iFi ZEN Stream Wi-Fi Audio Transport

A Technological Streamer-de-Force

Beneath its classy exterior, the ZEN Stream is a technological streamer-de-force. It has one purpose – to send music from the Internet to your DAC with no loss of quality.

ZEN Stream is a true from-the-ground-up design by iFi. The hardware and software implementation is quite exceptional. It offers two SuperSpeed USB3.0 ports with Active Noise Cancellation II S/PDIF out and with the iPurifier built-in. iFi software developed with Volumio open-source is the starting point, which iFi then coded and optimized to achieve the purest streaming software bar none. These are two reasons why the ZEN Stream is at the cutting-edge handling PCM384 / DSD256 on LAN and WiFi (802.11n, with 100Mbps on 5Ghz).

'Exclusive' Modes

An ingenious part of the ZEN Stream’s design is the ability to select between ‘Exclusive’ modes. These are individual settings dedicated to specific modes of operation to deliver the purest possible performance. All other programs are shut down in order to minimize ‘software jitter’ — an often overlooked aspect that negatively impacts the quality of computer audio playback. This ensures that the ZEN Stream is not merely a ‘jack of all trades’, but a master of all too.

Modes include All-in-Ine (AIO) which covers all modes, Roon only for ROON ready (coming soon), Tidal streaming, NAA streaming, and DLNA streaming.

A Wealth of Connectivity

ZEN Stream has a wealth of connectivity options. Stream straight from Spotify/Tidal apps with Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect. Use any DLNA certified streaming app (iFi's own app is imminent). Use Integrated Airplay and Chromecast for easy streaming from Apple and Android devices (Chromecast to come in a future update). ROON Ready functionality will be added in a future update. Use NAA operation in conjunction with Sygnalist’s HQPlayer software.

This is a true hi-res device. It uniquely supports PCM up to 32-bit/384kHz over Wi-Fi as well as Ethernet cable, plus DSD up to 11.2MHz (DSD256) and is MQA-fully compatible. Highly unusual in a WiFi streamer.

Serious Horsepower

Beneath the unassuming casework sits some serious horsepower in terms of both technologies and components. The advanced technologies include a powerful 64-bit quad-core ARM Cortex microprocessor, USB and S/PDIF interfaces regulated by a femto-precision GMT clock to eradicate jitter, Active Noise Cancellation II and iPurifier technologies for USB and S/PDIF interfaces respectively, and an intelligent Ethernet switch controller.

Premium internal components include high-PSRR, low idle current, low-dropout voltage regulators with soft start, a synchronous 1.6MHz high-speed precision power supply controller, and C0G capacitors and Taiyo Yuden and Murata low ESR inductors.