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iconian | Staff 23.9K Views
Dec 8, 2022 8:17 PM

iFi AUDIO xDSD Portable Bluetooth USB DAC & Headphones Amplifier

$179

$400

55% off
+ Free Shippingat Adorama
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Deal Details
Adorama has iFi AUDIO xDSD Portable Bluetooth USB DAC & Headphones Amplifier (XDSDTYPE-CVER1.4) for $179. Shipping is free.

Thanks to Deal Editor iconian for finding this deal.

Includes:
  • iFi AUDIO xDSD Bluetooth Portable USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier
  • 2.5mm to 2.5mm Cable
  • 3.5mm to 3.5mm Cable
  • Charging Cable
  • Pouch
Features:
  • You choose wireless via Bluetooth or wired via USB or SPDIFHi-res audio support is state-of-the-art with True Native playback
  • Battery life is up to 10 hours
  • Charging is via the separate USB charging cable included

Editor's Notes

  • About this deal:
    • This price is $220.99 lower (55% savings) than the list price of $399.99.
  • About this product:
    • iFi AUDIO 1 Year Limited Warranty
  • About this store:
    • Information about Adorama's return policy here.
  • Please read the Forum Thread for more deal discussion.

Original Post

Written by iconian | Staff
Community Notes
About the Poster
Deal Details
Community Notes
About the Poster
Adorama has iFi AUDIO xDSD Portable Bluetooth USB DAC & Headphones Amplifier (XDSDTYPE-CVER1.4) for $179. Shipping is free.

Thanks to Deal Editor iconian for finding this deal.

Includes:
  • iFi AUDIO xDSD Bluetooth Portable USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier
  • 2.5mm to 2.5mm Cable
  • 3.5mm to 3.5mm Cable
  • Charging Cable
  • Pouch
Features:
  • You choose wireless via Bluetooth or wired via USB or SPDIFHi-res audio support is state-of-the-art with True Native playback
  • Battery life is up to 10 hours
  • Charging is via the separate USB charging cable included

Editor's Notes

  • About this deal:
    • This price is $220.99 lower (55% savings) than the list price of $399.99.
  • About this product:
    • iFi AUDIO 1 Year Limited Warranty
  • About this store:
    • Information about Adorama's return policy here.
  • Please read the Forum Thread for more deal discussion.

Original Post

Written by iconian | Staff

Community Voting

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Why are you downvoting this deal?

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Price Intelligence

Deal History

Post Date Sold By Sale Price Activity
10/30/23Adorama$169
0
08/29/22Adorama$199
1
08/25/22Adorama$250
Popular
6

Top Comments

tg9413
494Comments
289Reputation
around 200 or below with bluetooth, fiio btr5 / btr7 , qudelix 5k, ifi go blu. the xDSD's bluetooth is pretty outdated. Might be okay as a wired amp / dac, but defiantly better and cheaper options out there for bluetooth use.
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etherealkev88
28Comments
14Reputation
That applies to more traditional wired DAC/Amps, but for portable bluetooth options, new IS better. Cheaper and better DAC chips continue to disrupt the market while better bluetooth tech (bluetooth 5 and above, with LDAC, LHDC and the latest AptX-Adaptive codec, and etc) have immensely closed to gap between wired and wireless compared to older tech.
Go to Comment
KRT09
1.1KComments
112Reputation
Most of those units have no battery and the ones that do have a much smaller battery. This has a 2200mAh battery with a decently powerful amp, the iFi Xbass features are a fun as well. You seem to be clueless as to what the intended use of a portable DAC / amp is and continue to spew nonsense.

I'm all for extra measurements but ASR has in many ways done a disservice to the audio community by convincing people that you should always follow SINAD and THD numbers. These numbers have been largely irrelevant for close to a decade because the tech has matured a lot and the vast majority of amps and DAC's will only distort at levels outside of human hearing or to levels that are severely ear damaging. That's not to say amps and DAC's can't sound different, but the number chasing game is mostly a pissing contest. Human ears are not measurement rigs.
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64 Comments

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Dec 9, 2022 1:05 AM
146 Comments
Joined Nov 2019
LootPirateDec 9, 2022 1:05 AM
146 Comments
Quote from blueis300 View quoted comment :
Brah~!~~ You are comparing apple to a watermelon. This iFi is portable unlike the Topping D50. Think before you talk please.
If portability is a main consideration then shanling or fiio or several others would beat this easily.
Dec 9, 2022 1:38 AM
102 Comments
Joined Apr 2019
LordDangoDec 9, 2022 1:38 AM
102 Comments
Quote :
Hmm. Where do you think this DAC is made in ?
I never said anything about the product being made in China lol i said the company is based in China.
Quote :
Have you seen any specs on this DAC especially sinead or snr? This is an ifi not a chord , mytek or rme.
Where did I say anything about Ifi being on another league compared to Topping? You make so many assumptions about things i never said. If you are upset i said something bad about a product from your favorite company why dont you just say so?
Quote :
And I must ask as someone who runs himself, when was the last time you saw anyone run with these things.
As a person who participates in the public outdoors, when was the last time you've seen someone with high level audiophile gear in public? Almost never lol this hobby is super niche so i really dont see your point.
Quote :
Two separate moving objects (phone and DAC) connected by short cable in one pocket, how good is that jog going to be ?
All you do is complain, how about you try and be a helpful and provide suggestions instead of just trying to sound smart? This is bluetooth so you can hook this up to a smartwatch too you know... Smartwatch + hooking this on a armband is too uncomfortable for you? What do you run with?
Dec 9, 2022 4:58 AM
1.8K Comments
Joined Apr 2017
killerrabbit1961Dec 9, 2022 4:58 AM
1.8K Comments
Quote from etherealkev88 View quoted comment :
That applies to more traditional wired DAC/Amps, but for portable bluetooth options, new IS better. Cheaper and better DAC chips continue to disrupt the market while better bluetooth tech (bluetooth 5 and above, with LDAC, LHDC and the latest AptX-Adaptive codec, and etc) have immensely closed to gap between wired and wireless compared to older tech.
Newer bluetooth standards may be better, but there is nothing "disruptive" in the DAC world. DACs follow an evolutionary path, not revolutionary, just like other microchips. Plus, a good DAC from 5 years ago greatly exceeds human hearing capabilities, so most improvements in DACs are in measurements only.
Dec 9, 2022 5:05 AM
28 Comments
Joined Apr 2012
ludens1020Dec 9, 2022 5:05 AM
28 Comments
Quote from killerrabbit1961 View quoted comment :
Newer bluetooth standards may be better, but there is nothing "disruptive" in the DAC world. DACs follow an evolutionary path, not revolutionary, just like other microchips. Plus, a good DAC from 5 years ago greatly exceeds human hearing capabilities, so most improvements in DACs are in measurements only.
If we were strictly talking about the sound quality of wired HiFi systems, you would be right. But we are talking about bluetooth DAC/amps specifically. Newer chips consume significantly less power and are integrated with the newest wireless standards. Newer Bluetooth DAC/amps are noticeably smaller and are integrated with much better user friendly software support (i.e. built in pEQ and etc). Completely different category.
Dec 9, 2022 5:08 AM
1.4K Comments
Joined Oct 2006
lottathoughtDec 9, 2022 5:08 AM
1.4K Comments
Quote from d3a1z View quoted comment :
I have a fiio Btr7. This may have a decent dac but Ldac is the way to go for Bluetooth and the amp is super clean. that said I really like ifi. if this gets down to $150 I will jump on it.

I would love to know if you also have any experience listening to the BTR5 and what your impressions are as to how much of an improvement that this is in sound quality. And if it is, in what way....
Dec 9, 2022 11:25 AM
146 Comments
Joined Nov 2019
LootPirateDec 9, 2022 11:25 AM
146 Comments
Quote from LordDango View quoted comment :
I never said anything about the product being made in China lol i said the company is based in China.


Where did I say anything about Ifi being on another league compared to Topping? You make so many assumptions about things i never said. If you are upset i said something bad about a product from your favorite company why dont you just say so?

As a person who participates in the public outdoors, when was the last time you've seen someone with high level audiophile gear in public? Almost never lol this hobby is super niche so i really dont see your point.

All you do is complain, how about you try and be a helpful and provide suggestions instead of just trying to sound smart? This is bluetooth so you can hook this up to a smartwatch too you know... Smartwatch + hooking this on a armband is too uncomfortable for you? What do you run with?
How I wish I had the time to respond to this massive message on a dead deal. Alright man, you go ahead and run with your ifi. The message wasn't for you, most people will buy whatever it is that they have set their minds on. The message was for others who may be interested in this deal. It's not a good deal. Better sounding, more portable and much smaller options exist. I said d50 in the beginning which is sonically much superior but even on the form factor or smaller there are better options. As for the jogging part, I said I don't think this is comfortable to jog with. It seems like you agree. Or maybe you don't. I couldn't care more either way.
Dec 9, 2022 11:42 AM
713 Comments
Joined Nov 2006
d3a1zDec 9, 2022 11:42 AM
713 Comments
Quote from lottathought View quoted comment :
I would love to know if you also have any experience listening to the BTR5 and what your impressions are as to how much of an improvement that this is in sound quality. And if it is, in what way....
For what? The BTR 7? I would not really say it sounds better by default. Maybe a tad but not even close to night and day. Two main things are much more power. This can drive my 6xx no problem. Second is eq works through LDAC which is nice. It is basically a pumped up BTR 5. I still use my BTR 5 all the time with iems since the 7 is a bit overkill.
Last edited by d3a1z December 9, 2022 at 03:44 AM.

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Dec 9, 2022 11:54 AM
1.4K Comments
Joined Oct 2006
lottathoughtDec 9, 2022 11:54 AM
1.4K Comments
Quote from d3a1z View quoted comment :
For what? The BTR 7? I would not really say it sounds better by default. Maybe a tad but not even close to night and day. Two main things are much more power. This can drive my 6xx no problem. Second is eq works through LDAC which is nice. It is basically a pumped up BTR 5. I still use my BTR 5 all the time with iems since the 7 is a bit overkill.

Good info.
I always thought that the BTR5 drove my 6xx pretty well. To outdo that, yeah the BTR7 must be a beast.
Dec 9, 2022 1:09 PM
5 Comments
Joined Dec 2018
SkillfulBook674Dec 9, 2022 1:09 PM
5 Comments
Quote from LootPirate View quoted comment :
A few dollars more and a topping d50 would beat this by no small margin
I just got the portable Topping G5 and sold my BTR7. A simpler device but the sound won me over. A lot more powerful too.
Dec 9, 2022 1:16 PM
146 Comments
Joined Nov 2019
LootPirateDec 9, 2022 1:16 PM
146 Comments
Quote from SkillfulBook674 View quoted comment :
I just got the portable Topping G5 and sold my BTR7. A simpler device but the sound won me over. A lot more powerful too.
I have heard the G5 is really good sounding. It's rated highly at asr. What did you pay for the G5 ?
Dec 9, 2022 1:58 PM
102 Comments
Joined Apr 2019
LordDangoDec 9, 2022 1:58 PM
102 Comments
Quote from LootPirate View quoted comment :
How I wish I had the time to respond to this massive message on a dead deal. Alright man, you go ahead and run with your ifi. The message wasn't for you, most people will buy whatever it is that they have set their minds on. The message was for others who may be interested in this deal. It's not a good deal. Better sounding, more portable and much smaller options exist. I said d50 in the beginning which is sonically much superior but even on the form factor or smaller there are better options. As for the jogging part, I said I don't think this is comfortable to jog with. It seems like you agree. Or maybe you don't. I couldn't care more either way.
And my point is you havent helped anyone.

You suggested a desktop source to compare to a portable source. Then you ask questions that you yourself dont even have an answer to. You are just wasting everybody's time here.

Like seriously you can type that out but you cant suggest alternatives and you claim you are trying to be a helpful community member? Man stop being cringe
Dec 9, 2022 1:59 PM
713 Comments
Joined Nov 2006
d3a1zDec 9, 2022 1:59 PM
713 Comments
Quote from SkillfulBook674 View quoted comment :
I just got the portable Topping G5 and sold my BTR7. A simpler device but the sound won me over. A lot more powerful too.
Isn't it also like $300. I am not sure if that is a totally fair comparison for $100 more. I think I got my BTR7 for $180 with a coupon. I would hope it would sound better for an extra $100. If it drops in price one day I might get one, but for portable I like to keep things cheaper because it might get dropped or stolen.
Last edited by d3a1z December 9, 2022 at 06:02 AM.
Dec 9, 2022 2:17 PM
1.1K Comments
Joined Oct 2016
KRT09Dec 9, 2022 2:17 PM
1.1K Comments
Quote from LootPirate View quoted comment :
A few dollars more and a topping d50 would beat this by no small margin
Yeah I love taking the D50 out and about lol. This as an amp / DAC with a 2200 mAh battery inside. They're not comparable units.

DAC wise they're pretty similar, they're both based on ~5 year old tech. Perhaps you're thinking of the E50 which is a newer design.

This is a nice unit just unfortunately no 4.4mm out. I'm guessing they're phasing these units out which is why they're on Adorama with a large discount.
Last edited by KRT09 December 9, 2022 at 06:19 AM.
Dec 9, 2022 2:49 PM
146 Comments
Joined Nov 2019
LootPirateDec 9, 2022 2:49 PM
146 Comments
Quote from LordDango View quoted comment :
And my point is you havent helped anyone.

You suggested a desktop source to compare to a portable source. Then you ask questions that you yourself dont even have an answer to. You are just wasting everybody's time here.

Like seriously you can type that out but you cant suggest alternatives and you claim you are trying to be a helpful community member? Man stop being cringe
Sure there are many portable dacs with better price performance ratios

Hidizs S9 pro or S3 pro
Fiio KA3
IBasso Dc05
HiBy Fc4
Moondrop Dawn
Topping Dx1 if you don't need Bluetooth and won't run with this which you won't run with this ifi either
Shanling up5
Shanling UP4
Several Fiio products I am too lazy to mention.

Better yet, just look up portable DAC amps on audiosciencereview and you can make your own decisions.
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Dec 9, 2022 2:55 PM
146 Comments
Joined Nov 2019
LootPirateDec 9, 2022 2:55 PM
146 Comments
Quote from KRT09 View quoted comment :
Yeah I love taking the D50 out and about lol. This as an amp / DAC with a 2200 mAh battery inside. They're not comparable units.

DAC wise they're pretty similar, they're both based on ~5 year old tech. Perhaps you're thinking of the E50 which is a newer design.

This is a nice unit just unfortunately no 4.4mm out. I'm guessing they're phasing these units out which is why they're on Adorama with a large discount.
Come on man, will you really take this on a jog ? Connecting your dap to this via cable and then this to headphones with another cable ?
Ok I agree the d50 needs dc power so not portable. But the point was sound quality. If you need portability and that's it, then almost any Bluetooth headphone will beat the d50. That doesn't mean headphone dacs are better than the ones built into d50. Are we just going to argue for internet points ? Fine you win this unit is the best DAC hands down.
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