iFi’s new portable headphone DAC looks even more like a hip flask, and it’ll serve up a ton of hi-res audio – but take a shot before you see the price

iFi unveils iDSD GR2 at High End Vienna
New portable DAC, following on from the xDSD Gryphon
Improvements in some departments, including reinforcement

We’re seeing plenty of promising new hi-fi kit at High End Vienna 2026, and one such item is coming from iFi with the follow-up to its five-star xDSD Gryphon portable DAC. No, it’s not a hip flask, but a new oneeh portable DAC.

Meet the iFi iDSD GR2, a name possibly the result of someone having a tot and trying to spell something else (maybe struggling to spell ‘Gryphon’ in full?). It’s a new piece of bargains set to retail for £529 (approx $710, AU$1,060) – exact release date TBC. So it’s not cheap, but it undercuts the Gryphon by a few cents.

We listed the iFi xDSD Gryphon in our Best Portable DACs, but as the “best premium portable DAC” (italics mine). So you’ll have to forgive the price: this is not for the faint of heart or money.

iFi’s Gryphon will grab you in its claws (sound-wise)

iFi's iDSD GR 2 on a white background

(Image credit: iFi)

The iDSD GR 2 offers some of the same connectivity options as its predecessor, including Bluetooth, USB-C, S/PDIF and line, but with new tools.

For example, its output power is up to 50%, up to 1.5W at 32 ohms, and the DAC is improved to PCM1795 for more balanced sound. Also on board is K2HD technology, designed for rich harmonics (and loved by iFi’s audio engineers for some time now, just look at 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 also back, such as XSpace and XBass+, which respectively boost the width of the soundstage and the low frequencies, giving you some versatility in your sound. There is also a “hybrid power mode” to extend the device’s battery life. Extend it by how much – from how much? I can’t tell you since iFi didn’t specify the endurance up front.

The touchscreen is back, and in our largely glowing review of the original Gryphon, we slammed the DAC/amplifier for how unintuitive it was last time. Pictures make it look like it’s improved though, and at least you get color now, so hopefully iFi has fixed that gripe.

Another upgrade for the wireless audiophiles out there concerns Bluetooth; The GR2 supports Bluetooth 5.4, which allows for aptX Lossless and LDAC. There is also a phone app called iFi Nexis to control your device.

When the iFi iDSD GR2 officially hits shelves – when it does, this is strictly the official reveal – we’ll bring you a full review to see how it stacks up against its premium brethren. We like the way it looks, though. We like it a lot.