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 |
Excelente qualidade de som. Para o preo um excelente DAC e com boa qualidade de materiais.
Fab little addition to my hardware. I honestly had no idea what my headphones were capable of. Even on a 100 set of logitech gamepro this thing absolutely blows the supplied USB sound card into a million pieces.
Excelente qualidade de som. Para o preo um excelente DAC e com boa qualidade de materiais.
Muy bueno excelente sonido casi real buena construccin slida ,pequeo tamao ,lo nico es que no trae cables balanceados ni adaptador para audfonos ni cable de corriente con eliminador ,Ascrndere a un IFI Neo el cual espero ya para disfrutarlo .
Ifi has done it again,
I’m not the biggest audiophile at all, more of a consumer. This new v2 model has transformed my Sennheiser hd560s.
Before they felt far too bright and lacking something, with the new DAC that very high end has been softened ever so slightly making for a more enjoyable listen.
Hooked up to my windows 11 laptop, downloaded the latest driver from ifi and it worked flawlessly.
Highly recommended.
Excellent way to try improved headphone amplification while checking out MQA and DSD. Definitely worth the money. Bass boost button isn’t too much either; just fun.
I wish it had an optical/coaxial input, but still awesome for the money
I found this frustrating. If you would too, then think hard before purchasing.
Otherwise it does exactly what it says! Sounds great.
Top son, facile mettre en oeuvre pour tendre les capacits d’un ampli audiophile. Diapason d’or semble mrit !
Un Dac economico ma che migliora l’ascolto decisamente. Io lo utilizzo collegato in cascata all’amplificatore ifi zen can. Lavorano benissimo. Nessun problema con Windows 10. Pilotano le mie audiotechnica m50x senza problemi. Un suono estremamente pulito e definito.
This thing sounds amazing. Much better than my Audio engine D1.
Even though the iFi ZEN CAN is supposed to be a budget Desktop Headphone Amp and Preamp, the sound quality and its features can only be found on much more expensive gear.
First, I bought the iFi ZEN DAC V2 and I was so pleasantly surprised and happy with its performance, that I ordered the CAN right the next day and…WOW what a pair they make!
ordered late in the evening and received next afternoon.
thank you
ordered late in the evening and received next afternoon.
thank you
El sonido que produce es muy bueno. Soporta PCM, DSD y MQA si usas Tidal. En cuanto a amplificacin, manejan muy bien a los Sundara pero si tienes algo ms exigente quizs no tanto pero igual como DAC es bueno.
Bought it after reading an extensive amount of reviews and I’m very happy with this purchase. Build quality is so good. Pretty sure they could sell this for more.
El sonido que produce es muy bueno. Soporta PCM, DSD y MQA si usas Tidal. En cuanto a amplificacin, manejan muy bien a los Sundara pero si tienes algo ms exigente quizs no tanto pero igual como DAC es bueno.
Bought it after reading an extensive amount of reviews and I’m very happy with this purchase. Build quality is so good. Pretty sure they could sell this for more.
Hervorragende Anfassqualitt, selbst die Lautstrkeregelung bedient sich entgegen meiner Erwartungen
sehr “satt”. Benutze den IFI Zen ausschlielich ber den Laptop per USB als minimalistischen Vorverstrker fr eine SymAsym Endstufe mit Dynaudio Focus 140.
An der Klangqualitt gibt es nichts auszusetzen. Installation ist quasi Plug+Play.
Believe the reviews, best pound for pound upgrade on hifi you can spend.
Quelques petites remarques: il reste transportable (1/2 kilo) mais en tout cas n’est pas “portable” au sens classique du terme, il reste assez imposant pour le coup. Le DAC n’tant fourni qu’avec un cble USB pour l’alimenter, J’ai investi dans une rallonge USB; celui d’origine ne mesurant que 30 centimtres. Aprs rien ne vous empche d’acheter une alimentation IFI 5 volts, mais ce n’est clairement pas donn.
No me gust como me lleg la caja abierta y con una pegatina que te tapa las caractersticas del producto. Mal Amazon, muy mal.
anzitutto la VERSATILITA’: non so se chiaro che questo DAC che sicuramente non nasce per la portabilit, in grado di funzionare magnificamente anche in assoluta autonomia, ovvero senza alimentazione esterna (che per raccomando per un utilizzo desktop), in quanto in grado di prelevarla anche dal dispositivo a cui lo si connette (smartphone, notebook, desktop che sia). quindi a tutti gli effetti ANCHE portatile, nel senso che se volete mettervi per esempio a prendere il fresco in giardino e utilizzarlo direttamente connesso a un qualsiasi device con una presa usb per ascoltare le vostre amate cuffie, lo potete fare. Io come dicevo, ci alimento una Hifiman Sundara ma anche una Sennheiser HD 660s che sono notoriamente cuffie difficili da pilotare, e anche senza alimentatore esterno la potenza pi che sufficiente a portarle ad un volume di ascolto adeguato.
inoltre l’uscita bilanciata 4,4 mm per le cuffie ancora pi efficiente dato che il livello sonoro aumenta di circa 3 decibel (ovvero RADDOPPIA) per cui a tutti i possessori di cuffie potenzialmente “bilanciabili” consiglio di acquistare un cavo after-market con jack 4.4 mm pentacon in modo di sfruttare al massimo sia la cuffia sia questo gioiellino di casa iFi.
a proposito dovreste anche sapere che sia questo DAC che il suo fratellino Zen CAN sono utilizzabili in modalit COMPLETAMENTE BILANCIATA, ossia a partire dagli ingressi fino all’uscita cuffia, con un sensibile miglioramento in termini di efficienz; caratteristica questa che manca persino a molti prodotti di costo anche doppio.
la qualit audio eccellente, con bassi presenti, morbidi ma anche molto ben definiti, una gamma media presente ma mai fastidiosa: le voci sono BELLISSIME, come raramente capita di ascoltare in apparecchi di costo anche doppio. la gamma alta precisa, veloce e mai fastidiosa, con un dettaglio e allo stesso tempo un calore da fare invidia a gran parte della concorrenza. il rapporto qualit prezzo ottimo. a 159 non esiste niente al mondo in grado di competere con la versatilit, la qualit costruttiva, l’eccellente resa sonora e persino l’estetica di questo piccolo gioiello. inoltre, in abbinamento col suo fratellino ampli Zen CAN si ottiene un sistema di cui innamorarsi sar praticamente automatico. MUST HAVE!
Bought to pair with my Sennheiser HD 560s mainly for FPS gaming after watching/reading numerous reviews. The headphones plugged into my motherboard provided very good soundstage with regards to Footsteps, but I still wanted to see how this dac/amp could improve on that. A few teething issues to start, mainly my end but now all good.
Is this needed for the Sennheiser 560s for FPS gaming? It does improve on my onboard audio, not a massive change, but a difference which sure helps
Am I going to keep it? Yes – I like the true bass function when I listen to music. HD560s sure miss out on Bass, so the true bass option is brilliant
Overall I’m very happy and it’s well worth the money
La mejor compra que hice esta la fecha para mejorar el audio de mi laptop
The build quality and weight of the iFI ZEN V2 suggests quality, backed up by sound which is really surprising. I think this is a little gem. Run through good earphones or via decent speakers this little unit is surprisingly good and most certainly value for money.
Sound quality:
Superb sound quality.
Design:
You would think the design is awful, but you will learn to like its shape and smooth volume control. The bass and power match switches are weird to push and oes not match the coating of the volume switch, but hey it’s 139. No off switch, but does not consume a lot. LED might bother you if it’s in your bedroom.
Connectivity:
4.4 balanced and 6.3mm unbalanced. Nothing to tell. If you have never tried balanced headphones then you probably should if you are buying a DAC. (Monolith M1060C with balanced cables is a good budget friendly option).
Features:
Download and install the iFi Zen v2 drivers from their website: https://ifi-audio.com/download-hub/
Try Tidal (Windows app) with MQA settings (click more sttings next to the iFi DAC and select “Passthrough MQA”). Tick also “Exclusive mode”
No off switch – I’d love to have one, this and the non-matching colour of the volume knob are my only issues.
Fantastic little gadget. You definitely need it if you use Tidal or Amazon Unlimited/HD etc…
Designed by AMR/UK and made by iFi – this is serious hi-fi stuff at a ridiculous price.
Make your old smartphone and a decent smart speaker into a very good music and podcast hub. Love it. Amazing value.
Super dac/amp seul bmol c’est le cble USB b trop court et le fait que on ne peut plus contrler le son de Windows depuis l’ordinateur, le potentiomtre devient matre du so
Super dac/amp seul bmol c’est le cble USB b trop court et le fait que on ne peut plus contrler le son de Windows depuis l’ordinateur, le potentiomtre devient matre du so
Well what can I say?
Amazing….
I am a desktop gamer that is also a slight audiophile that needs crystal clear audio and boy.. oh boy… I just can’t believe this…. This product is just too cheap for what it has to offer in my opinion…
I own Beyerdynamic DT990 pros – AKG K712-Pros and the Hifiman Sundara headphones and I just can’t praise this beast enough!
Now I have come from a number of products much more focused on gamers such as the Creative Sound Blaster Z – Creative BlasterX G1 and G6 DAC/AMPs and a FIIO E07K DAC + FIIO E10K AMP.
Schiit Magni 3 AMP + Schiit Modi 3 DAC.
IFI Zen DAC V2 is the absolute new champ. Amazing performance and outstandingly sexy build quality that no other product comes close too.. all the added features such as the pentagon balanced output that makes the Hifiman Sundaras SIGN if you buy the balanced cable for it! Seriously… Don’t bother with anything else… this even has the famous BURR BROWN DAC in this beast! At this price??? woah… thank you so much IFI…. well done 🙂 fan for life right here! I can’t wait for V3!
First step into good audio, Like many of you looking at this DAC / Amp combo this was my first step into hifi Audio, after months of looking at set headphones I finally chose the Hifiman sundara and this DAC and I’m so glad not only was it a dream to set up with zero knowledge but it also felt like I was hearing every song again for the first time with layers of music I’d never noticed before, this was also enhanced by the DACs ability to bring back the bass depth that seems to be lost due to the open back nature of the headphones. Long story short if you’re interested in a good piece of kit to pair of midfi/hifi/chifi headphones you can’t go wrong with this and balanced cables for the headphones
I am using this iFi ZEN DAC V2 to play Apple Lossless from my Mac to a Rega Amp and the quality is excellent. The sound is vibrant without being harsh and there seems to be a much greater range. I guess that was what I was looking for so I’m a happy customer given the very reasonable price.
A great little amp/dac. Good clear sound quality and no background noise whatsoever. I love the retro design as well. Sturdy construction with a smooth volume control. It runs my sennheiser headphones superbly. Well pleased.
The iFi Zen DAC V2 was the perfect solution for streaming Apple’s new Lossless and High Resolution Lossless content on Apple Music. I connected a 2021 iPad Pro to the USB input of the ifi Zen DAC plugged the DAC into an NAD integrated amplifier’s analog inputs and was instantly streaming high resolution lossless goodness.
It sounds superb! It’s a step up from and I my long-in-the-tooth Logitech Squeezebox Touch which streamed from an NAS, better than the NAD integrated amplifiers DAC module and an improvement over an HRT MusicStreamer II (the latter of the two were limited to 24bit 96kHz). The iFi Zen DAC V2 has no such limitation. The highest resolution I’ve ran through it are FLAC files from my NAS (and Apple Music) at 24bit 192kHz which it handles without any problem at all. It has a low noise floor, below what my electronics can reveal anyway. Dynamic range is what you’d expect from hi-res lossless sources. This DAC seems to disappear, meaning it doesn’t color or add noise/distortion to the music in any way- just as a good DAC should.
I haven’t compared it to any other recent competitive offerings and I don’t expect I will, I’m completely satisfied with the iFi DAC V2. I’ll probably grab another one for a 2nd system, for the price why not?
L’ho preso per abbinarlo all’amplificatore cuffia iFi Zen Can che gi possedevo. Il risultato stato eccellente: questo Dac a mio parere superiore al pur ottimo Dac Topping E30 che era collegato allo Zen Can. Lo Zen Dac V2 ha un suono pi naturale e pi musicale dell’E30 pur mantenendo lo stesso alto livello di dettaglio. Forse questione di gusti, ma a me lo Zen Dac V2 piaciuto di pi. L’uscita cuffia dello Zen Dac ovviamente meno potente di quella dello Zen Can (che solo ampli cuffia) per cui se avete cuffie di un certo livello o difficili da pilotare consiglio di prenderli tutti e due. Se invece il vostro budget limitato intanto potete prendere lo Zen Dac e avrete un ottimo dac con uscita cuffie e, successivamente lo Zen Can. L’accoppiata iFi Zen Dac V2 e iFi Zen Can fantastica. Consigliatissimo
Excelente, tanto os meus fones como iem’s ganharam nova vida, recomendo imenso
Lo he comprado junto con unos Presonus E3.5 por que quera mas calidad de sonido en mi ordenador, los presonus son algo justitos en graves, pero con este DAC y su funcin Truebass se compensa muy bien y te ahorras el subwoofer que costar ms caro que el DAC, hacen buena pareja sin duda, la calidad de la construccin es maravillosa, nada de plastiquete por ningn sitio, la nica pega que he encontrado, es que una vez puesto el volumen ya no lo controla windows, si no en propio DAC y que solo tiene salidas para RCA.
Por lo dems es una buena compra sin duda.
great job ifi, tight bass wide soundstage and excellent sound, i don’t have anything to complain about no balance issues for me or problems on windows or using volumio. it really punches above is class when compared to other dacs really one of the best i’ve listened to
Sounds great , much cleaner than onboard audio , it gives an appreciable upgrade over even decent onboard audio. Can be powered by usb only just fine , although the included cable is far too short. It’s not the most powerful amp , but will be enough for the vast majority. The bass boost function sounds fantastic not overdone and just the right amount of extra oomph , sounds especially good on planars that might roll off a bit in the sun bass region. Firmware is upgradeable , I prefer the sound of the non gto version (cookies and cream) but you can switch between firmware and find the one you like the best , differences are very subtle.
No off switch which may be a concern , device will be on all the time unless you unplug it but it runs very cool so may not be an issue.
Be aware that you will have only full volume in Windows with no way to lower besides the knob on the unit. Warmer and fuller than the Topping D50s
Purchased this item to replace an Audioquest Dragonfly Black, for use with my HiFi, rather than with headphones. The sound quality is excellent; the unit well made and is value for money. Excellent service from the supplier, too!
I don’t like to talk or write much, this Dac is amazing, and to add even more awesomeness, pair it with the ifi Zen Can. I can’t describe it all in here so I recommend anyone who are looking into this product to go to YouTube and look for the reviews. I promise you, that will convince you into buying one of this Dacs
E’il primo dac di qualit che compro,a orecchio suona bene,la conversione dei CD audio dal PC oksia in cuffia sia collegato al
Sistema hi-fi
Just got into the stereo headphone game and this makes it so much better, currently using this and DT 990 Pro’s 250ohm and got HD 600S’s coming in. Has no problem running up to 600ohm, crystal clear sound, truebass and powermatch are great. If you’re looking for a good DAC/AMP combo, this is it. Money well spent!
There’s nothing I’ve never heard of. Sounds clear and rather neautral. The power of this machine is really good that I’m barely turning the volume knob for my ier-m9 on the 4.4 output and other iems on the 6.3 output. I’ll wait to see if my unit has the uneven volume issue. Definately worth the money.
ottimo ampli per cuffie, pratico da utilizzare e ben suonante. Non lo ho provato come dac collegato all’impianto stereo ma con cuffie di costo medio, fino ai 200/250 euro, perfetto (in confronto ad esempio a xDuoo xp 2Pro o HIDIZS DH80S che per costano meno e hanno il vantaggio della portabilit). Insomma soluzione ideale per scrivania senza volere spendere cifre esorbitanti. Ps ho anche un paio di cuffie da 600 ohm Beyerdynamic DT 880 e le pilota senza problemi. Aggiornamento: ho preso il Zen Can proprio per le Beyerdynamic ed ovviamente con l’ampli dedicato c’ un ulteriore miglioramento.
Hooked up to PC using Audirvana software playing Qobuz, connected to my Final Sonorous Headphones the iFi Zen DAC V2 sounds amazing. Much better sound than my previous A&K DAC or my older 1000 plus RME AD/DA converter. A great buy. Clear, realistic sounding instruments – I can hear all the lyrics – sounds wonderful when playing DSD files from my Library.
I dare you to find a better unit for under $200. Think of all the audiophile buzz words you’ve heard and they all apply. Here’s my equipment: the Zen Dac V2 being fed the audio signal from my Mac Mini M1. I have the RCA jacks connected to Adam A5X (powered) studio monitors. The monitors use the neutral settings and the volume is straight up at 0db. I also use IEMs — I have the Empire Bravado MKIIs (via unbalanced 1/4 inch jack using a 3.5 mm to 1/4 inch adapter — 4.4 balanced kit for my IEMs is on the way).
I use Tidal for my streaming service (and sorry but I think the MQA stuff sounds awesome). I also have a DSD256 library and an Apple Music subscription. I’m powering the Zen Dac with only the USB connection and it is PLENTY (for MY setup).
Any genre, any service, any resolution– all sound sublime. Read any of the 5 star reviews here if you want to approximate my experience with this amazing unit. I hooked it up literally an hour ago and I’ve never written a review on anything in my life.
PS.. iFi provides a USB 3.0 type B cable as well as RCA cables. I’ve read reviews warning that the USB cable is short so I purchased a longer one on Amazon. Glad I did. Just make sure that you get the USB 3.0 version (it’s taller than that which you would use with a typical audio interface or keyboard etc.). I also had a really nice set of stereo RCA cables that I’m using as well.
Whatever you think of MQA, this is a great-sounding amp. I’m running it with a pair of Amiron Homes, and the sound is weighty, with lots of punch.
The best thing? The bass-boost button which is entirely analogue, giving you a huge bottom end, if required.
Wertige Verarbeitung und gute Soundqualitt.
Treibt meine Kopfhrer sowie aktive Studiomonitore an.
Der Bassboost (Truebass) ist von hoher Qualitt und eignet sich fr bassarme Kopfhrer.
Kopfhrer mit hoher Impedanz knnen ber den “Power Match” Knopf mit mehr Leistung versorgt werden.
Leider lsst sich der Output fr die Studioboxen nicht separat zum Kopfhrerausgang regulieren, wenn man ausschliesslich ber Kopfhrer hren will, muss man die Chinch Stecker fr die Boxen ausstecken, sonst klingen die mit.
Super Gert. Ein Steuer oder einstellbarer DSP per Webinterface oder PC Interface als Upgrade bzw ein einstellbarer EQ wren das i Tpfelchen.
Everything from build quality to sound and features in this product feels high end! There’s nothing even close at this price point.
The Zen DAC also work flawleslly with my PS5 after the last firmware update, something that a lot of other famous DAC’s out there still have problems with. The internal amp is also pretty good and it has no problem driving some very demanding headphones.
Maybe the only complaint I have with this is the lack of an aux input but everything else is so good that it would be unfair to give it less than 5 stars.
Seems to sound a bit better than v1 in A-B testing. Super value for money. Easily competes with DAC/AMP combo’s up to 500-1000 range.
+ elegantes, hochwertiges Design
+ grosse Dynamik und Przision, trotzdem ausgewogen
+ Funktionalitt und Inputmglichkeiten
– Gain Button (bei meinem Produkt?) mangelhaft verarbeite
I wanted to listen to Apple’s Lossless formats. The only way is with a DAC and best via an iPad which can change the audio formats on the fly (where a Mac outputs a fixed audio resolution).
Very plug and plug, feels really solid. Good selection of output options and sounds brilliant.
Excelente DAC. Sonido limpio, quizs los agudos un poco brillantes para mi gusto, pero por lo que cuesta es god. Amplificacin ms que decente, y si te hace falta, lo compensa la salida balanceada. Simplemente un gran acierto y una buena inversin desde el punto de vista que se le quiera ver.
THX this, rebel that… yet he only recommends these for under $300, and they cost about half that… I got this for my laptop, and now want the Zen Can for my desktop because this is sooooo nice. Couple it with the Sivga SV021’s, or the Grado SR60X’s (why by the 80’s when the cheaper ones sound better) or the Hifiman HE-pick-one (I have several), close your eyes, after your find what you want to listen to, and prepare yourself to repeat the same song several times as this amp brings out things you didn’t know existed, and the next thing you know you are listening to eastern European rock and marveling at the mustang guitar sound, then to something south of the equator, none of which I understand, but am now a fan of because of this amp.
Z is a jerk, just saying
Mit dem Fiio E10K gab es bei mir regelmig Bluescreens, die auf den Treiber zurckzufhren sind, das ist hier nicht der Fall.
Mit dem Fiio E10K gab es bei mir regelmig Bluescreens, die auf den Treiber zurckzufhren sind, das ist hier nicht der Fall.
Excellent little dac/amp. Sounds great with a wide range of headphones. Plug and play with windows pc and PS5! The only thing I wish it had was a toslink in. Other than that it’s a keeper. Sound is thick and full and the bass boost actually gives the right amount of extra depth for most tracks. No bloat or midrange bleed. Great value!
This little DAC and headphone amplifier comes in a stylish metal case, and provides a neat upgrade to the sound card of your computer. It can handle higher resolutions than the internal card of your Mac (and PC, even more so generally) and thus you can take advantage of high resolution music. Like the one streamed by Apple Music or other services like Tidal.
A dedicated DAC and headphone amplifier give better results than the on board circuits, and with my Fidelio X1 head phones I really enjoy listening to my hit res sources.
The quality per buck ratio is amazing, by the way.
i’m old and when digital audio first arrived my job was to (sell) explain it to my co-workers at the manufacturer so they would know how to explain it to the folks at brick and mortar (when they existed and were the only method of shopping).
i had a lot of work for a long time.
i owned the very first DAC and still own reference level equipment in my living room.
but DACs are funny beasts. it takes a LOT of money (usually), like 2 times or near enough to improve audibly over a good entry level DAC, which doesn’t mean it’s worth enough to buy.
i have been using an ultra light DAC (Sabaj Da 3) for about two years. it has a great sound but a bit underwhelming amp section so i use an Aune B 1s (class A) headphone amp. the Aune is a rockstar in it’s own right. i’ll still be using the Da 3 with my laptop when i’m on the road.
when i went to buy the iFi Zen v2 the main reason was it has MQA decoding.
so when i plugged it in (USB 3 A-B 1 foot cable incl) with the optional (necessary) iPower AC filter wallwart, My Jaw Dropped.
then it dropped again when i realized this was kicking the butts off of $300-600 DACs and staring the under-a-grand market in the face (along with the 4x as expensive Chord).
i immediately queued up a playlist that i keep with notoriously difficult recordings. this is the DAC acid test without lsd.
the first track took a brilliant (but unlistenable on 1-3rd gen CD players) that is sibilant AND bright from Pre Fab Sprout “Appetite” (from “Steve McQueen”/”Two Wheels Good”). you would never know this was a technically difficult song.
the next took me to a great, but muddy and dirty “La Grange” from ZZ Top. wow, i could hear things that lesser DACs leave out.
the classic Michael Hedges “Aerial Boundaries” has the finest details in his percussive guitar style coming out.
a really hard record on DACs is Hayden and Hummel Trumpet Concertos, Alison Balsom soloist
a trumpet really throws out room cues so you get an excellent idea of the studio space and air. but trumpets can be fatiguing or harsh on lesser gear.
switching gears i went to the classic Nina Simone “Feeling Free” which was recorded live with a full orchestra and piano in one take. listening was just bringing me back beyond time and space to being a seven year old kid trying to be Gene Kelly.
IMHO, there Is Not A Better Audio Buy At This Price In Any Category, let alone DACs.
Great value Product. Sturdy built quality. Good sound. Would recommend.
Calidad de construccin excepcional. Impropio de un producto de este precio,parece que valga 500.
Excelente calidad de sonido,el “bass boost” le da un toque muy interesante a las canciones sin enturbiar medios y agudos. Salidas para altavoces.
Que ms podras querer.
High sound quality, plug n play and easy to use.
I absolutely love this dac/amp combo! You just cannot beat the value this unit provides. I use this exclusively as a dedicated headphone dac/amp unit. You get many features that are not common to units in this price points. The inclusion of the balanced headphone output is just one of them. It is so well worth picking up a nice balanced cable if your current headphones can support it (not all of them can). I also love the “truebass” function this unit provides. I cannot more highly recommend this item. On a side note, I have not run into any imbalance issues some others have reported. This can happen when the volume knob is turned down at a low level. This is more related to an analog signal rather than the actual unit itself. The company even mentions this in their literature. Keep this in mind if you are planning on using this unit for highly sensitive iem’s (which don’t need much to drive them) rather than full size over the ear headphones. With all of that being said, this is a wonderful product that will make most people very, very happy.
The headphones that this dac/amp drive for me are the Philips Fidelio X2HR and the Sennheiser 6xx. The iFi drives both of these headphones effortlessly.
I put the iFi Zen dac/amp v2 up against my Schiit Hel dac/amp (this unit DOES have support for a mic for gamers) and the FiiO e10k dac/amp to see which unit would come out the winner in terms of pure sound quality. The Schiit Hel is priced around $200 and the FiiO can be bought for around $70-80, which puts the iFi right inbetween the two. I did not experience any of the issues other reviews have noted on Amazon, specifically mentioning one headphone being noticeably louder than the other.
The iFi blows both of these units out of the water in terms of sound quality for me, in my subjective opinion. The True Bass button is pure bliss. The lows in the bass are much cleaner and more pronounced compared to the other two units i compared the iFi to. The FiiO does have the equivalent of the iFi’s ‘True Bass’ button, but for me, the bass lacks on the low-end on that unit. The Schiit Hel does not have any bass feature/switch like the FiiO and the iFi, so the bass, for me, is lacking a bit on this unit.
Some may find the included USB power cable to be too short, so if you decide you want your iFi a bit further than say 6-8 inches from your desktop tower, you’re out of luck. There are replacement cables available to purchase on Amazon, but the length of the power cord didn’t bother me. And while the iFi comes with a ‘Balanced’ option to plug your headphones into, it does not come with the adapter, so you may need to purchase that adapter separately if you wish to plug your headphones into the balanced option.
In conclusion, i would not hesitate recommending this to folks that have a pair of decent headphones that are seeking an upgrade over their built-in motherboard dac. The sound quality is amazing for the price, and aesthetically speaking, it adds a bit of something to my desk space. The drawbacks are the optional items you may need to purchase, like a balanced adapter for your headphones, or a longer power cable for some that may want to seat their iFi a bit further away from their desktop.
Mueve unos sundara y le aporta un sonido clido y divertido a la msica.
Das Gert funktioniert ohne Probleme unter Windows (hier musste ich zuerst Hersteller-Treiber installieren, sonst gab’s stndig Knacken beim Abspielen) und unter Linux (keine zus. Treiber ntig). Ein Netzteil wird nicht bentigt. Hier reicht ein USB Kabel vom PC zum DAC fr Spannungsversorgung und Datenbertragung vollkommen aus.
Pro:
-Preis
-Bass-Boost, der nicht bertrieben ist
Neutral:
-Lautstrke der Kanle ist erst ab 09:00Uhr-Stellung des Lautstrkereglers ausbalanciert (aber das ist bei meisten analogen Reglern der Fall. Nur bei meinem “alten” Fostex HP-A4 war dies perfekt.)
-beigelegter USB-Kabel ist unbrauchbar, da zu kurz.
-beigelegter 4,4mm auf 3,5 Adapter lsst sich leicht aus dem DAC herausziehen jedes mal wenn man Kopfhrer wechselt (man muss also immer den Adapter festhalten, wenn man KH mit 3,5mm Klinke wechselt.)
-Wenn man z.B. Foobar2000 & ASIO-Treiber verwendet dann ndern sich die LED-Farben hinter dem Regler je nach Bitrate/Kodierung. Ich kann mir jedoch nicht merken wofr je Farbe steht. Ist IMHO mehr ein Gimmick als ein sinnvolles Feature.
– Fr Hochohmige KH reicht die Leistung gerade so aus (z.B. fr Sennheiser HD650). Fr niederohmige KH und IEMs ist diese vollkommen ausreichend.
– mit dem aktuellen Treiber/FW (3.20/7.20) lsst sich unter Windows nur eine max. Abtastrate von 192kHz einstellen, obwohl 384kHz mglich wren.
Negativ:
– Kein AN/AUS-Knopf. Das Gert ist also immer an, solange der PC luft, es sei denn, man zieht das USB-Kabel…
Using with Phillips Fidelio headphones, Audio quest cable, Bass Boost on all the time as my headphones are open back and I like the extra warmth and depth the sub bass this provides.
Not using the external power plug, just the included USB.
Absolutely no complaints, best DAC for around the price.
dont get the psu for it as the amp/dac runs fine off usb be warned tho the cable they include is a very short one
ok baarl bir cihaz.. Kk ama st dzey kulaklk standardn unbalanced ve balanced klar ile salyor. Ayrca MQA’den analog dnn st dzeyde gerekletiren bir DAC. lave olarak adaptrn aldm, ama PC den elektrik ihtiyacn karlyor, ilave yatrm yapmak bence gereksiz. Tek eksii ap kapama dmesi yok, PC ile birlikte alp kapanyor u anda..
SACD merakm olmasna ramen dijital ortamdan mzik dinleme dnemine gemek iin ok uygun bir zm, iddetle neririm.
Este es mi primer DAC externo y definitivamente encontr una grandsima diferencia en el sonido utilizando unos PreSonus Eris 5 acoplado a un subwoofer PreSonus Sub 8 comparado con la salida de audio de la MacBook Air M1. Tambin los he usado con algunos audfonos y vaya que se nota la diferencia. Lo estuve probando con Tidal y con Apple Music (ahora con el servicio de Lossless).
Estuve viendo varios reviews y recomendaciones, y muchos recomendaban este DAC como una excelente opcin para comenzar en este mundo.
Materiales de construccin:
Sus materiales son de primera calidad y se ven bastante bien en el escritorio. Su tono es ligeramente ms oscuro en la vida real que en las fotografas (es ms o menos parecida al color de la manzana en una MacBook gris espacial).
Conectividad:
Bsicamente le puedes conectar bocinas por RCA (como es mi caso), pero tambin tiene salidas balanceadas 4.4mm y una no balanceada de 6.3mm (no te preocupes, trae un adaptador para que puedas conectar cualquier audfono de 3.5mm).
Sonido:
En trminos generales, se escucha muy bien. Clido, relajado, con buen cuerpo y muy claro. Mejor bastante la calidad de sonido de mis monitores de estudio. Cabe recalcar que s colorea un poco el sabor, los monitores pasaron de ser completamente planos a tener un sonido ms “comercial”, es decir, ms disfrutable para la msica.
Vale la pena?
S, mil veces s. Sobre todo si es la primera vez que compras un DAC externo.
PD:
Si eres usuario de MacOS y usas Apple Music y quieres sacarle todo el potencial a este Zen DAC, te aconsejo que hagas lo siguiente:
Abre el LaunchPad —> buscar “Configuracin de Audio Midi” —> selecciona la fuente de “iFi” —> Formato: 2 canales de 32 bits entero a la mayor frecuencia.
As logrars que siempre se cambien de forma automtica en el Apple Music en su formato Lossless.
Aadirle el ampli de auris zen can(los duros de verdad los mueve,pero no con la cultura debidda…tengo unos amiron home) y la cosa se vuelve estelar.Yo estoy encantado.
Poco ms que decir.Conparable a aparatos mucho ms caros,y nada que envidiarles.
Habe dazu noch ein lngeres Kabel geholt und ein netzteil luft auch ohne Netzteil jedoch soll es mit Besser sein.
Amazing sound quality when listening to HD lossless music on my iPhone.
Wahnsinn wie klasse diese kleine Kiste aufspielt.
Super guter Support. Treiber laufen stabil und der Klang ist absolut hervorragend. Diese kleine Box lst meine Asus STX ab, da diese nicht mehr supported wird mit Treiber.
A great DAC for the price. Apple Music lossless with this beauty on an iMac… to die for. Great!
One of the best bargains on the market at this time. Quality build and sound. The version 2 brings small enhancements that make subtle but worthwhile improvements. Can’t wait to try mine with a suitable pair of powered speakers in a future desktop system.
er klingt sehr warm und angenehm, lst aber in den Hhen nicht ganz so gut auf(vergl. Motu M4).Sonst top und sehr stabil.
er klingt sehr warm und angenehm, lst aber in den Hhen nicht ganz so gut auf(vergl. Motu M4).Sonst top und sehr stabil.
So, speaking to those who want to upgrade their audio and not worry about it, the zen dac is stellar. I have pieces of equipment that can do many things better, from a measurement level, only heard through extremely high end headphones with the best files. But, for the price I am blown away.
Beyond the performance, I love the volume knob. Analog and wonderful. Yes, you’ll get some channel imbalance at the absolute lowest volumes, but that’s too be expected.
Windows 10 plays Uber nice with this gem.
If you need power, like big power, you can add an ifi can or if you want cheap tubes an xduoo mt-602.
But wow.
Again, I have better dacs and amps, but they are thousands of dollars together and don’t necessarily have the same cohesion.
This is tuned beautifully. What a joy to behold.
If I wasn’t a sick audiophile who’s life was devoted to sound, I could see this being a one and done headphone solution for many years.
Its remarkable for the money.
Tengo el Ifi Zen Dac V1 y estaba muy contento, ahora con la V2 siento el sonido mucho mas claro, bajos precisos y rapidos.
Mi cadena de audio amplificador Yamaha A-S201, palantes de torre Yamaha NS-F150.
En cuanto auriculares lo he manejado con los Beyerdynamic Lagoon ANC, Philips SHP9500, Audiotechnica ATH-WS1100IS.
Ni que decir que ahora es full decoder MQA, lo uso con la app de Tidal y Audirvana.
Si pueden adquieran esta nueva version del Ifi Zen Dac V2, pero si tienen la V1 pueden quedarselo que tambien es un exclente producto.
I have not experienced the problems other reviewers stated. So far this has been a tremendous value. I use Roon with Tidal, and this DAC decodes MQA perfectly. It drives my Sendy Audio Black Beauties at a perfect level using the power match feature. The True Bass provides a really punchy and tight realisic sound for the lower end tones. I would definitely buy this again. I have previously owned a FiiO K5. I would reccommend this over the FiiO.
Fantastic way of improving laptop sound. If you’re listening to lossless audio, the transformation is incredible – you’ll hear notes you didn’t realise existed! Find yourself listening to all your favourites in such detail that you’ll believe the tracks have been remastered. But beware, this might start a hifi addiction!
Great piece of equipment. Honestly this is my first Dac/amp but nevertheless the difference in the sound quality compared to computer audio was enormous. The sound is warm, crisp and clear. Excellent for blues lovers.
Sound quality is amazing, can’t even compare to built-in soud cards or cheaper DAC’s/amps. The whole unit looks nice and build quality is very good. Ifi provides good service and quick response if you need advice. Only downside is that line out (speaker) RCA connector looks bent on my unit when you look at it from above, but it doesn’t affect the performance and as the DAC comes with one year warranty I decided to keep it.
Genial absolut klare Bhne und bei Ego Shootern eine Offenbarung. Absolut Empfehlenswert.
Bei der V2 ist nochmal das Klangbild etwas “besser” und die LED Anzeige wurde berarbeitet so das man an Hand der Farbe erkennt welche Tonqualitt gerade gehrt wird.
Only con: don’t know if latest firmware is installed and led colors are strange
I am using the Zen for my PC running headphones but also for HiFi input. This is the first stand alone DAC I have ever owned so the only comparison is not using an separate DAC. I was looking for a DAC with 3 things, USB input, RCA output and 6mm output (as my old hifi amp doesn’t have one) and the Zen delivers all 3.
Since getting a DAC I have noticed the noise level on my HiFi using the RCA connection seems lower, in addition the sound is much clearer and less muddy. Using headphones it sounds great, the true bass feature can give tracks a bit of a kick and sounds great on my Grado sr80’s.
Setting up the Zen on Windows 10 was very easy, it was simply a case of plugging it in! Additional drivers can be downloaded from the IFI website and I believe these are required for MQA, DSD etc. (though I don’t use any of that stuff). I think the price point of the product is fair when compared to other DACs currently on the market.
Wurde nicht entuscht.
I’m running the Sennheiser HD800S using the included 4.4 pentagon balanced cable. And the perfect bass boost that just rounds out the “Bass light” Sennheiser’s nicely.
Using the 50 IFI Power X low noise adapter adds noticeable refinement to the sound but isn’t needed really.
My only negative is that the included USB cable is only 18 inches. Depending on your setup you will probably have to buy a longer cable separately.
Great sounding DAC using with Tidal masters wired into usb on laptop with b&w headphones which I’ll upgrade next. There is not much else to say that has not already been said on YouTube. Believe the hype!