iFi Unveils Its Latest Flagship, 'iDSD PHANTOM' – a Luxury DAC, Streamer and Headphone Amp
Available to pre-order now for a cool $4,499 USD.
British hi-fi brand iFi has introduced its latest flagship product, the iDSD PHANTOM, a luxury home audio device it calls “a world first for home audio” that combines a reference-class DAC, ultra-high-resolution network streamer and high-powered headphones amplifier in a single chassis.
Building on the Pro iDSD, the new PHANTOM is a solid, exquisitely constructed and mostly metal unit that weighs just under 8 lbs (or 3.6 kg) and delivers updates in every core area compared to its predecessor. This includes a new streaming engine, upgraded digital conversion, increased output power and expanded user control, each of which forms part of a ground-up complete refresh.
At the centre of the PHANTOM is iFi’s latest ultra-resolution streaming platform, adding Qobuz Connect alongside TIDAL Connect, Spotify Connect, AirPlay 2 and Roon compatibility, as well as supporting playback up to 768kHz PCM and DSD512 natively.
One of the PHANTOM’s headline features is DSD Remastering up to DSD2048, which uses the brand’s proprietary Chrysopoeia FPGA engine to deliver what it describes as “unprecedented clarity and detail” in your music. In the simplest terms: the PHANTOM processes music at extremely high resolutions, preserving detail, reducing distortion and creating a more natural, lifelike listening experience – something the brand calls is “a first for a consumer home device.”
The unit offers three user-selectable listening modes – solid-state, tube and Tube+ – allowing you to pick your preference, whether you’re listening over headphones, looking for a specific sound for a specific genre, or simply tweaked to your liking. Users can switch between modes in real time at the press of a button.
Additionally, the PHANTOM delivers up to 7,747mW of peak output via a pure Class A amplification stage, enough power to comfortably drive a wide range of high-impedance and planar magnetic headphones. Signal integrity is supported through galvanic isolation on key digital inputs and iFi’s Exclusive Modes, which reduce background system activity during playback.
Features typically only found in professional studio settings also make a return, including K2HD Technology that iFi developed together with JVCKENWOOD, alongside XBass Pro and XSpace Pro, both of which offer fully analogue bass shaping and spatial enhancement without altering the core signal path.
The iFi iDSD PHANTOM is available to pre-order now via directly via iFi’s website and select dealers, priced at £4,499 GBP / €4,695 EUR / $4,499 USD.
