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.

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.

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.

Paired with... Samsung S25 Ultra. Bowers & Wilkins Px 7SII. A giant leap in sound quality across the whole audio frequency range. I am listenening to tracks that I haved listened to many times, in some cases more than a hundred, on many headphones from many smartphones. This combination is amazing. I can hear details that I have never before heard. This DAC/Amp has exceeded my expectations enormously. I wonder what better headphones would be like, such as the Mark Levinson No5909. WOW|

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.

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

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.

Not as portable as Qudelix 5k, but definetely a sonical upgrade. It`s just pity iFi do not offer any serious Android/Apple app to control this device. UPDATE AFTER MONTH USE Display is made of plastic which scratch very easily. As there is no case included (just bag), in a short time Gryphon do not look just good as you want...

Me ha Encantado. Tiene varios Filtros Digital. En lo personal me gusta en GTO-Bass-USB- Edifier S3000pro. Y en las S3000pro el modo Dynamico. El conjunto me Dá una Calidad increíble. Me ha llevado varias semanas de estar escuchando y buscándole hasta encontrar la configuración perfecta para lo que tengo. No Dudo que pueda sacar el Mejor sonido a las bocinas que ya tienen en casa. 100% recomendable.

I love this portable DAC/Amp! The Gryphon keeps surprising me with its capabilities. What I enjoy most about the Gryphon, which is made possible by its amazing DAC is the amplifier filters: XBass & XSpace. There are some albums that I tried to listen to for the past two years but I couldn't enjoy them due to the way they were mastered. Not really done well. With the Gryphon you can make analog corrections. Need more bass, no problem. Need mids to be more forward, no problem! Need some more instrument separation, you got it (albeit you'll really only notice the impact with intimate headphones, like the Focal Clears). It is super clear, natural sounding, and musical! I so enjoy listening to it on its own, whether it's classical, new age, contemporary jazz, it's so much fun. It is also powerful enough to drive my Hifiman Arya SE with no issue and plenty of headroom, using the 4.4mm balanced jack, which I recommend. But their single-ended 3.8mm jack is also very good, shockingly good. It is also able to be used as a preamp to power speakers or feed into another amplifier. This pairs very well with a tube amplifier. I'm currently doing a 3.8mm line out from the Gryphon into my WA7 Fireflies 3rd gen (RCA input) and it sounds amazing!!! With XBass turned on for albums that need it, it's a godsend. Lastly, another favorite feature is desktop mode. You can have it run off of usb charging cable and stop charging the battery. This is my primary use case until I need to travel and need to bring my music experience with me. The Gryphon makes it super easy. Whether I'm at the hotel or visiting friends/family, for a long stay, the Gryphon is a fabulous on-the-go solution. Do yourself a favor, if you are on the fence, just buy it and try it out for 30 days. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Excellent dac amp will highly recommended this item.

Ich besitze den XDSD Gryphone nun ca. 6 Monate, habe gleich die neueste Firmware aufgespielt, die von den anderen Rezensenten beschrieben Bugs sind mit der neuen Software nichts mehr vorhanden. (V1.63) Bei der Lieferung waren Kabel für USB C als auch für Lightning vorhanden, man muss also keine Extra Kabel mehr zukaufen. (Siehe Bild) Anschlüsse: Der XDSD Gryphone besitzt nun einen 4.4 mm Pentacom Anschluss sowie wie früher schon eine 3,5 mm Klinke auch die USB Anschlüsse sind nun alle auf USB C gehalten. (siehe Bild) Bedienung: Der ein und Ausschalter ist zwar immer noch ein Multifunktionsknopf, hat aber weniger Funktionen. Das wechseln der Anschlussmodi ist nun über einen separaten Knopf geregelt. Wer den Vorgänger kennt weis von was ich rede… (Siehe Bild) Es kann nun ebenfalls die Lautstärke am Gryphone auch über das Telefon oder den PC geregelt werden. Einstellungen: Es sind verschiedene digitale Filter wählbar, STD, Bit Perfect oder GTO. Klanglich unterscheiden diese sich zwar durch die Räumlichkeit von der Klangkurve aber nahezu identisch.(siehe messdiagramm) XBASS: Diese Einstellung greift nun stärker ein als beim Vorgänger und zeigt eine deutlichere Wirkung. (Siehe Bild) XSpace: Ich merke hie bei offenen Kopfhörern nur einen geringen Einfluss, bei geschlossenen Kopfhörern etwas mehr. Aber kein wirklicher „Wow“ Effekt finde ich, die Filter bewirken wesentlich mehr. IE-Match: Dieser Schalter befindet sich auf der Rückseite des Gehäuses und kann für 3,5 oder 4,4mm jeweils ausgewählt werden. Batterie: Dieser hält bei mittlerer Lautstärke ca. 6 Stunden mit Overears durch. Klang: Der Klang ist sehr ausgewogen und neutral, mit X-Bass gibt es den nötigen Punch. Egal ob Magnetostat, Standard KH oder InEar KH alle werden mit ausreichend Power betreiben. Fazit: Wer den Vorgänger schon besessen hat, kann ruhigen Gewissens den XDSD Grypohen kaufen man macht nichts falsch und wird mit Klang und besser Bedienerfreundlichkeit mehr als belohnt. Ich bin absolut zufrieden mit diesem DAC. Testkopfhörer: Hifiman Ananda, Sennheiser HD660 S2, Beyerdynamic DT700 ProX, Hifiman R9, Sondmagic E8 Wenn euch die Rezension geholfen hat, freue ich mich natürlich über ein gefällt mir.