iFi Audio has officially announced the launch of the iDSD GR2 MT, a specialized Master Tuned version of its flagship iDSD GR2 portable DAC and headphone amplifier.
Reimagined through the critical ears of Grammy and Brit Award-winning producer Steve Levine (Culture Club, The Beach Boys, Gary Moore, Motorhead), the GR2 MT combines aerospace-grade circuit board materials, high-end component swaps, and two exclusive Levine-voiced digital filters to capture authentic studio warmth and emotional resonance.
Studio-Grade Component Upgrades & Digital Filters
- Aerospace-Grade Ceramic PCB: Replaces the standard FR-4 circuit board with an aerospace-grade hydrocarbon ceramic PCB, offering near-zero signal loss and ultra-low dielectric distortion.
- Audiophile I/V & Amp Stages: Replaces standard surface-mount resistors with an OV4627A stage using audiophile-grade tantalum resistors, alongside an upgraded amplification section utilizing Audio Note Kaisei capacitors.
- Levine-Voiced Digital Filters: Features two custom digital filters developed directly by Steve Levine to reproduce the balance, transient response, and musicality of a professional studio master suite.
- Burr-Brown DAC Core & K2HD Processing: Built around a Burr-Brown PCM1795 DAC paired with JVCKENWOOD K2HD Technology to restore lost harmonics in digital recordings.
- Massive Output Power & Touch Control: Delivers over 1,500mW RMS at 32 ohms, controlled via a color capacitive OLED touchscreen display featuring an illuminated Master Tuned silkscreen logo.
- Wireless & Desktop Utility: Supports Bluetooth 5.4 with aptX Lossless and LDAC, a battery-bypass Desktop Mode for stationary playback, hybrid power protection, and iFi Nexis app over-the-air firmware management.
Product Options
- iFi Audio iDSD GR 2 Portable DAC and Headphone Amplifier $529.00
Check Price on Amazon
The baseline iFi Audio iDSD GR 2 Portable DAC and Headphone Amplifier delivers 1,513mW output power, Burr-Brown conversion, and Bluetooth 5.4 aptX Lossless. Available at Amazon for $529.00 USD, serving as the platform foundation for the new $699.00 USD Master Tuned MT edition.
- iDSD GR2 MT Portable DAC and Headphone Amplifier $699.00
Check Price on Amazon
“The goal of any producer is to document the authenticity and emotion behind the artist’s performance… I have voiced the iDSD GR2 MT with this same goal in mind, and I hope you feel that when you listen.”
— Steve Levine, Grammy & Brit Award-Winning Producer
Launch Event
iFi audio will be unveiling the iDSD GR2 MT for the first time at an exclusive jazz-themed listening event at World Heart Beat Studios, London on October 1st, 2026. ​ Guests will be amongst the first to see the device up close and hear directly from Steve Levine on developing the product and its exclusive filters during an interactive Q&A. He will also be delivering a multitrack DAW session demonstrating the GR 2 MT in action, before allowing guests to get hands-on with listening stations themselves over drinks and canapés.
The evening also features insight from the owner of Stand Alone Productions, Gareth Johnson who will be discussing his experience with the GR2 MT.
For those unable to attend in person, the event will be livestreamed on the World Heart Beat website from 7pm BST, with viewers able to interact and submit questions during the Q&A session. ​
Link to the livestream: https://worldheartbeat.org/discover/watch-listen/25841/
Pricing & Availability
The iDSD GR 2 MT is available to purchase at ifi-audio.com and authorised dealers for £699/$699 USD/€729/CA$799.99
What Is a Portable DAC?
A DAC (Digital-to-Analog Converter) is an electronic device that translates digital audio files (1s and 0s) into the analog electrical signals that drive speakers or headphones.
While smartphones, laptops, and tablets already have built-in DAC chips and headphone outputs, these stock components are often inexpensive, mass-produced parts prone to internal electromagnetic noise, volume limitations, and compressed sound resolution.
A portable DAC bypasses your source device’s internal audio circuit entirely via USB-C, Lightning, or Bluetooth, performing high-resolution decoding externally inside a dedicated, shielded enclosure.
Why Do You Need One?
- Bypasses Weak Built-In Sound Cards: Built-in headphone jacks and basic USB-C phone dongles suffer from elevated noise floors, thin bass response, and poor stereo separation. An external DAC provides a far cleaner signal path.
- Drives High-Impedance Studio Headphones: High-end studio monitors and audiophile headphones require significantly more power than a phone or laptop output can supply. Portable DAC/amps include high-output headphone amplifiers to drive high-impedance headphones cleanly without distortion.
- Unlocks Lossless & High-Res Audio: Standard phone outputs compress high-resolution audio streaming platforms (like Apple Music Lossless, Tidal, or Qobuz). A dedicated portable DAC supports uncompressed PCM, DSD, and high-bitrate codecs (such as LDAC or aptX Lossless).
Where to buy:
The MikesGig Takeaway
- Pro-Producer Ear Calibration: Having a seasoned producer like Steve Levine voice custom digital filters and spec tantalum resistors brings genuine studio reference tuning to a portable platform.
- Aerospace Ceramic Board Upgrade: Upgrading to a hydrocarbon ceramic PCB significantly lowers the noise floor and signal degradation, ensuring maximum detail retrieval from lossless hi-res files.
- Drives Heavy Studio Cans: Delivering 1,500mW RMS ensures this portable DAC/amp easily drives demanding, high-impedance studio headphones on location or in the control room.
MikesGig — Gear Moves Music. Music Moves People.
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