- iFi unveils the iDSD GR2 at High End Vienna
- New portable DAC, following on from xDSD Gryphon
- Improvements in some departments, including amplification
We’re seeing swathes of aspirational new hi-fi kit at High End Vienna 2026, and one such item comes from iFi with the follow-up to its five-star xDSD Gryphon portable DAC. No, that’s not a hip flask, but a newer portable DAC.
Meet the iFi iDSD GR2, a name possibly the result of someone having a tot and trying to type something else (struggling to spell ‘Gryphon’ in full, maybe?). It’s a new piece offering that’s set to sell for £529 (about $710, AU$1,060) — exact release date TBC. So it’s not cheap, but it does undercut the Gryphon by a couple of pennies.
We listed the iFi xDSD Gryphon in our best portable DACs round-up, but as the “best premium portable DAC” (italics my own). So you’ll have to forgive the price: this isn’t for the faint of heart or light of funds.
Appearance-wise, this is pretty similar to the Gryphon, with a big OLED screen and undulating body. But under the hood, it’s seen some upgrades.
iFi’s Gryphon will snatch you up in its talons (sonically speaking)
The iDSD GR 2 offers some of the same connection options as its predecessor, including Bluetooth, USB-C, S/PDIF and line, but with new tools.
For example, its power output is up 50%, up to 1.5W at 32 ohms, and the DAC is improved to PCM1795 for more balanced audio. There’s also K2HD tech built in, designed for rich harmonics (and beloved of iFi’s audio engineers for some time now, just see the flagship iFi iDSD Phantom, built on iFi’s ongoing love affair with K2 and K2HD technology — and priced at an eye-watering $4,499 [before tax] / £4,499 / around AU$8,997).
Some iFi fan-fave modes are back too, such as XSpace and XBass+, which respectively boost the breadth of the soundstage and low-end frequencies, so you get some versatility in your sound. There’s also a “hybrid power mode” to extent the device’s battery life. Extend it by how much — from how much? I can’t tell you, as iFi didn’t specify the stamina ahead of time.
The touchscreen is back, and in our largely glowing review of the original Gryphon, we did knock the DAC/amp for how unintuitive it was last time. Images make it seem like it’s improved, however, and you’re getting color now at least, so hopefully iFi has fixed that gripe.
Another upgrade for those wireless audiophiles out there concerns Bluetooth; the GR2 supports Bluetooth 5.4, which allows for aptX Lossless and LDAC. There’s also a phone app called the iFi Nexis for controlling your unit.
When the iFi iDSD GR2 officially hits shelves — whenever that is, this is purely the official unveiling — we’ll bring you a full review, to see how it stacks up against its premium bretheren. We do like how it looks though. We like it a lot.
The best headphone DACs for all budgets
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tom.bedford@hotmail.co.uk (Tom Bedford)
