Very well done and thorough review. you made all the points that I couldn't. I spoke with ifi many times after I posted my review about things and my point was that if people can't use it then it doesn't matter how good it sounds. They didn't care for my comment. They actually sent me another one but I'm sending it back. Great review. I had a similar experience.
Thanks Randy. I Like your humour too. Glad you liked it. Not one of my best produced as I’m doing this largely due to the buzz off of hifi and production - after effects, 3d graphics and so on. I like the way you don’t take it too seriously too, and watched your zen stream video - music and audio it is the entertainment business after all.
Stupid me gave it a shot, sent it back, would not work on my network without dropping, etc. I felt like a delta tester, not a beta tester, a delta tester. Garbage. I went with the Pi2 Mercury v2, loaded RoPieeeXL on it, works like a champ, not one issue with anything I have thrown at it.
I was an early adopter of the ZEN Stream…have had one for about six months. With a good power supply, it's been close to 100% reliable and sounds great. I came here thinking I would want to argue with your review, but I really can't. You make good points, especially about the documentation. The ZEN Stream is as close to an ideal Roon Endpoint solution as anything I've found, but it's not as welcoming to users new to streaming as it could be. No argument there. Well done.
Power supply is key with this thing. I tried two iFi iPower supplies and it was an unstable disaster. Used the generic 12v that came with it and it was way more stable but didn’t sound as good. . I’m trying and Sbooster right now and the stability is pretty decent and the sound is next level.
@@steve-94951 - I went with an iPower X ($109). I purchased the 9V version, which has worked perfectly, but if I had studied the markings on the back of the ZEN Stream more closely, I would have gone with the 12V (middle of the 9 to 15V range). Some folks claim better sound with sBooster and other LPS, but I've not gone that far upscale.
Hi David, I am also an early adopter lime you. Seems one of my Zen Streams came with the 9V PSU. How did you upgrade yours? Did you contact IFI or your dealer? Thanks
I just want to say that I got a Zen Stream recently. It's working great! I use it with Airplay. It connected to my wi-fi network no problem, and it connects to Airplay every time.
I'm using my iFi Zen Stream (hard-wired) in the Roon setting using the USB output to a Chord Qutest and have had zero problems. The Node 2i that was there before is looking for a new home. Hopefully they work out all of the usability issues that has been effecting other uses, but it's been perfect in my application--and it does sound noticeably better than the Bluesound.
Thanks for your candid review, had problem with Tidal connect through my android phone, just hoped that the language used would be better, had me on the edge a bit.
Thanks for the very good review. I have the Zen Stream from Thursday 23 dec 2021. I use it with a mesh router and connected it wired to the ethernet port of a station. Wired it works fine and the sound is indeed awesome. The power on button, you have to press single to power up, hold a few seconds and it powers down. The documention is rubbisch, still alot room to improve here. Also I have now turned to DLNA mode only, now the Ifi webbrowser is not possible to access. So now internet radio to use from app.. A selector at the front would be bettter, to swith mode's. So, yess think I have to agree with your review, a awesome wired streamer. I think I will keep it, but it is only because I use it wired, and it sounds awesome....
I used this stream product for a few weeks. It does sound great. The tech support is horrendous responding to a crashing app. The distributor I purchased from is horrendous in responding to return questions. The last FW update installed just knocked all tidal down to 44kHz across the board, which really is not a solution. Purchased the newest BS Node and could not be happier. I don't think the node is inferior sounding at all. Node enabled me to use Qobuz and it's magnificent music quality.
@@13thnotehifireviews7 I am in USA. The distributor refunded my money today so I am happy with them. iFi on the other hand has a lot of work to make their streamer ready for prime time selling.
You made very valid points Simon. I had the IFi for about 2 weeks. I didn't experience drop outs, but I found its usability to be pretty poor. I couldn't even get the WIFI to connect. I'd rather spend a little more and invest in another Bluesound node. I have a 2i in a different room. I'd give the Zen Streamer no more than a 6 out of 10.
Great review Simon. I wish all reviews of new gear were as honest. With fewer bricks and mortar shops existing it seems we have to rely more on reviews these days, so honest reviews do us all a service.
Great review! Your experiences mirror my own. I purchased a zen stream along with a separate iFi power supply, and they sounded great together, but the zen stream was buggy. I reached out to iFi for support, but they took so long to respond that I had already sent the products back by the time iFi got back to me. The Node does not sound quite as good, but it is a rock solid performer.
You are so right on about the zen slow connection problems and on / off buttons . Wow you too wrote 3 tickets , which was horrendously intricate then never received one reply . My dealer when messaging thought I was inept . Brilliant job . I actually gave up tidal because of not getting zone 3 for tidal to work . Went back to apples new higher rez streaming . Not using airplay for lossless plugging into topping D90 DAC from iPad . Streamer on shelf .This is the review I would have wanted to write .
I have had one for many months and it has been faultless. The setup was straightforward, it is easy to use and it sound is really good. From my own use I would recommend it. I use it as a Roon end point mainly in exclusive mode. I am planning to buy another one for a different room. Sorry to hear you had troubles, I hope you get it sorted or are given a replacement.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. It doesn’t seem that it is reliable for most so far. I wonder if these are issues with how it works on certain networks. Are you using beta version?
@@13thnotehifireviews7 I bought the Stream in August and can confirm the system version is 2.29.4 released Aug 12 2021. I can update to V2.29.9 but will hold back if others are having problems, I have only a Michael Jacksons Thriller in DSD all tracks play OK with no delay. I am downloading Fiona Joys Story of Ghosts which is 256 DSD to test too. I hope this helps.
Spot on review, an excellent sounding product marred by buggy firmware and support. After a few months my, second, unit has settled down but I only use Spotify connect and avoid the iFi app and do not use the inbuilt volume control. Still waiting for the Chromecast capability promised at launch. Thanks for the honest review.
Totally agree on the poor instructions and you will therefore need a bit of know-how to overcome the initial set-up. Aside from that, I've had mine for about 3 weeks connected via ethernet and set to mode 5 which is for DLNA and its been rock solid. As for sound I feel its so good that it has bettered more expensive streamers I've had such as the allo usbridge sig, project ultra s2 ultra and sonore Ultrarendu. My on/off button works fine though may be dependant on the mode set on the back. Hopefully they release more updates to make the rest of the unit more reliable as it's a great bit of gear otherwise.
I agree it does sound fantastic. Not quite the sonore optical rendu or innuos ZENith I tried but extremely good soundwise. I hope people see my intention is never to sh1t on them. Give credit where due.
Interesting. I’ve had my Zen Stream for several months now and it works perfectly over Wi-Fi for Tidal Connect, Spotify Connect and Airplay. No dropouts. Maybe I just got lucky? I updated firmware on day one. My router is a standard BT one. I use IOS to control and I have found that you must stop the stream by selecting ‘phone’ as the output device before switching from Airplay to Tidal Connect or Spotify Connect or any combo otherwise it won’t respond. This may sound annoying but it’s second nature now.
Most of the people on here are having issues if you count for and against but 50:50 is still not great. But the reviewer has to meet them ‘half way’. How the hell do I lie to people
@@13thnotehifireviews7 as someone who's researching a streamer purchase, I'm very happy to hear about any potential problems. I always check the negative reviews e.g. amazon -- often a certain amount can be ruled out, but when they have a theme, (and that theme recurs here), I recognise a problem. And when I hear how the makers react, I'm not impressed. Fwiw - you seem to be an honest bloke -- I don't think you need to get so defensive, or give yourself a hard time for telling the truth...
Tom I don’t do bad reviews out of malice and they are rare as most gear is good. I’ll say what I prefer and why but leave to choice regarding competing gear reviews, but where I do cross the line is where a product shouldn’t be released and is very bad. I’ve done 3 of these reviews in 3 years. If the brand won’t deal with me again then they prob aren’t the sort of firm to hold their hands up and say ‘Houston we have a problem’ so a school of thought, what comes around…..also in this case the brand wanted me to ‘meet them half way’ on the product being good and criticised me for not being a genuine reviewer when experience shows their other reviewer reviews were not genuine. I pride myself on honesty. That shows they don’t really care about customers on faulty products and owning up to issues. I wouldn’t deal with ifi personally but it’s prob mutual anyway.
opinions seems to be that IFI built this thing on older a "kernel" and hence compatibility issues for a wide variety of applications. needs to be redesigned from the ground up to ensure universal stability. it's a fundamental problem that firmware updates will not solve. meanwhile my Bluesound Node continues to work flawlessly without weekly the firmware updates.
I have one and while i dont have audio drop outs like you did, the software is a buggy mess. Spotify connect no longer works with the new firmware so I have to use tidal connect. The good news is there an active thread on headfi where ifi is addressing concerns. Since the unit sounds so good I think I'll keep it and hope they work out the bugs like they promised.
Thanks for being willing to sort out WHY things aren't working. At times, fixing glitches can be akin to doing your own dental surgery. It might work, but you're definitely NOT the better for it. I'll steer clear of this. Thanks again!
Hi, I am a Zen stream user since 5 months now, using mainly TIDAL connect, I play occasionally uncompressed high-res files from an SSD hard drive. I was reading the reliability issues with the firmware but gave a chance to iFi since they already built many great products and I also liked the company profile. Going with the Zen stream was a good idea. I also experienced some issues with TIDAL (via android app) but nothing serious, I needed to reinstall The TIDAL app on my phone 3 times in the 2nd month, since than TIDAL Connect works very well. With the SSD I had minor issues, 2 times I needed to re-scann library to see all files but more or less that was it Overall I am very happy, mainly because those minor problems could be solved with a few clicks and man, the sound quality (vs a laptop via USB to DAC and vs an Android MI box via optical to DAC) is 2 levels up vs anything I tried before. Improvement was huge in dinamics, timing/rythm and soundstage, the silence helped a lot to enjoy the music better. Using lover volume music was also more enjoyable, I did not need to turn volume up. I am sure I would have been happy with a Node as well, but hearing the confirmation from the reviews that for this price this is the streamer to beat I am relaxed 😎. I also bought a Zen Phono from iFi and it also brought some magic into my life ( vs integrated phonostage I compared with ) Love to all the music lovers!
As always, a good review! I like how you're using more humor, too. This sounds like a product still in beta testing. The rear screw/switch is also an absolutely terrible design. WTH
Bought this unit with big hopes... It can't even detect USB out, İt changes it's output to SPDIF randomly... They make u use a beta app that doesn't even work 100%. Just save your money an buy something else...
Tidal connect works perfect in both the universal and exclusive modes. Ipads, iphones too. I use it with ethernet and usb with Topping D90se. Sounds exquisite. Spotify connect is broken after the last update. App and updates work only in universal mode. Auto on/off on the Topping doesn’t work with the Zen. I guess it keeps the signal over USB always turned on.
@Gradient Network Mine is on 2.29 firmware. Hope they haven't broken it in a newer update. Make sure you reboot the ZS when you change between modes. Works as supposed to here. Also clear your play queue or disengage Tidal connect from the app once you are done listening (you know you've done it when the green light on the ZS goes out).
Thanks for that review. You aren’t the first reviewer to note these issues. Your analysis is right on point. Several other reviewers raved over it stating it was great despite what they called “minor” problems. I’ve got a zen blue that absolutely won’t pass LDAC even though it claims it will. It will connect and begin playing, then it drops out never to reconnect. All very similar to what you described. To further validate what you’re saying, their tech support was worthless.
Thank you too. They were not great with me re beta, which frankly I found odd because I have an opinion and a platform. If they would have showed me beta working and assured me the current firmware would be updated with no issues , then this would be a different review. Humour aside in my review, as I said in the description this is not meant to criticise a brand for the sake of it but drop outs (6 in 3 minutes) would not be tolerated on a tv etc. I’m sure I’ll get the backlash of people who a) own the product without faults and b) iFi fanistas, but I thought I should raise it because the online comments are too widespread for it to be credibly not a big issue. Also ifi wound me up with the Facebook comments that I’m not a genuine reviewer when the other reviews rate it and made no reference whatsoever to these very frequent consumer comments about drop outs. Brands have to realise and be smart that if they are to use hifi reviewers to say products are good when they aren’t and information sharing online is easy, then that derides the good review when it comes out, as why should anyone believe such a genuinely positive review that ‘meets them half way’. I can’t know but the comments of minor problems in that review looked to me like he knew of the issues and was playing them down. The other ones saying it’s product of the year, well I don’t know what to say…..
I agree with your assessment. I've done everything I can think of to stop the dropouts (including using a wired connection) but without success. Very frustrating as, for audio on a budget, it is good value but not worth it because its reliability is so poor.
Ifi are not fools and the zenstream is fantastic hardware however it's almost like they are intentionally dumbing down the software for a reason that is not clear. Sound quality is high end for a mid Fi price which is why I persevere with it over the Node.
@13th Note HiFi Reviews at first I bought two ifi stream. Once I heard the first one, I bought another one for my smaller system. They both had connection issues, and the power button was giving me hell one the second one. I end up returning the second unit. Replace it with a WiiM pro that I love.... so far. No, dsd is the only thing I miss with this streamer, but at $150.00 usd. And it sounds better then ifi stream
Hi Simon, thank you for your fine review - l wish I’d listened!! I just don’t understand why the software is so buggy. I’ve used Volumio many times without the issues I have with the Zen. It like a bear with a hangover - I never know when it’s about to turn on me. Does sound good though. Thanks for an honest and up front review. 👍
Thanks Rob, they were not being honest about this one. I bought the zen dac for my new pc and am gonna do a video on that as it is a very good product.
@@13thnotehifireviews7 I’ve a feeling their DAC will do well…… I’ve swapped out my rather expensive ASR for the Zen phono and the latter does not embarrass itself. I’ve an old Triode Corp DAC and I’m not looking forward to the day it has to be replaced. I most definitely fall into the subjective category!!
@@13thnotehifireviews7 Hi Simon, not a plug for MCRU but I added one of their power supplies and it has made the Stream’s finicky nature worth the price of admission. Still need to remind it about the SPDIF connection - but what an improvement in an already good sounding source!!
Thanks for a great and honest review..so apart from Node 2i 2021, what shoudl be the alternative for zen stream? From my research maybe Auralic Aries G1..but it's 6 times the Zen Stream price..any advices? thanks :)
I bought a Zen Stream in early 2022. Had I watched your video beforehand, I probably would not have bought it. To be honest, the Zen works fine, provided I connect to my DAC via the USB output. Unfortunately, the S/PDIF output is unstable. I can get the Zen to send data via that output, but if I turn off the Zen, the S/PDIF output won’t work when I turn the Zen on again. I have to go through the complete setup process. If the S/PDIF output were reliable, I could connect the Zen to an AVP or AVR.
I have nearly slung it out of the window several times. Agree with all you have said. I sit down in trepidation of not being able to listen pleasurably.
I must say I have not contacted ifi. Most problems have now settled with firmware update and using an Ethernet connection. The on off button still temperamental so I leave it on permanently.
I was losing my mind trying to figure out why my Zen Stream kept dropping and not working properly. Eventually, I saw a post regarding the power cord. (I have my Zen Stream connected to the ZenDac) Fortunately, I had a compatible cord with more power and tried that one. All has worked perfectly since. it is a bit of a piss off that when you purchase a product they would provide a power cord that just doesn't do the job. Anyway, now it works and I get to enjoy the quality streaming.
Thank you for the deep review, which is very useful, the update issue(mode 1 only) is actually on the top of the first page of the manual. I agree the manual is not thorough enough, especially for non technical people, great sound overall.
Thanks too 😀 They may have updated it, but it’s not clear still to people who wouldn’t know what to look for as it says ‘use for set up’ against all in one mode, so still might get missed. Why not be more explanatory and just say ‘use all in one mode to update the firmware to your device, not the other play modes which cannot access the internet for this purpose….we recommend you set to mode 1 periodically to allow the device’…..or whatever. Sometimes these manuals are not written in a way that caters for no prior knowledge . As I said I don’t think the manual is actually a manual
@@13thnotehifireviews7 I think it comes down to pricing and profitability, Audioexellence's channel claim this toy sounds on par with 2-2.5k streamers, so now it makes total sense, why this gemstone of a streamer is unpolished, they put almost everything in hardware, and a bit in software, which is being done as we speak, leaving the "wrapping" to bare minimum, it isnt a product for everyone, but those who have the patience and a bit of technical know how, will definitely enjoy it.
@@andreywagner5046 a bit of time to write a good manual is not a trade off though IMO. A builder can’t say that because they do a really good job building, it’s ok the invoice they send you makes not as much sense as it could and needs querying. I think it’s lazy. It’s not a gemstone if it keeps dropping. I agree it sounds up there with some pricey streamers, but a tv that cuts out 6 times in short order, would not get a good review, no matter picture quality. If you sell a product for market which has big problems it isn’t ready for market and customers are not the testers to reviews that say it’s great and a brand who wants your money. Sorry that’s not how it works. More people on here are saying it has issues in playback than not. That would be incredibly bad in many industries like TVs and cameras and would not get good reviews. I think I got it right on balance. If they get it right which I hope, I’d be the first to rate it.
Helpful review. Thank you. I don't understand what you mean when you say in terms of sound quality "it takes the node". I haven't come across this expression before. Does it mean it is better than the node in sound quality?
I agree on the poor instructions and sound-wise it kicked my Allo Digione Signature and original Auralic Aries into a cupboard. I've read a lot of opinions about connectivity issues including yours but in my 3 months of ownership it's been rock solid using wifi on my home network without a single dropout. Luck of the draw?
Excellent balanced review. I've had one of these for a while now...and my feeling is that the hardware is top class but they crippled it by basing the software on an old kernel of Volumio that was so problematic that Volumio ditched it and started again! If only iFi would develop their own software.....🙄 I have got it to work successfully by using ethernet and switching everything off except DLNA renderer. 👍 Perhaps the next Stream product will be better...?
@@13thnotehifireviews7 I have a node 2i, I was looking at the Limetree network streamer II, made in Germany, supposed to be a fantastic product and well reviewed.
So it takes this long for anyone ( including ifi) to learn that one must use a browser , not an iPad to get the higher rez from tidal connect . Went back to friendlier node2. At least someone is reviewing properly
@@13thnotehifireviews7 Your review is spot on. I owned one for two weeks and sold it. I had the chance to compare it to my Node 2i and Node (2021) all with external DAC. Flipping between the three of them I was surprised that my old 2i beat both of them in the soundstage area. I agree with you the soundstage on the new Node is not so big and surpassed by the ifi. I always assumed the two Nodes sounded similar but I think most of what I had heard or read was using their internal DAC’s. As streamers only they couldn’t sound more different. Not better or worse, just different. Anyway, I digress, I’m with you on the ifi zen streamer, I couldn’t keep mine. The good side is that with all the hype around, It did the resell like a hot cake though 😄
You have never criticized the sound of this marvel... big mistake! This is where this device really shines! Suddenly we understood how this device works with its connections and different functions (I'm new to the world of streaming...), the sound reproduction is the equivalent of my records... and that even with my better versions in DSD or 24 bits. It's true that with Tidal MQA via Denafrips Ares 2, Hegel H190, Focal Aria 926, I'm served to perfection. I suggest you listen to it with an updated version.
You think my not criticising the sound was a mistake. I’d say the opposite as this is and was an honest review with no agenda. I agree the sound is very good as I said in the title and in the review but the connecting issues are widespread per comments and considering this , the delta of performance with systems factored in, it would not have been my recommendation for your system. The new node with its usb output would be, and I suspect similar sounding in your system and the app and integration plus useage is way better with no bugs and few reported issues. I’ve counted more people having issues with the ifi than not on this video and another reviewer (cheap audio man) agreeing with me. Sadly this is just one of those products that goes way beyond my threshold of being able to have positives about it with connection issues. What review or first pointer led you to buy this ifi out of interest ? 😀
@@13thnotehifireviews7 Thank you Simon, I'm running the Denafrips Iris DDC, Ares II with the latest Bluesound Node via audio quest Cinnamon USB, out to the Denafrips Hades pre and Thallo amp feeding the KLH Model 5's. I heard more than a few glowing reviews about the Zen streamer and thought about purchasing one for the improved sound quality over the new Node. Your video, and your above comment has me staying put with the Node. I just want to sit down after a long day of work and just hit play and listen. I have no desire to be F'n with wireless or network connections when I only get a few hours a day of down time after pulling 12+ hour shifts seven days a week. Thank you for saving what little bit of sanity I have left. I will stick with the Node for now.
Just picked on up second hand and I had zero issues with WIFI dropouts -- even when streaming DSD256 roon only switch set. My unit is in a bedroom for late night listening over a Google mesh network. An access point is also in the bedroom.
I've had my Zen Stream for a couple weeks. Worked great at first then started making buzzing sounds out the speakers when pausing music on Tidal Connect via USB. Coax works fine. Audirvana works fine. This started happening after I accidently put it in hotspot mode while playing music. The issue didn't go away until I put it in beta mode or whatever and updated firmware (updating regular firmware didn't work). But now there is short buzz/crack out the speakers when changing tracks (may have done it before too, not sure..) I wonder how a Bluesound Node with upgraded power supply would compare...
The node 2021 with the usb output is now closer to the ifi and with the reliability and interface, easily the more accomplished product. I do hope ifi sort this. The beta mode is clearly not there yet as it would be on the bought version.
I have the new Node, and it is rock solid and sounds very good to me, of course depending on the source. I normally use Qobuz on my iPad, and I have had zero issues with the Node. It simply works.
Well, I did try one of these Zen Streams, I had the same experience as Randy... Who cares how good it sounds if it does not work? Sent mine back. I went with the Pi2 Mercury v2 and loaded RoPieeeXL on it and am not looking back. It runs everything I have thrown at it, rock solid like my old Node, and has all of the connections I want. I am using it with the Venus II 12th, and have discovered cables do matter, a lot.
You made a comment at the start of the video- about using Mac or windows to get best sound...do you mean my iPhone playing Tidal connect to the ifi zen stream will not have the best possible sound?...is the Volumio Rivo a better choice ?
I did check that out at the time but would need to explore it. However, I’d never make mqa or sample rate a reason to buy a streamer or not because the difference in sound quality between some streamers regardless of quality rates more than makes up.
@@13thnotehifireviews7 yes...of course I'm looking for the best sound quality...iPhone streaming with ifi zen streamer connected to wired Ethernet, using Tidal...am I going to lose sound quality using iPhone over a laptop plugged into usb?
Here are my experiences after 1 hour with the device: Set up is indeed a bit confusing. You have to connect first via ethernet and update to the latest software before attempting to connect via wi-fi. The instructions and set up video should certainly be improved. BUT, once it's up and running I can say it's definitely a big improvement over the Bluesound Node 2i in terms of sound quality: clearer and more detailed, with a deeper soundstage, and just more engaging. I'm running the Zen Stream into a Denafrips Ares ii via USB, whereas with the Bluesound Node 2i I was using the coaxial output from the Bluesound. One user left a comment that he thought the USB output from the Zen Stream didn't sound very good but that has not been my experience at all. I've heard that another significant increase in sound quality can be had by upgrading the stock power supply, either to an ifi product (too bad they don't include a better power supply with the unit), or to a linear power supply. So that's my next project.
@@13thnotehifireviews7 Yes, I'm sure it is. What I don't like about the Bluesound is that it includes a DAC, the built-in power supply is probably a bit noiser than what you can get with an external power supply, and the added features of the Node probably add up to more noise and jitter. So far, I like the stripped down, dedicated approach of the Zen Stream. For audiophiles looking for an inexpensive streamer transport, it seems like a better option. But, I will say Bluesound is very responsive in terms of customer service whereas ifi has yet to respond to my inquiry about the right power supply for the Zen Stream.
I will go with the bluesound node instead after hearing so much connections issues with zen stream, and there don’t seem to be any app like the bluesound offers
I would the Bluesound by far is more user friendly the ifi does sound better I own a Naim also in my main system works flawlessly the only reason I kept the ifi I got an open box for $295 for my game room.
It is similar on some accounts but I think you’d be crazy to buy one. Hold fire - watch my upcoming streamer shoot out vid with 7 streamers including node, argon audio solo and primare np5.
I just picked-up a used Zen Streamer. I got a good price and the distance to connect-over wifi is within ten feet. Wish me well. The user manual - WTF. You want to save some money on printing, I get it. Not having a detailed downloadable manual online is just a giant "F>U" to consumers. The manual isn't even acceptable as a quick-start card.
I know its a diferent price range but don’t confuse the ifi zen to the Innuos ZEN and Innuos ZENith. I have the latter and it is absolutely fabuloussssss!
Good point 😀 the Innuos devices do have great utility if only hard drive prices are high but ripping , streaming and server capability defo increases value stakes !
You update by the interface as shown in screenshot in video. If there are new versions it updates , mine has 2.5 but updated to 2.9 , I think these are the numbers but would need to check
I liked the original Aries and Aries mini but some of newer auralic streamers like g1 are poor value for money I think. The ones with Dacs might be better but I think it’s always better to keep the dac separate. Their ease of use and build is very good I agree. Different level to the ifi
If you're using an outboard dac and just want to be rid of a laptop, assuming all files will be stored on a hard drive which is the most cost effective streamer?
@@13thnotehifireviews7 Is there anything like the Bluesound with no DAC for less? Alternatively continue with PC and find a cheap way to clean the USB noise (RF noise). My DAC is a Qutest with LPS and my system is sub £10k.
I own 2 of these things which I use to stream with Roon, connected to Topping D90SE DAC, Wired network connection is instantly setup. Had them for weeks and both of them have been flawlessly reliable. Not the same can be said about the Bluesound Node and Node 2i, I used to think Roon was at fault but since I got the Zen no problem whatsoever. And yes you are correct, the Zen streamer sound fuller and richer than the Bluesound Nodes.
I don’t think anyone is right or wrong here, a lot can be down to the installation, but I’m seeing more people raise issues with the ifi than the node.
I do own a Bluesound Node, Node 2i, Vault, and Powernode, I can attest they are great flexible devices controlled with a very nice app. But they are buggy, although well supported by the manufacturer. The Zen devices, and I also have a Zen DAC V2, have been near 100% reliable so far, installing with wire or a meshed network in a non issue, and the Zen sound quite noticeably better. It is what it is…
@@13thnotehifireviews7 Lots of drops, misses and hiccups when using with Roon. Also problems with hdmi arc when applicable, just check the forums you’ll find out. I was quite surprised to find Roon completely stable when using Zen streamer, but after weeks of daily use I can confirm it is. That is using a wired network connection to a google mesh network component.
@@13thnotehifireviews7 a lot the people who where trying to help me on the forums where telling me it's your network stupid. well i bought a Node out of desperation and although the SQ is not up to the IFI it has worked flawlessly with Roon for a month now.
is the Lumin SQ as good? these days it hard to fly around to different shops to hear things, i bought the iFi on spec. from all the glowing forums and what was promised.
@@xstensl8823 I have not tried the iFi so i can't compare directly but i believe Lumin is a better product. It also comes with a very good smart phone app and the ability to resample your music up to DSD quality if you so wish. Additionally it is easy to upgrade by removing the internal switching power supply for a better external one. Since it has been some time in the market you should be able to find one second hand for a good price. It doesn't come with I2S output though if that is a thing for you.
Thank you for your honest review! I’m willing to sacrifice some ux for sound quality but unfortunately this seems not ready for prime time. Frankly I find it kind of astounding that the mid / hi-fi industry is unable to produce a sub $1k plug and play streamer (sans dac) with seamless ux. Maybe the Project Streambox?
Thank you. I think that streamer is the node frankly. When you factor in diminishing returns of streamers generally , for all it does. Particularly feature set, easily the king of streamers sub 1k.
I wish I would have seen this review before I bought both of my iFi Zen's. Had connectivity issues with both, sent the second one back but stuck with the first one.
I own a Stream in addition to the two Allo Streamers you mention in the video. For the most part I agree with your review. The Stream promises a lot but can't deliver in the end because the software holds it back. I use mine sparingly, and do not experience dropouts(but I never use wireless, only ethernet, and Qobuz). I hope press like this helps spur IFI into putting more effort into the Stream. I like mine and I can't really fault the sound quality, but I'm definitely waiting for the software to improve. Lenbrook, the maker of the Bluesound Node is a sore point for me. Due to their utter lack of interest in acknowledging paying customers I had to cancel my own Node order and that event was the last time I will ever deal with Lenbrook again.
My experience with ifi stream has been supbar as well. Internet radios are super slow, Spotify Connect doesnt work at all and Tidal Connect only works properly when using windows app, Android app constantly switches devices from streamer to mobile (tho' I was told its Tidal issue and this may be). At least ifi's customer service is quite good (as opposed to Tidal's one which is easily the worst around).
Lately I’ve been getting annoyed with my zen stream. On LAN 1GB/a fiber internet and an internal LAN of 1GB I’m still getting stutter! Sounds quality is amazing when it plays but the damn drop outs. Thinking I might sell it
@@13thnotehifireviews7 sadly I only saw your video today. I had read online reviews etc and hadn’t heard of dropouts. Didn’t think it would be an issue with Ethernet.
@@13thnotehifireviews7 nope all the reviews I read stated how great it sounded. And tbh it does sound great except when there are dropouts and what I’m experiencing is dropouts when playing master quality albums or singles on tidal. Normal doesn’t have drop outs
@@skularatna8136 blame cheapaudio man who said it’s the review he wanted to do, so why didn’t he do it. Money? Etc it’s that type of stuff that costs people money!
I had a Zen Bluesound 2 Dac For music and TV Sounded fantastic for the money It spoke to me ! - though - No instructions Then TV stopped working iFi didn’t explain or offer any solution or a replacement Sent it back I’m going to wait till they react to what must be a lot of negative feedback then maybe try again
I’d rather that they would have told us and customers, and insight into future improvements. but another reviewer wasn’t being told per the comments here on my video too. They are quite happy to take the other reviews positively. I wish HiFi would clean itself up in certain spheres. I realise they work in a tough market and commercial interests but I just don’t get how they could deride all their customers opinion. We don’t live in 1985 where it’s just mag reviews, we can get information online from anyone so quickly nowadays.
Such a pitty this! The product that is, the review I really enjoyed. It looked good to start with, but dropouts (I've had one product years ago that suffered from dropouts) are horrible. Even if it is the best sounding thing you've ever heard, this makes it unbearable. Weird to see it from iFi, since they're usually quite good at doing this kind of thing..
@@xstensl8823 Cool! I used to own a Micro Rendu.. It sounded great, but it could be finicky and annoying.. But we’re quite a lot of years ahead in development, and if it sound anywhere near as good……
Takes a good amount of time to get past the glitches, you can't update over wifi, has to be ethernet. After a few firmware updates it does settle in nicely. I'm happy with it overall, use tidal connect primarily.
Not sure, but the firmware out of the box is basically non functional. Wifi ended working for me in the end, but I preferred ethernet as it sounded better.
i am on my third unit since the first 2 sent to me where defective and the dealer in Singapore would not refund my money. even with the help of iFi and other forum members still can not get it to stream consistently without crashing. you are spot on about the Zen Streams sound quality and this is what makes it so frustrating. also many features that where initially promised to their have not been realized. i will be sending my unit back for a replacement since a refund is out of the question. but for me its a work in progress. would love to find something that sounds just as good but is more stable, cost no object. perhaps iFi will release a V2?
My relations lived in Singapore, a while back now, do they not have an consumer protections like U.K. consumer rights act 2015 re fitness for purpose as described. I know singapore can be a bit each to their own commercially?
@@13thnotehifireviews7 i have referred this matter to my credit card company in the States, but the retailers policy is to charge a 50% restocking fee even on defective products! damm the $$ i would much rather have a unit that works consistently
@@xstensl8823 did ifi not sort it for you? Appeal to them. That’s tough, I really sympathise. If we do it on a credit card here in U.K. and the product is faulty from start there is a line of defence with the credit card company. I assume that’s what you are doing too. Restocking fees in Europe are illegal on products bought online. We are lucky in the U.K. and Europe with consumers protections.
@@13thnotehifireviews7 got an email from iFi yesterday. they said "sorry our hands are tied" still East is East as Kipling said. buyer beware. iFi told me that this chaps where above board, lol
I can use Tidal connect on my iPad and iPhone to ifi Zen stream connected with Ethernet. It doesn’t need Airplay. Did you connect ifi Zen stream via WiFi ? So far I haven’t noticed any dropout or disconnection using Tidal connect only.
Im pretty sure I’m right, but would stand corrected, but if you select the source icon on iPad, a list comes up with ‘via airplay’. On a MacBook tidal connect is a seperate icon. On the iPad you are using it to send music to the zen via airplay through your network. On connect on a Mac or Windows pc or laptop, you instruct the zen to get the stream from the cloud. Check it out.
Oh ok, can you post some screenshot pics on my facebook post ?. Mine is only showing airplay. I did check it online (Darko in fact) when I was doing my script, but might be out of date, but what affirmed it was seeing no tidal connect on my iPad app.
Yup, constant connection issues with this thing. It's so incredibly frustrating. No rhyme or reason as to why the connection just drops out, or how to re-establish connection (as my iFi Zen continues to show the white 'connected' light and my computer/phone can still find it in Tidal Connect, just not actually get it to play music). And like you've alluded to, I think iFi's manual and documentation is laughably minimal, uninstructive, and borderline useless. Combined with the constant connection issues, I'm beginning to wonder what the hell iFi was thinking when they decided to bring this half-baked product to market.
That and Tidal are about it, but much will depend on your network, wired or wifi. I could not get it to work on either, always dropping or skipping around, it has a garbage OS, I believe based on Volumio. I sent mine back after much frustration, and went with the Pi2 Mercury v2. I loaded RoPieeeXL on the Mercury and it works flawlessly with everything I have thrown at it. And it sounds fantastic, so much so that simply changing cable brands makes a difference in sound. Good luck.
I don’t get angry easily but this device made me near explosion, problems connecting to decent synology/qnap cifs/smb storage, problems playing native dsf/dsd files, dropouts using dsd over pcm. Refusing time after time usb connection. DNLA constantly first half second of the song skipping. And I just tried this months update) when it plays it sounds good, but I actually hate the device, my life what a crap software, Beta is a understatement, to my opinion only usable when used for payed streaming services like tidal or qobuz, nothing else
@@13thnotehifireviews7 found out something else to using chord qutest, usb connected ifi-streams makes the chord sound like the worst DAC ever in creation, it is not the dac because pc usb connected with foobar&hqplayer sounds nothing than amazing, optical/coax through bluesound amazing, ifi-stream through usb... it makes you cry so bad, not midbass, bass at all, it is like turning the treble knob to 100% and the bass knob to 20% and midd bass knob to 25%, even the chord RED filter (cut off warm filter) was not enough to fix that. this is really such a failed device, no words for it!! maybe coax is better (have to test with 75 ohm rca to bnc cable) but then you use native-DSD altogether with anything you connect the ifi-stream to. And then I am not even talking about refusing to connect to SMB shares through QNAP/Synology, only NFS seems to work, but then you have to keep rebuilding the 'my music' database, because it get's broken every time. how can people be so happy with this device, the only thing that works is Tidal and Qobuz!
How do these streamers sound better than another? Serious question. I have the new Node, folks are telling me it sounds like crap. My Node sounded the same to my ear as the Cambridge CXN v2 I returned due to its bugs. Sound wise, using my Ares II vs the Node/CXN v2, I heard no difference in SQ. I have an Oppo BDP-83 I use as a transport using the GeerFab digital breakout box and can easily A/B test both easily with the press of a button on the Ares II. I have since added the Iris DDC, which I have the Node connected to via USB. I play a bad recording on the Oppo and it sounds just as bad as the same recording streamed on the Node via Qobuz or Amazon. The same with a well recorded track, I hear no difference in SQ. I have good cables and inexpensive cables, no difference there either. I am trying to understand how these streamers alter the digital signature of the stream to make a recording sound better? What am I missing?
@ Michael Wright... I've got the Cambridge and the Zen stream and have been testing them against each other. Fairly high-end system about 15K, with a Denafrips Pontus DAC, along with the Hermes DDC. I am not hearing much difference either... both sound quite good. I'm thinking the DDC helps level out sonic quality between streamers. Based on my experience unless you have a really budget streamer vs a really expensive streamer, I have not heard a ton of difference in them, particularly with the DDC in the mix. Differences are probably less than 5%. Lots of other types of gear can have more of an impact I've found.
@@toddt5562 Todd, I just upgraded to a Venus II 12th and a Mercury V2 streamer... And then I added this... NETGEAR 8-Port Gigabit Ethernet Plus Switch (GS108Ev3) $42 on Amazon right now... This network switch made a huge impact on both the sound in my system, and the PQ on my TV. It cleaned up so much crap that I never realized that was there. I would buy this switch before spending thousands of dollars on gear. If it flops, send it back, no loss. I think most folks will keep it, especially if you love BASS... Sometimes, it is a little too good. Seriously.
Yes, ethernet and wifi, it is a garbage product, sent it back. Went with a Pi2 Mercury v2, loaded RoPieeeXL on it and am not looking back. No new streamers foreseen in the near future here.
Hi. Thx alot for sharing your experiences with this streamer. I already have the Ifi Zen Blue so was considering this streamer to replace the Zen Blue. Gotta admit the manual, if that's what they are called are just useless and remind me of something which is in prototype anyway if it's quite common for this streamer to have issues then I'll give it a miss and look into a Bluesound node .. Cheers
So I had the Zen Stream for a couple months, no dropouts but would get locked out of Tidal at the end of a listening session..everyday I had to erase Tidal from my phone completely and then reinstall the app to be able to use it for the day. Plus the machine was slow as shit..just wonky all together. But I've also had the Node, the Cambridge CXN2, the WiiM, and the Arcam SA30. The Zen Stream sounds better than all of them..the blackest background for sure. It's been over a year and I think I'm going to try the Zen Stream again..for the money it sounds superb, it's an absolute F'ing shame it's such a piece of sh*t otherwise.
All those issues must've been addressed with the latest firmware release. i only had problems connecting the first time and it's been great since . It actually does sound better than The NODE . It's not a crazy difference but definitely noticeable.
I said it sounds very good. All the issues are not necessarily addressed if it is a kernel issue. If that’s the case it may not be capable or fixing. It’s not like you can say a firmware update solves all if the hardwear isn’t capable of the firmware.
@@13thnotehifireviews7 in my setup it's working fine. it's a little slow when using DLNA apps . With Tidal connect, it's snappy. When the Qobuz native update comes out , my experience will be even better.
@@13thnotehifireviews7 I connect to it everyday without problems. Did I receive a magical unit ? Doubt it . Maybe my WiFi signal is better than I realized. Out of the box I had problems connecting and I did a reset and it connected right away. The next day I did a firmware update and it became more stable. It’s really unfortunate some are having a bad experience with the Streamer . That makes me also wonder why it’s working so well for me and other users.
Not the best produced. But a quick one. The clip of Ken from fish called Wanda is a good one I think. 😂😂 ps it’s not as the expense of the ifi just meant to be fun.
In Canada the Cambridge audio cxn v2 is about 1,900$ while the Zen is about 350$, so on that basis alone I think it's unfair to compare the two, especially since you could purchase two Zen s and with different setups simply switch the Zenchoice via your preamp. You are unclear as to whether the DSD Source dropouts are exclusively Wi-Fi or occur even with Ethernet connection. I have never had a problem with both and so suspect the Zen is not the problem but rather something else up the chain.
Comparing them in uk and eu prices so can’t legislate everywhere. The drop outs happened with Ethernet and Wi-Fi as I said in the video I think. The problem is the zen because there are so many comments saying so, more than for 👍😃
Ifi is good at making everything else. But streamers are not one of them. I just purchased another one in hopes of some improvements. Even after making sure the firmware was fully updated. I can conclude that nothing has changed. It's sad how good it sounds when it actually works. But the headache it brings is not worth it. Nobody told me it only has Tidal connect for android phones.
I’m not sure about that though as the new neo stream looks terrific if it works well. I’ve got a Chinese streamer from brand EverSolo which is terrifically made.
Thank for the review. I usually like your reviews but there's something that doesn't add up here. Your comment in a youtube review of the Stream by Audio Excellence was: "Sorry, ‘way more detail’ just doesn’t exist in streamers of similar prices . You tend to be looking at similar performance but different feature sets. The node objectively has ‘way more features’ than the ifi." Yet, you are saying in this review that the Stream does sound better than Node, just as the Audio Excellent guys were claiming, but then you go on to slash it on the grounds of connectivity issues. I've used the Node 2i with my older Hegel H90 and it was just average as a transport. The streaming within the H90 was much better. I own a H95 now but, unfortunately, there are issues with volume control during playback that Hegel doesn't seem to acknowledge or care about (they don't care about consumers). So, I decided to buy a Zen Stream to connect to the Hegel. I was hoping your review would be helpful in this regard but it just made me more suspicious about the reasons that drive these kind of reviews. Just as all resellers I talked to, you seem to be on a cruzade to promote the Node, which is a rock solid nice product but just of average SQ. So, I guess I have to take the risk to buy the Stream and hope it works without connectivity issues. Maybe, I'll acknowledge you were right in a few weeks time
Way more detail doesn't exist in HiFi streamers at this price. I clarified that by saying 5-10% difference, whereas 'way more detail' might imply orders of magnitude of 30-40%. My beef was exclaiming something is better sounding to the exclusion of the Node. Also when you review you have to explain if you think more people like something than another, which I did with SQ on the ZS, but also that people might like the Node SQ. I did not slash the ZS but raised what I think are fundamental issues, as another reviewer has agreed on here. The opposite would be to lie to you. I don't find the node 2021 less good with a Hegel h390, to its own streaming engine as a transport, in fact I think it is incredibly small. with its DACs I'd agree with you - having tried h120 which uses similar quality dacs to your amps I disagree Hegel don't care about consumers, they are very responsive on their Facebook group and If you speak to them they will sort out issues. Norwegian people are often generous people! Your post seems to indicate that you want the review to be good because you bought one. Whilst this is both natural and admirable perhaps, I cannot with respect, factor that into my reviews. I promote the node because it is good overall and is incredibly good feature wise. It isn't just about SQ but with 5-10 percent differences (and with different sonic preferences) it is enough to choose products over features and the node has way more of them and much better usability, I get your distrust for reviews but personally I would be much more suspicious of a sea of reviews promoting the ZS when all over FB, RUclips and Forums problems are being raised with it. AV forums hinted at it in their review and he probably found them bigger. Did you notice ifi sponsor AV forums. Your post seems to 'maybe' suggest that I told porkies over the connectivity problems? , and what I would find much more credible set against this review is the sea of consumer opinions agreeing with me. Credit to one reviewer changing his mind and supporting my point above - sometimes reviewers can't mention issues for all sorts of reasons, for the eagle eyed reading all the comments on this thread.
@@13thnotehifireviews7 thanks for the additional clarification on your review and comments. Let me try to explain myself. I haven't bought the Zen Stream yet and have read a lot about it, including comments and reviews. So far, I haven't come across one single comment that would not state the Stream offers better sound quality compared to the Node, just as you did. As to the connectivity issues, there's tons of people saying it is prone to dropouts just as there's so many people claiming they haven't had such problems. So, if it doesn't happen with all devices, it might be related with one or more factors (firmware, network, switches?) that concour to make it unreliable. So, I'm skeptical about spending 400 Euros in a device that may or may not work well. I'd be really happy to come across a review that tries to shed light on this issue, rather than take sides. Anyway, I won't bother you again with this or any other issues.
Vitor Gonçalves no that’s ok , but you obviously missed what I and cheap audio man said . We both tried to get answers from ifi to no avail. As I showed in video…..What more can I do to try and shed light. ? They obviously aren’t saying anything due to big product problems. If you add up the people in this thread I’m counting more people who experienced issues than didn’t. That’s let alone before you go on other forums, so I stand by my comments and on balance I’m right to raise them
I also have a Hegel H95 and was considering adding a node or ifi stream. So glad i didn’t. Streaming Qobus from iphone via airplay to h95 is rock solid and oustanding sound quality. Hegel’s airplay implementation is amazing to my ears.
Very well done and thorough review. you made all the points that I couldn't. I spoke with ifi many times after I posted my review about things and my point was that if people can't use it then it doesn't matter how good it sounds. They didn't care for my comment. They actually sent me another one but I'm sending it back. Great review. I had a similar experience.
Thanks Randy. I Like your humour too. Glad you liked it. Not one of my best produced as I’m doing this largely due to the buzz off of hifi and production - after effects, 3d graphics and so on. I like the way you don’t take it too seriously too, and watched your zen stream video - music and audio it is the entertainment business after all.
Thank you both for your candid honesty! I’m finally about to move from my MacBook and this makes my decision much easier.
Well with the 2 of you agreed, that makes it final... this is a rebranded Sith Audio product.
Absolutely agree. I had serious drop-out problems too. Should not be happening when you pay this kind of money!
Stupid me gave it a shot, sent it back, would not work on my network without dropping, etc. I felt like a delta tester, not a beta tester, a delta tester. Garbage. I went with the Pi2 Mercury v2, loaded RoPieeeXL on it, works like a champ, not one issue with anything I have thrown at it.
I was an early adopter of the ZEN Stream…have had one for about six months. With a good power supply, it's been close to 100% reliable and sounds great. I came here thinking I would want to argue with your review, but I really can't. You make good points, especially about the documentation. The ZEN Stream is as close to an ideal Roon Endpoint solution as anything I've found, but it's not as welcoming to users new to streaming as it could be. No argument there. Well done.
What power supply did you use replacing the cheapie switch mode unit supplied in the oem box?
Power supply is key with this thing. I tried two iFi iPower supplies and it was an unstable disaster. Used the generic 12v that came with it and it was way more stable but didn’t sound as good. . I’m trying and Sbooster right now and the stability is pretty decent and the sound is next level.
@@giltender I did the same with a 15v sbooster, very nice indeed.
@@steve-94951 - I went with an iPower X ($109). I purchased the 9V version, which has worked perfectly, but if I had studied the markings on the back of the ZEN Stream more closely, I would have gone with the 12V (middle of the 9 to 15V range). Some folks claim better sound with sBooster and other LPS, but I've not gone that far upscale.
Hi David, I am also an early adopter lime you. Seems one of my Zen Streams came with the 9V PSU. How did you upgrade yours? Did you contact IFI or your dealer? Thanks
I just want to say that I got a Zen Stream recently. It's working great! I use it with Airplay. It connected to my wi-fi network no problem, and it connects to Airplay every time.
I'm using my iFi Zen Stream (hard-wired) in the Roon setting using the USB output to a Chord Qutest and have had zero problems. The Node 2i that was there before is looking for a new home. Hopefully they work out all of the usability issues that has been effecting other uses, but it's been perfect in my application--and it does sound noticeably better than the Bluesound.
Good call. Enjoy 😊
Thanks for your candid review, had problem with Tidal connect through my android phone, just hoped that the language used would be better, had me on the edge a bit.
Thanks for the very good review. I have the Zen Stream from Thursday 23 dec 2021. I use it with a mesh router and connected it wired to the ethernet port of a station.
Wired it works fine and the sound is indeed awesome. The power on button, you have to press single to power up, hold a few seconds and it powers down.
The documention is rubbisch, still alot room to improve here. Also I have now turned to DLNA mode only, now the Ifi webbrowser is not possible to access. So now internet radio to use from app..
A selector at the front would be bettter, to swith mode's.
So, yess think I have to agree with your review, a awesome wired streamer. I think I will keep it, but it is only because I use it wired, and it sounds awesome....
Very welcome assessment in a hifi world of reviewers that mostly can't bring itself to be consumer friendly, well done Simon and much appreciated 👏
Thanks Michael , this one went past the threshold.
I used this stream product for a few weeks. It does sound great. The tech support is horrendous responding to a crashing app. The distributor I purchased from is horrendous in responding to return questions. The last FW update installed just knocked all tidal down to 44kHz across the board, which really is not a solution. Purchased the newest BS Node and could not be happier. I don't think the node is inferior sounding at all. Node enabled me to use Qobuz and it's magnificent music quality.
Which country are you in Jason so I can know which distributor you mean. How come poor?
@@13thnotehifireviews7 I am in USA. The distributor refunded my money today so I am happy with them. iFi on the other hand has a lot of work to make their streamer ready for prime time selling.
You made very valid points Simon. I had the IFi for about 2 weeks. I didn't experience drop outs, but I found its usability to be pretty poor. I couldn't even get the WIFI to connect. I'd rather spend a little more and invest in another Bluesound node. I have a 2i in a different room. I'd give the Zen Streamer no more than a 6 out of 10.
Thanks at least someone is sticking up for consumers if only this project has limited legs in it
Just got one of these yesterday. Works flawlessly and the sound quality is stunning.
Great review Simon. I wish all reviews of new gear were as honest. With fewer bricks and mortar shops existing it seems we have to rely more on reviews these days, so honest reviews do us all a service.
Great review! Your experiences mirror my own. I purchased a zen stream along with a separate iFi power supply, and they sounded great together, but the zen stream was buggy. I reached out to iFi for support, but they took so long to respond that I had already sent the products back by the time iFi got back to me. The Node does not sound quite as good, but it is a rock solid performer.
Thank you. The bad consumer experience seems evident by other comments and my experiences too. Sad really
You are so right on about the zen slow connection problems and on / off buttons . Wow you too wrote 3 tickets , which was horrendously intricate then never received one reply . My dealer when messaging thought I was inept . Brilliant job . I actually gave up tidal because of not getting zone 3 for tidal to work . Went back to apples new higher rez streaming . Not using airplay for lossless plugging into topping D90 DAC from iPad . Streamer on shelf .This is the review I would have wanted to write .
I have had one for many months and it has been faultless. The setup was straightforward, it is easy to use and it sound is really good. From my own use I would recommend it. I use it as a Roon end point mainly in exclusive mode. I am planning to buy another one for a different room. Sorry to hear you had troubles, I hope you get it sorted or are given a replacement.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. It doesn’t seem that it is reliable for most so far. I wonder if these are issues with how it works on certain networks. Are you using beta version?
@@13thnotehifireviews7 No, I have not updated it since I bought it. I will check and let you know the version and when I bought it.
@@13thnotehifireviews7 I bought the Stream in August and can confirm the system version is 2.29.4 released Aug 12 2021. I can update to V2.29.9 but will hold back if others are having problems, I have only a Michael Jacksons Thriller in DSD all tracks play OK with no delay. I am downloading Fiona Joys Story of Ghosts which is 256 DSD to test too. I hope this helps.
Colin Wilby thanks for your feedback
Spot on review, an excellent sounding product marred by buggy firmware and support. After a few months my, second, unit has settled down but I only use Spotify connect and avoid the iFi app and do not use the inbuilt volume control. Still waiting for the Chromecast capability promised at launch. Thanks for the honest review.
I am a early supporter. Ever since the latest firmware update, most of the problem gone. Spotify, Tidal and Roon all working great.
Totally agree on the poor instructions and you will therefore need a bit of know-how to overcome the initial set-up. Aside from that, I've had mine for about 3 weeks connected via ethernet and set to mode 5 which is for DLNA and its been rock solid. As for sound I feel its so good that it has bettered more expensive streamers I've had such as the allo usbridge sig, project ultra s2 ultra and sonore Ultrarendu. My on/off button works fine though may be dependant on the mode set on the back. Hopefully they release more updates to make the rest of the unit more reliable as it's a great bit of gear otherwise.
I agree it does sound fantastic. Not quite the sonore optical rendu or innuos ZENith I tried but extremely good soundwise. I hope people see my intention is never to sh1t on them. Give credit where due.
Interesting. I’ve had my Zen Stream for several months now and it works perfectly over Wi-Fi for Tidal Connect, Spotify Connect and Airplay. No dropouts. Maybe I just got lucky? I updated firmware on day one. My router is a standard BT one. I use IOS to control and I have found that you must stop the stream by selecting ‘phone’ as the output device before switching from Airplay to Tidal Connect or Spotify Connect or any combo otherwise it won’t respond. This may sound annoying but it’s second nature now.
Was reading Amazon reviews -- half seem to be happy like you, the other half having similar problems as the reviewer...
Most of the people on here are having issues if you count for and against but 50:50 is still not great. But the reviewer has to meet them ‘half way’. How the hell do I lie to people
@@13thnotehifireviews7 as someone who's researching a streamer purchase, I'm very happy to hear about any potential problems. I always check the negative reviews e.g. amazon -- often a certain amount can be ruled out, but when they have a theme, (and that theme recurs here), I recognise a problem. And when I hear how the makers react, I'm not impressed.
Fwiw - you seem to be an honest bloke -- I don't think you need to get so defensive, or give yourself a hard time for telling the truth...
Tom I don’t do bad reviews out of malice and they are rare as most gear is good. I’ll say what I prefer and why but leave to choice regarding competing gear reviews, but where I do cross the line is where a product shouldn’t be released and is very bad. I’ve done 3 of these reviews in 3 years. If the brand won’t deal with me again then they prob aren’t the sort of firm to hold their hands up and say ‘Houston we have a problem’ so a school of thought, what comes around…..also in this case the brand wanted me to ‘meet them half way’ on the product being good and criticised me for not being a genuine reviewer when experience shows their other reviewer reviews were not genuine. I pride myself on honesty. That shows they don’t really care about customers on faulty products and owning up to issues. I wouldn’t deal with ifi personally but it’s prob mutual anyway.
opinions seems to be that IFI built this thing on older a "kernel" and hence compatibility issues for a wide variety of applications. needs to be redesigned from the ground up to ensure universal stability. it's a fundamental problem that firmware updates will not solve. meanwhile my Bluesound Node continues to work flawlessly without weekly the firmware updates.
I haven't had any drop outs when it is connected its okay, just getting it connected to tidal is a problem sometimes.
Good review, Did u use external dac on the bluesound node thru usb output , when comparing the izen? Looking for an streamer ?
I have one and while i dont have audio drop outs like you did, the software is a buggy mess. Spotify connect no longer works with the new firmware so I have to use tidal connect. The good news is there an active thread on headfi where ifi is addressing concerns. Since the unit sounds so good I think I'll keep it and hope they work out the bugs like they promised.
Thanks for comments, can you send a link?
Thanks for being willing to sort out WHY things aren't working. At times, fixing glitches can be akin to doing your own dental surgery. It might work, but you're definitely NOT the better for it. I'll steer clear of this. Thanks again!
Thanks Catherine. I hope it prompts them to put out releases to improve it as I’d genuinely use this as a test unit if improved.
Hi, I am a Zen stream user since 5 months now, using mainly TIDAL connect, I play occasionally uncompressed high-res files from an SSD hard drive.
I was reading the reliability issues with the firmware but gave a chance to iFi since they already built many great products and I also liked the company profile.
Going with the Zen stream was a good idea. I also experienced some issues with TIDAL (via android app) but nothing serious, I needed to reinstall The TIDAL app on my phone 3 times in the 2nd month, since than TIDAL Connect works very well.
With the SSD I had minor issues, 2 times I needed to re-scann library to see all files but more or less that was it
Overall I am very happy, mainly because those minor problems could be solved with a few clicks and man, the sound quality (vs a laptop via USB to DAC and vs an Android MI box via optical to DAC) is 2 levels up vs anything I tried before. Improvement was huge in dinamics, timing/rythm and soundstage, the silence helped a lot to enjoy the music better. Using lover volume music was also more enjoyable, I did not need to turn volume up.
I am sure I would have been happy with a Node as well, but hearing the confirmation from the reviews that for this price this is the streamer to beat I am relaxed 😎.
I also bought a Zen Phono from iFi and it also brought some magic into my life ( vs integrated phonostage I compared with )
Love to all the music lovers!
As always, a good review! I like how you're using more humor, too. This sounds like a product still in beta testing. The rear screw/switch is also an absolutely terrible design. WTH
Delta testing, beta products are rarely if ever this bad.
Bought this unit with big hopes... It can't even detect USB out, İt changes it's output to SPDIF randomly... They make u use a beta app that doesn't even work 100%. Just save your money an buy something else...
When did you get it out of interest - recently? Just interested if beta testing still going on ?
Tidal connect works perfect in both the universal and exclusive modes. Ipads, iphones too. I use it with ethernet and usb with Topping D90se. Sounds exquisite. Spotify connect is broken after the last update. App and updates work only in universal mode. Auto on/off on the Topping doesn’t work with the Zen. I guess it keeps the signal over USB always turned on.
Thanks someone corrected me on that! Whoops
@Gradient Network Mine is on 2.29 firmware. Hope they haven't broken it in a newer update. Make sure you reboot the ZS when you change between modes. Works as supposed to here. Also clear your play queue or disengage Tidal connect from the app once you are done listening (you know you've done it when the green light on the ZS goes out).
Thanks for that review. You aren’t the first reviewer to note these issues. Your analysis is right on point. Several other reviewers raved over it stating it was great despite what they called “minor” problems. I’ve got a zen blue that absolutely won’t pass LDAC even though it claims it will. It will connect and begin playing, then it drops out never to reconnect. All very similar to what you described. To further validate what you’re saying, their tech support was worthless.
Thank you too. They were not great with me re beta, which frankly I found odd because I have an opinion and a platform. If they would have showed me beta working and assured me the current firmware would be updated with no issues , then this would be a different review. Humour aside in my review, as I said in the description this is not meant to criticise a brand for the sake of it but drop outs (6 in 3 minutes) would not be tolerated on a tv etc. I’m sure I’ll get the backlash of people who a) own the product without faults and b) iFi fanistas, but I thought I should raise it because the online comments are too widespread for it to be credibly not a big issue. Also ifi wound me up with the Facebook comments that I’m not a genuine reviewer when the other reviews rate it and made no reference whatsoever to these very frequent consumer comments about drop outs. Brands have to realise and be smart that if they are to use hifi reviewers to say products are good when they aren’t and information sharing online is easy, then that derides the good review when it comes out, as why should anyone believe such a genuinely positive review that ‘meets them half way’. I can’t know but the comments of minor problems in that review looked to me like he knew of the issues and was playing them down. The other ones saying it’s product of the year, well I don’t know what to say…..
hi Simon, can you recommend something that sound as good or better than the iFi but is as reliable as the Bluesound and is relatively easy to set up?
Sonore products are very good but pricier. So are the Innuos streamers.
I agree with your assessment. I've done everything I can think of to stop the dropouts (including using a wired connection) but without success. Very frustrating as, for audio on a budget, it is good value but not worth it because its reliability is so poor.
Did you buy it before or after this review out of interest ?
@@13thnotehifireviews7 Sadly, before.
Ifi are not fools and the zenstream is fantastic hardware however it's almost like they are intentionally dumbing down the software for a reason that is not clear.
Sound quality is high end for a mid Fi price which is why I persevere with it over the Node.
Wow, I thought it was just me. Everything bad you mention I've experienced it. With this streamer. It sounds amazing when it works
Totally agree it sounds great
@13th Note HiFi Reviews at first I bought two ifi stream. Once I heard the first one, I bought another one for my smaller system. They both had connection issues, and the power button was giving me hell one the second one. I end up returning the second unit. Replace it with a WiiM pro that I love.... so far. No, dsd is the only thing I miss with this streamer, but at $150.00 usd. And it sounds better then ifi stream
@@killacallahan1 I’m gonna see if I can get the pro, have tried wiim mini
Hi Simon, thank you for your fine review - l wish I’d listened!! I just don’t understand why the software is so buggy. I’ve used Volumio many times without the issues I have with the Zen. It like a bear with a hangover - I never know when it’s about to turn on me. Does sound good though. Thanks for an honest and up front review. 👍
Thanks Rob, they were not being honest about this one. I bought the zen dac for my new pc and am gonna do a video on that as it is a very good product.
@@13thnotehifireviews7 I’ve a feeling their DAC will do well…… I’ve swapped out my rather expensive ASR for the Zen phono and the latter does not embarrass itself. I’ve an old Triode Corp DAC and I’m not looking forward to the day it has to be replaced. I most definitely fall into the subjective category!!
@@13thnotehifireviews7 Hi Simon, not a plug for MCRU but I added one of their power supplies and it has made the Stream’s finicky nature worth the price of admission. Still need to remind it about the SPDIF connection - but what an improvement in an already good sounding source!!
Thanks for a great and honest review..so apart from Node 2i 2021, what shoudl be the alternative for zen stream? From my research maybe Auralic Aries G1..but it's 6 times the Zen Stream price..any advices? thanks :)
I’d recommend watching my Auralic aries g1 video.
I bought a Zen Stream in early 2022. Had I watched your video beforehand, I probably would not have bought it. To be honest, the Zen works fine, provided I connect to my DAC via the USB output. Unfortunately, the S/PDIF output is unstable. I can get the Zen to send data via that output, but if I turn off the Zen, the S/PDIF output won’t work when I turn the Zen on again. I have to go through the complete setup process. If the S/PDIF output were reliable, I could connect the Zen to an AVP or AVR.
I have nearly slung it out of the window several times. Agree with all you have said. I sit down in trepidation of not being able to listen pleasurably.
Crossed the line for me. Rare.
Ps What do ifi say to you out of interest ?
I must say I have not contacted ifi. Most problems have now settled with firmware update and using an Ethernet connection. The on off button still temperamental so I leave it on permanently.
@@13thnotehifireviews7 further to my last note in general settings in the app you can now switch off and on the device.
I was losing my mind trying to figure out why my Zen Stream kept dropping and not working properly. Eventually, I saw a post regarding the power cord. (I have my Zen Stream connected to the ZenDac) Fortunately, I had a compatible cord with more power and tried that one. All has worked perfectly since. it is a bit of a piss off that when you purchase a product they would provide a power cord that just doesn't do the job. Anyway, now it works and I get to enjoy the quality streaming.
Thank you for the deep review, which is very useful, the update issue(mode 1 only) is actually on the top of the first page of the manual.
I agree the manual is not thorough enough, especially for non technical people, great sound overall.
Thanks too 😀 They may have updated it, but it’s not clear still to people who wouldn’t know what to look for as it says ‘use for set up’ against all in one mode, so still might get missed. Why not be more explanatory and just say ‘use all in one mode to update the firmware to your device, not the other play modes which cannot access the internet for this purpose….we recommend you set to mode 1 periodically to allow the device’…..or whatever. Sometimes these manuals are not written in a way that caters for no prior knowledge . As I said I don’t think the manual is actually a manual
@@13thnotehifireviews7 I think it comes down to pricing and profitability, Audioexellence's channel claim this toy sounds on par with 2-2.5k streamers, so now it makes total sense, why this gemstone of a streamer is unpolished, they put almost everything in hardware, and a bit in software, which is being done as we speak, leaving the "wrapping" to bare minimum, it isnt a product for everyone, but those who have the patience and a bit of technical know how, will definitely enjoy it.
@@andreywagner5046 a bit of time to write a good manual is not a trade off though IMO. A builder can’t say that because they do a really good job building, it’s ok the invoice they send you makes not as much sense as it could and needs querying. I think it’s lazy. It’s not a gemstone if it keeps dropping. I agree it sounds up there with some pricey streamers, but a tv that cuts out 6 times in short order, would not get a good review, no matter picture quality. If you sell a product for market which has big problems it isn’t ready for market and customers are not the testers to reviews that say it’s great and a brand who wants your money. Sorry that’s not how it works. More people on here are saying it has issues in playback than not. That would be incredibly bad in many industries like TVs and cameras and would not get good reviews. I think I got it right on balance. If they get it right which I hope, I’d be the first to rate it.
Helpful review. Thank you. I don't understand what you mean when you say in terms of sound quality "it takes the node". I haven't come across this expression before. Does it mean it is better than the node in sound quality?
Can you give me a time stamp
Is there like a raspberry pi solution that simply has coaxial output with no DAC?
You can get them from brands like hifi berry, Allo, and the Chinese parent of WiiM - trying to remember their name
I agree on the poor instructions and sound-wise it kicked my Allo Digione Signature and original Auralic Aries into a cupboard. I've read a lot of opinions about connectivity issues including yours but in my 3 months of ownership it's been rock solid using wifi on my home network without a single dropout. Luck of the draw?
Keep it and tiptoe about Mark , only joking. It does sound fantastic I agree.
Excellent balanced review. I've had one of these for a while now...and my feeling is that the hardware is top class but they crippled it by basing the software on an old kernel of Volumio that was so problematic that Volumio ditched it and started again! If only iFi would develop their own software.....🙄 I have got it to work successfully by using ethernet and switching everything off except DLNA renderer. 👍 Perhaps the next Stream product will be better...?
Thanks very much Steven. 😀🎼
I turned off all except tidal and Spotify connect let’s see if It makes an improvement
Great review again Simon… really doing a great service here for potential customers who can’t demo
Thanks
Thanks very much Gerald, got to be honest when goes past a threshold 😀
@@13thnotehifireviews7 I have a node 2i, I was looking at the Limetree network streamer II, made in Germany, supposed to be a fantastic product and well reviewed.
So it takes this long for anyone ( including ifi) to learn that one must use a browser , not an iPad to get the higher rez from tidal connect . Went back to friendlier node2. At least someone is reviewing properly
Thank you 😊 btw I corrected myself on tidal via iPad, I was wrong on that. Whoops.
Thanks for the review. When you compare its sound to the Node I assume you use the Node only as a Streamer using the same external DAC as the ifi?
Yes I used a range of Dacs , rme adi2 dac fs, and quest 😀
@@13thnotehifireviews7
Your review is spot on. I owned one for two weeks and sold it. I had the chance to compare it to my Node 2i and Node (2021) all with external DAC. Flipping between the three of them I was surprised that my old 2i beat both of them in the soundstage area. I agree with you the soundstage on the new Node is not so big and surpassed by the ifi. I always assumed the two Nodes sounded similar but I think most of what I had heard or read was using their internal DAC’s. As streamers only they couldn’t sound more different. Not better or worse, just different. Anyway, I digress, I’m with you on the ifi zen streamer, I couldn’t keep mine. The good side is that with all the hype around, It did the resell like a hot cake though 😄
You have never criticized the sound of this marvel... big mistake! This is where this device really shines!
Suddenly we understood how this device works with its connections and different functions (I'm new to the world of streaming...), the sound reproduction is the equivalent of my records... and that even with my better versions in DSD or 24 bits.
It's true that with Tidal MQA via Denafrips Ares 2, Hegel H190, Focal Aria 926, I'm served to perfection.
I suggest you listen to it with an updated version.
You think my not criticising the sound was a mistake. I’d say the opposite as this is and was an honest review with no agenda. I agree the sound is very good as I said in the title and in the review but the connecting issues are widespread per comments and considering this , the delta of performance with systems factored in, it would not have been my recommendation for your system. The new node with its usb output would be, and I suspect similar sounding in your system and the app and integration plus useage is way better with no bugs and few reported issues. I’ve counted more people having issues with the ifi than not on this video and another reviewer (cheap audio man) agreeing with me. Sadly this is just one of those products that goes way beyond my threshold of being able to have positives about it with connection issues. What review or first pointer led you to buy this ifi out of interest ? 😀
@@13thnotehifireviews7 Thank you Simon, I'm running the Denafrips Iris DDC, Ares II with the latest Bluesound Node via audio quest Cinnamon USB, out to the Denafrips Hades pre and Thallo amp feeding the KLH Model 5's. I heard more than a few glowing reviews about the Zen streamer and thought about purchasing one for the improved sound quality over the new Node. Your video, and your above comment has me staying put with the Node. I just want to sit down after a long day of work and just hit play and listen. I have no desire to be F'n with wireless or network connections when I only get a few hours a day of down time after pulling 12+ hour shifts seven days a week. Thank you for saving what little bit of sanity I have left. I will stick with the Node for now.
Just picked on up second hand and I had zero issues with WIFI dropouts -- even when streaming DSD256 roon only switch set. My unit is in a bedroom for late night listening over a Google mesh network. An access point is also in the bedroom.
It’s hit and miss from comments but large ppn of people report issues
I've had my Zen Stream for a couple weeks. Worked great at first then started making buzzing sounds out the speakers when pausing music on Tidal Connect via USB. Coax works fine. Audirvana works fine. This started happening after I accidently put it in hotspot mode while playing music.
The issue didn't go away until I put it in beta mode or whatever and updated firmware (updating regular firmware didn't work). But now there is short buzz/crack out the speakers when changing tracks (may have done it before too, not sure..)
I wonder how a Bluesound Node with upgraded power supply would compare...
The node 2021 with the usb output is now closer to the ifi and with the reliability and interface, easily the more accomplished product. I do hope ifi sort this. The beta mode is clearly not there yet as it would be on the bought version.
I have the new Node, and it is rock solid and sounds very good to me, of course depending on the source. I normally use Qobuz on my iPad, and I have had zero issues with the Node. It simply works.
Well, I did try one of these Zen Streams, I had the same experience as Randy... Who cares how good it sounds if it does not work? Sent mine back. I went with the Pi2 Mercury v2 and loaded RoPieeeXL on it and am not looking back. It runs everything I have thrown at it, rock solid like my old Node, and has all of the connections I want. I am using it with the Venus II 12th, and have discovered cables do matter, a lot.
although he didn’t mention that in his original review…..
You made a comment at the start of the video- about using Mac or windows to get best sound...do you mean my iPhone playing Tidal connect to the ifi zen stream will not have the best possible sound?...is the Volumio Rivo a better choice ?
Can you give me a time stamp please.
@@13thnotehifireviews7 30 seconds into the video
I did check that out at the time but would need to explore it. However, I’d never make mqa or sample rate a reason to buy a streamer or not because the difference in sound quality between some streamers regardless of quality rates more than makes up.
@@13thnotehifireviews7 yes...of course I'm looking for the best sound quality...iPhone streaming with ifi zen streamer connected to wired Ethernet, using Tidal...am I going to lose sound quality using iPhone over a laptop plugged into usb?
Here are my experiences after 1 hour with the device: Set up is indeed a bit confusing. You have to connect first via ethernet and update to the latest software before attempting to connect via wi-fi. The instructions and set up video should certainly be improved. BUT, once it's up and running I can say it's definitely a big improvement over the Bluesound Node 2i in terms of sound quality: clearer and more detailed, with a deeper soundstage, and just more engaging. I'm running the Zen Stream into a Denafrips Ares ii via USB, whereas with the Bluesound Node 2i I was using the coaxial output from the Bluesound. One user left a comment that he thought the USB output from the Zen Stream didn't sound very good but that has not been my experience at all.
I've heard that another significant increase in sound quality can be had by upgrading the stock power supply, either to an ifi product (too bad they don't include a better power supply with the unit), or to a linear power supply. So that's my next project.
The usb output of the new node 2021 is quite improved from coax output of the older 2i. 😀
@@13thnotehifireviews7 Yes, I'm sure it is. What I don't like about the Bluesound is that it includes a DAC, the built-in power supply is probably a bit noiser than what you can get with an external power supply, and the added features of the Node probably add up to more noise and jitter. So far, I like the stripped down, dedicated approach of the Zen Stream. For audiophiles looking for an inexpensive streamer transport, it seems like a better option. But, I will say Bluesound is very responsive in terms of customer service whereas ifi has yet to respond to my inquiry about the right power supply for the Zen Stream.
@@joshuaschneck i replaced the stock power chord that came with the Node 2i with a Kimber Power Kable. made a difference.
I will go with the bluesound node instead after hearing so much connections issues with zen stream, and there don’t seem to be any app like the bluesound offers
Sensible decision Andreas
I would the Bluesound by far is more user friendly the ifi does sound better I own a Naim also in my main system works flawlessly the only reason I kept the ifi I got an open box for $295 for my game room.
as someone who is looking for a streamer thank you for posting this review.
Thank you for saying thankyou. I’ve got the zen dac ver 2 atm, and for the sake of balance it’s a very good dac at the money. 😀🎼
Wish I saw this review before ordering it. Do these connection issues exist when hard-wired too?
Yes both
@@13thnotehifireviews7 Cheers
How is the stability of the Zen as of September 2022? I'm considering one for the sound quality!
It is similar on some accounts but I think you’d be crazy to buy one. Hold fire - watch my upcoming streamer shoot out vid with 7 streamers including node, argon audio solo and primare np5.
@@13thnotehifireviews7 Ok thanks for letting me know! Looking forward to the shoot out video!😊
I had no dropouts with mine, but my Spotify connect didn’t work.
I just picked-up a used Zen Streamer. I got a good price and the distance to connect-over wifi is within ten feet. Wish me well. The user manual - WTF. You want to save some money on printing, I get it. Not having a detailed downloadable manual online is just a giant "F>U" to consumers. The manual isn't even acceptable as a quick-start card.
I know its a diferent price range but don’t confuse the ifi zen to the Innuos ZEN and Innuos ZENith. I have the latter and it is absolutely fabuloussssss!
Good point 😀 the Innuos devices do have great utility if only hard drive prices are high but ripping , streaming and server capability defo increases value stakes !
So I just bought one to try... how does one check that the firmware is current, and how is it updated? Thanks in advance.
You update by the interface as shown in screenshot in video. If there are new versions it updates , mine has 2.5 but updated to 2.9 , I think these are the numbers but would need to check
Que streamer recomiendas conectar a mi Topping D90SE????
Funny that you're having issues with the on/off button. The on/off button on my Zen Phono also gives me a headache. Seems to be an ifi feature.
I think they need to take a step back and ensure these sorts of things work well and possibly/maybe not rush to get products to market.
This is why I rate Auralic so highly, the user experience is first class.
I liked the original Aries and Aries mini but some of newer auralic streamers like g1 are poor value for money I think. The ones with Dacs might be better but I think it’s always better to keep the dac separate. Their ease of use and build is very good I agree. Different level to the ifi
If you're using an outboard dac and just want to be rid of a laptop, assuming all files will be stored on a hard drive which is the most cost effective streamer?
Cost effective is always a question of price and the type of system you want to use it in
@@13thnotehifireviews7 Is there anything like the Bluesound with no DAC for less? Alternatively continue with PC and find a cheap way to clean the USB noise (RF noise). My DAC is a Qutest with LPS and my system is sub £10k.
I own 2 of these things which I use to stream with Roon, connected to Topping D90SE DAC, Wired network connection is instantly setup. Had them for weeks and both of them have been flawlessly reliable. Not the same can be said about the Bluesound Node and Node 2i, I used to think Roon was at fault but since I got the Zen no problem whatsoever. And yes you are correct, the Zen streamer sound fuller and richer than the Bluesound Nodes.
I don’t think anyone is right or wrong here, a lot can be down to the installation, but I’m seeing more people raise issues with the ifi than the node.
I do own a Bluesound Node, Node 2i, Vault, and Powernode, I can attest they are great flexible devices controlled with a very nice app. But they are buggy, although well supported by the manufacturer. The Zen devices, and I also have a Zen DAC V2, have been near 100% reliable so far, installing with wire or a meshed network in a non issue, and the Zen sound quite noticeably better. It is what it is…
How are they buggy for you?
@@13thnotehifireviews7 Lots of drops, misses and hiccups when using with Roon. Also problems with hdmi arc when applicable, just check the forums you’ll find out. I was quite surprised to find Roon completely stable when using Zen streamer, but after weeks of daily use I can confirm it is. That is using a wired network connection to a google mesh network component.
@@13thnotehifireviews7 a lot the people who where trying to help me on the forums where telling me it's your network stupid. well i bought a Node out of desperation and although the SQ is not up to the IFI it has worked flawlessly with Roon for a month now.
Thank you! This made me appreciate my Lumin Mini even more lol
Thank you too. I like streamers that sound good at a great price but each their own plus I have a pricey Innuos too 😀👍
is the Lumin SQ as good? these days it hard to fly around to different shops to hear things, i bought the iFi on spec. from all the glowing forums and what was promised.
@@xstensl8823 I have not tried the iFi so i can't compare directly but i believe Lumin is a better product. It also comes with a very good smart phone app and the ability to resample your music up to DSD quality if you so wish. Additionally it is easy to upgrade by removing the internal switching power supply for a better external one. Since it has been some time in the market you should be able to find one second hand for a good price. It doesn't come with I2S output though if that is a thing for you.
@@xstensl8823 Lumin are upgrading mini and guessing D2 to D3 soon
Thank you for your honest review! I’m willing to sacrifice some ux for sound quality but unfortunately this seems not ready for prime time. Frankly I find it kind of astounding that the mid / hi-fi industry is unable to produce a sub $1k plug and play streamer (sans dac) with seamless ux. Maybe the Project Streambox?
Thank you. I think that streamer is the node frankly. When you factor in diminishing returns of streamers generally , for all it does. Particularly feature set, easily the king of streamers sub 1k.
@@13thnotehifireviews7 I guess it’s that desire for a unicorn. Bluesound, strip out the dac and up the SQ! Thanks again.
I wish I would have seen this review before I bought both of my iFi Zen's. Had connectivity issues with both, sent the second one back but stuck with the first one.
What did ifi say?
I own a Stream in addition to the two Allo Streamers you mention in the video. For the most part I agree with your review. The Stream promises a lot but can't deliver in the end because the software holds it back. I use mine sparingly, and do not experience dropouts(but I never use wireless, only ethernet, and Qobuz). I hope press like this helps spur IFI into putting more effort into the Stream. I like mine and I can't really fault the sound quality, but I'm definitely waiting for the software to improve. Lenbrook, the maker of the Bluesound Node is a sore point for me. Due to their utter lack of interest in acknowledging paying customers I had to cancel my own Node order and that event was the last time I will ever deal with Lenbrook again.
i am hoping that they will release a V2 and let us exchange ours. now all i have is a $400 paper weight!
Explain me how you use Qobuz with the Zen Stream please thanks
Access Qobuz with third party phone apps. Mconnect is what I use, others use bubble
@@sheerkhanful thank you ! do you think i can have acces with "usb audio player pro"?
@@91gymna Stream is supposed to show up in any upnp controlling software. The two mentioned earlier by me are the only two I know of for sure
My experience with ifi stream has been supbar as well. Internet radios are super slow, Spotify Connect doesnt work at all and Tidal Connect only works properly when using windows app, Android app constantly switches devices from streamer to mobile (tho' I was told its Tidal issue and this may be). At least ifi's customer service is quite good (as opposed to Tidal's one which is easily the worst around).
Thanks for feedback.
Lately I’ve been getting annoyed with my zen stream. On LAN 1GB/a fiber internet and an internal LAN of 1GB I’m still getting stutter! Sounds quality is amazing when it plays but the damn drop outs. Thinking I might sell it
Did a review make you buy? Did you watch my video before buying ?
@@13thnotehifireviews7 sadly I only saw your video today. I had read online reviews etc and hadn’t heard of dropouts. Didn’t think it would be an issue with Ethernet.
@@skularatna8136 did any one review convince you or steer you, out of interest?
@@13thnotehifireviews7 nope all the reviews I read stated how great it sounded. And tbh it does sound great except when there are dropouts and what I’m experiencing is dropouts when playing master quality albums or singles on tidal. Normal doesn’t have drop outs
@@skularatna8136 blame cheapaudio man who said it’s the review he wanted to do, so why didn’t he do it. Money? Etc it’s that type of stuff that costs people money!
I had a Zen Bluesound 2 Dac
For music and TV
Sounded fantastic for the money
It spoke to me ! - though -
No instructions
Then TV stopped working
iFi didn’t explain or offer any solution or a replacement
Sent it back
I’m going to wait till they react to what must be a lot of negative feedback then maybe try again
No instructions at all ? Really ?
I got them online and
from reviews
(The outputs are also inputs ? )
Great sound
Jean-Michel Jarre.. Oxygen is still my favorite piece
Part v aces it and still not dated
Wow, iFi really drops the ball on this one. Guess this happens when you rush to market?
I’d rather that they would have told us and customers, and insight into future improvements. but another reviewer wasn’t being told per the comments here on my video too. They are quite happy to take the other reviews positively. I wish HiFi would clean itself up in certain spheres. I realise they work in a tough market and commercial interests but I just don’t get how they could deride all their customers opinion. We don’t live in 1985 where it’s just mag reviews, we can get information online from anyone so quickly nowadays.
Hopefully they'll make a few ch ch changes
Such a pitty this! The product that is, the review I really enjoyed. It looked good to start with, but dropouts (I've had one product years ago that suffered from dropouts) are horrible. Even if it is the best sounding thing you've ever heard, this makes it unbearable. Weird to see it from iFi, since they're usually quite good at doing this kind of thing..
thanks for nice comments about my Review Erwin.
i am now looking at the Sonore Ultrarendu $800 w/o PSU
@@xstensl8823 Cool! I used to own a Micro Rendu.. It sounded great, but it could be finicky and annoying.. But we’re quite a lot of years ahead in development, and if it sound anywhere near as good……
Good and honest review , there are not many like this...
Cheers, it risks a lot. Things have to change. It is rare for bad products, but it’s needed to say when happens otherwise how would anyone believe me.
Takes a good amount of time to get past the glitches, you can't update over wifi, has to be ethernet. After a few firmware updates it does settle in nicely. I'm happy with it overall, use tidal connect primarily.
What do you reckon that’s to do with? Ie settling
Not sure, but the firmware out of the box is basically non functional. Wifi ended working for me in the end, but I preferred ethernet as it sounded better.
You simply select the switch, mine was ok in the node but the drop out pauses still happen
I was advised by ifi support to avoid switching the individual source settings and leave it to all to avoid any limitations in function.
@@buckethead84 I tried that but still got issues on the AIO (All in one) exclusive mode
i am on my third unit since the first 2 sent to me where defective and the dealer in Singapore would not refund my money. even with the help of iFi and other forum members still can not get it to stream consistently without crashing. you are spot on about the Zen Streams sound quality and this is what makes it so frustrating. also many features that where initially promised to their have not been realized. i will be sending my unit back for a replacement since a refund is out of the question. but for me its a work in progress. would love to find something that sounds just as good but is more stable, cost no object. perhaps iFi will release a V2?
My relations lived in Singapore, a while back now, do they not have an consumer protections like U.K. consumer rights act 2015 re fitness for purpose as described. I know singapore can be a bit each to their own commercially?
@@13thnotehifireviews7 i have referred this matter to my credit card company in the States, but the retailers policy is to charge a 50% restocking fee even on defective products! damm the $$ i would much rather have a unit that works consistently
@@xstensl8823 did ifi not sort it for you? Appeal to them. That’s tough, I really sympathise. If we do it on a credit card here in U.K. and the product is faulty from start there is a line of defence with the credit card company. I assume that’s what you are doing too. Restocking fees in Europe are illegal on products bought online. We are lucky in the U.K. and Europe with consumers protections.
@@13thnotehifireviews7 got an email from iFi yesterday. they said "sorry our hands are tied" still East is East as Kipling said. buyer beware. iFi told me that this chaps where above board, lol
I can use Tidal connect on my iPad and iPhone to ifi Zen stream connected with Ethernet. It doesn’t need Airplay. Did you connect ifi Zen stream via WiFi ?
So far I haven’t noticed any dropout or disconnection using Tidal connect only.
As I stated in the video, I did so via WiFi and Ethernet.😀
@@13thnotehifireviews7 probably you should check your setting. It doesn’t make sense that you can’t use tidal connect on iPad.
Im pretty sure I’m right, but would stand corrected, but if you select the source icon on iPad, a list comes up with ‘via airplay’. On a MacBook tidal connect is a seperate icon. On the iPad you are using it to send music to the zen via airplay through your network. On connect on a Mac or Windows pc or laptop, you instruct the zen to get the stream from the cloud. Check it out.
@@13thnotehifireviews7 it’s weird. Mine says ‘tidal connect’ on iPad, not airplay.
Oh ok, can you post some screenshot pics on my facebook post ?. Mine is only showing airplay. I did check it online (Darko in fact) when I was doing my script, but might be out of date, but what affirmed it was seeing no tidal connect on my iPad app.
Yup, constant connection issues with this thing. It's so incredibly frustrating. No rhyme or reason as to why the connection just drops out, or how to re-establish connection (as my iFi Zen continues to show the white 'connected' light and my computer/phone can still find it in Tidal Connect, just not actually get it to play music).
And like you've alluded to, I think iFi's manual and documentation is laughably minimal, uninstructive, and borderline useless.
Combined with the constant connection issues, I'm beginning to wonder what the hell iFi was thinking when they decided to bring this half-baked product to market.
Ifi are crooks in my opinion by keeping this on the market. All sorts of trading standards issues
Thanks for saving me a lot of trouble.
Glad I helped
Does anyone know if I can use Qobuz with the Stream?
That and Tidal are about it, but much will depend on your network, wired or wifi. I could not get it to work on either, always dropping or skipping around, it has a garbage OS, I believe based on Volumio. I sent mine back after much frustration, and went with the Pi2 Mercury v2. I loaded RoPieeeXL on the Mercury and it works flawlessly with everything I have thrown at it. And it sounds fantastic, so much so that simply changing cable brands makes a difference in sound. Good luck.
@@michaelwright1602 thanks Mick 👍
I don’t get angry easily but this device made me near explosion, problems connecting to decent synology/qnap cifs/smb storage, problems playing native dsf/dsd files, dropouts using dsd over pcm. Refusing time after time usb connection. DNLA constantly first half second of the song skipping. And I just tried this months update) when it plays it sounds good, but I actually hate the device, my life what a crap software, Beta is a understatement, to my opinion only usable when used for payed streaming services like tidal or qobuz, nothing else
Did you see this review before you bought?
@@13thnotehifireviews7 I saw this review after
@@13thnotehifireviews7 found out something else to using chord qutest, usb connected ifi-streams makes the chord sound like the worst DAC ever in creation, it is not the dac because pc usb connected with foobar&hqplayer sounds nothing than amazing, optical/coax through bluesound amazing, ifi-stream through usb... it makes you cry so bad, not midbass, bass at all, it is like turning the treble knob to 100% and the bass knob to 20% and midd bass knob to 25%, even the chord RED filter (cut off warm filter) was not enough to fix that. this is really such a failed device, no words for it!! maybe coax is better (have to test with 75 ohm rca to bnc cable) but then you use native-DSD altogether with anything you connect the ifi-stream to. And then I am not even talking about refusing to connect to SMB shares through QNAP/Synology, only NFS seems to work, but then you have to keep rebuilding the 'my music' database, because it get's broken every time. how can people be so happy with this device, the only thing that works is Tidal and Qobuz!
How do these streamers sound better than another? Serious question. I have the new Node, folks are telling me it sounds like crap. My Node sounded the same to my ear as the Cambridge CXN v2 I returned due to its bugs. Sound wise, using my Ares II vs the Node/CXN v2, I heard no difference in SQ. I have an Oppo BDP-83 I use as a transport using the GeerFab digital breakout box and can easily A/B test both easily with the press of a button on the Ares II. I have since added the Iris DDC, which I have the Node connected to via USB. I play a bad recording on the Oppo and it sounds just as bad as the same recording streamed on the Node via Qobuz or Amazon. The same with a well recorded track, I hear no difference in SQ. I have good cables and inexpensive cables, no difference there either. I am trying to understand how these streamers alter the digital signature of the stream to make a recording sound better? What am I missing?
Always base it on your experience led by others, not what should or shouldn’t be technically, which in this field is very complex.
@ Michael Wright... I've got the Cambridge and the Zen stream and have been testing them against each other. Fairly high-end system about 15K, with a Denafrips Pontus DAC, along with the Hermes DDC. I am not hearing much difference either... both sound quite good. I'm thinking the DDC helps level out sonic quality between streamers. Based on my experience unless you have a really budget streamer vs a really expensive streamer, I have not heard a ton of difference in them, particularly with the DDC in the mix. Differences are probably less than 5%. Lots of other types of gear can have more of an impact I've found.
@@toddt5562 Thank you!
@@toddt5562 Todd, I just upgraded to a Venus II 12th and a Mercury V2 streamer... And then I added this... NETGEAR 8-Port Gigabit Ethernet Plus Switch (GS108Ev3) $42 on Amazon right now... This network switch made a huge impact on both the sound in my system, and the PQ on my TV. It cleaned up so much crap that I never realized that was there. I would buy this switch before spending thousands of dollars on gear. If it flops, send it back, no loss. I think most folks will keep it, especially if you love BASS... Sometimes, it is a little too good. Seriously.
Does it happen over Ethernet?
I think it does, check video out as I think I mentioned. 😀
Yes, ethernet and wifi, it is a garbage product, sent it back. Went with a Pi2 Mercury v2, loaded RoPieeeXL on it and am not looking back. No new streamers foreseen in the near future here.
Hi. Thx alot for sharing your experiences with this streamer. I already have the Ifi Zen Blue so was considering this streamer to replace the Zen Blue.
Gotta admit the manual, if that's what they are called are just useless and remind me of something which is in prototype anyway if it's quite common for this streamer to have issues then I'll give it a miss and look into a Bluesound node ..
Cheers
Thanks too. Check out my streamer shoot out 2 I just did if you haven’t, some alternates to the node too. 😀👍
@@13thnotehifireviews7 good idea. I'll head over to that now 🤠👍
So I had the Zen Stream for a couple months, no dropouts but would get locked out of Tidal at the end of a listening session..everyday I had to erase Tidal from my phone completely and then reinstall the app to be able to use it for the day. Plus the machine was slow as shit..just wonky all together. But I've also had the Node, the Cambridge CXN2, the WiiM, and the Arcam SA30. The Zen Stream sounds better than all of them..the blackest background for sure. It's been over a year and I think I'm going to try the Zen Stream again..for the money it sounds superb, it's an absolute F'ing shame it's such a piece of sh*t otherwise.
Helped me a lot. Thanks!
You are Clarkson of audio for me :)
Good one. I love Jezza, HiFi defo needs to lighten up and not be so stuffy, austere and so on.
I found that I had to restart it every day when using WiFi
I got mine a month ago, now it doesn’t turn on🎉
Oh FFS can those ifi crooks not put out some sort of notice re this product
All those issues must've been addressed with the latest firmware release. i only had problems connecting the first time and it's been great since . It actually does sound better than The NODE . It's not a crazy difference but definitely noticeable.
I said it sounds very good. All the issues are not necessarily addressed if it is a kernel issue. If that’s the case it may not be capable or fixing. It’s not like you can say a firmware update solves all if the hardwear isn’t capable of the firmware.
@@13thnotehifireviews7 in my setup it's working fine. it's a little slow when using DLNA apps . With Tidal connect, it's snappy. When the Qobuz native update comes out , my experience will be even better.
It works in some but not all. At least 50 percent not, per comments here. In fact my local dealer said they have had lots of returns.
@@13thnotehifireviews7 I connect to it everyday without problems. Did I receive a magical unit ? Doubt it . Maybe my WiFi signal is better than I realized. Out of the box I had problems connecting and I did a reset and it connected right away. The next day I did a firmware update and it became more stable. It’s really unfortunate some are having a bad experience with the Streamer . That makes me also wonder why it’s working so well for me and other users.
@@miquifaye I’ve got the ifi zen dac ver 2 and that works and sounds very nice for the budget price.
Nice one. Best review yet, especially with your 'dry' humour. Thanks
Not the best produced. But a quick one. The clip of Ken from fish called Wanda is a good one I think. 😂😂 ps it’s not as the expense of the ifi just meant to be fun.
@@13thnotehifireviews7 Kkkkkken....
In Canada the Cambridge audio cxn v2 is about 1,900$ while the Zen is about 350$, so on that basis alone I think it's unfair to compare the two, especially since you could purchase two Zen s and with different setups simply switch the Zenchoice via your preamp. You are unclear as to whether the DSD Source dropouts are exclusively Wi-Fi or occur even with Ethernet connection. I have never had a problem with both and so suspect the Zen is not the problem but rather something else up the chain.
Comparing them in uk and eu prices so can’t legislate everywhere. The drop outs happened with Ethernet and Wi-Fi as I said in the video I think. The problem is the zen because there are so many comments saying so, more than for 👍😃
Ifi is good at making everything else. But streamers are not one of them. I just purchased another one in hopes of some improvements. Even after making sure the firmware was fully updated. I can conclude that nothing has changed. It's sad how good it sounds when it actually works. But the headache it brings is not worth it. Nobody told me it only has Tidal connect for android phones.
I’m not sure about that though as the new neo stream looks terrific if it works well. I’ve got a Chinese streamer from brand EverSolo which is terrifically made.
Thank for the review. I usually like your reviews but there's something that doesn't add up here. Your comment in a youtube review of the Stream by Audio Excellence was: "Sorry, ‘way more detail’ just doesn’t exist in streamers of similar prices . You tend to be looking at similar performance but different feature sets. The node objectively has ‘way more features’ than the ifi." Yet, you are saying in this review that the Stream does sound better than Node, just as the Audio Excellent guys were claiming, but then you go on to slash it on the grounds of connectivity issues. I've used the Node 2i with my older Hegel H90 and it was just average as a transport. The streaming within the H90 was much better. I own a H95 now but, unfortunately, there are issues with volume control during playback that Hegel doesn't seem to acknowledge or care about (they don't care about consumers). So, I decided to buy a Zen Stream to connect to the Hegel. I was hoping your review would be helpful in this regard but it just made me more suspicious about the reasons that drive these kind of reviews. Just as all resellers I talked to, you seem to be on a cruzade to promote the Node, which is a rock solid nice product but just of average SQ. So, I guess I have to take the risk to buy the Stream and hope it works without connectivity issues. Maybe, I'll acknowledge you were right in a few weeks time
Way more detail doesn't exist in HiFi streamers at this price. I clarified that by saying 5-10% difference, whereas 'way more detail' might imply orders of magnitude of 30-40%. My beef was exclaiming something is better sounding to the exclusion of the Node. Also when you review you have to explain if you think more people like something than another, which I did with SQ on the ZS, but also that people might like the Node SQ.
I did not slash the ZS but raised what I think are fundamental issues, as another reviewer has agreed on here. The opposite would be to lie to you.
I don't find the node 2021 less good with a Hegel h390, to its own streaming engine as a transport, in fact I think it is incredibly small. with its DACs I'd agree with you - having tried h120 which uses similar quality dacs to your amps
I disagree Hegel don't care about consumers, they are very responsive on their Facebook group and If you speak to them they will sort out issues. Norwegian people are often generous people!
Your post seems to indicate that you want the review to be good because you bought one. Whilst this is both natural and admirable perhaps, I cannot with respect, factor that into my reviews. I promote the node because it is good overall and is incredibly good feature wise. It isn't just about SQ but with 5-10 percent differences (and with different sonic preferences) it is enough to choose products over features and the node has way more of them and much better usability,
I get your distrust for reviews but personally I would be much more suspicious of a sea of reviews promoting the ZS when all over FB, RUclips and Forums problems are being raised with it. AV forums hinted at it in their review and he probably found them bigger. Did you notice ifi sponsor AV forums. Your post seems to 'maybe' suggest that I told porkies over the connectivity problems? , and what I would find much more credible set against this review is the sea of consumer opinions agreeing with me. Credit to one reviewer changing his mind and supporting my point above - sometimes reviewers can't mention issues for all sorts of reasons, for the eagle eyed reading all the comments on this thread.
@@13thnotehifireviews7 thanks for the additional clarification on your review and comments. Let me try to explain myself. I haven't bought the Zen Stream yet and have read a lot about it, including comments and reviews. So far, I haven't come across one single comment that would not state the Stream offers better sound quality compared to the Node, just as you did. As to the connectivity issues, there's tons of people saying it is prone to dropouts just as there's so many people claiming they haven't had such problems. So, if it doesn't happen with all devices, it might be related with one or more factors (firmware, network, switches?) that concour to make it unreliable. So, I'm skeptical about spending 400 Euros in a device that may or may not work well. I'd be really happy to come across a review that tries to shed light on this issue, rather than take sides. Anyway, I won't bother you again with this or any other issues.
Vitor Gonçalves no that’s ok , but you obviously missed what I and cheap audio man said . We both tried to get answers from ifi to no avail. As I showed in video…..What more can I do to try and shed light. ? They obviously aren’t saying anything due to big product problems. If you add up the people in this thread I’m counting more people who experienced issues than didn’t. That’s let alone before you go on other forums, so I stand by my comments and on balance I’m right to raise them
Vitor Gonçalves see updated last comments
I also have a Hegel H95 and was considering adding a node or ifi stream. So glad i didn’t. Streaming Qobus from iphone via airplay to h95 is rock solid and oustanding sound quality. Hegel’s airplay implementation is amazing to my ears.
Well done Simon.
Thank you Mario 👍
Glad I saw this--definitely keeping my Bluesound Node
I would
At least they speak proper English in their e-mail replies!
😉
What do you mean
@@13thnotehifireviews7 No mistakes in their e-mails! It could be even worse! 🙂
Horrible support. A waste of money.
Please tell us more….