MiniDsp IL-DSP
The MiniDsp IL-DSP puts ten-band parametric EQ in a featherweight USB DAC/amp, unlocking cleaner bass, more neutral balance and tailored headphone voicing. Brent Butterworth found its deep filter control capable of meaningfully elevating portable headphones, while independent left/right adjustment adds rare personalization. It is an unusually potent pocket tool for listeners who enjoy fine-tuning.
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Nicely Roasted
Sound Quality
78/100
Build Quality
77/100
Features Usability
89/100
Value for Money
91/100
Pros
Powerful ten-band parametric EQ can substantially improve headphone tonal balance, including cleaner, tighter, non-bloated bass.
Offers unusually deep portable tuning control, with adjustable frequency, Q and boost/cut for each band plus independent left/right-channel adjustment.
An affordable and effective way to improve sound with suitable earphones and portable headphones.
Cons
Its 30mW amplifier output is not suitable for low-sensitivity or high-impedance full-size headphones.
DSP is unavailable with DSD and PCM sample rates above 96kHz, and the software setup can be unintuitive.
No EQ presets are available, so changing headphones requires readjusting settings; a DSP-toggle playback glitch was also reported.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 78/100
The IL-DSP’s defining sonic benefit is its unusually flexible ten-band parametric EQ, which the review found capable of substantially improving mediocre headphones and refining already good ones. Its compact amplifier section is intended for earphones and portable headphones rather than difficult full-size designs, and the review identifies some tonal trade-offs when applying corrective EQ.
Transparency Resolution
79/100
The reviewer calls the DAC impressive for its price and heard improved vocal clarity when using corrective EQ. There is little direct discussion of low-level detail, separation, or resolution independent of the chosen EQ profile.
Tonal Balance Musicality
82/100
With the right settings, the IL-DSP brought the JVC headphones closer to a neutral balance, with clean, non-bloated bass. However, one EQ result was described as thinner and edgier on voices, with treble that was not as smooth as the AKG K371’s.
Dynamics
74/100
The 30mW output is adequate for earphones and most portable headphones, but the reviewer plainly does not recommend it for low-sensitivity models such as HiFiMan’s HE6 or high-impedance headphones such as the Sennheiser HD 600. That restricted power reserve limits its authority with demanding loads.
Noise Floor
80/100
The review does not report audible hiss, hum, or background-noise problems. It also does not specifically test the unit with very sensitive IEMs, so its behavior with the most noise-revealing earphones is not established.
Headphone Compatibility
76/100
The IL-DSP is well suited to earphones and most portable headphones, where its EQ can be especially useful. It is not a broad solution for hard-to-drive planar magnetics or 600-ohm-class dynamic headphones, despite the stated impedance range.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
77/100
The tiny device includes a useful integral microphone and physical multifunction control. However, the reviewer encountered an intermittent issue where switching DSP on or off could pause playback and require reconnecting the unit before music would resume; there is little further commentary on long-term construction quality.
Features Usability
89/100
This is a highly capable pocket USB DAC/amp, with asynchronous USB audio, PCM and DSD support, inline-mic functionality, playback controls, and half-decibel volume adjustment. Its standout feature is live-adjustable ten-band parametric EQ, including selectable filter types and independent left/right-channel adjustment, though DSP is unavailable with DSD and PCM above 96kHz.
Value for Money
91/100
At the $99 price cited in the review, Butterworth calls the IL-DSP a very affordable and effective way to improve portable-headphone sound, provided the user has suitable headphones and patience for EQ setup. Its strong value case rests on unusually powerful onboard EQ rather than amplifier output, so buyers of difficult full-size headphones should look elsewhere.
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Specifications
- USB Controller / Multicore Controller
- XMOS xCORE-200 / USB 2.0 asynchronous audio transfer / UAC2 class
- Headphone amplifier chip
- Cirrus Logic CS43130 / Up to 130dB SNR @ 32bit
- Audio sample rate / Resolution
- Input PCM Sample rate: 44.1/48/88.2/96/176.2/192 kHz @ up to 32bit DSD modes: DSD64/DSD128 (DSP bypassed under DSD mode) Internal DSP rate: 48kHz (Downsampling from incoming rate) / Bypassed @ 176.2k & 192kHz
- Analog audio specifications
- Frequency response: 20 Hz to 20 kHz +/- 0.05 dB, 20Hz to 96kHz @ 192k. S/N ratio: 120 dB (32 Ω, 1 kHz, A-weighted, digital in 0 dB) Maximum output: 30 mW + 30 mW (32 Ω, 1 kHz, digital in 0 dB) THD+N: 0.0007% (32 Ω, 1 kHz, 30 mW + 30 mW, mid gain) Supported headphone impedance: 16–600 Ω
- Input/Output interface
- USB Audio class 2 for PC-Mac-Linux-Android OS / 3.5mm stereo Jack
- Features
- Volume Up/Down in 0.5dB steps, Play, Pause, DSP bypass, In-line microphone
- DSP GUI control
- Up to 10 bands of fully parametric equalization (PEQ) with live control (Mac/Win)
- Dimensions (H x W x D) mm
- 53 x 17 x 9 mm, 14.5grams
- Accessories
- USB-C cable 150mm, USB-C cable 700mm, USB-A cable 150mm, 1 x cable clip
Manufacturer's Description — MiniDsp
miniDSP is pleased to announce the latest merger of miniDSP's trademark digital processing with high quality headphone amplification. Featuring a full ten bands of powerful, flexible parametric EQ in a tiny bus-powered package, the IL-DSP is the mobile audiophile's perfect companion for laptop, tablet, or smartphone (macOS, Windows and Android supported). The inbuilt microphone for voice-calling ensures maximum mobile flexibility.
Housed in a light-weight aluminum enclosure, the IL-DSP sports impeccable audio specifications of 120 dB signal-to-noise ratio and 0.0007% THD+N (mid-gain). 30 mW power output per channel is ample for IEMs and most portable headphones. High-resolution PCM and DSD formats are both supported.
The ten bands of parametric EQ are configured with miniDSP's easy-to-use computer interface. The fully adjustable peaking and shelving filters allow adjustment of the audio band from the narrowest to the broadest control ranges, with up to 16 dB boost or cut in each band. This combination of DSP power, careful selection of high-quality components and a 32-bit audiophile DAC combine to create an unparalleled portable headphone experience.
Features
- XMOS XCORE200 Multicore processor - Asynchronous USB audio
- CS43130 32bit DAC, 130dB DR, 0.0007%THD, 30mW power
- 3 button control for various action depending on the mode(Play/Stop/Next/Previous/Vol Up/Vol Down/DSP on&off)
- On-board digital microphone
- Win/Mac OSx plugin
- PCM/DSD audio streaming modes
- USB Audio Class 2.0 with ASIO drivers for Windows, driverless under MAC OSx and Linux Alsa 2.0, Android OTG support
Product Downloads
- IL-DSP Datasheet
- IL-DSP User Manual
What's in the box?
- 1 x IL-DSP headphone amplifier
- 1 x microUSB to USB Type C (15cm), 1 x microUSB to USB C (70cm), 1 x microUSB to USB A(15cm),
- 1 x cable clip
- USB ASIO driver, Plugins under the UserDownloads section
Verified Dealers
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Authorized dealers for MiniDsp IL-DSP
- Alta Fedelta — online and in-store — Lombardia, Italy (website)
- AUDIOPHONICS — in-store — Bordeaux, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France (website)
- CHT Solutions — online and in-store — Alexandria, New South Wales, Australia (website)
- Cross Spectrum Acoustics — in-store — East Longmeadow, Massachusetts, United States (website)
- Decibel HiFi — online and in-store — Esk, Queensland, Australia (website)
- Deer Creek Audio — online and in-store — Colorado, United States (website)
- Hembio Consult — in-store — Högsbo, Västra Götalands län, Sweden (website)
- Hey Now Hifi — online and in-store — St Kilda, Victoria, Australia (website)
- Igloo Audio — online and in-store — Royal Tunbridge Wells, England, United Kingdom (website)
- Kruunuradio — online and in-store — Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland (website)
and 5 more verified dealers