The debut of the iFi iDSD Diablo 2 marks a significant breakthrough in the Hi-Fi world. This vibrant, highly charismatic device is something I urge you to experience firsthand for an unforgettable impression. While its sound signature is refined and may not align with everyone’s taste, it’s certainly worth giving a listen.

Not for everyone, and not without a little issue or two… but the iFi iDSD Diablo is nevertheless a monumental upgrade for your desktop audio system.

The iDSD Diablo 2 is an absolute powerhouse, which would be a nice compliment for a desktop amp, let alone a portable unit. Yes, it's more expensive than more compact offerings from iFi Audio, but it delivers on all fronts. The thoughtful design, powerful battery and inclusion of aptX Lossless are all noteworthy, but it's the iDSD Diablo 2's excellent DAC stage and mightily capable amplifier that beguiles.

The iFi Audio iDSD Diablo 2 is certainly a step above the original Diablo when it comes down to sheer detail production and sonic performance in general. One could say it’s also a complete, versatile, portable, and future-proof package with the inclusion of all the new features.

You’re always going to get an interesting sound from iFi’s portable DAC/Amps. The Diablo 2 is a great addition to their selection, even with its higher asking price. If you want to experience what xMEMS is capable of, or what lossless Bluetooth could sound like, then I would say that’s worth the higher price depending on the headphones you’re looking to pair it with.

It was a treat to be able to experience the Diablo 2 for myself. It genuinely brought some of my headphones to life in a way I didn’t expect, even having tested a number of other DACs and amps. It sounds great and lets you take a full audiophile setup anywhere you may go. That’s a winning formula.

While aptX Lossless is not readily available yet on source devices, I was able to test it using a Nubia RedMagic phone that is one of the few currently available devices supporting Bluetooth 5.4 and aptX Lossless.

The iFi iDSD Diablo 2 DAC/amp is a powerhouse for portable music lovers and a big upgrade over the original. Though not pocket-friendly, it's perfect for travel or office use, making hours fly by. Pairing with darker headphones like the Audeze LCD-2 is ideal, as bright ones may cause fatigue. Despite its high gain and quirks like IEMatch, its desktop-grade sound earns praise. Its price reflects its quality, but cheaper alternatives with similar power fall behind in sound quality.

You have to love your headphones, as many of us do, to splash out £1300 or so on this remarkable device. But if you decide to go for it, make no mistake: you are going to be richly rewarded for years to come. The quality from such a diminutive device is truly captivating, especially with all but the ropiest of recordings.

Overall, this is an excellently performing portable device suitable for both IEMs and harder to drive full size headphones such as planars. BUT, the power spec is completely incorrect/misleading and leaves a sour taste for me personally. Manufacturers should be honest with their specifications and the specs/marketing for the Diablo 2 are misleading plain and simple. A shame since otherwise my thoughts on the objective performance of this product are quite good.

To put it simply, the Diablo 2 sounds orgasmic. And although relatively pricey, the Diablo 2 delivers a ton of power, while greatly enhancing the skill of your headphones. And if you own a bunch of cans and IEMs with varying impedances, you can rest assured that the Diablo 2 will comfortably drive them all. So, especially if you plan on investing in only one DAC/amp, maybe this should be it.

The Diablo II has a lot of potential. With the right pairing -- i.e. a relatively insensitive headphone or IEM that is warmer in nature -- I found the Diablo II to really sound solid with good clarity and air. I didn't particularly like it with brighter headphones, and the power gain levels are just too high to use with sensitive headphones and in-ear monitors without the use of their IEMatch switches, which also cause impedance shifts in some transducers.

Over another morning coffee, this time at a more sensible hour, I am seeing only aptX Adaptive green (courtesy of the Gaia app) but there’s no sign of aptX Lossless white. So far, so Plexamp. A switch up to Roon ARC as the playback app changes nothing and its Signal Path tells us that the Sony phone is upsampling CD-quality audio to 48kHz before Bluetooth dispatch.

Overall, I can’t recommend the Diablo 2 when iFi’s own iDSD signature offers a better result for less money, and if power is your main goal, alternatives such as the Centrance ampersand can deliver more power on battery than the Diablo 2, with a more neutral sound, for nearly half the price.