Introducing hip-dac 3! The Legacy Continues!

[CarterKeller]

The legacy continues.​

Meet the hip-dac 3 — a portable hi-res DAC/headphone amp, now in Titanium Shadow with more versatility.

Titanium shadow. Trendsetting innovations.​

Now, our battery-powered portable hi-res DAC/headphone amp is adorned in the Titanium Shadow hue, exuding timeless elegance with a touch of modern sophistication. The transformation extends beyond aesthetics. The hip-dac 3’s sleek Aluminium case houses new features, tailored to elevate your audio experience.
Two USB-C ports simplify your cable management: one for audio and the other for charging. A switch on the underside activates iFi’s iEMatch technology, which is optimized for high-sensitivity headphones and earphones, making it especially beneficial for your in-ear monitors (IEMs).
Inside, the device boasts circuit enhancements, including new metal film capacitors for a better frequency response. Additionally, an updated version of iFi’s GMT circuitry, coupled with a new crystal oscillator, further reduces phase noise, delivering a purer sound to you.

Hip flask size. Magnum performance.​

With its sleek, robust aluminium enclosure, the portable hip-dac 3 discreetly fits in a pocket or bag. It replaces the subpar DAC and amplifier in smartphones, tablets, PCs, and Macs. Just connect via USB-C, plug in your favourite headphones, and enjoy rich, dynamic sound.

iFi’s expertise with the Burr-Brown chipset ensures optimal performance. However, a superior DAC stage involves more than just the DAC chip. A crucial element is the XMOS chip for processing digital audio inputs. The hip-dac 3 features a 16-core XMOS microcontroller, programmed by iFi’s in-house team to optimize sound quality and ensure a perfect hi-res partnership with the Burr-Brown DAC.

hip-dac 3 your power-hungry headphone.​

The hip-dac 3 features a true balanced circuit design, rare for its price range. This design minimizes signal distortion, resulting in a purer, more captivating sound for your headphones.
The circuitry incorporates high-quality components, including a custom iFi OV op-amp, a low-noise power supply IC from Texas Instruments, and a premium analogue volume pot.
The amp stage can deliver up to 400mW into a 32-ohm headphone load, making it compatible with a wide range of headphones. Additionally, it efficiently drives high-impedance headphones with an output voltage of 6.3V into 600 ohms from the balanced output.

Tailored for your headphones and earphones​

The amp stage has a switchable gain, called PowerMatch, to ensure optimal power for the headphones you are using.

An underside switch engages iFi’s iEMatch technology, optimizing output for high-sensitivity headphones, especially in-ear monitors (IEMs). It reduces hiss, enhances detail and dynamic range, and improves volume control range.

XBass is a user-selectable feature that boosts bass without muddying the midrange, ideal for your earphones and open-back headphones. It works in the analogue domain, avoiding alterations via DSP.

Play all your files, including MQA​

Hi-res PCM and DXD audio data is supported at sample rates up to 384kHz, alongside DSD from 2.8MHz to 12.4MHz (DSD64, 128 and 256).
Full decoding of MQA – the hi-res streaming technology, as used by Tidal’s ‘HiFi Plus’ tier – is also supported, performing the full ‘three unfold’ decoding process (as opposed to just the final unfold in the manner of an MQA ‘renderer’).
Either side of the rotary volume control reside a pair of LEDs that change colour to indicate the format and sample rate of the incoming audio.

Get connected​

The hip-dac 3’s USB-C input supports up to 32-bit/384kHz audio, compatible with USB 3.0 and 2.0. Its asynchronous design ensures jitter-free data transfer. A separate USB-C charging port allows use while charging, preserving a pure audio signal path.

The hip-dac 3 provides two outputs: a 3.5mm socket for single-ended headphones and a 4.4mm balanced output for those with balanced connectivity, leveraging the device’s differential amp design. The 3.5mm output utilizes iFi’s S-Balanced circuitry, minimizing crosstalk and distortion for single-ended connections.

The hip-dac 3’s 2,200mAh battery offers up to 12 hours of playtime, varying by volume and headphone power needs. It includes a USB-C OTG cable and a USB-A to USB-C cable.

Thanks for taking a look!

Cheers!!
GET YOURS HERE!!

[InvisibleInk]

Have you made this announcement on the HiFi Guides Forum yet? If not, you should.

[CarterKeller]

I’m on it Thank you for reminding me!

[Alexandra]

I am weirdly tempted to stick some Magsafe magnets on this and stick it on my iphone for easy carrying.

[AceofSpades]

Beautiful piece I like the layout and for $200 seems like a go step up in performance over the prior.

[spiritualarchitect]

One year ago I bought a Hip Dac 2 and it worked great for a month. Then I set it aside for a month. After that it would no longer work with my Apple cable (bought separately), though it would work with the supplied Android cable that goes into the same connection point.

I bought another Apple cable and it worked for one day – and would not work the next day.
I contacted iFi and they had never had that problem before. They had me send the Hip to them in Yorktown and I sent that Apple cable along with it. They were unable to get the Hip to work with my Apple cable – but they said it worked fine with the cables they had on hand. They sent it back a couple weeks later, telling me the Hip was fine and that it was a cable problem.

My Hip Dac worked fine for a week and then it would no longer work. But this time it was the Android cable not working. I wanted to throw the Hip away!

Then I went back to my new Apple cable and it worked fine.

That’s when I decided to look INSIDE the cable connector. I noticed these tiny clear balls inside that Android cable. I thought they might be spacers. I looked at the good Apple cable and there were no balls. I looked at the blue computer connector that came with it. No balls. Then I looked at that old bad Apple cable I had sent them. AND THERE BE BALLS!

I then looked at my baggie of cables… AND THERE BE MORE BALLS!

When I first unpacked the Hip Dac, I put everything in the box into a zip lock baggie to carry with me. Even the “Do Not Eat” packet. The packet broke in my baggie and the balls spilled out and got INSIDE the connectors making them not work.

I removed the balls and ALL my cables worked from then on.

You can’t make this stuff up.

iFi stands behind their warranty and provides good service, even for customers as dumb as me.