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One other good point the Zen DAC has is the dual balanced outputs at probably the best price on the market today. Setting small issues aside, the Zen DAC is a warm sounding and a well built DAC headphone amp combo with lots of features for the asking price and I give it a high recommendation. iFi Audio Zen Dac Specifications Input When the iFi Hip DAC was received, it did not look like the typical iFi DAC Amplifier because previously I could tell an iFi amp from afar but not this one. This one was different but none the less I liked not only its looks but the sound quality it had as well and I gave it a good rating and review. What the ZEN DAC v2 does very effectively is manage to sound a little more natural and unforced across everything you play on it. With the bombastic Mr Ed on the Mammoth WVH album, both ZEN DACs sound extremely good but the newer version manages to deliver the vocals with a little more richness and realism. The differences aren’t huge but the newer DAC consistently manages to sound smoother and more natural without becoming softer or more diffuse at the same time. This is still a product with fabulous bass extension and definition for the money being asked of it. The Zen Dac presents a warm-neutral sound that matches especially well with bright and neutral sounding headphones.
This unit is capable of a full watt of power at a 105db SN ratio at 16 ohms. However, the Zen DAC has a higher SN ratio of 115 and that’s a pretty big jump. You could tell in the dynamics which are better on the Zen DAC. Again, highly recommended DAC/headamp at this price, and should be making a few more expensive DAC/headamps sweat it out. For my comparison, I hooked up both the original Zen DAC and the Zen DAC V2 to my HP Envy X360 laptop. I played a wide variety of music via the TIDAL Desktop app, listening with a pair of Hifiman SUNDARA headphones connected to both 3.5mm single-ended output and the 4.4mm balanced output. Since the Gustard X26 Pro has only 2 outputs (which i use for the Oor and Echo), i also wanted an integrated DAC, alongside the small form factor. The Shanling UA5 was fine in terms of clean power, but a nuisance to use in a desktop setup. When using additional power supply there is a slight bass boost , maybe 1-2 db at max, very slight to hearAudioEngine D1 – The D1 represents a previous generation of device with 96kHz limit when used with USB input and a 192kHz limit with Optical input. Still for most this will not be a limit as the vast majority of users will be most 44.1, 48, or 96kHz files anyway. Power is roughly the same between these two units as well. The Zen adds balanced output, and the gain/bass features, but loses optical input. Honestly, if I already had the D1, I’d probably skip getting the Zen unless I just had to have the balanced output. If I were buying today, the Zen is the more versatile option of the two.
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! iFi has tried to optimise the sound for a wide range of headphones. There’s a button on the front that offers a choice of output levels to take into account the large difference in sensitivity between headphone types, and another that adds a degree of bass boost. This works subtly enough to be useful, adding extra weight and authority to thin or lean sounding cans.
And breathe…
Disclaimer: The iFi Zen DAC V2 has been provided to us on loan for this review. As of this writing, iFI Audio is a sponsor of Hifitrends, but all opinion in this review is solely our own, and no input has been given from the manufacturer. Build/Features Channel Balance is absolutely superb via both single ended RCA and balanced Pentaconn outputs. Via headphone output, Left and Right channels have a slight imbalance of less that half a decibel across entire frequency range. In practice this should not be of any notable detriment. According to iFi, “The full benefit of the ZEN DAC Signature V2’s balanced circuit design comes to the fore when it is connected to an amp or active speakers equipped with a balanced input. This can either be a 4.4mm Balanced input or stereo XLR inputs via a 4.4mm-to-XLR cable.” Tonally, this is a well-judged unit, having just the right degree of smoothness at high frequencies to prevent low bit rate or thin-sounding music streams from getting annoying. We like the openness of the presentation and its generally even-handed nature. I remember in my car audio installation feverish days there were car audio head units that had what was called a common ground system. All the speakers used the same wire for the ground. This is similar to the single-ended headphone output in which the ground wire is shared by the left and right channels.
Zen was really interesting experience, great build and functionality, with several layers to it regarding sound quality. Directly from the box it's already very good sounding, but you should definitely spend few minutes to install new firmware with GTO filter which will peel its first layer and get sonud quality to a class leading level. At this moment Zen is already a great buy and very easy recommendation. But if you feel adventures, there is yet another layer to be peeled if you add a low noise power supply to it. 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.On the V2, you could better hear the individual vocals and how they blended, making the song a lot more engaging. Now came the time for some listening. The listening notes you read below come via a HP all-in-one PC running Roon. I am evaluating the DAC with its own headamp, while Sennheiser HD650 headphones are the listening transducer of choice. But what about when you’re at home and just want to relax? That’s where the Zen DAC comes in. The Zen has a warmer sound characteristic compared to the Hip DAC. Not that the Hip DAC has no warmth its just that the Zen DAC is warmer. Just the type of sound signature you need when you want to relax. A sound signature that is not harsh, too intense, offensive, or piercing. The low mid range of the Sig does have the slight warmth and elevation mentioned previously. The upper mid range is not massively forward or recessed, and seems mostly neutral throughout that range. I found the Sig to work really well with acoustic music, and vocals in particular. The upper mids were never shouty or harsh and nasal. However, if you are looking for a very neutral DAC with a lot of slam and speed for electronica and a neutral tonal balance, you might be better with a different option. Since this thing has no power button, it will power off with my PC or maybe i will unplug the USB on a non-IEM day.
The Zen DAC uses an XMOS chip with iFi’s custom firmware. It seems to be the same eight-core chip used in the Hip DAC. It’s a capable chip and handles everything on par with the Burr brown. Dual Mono Dual Amplifier The two buttons on the Zen DAC’s front panel add versatility. The “Truebass” is much like a fixed “contour” control that increases mid and low bass. This can be useful for listening at low volumes or with a pair of headphones that seems bass-shy. At normal listening levels I found it of little value, but when listening late at night at “don’t wake the wife” levels, it was OK (though I prefer headphones for this scenario). The other feature, called “Power Match,” changes the output-section gain. Its higher gain setting was useful for lower-sensitivity headphones and could possibly help with certain amp/speaker combinations.
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With my first entry level amp, a JDS Labs El Amp 2 i had a static noise while turning the volume button, no noise with this unit, wohoo, good job iFi! I like the retro design and the feature set too. I like the size plus it sounds great to boot. My only complaints are first off the short wires that come in the box but that could be remedied by just obtaining another wire which is no big deal. However, if your PC is on top of your desk or if you use a Laptop then the shorter wire might even be more beneficial. The Zen DAC has a balanced 4.4mm Pentaconn headphone output with a maximum power output of 380mW at 50 ohms. The single-ended side supplied by the 6.35mm plug supplies a maximum power of 280mW at 32 ohms.
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