Joined Feb 25, 2016 Messages 276 Reaction score 209 Location London. If powered from USB, power output may vary. Yes, you can connect the S7 to your ZENDAC to play Spotify, but the phone cannot power the ZENDAC on its own. but my personal preference is the direct sound bypassing the pre amp circuit, enjoying every bit of it. The ability to move my music to anywhere in the house with the Zen Blue was a great benefit and the DAC performance of the Zen Blue was almost identical to the Zen DAC. It is priced at $129.99. Go for a DAC like the Topping E30 instead! It opens up the music more. I always felt something was missing from built in dac. Answer: You are right, Passthrough bypasses the software decoding in the TIDAL application to the DAC which has the full Decoder technology. It sounds great, has a ton of features, and can grow with your system as your tastes evolve. It’s quite a spartan set of accessories, but that’s enough for the basic needs. The ZEN DAC uses TDK C0G (Class 1 ceramic) capacitors that are highly stable and offer low losses for resonant circuit applications. The product is genuine This is my go-to destination for everything audio from now on. This firmware will work on all iFi products except the original nano iDAC and the iLink. iFi has built a solid reputation for its well-featured, affordable digital-to-analogue converters. It’s a balanced presentation that’s refined and free of harsh edges. It sounds as great as it has been built. The iFi Zen DAC is a single input USB DAC. Kudos to the team.”, "It’s one of the best sites to get premium quality headphones. What Hi-Fi "Aune does good work. Very good balanced sound quality. It also has a 6.3mm headphone socket that lets you choose both the headphones options very effortlessly. For Windows desktop, you must install our driver version 3.20 for MQA to work. It is a close relation in design terms to the Zen Blue Bluetooth DAC we looked at recently but there are some crucial differences too which we’ll cover in due course. It is great for music and movies and works okay with games as well (tweak a bit inside game settings for the optimal settings), supports RCA out as well which can connect further to an AMP or a pair of speakers (nothing too crazy, wont support anything higher than a bookshelf speaker). iFi ZEN dac IGNORED iFi ZEN dac. 4> The pre-amp is also good, the true base produce tight and subtle bass- never knew my speaker is capable of producing that deep bass :) The iFi Audio ZEN DAC has a Pentaconn 4.4mm balanced output at both the front and back. iFi Audio's new ZEN DAC is definitely your companion when it comes to great music at an affordable price. I have an AKG 712 paired with Audioengine D1. Compared to the Modi, I first prefered the Zen DAC as I found it to be funner and have much more weight to the bass but overtime I have come to prefer the Modi 3. This product is eligible for the Headphone Zone 7 Day Easy Exchange. It is really … If you want a great combo under 15k, this should be your first choice. A goto headphone dac/amp (which can also power speakers if needed) for anyone looking to start with their headphone audiophile journey. The only thing … Please click here to download. i have some experience with fiio and schiit DAC before but was not entirely happy with them. Simply enter your GST number at the time of checkout. You can view your wishlist by creating or login account. If you copy anything we will hunt you down. If you have a query relating to the operation of any of our products, please use the iFi audio Support Centre. The volume knob is sooo smooth. 100+ Head-Fier. Join Club Audiophile to begin your pursuit of great sound. Look out for smuggled & refurbished headphones while shopping online. You can’t get much sweeter than that. Big Shoutout to Lawrance and iFi Audio for sending this demo unit, and for their continued support!! As soon as I switch to playing one of the more usual standard “Hi-Fi” quality tracks on the Tidal app, the light on the front of the unit switches to green to indicate it’s receiving a lower bit rate file. I hope a converter gets available. It is very disappointing this kind of misleading information by iFi. This mighty device will give you the perfect sound experience. It's their job to make sure that you find a headphone that fits your music listening habits and preferences perfectly. < 1.5W via USB power OR 5v DC (power supply not included). Select your card and check the installment value and the overall interest charged on the transaction. MQA and iFi audio have iFi XMOS firmware version 5.30 ready for public download. Such requests don't get entertained anywhere else. The sample rate of incoming audio data is indicated by an multicoloured LED residing behind the aluminium volume control. 3> if you want little more juice add 5v power supply(not available out of the box), the sound quality further enhanced for me. Headphone Zone is a professionally run business & deals only in 100% genuine headphones. Wonderful. Tech Radar "A practical, portable, feature-full DAC with an happily open and balanced sound. ", Show Your DAC/AMP some love, get a headphone that unleashes its true potential. The LED glows magenta to indicate that the unit is rendering an MQA stream or file. If you are looking for an amp/dac less than 15k look no more than the zen. How do I connect my tv with if I Zen DAC.my Tv has optical out and HDMI ARC and 2 usb slots. There are many kinds of DACs available at different price points. ₹ 11,999 ₹ 13,999 Is our price too high? The only website I truly trust to get my Ear candies from. Go for an easy EMI scheme which allows you to pay for your orders over a convenient period. iFi was one of the first companies to manufacture high-performance DAC/headphone amps for portable use, thus delivering … ZENDAC Can be used with Active Home Audio Speakers, not with Bluetooth speakers. The hip-dac is a hugely capable performer with the typical easy-going iFi sound. This superb hi-res USB DAC/headphone amp delivers a level of specification and performance that punches above its super-affordable price tag. More and more people were using headphones to listen to music, but plugging them straight into smartphones, tablets, laptops and so on, thus placing their music at the mercy of the inferior DAC (Digital-to-Analogue Converter) and amp circuitry contained within these devices. I don't think I have had such a smooth experience with an online shopping website. Delivery at critical times (COVID19), is just awesome, received my headphones one day before the committed time. The analogue output stage of the ZEN DAC is a balanced design which means less interference and cross talk. iFI Audio comes with 1 year warranty. MQA – Master Quality Audio 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-audio.com They do this all day. Many ways you can paybefore you press play. 1>it does not come with latest firmware so updating the latest firmware(GTO version) is recommended, read the instruction before updating...be careful while you do this. can I add this dac to normal chain? It is also my primary speaker dac connected to my old akai vintage sound quality. The products are designed, developed and manufactured in iFi Audio headquarters in Southport, UK. Recommended Posts. For this hip-dac, iFI has taken the guts of the excellent, desktop-based Zen DAC and crammed them into a smaller, battery-powered form. 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. This is just ruining the sound signature due to pole incompatibility. However on my Volumio PC in my music room it is limited to 48KHz/24Bit. We'd recommend getting the iFi Audio iPowerX. Simply download the ‘Limoncello’ 5.2A to unlock DoP256. Part of the iFi Zen Mini-Series! Thank you to iFi Audio for giving us this opportunity. !Delivery Experience - Extremely satisfied. The ZEN DAC supports PCM and DXD to 32-bit/384kHz, … No issues from their end whatsoever.”, “Amazing support from Headphones Zone team, this is my second product purchase. They are all willing to help and clear your doubts. 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, …). Its been a good buying experience with Headphone Zone, the delivery was quick and the products is also untouched. keithmarsh. Raghav Somani started Headphone Zone in 2010 after realising that most big retailers had little to no understanding of headphones. Don’t like your purchase? Would recommend 10/10. Can i use it for my hifiman sundara headphone with my mobile lg v40 thinq. To unlock DoP256 for Mac/Linux you can download ‘Limoncello’ 5.2A on their website. ", "It's not one of the best; It is the best! It has a lot of the same features, like a balanced amp circuitry, bass enhancement, MQA, and native DSD, plus a gain control. Kudos ", "Have you done something that you're really passionate about and found out that the results are outstanding? In contrast to Fiio where I had a little trouble with power output, this unit has enough power in Unbalanced out, both of which run just on USB. stefano_mbp. Want to connect it with a Mac or Linux device? I seriously couldn't find music of such different formats to justify its purchase, it supports plug and play with any OS, although with windows I had to tweak a few settings to ensure that I was running on the highest frequency band (notice the yellow led instead of green in the picture). This delivers the final unfold of the MQA file. Although the bass is a little higher than usual with Truebass turned on - for which I was skeptical at first - it simply makes it much more enjoyable to listen without it sounding any less detailed. The iFi Zen DAC is a $129 Digital-to-Analog (DAC) converter and headphone amplifier that is bound to get some interest for entry-level audiophiles and people looking for a small unit to use at work or to take with them on the go. iFi Audio is an award-winning company focussed to deliver audio products to enrich music listening experience. The Zen DAC also uses … With years of experience helping people find musical bliss, they're the experts when it comes to everything audio. Magenta is the official MQA LED colour on iFi machines. (variable) 4.4mm Pentaconn (BAL) — 4.2V fixed 2V / 6.2V max. Your AKG Q701 does not support a balanced cable. Our Headphone Guru’s Top Recommendations for You, Hi, iFi Audio makes sure that no hazardous toxins or materials are used in the products and that they meet the standards of environmental safety, “Thank you headphone zone team for timely delivery especially in this situation and bringing this product to India I recommend everyone to check this one before considering other alternatives in the market.”, “Good Purchase with Good Delivery Experience !! Post #218 of 922 keithmarsh 100+ Head-Fier. Can i connect it to my Samsung galaxy S7 and play from SPOTIFY? Please contact me if I've won a prize. Hello All, I requested them to deliver my replacement earphones to a newer location and they were ready to deliver. Open, detailed and tonally balanced sound with good battery life, Versatile." Yes, you'd need a 6.4mm to 3.5mm adapter to use your 3.5 mm IEMs, but if you use IEMs more often, we'd recommend the hipdac! Take a look at a few of the options we have in store for you and decide for yourself. "Both can be switched between ‘variable’ and ‘fixed’ modes so the Zen DAC can be used as a preamp for volume control if needed. I also tried a 4.4mm male to 2.5mm female joined to a 2.5mm male to 3.5mm female. Purchased this 2 weeks back along with a pair of beyerdynamics dt990 pros. We all can agree, the X1S is a good DAC that … No processing or convenience fees are charged on any EMI transactions. iFi Audio has its distribution centre in the USA and is working hard on increasing its global network of distributors. Compact enough to use as a USB DAC/amp on your work desk with your much-loved headphones. It supports a variety of lossless formats such as Flacs(PCM), DSD and MQAs. The delivery was super fast. You can switch your ZEN DAC from Variable to Fixed in just a moment. Well, I have just summed up Headphone Zone - a really passionate team. Couple of important point to share->[Tested only with the RCA out to my AVR] The iFi Zen DAC features a trapezoidal design and is made entirely out of metal. The modi offers a wider, more spacious soundstage and it does something magical to female vocalists that I really enjoy. Don't get fooled. 5 min. 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. It is one of the cleanest dac amp i have heard in my life. A studio-quality sound which is close to how the artist intended the music to sound. Newbie; 491 posts; Share; Posted June 6, 2020. just bought this dac as it is advertised to be MQA compliant but that’s not true, it is not a full MQA decoder but just a renderer, … I have an iFi Zen Dac which is MQA certified and works fine with MQA on my Windows PC through the Tidal app. The iFi ZEN DAC’s packaging is different from iFi’s usual one: the box is still predominantly white, but it has much more colour than usual and a picture of the device on the cardboard sleeve. This is where your search ends. Just add your favourite active speakers or amp. An MQA DAC and headphone amplifier that will talk to a Mac, a PC and a smartphone * for a hundred quid (ish)? Delivered in almost 48 hrs.”, “Good and quick delivery from Headphone zone and would recommend others to buy from them too. Just add your … The True Native Burr-Brown chip and advanced circuitry offer Hi-Res playback. From live experience for your home to on-the-go music for your ears, iFi Audio has a wide range of audio products for every music enthusiast. It has a switchable ‘bass boost’ which operates in the analogue domain. ", "Probably one of the best experience I have had right from buying till getting a item serviced. Copyright ©2011-2021 Headphone Zone. Just plug in your favourite headphones and experience the hi-res audio with this USB DAC. I chose this amp for the truebass functionality and balanced output which is lacking in the Audioengine D1 and is in the same price range. We are incredibly grateful that you took the time out to leave us this note. The ZEN DAC Signature’s digital stage retains the True Native DAC architecture of its award-winning sibling, delivering bit-perfect PCM (up to 32-bit/384kHz), native DSD (up to DSD256) and DXD, plus MQA – the hi-res streaming codec, as used by Tidal’s ‘Masters’ tier. Leave it at a lower setting for hiss-free audio with highly sensitive IEMs. Equipment Forums. network player->[iFi Audio - ZEN DAC]->stereo amplifier->speakers, Yes, you can add this to a normal chain. The ZEN DAC supports up to 32-bit/384kHZ PCM and DXD files. Owned, Operated & Funded by Proud Indians You'd need a USB C OTG cable to connect it to your MacBook 2020, Is ifi zen dac suitable for home audio speakers even blue tooth speakers. Please do not use this form for product support enquiries. This product is eligible for a free replacement in case you receive a damaged, defective or different item. Did this article solve your problem? There is no converter for the 4.4mm output and you cannot find one anywhere in India. Minimum Order value for EMI eligibility varies from Bank to bank. Like you, Headphone Gurus at Headphone Zone are passionate about music. It doesn't really matter whether it's our ZEN platform or any other MQA capable DAC, the rule is the same: what comes out of your tablet/smartphone/PC has to be MQA, otherwise you won't get it. All products are covered by the Headphone Zone 7 Day Replacement Guarantee. The Authorised service partner for all warranty claims in India is Headphone Zone. Read more about iFi Audio's warranty in India. The packaging was sufficient and delivered 2 days before the committed delivery experience. Please see our. You'd need an external 5V Power Adapter. The materials that are used in most of the iFi products are used to enhance the sound performance of the product by eliminating echo and disturbing jitter. The crew has great knowledge of the various products and I bet this tops off Amazon when it comes to audio gears. Upgrade from standard cables to Better Sound and Robust Design, Add on to get a Seamless connection between your DAC and Smartphone, Upgrade from standard cable to Better Sound and Robust Design. (variable). It does not have DSP. EMI purchases need to be made on a single credit card and cannot be split across multiple cards. As soon as I play a “Masters” quality track on my iPad Tidal app the light on the front of the iFi Zen DAC goes purple (technically Magenta) to indicate it is receiving and processing an MQA authenticated file. 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. Boost it for low impedance on/over-ears that need that extra oomph. The truebass functionality doesn't suppress or muddy the mid range which is good. This^ video says it all :). It’s good. It has its limits though and i could hear it when i push the volume dial to its limit. You'd need a 5V external power supply. The quality from the unbalanced 6.35mm output is awesome. You will have to get it imported from China and all shipping from Aliexpress and Banggoods is not happening. Order you dream audio tech RIGHT NOW!". 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-audio.com. Don't let the GST input go to waste especially if you can avail an offset. ", "The iFi Zen Dac is one of the best entry-level DACs you can buy. Ifi Audio Zen DAC - Dac Amplifier - Details: Cute, compact and stylish This superb hi-res USB DAC/headphone amp delivers a level of specification and performance that punches above its super-affordable price tag. Whereas the Pro iDSD and Neo iDSD is a decoder and renderer, therefore can fully unfold MQA. To get it all working you download the iFi driver and control panel if you are using Windows, though this isn’t necessary with Mac. As far as its features are concerned it is one of best at its price point not going to ellaborate on that but the soundquality is what gor me surprised. iFi ZEN DAC discussion + impression Home. 先日、iFi audioから発売されたばかりのZEN DACを使ってます。特徴は以下の3点。低価格ながらもPCM（～384kHz）、DSD（～12.4MHz）、MQA（レンダラー方式）に対応ボリュームノブで可変出力（可変／固定切り替えスイッ ", "If you’re a fan of iFi’s house sound, or just want a simple, fatigue-free listen at your workplace or coffee-shop, the ZenDAC is a good option to investigate, "At the heart of the matter, that’s what the Zen DAC is – just really good audio, in a simple, economic package. This headphone amp has Powermatch—A switch which adjusts the gain to match that of the headphone. All of our DACs at iFi (except the Pro iDSD and NEO iDSD) are MQA renderers only and will require software such as Tidal to perform the decoding. It enhances the bass without muddying the mid-range. Jan 27, 2020 at 9:56 AM. It includes the GTO filter that has been used in the flagship Pro iDSD. You save ₹ 2,000 Headphone Zone is India’s first exclusive online store for headphones, earphones and personal audio devices. Zen is an all in one Dac that can basically fit in with all my uses.It is capable of driving my fiio x2,m560 and iem like kz zs10pro and tin t2. Well their sale is done :) now its the customers headache. One of the reasons headphones and earphones in India are more expensive than overseas is because of the Goods & Services Tax in India. The ZEN DAC gives you a TrueBass experience. Coming to the quality of the product- it feels like heavy duty material, fits and finishes are nice. It is powerful enough to bring out the dynamics of the AKG. Build quality is quite premium and sturdy. You can adjust the volume over the fixed mode and can use it as an external pre-amp or integrated amp. So I would suggest you to read it from his blog for the technical stuff. 2>The sound quality is good without the update, its more of warmer sound signature with limited sound stage, but when I update the firmware the experience is amazing , it has got much detailed and crisp output, the sound stage widens up, its actually better than my AVR internal DAC. "The iFi Zen Dac is one of the best entry-level DACs you can buy. … With this super-compact Amp/DAC you can chill anywhere, whether be it your home or the office. And so, it is our commitment to personalize your listening experience as much as possible. EMI monthly schedules begin from the next card billing statement post the transaction date as determined by your bank. This product is covered by iFi Audio's 1 Year Warranty against manufacturing defects. Include bass boost option is nice as well just giving the right amount of bass without messing with the rest of signal.Overall I think Ifi has given a dac that punches way above the price point. Ever since the beginning of iFi Audio in the year 2012, it is the love of music lovers that have been encouraging iFi audio to develop audio products that make a difference in how music is heard. The sound is great, the digital connection doesn't leak any noise into the system, even plugging my normal earphones/headphones sounded so much better than just directly through the PC. Compact enough to use as a USB DAC/amp on your work desk with your much-loved headphones. SUPPORTS TRUE-TO-LIFE, HI-RES AUDIO Their service is unparalleled!! Set it to variable and use it as a pre-amp for an active speaker or power amp. A minimum purchase value of Rs. Simply exchange it for another product of your choice! Thank you so much for sharing this elaborate review with us. As well, if you … Perfect for use with IEMs or open-back headphones which often lose out on bass. Forums. iFi Audio understands how important music is to people and therefore all of their products are centred towards delivering amazing sound that is free of noise, distortion and other kinds of hiss. To claim warranty click here. The Headphone Guru was kind and answered all my queries. iFi Audio's new ZEN DAC is definitely your companion when it comes to great music at an affordable price. ", "Loved the customer support shown by Headphone Zone's team. The ZEN DAC delivers hi-res, ‘bit perfect’ PCM and DXD to 24-bit/384kHz, DSD256 and MQA rendering. We mean it. iFi takes the environment safety sincerely and recognizes their role to contribute to the cause. Thank you for the great service as well. HPZ delivery was fast. Please see our, From time to time, iFi audio would like to send you relevant information on new products, firmware updates, special offers or important industry information. Stylish enough to use in your home system as a USB DAC. Just plug in your favourite headphones and experience the hi-res audio with this USB DAC. The contents are quite minimal: in addition to the ZEN DAC itself there are just a USB 3.0 cable and the manual. I used to have Fiio K3 which is highly recommended as well, but zen sounds different kind of fun and immersive with Sundara. The ZEN DAC Signature’s digital stage retains the True Native DAC architecture much loved here at iFi as well as It delivers bit-perfect PCM (up to 32-bit/384kHz), native DSD (up to DSD256), DXD and MQA – the hi-res streaming technology, as used by Tidal’s ‘HiFi’ tier. 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. Everything on this website has been made with a lot of love and hard work. Stylish enough to use in your home system as a USB DAC. ", "Their commitment to customer satisfaction is beyond par. It boosts the bass without muddying the other frequencies. Firstly I would like to point the build quality, which is incredible. These are annualized interest rates charged on a monthly reducing balance, which means that the principal amount is reduced with every EMI and the interest is calculated on the outstanding balance. It sounds great, has a ton of features, and can grow with your system as your tastes evolve." It even supports DSD256 and MQA for true-to-life audio. They get the job done, i was worried that they might not be able to power the dt990s given the higher impedance power needed, but these are an amazing pair. The amp section is great for most of the mid fi headphones and iems out there. The iFi ZEN DAC Signature includes MQA Renderer technology, which can connect to an MQA Core signal and complete the final unfold of an MQA file. No one so far seems to be able to get MQA from Tidal to work on Volumio. The "truebass" functionality is like butter. How can I use use my akg q701 headphones with the balanced output of zen dac, is there any adapter for it. With this super-compact Amp/DAC you can chill anywhere, whether be it your home or the office. I couldn't fully appreciate the sound quality of the balanced output due to lack of proper 4.4mm to 3.5mm adapter. iFi; ZEN dac; By stefano_mbp, June 6, 2020 in DAC - Digital to Analog Conversion. Topping D90 MQA Dedicated DAC. Benefit from PowerMatch – a single switchable gain mode – to cater for headphone sensitivity. Yes you could, but the LG cannot power the ZEN DAC. So if you want to enjoy your music on a backyard deck, bedroom, or home office and don’t want to run cables, the Zen Blue will fill that gap quite nicely. February 11, 2021. iFi Zen DAC/Amp + Zen CAN Amp (Stack) vs. iFi Zen CAN Signature 6XX Stack.