iFi audio introduces iDSD Phantom flagship DAC, streamer and head-fi amp

iFi audio has unveiled the iDSD Phantom, a new multi-functioning flagship that brings together several strands of the company’s digital and analogue development into a single home audio device.

Positioned above the long-running Pro iDSD, the Phantom is intended as an all-in-one centrepiece, combining a reference-grade DAC,  ultra-resolution network streamer and a high-power headphone amplifier.

Housed in a distinctive two-tone enclosure, the Phantom is designed to function as the core of a modern high-resolution audio system, with the flexibility to serve both loudspeaker-based and headphone-centric installations.

Central to the Phantom concept is iFi’s latest ultra-resolution streaming engine. This new platform adds Qobuz Connect alongside existing support for Tidal Connect, Spotify Connect and AirPlay 2, and is capable of handling PCM up to 768kHz and native DSD512.

According to iFi, the revised engine brings improved stability, smoother web radio performance and a more configurable user interface, making it better suited to permanent integration within a home network. Content can be accessed from local storage, NAS drives or streaming services, allowing the Phantom to act as a single access point for distributed high-resolution audio.

When it comes to DSD remastering, the Phantom introduces DSD2048 processing via the company’s Chrysopoeia FPGA engine, a level of conversion previously associated with specialist mastering environments. The FPGA applies proprietary algorithms to reduce jitter and stabilise timing before the signal reaches the DAC stage.

DSD data is then converted directly to analogue without the use of digital filtering or digital volume control, with level adjustment handled entirely in the analogue domain. iFi argues that this preserves time-domain accuracy and low-level detail, particularly at very high sample rates.

Digital-to-analogue conversion is handled by a quad-DAC architecture using four Burr-Brown DSD1793 chips in a custom interleaved configuration. Drawing on experience gained from earlier multi-bit designs, the arrangement is intended to improve low-level linearity and noise performance. In standard operation, PCM material is processed through user-selectable digital filters, while DSD can be passed directly to the DACs. In remastering mode, each DAC operates at up to DSD1024, enabling native handling of DSD512, DSD1024 and the headline DSD2048 format.

On the analogue side, the Phantom offers three user-selectable outputs, effectively providing multiple amplifier characters within one chassis. These include a solid-state mode based on discrete J-FETs, a valve mode using hand-matched NOS GE5670 tubes, and a Tube+ option that alters loop gain to emphasise second-order harmonic content. iFi says the output stage can deliver a 67 per cent increase in current capability over the Pro iDSD, resulting in a peak headphone output of 7,747mW. This level of power is intended to accommodate a wide range of headphone impedances without external amplification.

Additional signal shaping tools are provided through iFi’s analogue XBass Pro and XSpace Pro circuits. XBass Pro offers selectable low-frequency shelving at 10, 20 or 40Hz, designed to compensate for bass roll-off in open-back or lightly tuned headphones without affecting the midrange. XSpace Pro, meanwhile, is intended to introduce a more speaker-like spatial presentation, with adjustable angles to suit different listening preferences. Both circuits are integrated into a redesigned feedback architecture to minimise noise and maintain consistency when switching functions in and out.

Inside CI has had an exclusive listen to the ISD Phantom at its London launch event and was hugely impressed with the clarity and musicality of the new unit. This is very much a premium audiofile solution.

Most interestingly, the Phantom also incorporates K2HD Technology, developed in collaboration with JVCKenwood, which aims to restore harmonic information lost during recording, mastering or encoding.

Two modes are provided: one that preserves the original file resolution and another that upsamples to 192kHz/24-bit. Unlike frequency-domain EQ, K2HD in the Phantom focuses on time-domain processing, with parameters tuned specifically for iFi hardware. The intention is to reintroduce harmonic structure and overtones without altering the fundamental character of the recording.

From an integration perspective, attention has been paid to noise management and system stability. Galvanic isolation is applied to Ethernet, S/PDIF and AES/EBU inputs to reduce the transfer of electrical noise from connected sources. Exclusive operating modes allow unused system processes to be disabled during streaming, and the updated iFi Nexis app now supports Wi-Fi linking, simplifying control and music selection across a home network.

The iFi iDSD PHANTOM is available, priced at £4,499 ($4,499 USD, €4,695 EUR and $6,999 CAD).