ifi Audio iCAN PHANTOM
Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
93/100
Build Quality
90/100
Features Usability
95/100
Value for Money
85/100
The iCAN PHANTOM delivers iron-fisted dynamics, vivid resolution and a remarkably neutral solid-state voice, while its tube modes add warmth and spatial ease. hi-fi+ praised its expansive imaging and authoritative control; HomeTheaterHifi found exceptional drive across dynamics, planars and electrostatics. With adjustable electrostatic bias, extensive outputs and preamp functionality, it is a flagship hub for serious headphone collections.
Pros
Exceptional dynamic authority, resolution and control, with wide, deep imaging and effortless headroom.
Unusually versatile: drives dynamic, planar and electrostatic headphones, with selectable electrostatic bias and comprehensive balanced and single-ended connections.
Selectable solid-state, Tube and Tube+ stages offer useful shifts from clean transparency to smoother, warmer presentation.
Cons
Its premium price and extensive feature set can be overkill for listeners with one straightforward headphone setup.
Tube+ voicing may be too warm or pronounced for extended listening with some headphones.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 93/100
Reviewers find the iCAN PHANTOM exceptionally revealing, controlled and powerful, with a convincingly neutral solid-state voice and useful tube alternatives. Its immense drive and electrostatic capability are repeatedly praised, while direct listening commentary on background noise is limited.
Transparency Resolution
96/100
hi-fi+ calls the PHANTOM revealing, forensically insightful and alive with tonal and textural detail, with fanatical detail retrieval. HomeTheaterHifi likewise heard transparency without fault, while HiFi News found it powerful and revealing.
Tonal Balance Musicality
94/100
In solid-state mode, hi-fi+ found tonal reproduction focused, controlled, accurate and uncoloured. The tube settings offer genuinely useful alternatives: reviewers describe added smoothness, fullness and warmth, while Tube+ can sound notably rich, spacious and romantic.
Dynamics
97/100
Dynamic authority is a consistent strength. hi-fi+ describes stratospheric headroom, assured rhythmic expression and iron-fisted low-frequency control, while HomeTheaterHifi heard effortless dynamics and ample headroom with both dynamic and electrostatic headphones.
Noise Floor
80/100
The supplied reviews do not provide direct listening evidence about hiss, hum or background silence with sensitive headphones or IEMs. StereoNET notes IEMatch for high-sensitivity earphones, but does not report its audible noise-floor performance.
Headphone Compatibility
97/100
Reviewers repeatedly praise the PHANTOM's unusually broad reach across conventional dynamic, planar and electrostatic headphones. It drove the 600-ohm DT880 PRO with headroom to spare, worked superbly with STAX SR-L700 electrostatics, and offers selectable gain, IEMatch and adjustable electrostatic bias.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
90/100
HiFi News found the fit and finish outstanding, highlighting the aluminium case and smoked-glass top panel. Reviewers also note user-replaceable tubes and a distinctive, carefully presented chassis, though there is little long-term reliability commentary.
Features Usability
95/100
The PHANTOM is extraordinarily comprehensive: it accommodates single-ended, balanced and electrostatic headphones, provides balanced and RCA inputs and preamp outputs, and supports adjustable electrostatic-bias cards. Three gain settings, solid-state and two tube voicings, xBass, XSpace, IEMatch and Nexus app control make it exceptionally flexible, although its breadth of options may be more than some owners need.
Value for Money
85/100
At $3,749/£3,749, reviewers call the PHANTOM a deeply impressive and recommended flagship with unusually extensive functionality. The supplied reviews offer no direct comparison with competing amplifiers at this price, and several note that its huge capability may be overkill for many headphone listeners.
Reviews & Sources
Professional reviews and sources for this product's Watt'n Potatoes analysis.
Online Reviews & Mentions
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Specifications
- DIMENSIONS
- 256 × 185 × 120 mm (10.1" x 7.3" × 4.7")
- ESL OUTPUT VOLTAGE
- Custom/Pro 640V RMS max Normal 320V RMS max.
- FREQUENCY RESPONSE
- 0.5Hz to 500kHz(-3dB)
- GAIN
- 0dB, 9dB and 18dB user-selectable
- INPUT VOLTAGE
- DC 12V/4A or 15V/3A (Phantom iCAN)
- LIMITED WARRANTY
- 12 months
- MAXIMUM OUTPUT POWER
- Balanced >15,000mW (@ 16Ω) UnBAL >5,760mW (@ 16Ω)
- MAXIMUM OUTPUT VOLTAGE
- Balanced >27.0V (@ 600Ω) UnBAL >14.0V (@600Ω)
- NET WEIGHT
- 4.2 kg (9.3 Ibs)
- POWER CONSUMPTION
- < 27W idle, 75W max
- RMS OUTPUT POWER
- Balanced >9,030mW (@ 32Ω) UnBAL >3,120mW (@ 32Ω)
- SNR
- Balanced >145dB(A) UnBAL > 130dB(A)
- THD+N
- Solid state Balanced: ≤0.0015% Unbal: ≤0.007% Tube Balanced: ≤0.002% Unbal: ≤0.006% Tube plus Balanced: ≤0.012% Unbal: ≤0.2%
Manufacturer's Description — ifi Audio
The Rolls-Royce of headphone amplifiers.
Exuding exemplary build quality and unrivalled specification, the iCAN Phantom delivers an exceptional listening experience, expertly engineered to drive everything from high-performance IEMs to demanding electrostatics.
Available from our Elite Dealers
The Rolls-Royce of flagships
The iCAN PHANTOM’s design gives the appearance of two units but in fact it is a single, dual-level device, the full depth of which is fully utilised by its multi-layer circuit design. Its enclosure is sturdily constructed from aluminium, with the bottom layer sporting cable connections front and back, and the top layer offering tactile controls and a colourful OLED display.
Electrostatically good!
The iCAN PHANTOMincorporates our original standalone iESL energiser technology with regular amplifier technology to make a single amplifier that can handle every headphone type with aplomb. All users benefit as the component quality and clever circuit design required to deliver such a high level of performance with electrostatic headphones elevates the amp’s performance with other headphone types too.
Bias voltage simplified
The iCAN PHANTOM has a series of data cards that specify different bias voltages (these are supplied with the amp). Simply select the card that matches the headphone’s specification and pop it in the card slot – there are cards for 500V, 540V 580V, 600V, 620V and 640V each with a handy guide on the back showing which headphone brand is compatible with that voltage.
iFi Nexis – network connected control
The iCAN PHANTOM is the first product to incorporate iFi Nexisa module which combines with an app to provide a comprehensive, scalable network-connected control system. The features that Nexis offers will grow over time. At launch, the Nexis app enables your Android or iOS device to act as a ‘super remote control’ for the iCAN PHANTOM, providing access to additional features not accessible via the amp’s fascia or standard remote control.
Every connection covered
The iCAN PHANTOM supplies a wide array of balanced and single-ended connection options. The headphone outputs are at the front, with the source inputs and preamp outputs at the rear.
A tale of two input stages
The iCAN PHANTOM sports two input stages – one valve/tube-based, the other solid state – enabling the user to switch between the two in real time. It is, indeed, like having three amplifiers in one, each with a different sonic presentation.
The GE5670 valves have an expected lifespan of around 10,000+ hours of use. When the time eventually comes to replace them, the iCAN PHANTOM’s smoked glass panel is easily removed to provide access, meaning the job can be completed in minutes.
Verified Dealers
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Authorized dealers for ifi Audio iCAN PHANTOM
- Acoustic Technologies — online and in-store — Montréal, Québec, Canada (website)
- Acoustipower — online and in-store — Markham, Ontario, Canada (website)
- Acton Gate Audio — online and in-store — Cymru, United Kingdom (website)
- Addicted to Audio — online and in-store — Epping, Victoria, Australia (website)
- Adorama — in-store — New York, New York, United States (website)
- Advanced MP3 Players — online and in-store — Musselburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom (website)
- Alpha High End — online and in-store — Brasschaat, Vlaams Gewest, Belgium (website)
- Analogue Seduction — online and in-store — Whittlesey, England, United Kingdom (website)
- Apos Audio — online and in-store — Oakland, California, United States (website)
- ARK Audio — online and in-store — Borensberg, Östergötlands län, Sweden (website)
and 133 more verified dealers