Product News 
📝 Introduction
The iDSD GR 2 is the successor to one of iFi’s most popular portable DAC/amps — the xDSD Gryphon. Described by iFi as “rebuilt from the ground up,” it debuts the brand’s first use of the Burr-Brown PCM1795 DAC chipset, adds JVCKENWOOD’s K2HD harmonic restoration technology, upgrades to Bluetooth 5.4 with aptX Lossless, and delivers a 50% power boost to 1,513mW. Priced at US$529 (approx. HK$4,120), shipments are expected in early July 2026.
🎤 Kaia’s Take
US$529. A successor that costs US$70 less than its predecessor — in 2026, which brand still drops prices on new releases? Here’s the thing: SNR dipped from 116dBA to 115dBA, THD+N crept from 0.005% to 0.006% — on paper, the iDSD GR 2 looks like a step backwards. But pick up the full spec sheet and you’ll see iFi didn’t do a spec bump here. This is a deliberate signal chain rebuild.
The new DAC is the Burr-Brown PCM1795 — a chip iFi has never used before. Unlike the Gryphon’s voltage-output MultiBit architecture, the PCM1795 is a current-output DAC, giving iFi complete freedom to design the analogue output stage from scratch. Then there’s K2HD — JVCKENWOOD’s harmonic restoration technology, in development since 1987 at Victor Studio. iFi is practically the only brand keeping K2HD alive in portable DACs.
The philosophy is “restore what was lost” — pairing the PCM1795’s analogue foundation with K2HD’s digital harmonic recovery. On paper, this combination makes sense. But in 2026, is K2HD a gem or a gimmick? Honestly, without hearing it, I can’t say. US$529 gets you 1,513mW, a touchscreen, and aptX Lossless — the value proposition isn’t in question. But what does the PCM1795 + K2HD combo actually sound like? That verdict needs ears on it.
⚙️ Spec Reference
| Specification | iDSD GR 2 | xDSD Gryphon |
|---|---|---|
| DAC Chip | Burr-Brown PCM1795 (32-bit) | Burr-Brown MultiBit |
| Max Output (Bal @ 32Ω) | 1,513mW 🔺+50% | 1,000mW |
| Bal Output Voltage @ 600Ω | 8.60V | 6.7V |
| Bluetooth | 5.4 🔺 | 5.1 |
| Bluetooth Codecs | aptX Lossless, LDAC, LHDC, aptX Adaptive, AAC, SBC | aptX Adaptive, aptX HD, LDAC, LHDC, AAC, SBC |
| MQA | ❌ Removed | ✅ Full Decoder |
| Display | OLED Colour Touchscreen 🔺 | OLED (Button Control) |
| Audio Processing | K2HD + XBass+ + XSpace 🔺 | XBass II + XSpace |
| Digital Filters | 4 options | 3 options (Bit-Perfect, Standard, GTO) |
| Battery | 4,900mAh / ~7h 🔺 | ~4–6h |
| Power Management | Hybrid Power Mode 🔺 | Dual Port Mode |
| App Support | iFi Nexis (OTA Updates) 🔺 | — |
| SNR (Bal) | 115dBA | 116dBA |
| THD+N (HP Out) | 0.006% | 0.005% |
| Hi-Res Support | PCM 768kHz / DSD512 | PCM 768kHz / DSD512 / MQA |
| Dimensions | 141 × 75 × 19mm | 123 × 75 × 19mm |
| Weight | 268g | 215g |
| Price | US$529 / £529 / €549 | US$599 (at launch) |
🔺 = Upgrade / ❌ = Removed
📖 Context: Why PCM1795 + K2HD?
The xDSD Gryphon has been iFi’s most popular portable DAC/amp in recent years — 1,000mW output, Burr-Brown MultiBit, full MQA decoder — at the US$599 price point it was nearly the default choice. The GR 2’s job isn’t a safe iteration; it’s a redefinition of this product line’s sonic identity.
The PCM1795 is Burr-Brown’s current-output DAC, a fundamentally different architecture from the voltage-output MultiBit used in the Gryphon. The advantage of current-output is that it gives engineers maximum freedom to design the analogue output stage — and iFi has been explicit that this freedom is exactly why they chose it. Paired with K2HD — JVCKENWOOD’s harmonic restoration technology, built on the K2 platform developed since 1987 and launched as K2HD in 2007, which uses time-domain signal processing to restore high-frequency harmonics (>22kHz) and overtones lost during digital processing. iFi previously deployed K2HD in the GO bar Kensei (2024) and iDSD Valkyrie; the GR 2 is the third product to carry it.
In the US$500–600 portable DAC segment, competition is fierce: the FiiO Q series, Questyle’s portable lineup — all serious contenders. The GR 2’s differentiator is this deliberately chosen “PCM1795 + K2HD” sonic philosophy. But K2HD’s relevance in 2026? Honestly, JVCKENWOOD themselves barely promote it anymore — iFi is practically carrying the torch alone. That’s not necessarily a bad thing: niche technologies are sometimes the real difference makers. The catch? We haven’t heard it yet.
🔗 More Info
- iFi audio — iDSD GR 2 Official Product Page
- Head-Fi — iFi Unveils the New iDSD GR 2 (Official Announcement)
- iFi — K2HD Technology Tech Note (PDF, 2024)
