I bet you can’t guess why they called this the Diablo….IT’S RED. I actually really like the form factor of the headphone amplifier, Now I don’t know if they took inspiration from popular USB power banks, but the form factor is functional enough, and that’s really all that matters here. It’s a good size to grip and the weight is just fine – not too heavy by any means. It feels solid and nothing sounds loose on the amp like you sometimes get with buttons or other connectors.

On the front of the Diablo you’ll find a quarter-inch unbalanced headphone jack, a 4.4mm balanced headphone jack, the mode switch, which allows you to adjust the gain mode to Eco, Normal, or Turbo, then the LED indicator, and finally, the volume knob which doubles as the on/off switch when turned. You’ll see some small text near the 8 o’clock position that says “OFF.” You’ll hear and feel a click to know it’s off or on when turning the knob to or from this position (and of course the light will come on too).

I’ll be straight up and honest with you – I’ve been seriously impressed with the sound coming out of these iFi products for what they asking for them. For example, I mean, some people even said they liked the sound of the Gryphon over the Mojo 2. That’s fine. I didn’t personally, but again, everyone hears differently.

So let’s talk about a few things here. iFi has some amazing portable devices – just check out our Gryphon review if you are considering a great-sounding DAC amp with more features than you can shake a stick at. The Diablo on the other hand, well, doesn’t. No stick. No features. I mean, iFi literally takes all the bells, whistles, and gimmicks away and instead focuses on two things: power and sound. That’s it. The two things a DAC amp should do well, and it does.

The Diablo, like other iFi devices, uses burr brown DAC chips. It’s a natural sounding chipset, with some great low-end extension thanks to the power packed in this thing. We’ll get to more of that in a bit, but the sound itself is crisp with plenty of detail, but great resolution across the frequency spectrum. It just sounds good.

I first wanted to get an impression of the low-end that the Diablo was capable of, so I queued up the song Interstellar by LeBrock, a retro synthwave artist that channels the glory of 80s power ballads. The low-end synth clarity is readily apparent. The staccato quarter notes are usually hidden among the palm muted guitars - as there are a lot of competing frequencies. The Diablo provides enough space to alleviate this issue. The power of the vocals is a strong point of the song and the grit and emotion shine through above the instrumentation (for better or worse given the over-production and tuning artifacts that stand out at times). The Diablo does this song justice, especially through planar magnetic drivers and the increased soundstage that the Meze Elite has. You feel as though the group is performing right in front of you with a wall of Marshall amplifiers. Of course, there's no other way to play epic 80's rock synth ballads. The Diablo does make a difference in this case over lesser-powered amplifiers.

The same goes for a group I've been listening to since my college days. Lunasa is a great Irish group who have some great instrumentals if you're into traditional Irish music. The Diablo brings out the drones of the bagpipes to really fill out the low end of the frequency spectrum. The rhythmic strumming of the guitar has a nice percussive quality to it that I haven't quite heard defined as through the Diablo, along with the intonation and clarity of the violin (fiddle). The melody gets doubled later by another bagpipe, and the grace notes of both instruments through the Diablo almost give the performance an airiness and fleetingness. It's always impressive to me when I hear or experience something new out of a track or performance that I've heard literally hundreds of times over many years, and I tack that up to a good-sounding piece of HiFi gear. The Diablo is just that.

Let’s talk features: There are none!

Well actually if you want to count the gain switch then there’s a feature. That’s…uh…about it. Again, iFi skips the bells and whistles here with the Diablo in favor of just sheer power and good sound. That’s it. You’re not going to find the popular iFi X Bass and X Space settings on the Diablo. Just pure, raw, and amazing sound without all the gimmicks. Now, the Diablo DOES retain lots of the technology that is found in the Gryphon, hip DAC2, etc, like the Optima Loop and Pure Wave tech, but the Diablo is a simple plug-in and turn-up device. No real features to speak of in that sense.

So there are a number of devices we can compare the Diablo to when it comes to 1) power output and 2) sound and general alternatives.

Since iFi has the interesting male Type-A USB connector on their devices, we've made some great custom USB cables compatibe with all iFi products. I paired the Diablo with a Silver Dragon USB Cable for connecting to a computer, a phone, etc, and it works like a charm. To boot, Moon Audio has optimized their USB cables for audio transmission of large hi-res music files. Feel free to ask about the Black Dragon USB cable as an alternative.

Generally, stock audio cables are manufactured with subpar materials, metals with impurities, poor geometries, and an overabundance of layers to make them look and feel like a fire hose. Inconsistency and lack of quality control in stock cables can lead to poor sound quality and a veiled sound vs what the musician intended for you to hear and feel from the music. Dragon cables are handcrafted with the highest standards and made to order according to your specific needs. At Moon Audio, we create a custom cable for you using the highest quality UP-OCC silver or copper conductors that can be manufactured. UP-OCC metals are void of impurities and are optimized for signal transfer and sound quality. We have one of the largest collections of audio and headphone connection options available online and we create limitless audio cable options depending on your specific gear and needs.

Silver Dragon Sound Signature: The Silver Dragon is the original cable. Silver strands clarify instrument separation, increase the soundstage, and find previously lost high and mid-frequency sounds. Transients appear more cohesive and the bass tighter for a more controlled sound. The detail and clarity of the Silver Dragon make it a perfect match for classical music and other genres with many nuanced instruments.

Black Dragon Sound Signature: The Black Dragon is warm and smooth with a musical presentation. Copper strands enhance the body, shape, and immediacy of the music. The detail and expansiveness of the Black Dragon make it a flexible fit where a broad range of musical genres are played. It can also improve bass frequencies on bass-light headphones. The smooth, musical quality makes it a perfect fit for headphones that tend to sound a bit edgy or bright. Despite its warmth, the Black Dragon does not have a laid-back, lush sound. It is much closer to neutral, making it a very natural-sounding cable. For more information on finding your signature sound, visit our Sound Signature Guide.

Specifications