British hi-fi manufacturer, iFi Audio has unveiled the iDSD PHANTOM – a new flagship home device that distils more than a decade of digital and analogue achievement into a single component, the company says. By uniting a reference-class DAC, ultra-resolution network streamer, and powerful headphone amplifier, the PHANTOM promises iFi’s most accomplished listening experience to date – one that is more than worth the wait. Compared with the previous flagship Pro iDSD, the PHANTOM advances every core stage: a rebuilt streaming engine, higher-precision conversion, markedly greater output headroom, and more granular user-control.
Beneath its evocative two-tone exterior lies fundamentally new circuitry alongside professional-grade technologies designed to put you in command of your music. DSD Remastering up to DSD2048 and K2HD Technology offer a level of sonic control once reserved for elite mastering studios, while XBass Pro, XSpace Pro, digital filters and real- time circuitry switching offer deeper, more meaningful levels of personalisation.
Colin Farch, Chief Engineer at iFi audio, comments: “Each stage of development involved re-examining the circuit, measuring performance, and making improvements to cement it as the most accomplished iFi listening experience to date.”
Key Features of the iFi iDSD PHANTOM include:
• Ultra-Res Network Streaming: Next-gen engine provides 768kHz/DSD512 digital audio from Qobuz Connect, Tidal Connect, and more.
• DSD2048 Remastering: iFi’s Chrysopoeia FPGA remastering engine delivers unprecedented clarity and detail.
• Real-Time Circuitry Switching: Discrete J-FET solid-state and NOS GE5670 tube stages offer three distinct user-switchable output topologies.
• K2HD Technology: Restores musical harmonics lost in production/encoding for a natural listening experience.
• 7,747mW Peak Output: Discrete, pure Class A amplification provides effortless headphone power across a wide range of loads.
• Quad DAC Architecture: Four interleaved Burr-Brown DACs deliver the musicality of famed multi-bit chipsets, with superior low-level linearity.
• XBass Pro s XSpace Pro: Three levels of fully analogue bass contouring and spatial enhancement.
A True All-In-One Centrepiece.
The iDSD PHANTOM debuts the latest evolution of iFi’s ultra-resolution streaming engine, adding Qobuz Connect alongside Tidal C Spotify Connect, AirPlay 2 and more. This next-generation platform brings a wealth of refinements, including enhanced stability, smoother web radio performance, and a more intuitive interface with advanced settings for deeper customisation.
The result is a true all-in-one audio centrepiece that serves as the beating heart of your home setup, underpinned by a network streaming experience that incorporates native 768kHz PCM and DSD512 support. The PHANTOM unlocks your library across your whole home, allowing management and access to ultra-res digital audio from external hard drives, NAS drives, and more.
To preserve signal purity, the PHANTOM incorporates galvanic isolation on its Ethernet, S/PDIF, and AES/EBU inputs, separating it from sources at a circuit level to block electrical noise while allowing audio data to pass unimpeded. For further refinement, the PHANTOM offers iFi’s signature Exclusive Modes, which shut down unused system processes when streaming to improve operating efficiency and reduce the potential for signal noise.
The iFi Nexis companion app has also evolved to support Wi-Fi linking, making it easier than ever to connect and queue music to the PHANTOM from anywhere in your home.
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