JDS not available here and the L30 seems better than the Schiit Heresy at just slightly more cost. ifi audio Meet the ZEN CAN. Lots of connectivity is there together with a western company standing behind it. It is definately most obvious when using the 4.4 Balanced output than anything else. I think you should expect the product you bought to work properly without an additional component that costs half as much as the product itself. Topping L30 headphone amp ($140 MSRP; 121 dB SINAD). I'm guessing the Zen will sound better but will be a faf connecting while the Blue would make connecting alot easier but with some minor loss of detail? Next article Unmatched Fidelity – Empire Ears Odin Review. You can feel the sub bass rumbling with nuance compared to Zen Dac alone. I think this audio setup sounds amazing, especially while streaming mqa quality songs on Tidal. A stand-alone DAC devoted to the Bluetooth standard, Paul Rigby looks at iFi’s Zen Blue Who knows? The power supply is obviously not necessary. Net, net, it works and is adequately good. Reserved for family treats (i.e birthdays and the like), a trip to “the Bold” would see a swarm of waiters darkening your table. If you don't need the E30s feature set you can do the L30+D10S (note the S which is the revised model) as the D10s measures just as well. If Amir tests the Zen Can … Won't hold a candle to higher end devices or separates. 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. Btw what's a stacking cable and do I need one? It need not be the (overpriced?) Posted January 28, 2019. Live chat, call (212) 354 -6424 during store hours, or … A couple of hours ago, someone also asked a similar question asking what DAC/amp to get for his 6XX. Thanks very much and good luck on your search for headphones! Dedicated Forums for Subscribers and Patreons of ZeosPantera and Z Reviews. Twitter Facebook Email Flipboard Pinterest Pocket Reddit. Taz777. A couple of hours ago, someone also asked a similar question asking what DAC/amp to get for his 6XX. Twitter. It has attractive look and design element. offering from IFI at $100! I had the Zen DAC and bought an iPower for it. Seems I am always trying to get that last drop of goodness from my devices. It's worth it 100%. It even has an antenna! You can get better performance than the ifi Zen DAC for less money by buying the Apple USB-C dongle for $9 and either the JDS Labs Atom or Schiit Heresy for $100 to go with it as an amp. It had darker background, and overall has better dynamics. 2) Middle is a rca to 4.4mm cable which also can be used to connect the zen dac with zen can (4.4mm to the zen dac, rca to zen can) 3) The 3rd cable is the interesting one, zen dac has 4.4mm output and zen can has 4.4mm input so you can use this cable and have a balance setup Here is my setup of Ifi Zen Can with Hiby R5 I purchased the Zen DAC knowing that this is actually a budget device actually designed to introduce the world to affordable, home audiophile gear. Sub bass is strong, highs are prominent. Do you think it would improve sound quality even more? iFi announced the latest edition to its ZEN line of audio devices, the ZEN Phono preamplifier. :) Note that there is no Bluetooth input so if you care about that, you need to look at other Topping offerings. Well thank you for the response, I actually ended up returning it, but now I kinda wanna try it out with a power supply. ReddIt. I hear it in in the highs, mids and lows. Its primarily meant to be used as a desktop, or table device (although it is defiantely portable, without any battery). The unit does not have to work as hard and can therefore focus all of its (budget) talents to providing the best possible sound. I love, love options. The ZEN CAN has trickle-down Class A discrete balanced circuitry from iFi audio’s US$1,699 flagship Pro iCAN. For example, Apple dongle and Atom can do 530mw at 32 ohm & 63mw at 300 ohm. Topping E30 DAC ($130 MSRP; 112 dB SINAD). What I can say from the published specs for both the Zen Can and the Atom is that, at normal listening levels (<1Vrms), the Atom will have higher SINAD. iFi’s continuous software development allows features to be added or optimised via firmware updates, enabling the hip-dac to be tailored to the user’s playback priorities and ensuring it stays cutting-edge over time. We are all about making the right decision when purchasing new headphones. The highs are plenty natural or as natural as can be. If you already have an headphone amp, just go for modi 3(have not personally heard it, but there's alot of reviews out there from people who did). Let your ears be the judge. The iFi logo in the center displays different colors depending on the codec it receives. do you have a link or image of the chinese lps or name please? Facebook. That is certainly true. The latest video from AVForums Podcast: The AVForums Virtual Bubble Special Edition Alas, the DAC portion is yesterday's news and not competitive. First off all, Modi 3 is just a Dac while Zen Dac is a combo Dac+Headphone Amp. You can only award one per comment section. By the way, in single ended Zen Can runs … Where I heard gains was going to the 4.4 mm balanced connection out to both my HD660s and to the balanced in on a thx aaa 789 amp. The standard Zen or the ifi Blue? Going back to the 5V iFi iPower, I couldn't tell any difference between using a spare USB port on my iMac or an iPad charger to power the Topping D50. O_o. Thanks for your submission to r/headphoneadvice. I tested mine with a 5v 1amp supply I had, I noticed nothing to very little change. I use HD600 with Zen Can in balanced 4.4mm cable from aliexpress for 20$. Press J to jump to the feed. The race toward perfection and beyond continues in headphone amplifiers at incredibly low prices. So 20% off the regular price, £103.20 with free DPD delivery. Here you can ask which headphone is better, which amp you should buy, which gear best fit your budget and anything related to headphone comparisons and purchasing. As an all-analogue headphone amp, the ZEN CAN has no digital input of any kind, USB or otherwise. Users can even download and install different versions of iFi firmware to experiment with different digital filters if they wish. This is my 3rd IFI DAC I have purchased. Anyway got the 990 pro today. I'm assuming iFi is still going with the BB PCM179x series chips for this listenable quality. Sounds awesome with the ifi Zen dac. The Zen-Dac is great just on USB power - but I found the iPower adapter that comes with the Zen-Can introduced noise/slight distortion which reduced detail and clarity. I already own many other DACs and AMPs from other companies. So...The optional 5V power supply for the ZEN DAC. Overall not great feedback on the Zen DAC here, so I probably go for L30+E30. The sound only improved when I used an LPS. But more attractive than your typical router, the front panel has only the pairing button and two indicators on the shiny metal surface. What to do, it's my first hifi setup for my PC. These chips are a bit dated. IEMs will be the best test for this as they require 0 to very little power to drive. Press J to jump to the feed. Here is the benefit, and to some it may be very minor, not to me. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. However I'm not sure where you live (and if you live outside of the USA, you might not be able to get JDS products easily). Thats right, the optional 5V power supply, from a myriad of companies can supply clean power directly to the ZEN DAC. Why would you consider this when the device can easily be powered via a USB 5V cable that does double duty of supplying audio from a device and power to the Zen DAC at the same time? This subreddit is dedicated to a community of enthusiast and newcomers. Thank you. I can’t get past the fact that, to me, looking heard on, the chassis of the iFi Zen DAC looks like an art deco console table. From what I've read the Topping stack will give a bit better (cleaner) sound than the Schiit stack. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Tonight I snagged an iFi Zen DAC from Peter Tyson, via their eBay shop, with the early Black Friday PURCHASE20 code. Thats right, the optional 5V power supply, from a myriad of companies can supply clean power directly to the ZEN DAC. It is true I am always searching for the best bang for buck, best sound quality out of any device that can be squeezed out. MAJORHIFI may get a commission from retail offers. By using our Services or clicking I agree, you agree to our use of cookies. iFi ZEN CAN is available at Audio 46. Also worth looking for is the JDS Labs Atom stack for $215 ($100 DAC, $100 amp, $15 stacking cable) (ASR: DAC, 110 dB SINAD ; amp, 114 dB SINAD ). I can't recommend the ifi Zen DAC as long as I have my audio performance elitist hat on. It might sell only burger and chips nowadays but back when I were a lad, Southport’s Bold Hotel was the height of sophistication. Open topic discussions of anything media are allowed. This allows the audio extraction from the USB output to focus on just one thing, providing the best quality sound and frequency response. The Apple dongle is a better DAC than what is in the Zen DAC, and both of those headphone amps will put out more power and be more accurate than the amp in the Zen DAC. offering from IFI at $100! Link to post Share on other sites. Should I buy the ifi iPower and let it power the Zen Dac? The D10s is almost the same price as the E30 so I'd likely go for the E30 to be more future proof. Cookies help us deliver our Services. I have installed the new firmware on the Zen Dac, and I'm using the balanced 4.4mm jackstick. My current audio setup is the Sennheiser HD 660s powered by the ifi Zen Dac. But I have plugged my speakers into the RCA output in the back of the zen DAC, and when I insert the dt990 with 6,3mm into unbalanced input, the sound output still comes from the speakers. With 15.1V at 300Ω on tap, it has serious power that will make even difficult-to-drive headphones thump to the beat. If that goes to an extent where it does make an audible difference? You’d have trouble keeping a vase of flowers on it, though, because this unit only spans a … I'm hearing the JDS stack as well as the popular Schiit Magni/Modi stack. By. No brainer! JDS not available here. I have a soft spot for orange LED displays so excuse me for that. The other indicator shines a steady blue for 44/48 kHz, and white for 8… It's very easy to use - if a comment on your post is considered helpful, please reward them by using the term !thanks. When the 5V power supply is integrated into the setup, the 5V power supply from the USB playback device is cut off. Redeeming the unit is availability of more power through its 4.4 mm "balanced" headphone jack and very low price for the category. It just needs the four tall, spindly legs. The L30 is the latest offering, firmly grabbing the top of the class and holding on to it. :) You can choose to do otherwise without said hair covering. I can't recommend the ifi Zen DAC as long as I have my audio performance elitist hat on. Audio46.com, Founded in 2013, has quickly become one of the leading audiophile headphone stores in New York City and online. Alex Schiffer. Previous article ARCAM Announces The ST60 Music Streamer. Someone also suggested an Apple USB-C dongle as well. It connects to any audio source with analogue output, such as the headphone output from a DAP (Digital Audio Player), a laptop, a tablet or a smartphone, or the RCA outputs from, say, a CD player or phono stage. For me, it was marketly noticeable. It is is so much better now that I'm using just a regular 5V power supply. Unlike the E30, which has S/PDIF coaxial and optical inputs in addition to USB, the Atom only has a single USB input. The ZEN DAC Signature is a still delta-sigma DAC, but iFi seems to go for a house sound that doesn't shear your ears of with digititus. This OV series operational amplifier is another example of a top-notch component used to get extremely low noise, low distortion (0.0001%) and wide bandwidth. Linkedin. DACs/AMPs: Chord Mojo, Ifi DSD BL, SMSL M8a, NobSound MS-10D Hybrid Tube, Topping NX4 DSD, Fiio A3, Fiio A5, Fiio Q5, Ifi xDSD, AM3D, JDS Labs Atom, SMSL sAp-12, Topping D50, APPJ PA1501A Pure Tubes, Ifi Zen Blue, Ifi Zen Dac, Shanling M0, Fiio BTR5, ifi Hip Dac, Ifi Zen Can, Topping A5s, Reiyin DAC, Fiio BTA30, Ibasso DC04. We have employed a "thank you" system for submissions. The unit does not have to work as hard and can therefore focus all of its (budget) talents to providing the best possible sound. Hope I helped to shed a little light and pass on my knowledge learned from men greater than me. :) You can choose to do otherwise without said hair covering. Although I'm not sure yet why I need the E30 LOL, More posts from the HeadphoneAdvice community. GTO filter still sounds a bit sharper to me. I can't recommend the Topping L30 strongly enough. Good price, single box, but will give me worse sound? What do you guys think? I don't know. You buy a normal USB cord from iFi and it'll cost 300-500 USD per meter. Its functionality is excellent and price is very reasonable. 5v power supplies don't usually cost as much as iFi is asking for one, by the way. The ifi Zen on paper has dazzlingly good feature set for its price. If you trust measurements then L30+E30 stack should be more transparent though I can't tell you how much "better" it is in sound quality. It has good control over driver. There is a noticeabley darker and a more vivid sound output that is discernible to the point where for me, it truly makes a difference. Headphone output is low and distorts quite easily. iFi Zen DAC/amp combo ($130 MSRP; 89 dB SINAD). IFI Zen DAC has an amp built-in. The sound opened up and the bass response became more seperated allowing the highs to really shine. I have read some reviews, saying the iPower supply, improves e.g Soundstage depth and overall audio quality. I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. With my assumption that this is a mid-priced DAC, I am happy to add Topping E30 to my recommended desktop DACs. The Topping E30 targets a (small) step from state of the art in DAC performance and it delivers. The bass might easily come off as one-noted for some because of how solid it sounds, but I can't agree with describing the Zen's bass as such. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. It is superb engineering in small package and low cost. Stacked together it sounds a bit more grounded and fuller with sparkle. It need not be the (overpriced?) Get one and thank yourself that you live in this era and not a few years ago. Email. I've stacked this with Zen Can. 1 T. ... Facebook Twitter Reddit Pinterest Tumblr WhatsApp Email Link. Thanks, this is super helpful! However, if you want to excrete the very best sound from the ZEN DAC, use one. I am probably like most of you. HD600+ZenDac+ZenCan+XBass=Incredible. You're right, I misread the online stores info. But since the Zen Dac is only powered by an USB, I dont think it is performing its best. iFi Releases Signature Versions Of ZEN CAN And ZEN DAC. Class A discrete output buffer from the flagship Pro iCAN using Op-Amp (OV2637A) This will add a thank you count (in the form of Ω) to that users flair. For $200 you can get a DAC and Amp combo that would run circles around it. The Zen DAC is supposed to be a permanent fixture to my main system configured as Surface Pro 4 -> Zen DAC -> Hegel H190 -> KEF R300. I was truly pleasantly surprised that this is in fact the case. That being said, I can pick out different frequencies from high, mids and low, from various playback DACs and AMPs. Also worth looking for is the JDS Labs Atom stack for $215 ($100 DAC, $100 amp, $15 stacking cable) (ASR: DAC, 110 dB SINAD; amp, 114 dB SINAD). Dac/Can combo kind of v shaped sounding. Among those two, Topping E30+L30 hands down. If there is a Sound improvement, I will keep, vice versa. Thanks for your replies and offer to test with/without the iFi iPower! The Zen is designed for home use, made painfully clear by its internet router style appearance. Class A Discrete is a circuit that has come straight out of the iFi’s flagship headphone amplifier, the Pro iCAN, which at £1,699 is 11 times the price of the ZEN CAN. With a good DAC/amp combo you don't really need to worry about balanced jacks. Topping E30+L30 is more expensive and stacks, but will give me better sound? Ur probably right, I'll maybe buy it just to test it. You should skip the iFi Zen, but no need to spend as much as the E30 and L30. A Standout DAC Gets a Signature Upgrade 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. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
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