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TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - iFi Audio Diablo 2
The iFi Audio Diablo 2 has been loaned to me by DeCine, the Spanish distributor for the brand. DeCine have not made any requests and, as always, I will do my best to be as unbiased as humanly possible.
As DeCine do not sell direct, you can find the official page for the Diablo 2 here: https://ifi-audio.com/products/idsd-diablo-2/
The above is a non-affiliate link, as always.
Intro…
Over 3 years ago (and over 200 reviews ago), I got the chance to review the iFi Audio Diablo. At the time it was quite a revolutionary device as it offered an amount of power that was not usual in a portable device, it also offered a sound signature that wasn’t the usual for iFi Audio and aesthetics that weren’t typically iFi either.
Now I have had the chance to spend time with the Diablo 2, the successor to the original, and to see if it is better than, or even as good as, the original.
It has obviously been a long time since I spent time with the Diablo as, although I really loved the device, it was overkill both in power and in price for my intended use. I do remember saying that it was (is) a device that would basically give you a high end device, both in quality and power, in a transportable package. I did crave the Diablo for quite some time but I only really use IEMs when away from home, where I have a desktop set up, and this craving actually lasted until I tried the Gryphon about a year later and bought it immediately, becoming my go to device for IEM testing, reviewing and just pleasurable listening.
This means that I won’t be able to compare the Diablo 2 to the original as far as sound but I do have the Gryphon on hand which is a bit of a tamer Diablo (at least to my ears), so it may not be an apples to apples comparison but they are at least both fruits (or mythical creatures in this case).
But enough of the rambling and lets get into my experience with the Diablo 2, a device coming in at just under 1300€, that promises enough power to run anything that you can fit on your head.
Presentation…
There is not much I can say about the packaging of iFi products that I haven’t said many times before. The packaging is simple, effective and well thought out. Therefore, let’s focus on what we receive inside the box.
Of course we get the device itself, along with which we get a quick set up guide, a very nice storage/transport case, the inferno wings (more on those in a moment), a short USB-C to USB-C cable, a long USB-C to USB-C cable, a short lightning to USB-C cable, a USB to USB-C adapter, a Toslink to mini-Toslink adapter, a USB-C to female power adapter, a 6.35mm to 3.5mm TRS adapter, an iFi iPower supply and, of course, the obligatory iFi sticker.
That is quite a list of accessories in the box but we also need to remember that this is a 1300€ (trans)portable device and we should expect plenty of goodies.
In comparison to the original Diablo, I think we actually get less of one and more of another, as the original also included the USB power purifier (although I think the included PSU was not the iPower) and a 4.4mm to dual XLR balanced cable, but we didn't get the stands (inferno wings) or as many USB cable options.
In general, I have no real complaints about the contents and accessories, I am much more interested in the device itself.
Build and Aesthetics…
When the original Diablo launched, it was a break from the aesthetics of iFi and from just about any other manufacturer of portable headphone devices. In bright red, it obviously referred to its name “Diablo” (devil) but it was also likened to a high performance sports car. To be honest, I wasn’t a huge fan of the aesthetics of the original, I found it to be a little too red and generally pretty basic. Although there was no doubt it was well built.
The Diablo 2 does share a lot of design cues with the original but it has taken a huge leap in the aesthetics department. I had seen photos of the Diablo 2 online and thought it looked better than the original but getting it in person made me realize just how much it has changed. The new model opts for a darker red, with a small dark grey area at the back. The rounded edges have become more angled and there are grooves running down the full length of the body. Honestly, if the original was likened to a sports car, it would have been a Miata (no offense to the Miata, it’s a great car), whereas the new model is more of an Aventador.
The build quality is as good as I have come to expect from iFi, which is to say great. A full metal build, including the volume knob on the front which is now larger and knurled. It does use the same style of knob that we find on the Zen DAC v3 (and maybe other models) that has the sort of face plate on it slightly separated from the main part. I find this not quite as nice to the touch as single piece knobs but, this is just a very minor nitpick and it does look great.
I mentioned under “presentation” that it includes the “inferno wings”, which are little feet that slide into the rails on the bottom and allow the Diablo 2 to lift up from the desk. Two different heights are included and I have to say that I really appreciate them as it makes using the Diablo a lot more comfortable. The wings can be mounted in multiple location on the body, allowing different configurations for personal use cases. The inferno wings also have a nice design to them, rather than just simple feet, that also add to the aesthetics.
The included storage/transport case is the iTraveller and it is very similar (if not the same) as the one included with the original. The case is soft and has dividers on the inside to be able to separate the Diablo from other accessories and it even has a small velcro material cover for the area where you would store things like the cables (something I don’t remember the last one having but I may be mistaken). The outside of the case has two attachment points for the included strap and it can be turned into a small “over the shoulder” bag, allowing you to transport the device easily.
One thing that hasn't changed from the original is the portability. While it is classed as a portable device, that is really only because you can easily move it from one location to another, it is not something I would suggest using on the go. In fact, the Diablo 2 has grown a centimeter in length, a few mm in thickness and has increased its weight by 125g (taking it to a total of 455g or 1lb for those who don’t do metric). This means that, if I considered the original to be a “trans”portable device, the Diablo 2 is certainly not any easier to use on the go.
I could probably go on about the build and aesthetics for a while but I am guessing that this review is already going to be overly long, so let’s move on to what the Diablo does.
Functionality…
Where the original had a fair bit of connectivity and functionality going on, the Diablo 2 adds much more and turns this into… I was going to say Swiss Army Knife but it is more of a Leatherman Arc in my opinion.
Starting off with the front panel, on the left we get a 6.35mm unbalanced headphone output. The fact that it is a quarter inch socket should again point to the fact that this is definitely not a pocketable device.
Next to this we get the 4.4mm balanced headphone output, above which there is the switch to turn xMEMS on or off. I am pretty sure that anyone who is looking at a device like the Diablo will already know what xMEMS is and I didn’t have any way of testing, so I am not getting into this here.
In the center we find the gain level switch which allows us to choose between Normal, Turbo and Nitro. This gives us an idea of the power levels we are talking about here, something I will mention more on shortly.
Finally, to the right of the front panel, we have the volume knob which also turns the device off when turned completely anticlockwise. One thing that iFi have added here and I think is an excellent idea, is a small slider that locks the volume knob in place. Due to the power we have on tap, an accidental turn of the knob can turn out to be painful and possibly very expensive, depending on what we have connected. I can’t say that I am a huge fan of how the switch has been implemented, I find it a little finicky to slide (especially to remove the lock, but that is quite possible a skill issue on my part.
Moving around to the back of the device, on the left we have the Bluetooth pairing button. There was no Bluetooth on the original but here we get BT5.4 with all the codecs all the way up to aptX Lossless (something that I haven’t tried either as I don’t have a lossless transmitter). I found the BT connection to be stable but I didn’t really move around with the device much. Again, this is not really something I would wander around with, it is more for the convenience of connecting my phone to it when I sit down at my desk.
Next we have the 4.4mm balanced output, followed by the S/PDIF input that accept coaxial or optical with the mini Toslink adapter included in the box as I said earlier. This was also present on the original but according to the iFi spec, jitter has been improved on this device.
Finally we have 2x USB-C ports, the first for power and the second for data. The power port allows the device to be charged by USB 5v but also with the iPower 2 that is included with the Diablo 2 (by using the adapter I mentioned). My understanding is that when the device is receiving power via this port, it runs from this power source and not the battery, which is why iFi include the iPower 2, a very low noise PSU.
On the bottom of the device we get the IEMatch switch, another welcome addition to the device. This is something that allows you to tame the power just a bit more in order to use the Diablo with more sensitive IEMs (although the “sensitive” part is a figure of speech in this case). The IEMatch used to be (still is?) sold as a separate device and you would need to purchase it extra to the Diablo. However, since it was added onboard to the Gryphon (I think that was the first device), we have seen it be added to other portable devices from the brand, such as the Hip DAC 3 and the Diablo 2 in this case.
So, as far as functionality, you choose your source, you carefully choose your gain and then you, even more carefully start to raise the volume… then away you go.
Sound…
Let’s address the loud factor first. This device is, as was the original, very very powerful.
The specs say that it is capable of over 5 watts peak power and Goldensound measured the RMS output to be 1.6W (you can read Goldensound’s review here). Now, we are so used to seeing large watt numbers on headphone amplifiers lately that 1.6W may not seem like a lot but it is plenty. It will easily run something like the Hifiman Susvara (a set of headphones that is notoriously hard to drive).
But having a lot of power available is not an issue, the issue we face is when the minimum amount of power is too much. I am not someone who listens normally at high levels, in fact, my listening levels are lower than most peoples, although I do increase the volume now and again when I am in party mode (or trying something specific for a review), but my “high” level listening is probably not much more than many peoples normal listening levels.
In the case of the Diablo 2, I face the same issue that I faced with the original, it is just too loud for the majority of use cases I would have with IEMs. Yes, there are 3 gain levels, but the lowest is normal (which is not exactly low) and as the volume control is analogue, as soon as I am out of the lowest of the low position (where channel imbalance is an issue), within just a few mm I am already at my usual listening levels or higher (depending on the IEMs). We do have the IEMatch option but as this works by changing the impedance, it can have a negative impact on the sound of IEMs.
That does not mean that the Diablo 2 is unusable for me with IEMs, I have been happily using it with IEMs for the time I have had it here, but it does mean that I literally have a range of about 3% of the knob that is useful to me with IEMs. I will say though that, although I don’t have any ridiculously sensitive IEMs, I do have a few fairly sensitive ones and I have not experienced any background noise or hiss with them.
With headphones I am much happier. With things like Hifiman (Edition XS, Arya, Ananda etc.) I am still on the lowest gain selection but I am between 40% and 50%, depending on the music, with some ventures up to 60% when I am in a party mood.
Ok, so with power out of the way, how does it sound?
It sounds great!
Everything I have connected to it sounded good, energetic, clean and yet with that touch of warmth that iFi seem to have in their DNA.
I remember the Diablo (this is going by memory and by my notes from back then) to be more analytical and colder than most iFi products. I don’t feel the same way about the Diablo 2 at all. While I wouldn’t go as far as to say it is as warm as many other iFi products, it is by no means a cold and analytical reproduction.
With planars, I find that they sound very nice, full of life and not lacking in dynamics at all, something that can be the case with portable devices. It is currently very hot here (45ºC) and I avoid wearing overear headphones at all costs but I found myself suffering the heat due to me enjoying the Diablo 2 with them.
The Sennheiser HD6XX pairs very well with them but, other than planars, I have to say that the Aune AR5000 sounds great with them. The more I listen to the AR5000, the more I enjoy them but connected to the Diablo 2, they sound even better.
Honestly, I could live with the sound of the Diablo as my only source quite happily with the headphones and IEMs that I generally use for pleasure. The sound signature is just how I like it, that slight hint of warmth without anything being smoothed over.
Conclusion…
In my opinion, the Diablo 2 is an improvement over the original Diablo in every way.
The aesthetics are much more modern, it has more functions, it has a better sound presentation (from what I remember and noted back then) and is just as well built. Yes, it is 299€ more expensive than the original but what hasn’t seen an increase in price lately. At least you are getting more while paying more (which is not always the case).
The negatives, for me personally, lie in the sheer amount of power. If there was a lower gain mode, one that didn’t rely on impedance changes to match with IEMs, then I could easily see this being my only device. It is not cheap but it is no more expensive than the desktop equipment it would replace.
It is perfect for moving between my home, my office, the studio, the beach house and even on those longer trips away from home. I wouldn’t think of using it in a portable fashion, as in, I wouldn’t use it on a plane or train, but for the (trans)portability it offers, it really is a great device.
I am a big fan of the Gryphon for the reasons above but I have to admit, going back to the Gryphon after spending time with the Diablo 2 is a step down in sound presentation to my ears. It might all be my mind telling me that I prefer what I don’t have but I don’t really care, I just know that I enjoy listening to the Diablo 2!
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