The iFi micro iDSD Signature is quite unlike anything else I've tested to date. I know I mentioned this already, but have to clarify here too, given my relative inexperience with premium portable DAC/amps. The micro iDSD Signature seemingly offers the best of both worlds when it comes to portably powering IEMs and headphones, staying on your desk as a base for more power hungry headphones, being a preamp for active speakers, using the DAC alone with other specialized amplifiers such as energizers for electrostatic headphones, or even using with your expensive IEMs that you dare not take along when traveling. There is a lot that could have gone wrong here, yet the pros list easily outweighs the cons!

The micro iDSD Signature is not the newest product in the world, and a couple of my issues have been resolved in the newer iFi xDSD Gryphon. Indeed, I mentioned how 3D+ was renamed to XSpace on the GO blu, and continues to be so on the Gryphon too, yet I was not left wanting when it came to iFi's excellent tech implementations here in the form of XBass+, 3D+, and especially iEMatch paired with the three power modes. The Burr-Brown DACs used here aren't going to win the best measurement awards necessarily, but there's something to be said about having a source which works well with some specific headphones more than just being a clean background for everything as with the vast majority of DAC units in the market today. Similarly, XBass+ and 3D+ will not win over everyone, and I am not sure the two together will even be a good idea for most in the first place, yet I would rather have these features than miss them in favor of just going pure power as with the iFi iDSD Diablo.

As I write this review, I am also packing up to return the product to iFi. This means I ultimately decided to not buy this product. Yet I find myself recommending it, so let me explain. I have far too many sources and really now am in more need of a professional class DAC to pair with some expensive amplifiers. A portable unit such as the micro iDSD Signature is better suited for someone who is looking for one unit to do everything fairly well, as opposed to having multiple units to tinker with, and get everything in the audio chain exactly as they want it. Then there's the factor where this unit now sells for $600 in the US, but much more in the equivalent amounts elsewhere, including in the UK where I'd have to shell out more than I feel comfortable with. The recommendation below is for people who find the iFi micro iDSD Signature not only appealing to your needs but also find it priced competitively in your country too.