iFi ZEN DAC V2 – Desktop Digital Analog Converter With USB 3.0 B Input only/Outputs: 6.3mm Unbalanced / 4.4mm Balanced/RCA – MQA DECODER – Audio System Upgrade (Unit Only)
| Dimensions: | 28 x 15.7 x 6 cm; 795 Grams |
| Model: | V2 |
| Manufacture: | Abbingdon Music Research |
| Origin: | China |
My first Dac/Amp, and I couldn’t be happier! Great sound, good looks, and built like a tank!
My first Dac/Amp, and I couldn’t be happier! Great sound, good looks, and built like a tank!
Got bad bleed through until I connected a dedicated power supply. After that it sounds great.
Works perfectly and has enough power.
i used it first without the zen can and it worked great with the DT770 pros 250ohm .
I used tidal to test it and i listened to ( Believer by imagine dragons, Bones by imagine dragons , I was never there by the weekend , Praise you by hannah grace )
it was decent amount of power but i would highly suggest the zen can it is worth the power and upgrade . if your headphones are 250+ ohms and you like really really loud music .
NOTE ( I havent used the balanced output yet ) all of these songs i listened them with the unbalanced output .
The balanced output has really much more power so if you are planning to use the balanced output it will be loud enough with the zen dac v2 ALONE .
My first DAC AMP. Did sound test online with open back headphones without and with the amp. Did not think it would make major difference, but it does! There were sounds I could not hear without it, that was surprising to me.
My first DAC AMP. Did sound test online with open back headphones without and with the amp. Did not think it would make major difference, but it does! There were sounds I could not hear without it, that was surprising to me.
Ifi zen dac v2
Excelente producto lo utilizo para el audio de mi cpu y se escucha de maravilla, fcil control de volumen con acabados de calidad
Es genial, tiene muy buena calidad, lo recomiendo.
El envo a Per demoro menos de 1 semana, es un DAC muy bueno, lo recomiendo.
Halt was es versprich
Klein, handlich und wertig.
Bin sehr zufrieden mit dem Kauf.
Great sound and features wrapped-up in a retro-futuristic form factor…
I was hesitant to spend 150-ish on an external DAC as I’d given up on “Hi-Fi” sound about 15yrs ago because nerve damage in one of my ears due to a medical condition has left me with permanent tinnitus and some hearing loss.
But I did and after setting everything up I left my system playing all night at low volume to “burn-in” the DAC as recommended, then loaded up a selection of my favourite go-to tracks to see how well the unit performed. The styles range from Classical, Jazz, Blues, Pop, Rock, Prog, Ambient, and Electronica; the full list of tracks are at the end of this review if you’re interested.
All my music is ripped from CD’s, DVD’s or BD’s then converted to FLAC files to play from the music library on my PC, and to take advantage of the Volume Leveling available with the format. VL is applied by my music application and plays all tracks at the same perceived volume without altering the files themselves, so no more constantly having to reach for the volume control while playing different albums!
The VL algorithms aren’t 100% perfect, there’s still some occasional minor adjustments needed; for those that are interested this is due to how we perceive the comparative “loudness” of different sound frequencies. But overall VL works extraordinarily well; the quietest track in my music collection had to be boosted by 13dB, and the loudest track in my collection had to be attenuated by 8dB, for them both to be heard at the same perceived volume.
PROS
The sound quality of the Zen DAC V2 is a revelation, it really is a huge night and day improvement over the integrated Windows HD audio, even with my far less than perfect hearing!
I’ve been listening to some of the music in my collection for around 50yrs(!), and listening to those albums again via the Zen DAC has been incredible; I’m hearing details in the music I either never heard before, or forgot was there given I’ve been listening via cheap Soundcards or Windows Audio for so long.
There’s far more detail, openness, and clarity to the music, and the base is tighter, but as good as the Zen is, it can’t perform miracles.
One of my favorite 70’s Space Rock albums, Hawkwind’s “Hall of the Mountain Grill,” still sounds as if I’m listening to it through an old wet sock! This is down to the Mastering of the original album, which in this case leaves a lot to be desired.
The Zen DAC v2 can’t add what isn’t there to the music, but what it does is reveal the details that could otherwise be buried away in the mix; obviously the better the original source and mastering / remastering the more data the Zen will have to work with, and the better the results will be.
The tracks by William Ackerman, Alex de Grassi, and George Winston are all solo guitar or piano pieces, recorded by Windham Hill studios so the production, mic placement etc., and mastering is exceptional; when listening to these pieces through the Zen it sounds as if the instruments are in the room with you.
The build quality is great, the unit feels solid, and the ovoid form factor is cool, making it stand out in a sea of black or silver rectangular boxes.
CONS.
The installation of the software on my Win10 system went without any issues, however I was unable to make the DAC the Default Audio Source either via Control Panel / Sounds, or Device Manager / Audio inputs and outputs etc. I had to disable the integrated sound and restart the system, at which point the DAC became the Default Device.
I usually just put my system to sleep overnight, and when I woke it up the following morning I had no sound; the “iFi HD+ USB Audio” icon was missing from the “Sound” dialog box and I had to restart my system, or disconnect / reconnect the DAC, to get it back.
I contacted iFi Support and quickly received the following reply, “this is the standard behaviour of the device relating to the default audio source and with PC sleep mode,” which was disappointing to say the least.
The supplied USB3 cable is good quality and about 45cm/1.5ft long, and while that’s great if you’re connected to a notebook, it’s a bit tight if you’re using a mid to full size tower, where the rear USB3 ports tend to be on the upper half of the case; I replaced mine with a 1m/3ft cable.
There’s no On/Off switch; if you want to switch the unit off you have to do so at the wall socket, or pull the power connector, or the USB cable if you’re not using the optional PSU, from the back which is less than ideal.
WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE
A “pinhole” LED, like those used beside the “Power Match” and “Truebass” switches, on the face of the volume control would be a nice addition for people like me who listen to music, or work on their computers, at night with the lights out.
CONCLUSIONS
As far as just the sound quality is concerned this is EASILY a 5 Star product, but I knocked a Star off for the tech issues above, YMMV.
TRACKS
William Ackerman: “The Bricklayer’s Beautiful Daughter” from “Passage.”
JS Bach: “Toccata & Fugue in D Minor” played by Daniel Chorzempa in 1982.
Ray Barbee: “The Mingle” from “Ray Barbee meets the Mattson 2.”
Dave Brubeck: “Take Five” from “Time Out.”
John Campbell: “Firin’ Line” from “Howlin’ Mercy.”
The Comsat Angels: “The Cutting Edge” from “Chasing Shadows.”
Goldfrapp: “Ooh La La” from “Supernature.”
Alex de Grassi: “Western” from “Southern Exposure.”
Handel’s “Water Music” performed by the English Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Raymond Leppard in 1971.
Iona: “Wisdom” from “Journey into the Morn.”
Jhann Jhannsson: the achingly beautiful “Odi Et Amo” from “Englabrn.”
Mike Oldfield: “Tubular Bells Pt 1.”
Pink Floyd: “Speak to Me / Breath” from “Dark Side” and the pulsing machine ambience from “Wish You Were Here’s” “Welcome to the Machine.”
Chris Rea: “The Road to Hell Part II” from “The Road to Hell.”
Tangerine Dream: the title track from “Phaedra,” and “Ricochet Pt 2” from “Ricochet.”
George Winston: “Longing / Love” from “Autumn.”