iFi Audio pursues a clear philosophy: music should come across as authentically as possible, without any sound-distorting interventions.
Founded as a sister company of Abbingdon Music Research (AMR), the brand focuses on innovative, often mobile technologies that appeal to audiophile purists and pragmatic music lovers alike. The focus is not only on technical excellence, but also on user-friendliness and an emotional connection to music. The iFi iDSD Valkyrie is a perfect example of this approach: a portable (and battery-powered) DAC with preamplifier and headphone amplifier that combines state-of-the-art technology with haptic quality and musical enjoyment.
The iFi iDSD Valkyrie sparks the desire to own it right out of the gate. It starts with the elegant wooden box in which the device rests – a packaging design that is more reminiscent of a luxury watch than a DAC.
The weight is immediately noticeable in the hand: no plastic, no cheap housing, but solid die-cast aluminium with a satin-like anodized finish in a warm champagne tone. The surface is immaculately finished, the edges smooth, and the central, oversized dial is reminiscent of the winding button on a quality wristwatch. The buttons have a satisfying, pleasant pressure point, and the Gorilla Glass display gives the whole thing a modern, quality look.
Operation is pleasingly intuitive. No convoluted menus, no complicated setup – the focus here is on directness. One press of the power button and the device springs to life. The various input sources can be selected directly and the digital filter selection is straightforward via dedicated buttons. Particularly clever: the Valkyrie remembers its settings and starts up with the latest selected configuration. The device is so compact that it easily fits into the supplied carrying bag, and with its 20,000 mAh battery it lasts an impressive 18 hours in mobile use.
For the mobile test, I used my iPhone 15 Pro and streamed directly via the Qobuz app. The connection via USB-C worked without any problems and I was able to immerse myself in high-resolution music within a few seconds. Sound quality was already at a very high level, dynamic and transparent. At home, I was determined to test its limits and connected my Meridian Sooloos digitally to the iFi. This resulted in a minimal gain in resolution and transparency, which allowed the finest details to come through even more clearly.
Technically, the iFi iDSD Valkyrie knows every trick in the book. Four Burr-Brown DACs ensure impressive clarity and fine detail. The K2HD technology breathes life back into digital recordings through fine corrections in the time domain. I particularly liked the DSD 1024 remastering, which lifts PCM files (and, of course, lower-resolution DSD streams) to an extreme bandwidth, creating an involving listening experience. In this operating mode, the music sounds extremely lively and “flowing”, while at the same time losing the last hint of digital charm.
The amplifier delivers a peak output of 5,700 mW, which means that even power-hungry headphones can be driven with ease. The amplification can be adjusted in three stages: 0 dB, +8 dB and +16 dB for particularly low sensitivity headphones, active speakers or power amp/speaker combinations. This ensures flexibility, regardless of the setup in which the converter is used.
The variety of connections is just as impressive for a device of this size, albeit with a few “jack compromises”: In addition to USB-C power and the USB-C signal input, there is an S/PDIF connection (3.5 mm jack). Of course, there are also wireless options such as Bluetooth 5.4 with aptX Lossless, LDAC and LHDC. iPhone users like me are unfortunately limited to AAC, which prompted me to permanently use a wired connection. If you want to integrate the Valkyrie as a preamp or in a stationary setup, you will also find what you are looking for: The converter offers one variable output RCA and one 3.5 mm jack output as well as a balanced 4.4 mm and 3.5 mm fixed level tap. It also meets all standards on the headphone side: In addition to the balanced 4.4 mm output, there is a 3.5 mm single-ended connection.
But now for the most exciting part: the sound. First, I connected my old Sony MDR-V700, a pair of DJ headphones that I had almost phased out. But with the Valkyrie, it soon turned out that there’s still plenty of life left in them. The soundstage seemed wider, the bass was more precise and even the treble seemed more pleasant and free. But then came the moment when I borrowed the HIFIMAN HE1000 V2 …
The first time I heard Phil Collins’ “I Don’t Care Anymore”, I was speechless. The dry drums had an uncanny punch, every cymbal hit precisely defined and yet with a natural transient response. Collins’ voice was unobtrusive yet present, with a subtle roughness that often goes unnoticed. I then switched to Peter Gabriel’s “Sky Blue” – here I was particularly struck by the attention to detail. The fine percussive elements were reproduced in razor-sharp detail and the interplay between the instruments unfolded with a lightness that drew me deep into the piece.
Sting’s “Englishman in New York” sounded almost as if I were sitting in the middle of the recording room – the saxophone part had just the right blend of mellowness and attack, while the voice remained warm and expressive. The ultimate test came with a recording by Herve Niquet: the baroque timbres, the fine gradation of dynamics and the airy expanse of the recording room were simply impressive.
The Valkyrie also cut an astonishingly fine figure as a preamp in my hi-fi system. What was particularly exciting was that it sounded even cleaner and more dynamic in battery mode than with a mains adapter – it obviously benefits from the isolated power supply. So if you have a top-class setup at home and don’t want to do without audiophile quality on the go, the iFi iDSD Valkyrie is a kind of mobile high-end command center. This device is a real gem – and to me one of the most exciting products in its segment.
Variable output DAC/headphone amplifier iFi iDSD Valkyrie
Concept: mobile DAC, preamplifier and headphone amplifier in one | D/A converter chips: 4× Burr-Brown in interleaved hybrid multi-bit mode | Formats: PCM up to 768 kHz, DSD512 native, DSD1024 remastered via FPGA | Tone control: 8 digital filters + analog tone control (XBassII, XSpace, XPresence); three gain stages (0 dB, +8 dB, +16 dB) | Amplifier power: 4.4 mm balanced 2,250 mW @ 64 ohms; 3.5 mm single-ended 2,258 mW @ 64 ohms | Output impedance: ≤ 0.3 Ohm (4.4 mm), ≤ 0.2 Ohm (3.5 mm) | Digital inputs: USB-C, S/PDIF (opt./coax.), Bluetooth 5.4 | Analog inputs: 4.4 mm balanced, 3.5 mm | Headphone outputs: 4.4 mm balanced, 3.5 mm | Line-outs: 4.4 mm balanced, 2× 3.5 mm, RCA | Power supply: USB-C (QC 3.0 capable) | Bluetooth codecs: aptX Lossless, aptX Adaptive, aptX, LDAC, LHDC, AAC, SBC | Battery capacity: 20,000 mAh (up to 18 hours runtime; approx. 2.5 hours charging time) | Special features: JVCKENWOOD K2 & K2HD sound processing, Supports xMEMS driver technology, Die-cast aluminum housing | Dimensions (W × D × H): 172 × 160 × 30 mm | Weight: approx. 880 grams | Warranty: 2 years | Price: around 1700 euros
WOD Audio
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61130 Nidderau
Telefon +49 06187 900077
info@wodaudio.de