iFi audio nano iDSD Black Label

I used to own a Micro iDSD Black Label and decided to downsize to this a while after I stopped owning or using any full size headphones. I figured that I only use IEMs, so this will be fine. It does not sound BAD. Don't get me wrong. It just isn't anywhere near what it's all cracked up to me.

I have a Behringer Xenyx302 USB mixer with a 1/4" headphone output. You can buy this at any store right now for under $80.

I am sorry to say (for iFi's sake), but the Nano BL is notably inferior to the Xenyx302 in every way. The bass slams harder and more precisely on the Xenyx302. The upper midrange is heavily smoothed over on the Nano BL, so you actually get better detailing from the Xenyx302. The treble does not seem to be notably different on either. The greater all around clarity coming from the Xenyx302 truly shocked me. This was not the great sound I remembered from the Micro iDSD because there is no way such a low end device should be able to outperform the Nano BL.

I thought this couldn't be true so I did a blind A/B with the help of a second person and a passive signal switching box, and was able to pick out the Xenyx302 each time. I then went on to compare them side by side for the next four days. I would listen to an album on one and then switch to the other.

The only situation the Xenyx302 did not come ahead of the Nano BL was with multi-driver (BA) IEMs. The higher output impedance of the Xenyx302 which is surely designed with 32-600 ohm full size headphones in mind did not play as nicely with these IEMs. I would imagine adding something like an iFi IEMatch to the Xenyx302 output would solve this.

In the end, the Nano BL might be what you need, but given that iFi has new products in the same price range as a Nano BL, and given that any number of cheaper DACs with headphone outputs seem to outperform the Nano BL in many characteristics, I am left wondering, "What went wrong?".

Preamble
Bought with my money and RRP

Packaging
Good, great inclusions in the box.

Build
Very good build.
No complaints here

Sound
:/.
A/B between the nano and my apple usb dongle both running through my ipad pro. I could not tell any difference between the tracks i was playing (Tidal Master/Hifi). The Amp in the nano is of course better and as such was able to provide more power on tap, but other than that, it was not a large enough improvement to warrant the $285 difference in price.

Sumamry
I'll keep this very short and to the point. I do not think the nano is worth the price. I think if one were to sit down and A/B between this and a lightning dongle, the sound difference would not be dicernable. Heck, i would even go as far as to say the Apple dongle at times sounded better.

The form factor is approximately that of a Chord Mojo, the weight is nicely like half as much, the battery is easily better – honestly difficult to make worse then Mojo on that… – and there’s quite some additional perimetral features too, all for less than half of Mojo’s price. How will this compare sound-quality wise?

With this question I approached an ifi nano iDSD BL USB DAC-AMP, and this article is about how it went for me.


Input

nano iDSD BL is a USB DAC-AMP, and more precisely USB is its sole input. No SPDIF digital input option, nor analogue inputs or any kind by that matter (aka: the device can’t be used as a mere amp).

Like all USB DAC-AMPs it can be plugged onto just about any USB-capable source such as a PC a Laptop a phone or a tablet, and it will be “seen” as an audio card. Full Windows 10 support requires a driver, which is freely downloadable from ifi’s site.

Nano iDSD BL’s USB 2.0 digital input connector is quite uncommon: it’s actually a USB A male installed in a recess of the chassis’ back panel. Due to that, the cable to connect to the nano iDSD BL needs to have a Female (!) USB A termination on the device end, in lieu of the usual Male one.

A few USB OTG cables with different terminations are bundled within the package. (Ah by the way… if you don’t know what OTG technically means, read here. You might discover why that otherwise good cable of yours refuses to work with your phone…)

• USB-A Female to USB3.0-A Male, 1m long, usually good to connect to a PC
• USB-A Female to USB-C Male, 15cm long, good to connect to a PC or a phone or other transports
• USB-A Female to USB-B Female, 15cm long
• USB-A Female to USB-B Female adapter (same as above, but no short cable in the middle)

No Apple cable is supplied – Lightning or 30-pin – so that’ll have to be purchased separately if needed. Neither is a micro-USB adapter (or cable) supplied, useful to hook onto non last-gen phones and tablets.

Boring cabling apart, something of paramount importance is behind the USB input port: nano iDSD BL incorporates most of the features offered by ifi iPurifier3, the company’s standalone USB “cleanser” which takes care of reclocking, rebalancing and regenerating the USB signal on the fly.

Especially when connecting to noisy hosts like a PC or a Laptop the sound quality improvement is totally apparent and, at least in my experience, the sole reason not to employ an iPurifier3, a galvanic separator, and a cleaner power supply on the input gates of a good DAC is their relatively high cost – which indeed in the case of a budget DAC can easily exceed its price… even a few times over.

According to nano iDSD BL literature and some answers I got from their tech people, the device includes the same REBalancer as the original iPurifier, together with some additional USB buffering circuitry (market-named “Zero Jitter”) which pursues the same ends of the REClocking part inside iPurifier3. Considering an iPurifier3 is separately sold for € 130+, including many of its functionalities inside the nano iDSD BL (€ 230-ish) is a great value proposition.


Outputs

On the output side, nano iDSD BL has 3 ports: two 3.5mm females are on the front panel, one labelled “Direct” the other “iEMatch”, and the third one – on the back panel – is a 3.5mm Line Out.

The font panel “Direct” port unassumingly presents itself like just any single-ended analogue output port, and indeed it does work as such when you plug a 3.5mm single-ended terminated IEM or Headphone cable on it.

Direct output specs are quite interesting:

• Output impedance is nicely lower than 1 Ω
• Supported load impedances range from 15 Ω to a whopping 600 Ω – an uncommonly extended range on this price bracket, especially on the high end.
• Output power is not bad: 20mW (> 3.5V) @ 600 Ω load, 285mW (> 2.9V) @ 30 Ω load and 200mW (> 1.7V) @ 15 Ω Load.
• The declared system dynamic range is > 109dB (@3V) and THD+N is listed as <0.005% (-86dB).

While both latest values are not particularly impressive, they are definitely in-line with the product price bracket and it’s also worth noting that thanks to the above-mentioned built-in “purification” features nano iDSD BL will do its job on an “apriori less noisy” digital signal. This made me expect better results than what printed numbers say and as I’ll report later I was kinda right.

Two very important additional things are now to be noted about output.

First: the iEMatch port.


Inside nano iDSD BL ifi put a modified iEMatch circuit, offering non user-selectable -16dB attenuation and 4Ω output impedance. Is it as effective as the standalone version? Let’s see:

1. As for reducing noise floor (hiss) audibility on extra sensitive IEMs the benefit is entirely there: -16dB is quite bearable attenuation vs nano iDSD BL’s max power so yes it’s well calibrated, it works big time. Indeed, I just recently used it to tame hiss from possibly the “hissiest” IEM I ever auditioned: TRN BA8 – which I wrote about here.
2. As for maximising resolution connected with digital-domain volume control : no, you don’t get that from nano iDSD BL’s iEMatch port… for the simple reason that nano iDSD BL already has analogue volume control (a feature normally implemented on higher tier models). iEMatch can’t “fix” what is not broke in the first place
3. As, finally, for impedance matching… well, I have my doubts here. 4Ω output impedance is… if you ask me not low at all when it comes to managing extra-low (<16Ω) impedance IEMs, and anyhow it’s more than 4 times higher than the Direct port’s own impedance, declared at <1Ω. Penon Sphere (6 Ω) does in fact sound more open, un-veiled and simply “better” on the Direct port vs. on the iEMatch port.

Synthetically: nano iDSD BL’s “iEMatch output port” is nice to have, although just for reducing / removing hiss from too-sensitive IEMs.

Second: S-Balanced wiring.


Many non-entry-level budget-tier balanced-scheme source devices offer both headphone output options, via two separate ports: one for balance-ended cables, the other for single-ended cables.

Ifi adopted a smart in-between option called “S-Balanced” (short for “Single-ended compatible Balanced”). Refer to their own whitepaper for a nice technical description. It is included in ifi Pro iCAN, xCAN, xDSD and nano iDSD BL.

As a consequence, instead of the usual dual separated output ports on the chassis, a cabling scheme is put in place behind the 3.5mm phone port on nano iDSD BL :

• When plugging 3.5mm TRS plugs – aka the ordinary 3.5 male connectors found at the end of 99.9% budget fixed-cable IEMs, and modular single-ended cables alike – the port delivers “normal” single-ended output. All single ended drivers on the market will seemlessly work in there. In addition to that, thanks to how internal cabling is designed, they will also get 50% reduced crosstalk – for free.
• When plugging 3.5mm TRRS plugs, aka “Hifiman 3.5mm standard” (see here) – the port delivers full “balanced-ended” output to balanced-cabled drivers, resulting in quite apparently cleaner and more dynamic sound.
  3.5mm TRRS termination is very uncommon on today’s balanced IEMs and Headphones, so I needed to procure myself an adapter to exploit that (and you won’t be lucky enough to already have one in your drawer either, I’m afraid).

This is nice as it delivers full balanced-ended quality, and even improves single-ended quality a little bit, while keeping full backwards compatibility, all without requiring further faceplate space for an extra female connector.

Add that such dual-standard “trick” is applied both behind the Direct and the iEMatch port, too !

On the flip side, I find it odd that no 3.5 TRRS adapter is included inside nano iDSD BL’s box. Ok maybe I shouldn’t expect one to be bundled for free, but why none is available as an orderable SKU# from ifi ?


Other features

Nano iDSD BL supports a wide range of digital input formats and moreover resolutions: DSD up to 256, PCM up to 384KHz and – drumroll here – MQA up to 192KHz.

I’m not at all interested into MQA so I’m not going to assess that – and even if I did I would have zero comparative experience to rely on.

On the back panel a small switch also allows the user to choose between two filters labelled “Listen” and “Measure”. The Listen option enables a Minimum Phase bezier filter, while the Measure option switches to a Linear Phase Transient-Aligned filter.


This image is just for reference.
This is not a plot of nano iDSD BL’s actual filters.

The topic may become too technical but let me try to simplify: a Minimum Phase filter makes sound “behave” more closely to our human auditory system – which is incapable of perceiving vibrations before an impulse, and tends to like when those following it over time are smoother – and is therefore by many called “more musical”. A Linear Phase filter yields a little bit edgier notes, which is indeed preferred by a population of listeners, but most of all comes handy when submitting the device to sampling and measuring, hence its given label name (“Measure”).

One more very important note is deserved about available firmware versions and their differences.

When I acquired it, my nano iDSD BL unit carried the latest available fw, version 5.3c. I looked into possible firmware variations and I found something quite interesting, as follows:

https://ifi-audio.com/firmware/unified-firmware-for-various-products/

As you can read on ifi’s PDF paper linked above, Gibb’s Transient Optimised (GTO) filter is supposed to be an upgrade to the previous Minimum Phase Filter. There’s much more to it, read the paper

Long story short again: by downgrading from 5.3c to 5.3, thus going back to the “original” Minimum and Linear Phase filters and their upsampling algorithms I perceive a distinct sound output improvement! May be a matter of tastes of course, or maybe related to the GTO upsampling being less refined (yet) than its predecessors. Be as it may, to me it sounds better, and I settled to 5.3.

Lastly, the form factor is not “ultrasmall” nor “ultrathin” but it stays very easily transportable, and pocketable – at least in terms of coat pockets. With a little intention it can be “paired” with another device, also exploiting the 2 rubber bands found in the box. Weight is also quite light (139g) and the 1200mAh battery offers up to 10h of theoretical life, which I could test down to 7-8hrs max which is good in its class.


How does it sound…

After all these structural descriptions it’s finally time to go back to the prologue and assess how this light (also quite money-wise) device performs in terms of sound output.

…as a DAC-AMP ?

Much like in virtually all other cases I encountered, true-balanced output is better than single ended on nano iDSD BL too. Once the 3.5 trrs adapter riddle gets sorted, using nano iDSD BL’s true-balanced features is a strong recommendation: soundstage, imaging and most of all dynamics get significantly better.

Even on its balanced Direct output nano iDSD BL’s general tonality is warm, and timbre is dark-ish. Bass is well bodied in positive, yet relatively slow in negative, this predominantly resulting in some bleeding into the mids. Trebles lack some sparkle, not a masterpiece but better than the bass. Range extension is by-laterally, deifinitely on par with devices on this price bracket at least as far as my experience goes. Soundstage and imaging are on the average mark for the price.

…as a DAC, with another AMP ?

Nano iDSD BL’s Line Out port offers surprising better quality.

Plugging the amazing little amp that I use as my “hyperportable transparency reference” (iBasso T3) in, nano iDSD BL’s sound presentation changes dramatically: “darkness” goes away and the general timbre becomes definitely neutral, tonality keeps a modest, possibly welcome warmth, treble suddenly becomes airy and unoffensively sparkly. Clarity goes up 2 notches, soundstage gets airier, separation gets much better too. By the way: T3 is single-ended only!

So putting it simply: nano iDSD BL internal amp does not seem to offer justice to the quality of its dac, which in facts seems capable to kick much above its weight.

…(unfairly) compared to the Mojo ?

I started the day asking myself if this device could hold a candle to Mojo sound-wise though. How about that? Simply put: as a standalone unit the answer is “not by a mile”, while as a DAC to be complemented by a decent (or even good, why not) external amp the score changes quite a bit.

Compared to nano iDSD BL’s Direct full-balanced output Mojo’s output wins hands down an all counts: bilateral extension, bass and treble control, clarity, soundstage, imaging. It simply partakes to a higher class, full stop.

Escaping from nano iDSD BL’s internal amp via the LO port, and adopting an even inexpensive amp as the above mentioned iBasso T3, the gap reduces big time. Mojo still wins by definition, extension and its outstanding (unique in its bracket, possibly) capacity to manage background voices with incredible clarity, but the timbres and tonalities become at least comparable, in the same ballpark so to say.

…or vs to other “more in-line” alternatives ?

Ok nano iDSD BL is not a Mojo. Where does it stand then ?

Let’s run another head to head comparison: Fiio BTR5 DAC/AMP.

The two devices are apriori not really equivalent in terms of intended use, and features: BTR5 is indeed marketed as a BT DAC-AMP for IEMs mainly, with some complimentary USB connectivity but that’s all, nano iDSD BL as an easily portable USB device supporting MQA, higher DSD and PCM resolutions, and high impedance cans. Still, BTR5 gained vast market appreciation in terms of high-sound-quality-for-its-price, and being its price roughly 40% less than nano iDSD BL’s I’m stimulated to compare the two, using BTR5 as a USB device in this case of course.

Compared to nano iDSD BL, BTR5 bass is less bodied (but also less bleeding), mids and highmids come up much less controlled, grainy, and raising volume makes them edge quite quickly. Stage on BTR5 is evidently narrower, imaging is more congested, instruments come accross less defined and separated. BTR5’s dynamics, while not bad per se, are also a notch below nano iDSD BL’s.

Such comparison refers to both devices’ balanced outputs by the way, using a pair of TIN T4 as IEMs.

Let me try another comparison I have at easy hand: my ol’ Fiio X3 mk-III.

I find it interesting as a comparison as I’ll be using X3 as a standalone device, not connected to my PC and therefore apriori unaffected by USB noise. As X3’s balanced output is – as an exception to what commonly happens – not really better then its single ended one, I’ll run this comparison on both devices’ single ended channels for a change. I’ll use a pair of final E1000 as supremely neutral drivers.

X3 comes out as a further bit warmer (nano iDSD BL’s SE already being such), and its trebles are even less extended – which on the up side makes it nigh-impossible to make X3 go edgy let alone screamy. X3’s soundstage is also a bit less extended, imaging is on par. Simply put: the two devices’ single ended phone out are definitely comparable in terms of overall quality.

Now let’s compare the two devices’ Line Outs – always with the help of my iBasso T3.

X3’s tonality stays almost unmodified, trebles become just a little bit edgier but it’s a nuance; soundstage, imaging and separation get better.

On the other hand, as previously noted, nano iDSD BL gets much better when its LO is exploited: bass is cleaner and faster, bleeding is very modest, treble still unextended but much airier, detailed and engaging, soundstage and separation get 2 notches up.


Winding down

Alas!… ifi nano iDSD BL does not sound on par with Mojo, costing 2.5X more. Is it really a problem? Of course not.

Its phone output quality, especially on the full-balanced side, is in line with its price bracket, and offers the significant extra advantage of the built-in iEMatch circuitry proving decisive to cope with extrasensitive IEMs hiss, paired with direct support – and enough muscle power – for 600 Ohm headphone on the opposite end.

Its DAC – taken alone – is more than good, I’d call it outstanding actually. Its reconstruction quality is not so easy to find at this price in a semi-pocketable device. Those – like me – who want to pull the max out of nano iDSD BL in terms of sound quality will pair it with a portable amp, and will get a very significant device for a quite affordable overall price.

IFi Nano IDSD Black Label Review
- Expatinjapan



https://ifi-audio.com/portfolio-view/nano-idsd-bl/


iFi nano iDSD Black Label, Shanling M3S and Campfire Audio Cascade

Unboxing and build

As per usual iFi does an excellent job at design and construction of another of their products. Robust, functional and smexy.







Hot stuff!



Instructions and warranty card etc



Simply beautiful in its simplicity



The IEmatch port is suitable for sensitive BA earphones and the the direct for standard headphones, BA and DD earphones. Play around and see which you prefer.



Line out port , Measure filter which I found to be more reference
and Listen setting is a tad more natural and musical.
Digital input for iOS, Android and PC/Mac.



Cable accessories.

I would have liked to see a basic OTG cable included for android,
but with the variety of Android connectors it probably isn`t practical.

I was a bit confused by the adapter and the main black cable
and how I should utilize it. My fail. Its good for some some uses such as the iFi iPurifier, extra connection options etc



iFi nano iDSD BL main accessories
• iFi bag
• silicone bracelet
• USB A Female > B Female Adapter
• USB3.0 A MALE > A FEMALE
• USB A Female > B Female Cable
• user manual
• Warranty Card
• note card
• STS card



Connections

"Its working, its working!"



The iFi nano iDSD Black Label connects easily to your computer
for an enhanced listening experience.
I use VOX player application on my old Macbook pro.



When connected to my well used Campfire Audio Andromeda I often used the IEMatch port, but found the 1 ohm output of the direct port pleasing.



As can be seen from this screenshot of my ipod touch 6G using Flacplayer app by Dan Leehr the
iFi nano iDSD Black Label plays back the tracks natively with no downsampling.






The iFi nano iDSD Black Label connected via USC-C to
Shanling M3S, with Campfire Audio Cascade.



Due to a lack of the proper cable in my possession I did a little Frankenstein work around to test out the Opus#1S Dap with the iFi Nano iDSD Black Label. After some fiddling around I got it to work.
Pictured with Campfire Audio Orion.




Tech Specs





Features/Specifications:

General
Input(rear): USB2.0 type A “OTG” Socket (with iPurifier® technology built-in)
Output(rear)； 1 x Audio fixed line out L+R 3.5mm
Digital Filter: 2 positions, 2 filters
Outputs(front): 2 x Headphone Audio 3.5mm one direct and one with iFi iEMatch® integrated
DAC
DAC: DSD, DXD, PCM DAC by Burr Brown Bit-Perfect DSD processing, Bit-Perfect DXD processing
Clock: Low-jitter crystal clock
Audio Formats: DSD 256/128/64/12.4/11.2/6.2/5.6/3.1/2.8
DXD 384/352.8kHz
PCM 384/352.8/192/176.4/96/88.2/48/44.1kHz
MQA 88.2/96/176.4/192kHz filters
Filter–PCM: Listen(transient optimised minimum phase)
Measure(frequency response optmised)
–DSD: Listen(extended bandwidth transient optimised)
Measure (narrow bandwidth, low output band noise optimised)
–DXD: Fixed Bit-Perfect Processing
–MQA: Fixed MQA Filter

Headphone Amplifier
Amplifier: Dual Mono 2 x 285mW Direct Drive, coupling capacitor free circuit for highest fidelity
Volume Control: 3.5mm TRRS with Balanced compatible wiring
Dynamic Range(including DAC): > 109dB(A) @ 3v (Direct)
> 107dB(A) @ 0.5V (iEMatch®)
THD &N (@ 125mW/30R): < 0.005%
Max. Output (<10% THD): > 3.5V @ 600Ω Load (Direct) (20mW/600Ω)
> 2.9V @ 30Ω Load (Direct) (285mW/30Ω)
> 1.7V @ 15Ω Load (Direct) (200mW/15Ω)

Output Impedance :
< = 1Ω (Direct)
< = 4Ω (iEMatchsup>®)
Channel Separation:
> 79dB @ 600Ω Load (Direct)
> 79dB @ 15Ω Load (Direct) (1kHz, TRRS plug Balanced wiring)

Line Output
Dynamic Range(Line): > 109dB(A)
THD & N(0dBFS Line): < 0.004%
Output Voltage(Line): : 2.15V (+/-0.05V)
Output Impedance: < 240Ω
Channel Separation: > 99dB (@ 1kHz)
Jitter(correlated): Below test set limit
Dimensions: 96(l) x 64(w) x 25.5(h)mm
Weight: 139g (0.31 Ibs)
Warranty period: 12months





Sound

Theres not much to be said for those already familiar with iFi products as the iFi nano iDSD Black Label follows in the same tradition of the products that have come before it. The usual iFi signature of clarity, resolution and a general reference sound.

The iFi nano iDSD Black Label a transparent and linear dac/amp.
The sound stage is reasonably wide and instrument placement is accurate.
Overall resolution is great, and detailing and layering is satisfactory and pleasing.

A DAC should in my view not color the source, and hopefully the source is fairly neutral too. A slight variance from product to product cannot be avoided due to different DAC and Amp chips etc etc, but thankfully these days the differences are largely null. And the main points to focus on are how neutral, how accurate the machine is etc.

The iFi nano iDSD Black Label is effective in that it packs enough power to drive some large headphones to a decent enough listening level where they perform as they should, yet also at the other end support sensitive in ears.

I wont overdo or extensively extend this particular section. The iFi nano iDSD Black Label does what it advertises and does it well. Like other iFi products the build and customer service is excellent.
The sound as I have written above is fairly linear and reference orientated.
It has enough resolution and power to please.



Price

The asking price of the iFi nano iDSD Black Label is an affordable US$200.
The iFi nano iDSD Black Label is in summary mid fi at a low fi price.

Overall

Comparisons between the nano black label and the micro black label are to be expected. From memory whilst obviously the Micro has more bells and whistles and is more often than not described as an audio swiss army knife of sorts, the Nano is more a simplistic, slimmed down version.
The Micro does do everything slightly bigger, and the nano is not a slouch by any means is a slightly more subdued version of its larger sibling.

The Nano packs a decent amount of power and can drive most cans admirably with ease.
Pairing with an Android device can be tricky as there are so many various cables out there.
So choose your connector wisely.

Connecting to the ipod touch was easy and stress free.
As seen above I also was able to connect it to a variety of sources, though my list is not exhaustive nor extensive.
I had no issues with connecting to my Macbook pro either.
At one time just for sciences sake I went Macbook-usb-nano-line out- cable- home system.

The battery life is touted at ten hours, and whilst I never did a proper full discharge I only gave it a few charges whilst my testing went on.

Portable or transportable? Well this is a matter of taste. A while back this would have been seen as totally portable, but as devices get smaller and thinner this veers slightly in the direction of transportable, yet still very stackable.

I love the volume knob, it does the run the risk of a bump and suddenly increasing the volume due to its smoothness of rotation. But I never encountered such a problem.

Output Impedance : < = 1Ω (Direct) < = 4Ω (iEMatchsup>®)
This is matter of preference and also depends on how much hiss your sensitive IEMs exhibit, or dont.
Multi BA IEMs retain their designed signature best at 1 ohms, but If there is hiss then the iEMatch port is your best bet.

The Measure and Listen switches are mainly neutral/reference and natural/musical. I found them to be more noticeable with the Direct jack than the IEMatch jack.
How audiable the effects were varied from earphone to earphone.

The iFi nano iDSD Black Label play back a wide variety of audio formats so most users will be pleased. I myself I have only tested a few but perusing the various forums I read other users met with success and pleasure.

It is of a generally neutral signature that is favored by most manufacturers these days and generally demanded and expected by consumers which leave the ear/headphones alone to do their work and exhibit their particular sonic characteristics.

The iFi nano iDSD Black Label: mid fi at a low fi price.

Thank you to iFi for sending Head pie the iFi nano iDSD Black Label for review

iFi Nano iDSD Black Label

Greetings all, these are my impressions on the iFi nano iDSD Black Label. The unit comes courtesey of iFi as they are hosting a review tour of the nano idsd BL here on Head-fi. I have spent 7 days with the unit and I am shipping it out to the next person in line so they can review it. Before I begin I want to thank Lawrance and iFi for hosting these tours of their products and giving us a chance to try out their products in exchange for an honest review, can't beat that right!?


Package, accessories, built quality

The Nano comes in a small white box. Inside opening the package you will find some paperwork, the Nano itself and a small white box. Inside that box there is a USB cable for connecting the nano to your PC/Mac and it also doubles as charging cord. Also included are 2 other USB adapters, 2 silicone bands for stacking the Nano to your smartphone/ipod and a felt carrying bag to protect your Nano.

The Nano iDSD Black Label is as it's name indicates all black in color, made out of brushed metal and has an excellent finish. The unit itself is very small and light weight so it is ideal for taking along with you to use with your smartphone, tablet or laptop as long as your device is cable of being a USB host.



Features

The nano's front panel has two 3.5mm outputs, one of which is labeled iEMatch and the other is labeled direct. iEMatch is ideal for sensitive in ear monitors and headphones, I found it works very well giving you full use of range on the volume knob. Direct output is the regular higher gain output. And lastly the front also consists of the volume knob which is lovely to have for a device such as this as opposed to buttons or even worse only software volume controls as found on such DACs as the Audioquest Dragonfly and other similar types of Dac/amps in this price range.

The back of the unit has a dedicated line out for sending your signal from the Nano DAC to a different amp or powered monitors. A switch containing two listening filters and a digital input for connecting to your transport device or for charging the unit itself.




Sound

The nano BL to me sounds on the warm side of neutral. Very nicely done in my opinion, not overly done just right. At times the treble seems a bit laid back, not as upfront and the bass is slightly warm but makes it very engaging in my opinion.

As a matter of fact my whole time with the nano has been very enjoyable no complaints whatsover and the only short comings (nit picking really) are only audible when in direct comparison to something "better" that is in a higher price brackett. Even then it really depends on how resolving your headphone is and how critical you are listening to really tell a difference.

In direct comparisons with the Chord Mojo, the nano held it's own but ultimately fell short in overall resolution and sounded a tiny bit more dry. The Mojo also has a lower noise floor which helps notes come across more clearly. For this comparison I used a classic Grado Rs1 which is easy to drive and has a very intimate soundstage so Ymmv. Speaking of soundstage the Mojo is abit more holographic as the sounds had a bit more depth and were more sourrounding as opposed the nano which sounds a bit more 2 dimmensional in comparison. These are very subtle differences and not exactly night and day. I'd say for one third the price of the Mojo the Nano BL has nothing to be ashamed about, no Sir!

Direct comparisons were done by volume matching both units with and SPL Meter app on my phone and playing a pink noise file to the Rs1.

In conclusion, I'd say the iFi Nano iDsd is a definitive winner not only for it's price to performance but for it's overall engaging sound that is a joy to listen to!


Other notes:

No noticeable interferance when using with my Android phone. UAPP would occassionally crash and track would start looping.

I was unable to fully test battery life and charging cycle in my short audition period.

I wasn't really able to tell if the Nano was fully decoding MQA files since the led did not change colors while listening to Tidal Master tracks.

Unfortunately I was unable to try out the balanced output due to not having a proper adapter for my cans.

I received the iFi nano iDSD Black Label for reviewing as part of the EU tour
The coming review is my honest opinion about the device.

My Background
I am a mechanical engineering student who likes to listen to music a lot. In the last few years, i upgraded my gear on a students budget! My preferred music genre is Indie, Jazz, Hip-Hop and some classic Rock. I am more on the "warm" sound signature side.

Headphones

Packaging

Really nice presentation. It comes with a lovely pouch and all cables you will need for connecting to a PC/MAC. Really impressed.


Build Quality and Size

Really nice and heavy build quality. It is not too light not too heavy! The finishing is superb. I really like it and can not hope for more.
The nano BL is more on the bigger side of my DACs. See my pictures for comparison. It is about the size of a cigarette box.


Specs



The specs are the best one of all my DACs. Here is a list:


General
Input(rear): USB2.0 type A “OTG” Socket (with iPurifier® technology built-in)
Output(rear)； 1 x Audio fixed line out L+R 3.5mm
Digital Filter: 2 positions, 2 filters
Outputs(front): 2 x Headphone Audio 3.5mm one direct and one with iFi iEMatch® integrated
DAC
DAC: DSD, DXD, PCM DAC by Burr Brown Bit-Perfect DSD processing, Bit-Perfect DXD processing
Clock: Low-jitter crystal clock
Audio Formats: DSD 256/128/64/12.4/11.2/6.2/5.6/3.1/2.8
DXD 384/352.8kHz
PCM 384/352.8/192/176.4/96/88.2/48/44.1kHz
MQA 88.2/96/176.4/192kHz filters
Filter–PCM: Listen(transient optimized minimum phase)
Measure(frequency response optimised)
–DSD: Listen(extended bandwidth transient optimised)
Measure (narrow bandwidth, low output band noise optimized)
–DXD: Fixed Bit-Perfect Processing
–MQA: Fixed MQA Filter

Headphone Amplifier
Amplifier: Dual Mono 2 x 285mW Direct Drive, coupling capacitor free circuit for highest fidelity
Volume Control: 3.5mm TRRS with Balanced compatible wiring
Dynamic Range(including DAC): > 109dB(A) @ 3v (Direct)
> 107dB(A) @ 0.5V (iEMatch®)
THD &N (@ 125mW/30R): < 0.005%
Max. Output (<10% THD): > 3.5V @ 600Ω Load (Direct) (20mW/600Ω)
> 2.9V @ 30Ω Load (Direct) (285mW/30Ω)
> 1.7V @ 15Ω Load (Direct) (200mW/15Ω)

Output Impedance :
< = 1Ω (Direct)
< = 4Ω (iEMatchsup>®)
Channel Separation:
> 79dB @ 600Ω Load (Direct)
> 79dB @ 15Ω Load (Direct) (1kHz, TRRS plug Balanced wiring)

Line Output
Dynamic Range(Line): > 109dB(A)
THD & N(0dBFS Line): < 0.004%
Output Voltage(Line): : 2.15V (+/-0.05V)
Output Impedance: < 240Ω
Channel Separation: > 99dB (@ 1kHz)
Jitter(correlated): Below test set limit
Dimensions: 96(l) x 64(w) x 25.5(h)mm
Weight: 139g (0.31 Ibs)
Warranty period: 12months


As you can see it is powerful and can decode everything you are hoping for!
It too has a MQA license. (MQA is a heavily discussed file format)

Connectivity

The input and outputs are great. It has a male USB input. Perfect for connecting OTG Cables from Phones.
and three 3,5mm Outputs. One line, one 3,5mm unbalanced out and a 3,5mm iE Match out with a balanced option. I personally think the 3,5mm balanced is a bit weird because the cables are really hard to get. But I understand the decision. It´s a cool technology behind it. For more: http://mediaportal.ifi-audio.com/Digital/NanoBL/nDSD BL balanced circuit Tech Note (Nov xx) .pdf


Sound

The nano came to me in middle of writing my bachelor thesis. So I had hours and hours of listening sessions.
Overall I have to say WOW. What a nice little device! I really like the sound of it! The highs are not too harsh, the bass is not to muddy. It is really relaxing to hear with it! I never missed anything from my other DACs. So it is the perfect symbiosis of all my other devices. The power output is really nice. It can run my M1060 and HD650 without any Problems. All my IEM have no hissing.

Software\Firmware
The Firmware upgrade is really easy to do! Only download some files and it is ready to flash! After the firmware update, the MQA function of Tidal was working perfectly and the RGB LED as an indicator is really nice. It can also help if you want to know if your music source is working like it should be

When you are connecting the Nano to an Android 7.0 device it works flawlessly. I highly recommend the "USB Audio Player Pro" App. it has Tidal Integration as well!


Conclusion

Perfect little DAC for desktop and smartphone use. It is really portable. Has a nice volume knob (digital volume control like on the Geek Out and Dragonfly is not that great). it can drive all "normal" headphones. And the best one is the Price. At only 199 $ it is really a no-brainer because it is so versatile.

This is my first audio gear review, but hopefully not my last.

Caveat: This is a review that I'd like to read - which means cutting out a lot of extraneous stuff and instead focusing on what matter to someone like me when trying to decide what gear to purchase. If you want that other stuff, there's ample reviews that contain it and they're all worth a look.

About me:

I'm a professional music, mix engineer and composer. I have a lot of expensive gear and a lot of cheap and cheerfully gear. I use the tools I need without going overboard and wasting money. At least that's my goal.

Disclaimer: I was part of the iFi tourbox for the Nano and was allowed to test it for a few weeks in exchange for my honest review.

The pitch

The iFi audio nano iDSD Black Label is a more compact, simplified and cheaper version of the non-nano Black Label. It uses well known and respected Burr-Brown convertors, and - like the similarly priced Dragonfly Red - allows users to access MQA files on Tidal, etc.

So, is it better than the Dragonfly Red?

When I was getting into headphones again, after years of just using them for work, I did what many do, I started googling.

What Google lead me to believe was that a decent set of open back headphones was going to be a lot nicer than my studio cans, but I'd probably need an amp to get the most out of them.

Not wanting to break the bank I bought a pair of HD 650s and a Dragonfly Red.

This - especially with Tidal/MQA - was a total eye opener.

At about the same time I signed up for Head-fi and started buying cheap then less cheap IEMs.

Trying to get that same level of happiness on the go as I had at home was... Frustrating. MQA isn't really a portable format, and IEMs don't sound like open-back headphones. However I eventually bought my LZ A4s, USB Audio Player Pro and - coupled with the DFR - was pretty happy.

But...

Then I bought my custom made Hifiman HE-560s (known on Head-fi as the Batman headphones) and a Chord Mojo.

Suddenly that DFR was not only underpowered, but it just didn't sound all that good, relative to the €500 Mojo.

So. Now the meat, the reason you might be reading this: where does the iFi Nano stand, compared to the DFR and... Dun, dun, dun... The Mojo?

Well, it's interesting and almost but not quite the outcome you'd expect.

VS the Mojo:

Can you save £300, skip the Mojo and buy this?

No. Well, maybe. Yes? It depends.

No, because comparing the two back to back playing FLAC files, or DSD, the Mojo is just better. If the Mojo is 100, the Nano is say about an 80/85.

But it's a little more complex than that.

The sound signatures ARE different, and not just by a little bit. The Nano is brighter, but not thinner. The bass is a bit looser and the soundstage is a bit wider, but it also sounds a little artificial.

That might actually be something people prefer. If it is, then at the price it's a crazy steal. So that's the maybe. Maybe it matches your gear, your taste and your budget perfectly, in a way the mojo can't.

As for the Yes... Yes it is better than the Mojo in one hugely significant way: MQA.

The Mojo is probably never going to playback MQA. That's just a sad fact. Which means you have to have another solution if you want to take advantage of all that Tidal has to offer. And guess what...

VS the Dragonfly Red:

The iFi kills the DFR is every single way except one: it's size. It's larger and more bulky. Oh I guess you have to charge it as well... So that's another thing... But c'mon, charging things is just part of life in 2018. Suck.It.Up.

Anyway and in conclusion:

If you have about £200 to spend on an DAC/Amp combo, and want MQA, there's no earthly reason to look anywhere else.

If you're looking for a first DAC/Amp to see if they actually do anything, look no further.

If you don't care about MQA, and have £500 to spend on the best sound quality, the Mojo is better. Assuming your gear matches it, which it probably does.

But for many thousands of people this will probably be the new king of sub-Mojo portable DAC/Amps. It certainly should be.

As for me, I'm selling my DFR and buying a Nano for MQA alone. It's 100% a steal compared to the DFR, and the only real choice in this price range.

Thanks:

Thanks to iFi for the loaner, thanks to Karina and the IFI UK team and thanks to Head-fi for making it all possible.

I am posting this review due to being part of the iFi nano iDSD Black Label tour, all the thoughts shared in this review are my own and reflect my honest opinion about this product.


I am new to the head-fi world, I only started to appreciate the intricacies of the high resolution audio last year so don’t expected this to be a technical review It will be a review that will address the major features of the product from the consumer point of view specifying it’s usefulness or not



Packaging and accessories





The product Is well package in a white box enclosed in a cardboard sheath, the device rests in a cut out and in front of it is a little white box containing the included accessories (iFi bag to carry the device, 2 silicone bracelets, a USB A Female to B Female Adapter, a USB3.0 A Male to A Female cable and a USB A Female to USB B Female Cable). Although the box contains all the necessary cables to connect it to the computer it lacks a OTG Cable to able to connect It to your android or an equivalent solution for an Apple device, which in my opinion is a bit of a major flaw, since one of it’s bigger selling points is it’s portability and the possibility to connect it to your smartphone.

Build quality

The device features an all metal chassis that feels premium and should be pretty durable, in the bottom it was four silicone feet that prevent it from sliding or scratching your smartphone when it's attached via the included silicone bands






Features





On one side you have the in my opinion excellent volume knob and the two 3.5mm headphone output, one labeled IEMatch that works better with sensitive IEM's by providing better volume control and no audible hiss with my Shure SE846, basically it works as advertised, the other one is labeled direct and works as an ordinary headphone output. On the otherwise you have the only input, one of the few weak points of this unit, and a 3.5 mm line out if you want to connect it to a pair of powered speakers.

Sound

The nano BL performs extremely well for it's price and small size I can't give you any detailed comparisons with any other dac's since the only other one that I have tried is the Chord Hugo 2 which is in a league of it's own in terms off general detail retrieval and micro detail but the nano BL is no slouch either it has good detail retrieval and doesn't color the sound in any way, providing definitely better sound than your standard smartphone

When using my Shure SE846 I found it performed as good as my Onkyo DP-X1 DAP which is three times it's price however when paired to my Mr. Speakers AEON I found the Onkyo to have better detail retrieval and a more laid back sound which suits better my preferences.

Conclusion

The iFi Nano iDSD BL is the perfect portable DAC for it’s price range, it definitely offers a lot for the price and for the budget conscious audiophile I definitely think it’s one of the best solutions on the market right now. The only downside I can think off is the lack of inputs otherwise this a pretty good and well rounded product that extends iFi excellent line of products.

Firstly I would like to thank iFi Audio for loaning me this unit for review.

*disclaimer: This sample was provided on loan for the purpose of writing a review, no incentive was given to write a favourable review. All opinions expressed are my own subjective findings.

Gear Used:
HP Laptop > Nano iDSD Black Label > Kinera Earbuds, Custom Art FIBAE3, HiFiMan HE500, German Maestro GMP400 and others.



Tech Specs:
A comprehensive list can be found on the iFi website: https://ifi-audio.com/portfolio-view/nano-idsd-bl/
MSRP: £199

Packaging, Build Quality and Accessories:
The Nano iDSD Black Label comes in familiar packaging if you have bought from iFi before, a small white box with an outer sleeve detailing features and specs. Take off the sleeve and you are greeted with a two part box, take the top off and the Nano iDSD is held in place with a foam inlay, also you will see a white box which houses the accessories. I like the simplicity of iFi Audio packaging, pleasing to the eye, detailed and easy to open, with no added frills or luxuries.

The Nano iDSD BL is a very neat little device that feels like it was built to last the rigours of daily use. The housing is made of aluminium, the sockets are all tight and have no play in them, the volume knob that acts as the on/off switch is smooth and doesn’t stick out far. Overall it feels well put together and should last a long time, and survive some tumbles.

Accessory wise you get a small black velvet carry case, a small pigtail adaptor (USB to USB-A), a solid USB to USB-A adaptor, and a long USB cable for PC use. Also included are 2 amp straps, everything you need to get up and running on a PC or MAC. You will need additional cables for using it with an Android or iPhone.



Features:

The Nano iDSD BL is a DAC/Amp, it only has a USB input, and cannot be used with an analogue source, nor can it be used with a coaxial or optical source. This limits it somewhat, but then again to fit all that in a small chassis would bring compromises that could alter the performance. On the back you have the USB input, filter switch and a 3.5mm line-out. The filter switch has 2 positions, Measure and Listen, there is a very slight difference between the two; the listen position adds a little smoothness and warmth to the sound, the measure position gives you a more analytical sound.

On the front you have the volume knob that acts as the on/off switch, and two headphone outputs. The direct output which is for full-size headphones and the iEMatch output which is for sensitive IEM’s (the signal is attenuated a little amongst other things). The 3.5mm output is also TRRS compatible if you want to go balanced, but iFi say the way their system works brings benefits of balanced to single ended headphones too.

The Nano iDSD BL is plug and play with most devices, however it is recommended to install the official iFi drivers on a PC.

The Nano iDSD BL has an internal battery capable of giving up to 10hrs of listening time on a full charge. This makes it a great companion to those who have moved to phones without a headphone jack.



Sound:

The Nano iDSD BL is a great little device that packs a punch in a small package, its sound is much bigger than its size might suggest. It has a slight warmth and smoothness to the sound, being a great DAC/Amp to just sit back and enjoy the music with. Using it with IEM’s it brings an added level of control and separation to the sound, bringing out much better sound quality than your average smart phone or computer can deliver. It does a very fine job at handling slightly harder to drive loads like the HD6xx series from Sennheiser, or my German Maestro GMP400, bringing out very impressive dynamics and a slight fullness to the sound.

The Nano iDSD BL is not clinical, it won’t make you analyse your system, but it also doesn’t mask the finer details. The detail retrieval is superb, and as a standalone DAC it would do very well in any system. iFi have spent some time honing the sound of their newer devices, making them appeal to a wide audience with a detailed, yet rich and open sound that is sure to please a lot of people. There is no lack of air or sparkle up top, it is still a very well balanced sounding DAC/Amp, but as stated it is not clinical in its presentation.

It doesn’t try to jump out and say “Hey I’m influencing the sound by adding this” instead there is a subtle smoothness that takes away any fatigue. The Nano iDSD BL works really well with most of the easy to relatively hard to drive headphones out there. Performance with IEM’s should not be understated; the iEMatch works wonders allowing you to listen to sensitive IEM’s with no hiss, or the need for an attenuator.



Conclusion:
The iFi Nano iDSD BL is the perfect portable partner for any audiophile on a tight budget, for £200 it offers a lot for the price. It is an easy recommendation, the sound is smooth, natural and open, the build quality is excellent and there are no downsides apart from the lack of inputs. Use it out and about, then at home hook it up to your speaker system via the line-out. You won’t be disappointed by the Nano iDSD BL.

I really cannot fault it for the size and price; it seems that most equipment prices are going up, yet iFi are really out there trying to show you can have a lot of performance for a small price.

Now I wish iFi could bring out a sub-par product so it doesn’t look like I am being sponsored to write positive reviews for them. But I genuinely struggle to find fault with the Nano iDSD BL, along with quite a few of their other products.


Sound Perfection Rating: 9.5/10 (The sound and features make up for the lack of inputs).

Setup:
I currently use an iDAC (original) in my desktop configuration. Foobar2000 serves as the source on my laptop (Dell XPS15 [9550]). The signal path is:

laptop USB C -> Dell WD15 “docking station” -> USB 3.0 SS (A) cable to USB 2.0 B in iDAC.

For testing the nano iDSD BL, I used the same USB cable from the dock and added the female to female USB B to USB A adapter that came with the nano iDSD BL. The iFi USB audio driver was updated to version 3.2 prior to testing.

Downstream equipment included home and office desktop setups:
and two headphone/IEM pairs:

The iDAC RCA and nano iDSD BL line-out were used when testing the two desktop speaker configurations (DAC only). The headphone (iDAC) and IEM-match (nano iDSD BL) ports were used when testing the headphone and IEMs (DAC/AMP).

Please note that I did not have am means to connect my portable source (FiiO X5ii) to the nano iDSD BL. All tests used the desktop source noted above.

Operation:
As I am used to the iDAC which only operates on USB power, one of the hardest things for me to remember was to turn the nano iDSD BL off when not in use. Switching between the two was also a bit cumbersome as the iFi USB drivers, while bundled, are different for the iDAC and iDSD. Each switch required that Foobar2000’s output settings be reset. This would not be an issue in normal use.

When using the nano iDSD BL exclusively for several days in my office and home desktop configurations (1 & 2, above) I had to turn the unit on after the computer to keep from running on battery power. This meant that the iFi USB driver would not see the nano iDSD BL at boot time and reverted to my laptop speakers by default. If I was careful (and fast), I could turn the BL on during the boot process (i.e. as soon as the blue charging light came on) and avoid having to unplug and reconnect the unit. I suppose I could have waited for my laptop to boot entirely before connecting the iDSD, but I am too accustomed to plugging the iDAC in first. Old habits die hard.

During desktop use, there were often small clicks when system sounds were played through the speakers. This was never a problem with the iDAC.

Sound Quality:
With HD600 and ER4SR, the nano iDSD BL had cleaner treble and base and better instrument separation and staging than the iDAC. The HD600s and ER4SRs really opened up with the nano iDSD BL. To my ears, both units performed equally (and very) well in the Creek/Epos and JBL settings. I could hear no notable difference between nano iDSD BL and iDAC with these open speaker systems.

Overall:
I was very impressed with the nano iDSD BL when using headphones and IEMs, where there was a clear improvement in sound quality compared with the iDAC. Whether due to a lack of fidelity in my desktop systems, DAC only operation, or the fine job iFi did with the original iDAC, I could not discern a difference between the nano iDSD BL and iDAC with my two open speaker setups. On account of its battery and smaller size, the nano iDSD BL is clearly more portable than the “transportable” iDAC. It would make an excellent addition to a portable rig. For desktop use with open speakers (where battery operation is not important), the iDAC (and likely the iDAC2) might be a better choice in so far as convenience of operation is concerned. The advantage would clearly go to the nano iDSD BL in the “price department”.

Recordings used during the test:
I have very few DSD files in my library and use them only when testing portable gear. I can’t tell much difference between DSD and FLAC for well-recorded source material. The following CD up to studio master quality FLAC files (approximately 500 to 5500 kbps) were used during testing of the nano iDSD BL.

• Adam Harasiewicz: Chopin Nocturnes & Preludes
  
• Bonnie Raitt: Road Tested
  
• Calum Graham: Phoenix Rising
  
• Dirks und Wirtz: Kinski Spencer Gismonti
  
• Don Ross: PS15
  
• Giovanni Palombo: La melodia segreta, A Secret Melody
  
• Goran Sollscher: Eleven-String Baroque
  
• Hoff Ensemble: Quiet Winter Night
  
• Julian Webber: Elgar Cello Concerto - Saint-Saens Cello Concerto No.1
  
• Laurence Juber: Guitar Noir
  
• Los Angeles Spin
  
• Luca Stricagnoli: Luca Stricagnoli
  
• Mike Dawes: What Just Happened
  
• Nora Jones: Come Away with Me
  
• Oslo String Quartet: The Shubert Connection
  
• Vladimir Horowitz: Rachmaninov Piano Concerto #3
  
• Yo-Yo Ma: Bach Cello Suites Nos. 1, 5 & 6, Rachmaninov Prokofiev Cello Sonatas, Mendelssohn Piano Trios, Op. 49 & Op. 6

iFi Audio is at it again! This time their latest Black Label product the iDSD Nano brings MQA support into the portable realm. Overall I found it's sound to be spacious and black with a super light compact body and priced right at $199.



Build


The product's well built with minimal seams in the chassis and non-invasive screw placement. It features a unique USB Type A male connector housed seamlessly into the chassis. It's well built and light, the power switch is built into the volume knob and otherwise the only other moving part is the digital filter switch on the back.





The 3.5mm and USB connectors are solid with no wiggle or play. My only gripe is the volume knob wiggles just a little, and there's a noticeable jump about 2 dBs up halfway through it's rotation. Otherwise it works, I didn't have any issue with it slipping or self rotating while I had it stashed in my hoody.





The front side also features two different 3.5mm outputs, iEMatch and Direct. iEMatch is optimized for low impedance high sensitivity headphones and iems. Direct is suited for normal or more traditional impedance and sensitivity ratings. The only headphone I had that benefited iEMatch was my HD 25-1 ii and even then it was only marginally quieter. Otherwise I ran everything else through the direct port.





As always the iDSD Nano arrives within iFi Audio's gorgeous packing brimming with goodies. This time they included a little soft felt pouch, a USB 3.0 Type A Cable and a 3.0 Type A female to Type B female so that you can hook it up to an existing USB Cable you already have for another DAC. Pretty handy as I have quite a few USB B's I use for the various Dacs I have in home. There was also a little sheet of paper with some optional rubber feet that I did choose to install. No analog cables this time how ever, just digital.



Sound Quality


Part of me wants to believe there's a little black magic at work here, but alas I know it's only electrons flowing to an fro. That said, the iDSD Nano Black Label sounds amazing and is characterized by a wide spacious sound with an excellent black background. Part of it's blackness has to due with the dual outputs, there's a Direct and IEMatch port. Direct for normal sensitivity headphones and IEMatch for high sensitivity headphones and iems. You can also run 3.5mm Balanced into either and achieve an even quieter output.



I also liked how it's uniquely wide imaging also improved the quality of my owning lossy streaming listening. I typically shy away from streaming for reviews, but both Spotify and Napster set to 320kbs gained a subtle but noticeable more spacious presentation. This level of clarity I also enjoy from my Geek Out v2+ but the iDSD Nano Black Label presents this without emphasizing so much of what is lost like the Geek Out v2+ sometimes does. I do appreciate that iFi has voiced this product in such a way that it compliments the more closed in sound of lossy, especially at this price point!



Tonality of the amp did change depending on the filter selected, with the Listen filter engaged it had a warmer tonality with a nice focus on the transients that follow after each individual note, how ever the lows were a bit thicker, in contrast the Measure filter tightened up the presentation for the entire spectrum as a whole but didn't have as sharp of a focus on transients. For the most part I enjoyed the Listen filter the most, as it offered the most natural and resolved presentation. Measure was more often than not too dry and sometimes harsh, though about 1/10 of the headphones in my collection actually did sound better with the Measure filter! The HE 4XX being the most notable of them.





Hifiman's Massdrop collaboration the HE 4XX is it self a thicker sounding headphone with a nice focus on transient balance. Resolving equally well both micro detail and ambient noise. What I found is with listen, while the resolve was even better the sound as a whole lacked impact. Switching over to measure breathed life into the HE 4XXs presentation without tilting the balance of resolve too aggressively toward ambient noise. Meaning, while micro detail didn't pop out as much, macro detail or ambient noise also wasn't over emphasized.



All in all I felt with the Measure filter the HE 4XX was equipped for every and all genres of music! It's own thicker intimate signature pair'd well with the iDSD Nano Black Label's spacious imaging and the added edge of the Measure filter. Even better the iDSD Nano Black Label never presented me with too little head room I always had more than enough range on the volume knob.





With my Ypsilon G1 and many others, the listen filter was the best. This Grado style DIY headphone has a nice forwardness in the upper mids with good balance in the rest of the spectrum. The iDSD Nano Back Label kept that nice edge in the upper mids without softening the rest of the spectrum to much.



I found it kept a good texture in the bass while still adding a little needed body. The upper mid peak was also lessened a little by some added bloom and decay within the lower and central mid range. This fairly balanced dynamic sounded phenomenal with just the iDSD Nano Black Label! These two made for a super easy to carry around combo, as each is light weight and simply pleasurable to listen with.





Now power wise, I did find the iFi iDSD Nano Black Label to be lacking a little with my HD 800. While it had enough voltage to get loud, I found insufficient in providing the power needed to bring the HD 800 to life. That said, I did pair up the Line Out into my APPJ PA1502A SET Tube Amp.



I also took this time to compare the Line out of the iFi Audio iDSD Nano Black Label to that of my own Behringer UCA 202. With the APPJ 1502A the difference between the two was obvious, the iDSD Nano maintained better tactility with more texture in the lows. In comparison the UCA 202 had some ringing in the mid range in addition to a some what congested sound even with the HD 800! Switching back to the iDSD Nano Black Label I always appreciated how the sound opened up! The only real advantage the UCA 202 seem to have was how clearly it resolved breaths. Human breathing and breathing alone stood out just a bit better with the UCA 202 than it did on the iFi iDSD Nano Black Label, though this advantage is only obvious on tracks featuring a solo or duet where congestion is a non-issue. With larger Jazz ensembles or classical orchestra's the iDSD Nano Black label again reigned supreme.







I also took the time to see how the UCA 202 Line out into my Vali 1 would compare again'st the iDSD Nano Black label running as both an DAC/Amp. For these impressions I went back to my Ypsilon G1 headphone.



Once again, I found the UCA 202 and Vali 1 pairing to have some congestion, while both sources were quite cohesive with their respective amps. The UCA 202 still struggled with larger bands or scores. Ultimatley the iFi iDSD Nano Black label proved it had better balance, resolve and imaging overall.



Though, the Vali 1 and UCA 202 did present a uniquely sweet wonderfully stunning and beautiful mid range in comparison to the iDSD Nano Black Label. This benefit though didn't compensate for the systems overall inability to properly present space. I suppose if you find your self listening to only classical duets or solo's then you may be able to sustain your self with such a system for only around $100. Other wise if you enjoy a larger range of music then you'll get not only a better quality of sound overall but the benefit of portability with the iFi iDSD Nano Black Label!







Being a DAC/Amp combo only the iDSD Nano Black Label does require both a graphic interface and storage interface for playback. So I decided to see how it compared to some of the DAPs in my collection that it prices just above.



The first of which was my Hifiman HM601, each had their own strengths and weakness as far as resolve went. How ever the iDSD Nano Black Label had better tonal balance and imaging overall. In some cases the HM601 proved to have better micro dynamics and micro resolve. As I found transients and small gradual volume increases were resolved with phenomenal clarity from the hm601... assuming your using a pair of complimentary headphones. My Ypsilon G1 was too sensitive and picked up on the nosiness of the onboad amp in the HM 601. Though my ES 10 did better and took advantage of the HM601s amazing resolve, but my HE 4XX did not. For the most part my HE 4XX was too thick that any gained resolve was lost in the ocean of decay. So thicker headphones will suffer when pair'd with the HM 601, it's intimate sound stage also holds it back.



In contrast the iFi Audio iDSD Nano Black Label offers two distinct filters to widen it's "complimentary" range or scope. Using Listen for my Ypsilon G1 and ES 10 there was again better tonal balance overall and I enjoyed Measure with my HE 4XX. So there was never a problem of a "bad pairing" as each filter had a distinct enough difference to compliment almost every headphone I threw at it.



While resolve alone was not always as immersive, the combined performance of both resolve in relation to imaging was. More intimate pieces of music found an increase and clarity from the iDSD Nano Black Label, where as with the HM601 they were often too close sounding. Additionally both ambient noise and spacial cue's where clearer with the iDSD Nano Black Label over the HM 601.



So while the HM 601, when pair'd with the right headphone, resolved more transient information relating to the individual instruments themselvs. The iDSD Nano Black Label, with any headphone, presented more information relating to how that instrument was placed within the space it was recorded in. At times this lead to an almost... fuller more real to life sound, as the music as a whole had a more vivid envelope. It's easy to get lost into the individual instruments when listening with the HM601, but moving up to the iDSD Nano Black Label suddenly the entire band's presence in relation to one another is clearer. For example the decay of the double bass s in Mile's Davis So What adds a nice fullness that blends nicely with the falling edge and echo of the horns. The littlest of details like this is something I expect and usually look for in higher priced products so I was surprised to hear it while listening on the iDSD Nano Black Label.







Shanling's M2S still holds my recommendation as by far the best single all in one portable music solution, and for those of you who want a nice upgrade from it without spending as much and having to daisy chain a DAP to an Amp. The iFi iDSD Nano Black Label would be my recommendation, as it keeps to a small light weight and convenient form factor. This is even more true if your wanting to take advantage of Tidal's MQA Masters or other streaming services.



The two share a similar balance doing many things right and having few actual faults. What the iDSD Nano Black Label brings is an even more resolved sound with a more flexible tonality. The Listen filter really reminds me of how the M2S presentation with the Measure bringing me back to my time with the Cayin N3. Except the iFi iDSD Nano Black Label offers more power and resolve than both. So those of you who may not need blutooth support but want MQA and streaming support and intend to use your cellular phone/laptop top or desktop as a source will find a noticeable improvement in upgrading to the iDSD Nano Black Label.



Now in my video review I choose not to comment on the MQA Playback for the iFi iDSD Nano Black Label. This was because I do not have Tidal my self nor access to to it, how ever I had the chance to finally hear the iDSD Nano Black Label with an MQA Master!!!







For better or worse I waited until after I listened to the MQA Master to take my pic, the meet was a little busy so I didn't have prime time for arranging everything as I wanted. Non the less, I took the iFi iDSD Nano Black Label for a spin with some Megadeath! I choose their Rust In Peace album and took Tornado of Souls for a listen, I did so with my ZMF Eikon and the iCan Pro Amp set to Tube-output. An WOW I was yet again impressed with how clear and vivid the sound was. While the music was un-familiar to me the level of resolve I heard was not, in switching between the MQA Master and Non MQA Master there was indeed an increase to the spaciousness and blackness overall. While MQA Masters don't take the iFi iDSD Nano into the "next level" I felt it was enough of an improvement to maybe justify a Tidal Subscription... maybe.



The sheer convenience of both Tidal and the quality of it's MQA Masters really encapsulate what the iFi iDSD Nano is about! Quality and convenience packaged in a light weight easy to use form factor without compromise. So for those of you maybe looking for the ultimate in light weight listening, your Cell a Tidal Subscription and this little magic black box might be all you need! I won't say it's the most cost effective solution, but again it's by far one of the most liberating. What ever music you want, where ever you want it, without the fuss of managing a myriad of SD Cards or a library of offline files, you don't even have to hunt for the "perfect Master" either as again Tidal's taken that time to procure it for you! If Tidal continues to expand it's MQA Master library I may even buy into the madness... maybe.



Conclusion
iFi Audio have once again been the first to launch another amazing product in an emerging market. It's light weight small size and sheer functionality combined with MQA rendering really make it a highly competitive portable for today's growing market of streaming consumers. I even found it to subtlety help open up the often closed in sound of lossy from my own Spotify and Napster streaming services. All in all any one searching for a highly functional portable Dac-Amp to serve a collection of both super sensitive iems and moderately sensitive fullsize/portable headphones across a wide variety of both digital sources and playback rates will be hard pressed to find better option at this price point!

Wait. Don’t judge me by the title statement. I don’t want to make it controversial but that’s what I heard. Whether it holds or not, it’s really up to you to decide. The question is, where do I stand by this statement? I’ll let you guys know at the end. Let see if this small black box lives up to the hype.

Disclaimer
I used to own mojo but decided to sell the unit because I am not using it as much. I am focusing on dedicated desktop setup thus the reason for selling. While I am familiar with the sound signature, I don’t have the unit for direct comparison with iDSD Nano Black Label. I might throw in some impressions comparing the Mojo with Nano BL, but it will not do justice to how they really compare. But I did used iDSD Micro BL for direct comparison. Thus, I decided to give my two cents and my own insights on these DACs.


First and Foremost
I would like to give my thanks to Lawrence from iFi Audio that manage the west USA tour well; also, to iFi Audio in general as they gave us the opportunity to try the unit in our system/setup. I have talked to some of the iFi personnel in the past CanJam and they are easy to approach. The customer service also has never been better. They are helpful in Head-Fi and every other forum I bet.

My iFi background
I never had any iFi product on my own, but I do have several friends that own them, and it happened that two of them are my housemates. I get to listen to iDSD micro Black Label extensively while had a fair of listening time in the past with iDSD micro SE. My impression of the variations of iDSD micro is that the Black Label nail it in almost every section; a worthy upgrade I would say. I keep comparing the micro Black Label with Mojo but never come to a conclusion which one of them is better. In my opinion, Mojo performs better with HD800 and TH900 while micro BL shines with warm headphones like HD650. Well, in the end, it really comes to personal preferences. Now that iDSD Nano Black Label is released, I am really intrigued to see where it falls in iFi DAC/Amp line up. Although it might sound obvious that it’s going to be a better version of iDSD Nano, will it better the iDSD micro SE or BL? Or even Chord Mojo?



What’s in the box?
Out of the box, you’ll get the DAC, a well-thought carrying case, a USB B cable female to male adapter, USB A female to a USB B female adapter, a short USB A female to USB B male adapter, rubber band for stacking, manual and warranty card. Obviously, RCA cable is not provided by iFi this time since it doesn’t have RCA like its older brother.


Build and Appearance
As usual, it has the iFi logo at the top and descriptions at the bottom. iFi is known for their product’s versatility but iDSD Nano BL by far the simplest in terms of functionality. It has two headphone outputs, both 3.5mm but one of them has the IEMatch feature. With the IEMatch, it ensures ‘hiss-free’ out from sensitive IEM or headphones. At the back, there’s a toggle button for ‘listen’ or ‘measure’. The ‘listen’ feature uses a minimum phase filter while ‘measure’ uses the linear phase filter. Personally, if I decide to do mastering tracks or get involved sound production, I might not be going to get the iDSD Nano BL despite the ‘measure’ feature; but, it is good to have and works for those who travel and work in the sound production industry. It only has digital input and 3.5mm line out if you want to connect the iDSD Nano BL with a separate amp. Overall, it got a great build quality and pretty much similar to any other iFi products.



Features/ Specifications

Input(rear):

USB2.0 type A “OTG” Socket (with iPurifier® technology built-in)

Output(rear)；

1 x Audio fixed line out L+R 3.5mm

Digital Filter:

2 positions, 2 filters

Outputs(front):

2 x Headphone Audio 3.5mm one direct and one with iFi iEMatch® integrated

DAC

DAC:

DSD, DXD, PCM DAC by Burr Brown Bit-Perfect DSD processing, Bit-Perfect DXD processing

Clock:

Low-jitter crystal clock

Audio Formats:

DSD 256/128/64/12.4/11.2/6.2/5.6/3.1/2.8

DXD 384/352.8kHz

PCM 384/352.8/192/176.4/96/88.2/48/44.1kHz

MQA 88.2/96/176.4/192kHz filters

Filter–PCM:

Listen(transient optimised minimum phase)

Measure(frequency response optimized)

–DSD:

Listen(extended bandwidth transient optimised)

Measure (narrow bandwidth, low output band noise optimized)

–DXD:

Fixed Bit-Perfect Processing

–MQA:

Fixed MQA Filter

Headphone Amplifier

Amplifier:

Dual Mono 2 x 285mW Direct Drive, coupling capacitor free circuit for highest fidelity

Volume Control:

3.5mm TRRS with Balanced compatible wiring

Dynamic Range(including DAC):

> 109dB(A) @ 3v (Direct)

> 107dB(A) @ 0.5V (iEMatch®)

THD &N (@ 125mW/30R):

< 0.005%

Max. Output (<10% THD):

> 3.5V @ 600Ω Load (Direct) (20mW/600Ω)

> 2.9V @ 30Ω Load (Direct) (285mW/30Ω)

> 1.7V @ 15Ω Load (Direct) (200mW/15Ω)

Output Impedance :

< = 1Ω (Direct)

< = 4Ω (iEMatchsup>®)

Channel Separation:

> 79dB @ 600Ω Load (Direct)

> 79dB @ 15Ω Load (Direct) (1kHz, TRRS plug Balanced wiring)

Line Output

Dynamic Range(Line):

> 109dB(A)

THD & N(0dBFS Line):

< 0.004%

Output Voltage(Line): :

2.15V (+/-0.05V)

Output Impedance:

< 240Ω

Channel Separation:

> 99dB (@ 1kHz)

Jitter(correlated):

Below test set limit

Dimensions:

96(l) x 64(w) x 25.5(h)mm

Weight:

139g (0.31 Ibs)

Warranty period:

12months

Info from ifi-audio.com


Gear used


Source(s): Tidal Master, Foobar, Pioneer XDP-100r

Dac(s): iDSD Nano Black Label, iDSD Micro Black Label

Amp(s): ECP DSHA-0

Headphone(s): Takstar Pro 82, Sennheiser HD800 SDR and HD6XX (modded)

IEM(s): Westone 30 and KZ ZS6


Songs (mostly MQA)
Sam Smith – Too Good at Goodbyes (Master)

This song focusses mostly on male vocals and out from the iDSD Nano BL, the DAC is able to bring nuance and good tonal balance across the spectrum with Sam’s magical voice and the background singer. With iDSD Micro BL, the sound is another level. Sam’s voice seems to be more engaging and every instrument sounds lively and real.


Shawn Mendes -Stitches MTV Unplugged (Master)

A live concert could be an issue to some gear and iDSD Nano BL produce a more forward sound. It is lacking in separation when compare to iDSD Micro Label is noticeable with this song. I felt like I am sitting in the front row with Nano BL and 3 or 4 rows further with Micro BL. Other than mentioned, I had a tough time to distinguish between both DACs with this song. The one thing that I can point out is it sounds more real with Micro BL but if you’re not listening to them for 2-3 hours, you might think that both produce a very similar sound signature.


Queen – Another One Bites the Dust

I always use this song for review as every instrument and singer has its own mic thus produce a good separation on its own. Nano BL with MQA rendering provides a great layering and separation that rivals Micro BL. Although its older brother has more sense of space and a tad more microdetail, it is hard to differentiate them in this song. The drum kick has less impact with Nano BL but they have more similarities than differences in my opinion.



Headphone Pair (Vs iDSD Micro BL)


Modded Sennheiser HD6XX
How does it pair with HD6XX/650? This is no doubt one of the famous questions asked in multiple forums. I personally enjoy the vocal out of these in almost every song that I listen to. This amp pairs amazingly fine with a more forgiving headphone like HD6XX/650 as it could have sounded too revealing with headphones like HD800 and Takstar Pro 82. I still enjoy the HD800 with DSD and acoustical music with this amp but favor HD6XX pair for most other tracks. Like I mentioned before, I can’t get enough with the MQA feature. It opens up the sound and shows the capability of the headphone. While I don’t seem to agree when people said that HD6XX/650 is veil, but the MQA does add a more refined detail and perceived clarity out of the headphone. I could hear a better bass, more open soundstage and better nuance across the spectrum. The Nano BL produce rich sound engaging mids but Micro BL wins in dynamic and faster transient response. The Micro BL is one of the best transportable DAC/Amp for HD650/6XX under $1000 but Nano BL do come close and with that smaller size, I am not surprised if I pick Nano BL over Micro BL.


Modded Takstar Pro 82
My first impression right off the bat was lively and full of energy. This headphone could sound dull and lifeless with bad synergy. With Nano BL, it brings everything forward but natural. Takstar Pro 82 is known for its wide soundstage but sometimes I feel that the sound is too distant and not natural. With Nano BL, everything sounds right. Articulate bass, smooth sound across the spectrum, percussion and singer’s position seems right to my ears. Imaging is above average despite the forward presentation. Even though I enjoy the combo, I still think that iDSD micro BL is a better pair with this headphone. Tonal density is lacking, and it sounds a little dry in comparison to micro BL. I used to love vocals and mids with this headphone but less so with Nano BL in the chain. However, the upper midrange and treble with this combo never cease to amaze me; pleasant to listen to but never lose energy.


HD800 SDR + Sheepskin Pad
Personally, I am not a fan of HD800 and iDSD Micro BL combo. Don’t get me wrong, they do sound great, but I felt like HD800 has a better synergy with mojo. So, what about Nano BL? As you would expect from the similarities of the Black Label brothers, I still prefer mojo over Nano BL for HD800 as they are more enjoyable to my ears. In terms of power, it got more than enough to drive the HD800 to an ear-splitting level. Since HD800 has a huge soundstage, the Nano BL provides a good imaging and more neutral soundstage to the headphone. As if you were seating in the front row of a concert while Micro BL is a further row back. The bass is profound but not as punchy as Micro BL. The Micro BL bass has more texture and quantity, especially with the XBass feature. Although, Nano BL really stands out with instruments like trumpet and saxophone. I enjoy the tonality with orchestra and instrumental song even though it still lacking in overall instrument separation as compare to Micro BL. Vocal is balanced and good but lacks rhythm. I enjoy acoustic song and vocal but less so with group singing. Well, I did find that the Nano BL has a more pleasing treble extension but also less airy at the same time.

IEM Pair


Westone 30
The best portable combo that I had so far. Westone 30 has a similar tonality to HD650: forward sounding with great instrument separation, midrange has a great body with an amazing vocal presentation, impactful bass and laid back. I am positive that the IEM could benefit the iDSD NANO BL capability considering its performance with HD6XX and it certainly did. The first thing I noticed was the vocals on these were amazing! Sweet and intimate are the words to describe them. I keep playing any tracks that emphasis on vocals and GOSH! I love them. Period. My source with this combo is Pioneer XDP-100r and if you ask me if they are better than my desktop setup? I would say no but I really enjoy these when I step out of the door. It is kind of disappointing that Tidal mobile does not have MQA because it if it does, they are going to be an amazing combo. However, across the spectrum, I did find that it’s lacking in tonal density. It sounds a bit dry with some songs. At times, it felt a little congested and too forward. I tried the ‘measure’ filter for my other gears but not a fan of the sound. With Westone 30, it made it a slightly drier but more neutral at the same time. The bass in this IEM could be too much for some and with ‘measure’ filter, the bass is more controlled. Again, I still enjoy the ‘listen’ filter with this IEM for the most part. Overall, I really enjoy this fun combo, especially with EDM, pop, and rock.


KZ ZS6
KZ ZS6 is my another go to IEM with acoustic, orchestra and classic songs. I don’t have any preferences in genre, but I love to listen to any quality recording with great mastering. If I said that Westone 30 resembles HD650, KZ ZS6 reminds me of HD800. Large soundstage, shrilling treble, great clarity, clean bass but less impact. Despite the similar tonality, the quality is different and HD800 is superior by all means. The amp produced an accurate sounding combo and it did remove the unnecessary spike on the KZs which was I thought great because it did not do that much with HD800. Great imaging and has more body in the midrange and bass. KZs by far is my most sensitive IEM and it can pick up every single noise and distortion coming from the source. The IEMatch has the S-balanced feature that provides full balanced benefits and ‘hiss free’. The result is everything sounds clean with black background. I enjoy acoustic, orchestra and classical songs out of these but still lacking with some modern songs. As of how much I love the improvements it gave to KZ ZS6, I still think that Westone 30 is the better combo.


Overall

There are couple things that I like about this new DAC/Amp from iFi Audio and one of them is MQA rendering. In fact, I love it a lot. Everything seems clear and the clarity is something that I would not expect in the sub $200 portable amp. As a fan of balanced and neutral sounding amp, this will be my top choice if I am looking for the amp without breaking the bank. If you’re an IEM user, this amp is your best friend. The S-balance feature provides black background even with super sensitive IEMs. Of course, you can get a separate iFi IEMatch for the same purpose, but having it soldered inside the amp makes a lot of different; shield it from any external interferences. However, I prefer it to have a toggle button for the IEMatch feature like iDSD Micro BL instead of two 3.5mm outputs. A ¼ in output jack would be a good addition for versatility. I am positive that what iFi had in mind was to focus on IEM than full-size cans, but it would be amazing if ¼ in output jack could replace one of the 3.5mm jack and place the toggle button for the other 3.5mm jack to activate the IEMatch feature. I used the ‘listen’ filter most of the time and that’s how I enjoyed the most when listening to music. While it is a good feature to have, for leisure listener, it might not be utilized as much. I am a huge fan of iDSD Micro BL and thought that I am expecting too much on this amp to be a clone of its older brother. The bass in Micro BL is amazing and hope that Nano BL could do slightly better in the bass. It does have quantity but lacking in quality and texture.




With MQA rendering feature, it allows for great detail retrieval that rivals Micro BL and Chord Mojo. It is a top-notch selection DAC/Amp under $200. For those who are looking for a sub $200 portable amp, I would advise you to just pull the trigger. You will never regret it.

After participating in the iFi iDSD Micro BL tour earlier this year, iFi gave me another opportunity to test their new iDSD Nano BL this time. The UK based company sent me a brand new Nano BL for a week in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you once again!



After I had tested the iDSD Micro BL and compared it to my Chord Mojo (which I own since its release), I was lucky enough to own a Micro BL for a longer period. Knowing these two great quality portable DAC/amps pretty well, I was very excited to see what iFi has to offer for £200 which is more or less half the price of the two aforementioned devices.

In my opinion, the Nano BL will definitely stir up the portable DAC/amp market in the £200 segment, I have no doubt about that.
I also prefer the Nano’s sound to some slightly higher priced competition (Oppo HA2SE), but to my experience the picture still changes around £400 pretty drastically. The Micro BL and Mojo still rule the portable DAC/amp scene with all rights, but if someone can’t afford to spend £400 on a digital to analogue converter, it is not easy to recommend anything else for £200 than the Nano BL.



Package, accessories, built quality

The Nano BL comes in a nice box, which is half the size of the Micro BL’s box, just like the device itself. We still receive a nice selection of accessories, however one potentially useful cable is missing and that is the USB-A female to USB micro B/USB C which you could use to connect the Nano BL to mobile phones or DAPs. As the Nano has a truly portable size (unlike its bigger brother the Micro BL), not including this cable is a poor choice in my opinion. We do have a USB 2.0 cable though and an adapter as well which I think most customers would happily exchange for a Micro B or C cable.



I mentioned this in my iDSD Micro BL review as well, so I am not going into details again but I am still not sure why iFi is using USB A female port on its portable DACs, when you can see USB B ports on all the similar devices.
The Nano BL otherwise has the same very good build quality like its bigger brother, the Nano is just much smaller and lighter. Mojo is still slightly smaller than the Nano BL and does not have a volume knob sticking out which can easily turn if it touches something in your bag for instance.



Even though the Nano BL has a truly portable size, there are sleeker and smaller competitors. The Nano BL however offers a better sound than any DAP or portable DAC I heard so far in the £200-250 price segment.

The iDSD Micro BL is amazingly versatile, and you pay for this versatility as well as for its great sound quality. In case of the Nano BL, sound purists get a better deal for their money as on the one hand it is less versatile but on the other hand it also means your money is going towards sound quality only. This is the priority for many of us.



Two burning questions

Before I go into details regarding the Nano BL’s sound quality, I would like to answer two questions that probably many of the readers have.

1, How much do I get for £200 from the iDSD Micro’s performance?
It would be pretty pointless to suggest a number what percentage of the Micro BL’s sound quality the Nano BL possesses. iFi are obviously not stupid to give you the same or even almost the same sound quality for less than half the price of the Micro BL. Although the Micro’s higher price is partly due to its versatility and exceptional output power, it still sounds much better than the Nano in every respect. However I also think that 60% of the people who don’t need the Micro’s versatility and power, will be just as happy with the Nano’s sound quality. It is exceptionally good for £200.



2, Does the Nano BL come close to Chord Mojo for only £200?
The short answer is no. In my opinion the Micro BL is somewhat on Mojo’s level, (even though they represent quite a different approach to sound), but I have to disappoint you, the Nano is not beating DACs for twice its price. It is good marketing to ask this question, but the answer is simply a short no. I have to add though, the Nano BL’s sound will satisfy many people who don’t hear the difference between a £200 and a £400 DAC.
My girlfriend who is not into portable audio but has quite musical ears sums up the difference: “The Nano sounds very good, but the Mojo makes me smile.”



Now, that we have got the two most important/exciting/disturbing questions out of the way, let’s see what the Nano BL has to offer sound-wise.

Sound

The Nano BL has much less power than its big brother the Micro BL, which is not really a surprise. The Micro is a powerhouse, I can’t imagine there is anything it couldn’t drive. The Nano on the other hand in my opinion won’t power the most hungry headphones (300Ω) on a satisfying level, although it has plenty of power for every portable and/or lower impedance headphones. With my 25Ω Nighthawks I usually turned the volume up to 50%.



The Nano’s sound signature is relaxing, warm and natural compared to its competition, with nice and satisfying bass, just what I prefer.
The sound overall is very satisfying, nothing really lacks. Good treble and bass extention, good soundstage, good separation, good space, very enjoyable in fact. The Nano’s sound only starts to fall short when we compare it directly to higher-end products like the Mojo or the Micro BL. For the price of two Nano BLs you can get a better music listening experience, but you only need that if your ears are able to appreciate the difference, and the double cost also doesn’t hurt your wallet too much.



I was able to listen to music with the Nano BL for hours, and I really enjoyed it’s warm, ear-friendly and powerful sound. It is not as detailed as the more expensive DACs mentioned in this review neither has the same level of resolution, but for half the money it is actually not very far from them. iFi’s smaller DAC is definitely more than half as good as the Micro or the Mojo, but as you go for higher and higher quality products in this hobby, you pay more and more for a 10-20% improvement.



The Nano BL is well balanced tonally throughout the frequencies, with a healthy bass response. Bass never lacks on the Nano, however a category higher you can hear a cleaner and better controlled bass. More expensive DACs like the Mojo sound more exciting and pleasing, more realistic and lifelike especially when it comes to acoustic instruments (strings, percussion) and vocal. Also the soundstage depth of the higher-end DACs is missing from the Nano, the picture is slightly more 2D than 3D.
The Nano BL is not as clean and clear as the more expensive competitors, it is like putting a good quality fullHD LCD screen next to a 4K oled screen. The full HD is absolutely satisfying, until you see (in our case hear) the better resolution.



In my Micro BL review I mentioned that iFi’s sound with the BL line reminds me to a good quality film theater sound system with its good bodied bass. Very entertaining and relaxing. On the other hand Chord’s DACs like the Mojo aim to sound as lifelike as possible. Both approach has a market in my opinion, it is good to have different choices. The Nano follows this ’entertaining Hi-Fi sound system’ kind of sound. iFi’s DACs still sound more natural and lifelike than many of their competitors, for instance I did not really like the OPPO HA2SE’s thinner and more artificial sound (especially in the treble region) even though it was very detailed (more detailed than the Nano).

Nano BL vs. Mojo

The most obvious difference when we compare the Nano BL to Mojo is the lack of dynamic punch and depth on the Nano. Mojo’s attack is much quicker, decay is shorter which results in a more accurate sound with additional clarity and air, leading to better imaging and better instrument separation. Background is also more black and we have more details and a more lifelike sound as the final product.
The fact we can compare the Nano BL to a significantly more expensive DAC is a big compliment itself to the Nano.



Conclusion

This little black box from iFi is extremely capable for £200. I like its ear-friendly and smooth sound, it is well-balanced tonally and offers a fantastic value for money. The full MQA compatibility can be an attractive feature for many buyers. iFi’s newest DAC/amp the iDSD Nano BL has everything to be the new king of its price category.

First of all I would like IFI for letting me in on this tour. I have never reviewed anything so here goes,

Build

The Nano looks like it will weigh a brick. In reality it doesn’t. it is surprisingly light. Weighs just as much as my phone. It is a bit thick, but its not massive. The unit looks beautiful in the stealth black finish . The lettering in the back is a bit hard to read since its also black. You have to hold the nano in a specific angle for the light to reflect just right to see what is written

iEMatch

wow this definitely changed the way some of the tracks sounded to me. It was mostly heard on my jhaudio 10x3. Plugging them into just the direct port gave the slightest hiss, but after plugging them to the iEMatch it was like day and night. The background was pin drop silent. It gave a real empty feeling when the tracks had silence in them

Filters

To be honest I tried a lot to hear the differences between the two filters. I was not able any difference, maybe it is just my ears. I left it on measure for the majority of the time after the initial switching around to hear the difference.


Test Tracks

Murder One – Metallica

hd6xx - warm, not as crunchy as I would like it. the amp has plenty of power to drive it. I was able to tell the different layers and separate them

jhaudio - warm, same as the hd6xx not as crunchy I would prefer. plenty of power to drive it. the iem match does make a difference. Was able to tell the different layers

AFO – it doesn’t like this song through the iDSD nano. It sounds cluttered and underpowered.

Nuforce – I had to run these on the direct port. It did sound much better than driving it with just my phone, but it was not a lot better than how it sounded with the hd6xx and JHaudio

Spanish Harlem - Rebecca Pidgeon

jhaudio - iemmatch made the silent backgrounds as Silent as I have ever heard. the female voice and the voilin sounds beautiful. Made me listen to this song on repeat atleast 5 times. it sounds very musical. can hear the instrument layers very clearly. from the bass line to the marracas. Beautifully matching. The imaging was very nice. I was able to pick out every instrument

hd6xx – not as musical as I liked it on the jhaudio 10x3. It is missing the coherence on these. The piano sounds too warm and kind of muffled. The background is pretty silent. The female voice comes out beautifully. Just a tad warm for my taste. The imaging was there. A bit cluttered


Wayfaring Stranger - New Appalachians

hd6xx – the female voice comes out beautifully again. The bass line also is very nicely presented. Kinda missing the umph, but that might be the headphone also. While the imaging was nice. I felt like a layer of music was missing when comparing to listening with the jhaudio 10x3. Other than the nano performs this song beautifully

jhaudio – pretty much everything was delivered perfectly to my ears. The Nano performs amazingly well with acoustic music.

Nuforce – the sound was too warm for me. It wasn’t muddy or bad. I would have liked a bit more treble and mid range. The bass was overwhelming

Comparison

Oneplus 5 vs iDSD nano – the nano definitely has a lot more power for headphones. It also sounds cleaner with better soundstage and imaging. It is definitely worth paying the $200 for this.

Shangling M3s vs iDSD nano – hands down prefer the nano. They both seem to have the same amount of power output. The nano might be a bit more powerful, but the nano sounds transparent and neutral compared to the M3s. The m3s is too warm for my taste. The nano has better soundstage than the m3s

NFB 11.28 vs iDSD nano – these two are not exactly in the same class. The NFB is a very powerful amp. The nfb is much more transparent and also sounds neutral. Maybe the tiniest bit of sparkle. The nano sounds a bit warm when you compare it to the nfb. While the nano has a good soundstage, the nfb beats in a very noticeable way.

Conclusion

While this is a portable amp/dac it does have the power to drive the hd6xx very well. It does not sound as open on some songs, but other than that this performs very well. Boy does it perform like a beast with my jhaudio 10x3. JUST WOW!! The two are a perfect match. With the nuforce x massdrop while it was better than just driving it with my phone I don’t see myself carrying the nano just to drive these. It is not the Nano’s fault. The iem is just not on the Nano’s level. It seems to bottleneck the dac/amp. I highly recommend this to anyone that wants powers their portable headphones and iems on the go. I might actually buy one myself.

First of all, I need to apologize to all because I am not a headphone person, I have very budget headphones which I use only out of nessecity and my review will appear so poor in comparison with so many experts in this forum. I am posting in this forum simply because it is required as part of the loan review process. However, I will do the review in an informal way from the point of view of simple consumer that offers an honest opinion in order to help other consumers at his level to choose a product and I hope some of you will find this review somewhat useful. More importantly, I hope I will provide useful consumer feedback to Ifi audio to design new products that fullfil some additional requirements of a silent budget audiophile minority (or maybe a majority...)

To start with, my biggest concern regarding this device is the battery life. I thought that I had a default product since in any of my listening sessions I did not exceeded 2 hours of continuous listening. On my conserns Ifi responded with the following message :


'10 hours playback is possible but on low volume / headphone etc.
Charging time is around 3 hours'

It is true that I was listening on high volume because i liked the combination of using IEMatch and raising the volume a lot (without IEmatch the volume is so loud in lower settings) but I got this response after I returned the unit so simply I do not know if that is the case.
However, 2 hours battery life is a bit of deal breaker for me but I am not sure if this is the result of faulty unit or let's say an "illegitimate" usage from me.

Someone can avoid using the battery for instance if using a desktop or laptop or Network adapter like the raspberry pi or the USBridge. However, you need the battery for a connection with an ios device like the iPad or iPhone and although is not strictly required for practical reasons with an android device too.

I am an extremely happy owner of the ifi ione DAC so in my case I was interested in the mobile abilities of the nano Black. In my home set up the ione DAC is simply a dream so I would only consider to buy the nano for mobile use with my android phone or the iPad trying to reproduce the situation I experience in home for which I will discuss more thoroughly later.

The headphones I used in my testing are the following:

1) AKG Y50 50£
2) soundmagic e10c 40£
3) sennheiser hd 202 25£

All of them I consider them very good for the price but clearly belong in the super budget category and probably they do not do any justice to the quality/power of nano. However, the nano is a relatively affordable dac so this may make sense as well. If I had 1000£ headphone I would consider a lot more expensive dac/amplifiers and not even blink to buy the mojo, maybe the Hugo as well.

To my view the rivals to ifi nano Black are the mojo (because is so hyped and roughly the same footprint) and the audioquest dragonflys third generation.

Both Dragonflys, red or black, have the perfect footprint for me for mobile use and I would definitely have bought one over the two if I had an iPhone instead of my android phone. As it is widely known from forums the android system is not compatible with these DACs and you need the UAPP in order to enjoy the full benefit of these DACs. Unfortunately, it seems that this is the case for the Nano black. Is working great with UAPP but not so well outside the app. I heard some clicks and pops from time to time and although in the beginning I thought is the otg cable responsible now i believe is the android system so screwed for proper usb audio without an appropriate app. Recently, I discovered that I have problems with using my dragonfly even with my UAPP so I couldn't do a comparison between dragonfly and nano on my phone. I can't use it in my iOS devices because v1.2 takes so much power so I did a direct comparison only with my surface book where the nano black smoked in sound quality the dragonfly v1.2. (although to be completely honest the dragonfly was not used for much time at this point) but since I had done similar comparisons in the past between ione and dragonfly I call it a day after a few minutes of comparison. Which brings to my first observation, that in a desktop/laptop situation the nano black is so much better and easily justifies its lager footprint. Usually, in a laptop situation I use the tidal desktop app which I find very powerful with the exclusive mode and the MQA Decoding functionality. After updating the nano firmware the MQA in the latest firmware version the rendering could be used providing a noticeable improvement in MQA tidal master songs. I believe this is the strongest point of the nano black. In a desktop/laptop situation with MQA where it really thrives and has the biggest delta with a non MQA dac. It would be interesting to compare with the red version in an MQA setting but that was not possible in my case.

Because in my home set up ione was so much an improvement and better definitely than any of my previous DACs I am always wishing ifi to bring at least some portion of this sound quality to a dragonfly like form. For people like me with budget headphones that do not require a lot of power convenience is of ultimate importance. Another alternative, is to utilize the nano form factor with the Bluetooth functionality of ione. I am not fun of Bluetooth in home even in the best version available which is the ione implementation. Using usbridge or even raspberry pi provides so much more quality after paying the introductory price(in time) of setting up a system like that.

But on the road where the ambient noise plays an important role and where compromises can be made this can be excellent solution. Even in the nano form you can have nano in one pocket phone in the other and go even in the gym.

On the iPad, nano is good as well but the tidal app does not utilise fully the abilities of this dac. The blue cable provided in the box has excellent sound quality but behaves as a diva. With my iPad most of the times did not work. When it works is very good but only when it works. Maybe loves usb 3 ports more. I have similar experience with the blue usb supplied with my ione.

I used the nano also in my home set up where I did not spend a lot of comparison time between this and the usb input of ione. I took as a given that they sound very similar and this is also confirmed by a brief observation more or less. So I am taking the liberty to comment on the sound quality of the nano dac from my previous experience from the ione and combine my experiences.

My home set up consists of a marantz 6005 pm amplifier (300£) and a tannoy DC6T speakers that I got on offer for 250£ and voted best speakers for few years in the 800-1500£ category by the what hifi magazine. A very budget system again with some potential. However, before using the ifi dac or the ipurifier I was somewhat in disbelief for the ability of these speakers. I thought that maybe the amp was not able to realise the full potential or simply they were overestimated. I had also the belief that all budget DACs sound more or less the same so no further music satisfaction could be achieved until I upgrade my system considerably. That was before ifi arrived in town. First with the ipurifier and then with ione. Immediately, the improvement was substantial the amp and the speakers made an unbelievable combination that defied their price. Further tweaks, like a tube preamplifier, good RCA cables and the USBridge elevated the sound even further. If my speakers on 250£ pounds deserve every single penny the same is true for the ifi products. The ifi DACs transform the sound in two ways. One is through their ipurifier technology and the other through the DAC section.

The sound signature of this dac I believe depends very much on the synergy. In my home set up with the warm marantz, the tube preamplifier section and my RCA cables the sound is warm, dynamic, transparent powerful and full of energy. Another way to put it is that the sound transformed to the equivalent sound of a hifi system that is one price category above without being fatiguing so you can listen for many hours.

However, the ifi dac alone in a different system or the black alone with my headphones had a different behaviour and someone could say that it has neither excess warmness nor brightness. This is a positive for me, because it can be manipulated according to tastes. As such, I was getting more pleasure from my home set up rather than using the nano black with my laptop. Another observation, is that the nano black played better with the power supply taken from an ifi ipower through a usbridge and jitterbug than its internal power from its battery.

This brings me to the following conclusions.

1) An excellent DAC in absolute levels however you need to read other reviews (as I will do) for a comparison with the biggest rivals such as mojo and dragonfly red.

2) Not very transportable. I prefer/need so much more the small factor of dragonfly. Alternatively, it needs the Bluetooth functionality to be truly convenient. If IFI manages to do that can make a budget Poly/Mojo killer with the nano form factor.

3) For home set up I definitely prefer ione. It has the same sound quality and offers so much more functionality. The spdif implementation is from another planet and elevates the TV system to extraordinary levels.

4) The battery for me is the big question. Nobody complained so far so maybe is my unit or I was doing something wrong. But 2 hours is two little this is an issue for me. The point is that it sounds so good that you want to raise the volume, if that deplates the battery excessively what is the point then?

5) It would be nice to have MQA Decoding functionality as well. With UAPP you can have tidal with mobile devices and with Kodi/tidal 2 add on in home without a PC.

6) The sound signature of IFI I believe is one of the best in the market and the one I clearly prefer. Please package this in more devices of different forms.

7) The volume knob is a big plus for me and the strongest advantage against dacs like the mojo. For me it feels like the throttle in a bike. You give more when you need or want and the feeling is amazing. Maybe this is why I had two hours of battery only in my listening sessions. Ifi please NEVER remove the knob from your devices when needed.

Probably, I will not buy this device simply because it does not cover my mobile needs but if it covers your requirements then I really recommend this product. I do not know if it is the best dac under 500£ and how compares with all its rivals but I know that: it sounds really really good in order to write a review 4 hours before new year Eve!

Happy new year everyone!

Review - iFi Nano iDSD BL (4.5 stars is my actual rating, that didn't seem to be an option when submitting)

Hello HF -

Full disclosure - iFi supplied the unit free of charge for a review period of apx. 7 days. This is a completely unbiased review and iFi was very clear that they wanted honest and unbiased review.

Before starting I want to note when I reference a “unit” I mean the unit being reviewed - “iFi Nano,,,”. I also call it the Nano and iFi. If I am talking about something that isn’t the iFi I call it by name. iFi - please simplify the naming conventions? We are getting into BMW/Mercedes levels of silly model names.

Intro -

To start - I plan to write this focused on the “feeling” of using the equipment, as opposed to technical listening type info. There are many more qualified than I, and many in general, who can and will write about specifics of frequency response, strong/weak points of sound reproductions, etc. I plan to review this based much more on the “feeling” of the sound relative to what I know and other equipment. As such, I should give a little summary of the W/H’s of how I listen so you can get a basis for your listening habits v mine.


I listen to classic/modern/indie/alt rock and then pop music the most. Withing that, the vast majority is rock music. No modern/radio country really. Not much classical. Some jazz. I prefer a little bias of the highs and lows, a “jazz/r&b” sig if you will, scooped mids some extra bass but close to neutral. My favorite headphones are my HD-650s and my Pinnacle P1s. I also love my Etymotic HF5’s. I have Grado Sr80s and also loved my (recently sold) Fidelio X1s. I also like my Monk +’s and my UE6000s. My normal equipment includes a Ray Samuels Audio (RSA) The Predator portable DAC/Amp, and a Schiit Magni 2 amp for home/wired use. I also have my LG V30, which is fantastic.


I like warm sound. I really appreciate separation and soundstage.


To me - “mid-fi” means pieces of equipment in about the $300-500 range. I apply that same descriptor to headphones / amps / DACs.


First Impressions / Unboxing -


Sturdy, quality build, compact packaging. Everything fits tight (very tight).

The build quality on the unit feels great right off the bat. Its light but the casing feels very sturdy in the hand. It turns on with a satisfying “click” on the volume and my first time plugging into the unit (¼” cable to 650s, USB out from my laptop) the ports felt very sturdy. The only input is a USB connection, the unit has a USB-A male plug. This will turn out to be a very frustrating aspect of getting going.


Hours into the session, I want to get up and get a snack and clean up. Normally I would throw my kit into my pockets and walk around like a weirdo with cables hanging off of me into my pants. Unfortunately I can’t do that here with what I got out of the box - reminding me again of frustration instead of the super pleasant listening experience.


My job has trained me to offer at least some solution when discussing a problem, thus - what would I like to see included. Why are we using a male USB-A? Regardless, if you use this as your ONLY input - include a female to male A adapter. I would like to see at the least an option to get going with a USB micro, even that would be way late to the party. I can’t imagine the reason for not making this with a USB-C input and probably a USB C. It’s 2018, USB-C is here to stay, and offers so many perks over older USB types.

Offer a little upcharge to get lightning if its a money thing, USB-C shouldn’t be a barrier in 2018. Get this stuff in the box - nobody buying this will blink at a $10 increase in cost to get cabling that is actually useful. Also, if I don’t have the cable/adaptor to get this going you’ve messed up! I have cables on cables on cables and adaptors on adaptors on cables on cable(y) adaptors. I know that sounds silly, but I rarely can’t come up with some cable or cable combo to get what I need in a pinch. In addition to “audiophile” stuff, I am a musician and have worked in studios - I really have a pretty stupid amount of cables laying around.


Usage - initial thoughts


I quickly noticed the lack of ability to get an analog input to the unit and just check out the amp portion. My regular portable dac/amp (Ray Samuels RSA Predator) has the option to input 3.5mm and just use the amp. I like this option as sometimes I don’t have the necessary digital cable handy, and my new LG V30 is a very capable DAC.Using only the amp also has battery benefits over running as a DAC/AMP. This could be a specific use-case scenario for this reviewer - but in my experience I would not be the only one having these thoughts.


Sound / Comps -


The sound has very good separation. I notice this right away casually listening as I set up for writing and a focused listening session.


The following is almost a “stream of consciousness” section while I was listening to songs I know well. For readers sake, I edited some afterwards.


I hear birds in the background of Frank Ocean’s “Pink + White”, during the last verse/chorus, that I honestly never noticed before. I had only ever noticed this sound at the very end of the song. The unit makes it sound like they are overhead, just behind me, and a little on my left. I love when equipment allows me to feel like I could close my eyes and point to where the instrument (sound, whatever) is “in the room”.

I get a tight, but large feeling, soundstage using this unit. The sound seems to tighten up my 650s, where some equipment give them a little bit of a “loose” warm feel. I think the attack and decay here is sharper than I normally hear out of the 650s, but still warm and fun.


In Bon Iver’s “For Emma” I can clearly hear the different guitar takes, strumming patterns, stereo separation in the mix. It affords me the ability to generally tell the difference between what is likely Justin using different guitars/mics/recording techniques. It adds to the complexity of the sound (in a good, even great, way). To a “lay” user, I think they would hear this as incredibly detailed and pleasing. To me it is also very pleasing, but I hear every little up/down strum flourish very well. Did I mention I love the separation and soundstage on this unit? Because I do.


Switching back to my V30 only (same file) the sound is equally clear, possibly a little more neutral. The separation is good, but the soundstage is closer together. As the instruments comes together it still sounds great, but there is less directional definition and I also hear a less detail in things like the up/down strum pattern and multiple guitar takes mixed together. I do prefer the listening on the iFi. Both very quality, but a warmer and bigger sound on the iFi. To me, that's a great quality.


On “All Night” - Bey’s vocals sound just about equal across the V30 to iFi. I will say that, again, the soundstage is better on the iFi - Bey sounds like she is “in front” of the band moreso with the unit than just off the v30. I enjoy the song quite a bit, it seems to really “hit” where pop music ashould. To me this dac/amp has wide appeal for how it handles sound.


Compared to the V30 and Schiit combo - I think the iFi is actually more fun. The bass sounds to me like it’s “jumping” around more - like its more live and present than the song via the phone/schiit. The bass is a little flatter and less lively, its separated less, and the vocals get lost in the mids more with the v30/schiit combo than in the iFi to 650 combo.


Switching over to my most used IEM’s, MeeAudio Pinnacle P1s, I still get a great soundstage with QOTSA’s “Like Clockwork” sounding wide and deep. The vocal on this track sounds excellent - this amp really allows a vocal track to shine, reproducing Homme’s raspy croon as well as anything I have used.


Listening to Julien Bakers “Shadowboxing” again shows off the excellent mid-range on the Nano. With the bassy electric having full separation from her breathy and powerful vocal you can really appreciate the quality of the simple production on the album - you could be listening on IEMs or hearing the song at your favorite sounding venue. There is very much a “live sound” presence the Nano brings to the table - very accurate but not the clinical sound that is sometimes a product of focusing on neutral and accurate sound reproduction.


Compared to the same listening on my Predator, the iDSD is less warm, equally detailed and with a more pleasing soundstage to my ears. This dac/amp really rewards quality recordings, it seems more than happy to allow the listener to hear and appreciate every nuance of a song. I hear this the most on a recording like Daft Punk’s “Game of Love” - where subtle background synth lines are very present and small percussion accents very easy to hear.


Where I find the first (sound) shortcoming of this amp is when I dig into my hip-hop/rap collection. I listen to a good bit of music in this genre, but its production values frequently don’t play nice with audiophile gear, which I suppose is part of the reason anyone buys Beats. I do not get a lively, bassy feel at all. The bass is actually quiet and seems generally pushed towards the back of the mix, leaving the mids hanging out to dry. Compared to rap through my Predator, and even the V30 alone, this sound is flat and boring.It does not inspire me to want to get up and dance, just to take a review break and get my bass/dance/party fix quickly on a different setup.


On Tool’s “The Pot” the excellent soundstage in on full display again. It’s like the band is playing in a circle around my head. It sounds great! - percussion is crystal clear, bass is heavy and accurate, vocals show Maynard’s range and authenticity, and and Jones’ guitar is beautiful.


Listening to Bon Iver’s “22, A Million”, I am reminded of the respect paid to great production by this unit. If an artist wanted you to hear a guitar noodle, in the background, clearly overshadowed by a vocal flourish after - you will hear it just like that. For me, one of the greatest parts of accurate audio reproduction isn’t the pomp and circumstance of a totally unbiased, neutral sound, but hearing what your (__enter artist of choice__) wanted you to hear. To understate it to the extreme, a multitude of people, from the artist to the series of engineers, all work very hard to get a specific sound to you. To me, it’s seeing a Van Gogh in person vs seeing an excellent print. If possible, I want the original, all day every day. With audio, I can have (very nearly) that. The Nano 100% moves you towards that goal.


My current most used setup at home is my phone (LG V30) into my Schiit Magni 2, to my 650s. I’ve really enjoyed this setup a lot. The same songs, computer to Nano, to 650s, sound so much more full and warm through the latter. Turned to what I’d appxmate as 60%, the Nano drives the crap out of y 650s - in the best possible way.


I have, and I’m sure will, loved the Magni 2. Schiit is a great company in the scheme of mid/hi end audio. On this front, I’d take the sound out of the Nano hands down. I didn’t find tracks to deter me from that position despite trying to (in audio, the negative is easier to prove than the positive). I get a ton of clarity and beauty from the V30/Schiit, but the warmth and separation I get from the Nano is far better. By no means take this as a deterrent from picking up either of those pieces of kit, but if the choice involves the Nano v those options/something similar - get the nano. It is great. I really, really, love the sound from this unit.





Listening options -


Plugging the unit into my laptop (older Yoga Pro) it was picked up immediately and I had no issues getting music going pretty much right away. There is plenty of headroom here using my 650s. I am ½ volume, “Direct” out, and these cans are bumping. I’ve spent countless hours on these cans and have a good feel for when they are really being driven, pushed a little but in the sweet spot. The iFi delivers here in spades. It really drives these, plenty of room to spare, and I feel like this matchup is an especially good one. We’ll see as I move on to other options.


Battery -


I am not the first in the review chain, and the unit was sent with a full charge. The holidays meant I had a little less time with the unit than I qould have liked. The battery seemed well above average.


Features -


IE Match / Direct - I have read up on the IE Match feature, from iFi and also some user generated info, and I am still not sure this is as important a feature as it is made out to be. I may not have quite the diversity of headphone/impedance types to really benefit. What I can speak to is what I perceive as a difference in the sound. There is a level difference between them, where I needed to turn up the volume to get to the same listening level output while using IE Match.


After matching listening levels, using the IEMatch sounds, to me, almost like dropping the blanket over the music. I hear a little less crispness using IE Match, and it does also seem to temper some of the more harsh highs. The ladder is especially noticeable when listening to something like Kanye’s “Jesus Walks” and in general more noticeable on radio pop type songs. I also hear some muddling of the L/R separation that I enjoy so much from the Nanos other output. I detect a narrowing of the soundstage, with the music feeling more like it's being played AT me instead of WITH me. Its less immersive and I feel less engaged.


Overall, I preferred the sound from the “Direct” output and used that much more during my time with the Nano. Again, I might be a specific use case situation where this feature isn’t very beneficial - but I also don’t fully understand what this feature adds overall.


Final thoughts -

I would buy this unit. In fact, I might buy this unit. I live in the “mid-fi” space (a hilarious name for a spot where people spend car-payments worth of dough on unnecessary equipment) but this represents a likely upgrade for anyone living at or below that spot. Its very similar to my RSA, but newer, more adaptable, and better prepared for the future. I hate the cabling situation - it's just silly in 2018 - but as an audio nerd I’ll happily research and buy yet more equipment to correct that problem. For the price, I don’t know I would have a better “jack of all trades” rec over this.. If this is in your financial wheelhouse, and you are wanting a versatile and portable option, buy it.


TL;DR version -


Pros -

• great soundstage and separation
  • Vocals are excellent!
• Compatibility with all current hi-res file types
  
  
• Build quality and feature set
  
  
• Looks (its good lookin’ !)
  
  
• Price

Cons -

• The digital input, cable situation! (an easy fix, please fix it??)
  
  
• Inability to use it w/o DAC

My hand shot-up when I saw that iFi had arranged a global head-fi tour of their new addition to their range of bewilderingly-named (seriously, keeping-up with which acronym is which is tough…) small headphone DAC/amp combos – the iFi Nano iDSD Black Label. There’s been nothing but praise for the Micro - the, err, slightly “less small” portable DAC/amp from iFi that’s been swaying would-be Chord Mojo users, and blowing people away with its head-melting ability to pump a whole four watts into 16 ohms, plus super-talented DAC that can handle just about any file type thrown its way. For me, the Micro was not quite ‘micro’ enough for me to want to comfortably stack on-the-go, and perhaps slightly more than I wanted to spend at the time.



But at $200, the Nano BL is a pretty appealing proposition on paper alone:



Features/Specifications:

General
Input(rear): USB2.0 type A “OTG” Socket (with iPurifier® technology built-in)
Output(rear)； 1 x Audio fixed line out L+R 3.5mm
Digital Filter: 2 positions, 2 filters
Outputs(front): 2 x Headphone Audio 3.5mm one direct and one with iFi iEMatch® integrated

DAC
DAC: DSD, DXD, PCM DAC by Burr Brown Bit-Perfect DSD processing, Bit-Perfect DXD processing
Clock: Low-jitter crystal clock
Audio Formats: DSD 256/128/64/12.4/11.2/6.2/5.6/3.1/2.8
DXD 384/352.8kHz
PCM 384/352.8/192/176.4/96/88.2/48/44.1kHz
MQA 88.2/96/176.4/192kHz filters
Filter–PCM: Listen(transient optimised minimum phase)
Measure(frequency response optmised)
–DSD: Listen(extended bandwidth transient optimised)
Measure (narrow bandwidth, low output band noise optimised)
–DXD: Fixed Bit-Perfect Processing
–MQA: Fixed MQA Filter

Headphone Amplifier
Amplifier: Dual Mono 2 x 285mW Direct Drive, coupling capacitor free circuit for highest fidelity
Volume Control: 3.5mm TRRS with Balanced compatible wiring
Dynamic Range(including DAC): > 109dB(A) @ 3v (Direct)
> 107dB(A) @ 0.5V (iEMatch®)
THD &N (@ 125mW/30R): < 0.005%
Max. Output (<10% THD): > 3.5V @ 600Ω Load (Direct) (20mW/600Ω)
> 2.9V @ 30Ω Load (Direct) (285mW/30Ω)
> 1.7V @ 15Ω Load (Direct) (200mW/15Ω)
Output Impedance : < = 1Ω (Direct)
< = 4Ω (iEMatchsup>®)
Channel Separation: > 79dB @ 600Ω Load (Direct)
> 79dB @ 15Ω Load (Direct) (1kHz, TRRS plug Balanced wiring)

Line Output
Dynamic Range(Line): > 109dB(A)
THD & N(0dBFS Line): < 0.004%
Output Voltage(Line): : 2.15V (+/-0.05V)
Output Impedance: < 240Ω
Channel Separation: > 99dB (@ 1kHz)
Jitter(correlated): Below test set limit

Dimensions
96(l) x 64(w) x 25.5(h)mm
Weight: 139g (0.31 Ibs)

So, the same DAC-section from its brethren, in a smaller package, at a $200 asking price? Sign me up! I decided that when my week review-time came with the Nano BL, that I was going to look to answer the following questions:

1. POWER? Sure, at 285mW @ 30ohms, it’s no slouch. But how will it handle higher-Z cans being thrown at it?

2. LIVEABILITY? Can this portable-in-mind DAC/amp combo really work in a “stack” on a day-to-day basis? And for those looking for a do-it-all DAC/amp, could this possibly be the only desktop peripheral you’ll ever need?

3. TO MOJO, OR NOT TO MOJO? The size, dimensions and capabilities of the Nano aim it squarely at Chord’s wunderkind. The Nano already has a $379 headstart on the Mojo (currently $579 on amazon). But other things being equal, how does it perform head-to-head?



Presentation and form-factor

It’s a solid-feeling little deck-of-cards-sized metal black box and reassuringly well-built – and perhaps a little lighter than I was expecting. So light, in fact, that when I had it performing desktop duties, the fairly girth-y USB cable supplied with it tended to move it across my desktop and it wouldn’t really want to stay in-place. So it’s nice and portable in terms of footprint, and heft.



On the “front side”, there’s two 3.5mm headphone outputs – ‘IEMatch’; and ‘Direct’. The former is designed for use with high-sensitivity IEMs (as its name suggests…) for “…reduced background noise and matched-gain.”. The latter directs the full output of the Dual Mono 2 x 285mW Direct Drive into regular sensitivity headphones.

Alongside the 2 x headphone outputs is a rather tactile, “proper” volume knob. The knob “clicks” to take care of powering the Nano BL on/off, as well as volume-duties for headphones.

Adorning the front panel is a multi-coloured LED that indicates battery-status, and audio-format playback. Chord Mojo users will sympathise with having to memorise which colour denotes which mode, but it’s fairly straightforward.

Flip-around to the “rear” side, and there’s a 3.5mm Line Output for sending the output from the DAC section to another amplifier/component; a switch to flick between “MEASURE” and “LISTEN” filters; and a rather curious full-sized male USB input to handle both data and charging duties. More on this later.



Ergonomics and real-world ‘liveability’

There’s generally two kinds of on-the-go audiophiles – “Stackers”, and “DAP-pers”. The Nano BL is pitched at the former group, in that it’s designed to easily pair/stack with a source (either a smartphone; DAP; or laptop/PC); to provide better digital decoding, playback, and amplification for headphones, or for use upstream from powered monitors or other two-channel systems. And because of its diminutive form-factor, taking it with you on-the-go is easy. Right?

Mobile use

The first test I had with the Nano BL out of the box was to attach it to my Samsung S7 Edge, playing FLAC files through USB Audio Player Pro. Luckily I was able to ‘plug-and-play’ right away, because I happened to have a USB-A female to USB-micro OTG adapter handy lying around.



Mobile users beware – the Nano BL doesn’t come with a mobile-ready cable. At first I thought this to be a major oversight, but realised that there’s a mix of mobile users out there with either USB-micro; USB-C; or Lightning compatible smartphones. So rather than packing no less than 4 x connections into the box (including the full-sized PC connection included), it’s incumbent on the consumer to grab the one that best fits their set-up. Just make sure you know this beforehand or you could be stuck with an expensive paperweight while waiting on a cable to arrive, or for your next store visit!

Still, the USB-male input is a little confounding, as its recessed connection means that bulkier USB cables won’t necessarily “dock” with it flush, and may not even fit at all.

Anyhow, pairing the Nano BL with the S7 Edge was a breeze, and started playback right away. It’s not exactly a “pocketable” stack – in fact it’s pretty thick when stacked back-to-back, so if you’re out and about you’ll need to hold them (pretty firmly) in the palm of your hand.

iFi rate the battery life for the Nano BL at 10 hours - I never came even close to running it down, so can't really comment on it but have no reason to doubt that it's achievable. On thing I only realised after my time with the Nano BL was up, was that if you switch it on before plugging into USB power, it'll continue to run off battery power. Whereas if you plug it in first and then switch it on, it'll charge/run off USB power.

So yes, it’s “portable” alright, but perhaps “transportable” is a little more accurate – it’s perfect for taking with you; un-packing; and hooking-up with your source in a hotel-room; flight; or café for killer sound wherever you happen to find yourself. Like parked outside with a nice beer and a pair of Meze 99 Classics…for example.



One minor quibble with mobile-use is with regards to that otherwise excellently-tactile volume-knob – it’s easily bumped in bags; crowds; or by just about anything – meaning you can suddenly have a rather-large surge in volume unexpectedly…

Desktop use

I spent most of my time with the Nano BL on my desktop at work, or as a part of my main full-sized set-up at home. The small footprint and easy to use volume control mean it’s great for static use, and (depending on your requirements) it really could be the only DAC/amp you need. When thinking about similarly-priced set-ups such as a Schiit Magni/Modi combination; or an Objective O2 – it really doesn’t lose out in terms of form-factor, and certainly weighs-in a lot smaller.



I spent the majority of desktop use with the Nano BL connected to my 15” Macbook Pro, with either Roon or Tidal (desktop app) as a source. I used it to both power my headphones directly, or to use it up-stream as a standalone DAC sending a line-out signal to my Bottlehead Crack OTL and Schiit Magni 3 amps.



The only thing to note about line-out desktop use in DAC-only mode, is that you won’t be able to control volume from the unit itself as a pre-amp – it’s a fixed signal, and you’ll need to attenuate volume elsewhere. A switchable line-out/pre-out would have been nice, but at $200 you can’t really complain.

Sound quality and performance

I’m not a huge believer in wildly-fluctuating sonic character between DACs, so I’ll only briefly remark that the Nano BL’s DAC sounds expectedly transparent, detailed, and spacious when used in DAC-only mode. It’s highly-capable in that it handles a wide range of formats: PCM (up to 384kHz), DSD (up to 256), and also MQA – which is an interesting selling-point if that sort of thing interests you. I’m not exactly a huge proponent of proprietary formats, and don’t believe there’s any problem that needs solving with FLAC or other open/lossless sources. I did have to give the Nano BL a firmware update in order to be able to play MQA files through the Tidal desktop app, which sounded “great” - but not any different really to PCM, to my ears anyhow. MQA however does reward with a nice magenta glow on the LED on the front-panel.



Using it to power headphones directly, the first thing I threw at the Nano BL were my Grado GR10 IEMs as I was keen to hear the ‘IEMatch’ feature unique to iFi. Unfortunately my review unit seemed to only be sending a signal to one-channel through this output, so the rest of my listening was via the ‘Direct’ output. Fortunately I didn’t experience any hiss/imbalance whatsoever so was happily able to get (otherwise) full use out of the Nano BL before sending it back to the local Australian distributor.



Low-impedance cans sounded predictably excellent, including the aforementioned GR10’s, as well as my Meze 12 Classic IEMs; and moving onto full-sized cans – my Grado GH1s, Beyerdynamic DT1350s, and Meze’s 99 Classics, which I particularly enjoyed for a real (trans)portable treat.

The real test, for me, was to see if the Nano BL was happy to push my harder-to-drive headphones without clipping, struggling, or degrading sound quality. It immediately proved to me that yes, it can – easily. I tested it using my 250ohm Beyerdynamic DT1770s, and my 300ohm ZMF Eikons and Sennheiser HD650s, and it never broke a sweat. I got to unbearably-loud volume on the Senns at just past 12 o’clock. I will say that my Schiit Magni 3 does open up the treble detail and controls bass a little better, but that’s sending a full 430mWPC at 300ohms – I’m not sure of the Nano’s equivalent output at that impedence, but the manual does state that it’s only pushing-out 20mW @ 600ohms.



I switched between the ‘…frequency response optimised’ “MEASURE” and ‘transient optimized minimum phased’ “LISTEN” filters to see how that affected the sound. I was unable to hear any noticeable difference, but your mileage may vary, of course.

As a solid-state amplifier it’s devoid of colouration and provides a clean, neutral window on music. Without beating around the bush, it sounds bloody excellent. Would it struggle with low-sensitivity planars? Probably, but that’s expecting too much from a $200 all-in-one tiny unit.

Nano vs Mojo

They’re both small little black boxes. Both very capable DAC sections. Both capable of easily driving headphones well and stacking with mobile devices.



So what pulls them apart?

‘Wins’ for the Mojo:

- More connectivity options – USB; co-ax; optical
- More power – puts out 720mW @ 8ohms
- 2 x parallel headphone outputs, capable of both full headphone-output and variable line-out duties
- Able to pair with the (somewhat under-baked and controversial) ‘Poly’ streamer/player

‘Wins’ for the Nano BL:

- Proper, tactile volume knob
- IEMatch capability for high-sensitivity IEMs (if it works properly)
- Sends fully-balanced TRRS wiring all the way through to the 3.5mm output
- MQA-capable (although controversial, it’s a trick that the Chord simply can’t do)
- It’s $379 cheaper

That last ‘win’ for the Nano BL is the clincher – if you’re in the market for a small do-it-all DAC/amp, grabbing the iFi device and pocketing the change is a no-brainer, unless you’re:

a) A believer in the bragging-rights (or sonic difference) of the Chord proprietary FPGA DAC
b) In love with the design of the Mojo (who doesn’t love the shiny colourful balls?)
c) Interested in creating an all-in-one ‘MojoPoly’ DAC/Amp/Player/Streamer

Now I happen to be a Mojo owner, as that was the product that best fitted my needs at the time. I also was interested in the Poly at the time, and did indeed end up buying that as well. My experience with life with the MojoPoly is best left for another review, but if I had my time again and was only interested in the DAC/Amp itself, I would likely have saved myself a few hundred bucks and been completely thrilled with the iFi Nano iDSD Black Label (confusing nomenclature and all…).

Disclaimer
Hi everyone, Before I start the review, I would like to thank Ifi for making this DAC/AMP.
This review is made by myself based on my observation and listening pleasure of The DAC/AMP on various gear that I have regardless of price points.

I have no affiliation to Ifi in any way and everything said here is based on my experience over a week.
The pricing in Australia is 299.95 AUD , so the review will be made using that as the value.

INTRODUCTION
I'm an Indonesian working as a Web Developer in Melbourne, Australia.
Other than programming/coding, listening to music is another one of my hobby.
When I start my headphone hobby, music listening has been a very rewarding experience for me and has helped me in many aspects of life other than music enjoyment, but, with the booming price of high end headphones/IEM, it has become a bit of a heavy hit on my wallet.

Starting from almost 4 years ago I've been really hooked by metal music, and nowadays my everyday music listening always incorporate metal tracks, I guess you can call me a Metal-head.

Other than that I also like Progressive Rock, Jazz, etc basically anything that is very technical and well made except classical, and no I don't really listen to modern music.

Metal music is my primary focus, so this review will appeal more for people who likes Metal music like me and less so for people who likes modern music like Trap music, pop music, ed sheeran, Taylor Swift, etc.

I don't actually listen to all kinds of music, lets say for example Classical, therefore it is important to understand that this review is based on my observation on the kinds of musics I like, and those are mainly:
- Metal (many kinds, mainly the extreme kind, like 80% off the time)
- Rock (mostly Porcupine Tree, Steven Wilson, Riverside(rock/metal), Radiohead or something like it)
- EDM (Mostly trance)
- Jazz (Norah Jones, Diana Krall and the likes)
- Folk (just start lately, but I've been listening to Fionn Regan and found it enjoyable)
- Indonesian Song (it's basically the Indonesian version of pop, guitar used is mostly acoustic guitar, sounds natural and relaxing however, mastering of the song is usually poor, this is good to test how good a headphone/Iem handle poorly recorded material)
- etc

Genre's that I don't listen to, not even one bit, unless forced like in shopping center.
- Rap
- Classical
- Bollywood stuff
- Modern pop

Gear Used
- Meze 99 Classic
- Focal Utopia
- Shozy Stardust
- Fiio X7 II
- Violectric HPA v281

Artist, Music that I used in the review:
- Porcupine Tree
- Be'lakor
- Opeth
- Shadow Gallery
- Cynic

PACKAGING
Simple white box, containing the unit and another white box inside containing USB cable and rubber bands for stacking, you will also find some documentation in there, simple and clean packaging.


ACCESSORIES
- Black carrying pouch
- USB adaptor (USB to USB-A)
- Blue USB cable for digital input
- 2 amp straps for "stacking"


Missing:
OTG cable at least for Android, using USB C (Apple one is using lightning and not usable for pc, so this one is ok to miss, but USB-C is now standard, include this please..)

I/O
- 3.5mm headphone out
- 3.5mm headphone IEMatch out
- 3.5mm Lineout
- USB In



Extra Features:
- IEMatch, according to Ifi site:
Use the iEMatch® when the headphones/in-ear monitor (IEM) is either too loud and/or there is excessive hiss from the music source. From Smartphones to airplane in-flight entertainment systems, powerful headphone amplifiers, the iEMatch® improves musical enjoyment by:
1. Background noise – significantly reduced
2. Dynamic range – more open, transparent
3. Volume control – increased usable range
- Filter for measuring and music listening (Don't really care bout this TBH, i didn't even try it)
- MQA
- DSD playback (Most of my tracks are PCM, so I didn't test this)

Battery Life
8 -10 hours depending on loads

Build Quality
Excellent! Metal chassis with textured finish that is screwed together nicely, with rubber feet at the bottom to prevent sliding, nice analog volume pot with very good resistance that doubles as on/off swith, led indicator lights, light unit but not overly so, it does not slides around too much.

Sound Quality
Sound Signature
Very slight V-shaped with boosted bass with tiny bloom, Mids is not forward and slightly laid back, very tiny emphasis and forward sounding upper-mid/lower treble for guitars with good body, upper treble like cymbals is slightly laid back and not too sparkly.

This is not a neutral type signature, but very enjoyable to listen to for a long time without fatigue, is not too distracting as the treble is not harsh and, perfect for work or when you just want to relax.

Bass
The Bass is not the tightest bass I've ever heard but it has good dynamic and attack, so it doesn't soft or cushion-y and is not boomy. Other than that there is a slight bloom on it so bass kicks sounds thicker and meaty.

Due to this the perceive speed on a very speedy beats like "blast-beats" drum kicks in metal music is not the fastest or most distinct I've ever heard, as the distinction between each hits is not apparent as compared other gears I've owned, but I've heard worse and despite this the speed is good.

Bass extension is quite good but I wouldn't say that this is the bass best assets, however you don't have to work hard to notice it, it is presented in a tasteful way that makes music enjoyable especially in tracks that is mastered with weaker bass.

Bass Guitar sounds sweet with tasteful thickness that does not overwhelm the music and just shines where it needs to be.

Mids
The Mids is not as forward as the bass, resulting in a slightly laid back presentation, It is smooth and has excellent macro detail but micro detail such as taking breadth, lip smack and raspiness is not very apparent, vocal decay is also decent with the voice fading away that can still be heard when other parts of the music takes over, especially at the start of the decay, however as the decay goes to the end it is covered by other sounds, so the separation has some weakness in this department.

The presentation is on the smoother sides, when hearing harsh vocals from extreme metal bands, it is not harsh at all, however the edge of the voice is there but could be better, as those bites also adds to the experience of the music, but too much exposure of these bites when not handled properly can be fatigueing.
The good thing here is that the Ifi is always smooth and I will happily lose out on some of those bites for a fatigue free experience.

Moving on to the guitars, the guitars are forward sounding, this is really good on a guitar solo, It will get your attention and you will feel good about it if you like guitars like I do. So the presentation is very enjoyable, at least for me, how about the technicalities? It is also good, but again not the best I've heard. The guitar sounds melodic and sweet, but it's losing alittle bit of that rawness that you usally associate with electrric guitars on metal music, the bites is missing a little bit, my point is it is there but I want more of it to be exposed, we want to hear all those details because we love it.

Treble
The treble is slightly boosted and forward on the lower treble but laid back on upper treble.

Guitars that has high notes still carry the same characteristics as I describe earlier, however when we move up to other percussion instruments like cymbal hits, it is laid back and sit in the background, it is not roll off in any way, it just that the other frequencies sounds more dominant so when the music gets busy, it is more difficult to hear this frequency, you will definitely need to concentrate.

Technicalities is decent, due to the sound signature, upper treble details and extension is difficult to notice, although it is there but I would say that the decay is difficult to appreciate is the other frequencies all sound louder and this decay got buried in it.

On Lower Treble/Upper mid, it has good body and it is smooth and sweet sounding with some bites of those distortion from the electric guitars shining through taking center stage, the details is appreciable with good body so that it does not sound thin.

Sound-stage
It has more width than depth and height, so it is more oval on the horizontal axis, left/right channel separation is good with instruments taking its own place without being congested.

The depth is decent, you can tell there is some difference on how the sound is coming to you depending on the position, vocals close and center, guitar forward sounding either from left or right, drums from the back either from left or right.

IEMatch
Does it work? I think it does, It is not easy to spot the difference since IEMatch will give less volume compared to it's normal output, The Meze 99 classic (32 ohm, which technically shouldn't be affected) plays fine from both out put, but I want to find out if Ifi's claim about IEMatch is true or not.

In order to test this, I switch back and forth using the same song, but the problem is when switching, I have to adjust the volume knob to get the same volume before I can start concentrating again to feel if there are any difference.

Both output are clean and performs well without any problems, but ever so slightly, I feel that the IEmatch output possibly due to lower noise floor, sounds more vivid and also seems more dynamic, although the difference is really hard to hear and could be placebo effect in my brain, but this is what I think I heard.

Comparisons
Fiio X7 II
The Fiio although still has slight bass emphasis, is much more balance signature wise, to be honest the X7 II sound signature is the type of sound signature that is ideal for my preference, I usually like neutral sound signature with slight bass emphasis, this is because it is easier to appreciate details across the frequency bands as all the frequencies more or less has the same emphasis. This makes X7 II easier to pair with a lot of other amps and headphones without over emphasizing anything when interacting with the sound signatures of other gears.

The Ifi seems to be designed as an all in one DAC/AMP solution, judging from the price points, I can see the market target of this product will probably not experiment too much on amp and headphone pairings, therefore there is less chance of bad synergy.

On this approach I think the Nano totally knock the implementation out of the park, it is not shy of going straight to the point with their sound signature to which they see fit for their audience.

The Fiio X7 II exposed details more and has better balance, but depending on your preference you may like the Ifi more, it is more musical especially for most people who likes some elevation on the bass with fun enjoyable sound signature with clean clear sound.
But the X7 II has the added benefits of a standalone unit, no need for stacking, this is a huge plus for me..
Hmmm, this makes me wonder if Ifi is interested in making DAPs in the future..??

I believe the X7 is more well match if compared to the micro iDSD Black Label, hopefully I will get a chance to compare those soon.

Power output/ Headphone pairing
It is quite strong for such a little unit, it powers my Meze 99 classic perfectly and the synergy is awesome, very enjoyable when working in the office.


The Utopia also sounds quite good on this and it plays music just fine, nothing sounds weird and just plays music well. The sound signature pairs well with the utopia, however it does not unleash the full potential of the headphone.


The shozy stardust also plays well on it, this is where the IEMatch comes to play, I have a good amount of volume pot wiggle room, it sounds nice and clean without any hiss and it's very enjoyable to listen too.


As DAC to V281
When used with my V281, along with my focal Utopia, it becomes apparent that the technicalities doesn't expose the details that I usually find in my usual v281 combo, it is also less natural sounding, however, the bass presentation combos well with my Utopia and adds some of those bottom end that some people want and the treble is pulled back a bit but not as laid back as when using the ifi by itself, I personally think that the Utopia is not bass light, but for those who think so, this can work, although I would suggest looking for higher end DACs if you are on this level to get all those details.

With that aside, all the details extracted by the DAC in Ifi Nano is presented beautifully, with superior layering (like on another level layering), I heard way more details easily that I have never noticed before as compared to using the Ifi alone, I have to say that the DAC although not the most technical in bringing Micro details, but it makes up for it with its presentation of macro detail and enjoyable tonality, at least in my set up.

This combined with The Focal Utopia which pretty much exposed everything without any harshness, gives great results that I wan't expecting from a DAC on this price range, well done Ifi!


Conclusions
The Ifi Nano iDSD BL is a good introduction for the iFi product, for the price I couldn't recommend this product more! It performs better than the price can suggest despite some weaknesses, very flexible power output and an enjoyable sound signature that is fatigue free.

It has excellent build quality and acceptable use case, with a good amount of accessories out of the box.
The only main negative for me is that OTG cable is not included, most people who buys this usually wants to use it with their mobile device.

The pricing is good too, and I think is quite affordable for many people.

For a lot of people the DAP acronym likely means nothing or very little. Those people are probably content to use their smartphones as a daily driver to fulfill the task of a music player. And why not? Today's modern smartphones generally have a large screen with excellent visibility, a responsive user interface plus there are a multitude of third party music apps and streaming services available. However phones don't usually deliver the best quality audio and it's for that reason things like the iFi Audio Nano iDSD Black Label exist. Landing at a price of $200 this little, portable DAC boasts an impressive feature set at a competitive price. Let's take a closer look.

Dislcaimer: This sample was provided for the purpose of an honest review. I am not affiliated with the company and all observations and opinions here are my own, based on my experience with the product. Check out the official page for more info and full specifications.

Packaging and accessories

Things start off with a fairly compact, white box enclosed in a cardboard sheath. The box is adorned with an image of the device on the front along with some text outlining key features. Over on the back is a more comprehensive list of features and specifications.

After opening the box you see the device nestled in a foam cutout. Under the foam are the accessories which include 2x silicone bands, 1x USB cable, a fabric carry pouch and a couple of adapters. Like some others, I am a little puzzled about the lack of any OTG or lightning cable considering one of the device's main selling points is being able to connect it to your smartphone. You do however have everything you need to connect to a computer out of the box.



Build quality and functionality

The iFi Audio Nano iDSD Black Label portable DAC is roughly the size of a deck of playing cards or for those familiar, a Chord Mojo. Therefore it's a good size for attaching to a smartphone (although a bit bulky for pockets) and very diminutive if situated on your desktop.

The brushed metal chassis looks and feels nice and durable. The top of the chassis is bare apart from the ifi branding. On the bottom side there are four small silicone feet to hold it in place on a surface and prevent scratching if strapped to a smartphone.



On the front end are (from left to right): 3.5mm iEMatch headphone jack, 3.5mm Direct headphone jack, LED indicator and Power switch/volume knob. The purpose of the iEMatch jack is for pairing with sensitive in ear monitors and I found it to work well, allowing for better volume control and with no audible hiss.

I do have one gripe with the volume knob and that is the low resistance that it has. Considering this is meant to be a portable device the volume knob is a little too easy to turn and it's near impossible to put into your pocket without moving it. This can result in either getting a deafening blast of music or having sound reduced to near nothing or even switching the device off accidentally. I feel that a recessed knob would have been more appropriate here, or at least one with greater resistance, although it does work well on the desktop.



At the back end are (from left to right): 3.5mm Line Out, Measure/Listen filter switch and the USB digital input. With the filter set to "Measure" the output signal is more neutral and uncolored, great for those recording frequency response or the analytical fans. In "Listen" mode the sound is a little fuller and more enjoyable to my ears. During my testing I left the filter on the "Listen" mode.



I had read that some people were not able to successfully connect the Nano BL to their smartphones. For me however, I plugged into my Samsung Galaxy Note 5 with the OTG cable (which I had to go out and purchase separately...) and it was good to go. It certainly was noticeably better than my phone's DAC and needless to say a much higher output power than provided by my phone as well.

Sound

Gear used for testing

• PC/MusicBee > USB to USB
• Samsung Galaxy Note 5 > OTG
• Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro (250 ohm)
• Meze 99 Classics
• Acoustic Research AR-H1
• Inearz Audio Fusion
• DUNU DK-3001

The Nano Black Label performs extremely well for a portable device. Although the soundstage is about average it does have great detail retrieval. Its sound is mostly transparent with good extension at both ends. The Nano Black Label converts your musical data and forwards it onto your listening medium and lets the latter paint its own image, which is just the way it should be IMO.



DT990 Pro
iFi claims that this little guy can drive almost any headphone. While it was able to do so with everything I tested with, I found on some tracks I was pushing the volume almost to maximum with the Beyerdynamic DT990. That's a 250 ohm headphone so I'm not entirely convinced that this DAC would be sufficient for something 300 ohm and upwards. Having said that though the DT990 Pro sounded to be performing at its best with good dynamic range and full-bodied bass.

AR-H1
With the Acoustic Research AR-H1 there's definitely more than enough grunt on tap to make these sing. Listening to Bach's Six Concertos by Trevor Pinnock and the European Brandenburg Ensemble was a treat with this pairing, the imaging and soundstage were very immersive and immensely enjoyable.

Meze 99 classics
iFi Audio's Nano BL wakes the bass dragon in these headphones. But it's not a bad thing. It's like you know that there's too much bass but you love it anyway and can't stop listening and tapping your feet. When you get that basshead urge and want your skull shaken the 99 Classics will happily oblige and the Nano is more than happy to provide the juice.

Inearz Audio Fusion
This is one of, if not the best pairing I've heard for the Fusion so far. Using the iEMatch jack on the Nano BL the Fusion's bass seems to tighten up, making it a little less boomy but maintaining its impressive impact. Separation is excellent with sounds coming from a deep, black space. There's not a hint of hiss or background noise and detail is really good. In fact I'm enjoying this combination so much right now I want to keep listening instead of moving on to the next earphone!

DUNU DK-3001
Still one of my all time favorite IEMs, the DUNU DK-3001 falls right into my personal preference when it comes to sound signatures. The 13mm dynamic driver provides a powerful, punchy bass while the balanced armatures deliver clear mids and crisp treble. The Nano Black Label portable DAC again presents the music with great separation, detail and tonality and lets the transducers work their magic.



Conclusion

iFi Audio has a very solid reputation among Head-Fiers and now that I've (belatedly) seen and heard what they can do I totally get it.

The Nano iDSD Black Label is a fantastic little unit. I love the aesthetic, the build quality, features and of course the sound. The only thing that doesn't sit well with me is the resistance of the volume knob, as I mentioned before. Everything apart from that makes this a very appealing device. With its reasonable price this is definitely something I can recommend for anyone looking for a portable DAC to pair with their phone or computer.

*This review was originally posted on my blog at Prime Audio. Hop on over to see more like this.

Acknowledgment
I’d like to thank iFi for loaning me the Nano iDSD Black Label and a pre-production unit in return for my honest opinion. It was a lot of fun being one of the first folks to get their hands on a retail unit, though I wish I could have been at the launch event. I still haven’t tried Johnny Walker Black.

This review was originally posted on my blog, and I'm now sharing with the wonderful community on Head-Fi. You folks rock.

Introduction
Anyone who’s been following me for a while knows that I’ve reviewed two full sheds of iFi gear. I might be the person with the most iFi reviews, I’m not sure. This one makes six after the following: iFi Micro iDSD Black Label (Micro iDSD BL), iPurifier2.0, iDAC2, iCAN SE, Micro iUSB3.0. I’ve also spent some time with the original iDSD and the original iCAN. I’ve been offered a couple more reviews, and will probably do some, time allowing.

Up to now, the most ‘WOW!’ product I’ve heard from from iFi is the iDSD Micro BL. It was also the classiest and most decked out offering. It’s a desktop dynamo with a Swiss Army knife of audio features, but I have to emphasize that while it can be transported, it isn’t really what people think of as portable. For that, I’m now having a look at the brand spankin’ new iDSD Nano BL’s pocketable frame.



Usability: Form & Function
Unboxing




I’ve unboxed a lot of iFi gear over the years, but this is the first piece of gear from iFi to actually surprise me. Anyone who has been following iFi for any length of time or bought any of their Micro or Nano series DACs or amps has received the same box, with quite often the same components and compartments inside. It’s a roughly 10” x 3.5” x 3” oblong rectangle—a sort of less streamlined coffin-box. In the past, it hasn’t mattered whether you were buying a Nano or Micro series, the only thing different on the top level was how big the cut-away in the foam insert was. Below the presented DAC or amp would be some mix of the following accessories, a red 3.5mm aux cable, a short purple set of RCA interconnects, some adaptors (most likely), rubber stacking bands (for your DAP/phone), and a blue USB cable (sometimes USB3.0).

This time around we get a half-height box, which I very much like. The wasted space of previous Nano series boxes has been eschewed in favour of a more efficient DAC apartment. You’ve got your bed of foam on the left, and your closet box of white accessories on the right, all the cooking happens when the DAC gets out of bed. The box is still surrounded in a tight-fitting card sleeve, and still has the same silver iFi logo filigreed onto the top of the now slimmed down white heavy card box. Some things change, but others stay the same.






Aesthetics and Ergonomics
The major ergonomics critique of the iFi Micro series is that calling them portable is a bit of a joke. They are portable like your laptop and less convenient to carry, as there just aren’t any bags that really work for iFi’s unique signature shape. I loved the iFi Micro iDSD Black Label, but it was about as transportable and ergonomic as a pet brick. Don’t throw your Black Label, it’s so much better than Father Jack’s brick. It’s a shape that grows on you. Love who your Micro be, iFi.



That said, the Nano series is smaller, a little smaller than a minimum size deck of Magic the Gathering cards, with penny sleeves. Previous iterations of the iFi Nano series haven’t had any of the genetic make-up of the iDSD Micro Black Label in the looks and functionality department. Now that has changed. This isn’t your 2014 Nano iDSD. That version was silver, with big faceplates ridges on the front and back, whilst the new one has tapered edges to make it more pocket friendly. It doesn’t really feel like something you’d throw in your coat pocket due to the ergonomics. Those two RCA jacks sticking out the front and the coax coming off the back coupled with the aforementioned anodized aluminum ridges left lots of things to poke you from inside your jacket pocket.



From an ergonomics perspective the new Black Label is smoother, sleeker, with more attractive printing and a more durable frame. I say more durable for a different reason than one might think. It is made of the same aluminum, it has the same anodized finish (albeit in black), but it has some key differences. The iFi iDSD BL is rocking out with three 3.5mm jacks set flush and not directly by the volume knob. Making the 3.5mm jacks flush makes it so there isn’t anything to snag on, which is more pocket friendly. The placement of 3.5mm output right next to the volume knob didn’t just make the front of the original Nano iDSD a bit busy, it made it so turning the volume knob whilst listening to headphones would require navigating your headphone cable. An additional pocket friendly addition is switching from the USB B input of the original Nano iDSD to the USB A OTG input of the Micro iDSD series. The connection is very stable which reduces stress on the jack. All these smoothing factors add to reduced wear and friction on the case elements, and the more secure USB connection will minimise damage to the USB connection, meaning this is a daily driver that should hold up to a bit of rubbing, but I’d still not drop it or toss it around roughly.



Function
The original iFi Nano iDSD was full of firsts (DXD and DSD256, super lightweight, 10 hour pure battery running) and was the best-selling DAC in Japan for a while, but it was for a different use case. That iDSD was about being a pint-sized capable home DAC with a lightweight amplifier that only output 130 mW into 16Ω. It had a digital out, and full-size RCA outputs to hook up to your home amplifier—great features, but not pocket friendly. The iFi Nano iDSD BL has some serious upgrades under the sleeker casing. Much like the Micro iDSD BL, this Nano iDSD BL has iEMatch built in and iPurifier built in. Like the Nano iDSD (original) the Nano iDSD BL runs on battery for 10 hours and throws down some DSD256 and DXD, but it also has MQA in-built now too.

MQA
Now, I’m not sure about this MQA thing (ars technical article that is well worth a read). Some have said it’s a sneaky backhanded route to a new form of DRM (record companies have to license equipment, consumers pay for special equipment, streaming services get charged for royalties, etc…). Whatever I might think about the likelihood that MQA gives me better than just streaming 24/96 FLAC directly or listening to real master quality PCM (Archimago’s Musings), MQA certainly didn’t sound bad. That said, I was listening through the XI Audio Formula S and a pair of HiFiMAN Susvara headphones with the Nano iDSD BL as the DAC to start. I listened to 2L recordings DXD tracks in both DXD and in the MQA down-coded versions. I don’t know if I would be able to tell the difference. Both sounded bloody excellent, but those are excellent recordings. Chicken/egg dilemma. Did the tracks sound excellent because the format captured the quality of the recording, or would any lossless format of CD quality or above capture the quality of the recording? I don’t know. I also took an auditory stroll through Tidal’s ‘Masters’ library. Beyonce’s Lemonade album sounded awesome—why did Adele 25 win best album? That decision makes no damn sense as Lemonade is a triumph from start to finish (though some parts had some hardcore derivations, like the transparent Eurythmics inspiration on Don’t Hurt Yourself) and 25 is Adele singing three good songs plus some filler.

The difficult part of MQA listening is its hard to compare to actual redbook CD. I’ve always found that Tidal sounds a bit ‘enhanced.’ I’m convinced that there is DSP to make it sound a bit more vivid. Who’s to say this doesn’t also happen with MQA? Most of the albums that Tidal has MQA ‘Masters’ of, they also have standard ‘CD Quality’ versions. So I stepped right up and made a quick playlist of some stuff I’m familiar with:

1. Nick Drake – Thoughts of Mary Jane
2. Nick Drake – One of These Things First
3. Counting Crows – Anna Begins
4. Norah Jones – Shoot the Moon
5. Beyoncé – Don’t Hurt Yourself
6. Led Zeppelin – D’yer Mak’er
7. The Supremes – Where Did Our Love Go
8. Beck – Guess I’m Doing Fine

With Thoughts of Mary Jane the volume levels between the tracks aren’t the same. I have similar experiences on Counting Crows – Anna Begins. The Masters versions seem a little more restrained, but they also have a touch more depth to the sound, but this additional depth sounds like it is all in front of the stage. The stage sounds moved, not factually deeper. Turning down the volume on the HiFi version of Norah Jones – Shoot the Moon gives a good approximation of the Master. I am noting a bit more texture in the bass on the Shoot the Moon Master version. It sounds a bit fuller with rounder attack and decay. I think there may actually be differences, but that some of it is difficult to judge due to volume effects. I observe similar improvement in the kick drum on Beyoncé – Don’t Hurt Yourself. Well it’s either confirmation bias, or a trend, the bass on the Master version of D’yer Mak’er is more textured and rich. Transients in the cymbals also take on a bit more weight. Overall the sound is just a little weightier and more textured. On The Supremes – Where Did Our Love Go the Masters version is the louder version. Unfortunately two Where Did Our Love Go tracks sound so different, I’m pretty sure they aren’t from the same master. I can’t do a real comparison. This may end up being a problem for anything that has a remaster. Provenance is important, but it may be even more important on MQA albums as essentially they are having multiple operations done on the material. On Guess I’m Doing Fine slide guitar and bass sound a bit richer with fuller note edges without sounding fat. The bass sustains just a little bit longer.

So inconclusion (intentional), the results are inconclusive on MQA. With 2L songs off their test bench I couldn’t distinguish MQA from DXD Masters. On Tidal, MQA sounded generally a little quieter, but also sounded like the notes were a bit fuller and richer, especially in bass notes, which got some plus texture. I couldn’t discern any differences in sound stage. I didn’t do my tests blinded, but I also didn’t always know the order of tracks and was able to pick out the MQA track on a couple of occasions without having visual confirmation (D’yer Mak’er, Guess I’m Doing Fine), which could easily be random chance. Without repeated blind testing, the null hypothesis would be that I guess right 50% of the time. Two cherry-picked right guesses does not a strong observation make. How much do you trust my ears? How much do you trust your own? The next time I listened to D’yer Mak’er I guessed wrong. I also wasn’t consistent on Norah Jones – Shoot the Moon. I think I’d have to have perfect volume matching to have confidence in any comparisons over time.



One thing I can say for MQA, it doesn’t appear to make sound quality worse. Whether real or imagined, the sound seemed different, but it seemed generally better than the CD quality version on Tidal and not worse than the DXD when listening to 2L tracks (with a substantially smaller file size). I’ve done previous tests with DXD and lower bitrate formats and found that I generally preferred the DXD to everything else and couldn’t tell it apart from DSD128 and DSD256 on DSD mastered tracks. Generally, DXD is as close to the master as you can get. Top masters are in 32bit DXD (352kHz), commercial DXD just drops 8 bits on the word length.

iEMatch


To test out iEMatch I whipped out my most sensitive IEMs, the Noble Kaiser Encore. When no music is playing there is low level hiss out of both the Direct and the iEMatch outputs, but the iEMatch output is virtually silent. The hiss on the iEMatch is way way down. Hiss is inaudible on either of them when any music is playing, including silent portions of music. The iEMatch comes with a sound signature toll. Because it raises output impedance (from under 1Ω to under 4Ω), it does exactly what you would expect it to do, it pushes up the bass a bit. The effect isn’t bad, but it definitely colours the sound.

On the Micro iDSD I found that the main advantage of iEMatch was allowing greater use of the volume control with sensitive IEMs, and this is still the case here. On Direct, the Noble Kaiser Encore gets loud fast.

Driving Power
As previously highlighted, the Nano iDSD BL does just fine with sensitive IEMs, thank you very much. It also handled the RHA CL750 with aplomb. But what about the HD600, you say? What about those teasers on the twitterverse?

The stats say it should be able to pull it off. I’ve previously done the HD600 driven well from a 280 mW into 32Ω source. That measurement just happens to be right about where this Nano iDSD BL sits (285 mW into 30Ω), so theoretically, it should do it.

Is theory replicated in practice? Absolutely. Actually, I think it drives the HD600 better than it drives the RHA CL750. When comparing to the XI Audio Formula S (in balanced output) fed by the Nano iDSD BL driving the HD600 vs. the Nano iDSD BL in Direct drive mode, I get a little bit more depth on the Formula S, but the differences aren’t much. The iFi Nano iDSD BL gets out some serious performance. It will drive the HD600 to plenty of volume with plenty of dynamics.

For laughs, I hooked up the HiFiMAN HE1000 v2 for a little try. The Nano iDSD BL gives enough volume, but it lacks the dynamic punch of the XI Audio Formula S and can’t match the imaging. Unsurprisingly, the HE1000 v2 needs more juice to thrive. You can play the HE1000 v2, but it’s wasted on the iFi Nano iDSD BL. It was, surprisingly, not a laugher.

I also used the 3.5mm out to the XI Audio Formula S (review upcoming), and it provided a super clean output. The system is straight up transparent. I loved this combination with the HiFiMAN Susvara, and I also dug it with the Unique Melody ME1.



Audio quality
You know what is really strange? I really don’t have much to say about the sound quality of the iFi Nano iDSD BL independent of comparisons. It is transparent. It has excellent resolution. It doesn’t output a coloured sound. It has an accurate, well-defined, reasonably sized soundstage. I think the key here for the BL is actually how it compares to other DAC/Amps and DAPs. I’ve got a few of those on hand. DAC comparisons used the following signal chain, designed to get the best out of a DAP (you may not get as good using these on your rig):

Dell Inspiron 13 → Generic iFi USB3.0 cable → iFi Micro iUSB3.0 → LH Labs Lightspeed 2G split power and data usb cable → DAC/Amp (potentially with adaptor first)

I used a Lindy USB3.0 B to A adaptor instead of the iFi one included in the packaging (one more thing to send back to iFi in perfect condition). Since iFi doesn’t produce their adaptors and they don’t appear to be audiophile grade, it doesn’t really matter which adaptor I use, so long as it isn’t junk. I’ve used the Lindy for a long time. It does the job.

All comparisons were done using the Ultimate Ears Reference Remastered (for general timbre and DAC capabilities), the Sennheiser HD600 for driving power, and the Noble Kaiser Encore for hiss. Volume matching was performed using an SPL meter and a listening level of ~78.2 dB calibrated with white noise for comparisons using the UERR. I didn’t bother to volume match the Noble Kaiser Encore because the listening tests were for answering relatively simple yes/no question does it hiss during silence or during quiet music? For that question I just need to listen at a similar volume, not a precisely calibrated volume. For the HD600, my question was similarly simple to the Noble Kaiser Encore: can the player drive it? To know this, all I needed to do was check volume and listen for dynamics and spacialization. My listening level is 78.2dB, approximately, and I can usually get within 0.2-0.5dB by ear. I’ve had a goodly number of times where I set the volume on an IEM, measure it, and then discover that the SPL measurement is 78.2 dB with white noise. For all listening tests the Nano iDSD BL was on the ‘Measure’ filter.



I played the following tracks:

1. Cyndee Peters – House of the Rising Sun (fantastic track from Opus3 records, DSD128)
2. Hoff Ensemble – Blågutten (2L track with huge space, DXD, available for free)
3. Wager-Åstrand - Fasten Seat Belts (another Opus3 track, DSD128)
4. Pixies – Where is My Mind (24/88.2)
5. Why? – Sod in the Seed (16/44.1)

iFi Nano iDSD BL vs. LH Labs GO2A Infinity
From a features standpoint, the Nano iDSD BL has a number of advantages: it draws normal current off of a USB source (LH Labs Draws a bit extra), it has 10 hours of battery, and it has a true and excellent fixed line-out. The Nano iDSD doesn’t have a balanced output, but the balanced circuit inside it gives the same sonic benefits. The Nano iDSD BL is more matchable and doesn’t rely on external volume control.

UERR
The sense of space in both players is similar, with the GO2A Infinity having a slight advantage in height and width, but depth goes to the Nano. The GO2A Infinity has harder edges and more firm impact, but it can be sharp and unforgiving at times. The Nano iDSD BL is smoother and more forgiving, whilst the GO2A can be hard and sharp at times. The upper mids on the GO2A are sweeter, but can overheat at times. The iDSD doesn’t soar as much as the GO2A does on Where is My Mind, but it has more depth on Sod in the Seed and has an overall less exuberant sound. On Sod in the Seed, the high glockenspiel notes are a bit piercing on the GO2A, and more natural on the Nano iDSD BL. Treble is hiked up a bit, which is probably what creates some of the extra height in the GO2A sound, and more edgy impactful sound in the upper mids. The sound on the GO2A can become fatiguing with its exuberance, even if it is totally inspiring in a collection of moments. If the hard edges and exuberance irritate you even a little, the echo-chamber of your mind will get to you when the track playing back has what some would view as flaws. Some will find the exuberance inspiring and worthy of praise whilst others will be immediately turned off on the GO2A Infinity, the Nano iDSD BL doesn’t have these hard edges, it’s smooth. It is still detailed, but the treble isn’t enhanced, so no divisive screams.





Noble Kaiser Encore
Out of both the Direct and iEMatch outputs, the Noble Kaiser Encore sounds as special as it should. Hiss is effectively controlled on both outputs, but there is some minor hiss during silence on the Direct output. You may not even hear it. If the Kaiser Encore is hooked up to the iEMatch output, it gets a bass boost. Maybe you want a bit extra midbass, maybe you don’t. When using the Kaiser Encore on the GO2A Infinity, even at the lowest gain, it hisses like an Indiana Jones nightmare.



HD600
The HD600 is my stress test for portable players and the both of these players pass. The HD600 sounds full with all dynamics intact. Soundstage was not crushed and nothing sounded softened.

iFi Nano iDSD BL vs. Questyle QP2R
I know. This comparison is not really fair, right? The QP2R is more than 6x the price. As anyone who’s been around the block in audiophile-land more than once will tell you, the law of diminishing returns hits like crotch-punching circus dwarf. There are some features that the Nano iDSD BL has that the QP2R doesn’t: a fixed analog line-out, and iEMatch. Of course the QP2R also throws down some features that iFi doesn’t, mostly about being a DAP and not a portable DAC/Amp. They both rock 10 hour (tested) battery life and excellent sound.



UERR
The UERR has brilliant spatial presentation on both the Nano iDSD BL, it’s a friggin’ monitor after all. However, the QP2R has greater depth, width and height as well as better layering. The soundstage has an effortlessness to the separation of the instruments on the QP2R. It’s really friggin’ brilliant. Tonally, the Nano iDSD BL is a bit soft in the midrange, whilst the QP2R is more impactful and sharper. On Where is My Mind, there is more soar, more space, more layering. The QP2R is just superior with the UERR. Listening to other tracks

Noble Kaiser Encore
The QP2R has hiss with the Kaiser Encore, more so on the balanced out. The hiss is lower and less obtrusive than that found on the GO2A Infinity when on single-ended output, but it is noticeable. I tried messing with some adaptors like the 75Ω impedance adaptor from DUNU or the UE Buffer Jack. The UE Buffer Jack reduces hiss by adjusting damping factor in favour of the IEM. It doesn’t cause frequency response modification like an impedance adaptor, but it does lower the hiss level, whilst not eliminating it completely in this case. The 75Ω adaptor eliminated the hiss, but messed up both the bass and the treble, making the treble thin and the bass flabby. The Nano iDSD BL is superior with the Noble Kaiser Encore. It has been my experience that none of Questyle’s gear plays well with multi-BA, sensitive IEMs. I’ve tried using the QP2R, the CMA600i and the CMA800R Golden Reference amps, and all have problems with the Noble Kaiser Encore. Questyle gear likes headphones and IEMs that have some impedance.

HD600
The Questyle QP2R likes the 300Ω Sennheiser HD600 headphones. The Questyle QP2R, on paper, shouldn’t drive the Sennheiser HD600, but current mode amplification is magic, and it somehow manages to drive it with space to spare on the settings dialled into high gain and high bias settings with the balanced output. I had to turn it up to 99 out of 120 on volume, which means plenty of overhead was still there.

With regard to the sound characteristics of the two players, the QP2R has a clearer and more forward midrange with stronger edges. The iFi Nano iDSD BL has a smoother more soft feel, which makes it feel a little less resolute, but will have people really digging the ambiance once they settle in. Much like the Hidizs AP200 below, the Questyle QP2R has greater impact to it’s sound, but it never sounds like it is trying too hard or tipping the frequency response out of balance. The Questyle QP2R is delightful, and I prefer it’s sound to the iFi Nano iDSD BL. It is 6x the price, though, so on a value for money level the Nano iDSD Black Label wins easily.

iFi Nano iDSD BL vs. Shanling M2s
The iFi Nano iDSD BL and Shanling M2s might be considered direct comparators. Both do DSD256 and DXD. Both are small and capable. Both are useable with your phone (iFi via USB OTG, Shanling M2s via Bluetooth). Both can be used as external DACs with a computer. Both are under £200 with the iFi Nano iDSD Black Label coming in at £199 and the Shanling M2s dropping in at £189 (on Amazon.co.uk). The Shanling M2s has the best screen on any DAP I’ve been privileged enough to use. The Nano iDSD BL doesn’t have a screen, but does have iEMatch, a true fixed line-out and MQA.

UERR
The Shanling M2s has a softer midrange on the The Pixies – Where is My Mind and doesn’t soar with female vocals like the iFi Nano iDSD BL can in Where is My Mind. It lacks the amplitude. On Why? – Sod in the Seed the midrange is cleaner and clearer with better defined edges on Yoni Wolf’s slacker rap musings. Claps and woodblocks lack the impact and definition on the Shanling M2s. Bass on the Shanling M2s is a bit more present with a warmer overall sound. There is a bit of a gauziness to the Shanling M2s sound, a slight veiling. On the fast percussion of Fasten Seat Belts, the M2s just can’t keep up with the track in the way that the Nano iDSD Black Label does. The Black Label has excellent speed and precision. The Shanling M2s just sounds slower. Listening with the iFi Nano iDSD BL on Cyndee Peters – House of the Rising Sun, it’s like a morning mist has been pierced by the rising sun and forced to retreat back into the wooded hollows from whence it crept. The background is black and clear. Excellent. The Shanling M2s, whilst good doesn’t have the kind of clarity and resolution that the iFi Nano iDSD Black Label can muster.

Noble Kaiser Encore
There is a slight elevation in the bass on the Shanling M2s because of the output impedance. Some will like this ‘enhancement.’ The added bass is still nice, but this is not neutral playback. The Noble Kaiser Encore does not hiss on the M2s.



HD600
The Shanling M2s can play loud enough with the HD600 only if you max out the volume meter. This player will do in a pinch, but really shouldn’t be used for the HD600. Dynamics are crushed a bit and the soundstage gets a little smaller, but the overall sound is still good.

iFi Nano iDSD BL vs. Hidizs AP200
Interestingly both the Hidizs AP200 ($299 suggested for aluminum 32GB) and the iFi Nano iDSD BL ($199) have balanced amplification inside with a single ended output. The Hidizs is more expensive, but you do get yourself a full-on touch screen DAP with full Android, Play Store, and friggin’ killer sound. In practice the iDSD gets better battery life. I’ve been averaging around 7-8 hours on the Hidizs AP200.

UERR
On Where is My Mind, the Hidizs soars a little more and has a little more impact. It is a very punchy player without having the sharpened treble claws of the LH Labs GO2A Infinity. Image size and clarity are pretty similar between the Nano iDSD BL and the Hidizs.



If I had to give any edges, it would be that the Hidizs AP200 has a little bit more height and the iFi Nano iDSD BL has a little more width. Depth is even, as far as I can tell. Tonally the Hidizs AP200 is a little more bright. What listeners prefer will really come down to tonal preference. Overall presentation is a little more energetic on the AP200 than the iFi iDSD Nano Black Label. Again, whether you want a more relaxed sound like the iFi or a punchy stand up and get noticed sound like the Hidizs will come down to listening preference. Personally, I’d be happy to have both options. Sometimes you want more relaxing, sometimes you want energy. Are you feeling laconic today?

Noble Kaiser Encore
There is a very soft hiss with the Hidizs AP200 that becomes inaudible in most music. Listening to Cyndee Peters do House of the Rising Sun with the UERR there is no hiss on the track, it’s clean as a surgical theatre. When switching to the Kaiser Encore, there is hiss on the track but it is light and may actually be the IEMs being more sensitive to the noise of the tape. The Cyndee Peters recording is a tape transfer direct to DSD, so it is possible that the Kaiser Encore could be picking up non-musical information from the recording method. The impedance output of the Hidizs didn’t cause any perceptible bass elevation, which is a pro in my book. Performance compared to the Nano iDSD in Direct mode is pretty similar, with slightly more hiss on the AP200.

HD600
Much like the Shanling M2s, it takes everything the Hidizs AP200 has to get to a good volume level on the HD600 (97 of 100). In this case, I think it sounds a bit better than the M2s. The soundstage has significantly less width and depth than the Nano iDSD BL, and the Nano iDSD BL clearly outplays on clarity, separation and driving power. It also handles the speedy percussion of Fasten Seat Belts with outstanding resolution that the Hidizs AP200 does not match. The Hidizs AP200 gives good tone, generally, but the technical capabilities of the Nano iDSD BL are superior. At times the Hidizs struggles and distorts on some low bass notes, whereas the iFi Nano iDSD BL withstands the assault of low bass notes without distortion. The Hidizs does have a bit more focus and slam in the mids, which could be due to slightly elevated upper mids compared to the Nano iDSD BL. Punchy like the talented Mr. McGregor.



iFi Nano iDSD BL vs. Aune M1s
The Aune M1s is quite simply one of my favourite DAPs to work with. It doesn’t change the sound of any IEMs I play with it. It stays out of the way, maintaining the most consistently neutral presentation of any of the DAPs in my stable (more than a few). It’s a simple beast, and it doesn’t have a ton of power for output or a ton of features. It doesn’t have a fixed line-out. It will not play the HD600. It does have balanced output. It also doesn’t mess with the sound of the Noble Kaiser Encore at all. I’ve spent a lot of time previously talking about the Aune M1s, so you can check out it’s review.

UERR
Listening to House of the Rising Sun, there is more width to the stage on the Nano iDSD BL than on the Aune M1s. Both keep a nice tone, but the Nano iDSD BL has a bit sweeter treble when the bells and cymbals come in, with a bit fuller presentation.

Noble Kaiser Encore
The M1s is perfectly clear with the Noble Kaiser Encore. It is a beautiful pairing that lets the Encore shine. There is no hiss, and the bass isn’t elevated due to impedance mismatches.

HD600
Can’t do it. Sound is drained and feeble. Frequency response isn’t accurate either.

Specifications
General Specifications
Price: £199 ($199)
DAC: Burr Brown
Formats Supported: DSD64-DSD256, DXD384/352.8kHz, PCM 44.1-384, MQA 88.2/96/176.4/192kHz filters
Filters: Listen (transient optimised minimum phase filter), Measure (frequency response optimised filter)
Inputs: USB Type A “OTG” socket with built in iPurifier® technology
Battery Life: ~10 hours (tested)
Dimensions: 96 x 64 x 25.5mm
Weight: 139g (0.31 lbs)
Warranty: 12 months

Headphone Amplifier
Outputs: Dual Mono 2 x 285mW Direct Drive, coupling capacitor free circuit, 2 x 3.5mm outputs: 1 Direct and 1 iFi iEMatch integrated (for sensitive IEMs)
Max Output Level (<10% THD): >3.5V @ 600Ω load (Direct; 20mW into 600Ω), >2.9v @ 30Ω load (Direct; 285mW into 30Ω), >1.7V @ 15Ω load (Direct; 200mW into 15Ω)
Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise: < 0.005% @125mW/30R
Dynamic Range (DNR): >109db (A-weighted) @ 3V (Direct), >107db (A-weighted) @ 0.5V (iEMatch®)
Output Impedance: ≤ 1Ω (Direct), ≤ 4Ω (iEMatch)
Channel Separation: > 79dB @ 600Ω load (Direct), > 79dB @ 15Ω load (Direct)
Volume Control: Analog 2-track Potentiometer with power switch, < 2dB tracking error – 40dB…0dB attenuation

Line Output
Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise: < 0.004%
Dynamic Range (DNR): >109db (A-weighted)
Output Voltage: 2.15V (±0.05V)
Output Impedance: < 240Ω
Channel Separation: > 99dB @ 1kHz
Jitter (correlated): Below set test limit

Conclusions
If you are looking for an upgrade to your two channel living room setup from something more basic, and potentially from something considerably more advanced—as a straight-up DAC the iFi Nano iDSD Black Label was superior to my Questyle CMA600i in the same signal chain (playing into the XI Audio Formula S feeding HiFiMAN Susvara); or you are looking for something that drives a wide variety of headphones with no problem, or maybe you are staring into the abyss of format wars like the potential impending ascendancy of the newest format darling (MQA), then you may want to check out the iFi Nano iDSD BL. The Nano iDSD BL drives headphones from the Noble Kaiser Encore (very minimal hiss that disappears with music) all the way up to the Sennheiser HD600 without distortion through the Direct port. In the case of the Noble Kaiser Encore, I did notice a little tonal change on the iEMatch port, that change was pretty similar to what I experience when listening to the Kaiser Encore out of the Shanling M2s, both sound good with the Kaiser Encore.

If I had to cite any weaknesses, it would be that sometimes the midrange can sound a little meeker than I expect. Some will find this of benefit, and I find it to be a very minor detractor that varies in infinitesimally small effects with the changing of my mood. This softening of the midrange is specific to the headphone amplifier component as the line-out maintains firm tone through the midrange when feeding the XI Audio Formula S.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a DAC/Amp combo at £199 ($199) with more features and better sound. Just as the iFi Micro iDSD Black Label was unfair to it’s competitors, the Nano iDSD Black Label should make some DAPs in the £200 range nervous. It’s got better sound quality than the all of my under $200 DAP stable, and kicks out sound on par to significantly better than some more expensive DAPs that I have or have played with.