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I am using the Zen for my PC running headphones but also for HiFi input. This is the first stand alone DAC I have ever owned so the only comparison is not using an separate DAC. I was looking for a DAC with 3 things, USB input, RCA output and 6mm output (as my old hifi amp doesn’t have one) and the Zen delivers all 3. If you’re looking for an inexpensive yet sophisticated way to both upgrade the sound coming from your digital sources (laptops and phones) and make your headphones sing, the Zen DAC V2 should be your first stop. Read on for more details! One thing, iFi what were your thinking with the supplied leads? If they had been any shorter I would have had to use a microscope to find them! Both provided a somewhat warm sound with nice detail throughout the treble and midrange. Tonal balance is excellent on both. There’s really no part of the audioband that’s given undue attention, so they both get out of the way and let your headphones do their thing. Of course, the most important thing isn’t how it looks, but how it sounds. In terms of overall tonal balance the Zen DAC Signature is very similar to the Zen DAC, with slight improvements in overall refinement and clarity. For the rest of the comparisons I will just refer to the Signature as the Sig.
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Sound quality is great and better than PC Output. Also better than the built in dac in my NAD amplifier, better than a Mobile Phone internal DAC. 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, …). At first I was put off by thinking it needed a dedicated power supply, but in fact that is optional and the Zen works from just a single USB cable. About a year ago I decided to throw money into my audio setup. I bought a pair of DT-1990 Pro, and following the recommendation of another review, I also bought the A-20 Beyerdynamic amp. Everything sounded amazing until I started playing games, and then I’d get this irritating buzzing in my headset. The buzzing only occurred while my cpu demanded more power. My solution to this buzzing? Just throw more money at it. Thanks to the iFi Zen Dac, I no longer hear that annoying buzzing. Do I seem like an audio expert? No. I’m just a dude that spends 12+ hours a day staring at a screen, and music makes that time go by so much faster.I connected Hifiman Sundara and both buttons are always ON – ok, sometimes extra bass I need to turn off – depending on the song. What Hi-Fi?, founded in 1976, is the world's leading independent guide to buying and owning hi-fi and home entertainment products. Our comprehensive tests help you buy the very best for your money, with our advice sections giving you step-by-step information on how to get even more from your music and movies. Everything is tested by our dedicated team of in-house reviewers in our custom-built test rooms in London, Reading and Bath. Our coveted five-star rating and Awards are recognised all over the world as the ultimate seal of approval, so you can buy with absolute confidence. Bluetooth streaming is always a compromise in quality, but the Zen Blue eliminates the shortcomings to the maximum. It is – again – a very nice audio upgrade at a reasonable price.” iFi’s in-house digital development team has programmed the XMOS firmware to optimise sound quality and ensure a perfect partnership with the Burr-Brown DAC.
ZEN DAC Signature by iFi audio - A pure performance desktop ZEN DAC Signature by iFi audio - A pure performance desktop
Going in to the sound department, the Zen V2 has a very distinguished sound signature, a tad dark with a great level of warmth in all frequencies. Bass is just slightly accentuated but not in a bad way, it makes a more musical experience. Midrange is lush and treble is very soft. This results in a very enjoyable experience with headphones such as the HD 560s, that has a bright profile and its treble is a bit to hot for my taste. With iFi's Zen Dac V2, I can enjoy all my albums without worrying a piercing treble response. In addition, it preserves a very good technical level, so you don't loose any detail or relevant information, it's just presented in a different way. Everything from build quality to sound and features in this product feels high end! There’s nothing even close at this price point. Fantastic-sounding (very neutral) DAC. Easily connects to your computer (PC and Mac in my case) and really makes the signal sing a lot more than the on-board soundcards.After much deliberation, I decided on this headphone amplifier as a sound upgrade on my MacMini (Late 2012). Integration in macOS 10.15.6 went perfectly: just plug & play! Grado c/m GS1000, c/m PS500, c/m SR325x, (TO BE REPAIRED c/m RS1e), HF3, Thieaudio Phantom, Music Master closed Planar, Audio-Technica R70X, AKG K340, ATH-AD900X, Sennheiser HD 600, JVC HA-RX900, Phillips Fidelio X2HR
iFi ZEN DAC discussion + impression | Page 70 | Headphone iFi ZEN DAC discussion + impression | Page 70 | Headphone
It is a superior method to the single-ended circuit approach. Balanced circuits reduce noise and crosstalk.For a long time I have been using the onboard DAC of my MacBook Pro to connect the analog output to my old Sony Integrated amp. Looking for better sound on a small budget I decided to get a Raspberry Pi and load it with the latest Moode Audio version. I needed a low cost external USB DAC to connect the Raspberry’s USB output to, and the iFi Zen DAC fits the bill beautifully. It works nicely with the Raspberry’s Linux OS, and the sound is heads and shoulders above what I had before.
ZEN DAC V2 by iFi audio - Super-affordable DAC/amp from iFi audio
I was initially disappointed during unboxing when there was no wall wart power supply. However on USB 3.0 I don’t think I will need one. Bought mainly to listen to Tidal masters in my study. I didn’t need portability so this seemed the most cost effective option. Build quality is excellent – all metal construction. Listening to Tidal masters via the unbalanced input with my Shure srh1840 cans sound quality is great and noticeably better than tidal HI-FI streams to my ears.Perhaps a little weak when USB powered only, but mains powering is an option (though an AC adapter is not included). Also, this is to be expected, almost all other DAC/AMP combos (desktop ones) require mains power for the AMP. I made many A-B-A comparisons between the two, and as you would suspect, the two DACs sounded quite similar, whether listening to MQA or Non-MQA streams. We’ve upgraded its digital engine from an 8 core XMOS chip to a 16 core chip. It’s ultra-capable while still being super-affordable. Only thing I would have liked to see would have been an alternative input (optical in) for use with a TV for ex. However, i bought it for use with a laptop and it works great over USB. I do have about 30+ years in the world of Hi-Fi, but I go by what my ears tell me not by some fancy feature(s) the unit comes with. Although those are nice to have, the Bottom Line at the end of the day is the SOUND. I’m also not going to drown you in a bunch of fancy acronyms (IEM etc ) like I’m some type of expert which I’m not.
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