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Five Stars – What Hi-fi? Magazine"A Very Admirable Job of Balancing Accuracy with Listenability"The ZEN DAC USB DAC / headphone amp from iFi Audio delivers a level of specification and performance that punches far above its super-affordable price tag. It connects effortlessly to PCs, Macs, and smart devices to take your audio experience to the next level, making sound clearer, more expansive and engaging. With a name that aptly refers to its 'less is more' design aesthetic, the ZEN DAC is compact enough for a work desk and stylish enough to use with your home system. "Compare the iFi with price rivals and it's clearly up there with the best when it comes to sound quality," reports England's What Hi-fi? magazine, which awarded the ZEN DAC its top rating of Five Stars. "It also offers a degree of versatility that those rivals don't. If you're looking for a well-built, budget desktop DAC, this iFi should be top of your list." True Native Burr Brown Chip Design"Many home-audio enthusiasts that are looking to jump into the digital realm from their traditional vinyl or CD rigs have balked at the startup costs involved for what they see as quality gear entry points into computer audio/online music streaming services," notes Rafe Arnott at audiostream.com. "But companies like iFi… are making it more affordable than ever to get a taste of what everyone is talking about when it comes to streaming audio or accessing high-resolution (PCM, DSD or DXD) or Redbook files off your local area network (LAN)." The ZEN DAC supports PCM and DXD to 24-bit/384k HZ, DSD256 and MQA. DSD remains 'bit-perfect' thanks to the True Native Burr Brown chip design. The True Native chipset means file formats remain unchanged. Listen to music as the artist intended in the format in which it was recorded. "The Burr Brown DAC chip does a very admirable job of balancing accuracy with listenability," reports Carroll Moore, majorhifi.com. "It's a fun kind of precision you could listen to all day and never grow tired of. Secondly, there's just the slightest bit of warmth here, too, and one that complements rock, hip-hop, and electronic music. And yet that same warmth never seems too detracting from other genres." Balanced Circuit DesignThe iFi ZEN DAC uses a balanced design for the analog stage. This is a superior method compared to the traditional single-ended circuit approach to audio gear. Balanced circuits reduce noise and crosstalk, resulting in less interference and clearer sound. You normally find balanced circuitry in products at the higher end of the price spectrum such as the Pro iCAN. But iFi is now using this across its range to produce the best quality audio for all its customers. The ZEN DAC sports Pentaconn 4.4mm balanced outputs at both the front and back. On the front, there's also the popular 1/4" headphone jack. You get both headphone options. So Flexible, It Almost Does YogaZEN DAC gives you a choice of two output modes. Set to 'Variable' to use as a preamp to feed a power amp or active speakers. Use 'Fixed' output to bypass the volume control when connecting to an external preamp or integrated amp. Different types of headphones require different levels of gain. The ZEN DAC's headphone amp makes the choice easy with PowerMatch a switchable gain that perfectly matches your headphones. IEMs are high-sensitivity, Leave PowerMatch at its lower setting for hiss-free listening. On/over-ear types require more oomph, so press PowerMatch to increase the level of drive. TrueBass TechnologyThe depth and quality of bass reproduction provided by all-in-one audio systems often leave a lot to be desired. The ZEN DAC'S onboard TrueBass circuitry enhances the bass but does not muddy the mid-range. It's perfect for use with IEMs or open-back headphones which often lose out on bass. The TrueBass system delivers genuine bass with realistic depth and definition. Everything from timpani to a bass guitar, to an electronic bassline, is conveyed with power and poise.
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"If you're into music on the move and want a fine sounding, versatile and robust little powerhouse – then this is it." - Jay Garrett, StereoNET UK, August 4, 2020 "...I reminded myself that this was 'only' a $129 US unit, but I very quickly realized just how much work the engineers at iFi Audio had put into this little wonder as the music coming from the Abyss Diana V2 headphones was very impressive indeed!" "I would describe the Zen DAC as a very balanced and neutral sounding player with a hint of warmth and musicality." - Peter Pialis, headphone.guru, July 9, 2020 "And the iFi ZEN DAC is especially notable as it delivers astounding value for little money..." "Thanks to its large power output and wide array of features, the iFi ZEN DAC pushes the boundaries of what is possible to get with a tight budget – it’s a statement about not having to renounce to good sound just because your wallet isn’t very deep. It’s a great device all around which would probably still deserve the same praise if it costed twice as much. iFi is delivering astonishingly good products right now, as testified by the hip dac, and the ZEN DAC takes that to the next level as it is really a game changer. I you want a desktop setup that does not break the bank but gives you everything you need, look no further." - Riccardo Robecchi, Soundphile Review, May 20, 2020 What Hi-Fi? Awards 2020 Winner"Compare the iFi with price rivals and it’s clearly up there with the best when it comes to sound quality. But it also offers a degree of versatility that those rivals don’t. If you’re looking for a well-built, budget desktop DAC, this iFi should be top of your list." - What Hi-Fi?, May 2020 "For the price this is the perfect accompaniment to your laptop or tablet, and even working particularly well as a pre-amp for your HiFi if your sources are via USB. To come completely balanced inside and bit perfect, meaning you can enjoy your DSDs in full, just adds to all the ticks I have already given this box." "A very well-made construction in one-piece aluminium. Excellent design." - Janine Elliot, Hifi Pig, April 23, 2020 "Many home-audio enthusiasts that are looking to jump into the digital realm from their traditional vinyl or CD rigs have balked at the startup costs involved for what they see as quality gear entry points into computer audio/online music streaming services, but companies like iFi… are making it more affordable than ever to get a taste of what everyone is talking about when it comes to streaming audio or accessing high-resolution (PCM, DSD or DXD) or Redbook files off your local area network (LAN)." - Rafe Arnott, audiostream.com, Oct 13, 2019 "The Burr Brown DAC chip does a very admirable job of balancing accuracy with listenability. It’s a fun kind of precision you could listen to all day and never grow tired of. Secondly, there’s just the slightest bit of warmth here, too, and one that complements rock, hip-hop, and electronic music. And yet that same warmth never seems too detracting from other genres." - Carroll Moore, majorhifi.com, October 12, 2019
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