If so, was there any noticeable sound difference? The iFi Audio Zen DAC is just $129.99. It depends on your proposed use. My favourite, shy, guitar strums now manifested itself to a fully formed acoustic guitar performance instead of strummed inserts. All Rights Reserved. Disclaimer: The iFi Audio Zen DAC sent to us for the purposes of this review is a sample and does not have to be returned. Actually, after a while, I forgot I was reviewing this part of the set up and just listened to the music. The presentation was focused and precise yes but the bass was super dominant, front and centre. High energy and bass-heavy soul pop, any DAC tackling this lot has to get its backside into gear pretty pronto. Again, thank you for your review, the best and cheapest upgrade I ever did. Hi Paul, I’ve read both this review and your review for the ifi blue Zen Bluetooth unit. With the iPower in place the tonal balance improved by a magnitude, actually. The ZEN DAC’s analogue stage is a balanced design – highly unusual in a DAC/headphone amp anywhere near this price point. The Zen DAC, a desktop USB DAC/headphone amp, can be powered by USB or mains. Vocals now offered a softer presentation, infused with emotion and slightly more fragility and finesse. iFi Audio ZEN DAC USB DAC/Headphone Amp Review: Andrew Everard , Lab: Paul Miller | Aug 24, 2020 With its eye-catching looks, flexibility, solid engineering within and a remarkably grown-up sound, this entry-level DAC from iFi Audio is a conspicuous hi-fi bargain The most recent arrivals are the tiny pocket-sized hip-dac (£149), designed for music on the move, and the very affordable ZEN models, including the £129 ZEN DAC that we have here. Lowering the noise floor allowed more midrange detail to be tracked by the ear. ZEN DAC Headphone DAC/Amplifier. I was considering a Zen Can, but I have decided on a Garage 1217 Project Polaris, which I hear the Zen Dac pairs well with. Buy NEW IFi Audio USB-DAC (USB Pre-Amplifier & Headphone Amplifier) iFI-Audio ZEN-DA from only $286.00 Ifi Audio Usb-Dac (Usb Pre-Amplifier & Headphone Amplifier) Ifi-Audio Zen-Dac DescriptionCompact Desktop Dac (Also Usb Preamplifier & Headphone Amplifier) Packed With All 'Ifi' Design; Designed For Use On Desktops And Living Rooms Connected Via Usb To A Pc Mac Or … Almost too much. Not the AudioQuest DragonFly Black but the forthcoming ZEN DAC from iFi that eschews the dongle in favour of a quarter-width aluminium chassis more becoming of a desktop rig.. If you want to raise the bar still further, though? I found that allowing the Zen to control the volume was preferred. Vocals were distinct, though. The company, based in Southport, England, says the Zen Can sports many features usually reserved for high-end headphone amps at many times the price. So, I turned it off. The ZEN DAC boasts TrueBass. All product manuals are available by navigating the the appropriate product page and scrolling down to the Support section where you will find them under the Documents tab: Whether it's the flask-inspired hip DAC, the angular wood and metal lifestyle audio sculpture known as Aurora or the undulating form of the xCAN and xDSD, there's no denying the attraction. As a pre-amp and DAC combined, the Zen proved to be a wholehearted winner. A power supply is included as standard with the ZEN Blue (which has no USB input) but not with the ZEN DAC, enabling iFi to keep the base price at £129. The ZEN DAC’s USB Type B input supports the USB 3.0 standard as well as USB 2.0. Bass was chagrined because it stepped back into line, became part of the mix and reduced its force to a more tonally balanced part of the soundstage. I played the file through my MacBook, via Audirvana Plus and used the HD800 headphones through the 6.35mm socket for this test. This song offers a veritable crowd scene of voices and instruments, all analogue in nature. The 4.4mm output to the rear enables connection to amps and active speakers equipped with a balanced input – either a Pentaconn 4.4mm input or XLR inputs via a 4.4mm-to-XLR cable. I could, of course, have switched that to Fixed and allowed the YU4s to control the volume. This DAC accompanies the Zen Blue DAC unit I reviewed recently to form the first in a series of Zen devices. I’ve been a journalist and editor for 30 years and still retain my good humour. Zen DAC — DAC/headphone amplifier Ace of Bass. Launched in 2020, iFi’s ZEN CAN extended the ZEN Series with an all-analogue headphone amplifier housed in the same compact aluminium chassis. I had been using an AudioQuest Dragonfly Cobalt, but I wanted to try the CAN (combined with the Zen Amp) to experience balanced input on my HiFiMAN Ananda headphones. Ever see the classic old Oscar-winning, Humphrey Bogart film Casablanca? Even when it comes with a reasonable price like this iFi Audio Zen DAC. I began with a bright, hard-edged CD rip from The Sugababes called Blue. The iFi Audio Zen CAN and iFi Audio Zen DAC is one of our favourite headphone amplifier and DAC combos for the audiophile on a budget. Bass was also less aggressive. TrueBass enhances the bass but does not muddy the mid-range. The Zen provided more immediate and finer volume changes. iFi Audio ZEN DAC Signature edition and ZEN CAN Signature 6XX edition. Big, big guy. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window), BRAINWAVZ B200 EARPHONES: DUAL BALANCED ARMATURES. I plugged the Zen it into the mains to see if that affected noise too. For such a modestly-priced device, the ZEN CAN offers plenty of set-up flexibility. Both are scheduled to be launched this summer. Blimey, there was serious bass here. That push didn’t swamp any of the midrange detail, though. The front panel of the novelty is extremely laconic – only the encoder of the switchable volume control was left on it. Vertex AQ Aletheia DAC-1: Looking For a Quiet Life? Some of the filters originally used in the company's Pro iDSD [HFN Sep '18] can be downloaded as part of firmware 5.3C, and it's also possible to load v5.2 'Limoncello', which removes MQA capability, but makes it possible for the ZEN DAC to handle DSD512. If you want my views on iFi’s True Bass? Reference 80S Power Amp From Audio Research. iFi has always been strong on value but has also recently hit a sweet spot in the style stakes too. See above then. The Grandstand at Ascot Welcomes The UK Hi-Fi Show. Easily one of the best, affordable options on the market for a desktop DAC & Headphone Amplifier. This little ifi zen dac has finally allowed me to reveal the quality of the other components of the system, that were completely hidden by my former digital preamplifier. Playing my HD660 S headphones via the Pentaconn connection did what balanced connections often did, raised the volume for the same gain so down went that gain. Seems that was set to On as a default for my unit. 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. The Zen DAC is no exception, a gorgeous curvy number with balanced headphone and line output. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Instead, the bass enhancement under-pinned the midrange, giving it confidence and strength. It is asynchronous, meaning that the data rate is regulated solely by the ZEN DAC’s audio clock circuitry. Actually, the ZEN DAC can be tailored to your playback priorities. Triple Surprise I have switched my current digital preamplifier for a ifi zen dac, that simultaneously plays the role of preamplifier for my stereo office system (Apple laptop linked to the ifi via USB and then a rotel 1506 [6 channels], 2 Revox Shelf 02 (front), 2 Revox magic cube (rear) and 1 Revox sub passive 01) and headphone amplifier for the evening work session. The choice is yours. The headphone amp stage has switchable gain, called PowerMatch. There’s no DSP with iFi gear. In addition to the integrated DAC, it also offers a headphone amplifier, which may well offer fine performance data, but is nevertheless clearly inferior to the new ZEN CAN by iFi Audio. A small LED next to the volume control changes colour to indicate the incoming file format. Zen DAC is one of the latest iFi products and it's their most affordable desktop DAC to date. I have worked within a range of industries, writing for hundreds of national magazines and newspapers in the UK, Europe and the USA covering: aviation, music, computer technology, computer gaming, hi-fi, mobile technology, home automation, lady’s lifestyle, plastic model making, antiques and more. There was enough clarity for the diction to remain clear while the synth runs were recognisable and the shy acoustic guitar strums in the chorus were there although squashed against the walls of the soundstage. It's also possible to download different firmware options from iFi Audio's website to optimise the DAC in various ways, and experiment with alternative digital filter settings. iFi does make two additional power supplies that have been created to lower noise when compared to standard switch-mode ‘wall warts’ – the iPower and new, higher-spec iPower X. I tried the former in this review, priced at an extra £49, to see how that performed. GOOD: build and finish, overall sound quality, features, portability, price, [Don’t forget to check out my new Patreon Page at www.patreon.com/audiophileman, for exclusive postings, giveaways and more! Such firmware changes are carried out via the USB connection. I returned to the balanced Pentaconn and added an the external iPower switch-mode power supply to the Zen. There’s also a bass boost option called TrueBass. Rather than relying on firmware supplied off-the-shelf, iFi’s continuous software development allows features to be added or optimised via firmware updates. An included XMOS chip processes audio data received at the USB input and is programmed in-house. Bass was fattened here, strengthened and pushed towards the ear a tad, adding to the overall tonal balance. & If that is the case, would you recommend the zen DAC over the topping e30?? It just needs the four tall, spindly legs. Most users are more likely to use the ZEN DAC's entirely conventional unbalanced RCA outputs that can be set to fixed or variable, the latter under the control of the front panel knob. The E30 is great for coax/optical use but the Zen DAC is superior for USB use. Who’d have thought? You could let the whole experience wash over you or, if you wished, pick out every detail within. It includes the striking-looking bamboo-clad, architect-inspired Aurora all-in-one network system alongside no fewer than eight DACs in the lineup. It's actually a DAC/headphone amp combo with an USB input and several outputs: single-ended line out, balanced line out, single-ended headphone out and balanced headphone out. iFi Audio has been in the business of creating some of the best products available in personal audio. Actually, make that triple functions as, due to its variable-level analogue outputs, it could even be used straight into a power amp or a pair of active loudspeakers, hilarious though the combination of this tiny unit and a hulking great power amp might seem.
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