iFi Launches xDSD Gryphon Black Portable DAC/Headphone Amplifier with 768kHz PCM and 1,000mW Output

From a circuit-design perspective, the Gryphon Black sits in an interesting middle ground between transportable and desktop gear. The balanced PureWave architecture is not just about output symmetry; it allows iFi to keep the signal path short and reduce the need for corrective gain stages, which in turn preserves microdynamic contrast. Compared to typical portable DAC/amps that rely on op-amp stacking, this approach leans closer to discrete thinking, even if implemented in an integrated form. Sources also note that OptimaLoop’s multi-feedback strategy is tuned to maintain stability across wildly different headphone loads, which explains why the unit is positioned as equally comfortable with sensitive IEMs and high-impedance dynamics without resorting to aggressive digital attenuation.

Another point of divergence in coverage is how the Gryphon Black is framed as a system hub rather than a simple DAC/amp. The inclusion of a configurable line stage that can switch roles between input and output effectively decouples it from being “just” a portable accessory. In practice, this opens up use cases as a battery-powered analog amplifier or a high-quality digital front end feeding active speakers. Combined with iFi’s analog-domain tuning tools, which operate without DSP artifacts, the Gryphon Black is best understood as a modular signal-shaping device—one that reflects iFi’s ongoing effort to blur the line between portable convenience and serious hi-fi engineering.