iFi uno - DAC & Headphone AMP - USB-C Input - Improve Lacklustre Audio

I need to be able to play music from my iPhone through my home audio system. My home receiver does support Bluetooth, but I was unhappy with the experience of connecting the phone this way. I found that I had to turn the volume on the receiver WAY up in order to hear the music at an acceptable volume. I also wasn't thrilled with the overall sound quality. I'm no audiophile - this is just music streaming from Spotify, not lossless FLAC files - but I felt like it should sound better than it did. Enter the iFi Uno. This has proven to be exactly what I needed. In my case, I had to pair it with the "Apple Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter", which you can find here on Amazon for about $38. With these two devices, I'm able to enjoy music from my phone through my home audio system at a high level of quality. Hook the lightening adapter to the phone. Hook the Uno to the USB-A port on the adapter. You're good to go. For bonus functionality, hook a lightening charging cable to the other port in the adapter, and your phone can also recharge while it's playing your music. With the Uno device, you are bypassing the iPhone's onboard DAC in favor of the dedicated one in the UNO. I can definitely hear the difference in quality. You also get the benefit of the Uno's pre-amp, which lets you boost the volume a bit, so that you don't have to go nuts with the home receiver's volume. I'm connecting to the home receiver with the Uno's RCA connections. I am using the Uno's "power matching" feature, which seems to add a slight increase in strength to the signal, but it's very subtle. This feature may be aimed more at headphone users, but that's not what I needed the device for. The onboard equalizer seems to work fine - I can hear the difference in the 3 pre-set sound profiles - but I don't use it. I prefer to use Spotify's equalizer to adjust the sound if necessary. So for about $120 for the two devices, I have a setup now which allows me to get the most out of my streaming music and my home audio system. For me, it's been well worth the cost. The only downside is that this is a wired connection. It lacks the convenience of Bluetooth, but the improvement in sound quality and volume has been well worth the slight inconvenience for me. I hope someone finds this helpful.

El IFI Uno, la consolita: The iFi Uno was my entry point into better audio quality, and it completely changed how I experience music. I started using it with entry-level studio monitors (Edifier MR4), and even with those, the improvement was immediately noticeable. It gave me a level of clarity and detail I hadn’t experienced before, and it pushed me to keep upgrading my setup. Because of that, I also added a pair of affordable closed-back headphones (Sennheiser HD 569) as a quick and practical upgrade. What I really value is that this DAC makes that transition easy, letting me switch between speakers and headphones depending on how I wanted to listen but keeping the audio quality I want. Now I use it with higher-end studio monitors (Yamaha HS8) for a more open, room-filling sound, and the same DAC also works perfectly for a more direct and personal listening experience with headphones. That versatility has been one of its biggest strengths. One of the main reasons I chose this DAC was its simplicity and compatibility. The USB-C input works perfectly with devices like iPhone and iPad, making it easy to access lossless and high-resolution audio without needing a complicated setup. Even as my system improved, it has remained a clean, reliable, and very flexible part of my setup.

Like others have said, the EQ buzzes and pops like crazy with sensitive headphones like iems. I noticed mine buzzed only when 3D graphics were being used, and I could change the intensity of the buzzing based on where I pit the DAC on my desk. The Dac itself is great, works well, plenty of power, but the EQ is useless.

So in my opinion this little thing is worth every penny. It added some headroom for volume. More than my pc provided. I haven’t really had a need to go past half on the volume. I use the sennheiser 58x , truth ear crin (blue) and AFUL performers 5 a lot. Oh I also have a Logitech 2.1 system hooked up as well. Each one of these have a better sound. I hear parts I hadn't been able to pick up on. It does have a EQ button. I don’t touch it. For two reasons. The first two modes game and movie add a harsh sound. A high pitched shrill. They are unusable. I did update the firmware with no luck. Music mode sounds great but not for gaming. So if I don’t touch the eq button I get the best of both worlds. Now from my research it seems the first two modes seem to do that for most people but like i said I don’t need it.

The Ifi Uno is a fantastic DAC for the price, during my ownership I had purchased the Uno and enjoyed it for about 3 weeks before I encountered a issue regarding the audio (I would only get audio from one side of the headphones regardless of the pair that I used.) This was covered under the Amazon AND Ifi warranty so I was able to get them replaced. Over the time that I was able to use them AFTER my new Uno it was extremely high quality and never let me down with powering my hd58x. Unfortunately as of 3/23/24 which is 4 months after I got my warranty Uno. It has suffered the same exact error where my right side channel has failed, it only lets out audio from the right and distorted audio from the right. I will be changing to Topping DX1 on my audiophile journey

Gives great power and some clarity to my Sennheiser HD 599s. Love the sticky rubber feet on the bottom to adhere it to my desk so its always where I need it. Update: Bought in April and is useless as of September 9th. Very loud static in left ear. Thought it was my headphones but after plugging them into another device its definitely this amp. Worked well for 5 months but id like more life out of my electronics.

This is an incredibly small and light DAC with a lot of power. Listening on this with my AKG N5005, I could hear no noise at all, so I'm very happy about its noise floor. It sounds slightly warmer than my Fiio BTR 7 with a little bit less spaciousness, but still very detailed and enjoyable. The EQs are a different story though. Of the 3 EQs, only music mode has the same low noise floor as normal mode. The other 2 gives a lot of noise - especially the game mode. The unit also seems to become incredibly sensitive to interference in game mode. It also makes a huge popping noise when switching into EQ (to game mode) after not touching the EQ button for a bit (capacitor discharging?). If you mainly use sensitive headphones I would not recommend using the EQ functions. Other than that, a solid DAC.

The audio quality was great at first, and I did enjoy some of the EQ presets. It did a good job driving my HD 560s and eliminating some static from my motherboard, with the Power Match feature giving it a noticeable boost. Recently, however, it's been giving me a lot of static noise under some of the EQ settings, and even sometimes with none of the settings on. Sometimes the static can be alleviated by turning the system off, or replugging in the cables. Unfortunately the static has become permanent on some EQ settings, and regularly resurfaces when using the power match feature. While I can definitely praise its quality as an entry-level DAC/AMP combo for easy to drive IEMs or headphones, I can't recommend this product at all if it fails on me in less than a month of regular use. Hopefully some of their other products are more reliable and of higher quality, but I don't think I'll be returning to this brand. Refunded.

Perfect! I connected my iMac (using Tidal Streaming) to this DAC then to Yamaha Aventage A4A thru Audioquest RCA jacks. The result is detailed and high clarity music. My speakers are Cambridge Audio and SVS SB1000 Pro sub. This DAC is small and not a distraction, you can even hide it.

難聴でPCそのまま視聴では音が小さく良く聞こえません。今まではオーテクのアナログアンプAT-HA2を使っていました。中低音域のボリュームが無い、ソニーのイヤホンと相性が良くないため交換（それでも我慢して4年間使用）。今度はPCからデジタルで音を取り出そうとこの機種を選びました。選んだ最大の理由は値段(笑)オーディオマニアでないのでこのレベルで十分満足。音に幅が出て低音もよく響きネットフリックスを見るのが楽しくなりました。あーぁ買ってよかった。

Elevating My B&O Desktop Speakers to New HeightsAs an audiophile with a penchant for high-quality sound, I was intrigued by the iFi Uno, the entry-level offering in iFi’s product lineup. Priced modestly, I didn’t expect it to transform my listening experience, but this little DAC/AMP combo proved me wrong. Paired with my 800 CAD Bang & Olufsen desktop speakers, the Uno elevated their performance to a level that feels like a 4000 CAD setup—truly remarkable for such an affordable device.Previously, I relied on AirPlay for wireless playback, which, while convenient, capped the audio quality at 44.1kHz. This was a significant bottleneck for my high-resolution audio files, which range from 24-bit/96kHz to 384kHz. The Uno effortlessly unlocked the full potential of my music library. Its support for PCM up to 32-bit/384kHz, DSD256, and MQA ensures that every nuance of my high-res files is faithfully reproduced, delivering a level of clarity and detail I hadn’t experienced with my setup before. What sets the Uno apart is its exceptional three-band equalization, which maintains balance across lows, mids, and highs. Even with complex music featuring dozens of instruments—think intricate orchestral pieces or dense jazz ensembles—the Uno keeps everything distinct and clear. There’s no muddiness or congestion; each instrument shines through with remarkable separation and precision. The S-Balanced circuit and Dynamic Range Enhancement (DRE) further enhance this clarity, making even the subtlest details audible without distortion or crosstalk. The Uno’s compact, mineral-filled polymer design is both stylish and practical, fitting seamlessly into my desktop setup. Its USB-C connectivity made it a breeze to connect to my devices, and the three modes (Music, Movie, Game) add versatility, with the Music mode being my go-to for its detailed and engaging soundstage. The gold-plated RCA outputs ensure a clean signal to my B&O speakers, and the analog volume control preserves audio quality without sacrificing data, unlike digital volume controls. For anyone looking to upgrade their desktop audio without breaking the bank, the iFi Uno is a game-changer. It transformed my modest B&O speakers into a high-end powerhouse, delivering clarity, balance, and depth that rival systems far beyond its price range. If you’re stuck with AirPlay’s limitations or want to breathe new life into your speakers, the Uno is an absolute steal. Highly recommended

Love it. Easy to set up and use and it sounds very good.

Got this as soon as I read the first few reviews. This is IFi's most affordable product (barring accessories). To be honest, I wasn't expecting much, just expecting the honest to goodness Ifi signature sound. I was not disappointed. Plugged my Sony Xba Z5 and various chi-fi items, sound was clean, smooth and there was plentiful reserve of power. Noise floor was in audible and seperation was clean. Moved to my headphones across various makes and models from AKG K371, Beyer DT770 and 880 80ohms, Sennheiser HD599, 6XX, HD25 and 800S, I was reasonably pleased. Even for the 800S, there was some headroom left if I need more boost to my listening levels. It's just adequate but you know it's not a good match. The various eq mode worked fine, each providing a very mild boost on the lows, mids and highs for games, movies and music respectively. Interesting but I would same the mainstream users who have a hard time appreciate the insignificant boost. For me, it's only music only that kinda works but I probably use it less than half the time. Still, for the price Ifi is asking, it's really a no brainer buy.