iFi xDSD Gryphon Ultra-Res Portable Balanced DAC & Headphone Amplifier – Supports Bluetooth 5.1, USB-C, S/PDIF, 3.5mm SE, 4.4mm Balanced Inputs/Outputs - Hi-Res Audio, full MQA Decoding, DSD512

I own two iFi Hip-DAC 2 in addition to the recent addition of the XDSD Gryphon.I use these DACs to drive a pair of Sennheiser HD660S and a pair of Focal Clear MG headphones. Both headphones have balanced connections to the DACs and both DACs are driven using USB cables.The sound from the XDSD Gryphon feels more sonically accurate to my ears and they seem to drive both sets of headphones very well.As the XDSD Gryphon is USB C connected, it's unnecessary to use an USB OTG cable if both ends of the audio chain connect with USB C - this simplifies connection to phones.The display simplifies understanding the format and bitrate of the audio that's currently playing (something that I appreciate even more as Tidal is switching it's catalogue to hi-res FLAC from MQA.I have not used Optical or line-in for the Gryphon so I can't comment on how those perform.All in all I consider this to be a great purchase.

I just love the Gryphon. I got used to listening to music while I worked at home, so I bought it to take to the office and haven’t been disappointed. I wanted something powerful enough to drive my Hifiman but compact enough to fit in a small space. I haven’t been disappointed. I haven’t experienced any of the issue of some other users. I am running the latest firmware and it’s terrific. The sound signature is warm and pleasing to the ear. I have played around with xBass and XSpace – these work with different degrees of success depending on the track and the headphone – but do add something in most cases. The IEMatch works well with my more sensitive in ears. It removes some of this hiss I experience with my Campfires using my previous kit.I got some of my colleagues to listen to a few tracks on the PC at work (using Tidal) without the Gryphon and then plugged in back in to the mix and they were amazed at the difference in sound quality. And they commented on how ‘cool’ it looked.

Edit: The part of my review below that mentions a serious software bug is now, in the most part fixed after upgrading to F/W version 1.22. I suggest everyone that has a unit with older F/W upgrades immediately.Overall I'm now happy with the xDSD Gryphon. Its still not a five star review iFi, you should have got this right from the get-go but thank you for providing a quick fix.The Gryphon sounds good, nice warm signature typically iFi sound, which is not surprising because its basically an xDSD + xCAN in a newer less shiny enclosure (at the price of those two combined).The display is a nice addition, its nice to see details of what the Gryphon is fed and volume levels too (vital when there is a volume bug, see below.XBass+ and XSpace are great features to enhance your music and work very well with some headphones and IEM's to really bring out the best from them.The UI, the buttons and switches are good too and Gryphon supports a variable line-out feature too when using USB, SPDIF or BT inputs for anyone who needs that feature.There is some output hiss with sensitive IEM's like the Shure SE846 but iEMatch can be used to "fix" that particular issue, so its all good.The bad.The bugs, the first is a serious bug IMHO. Potential owners, be careful when using the USB input it has a seemingly random habit of going to full 1W output, this can damage your expensive headphones, IEM's and more importantly your ears. iFi confirmed this is a bug and have a fix, this is currently being tested prior to a public release.Tidal Masters, currently this functionality works, but only on some sources, others like the Android Tidal App have issues, this causes MQA to be unfolded at the wrong rate sometimes and there is also an audible click at the start of every track as output switches to full unfold mode.The very bad.I wanted to return the Gryphon due to the bugs mentioned above but like the Jake Epping in the book 1963 when he returned to 1958 to change events in time, returning this to iFi (mine was shipped direct from iFi) was like fighting my way out of a pair of nylon stockings, I gave up in the end, I will resell mine at a loss if the bugs remain unfixed after informing the buyer that their ears may be permanently damaged of course with Gryphon's continued use.

The Ifi gryphon is a marvellous dac amp. The resolution, sound stage, imaging and authority of this pocket rocket is amazing. It powered my hard to drive hd820’s, and did sound a bit fatigued at its highest volumes. But at medium levels was absolutely scintillating. I also have the Ifi Idsd micro. This is a much more powerful unit, but it simply cannot match the resolution and clarity of the Gryphon.Top marks ifi. Worth every penny.

a must have if your into QUALITY :)

I connect the Gryphon via an Apple camera adaptor to my iPod. As shown, the Gryphon plays HiRes PCM 24-96, same as what Apple Music transmits. I have tested it on an in-ear headphone (my legacy Aurisonics ASG2.5). I would say the result is as good as my Astell&Kell AK240 (AK240 does not play Apple Music). For on-ear headphones, I guess desktop DAC/Amphifiers are better but the Gryphon gives mobility. The connection via the Apple adaptor is not elegant-looking, so I mostly use it within my home for Apple Music. One suggestion, when rendering Apple Music to the Gryphon, the battery of iPod (not Gryphon) drains rapidly. So you may need to attach a power bank to the iPod via the lightening socket of the Apple camera adaptor.

Brilliant clear sound quality and very loud sound, works well with good quality headphones and supports all hi res formats ond cables and Bluetooth apx HD all round a excellent device