iFi's new portable headphone DAC looks even more like a hip flask and will offer a quick gulp of high-resolution audio, but give it a try before you look at the price.

iFi presents the iDSD GR2 at the Vienna High End
New portable DAC, continuation of xDSD Gryphon
Improvements in some departments, including amplification.

We’re seeing a lot of new aspirational hi-fi gear at High End Vienna 2026, and one of those items comes from iFi with the follow-up to its five-star xDSD Gryphon portable DAC. No, that’s not a flask, but a new one.Ahem Portable DAC.

Meet the iFi iDSD GR2, a name possibly the result of someone having a baby and trying to type something else (struggling to spell ‘Gryphon’ in its entirety, perhaps?). It’s a new piece that will retail for £529 (around $710, AU$1,060) – exact release date TBC. So it’s not cheap, but it costs a couple of cents more than the Gryphon.

We included the iFi xDSD Gryphon in our roundup of the best portable DACs, but as the “best premium Portable DAC” (italics mine). So you’ll have to forgive the price: this is not for the faint of heart or the cash-strapped.

The iFi Griffon will catch you in its claws (sonically speaking)

iFi's iDSD GR 2 on a white background

(Image credit: iFi)

The iDSD GR 2 offers some of the same connection options as its predecessor, including Bluetooth, USB-C, S/PDIF, and line, but with new tools.

For example, its output power increased by 50%, up to 1.5W at 32 ohms, and the DAC was upgraded to PCM1795 for more balanced audio. There’s also K2HD technology built in, designed for rich harmonics (and loved by iFi audio engineers for some time – just look at the flagship iFi iDSD Phantom, built on iFi’s ongoing love affair with K2 and K2HD technology, and priced at an eye-watering $4,499). [before tax] / £4,499 / about AU$8,997).

Some fan-favorite iFi modes have also returned, such as XSpace and XBass+, which respectively increase the width of the soundstage and the low frequencies, so you get some versatility in your sound. There is also a “hybrid power mode” to extend the device’s battery life. Extend it by how much? Since how much? I can’t tell you, since iFi didn’t specify the resistance beforehand.

The touchscreen is back, and in our very enthusiastic review of the original Gryphon, we criticized the DAC/amp for how unintuitive it was last time. The images make it look like it’s improved though and at least you’re getting color now, so I hope iFi has fixed that issue.

Another upgrade for wireless audiophiles has to do with Bluetooth; The GR2 supports Bluetooth 5.4, which enables aptX Lossless and LDAC. There is also a phone app called iFi Nexis to control your unit.

When the iFi iDSD GR2 officially hits shelves (whenever that may be, this is purely the official reveal), we’ll bring you a full review to see how it stacks up against its premium siblings. We like the way it looks though. We like a batch.