosstalk and related distortion in half when used with regular, single-ended headphone connections, which is especially beneficial with high-sensitivity in-ear monitors.
PureWave, XSpace, XBass II, and iEMatch Technology
- The xDSD Gryphon uses PureWave, a balanced, symmetrical amplification circuitry with short, direct signal paths that provide exceptional linearity and infinitesimally low levels of noise and distortion.
- With a whopping maximum 6.7V output, the Gryphon can easily drive high-impedance headphone models.
- XSpace is iFi's analog signal improvement circuitry to get the music back outside of your head for much better headphone enjoyment.
- XBass II reinstates the missing bass from open-backed headphones or for recordings needing additional low-end. Under XBass II, you can select Bass and/or Presence so that the upper midrange frequencies are correctly added back into your favorite recording.
- iEMatch is a proprietary technology that reduces the annoying hiss from high-sensitivity headphones without losing any dynamic range.
- With digital sources, users can choose between three bespoke digital filters via the on-screen menu: Bit-Perfect, Standard, and GTO (Gibbs Transient Optimized), each having a fine-tuning effect on the sound.
CyberSync Volume Control
- CyberSync is a software-driven volume control that operates in the analog domain and provides perfect volume synchronization between the source and the DAC.
- It detects which operating system (OS) the DAC is connected to—iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, or Linux—and instructs the source’s OS to bypass its software volume control.
- Whether volume is adjusted using the xDSD Gryphon’s rotary control or on the source device, CyberSync ensures the change is performed purely by the Gryphon’s superior analogue control chip, while also displaying the adjustment on the source device’s screen.
- Volume curves differ between operating systems and apps, but CyberSync ensures perfect synchronization between the source device and the DAC every time.
Key Features
- Pocket-Sized Hi-Fidelity Headphone Sound
- Bluetooth, USB & S/PDIF Digital Inputs
- 4.4mm Balanced & 3.5mm Line Inputs
- 3.5mm S-Balanced Headphone Output
- 4.4mm Balanced Headphone Output
- Supports DSD512, PCM768, DXD768 & MQA384
- PureWave Analog Amp Circuitry
- OLED Screen with SilentLine Technology
- XBass II & XSpace Analog Processing
- Built-In Rechargeable Battery
Technical Specifications
- Specifications
- Number of Headphone Channels: Single Channel
- Recommended Headphone Impedance: Not Specified by Manufacturer
- Headphone Output Power:
- 4.4 mm Balanced:
- 1000 mW into 32 Ohms
- 74 mW into 600 Ohms
- 1/8" / 3.5 mm Unbalanced:
- 320 mW into 32 Ohms
- 40 mW into 300 Ohms
- 4.4 mm Balanced:
- Digital Chipset:
- Bluetooth: 1 x Qualcomm QCC5100
- DAC: 1 x Burr-Brown MultiBit True Native
- EQ: Bass Boost
- Display: 1 x Monochrome OLED
- Connectivity
- Analog Audio I/O:
- 1 x 4.4 mm TRRRS Balanced Stereo Headphone Output
- 1 x 1/8" / 3.5 mm TRS Unbalanced Stereo Headphone Output
- 1 x 4.4 mm TRRRS Balanced Stereo Line Output
- 1 x 1/8" / 3.5 mm TRS Unbalanced Stereo Line Output
- Digital Audio I/O: 1 x Mini-TOSLINK / 3.5 mm Optical S/PDIF Input (Optical/Analog Combo Jack)
- USB:
- 1 x USB-C (Digital Input)
- 1 x USB-C (Power/Charging Input)
- Wireless: Bluetooth 5.1
- Bluetooth: 5.1
- Supported Audio Codecs: AAC, LDAC, LHDC, SBC, aptX, aptX Adaptive, aptX HD, aptX LL
- Analog Audio I/O:
- Performance
- Maximum Output Level
- 4.4 mm Balanced Headphone: 6.7 V (600-Ohm Load)
- 1/8" / 3.5 mm Headphone: 3.5 V (600-Ohm Load)
- 4.4 mm Line: 6.7 V
- 1/8" / 3.5 mm Line: 3.5 V
- Impedance
- Headphone : < 1 Ohm (Balanced or Unbalanced)
- 4.4 mm Line : ≤ 200 Ohms (Balanced)
- 1/8" / 3.5 mm Line : ≤ 100 Ohms (Unbalanced)
- THD+N
- Headphone Outputs: < 0.005% (16-Ohm Load)
- 4.4 mm Line: < 0.007% (at 0 dBFS)
- 1/8" / 3.5 mm Line: < 0.015% (at 0 dBFS)
- SNR
- 4.4 mm Balanced Headphone: < 116 dBA (at 0 dBFS)
- 1/8" / 3.5 mm Headphone: < 115 dBA (at 0 dBFS)
- 4.4 mm Line: < 110 dBA (at 0 dBFS)
- 1/8" / 3.5 mm Line: < 110 dBA (at 0 dBFS)
- Maximum Output Level
- Digital Audio
- Sample Rates:
- USB-C Input:
- Up to 768 kHz (DXD, PCM)
- Up to 22.5792 MHz (DSD)
- Optical S/PDIF Input: Up to 192 kHz (PCM)
- USB-C Input:
- Bit Depths: Up to 32-Bit (PCM)
- Sample Rates:
- Compatibility
- Mobile Device Compatibility:
- Android Smartphone
- Android Tablet
- iPad
- iPhone
- iPod
- iPod Touch
- Mobile Device Compatibility:
- Power
- Power Requirements: Built-In Rechargeable Battery
- DC Input Power: 5 VDC at 1900mA (USB Bus Power)
- AC/DC Power Adapter: No
- Battery Type: 1 x Internal Rechargeable
- Internal Battery: Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Polymer (LiPo), 3600 mAh
- Battery Charging Time: 12 Hours
