Product News 
📝 Introduction
The iDSD GR 2 is iFi’s direct successor to the wildly popular xDSD Gryphon portable DAC/Amp. Officially described as “redesigned from the inside out,” it brings iFi’s first-ever deployment of the Burr-Brown PCM1795 DAC chip, adds JVCKENWOOD’s K2HD harmonic restoration technology, upgrades to Bluetooth 5.4 with aptX Lossless support, and pushes output power up 50% to 1,513mW. Priced at US$529 (~HK$4,120), shipping is expected in early July 2026.
🎤 Kaia’s Take
US$529. A successor that costs US$70 less than the model it replaces — in 2026, how many brands can you name that are dropping prices on new releases? On paper, the spec sheet raises eyebrows: SNR drops from 116dBA to 115dBA, THD+N ticks up from 0.005% to 0.006%. If you’re just scanning numbers, the iDSD GR 2 looks like a step backward. But spend some time with the full spec and it becomes clear — iFi didn’t chase a spec bump here. This is a deliberate, ground-up rethinking of the signal chain.
The new DAC is the Burr-Brown PCM1795, a current-output chip iFi has never used before. Unlike the Gryphon’s MultiBit architecture, the PCM1795 dumps current instead of voltage — which means iFi got to design the analogue output stage from scratch, exactly the way they wanted. Then they layered K2HD on top: JVCKENWOOD’s harmonic restoration tech, originally developed in 1987 for Victor Studio. iFi is practically the only brand actively putting K2HD into portable DACs in 2026.
The overarching philosophy is “restore what was lost” — the PCM1795’s analogue character, paired with K2HD’s digital harmonic recovery. On paper, the combo makes sense. But is K2HD a gem or a gimmick in 2026? Honestly, I’m not calling that one without actually listening. At US$529 you’re getting 1,513mW, a touchscreen, and aptX Lossless — the value proposition isn’t in question. The real unknown is what the PCM1795 + K2HD pairing actually sounds like. That answer waits for the listening session.
⚙️ Spec Reference
| Spec | 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 Controlled) |
| Sound Processing | K2HD + XBass+ + XSpace 🔺 | XBass II + XSpace |
| Digital Filters | 4 types | 3 types (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 was iFi’s most popular portable DAC/amp in recent years — 1,000mW output, Burr-Brown MultiBit, MQA full decoder, and at US$599 it was practically the default recommendation in its class. The GR 2’s job wasn’t a safe iteration. It was to redefine the sonic identity of this entire product line.
The PCM1795 is Burr-Brown’s current-output DAC, fundamentally different from the voltage-output MultiBit architecture used in the Gryphon. Current-output gives engineers maximum freedom to design the analogue output stage from the ground up — and iFi is upfront that this freedom is exactly why they chose it. Pair that with K2HD, JVCKENWOOD’s harmonic restoration technology originally developed for Victor Studio in 1987, which uses time-domain signal processing to recover high-frequency harmonics (>22kHz) and overtones lost during digital encoding. iFi previously deployed K2HD in the GO bar Kensei (2024) and the iDSD Valkyrie; the GR 2 is the third product to carry it.
In the market, the US$500–600 portable DAC segment isn’t exactly empty: the Questyle M15, Schiit’s latest, FiiO’s Q series — all serious contenders. What sets the GR 2 apart is this very deliberate “PCM1795 + K2HD” sonic philosophy. But K2HD’s relevance in 2026? Frankly, JVCKENWOOD themselves haven’t really pushed it for years. iFi is effectively carrying this technology almost single-handedly. That’s not necessarily a bad thing — niche tech is sometimes the real difference maker. The question is: without hearing it, I simply don’t know.
🔗 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)
