iFi Audio has turned its portable iDSD GR 2 DAC/headphone amplifier into a studio-minded special edition with producer Steve Levine. The $699 iDSD GR 2 MT—short for Master Tuned—keeps the core digital and amplification architecture of the standard model while changing the parts and filtering around it to reflect Levine’s preferred presentation.
At its center remains the Burr-Brown PCM1795 DAC, capable of PCM playback up to 768kHz and DSD512, paired with JVCKENWOOD K2HD processing. The MT edition adds two digital filters voiced by Levine, plus a hydrocarbon-ceramic circuit board, audiophile-grade tantalum resistors, and Audio Note Kaisei capacitors in the amplifier stage. Maximum headphone output exceeds 1,500mW RMS into 32 ohms, enough to move the device beyond dongle-DAC territory and into demanding full-size headphone setups.
Connectivity covers USB-C, optical/coaxial S/PDIF, 4.4mm balanced and 3.5mm single-ended analog connections, plus Bluetooth 5.4 with aptX Lossless and LDAC. An OLED touchscreen handles local control, while iFi’s Nexis app provides settings and over-the-air updates. Desktop mode can bypass the internal battery for stationary listening, preserving the portable cell when the GR 2 MT lives beside a computer or hi-fi system.
It occupies a more enthusiast-focused corner of personal audio than true wireless products such as the Technics EAH-AZ100. The iFi iDSD GR 2 MT is priced at $699 and is available for preorder.
