This hi-fi Dac disguised as a hip-flask is the perfect gift for the impossible-to-buy-for middle-aged man in your life
iFi hip-dac headphone
amplifier
£149, ifi-audio.com
Like most middle-aged men, I’m impossible to buy presents for, as I’ve already given up on fashionable clothing, modern music and most other annoyances.
But for the difficult middle-aged man in your life, few presents can tick those greying boxes better than the new hip-dac, a very nerdy hi-fi component disguised as a hip flask.
For the difficult middle-aged man in your life, few presents can tick those greying boxes better than the new hip-dac, a very nerdy hi-fi component disguised as a hip flask
I was practically humming with excitement as I opened the box, although when I tried to explain what it was it to my wife, a glazed expression settled over her face.
The idea, basically, is that the hip-dac replaces the inferior digital-to-audio converter (Dac) and amplifier in your phone or laptop, allowing you to enjoy music in glorious, bassy, vastly improved quality on your headphones. The downside? You have to carry about four feet of wires and fish a metal hipflask out of your pocket to adjust the volume (done, satisfyingly, by twisting the cap).
The downside? You have to carry about four feet of wires and fish a metal hipflask out of your pocket to adjust the volume (done, satisfyingly, by twisting the cap)
But what’s a little bit of lost dignity to a man of my age? The hip-dac is far cheaper than many Dacs (you can pay up to £8,000 if you’re completely bonkers), and it sounds belting. It can also play hi-res audio (better than CD) via Tidal – another exciting function for me that makes my wife’s eyes instantly glaze over.