iFi Audio Micro iDSD Signature Finale Portable Headphone Amp and DAC, Adorama Exclusive

2025-06-25T12:54:51

Seems well built. I thought the sound was great. It was also powerful enough to drive a set of electro static headphones and that impressed me. I didn't like the popping and/or staticky sound it made when I turned it off or on. Last headphone amp I had that did that ended up failing in six months. I returned it.

MICHAEL O.

2025-01-07T12:07:06

Nice, It came Brand new.

David E.

2025-01-07T08:19:21

I made a purchase of the info Micro iDSD on Adorama and the difference was night and day. I'm not an audiophile but the audio sounded much better through my cheap pair of Sony MDR-EX15 earphones. Layer on, I paired the DAC with my Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro X and compared it against the computer. At first, the audio sounded relatively the same, with a slight loudness coming from the computer. But after switching over to the DAC and listening to the music for a while, I noticed that the sound from the DAC is more pleasant, it has more sound stage.

NATHAN V.

2024-12-18T06:16:50

Works as described. Small, sturdy size. I use as a desktop amp / dac, easily mounted under my desk. Plenty of juice for demanding headphones. Filter / power options for sensitive iem's works fine. Windows 11 see's the device without having to install additional drivers.

KENNETH S.

2024-10-19T05:56:07

After looking at several online stores for this , for a couple weeks , I finally found it in my budget range . It looked as it should , brand new and only needed a charge and worked perfectly elevating my portable music experience !

GEORGE F.

2024-07-24T22:30:31

I'm listening to the Idsd Finale, and I was just listening to the xdsd. They both sound wonderful, and amazing. But the Finale sounds better, clearer, more layered, more detailed and delicate. I can hear and feel things in the music that I don't hear in the xdsd. It's wider and more spacious. The sounds, the instruments, are placed more in space, and they have a texture and separateness, a distinctness, and 3 dimensionality, that you can't hear from the xdsd. The tonality and timbre is so much better. The control and the power is superior. And I was wrong about the channel imbalance. Before 10, maybe 10:30am max, they're lined up fine afterwards. This is with a pair of 16 ohm kbear ks1's USB from the iPad, gentle to easy, about 37 decibels, extremely detailed and separated, D.J. Spooky, The Subliminal Kid. The 6mm jack, Power Match eco, Filter bit perfect, IE-Match ultra sensitive. I suspect the l.e.d. is white because of gto over-sampling, which is fine. Conclusion: Buy it!

LEONARD J.

2024-03-14T10:57:58

Great portable dac / amp combo. Plenty of power to drive about any set of cans. I replaced my older iFi black label and could not be happier.

Robert H.

2024-03-07T12:42:25

Great dac and headphone amplifier I recommend.

Aniwats R.

2024-02-17T09:03:06

I own a fairly wide range of audio gear, including several headphones ranging from $50-$4K. Some of those headphones are a little harder to drive and need more power, are DACs that can provide better transients (fast attack, clean decay), or push out more power, or can provide some extra sound profile adjustments to make the listening experience that much more enjoyable. The iFi iDSD Finale delivers those elements well. When listening to jazz or classical, if the transients aren't delivered well, at least for me, things like percussion high hats, cymbals, snare drums don't come through well and lack that sharpness, violas can be missing that right resonance, and bass cellos can sound a little too rumbly. Everything sounds sort of veiled, and if you care about that sort of thing, it can pretty annoying. On the flip side, something delivering an artificially sharp, fast transient sound can seem almost tinny, and can feel grating. for just instrumentals, that can be okay sometimes, but then when you listening to vocals, everything sounds very unrealistic, or a bit distant. It's just not fun to listen to. The iFi iDSD Finale strikes a nice balance between the two extremes. Acoustical jazz and classical instruments come through very well, and vocals sound very musical and are easy on the ears. Maybe, if I were to nitpick, sometime vocals can sound a little more forward than they are meant to, but that could be my imagination. Either way, I find that the iFi iDSD delivers music in a way that I can enjoy listening for long periods of time without getting annoyed at little things. And that's a big winner for me since there are very few DACs that I really enjoy listening to for long periods of time. For headphones that require that little bit extra bass boost, the iFi iDSD's Finale (as well as the entire series), has a nifty little bass boost. Not an excessive boost, but enough to lend a helping hand to headphones like the HD800 (original), which can use a bit of help for more modern music. The RCA jacks are nice for desktop speakers, and the IEMatch is great for sensitive IEMs. Power Mode is nice to jack up power for hungry headphones. But the volume, when dialed low, causes an imbalance for stereo, so I adjust the Power Mode setting for whatever makes the 12 o'clock mark sound about the right volume to keep left and right well balanced. Not sure the Filter switch works, but I leave it on bitperfect. The 3D switch is fun. When a recording is too split between left and right, it can get a little weird (especially true of some studio recorded tracks I have from the 80's, so the 3D rounds things out a little better sometimes. But I use it rarely. For most jazz and classical, the recordings aren't as isolated, so it's not much of a concern. The SPDIF input is a happy inclusion as I still have some gear where optical is my transport. And finally, it's always great when a portable battery operated dac separates power and audio input, so I can charge while using it. The iCAN and iDSD lines were both born in an era when smart phones didn't have good 3.5mm sound, and headphones like the HD800 were still really big, causing a rush for better mobile sound that is usable with the Beyerdynamic T1 and Sennheiser HD800. They've done a great job continuing the tradition. With the FInale updating internal components, it's a wonderful final salute to the end of an era.

Tetsu N.

2024-02-16T17:21:41

This is by far the best impulse buy I've made in my audiophile journey. I have various desk top and portable units and they all have different synergy with my headphones. This unit has good synergy with more of my headphones than any other. Two standouts are the Hifiman Sundara and the Focal Elex. I've never heard them sound better and was just blown away at the transformation. The bass boost adds just a hint of sub bass, not bloated or gimmicky on most headphones,a bit much on a few. I was surprised how much I like it, I purchased and returned the Gryphon, disliked the sound signature and gimmicky features. Would highly recommend this powerhouse.

DAVID D.

2024-02-13T14:24:09

My new favorite amp/dac. I love my hip dac2 for its portability, but I just ordered the iFi case so I can carry the Finale. The hip dac2 is good, this is incredible. The hip dac2 can drive most HP's efficiently, the Finale takes it to another level with turbo mode. The Finale filtering with x bass & 3D, you can customize the sound signature to suit different HP'S. I use all features just not at the same time. I run easier to drive HP in normal with xbass, some with xbass & 3D, some in turbo with xbass. Having those finite adjustments allows you to bring your HP to optimal performance. The sound is warm and very clean using my iPad on Apple Lossless tracks. My favorite is Playing For Change for all the various instruments from around the world. Vocals are not too forward or to far back, it's like it's coming from all around me. Bass & mid bass is booming and not bloated with nice crisp and clean highs. I was able to use 3D on 2 HP'S, otherwise it thins out the highs making it too bright for me. I am even enjoying this more than my desktop stack with a Schiit EQ. The Finale sound should improve as time goes on and become even warmer and wrap you up like a cozy blanket on a chilly night. I'm so glad I pulled the trigger on this dac/amp because it pleases my soul.

AARON S.

2024-01-23T07:15:31

I purchased this as a replacement for my aging IFI Black Label unit. I wanted the balanced output as well as the multiple sound options provided. I am pleased with the sound performance of the unit. A notable sound stage improvement, and the volume seems much more controllable. Good unit for anyone in the market

BRYAN P.

2023-08-08T18:01:33

One caveat, I am reviewing this from owning the Micro IDSD Black Label in the past. Never tested the IDSD Signature. I love the BL but sadly it died due to some unfortunate circumstances, so I was looking to replace the BL. To me, the Finale is an improvement in sound quality, but I cannot compare it to the BL side to side. I remember the BL being warmer. Unlike the BL, the Finale cannot charge and play with one cable. This may be a blessing to some if you don't want the unit to drain your phone or laptop's battery. I got used to using two cables, one for charging and one for data. Plenty of power for the headphones I use. I like having the IEMatch built in for versatility. The XBass function is fun if I want to go a little crazy with the Fostex TH900 MKII. Although I do miss the flippy switches from the BL. One thing I don't like is the battery indicator. Very difficult to see.

CHRISTOPHER H.