It sounds fantastic both through my system and as a headphone amp. Everything from timpani to a bass guitar, to an electronic bassline, is conveyed with power and poise. Both the Ifi Zen Dac AND the Ifi had less detail and sharpness, while the RME Fireface is 'limited' to 192 kHz 24BIT and as I said, doesn't do MQA unfolding, but apparently the software unfolding (also tested on Tidal Master with same outcome) didn't do as much as just a better sound chip. Sign up below to get the latest from What Hi-Fi?, plus exclusive special offers, direct to your inbox! It can also decode MQA, which is impressive at this price. Strange? iFi Micro iDSD Black Label USB DAC … On ‘Fixed’ to bypass the volume control. It’s easy to set up and we get going in a matter of minutes, using the supplied USB cable. This is a USB-only desktop product that takes power from the computer that’s connected to it. This proprietary tech is a switchable ‘bass boost’ operating in the analogue domain. IEMs are high-sensitivity, Leave PowerMatch at its lower setting for hiss-free listening. The company’s engineers have tried to make the Zen as accommodating as possible, so it accepts a wide range of Bluetooth codecs including aptX HD, AAC and Sony’s LDAC. iFi Zen DAC - HiFi Desktop Digital Analog Converter - Authorized Dealer. Free shipping . With totally separate wiring ‘crosstalk’ is negligible. Favorites More here. Fantastic solution to near-field speakers for a desktop system. We listen to Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata and are impressed by the iFi’s expressive dynamics and its ability to reproduce the piano’s harmonic richness convincingly. hip-dac micro iDAC2 micro iDSD micro iDSD BL nano iDSD nano iDSD LE (discontinued) nano iDSDS BL nano iOne Retro Stereo 50 xDSD ZEN DAC Please note, MQA is subject to change on different operating systems and devices, the videos are a guideline – if you have any questions please open a support ticket: support.ifi … Aside from the form factor and line out, is there any reason at all to get the Zen DAC over the Hip DAC… Bath TDK C0G (Class 1 ceramic) capacitors offer high stability and low losses for resonant circuit applications. DSD256/128/64, Octa/Quad/Double/Single-Speed DSD DXD(384/352.8kHz), PCM(384/352.8/192/176.4/96/88.2/48/44.1kHz) MQA, < 1.5W via USB power OR 5v DC (power supply not included). Even the Bass Boost button is useful, giving a subtle but through lift to the lower frequencies, though I rarely need it, The one thing I would say is that, though you can just run it from the USB feed from the PC, it does sound much better if you use an external power supply, giving the sound more solidarity and weight. But since the Zen Dac … The iFi ZEN DAC is among the few desktop DAC/amps to offer balanced output in the sub-$200 range. © We switch to Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly and the Zen responds with enough in the way of punch and rhythmic drive to keep us listening. If you’re looking for a well-built, budget desktop DAC, this iFi should be top of your list. There’s a good amount of insight, so we can follow Lamar’s flow, and a decent dose of composure to keep this dense recording sounding organised. In short, you need an amplifier for passive speakers, you don’t with active speakers. The higher the ‘DSD rate’ – DSD64, 128, 256, 512 and 1024 – the greater the amount of music information available, which means better sound quality. An unbalanced headphone cable has a left + and right + wire, for each respective side. Free shipping . Click on the desired image to enlarge it; Press ‘Alt’ or ‘Option’ and click the enlarged image; Select ‘Save image as’ Click Save; Windows The higher the number (sample rate), the better the recording – DSD64, 128, 256, 512 and 1024. Ok, for a lot people it will be an upgrade. iFi Audio has been in the business of creating some of the best products available in personal audio. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, How does this compare with Schiit Modius? ZEN DAC by iFi audio | Super-affordable DAC/amp from iFi audio There’s a small switch on the back panel that swaps bet… I have installed the new firmware on the Zen Dac, and I'm using the balanced 4.4mm jackstick. TrueBass® – delivers genuine bass with realistic depth and definition. If I had known then what I know now, I would have been even more excited to get my hands on the IFI Zen DAC… Premium engineering is more expensive but lowers the noise floor to a whisper-quiet levels. You just called them something else. You’ve been using them for years. If you have a query relating to the operation of any of our products, please use the iFi audio Support Centre. It is a superior method to the single-ended circuit approach. You will receive a verification email shortly. At iFi we use Burr Brown extensively in our products having selected it for its natural-sounding ‘musicality’ and True Native architecture. Use ‘Cookies and Cream’ 5.3C. You normally find this set-up in products at the higher end of the price spectrum such as the Pro iCAN but iFi is now using this across its range to produce the best quality audio for all our customers. Therefore, a balanced connection is the superior headphone wiring configuration. Check out the various reviews available online for full details. Download ‘Limoncello’ 5.2A to unlock DoP256 for Mac/Linux. Discover more here. Hi all, I'm currently thinking of getting a new DAC/Amp, and am considering some of ifi's products. iFi is most likely the first name to come up … Such things aren’t a given at this level. Zen emphasises rigorous self-control, meditation-practice, insight into the nature of things and the personal expression of this insight in daily life, especially for the benefit of others. So, in the words of the great Eric Clapton and from the film Back to the Future, Heaven is One Step Away. Or does the RME is a different leage because it is a bit more expensive too? If you continue to use our website we assume you're happy with that. Now we're taking the conversation further in … Please contact me if I've won a prize. is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. In the latter role it comfortably drives my Sennheiser HD 580's as well as a pair of AKG K 550's. BA1 1UA. This superb hi-res USB DAC/headphone amp delivers a level of specification and performance that punches above its super-affordable price tag. MQA is an award-winning British technology that delivers the sound of the original master recording. iFi should clearly declare in the ZEN dac specs that it is only an MQA renderer, not a decoder, thus it will not be able to perform MQA unfolding if you don’t use a software to perform the first unfolding (like Tidal app, Audirvana, …). Please see our. It's even better if you use iFi's own low noise power supply; it really gave the sound more focus and weight, when I added it. Balanced circuits reduce noise and crosstalk. Our video tutorials on You Tube show you how. iFi ZEN DAC - HiFi Desktop Digital Analog Converter With USB3.0 B Input only. “The three test candidates of the Zen family from the British specialist iFi Audio provide impressive evidence of this… The iFi Audio Zen DAC earned the most laurels: It not only shines with its versatility as a USB DAC headphone amp… ORIGIN UK/China. This is a type of audio circuitry topology that uses individual left & right channels. You get both headphone options. While single-ended is used by most at this price level, iFi is implementing balanced circuits across the Zen range which is quite a step-up. On/over-ear types with relatively low impedance require more oomph – press PowerMatch to increase the level of drive. DETAILS. Just add your favourite active speakers or amp. TYPE Bluetooth DAC… It makes your music move you. Despite its budget nature, the Zen can handle PCM files up to 384kHz and up to DSD256. We are proud to announce that our ZEN DAC has won a highly coveted EISA Award. A balanced cable has the same left + and right +. Thanks to a combination of features and sound quality that’s hard to better at the price, the Zen DAC is arguably one of its finest products. Find your ZEN with this super-affordable compact DAC/headphone amp. $129.99. A fantastic little unit! Great amp for any headphone that has a audio jack, once you have it you can’t go back I have mine paired up with Audio Technica ATH-M50X and the headphones shake from the bass, I don’t recommend for anything higher that 80ohm headphones if you’re looking for maxing them out, it handled my DT 770S 250ohm pretty decently. The advantage of such a configuration is that the ZEN DAC outputs 330 mW when … The iFi Zen DAC features a trapezoidal design and is made entirely out of metal. Thanks to a combination of features and sound quality that’s hard to better at the price, the Zen DAC is arguably … Connect to Tidal Masters and check the option to stream MQA. It’s well built with a nicely finished aluminium case and precise-feeling controls. They are pricey but are a perfect addition to our products. The Burr-Brown True Native® chipset means file formats remain unchanged or ‘bit-perfect’. With a sleek form factor, solid build, and stellar sound, iFi audio’s ZEN DAC is one of the most talked-about USB DAC/amps on the market today. I think this audio setup sounds amazing, especially while streaming mqa quality songs on Tidal. Listen to Master Quality Authenticated audio straight out of the box. TrueBass' High Setting … PCM – Pulse Code Modulation is the most common format for CDs and DVDs. iFi Hip-dac Portable DAC … I've had one of these in my desktop setup since the beginning of 2020 (Dell desktop>iFi ZEN>denon DM41+Sub). This works subtly enough to be useful, adding extra weight and authority to thin or lean sounding cans. DACs convert digital information, stored or streamed by computers, into music we can hear through speakers or headphones. A few months ago, someone in a raincoat met me in a dimly-lit parking garage to let it slip that IFI Audio was working on a $129 DAC. It’s not portable in the sense that the Audioquest DragonFly or Cyrus soundKey are – the Zen is about the size of a small paperback, so it’s too large for a pocket. PRODUCT iFi Audio Zen Blue. EISA stands for Expert Imaging and Sound Association… iFi’s ZEN Range — Enlightened … Does it support DSD? While we would certainly recommend the upgrade for the future, we think the Zen DAC is a great performer as it is. Hi-Res True Native® playback of all music formats from MP3 to DSD256, PCM384 and DXD384. And it wasn't just a little bit, it was quite a difference. With 15.1v @300 Ohms on tap, it has serious power that will make even difficult-to-drive … As for outputs, there are 6.3mm and 4.4mm balanced Pentaconn jacks on the front, a stereo RCA line output on the back with another 4.4mm balanced option next to it. Mac. While there’s cross-compatibility between Bluetooth types, iFi is trying to make the most of any signal the Zen receives. $129.99. People using the iFi Zen Dac, what is the firmware you have installed and what is the difference between them?