iFi ZEN DAC

amazon iFi ZEN DAC reviews

iFi Audio, an audio brand from the UK, is already well-known in the world of headphone players with products that are on par with Chord Audio’s lines. Recently, iFi Audio launched a new product line for users called ZEN Series.

Prominent among them is iFi Zen DAC, the cheapest digital music solution ever from iFi. Whether Zen DAC is right for your needs, we will answer through this detailed review.

BOXING AND ACCESSORIES

The box of iFi Zen DAC is different from its previous products. Still the dominant white tone, but the product image has more eye-catching colors.

Accessories included inside the box are very basic; we only have:

– 1 USB 3.0 cable

– 1 wire with 2 RCA ends

– User manual

The included USB 3.0 Type-B cord is only 50cm long. I found it to be a bit short when compositing with systems. iFi should have given a standard 1m cord more reasonable.

DESIGN AND FINISHING

iFi Zen DAC carries the typical design style of the ZEN series: trapezoidal shape with curved corners. This design has a bit of a classic 50s interior style, but iFi has refreshed it to make it more modern.

On the front, the buttons and ports are placed in an extremely symmetrical design. The diameter of the buttons is equal to the diameter of the audio jacks. The volume knob is centered with a diamond beveled knob and an extremely eye-catching status LED. The LED color will change based on the quality of the music being played like on expensive music players.

We will have a 4.4mm Balanced output port next to a traditional 6.3mm Single-End port. Power match button with gain function to suit different types of headphones. TrueBass button to enable bass enhancement.

The body is constructed from a single piece of solid aluminum with a delicate matte surface treatment. The front and back of the machine are two flat aluminum plates with stubborn metal scratches. All details are carefully taken care.

It can be said that iFi Zen DAC is one of the best completed DAC/AMP models in this price range.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

The ability to receive iFi Zen DAC is quite limited when only a USB connection is supported. There are no optical or coaxial ports added. All the remaining ports on the back of the machine are audio output ports.

Surprisingly at this price range, the iFi ZEN DAC is equipped with the ability to output Line-Out Balanced through the 4.4mm port. Balanced output has previously only appeared on mid-range DAC/AMP models and above. Besides, iFi ZEN DAC still supports Single-End line-out output via the RCA port.

iFi Zen DAC supports two different Line-out output modes: Fixed and Variable. Fixed mode for audio output straight from the DAC, the sound is always maximum and not subject to the control of the front Volume knob.

The truth is that the iFi Zen DAC does not require a power plug to use it. You can use it on the go just by using a USB connection. iFi ZEN DAC also does not have a power switch, plug it in, and it will work. However, if you want to upgrade the source quality for the iFi ZEN DAC, we can connect it to an external source via the 5V jack. You can refer to the super-low noise linear source to upgrade the iFi ZEN DAC.

iFi Zen DAC is one of the few desktop DAC/AMP models on the market equipped with a Balanced 4.4 output port in this price range. The iFi ZEN DAC’s Balanced port can max out at 330mW at 32 Ohms and can pull headphones up to 600 Ohms.

iFi uses Burr-Brown’s DAC chip along with the company’s self-developed amplifier circuit. The company does not specify the code of this DAC chip, but we need to know that the iFi ZEN DAC can decode up to PCM 32bit/384kHz and DSD256.

In addition, iFi Zen DAC is a rare desktop DACs/AMPs in the price range under $220 with MQA decoding capabilities.

where can you get a iFi ZEN DAC online

iFi Zen DAC V2 | Desktop Digital Analog Converter with USB 3.0 B Input only / Outputs: 6.3mm Unbalanced / 4.4mm Balanced / RCA – MQA DECODER – Audio System Upgrade (Unit only): Buy it now

iFi Zen Blue HiFi Bluetooth Receiver Desktop DAC/Adapter – Wireless Input/Outputs – Optical/Coaxial/SPDIF/RCA / 4.4 Balanced – Audio System Upgrade (Unit Only): Buy it now

Specifications

Input

USB3.0 B Socket

(USB2.0 compatible)

Formats

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

DAC

Bit-Perfect DSD & DXD DAC by Burr-Brown

Line Section

Output

Audio RCA (SE) — 2.1V fixed

1V / 3.3V max. (variable)

4.4mm Pentaconn (BAL) — 4.2V fixed

2V / 6.2V max. (variable)

Zout

<= 200 Ohm (BAL)

<= 100 Ohm (SE)

SNR

< -116dB(A) @ 0dBFS (BAL/SE)

DNR

> 116dB(A) @ -60dBFS (BAL/SE)

THD+N

< 0.0015% @ 0dBFS (BAL/SE)

Headphone Section

Output Power (@1% THD)

4.4mm Pentaconn (BAL)

330mW@32 Ohm; 6.6V@600 Ohm;

16 Ohm – 600 Ohm Headphone

6.3mm S-BAL (SE)

230mW@32 Ohm; 3.3V@600 Ohm

16 Ohm – 600 Ohm Headphone

Note: Using 5v power. If powered from USB, the power output may vary.

Output Impedance

< 1 Ω (BAL/SE)

THD & N

< 0.005% (125mW @ 32R)

SNR

> 113dBA (6.2V BAL/3.3V SE)

Power consumption

< 1.5W via USB power OR 5v DC (power supply not included)

Dimensions

117(l) x 100(w) x 30(h)mm

Weight (Gross)

0.8 kg (1.8 lbs)

SOUND QUALITY

Tested with Hifiman HE-560 and Moondrop A8. 16bit/44.1kHz FLAC music files. iFi Zen DAC shows that it can pull headphones from flat as well as HE-560 without any problems.

The sound background of the iFi Zen DAC is quite static, with almost no significant hissing when powered by the default USB. However, you need to adjust the Gain accordingly through the Power Match function to avoid interference when listening with high-sensitivity IEM headphones.

A notable detail is that the experience with USB 2.0 sounds cleaner than USB 3.0. Maybe iFi tweaked something in their circuit design.

The overall sound of the iFi Zen DAC is neutral, not colorful, with a slight warmth and quite smooth. The sound is clear and clean with fast speed and just enough impact. The sound goes in the direction of easy listening and quite realistic.

Bass: Neutral bass until you turn on TrueBass mode. Bass is expanded to sub-bass and mid-bass, making the bass fuller and warmer. The amount of bass is also significantly improved. However, the bass range is still well controlled; there is no band encroachment or tail drag phenomenon.

Mid: The mid-range is a bit back, relaxing sound with a bit of warmth and smoothness. Details in the music are shown quite well. The separation between instruments and vocals is also very good.

Treble: Warm, relaxing, smooth. There is no dryness or glare. It sounds very comfortable.

EPILOGUE

iFi Zen DAC takes the limits of popular DAC/AMP to a new level. This DAC/AMP owns many things that we’ve only seen before on mid-and high-end products, such as support for Balanced 4.4 standard, Balanced Line-out Output, MQA decoding. Along with that are the delicate design and finishing like a high-end product.