I've had the original Zen Dac for about a year now. I definitely prefer this over a separate dac and headphone amp stack. Having a combo makes my setup a lot simpler. That's why I chose this over Schiit stack.
I've been in the audiophile game since about 1992. I'm in the metro area that's home to some great audio manufacturers such as Audio Research, Bel Canto, Magnepan, Audio by Van Alstine and Atma-Sphere to name a few. For a time in college was one of the workers who assembled Wadia DAC boards. I guess it's a long winded way of saying that even though I've been lucky to have a lot of experience with some higher end gear as well as some on the manufacturing side, I still enjoy your videos. To me, they remind me of the level of explanation and words my audiophile and audiophile curious friends and I use when talking about audio gear and how our music sound on various gear to us. Keep up the format, quality of production and including electronic music in the mix! From Minnesota, a big thank you!
The timing of this makes me laugh. I literally bought an Ifi Zen Dac V2 a couple of days before this came out! The sound and features are great and I plan to upgrade my Meze 99 Classics to the balanced cable and run it through the pentaconn headphone jack. I also plan to use the rear pentaconn cable as a balanced input on my next amp - ifi make a cable for this, which is 4.4mm pentaconn to XLR. Pleased that John gave it a thumbs up.
I also bought the V1 a week ago and a Meze 99 classics two weeks ago (first home hifi update since 8 years). I'm also looking to upgrade the Meze with the balanced cable. Meze has a 2.5mm and a 4.4 pentaconn, the pentaconn is more than twice the price of the 2.5mm. I wanted to use a third-party adapter (2.5 female to 4.4 male) but I don't know how much I'll loss using a adapter. I've also looked on Etsy and Amazon for third-party cables, I'm not decided yet. I'm interested in your experience/opinion/feedback and what you'll finally choose.
@@ThomasSchaal hi ...its been two weeks that i got meze 99 neo....!! Which portable dac do you recommed ? I'm planning to buy a 2.5mm balanced cable.. Will 4.4mm make a difference over 2.5mm ..please enlighten me
@@jason83ok I bought the V2 yesterday and am struggling to notice a difference, other than more volume, between it any my old iPhone headphone socket. Probably not worth it.
@@ThomasSchaal I went for the shorter / cheaper meze cable and bought an adapter on amazon. The difference was noticeable from the start - less muddy bass (mine were still bedding in at this point) and a slightly wider soundstage. So glad I made the switch. Oh, an apparently, iFi will be releasing a Zen Can Signature for the 99 Classics later in Q4 this year, which you'll be able to connect via the 4.4mm on th3 back. Cant wait for that :)
I bought the V2 for my birthday. It's not my birthday until Thursday so my wife has hidden it . Glad to hear I've made a decent choice, although there are lots of reviews of the V1 on RUclips and they all seem positive so wasn't too worried about making a poor decision. Cheers John.
I have bought V2 also three weeks ago. I think I was one of the first owner of this in Poland as I got it for the V1 price from the 1st restock. Great bangs for bucks deal. But to get full potential you should use external power supply. Something which miss in this review. Budget solution free of noise for me was a power bank with 3A output and pass through charging. I have ZEN DAC feeding my SMSL DA9 (balanced XLR input), which powers a set of Dali's Oberon 7s. For a steamer I use MiBox 4k (AndroidTV box), connected via USB to my ZEN. I use USBAudio Player Pro app to play bit-perfect MQA from TIDAL. I thing it's as cost optimised solution as it can be with great audio quality in the end. It plays way better then most audiophile set (streamer + amp) I checked before withing budget of 2,5-3k Euro.
I bought the Zen 2 yesterday and so far I’m not particularly impressed, compared to the headphone socket on my old iPhone. I get more volume but having seen so many videos and read so many articles about how the dragonfly series etc ‘transformed’ the sound quality, so far I have to say I’m underwhelmed.
i do recommend buy good power supply , i used ifi ipower and you can confirm sounds quality is better , more clarity , better sound stage and dynamics it’s worthy to add it
@doifeellucky Just playing devils advocate here, but do you think the Zen II is more made for a PC/laptop in mind?? I am trying to figure out what amp and if i am gonna go with a DAC or not Between my Dell G15 gaming laptop and my existing wharfedale diamond 9.1s I have sitting around
I have been a music lover for a bit and I am now in a position to start taking home audio seriously. You are a godsend John, you cut right through the bull crap and give us the information we need to make informed purchases. Thanks mate! Also, the two albums you mentioned are in my last 6 listened… spooky!
Another interesting thing if you have the switch to variable not only does the volume pot control output, but the bass boost and power match also carries through to the output. Nowhere does it say that, but it does.
Whoa! Did you end up buying those Wilson Tiny Tots??? Nice! iFi indeed makes some great DACs for budget buyers! A dealer friend of mine lent me the ifi iNano One DAC and it sounded GREAT! (and I think was under $150) But he ALSO lent me a linear power supply to go with it (an extra $100) to replace the switched mode PS that came with the DAC. That power supply made a HUGE difference and for the money was a GREAT investment. Now, I ended up upgrading the iFi (rather quickly) to the Schiit Gungnir multibit, but gave the iFI (with a Parasound "Z" series pre-amp and amp and a pair of Boston Acoustics bookshelf speakers I got for free) to my youngest brother as his 1st hifi. As a non-audiophile, he was completely blown away with the performance of his new system! Personally, I can't recommend iFi highly enough to those shopping for a new budget DAC. I haven't yet listened to their higher end products, unfortunately, but their entry level performance is awesome!
iFi Zen DAC will perform better using power adapter rather drive power from the USB 3 connector. And you can update to various filter through Firmware update of your choosing. The GTO filter, the color will remain the same for all PCM, only changes color for MQA and DSD.
Shame that you just missed out on the V2 version of the Zen, seems like it might be a bit more transparent and detailed. Hard to argue with the price, the balanced output and MQA are distinct differentiators at least for those who care about that. At about the same price as a the Schiit Modi and Magni combo that would be a very interesting comparison. The Schiit has a proprietary USB implementation that seems to offer an advantage over off the shelf XMOS ones plus it adds SPDIF coax and digital inputs which could be useful for an AV setup or a CD transport. I’m a bit surprised to hear that its headphone output is better than the Cambridge 200M. Definitely looking forward to the next 2 videos.
The Zen Can is brilliant too if you just want a headphone amp without the DAC. I use the Zen DAC in my laptop system, but I’ve tried the DAC and Can together and it’s a significant upgrade
Excellent video John, I currently use an iFI Hip Dac for use on the go and this is the desktop version of that, sharing many of the same features. The Hip dac is excellent in my opinion, so looking forward to trying this. It also has the most elegant connection for an iPhone out of all portable dacs, for anyone frustrated with the double cable problem.
I use one of these in my office paired with HD660s headphones running balanced and they sound amazing, significantly better even than plugging in single ended to the same dac. One little issue with it is if you run it single ended with the volume under 11, it tends to merge the channels. The beginning of wish you were here really highlights this. Balanced there is no issue, and balanced is so much better, you will want to get headphones that support it.
I have been using a topping mx3 for all the 'new stuff' to go into the 80s Technics Amp. The amber segmented display goes perfectly with the older gear too.
Had my Zen V2 for a couple of years and love it. Currently using Hifiman Sundara cans, balanced via the Pentaconn input. Tidal in exclusive mode sounds lovely, be it "high" (16 bit), or "Max" (24-bit). Relatively cheap way of accessing really enjoyable, detailed music playback. Mix and match headphones to suit your taste, and just sit back and love the tunes.......:)
I just today purchased the iFi Zen DAC Signature and the iFi Can Signature 6xx. I purchased and waiting for the Drop Sennheiser H6XX headphones to come in. Thought it was a good deal and was geared for the H6XX. I hope your next two future videos don't tell me I made a mistake ;-). Keep up the great work!
I've got the stock ifi zen dac + zen can stack and HD 6xx and I can definitely say it's a bonkers entry level combo. Sound quality is awesome, very enjoyable sound signature. Also you've got lots of options for improving sound, like bass with trubass and xbass (or whatever it's called on the signature version). I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Cheers
I really am glad you did this one, as I have a reference point. I have the iFi Signature DAC with the “paired” iFI Signature 6XX headphone amp and really like it. That set-up I find a bit different from my Dragonfly Cobalt DAC, which I use away from my desk for the 6XX. I’m curious what is next as I have been intrigued with the new THX Onyx for something slightly closer to the iFi set-up when away from my desk.
As always, great video. Would love to see a comparison between this and the new version as it might reveal the difference between an MQA renderer and a decoder since all other variables that might affect the sound will mostly bi fixed.
System synergy!!! My system was a bit too bright/forward in the upper midrange and treble. I bought the Zen Dac in hopes of softening these higher frequencies, and it worked great! Listener fatigue gone.
Have been using the Zen Dac paired with a couple of Hifiman 400i 2020´s for the past 6 months or so. For a noob audiophile all i can say is that it is a match made in heaven at this pricepoint. Also used it connected to an old Onkyo SR602E and 3 suspended XTZ 93.21 loudspeakers. Gave the music a great increase in "oumpf" and fullness of the sound. Great buy if you can stand the design!! :)
That zen dac got me start discerning my music and for that money it hits all the checkboxes. Ran it with a HE4XX which itself is a warm headphone. Got the D10S to use for its clean spdif and understand the explanations of what clear and dry means. I get it now. I owe a lot to that zen dac for opening up my perception of high end audio. IFFI has indeed gifted the budget enthusiast a great unit! I am onto pursuing my feel for musicality with an IBasso SR2 with a Topping A50s amp now. You really dont need the amp for the IBasso. It is really easy to drive. But the HE4XX benefited. Once you are on this trail, its crazy expensive! Looking for a dac to pair that combo now. The Aune X8 Magic dac looks great perhaps with a Burston op amp rolled into it for the warm creamy sound to match the IBasso. Any suggestions?
Its a very good starting point for anyone getting a dac for their HiFi system, Zen Dac or Zen Dac Signature and people can compare it to other. I really like the sound quality with different highres sources. DSD256 sounds fantastic with this!
Just bought the Zen Dac and Can for my LCD-2's. I even got the overpriced ifi Penticon cable to run balanced. Was so impressed I got the hip dac the following week. Will i outgrow them? Probably, but for now I'm satisfied. Good video, John.
@@newkid7 You can certainly do without it if your headphones are somewhat efficient. I have other headphones that need the extra power. My only criticism of the Zen Dac is the higher frequencies can be a bit too relaxed at times, but that's a nitpick all things considered.
Luckily I heard about the upgraded Zen V2 DAC when I was looking for an audio upgrade and I've been using it now for about a month. Of course I'm going to say it's the best DAC I've ever owned because I've only used onboard PC audio (SupremeFX S1220A most recently) until now, so there's that. Still, even with budget AKG K240 headphones the sound quality has noticeably improved in all areas and I'm hearing background details that wasn't even there before in my music. As an affordable plug-and-play upgrade I can't fault the quality and how enjoyable music is now.
@@latinochico Yeah doing great, no complaints at all. I upgraded to Sennheiser HD599 headphones and actually bought ANOTHER Zen V2 recently for my work PC. It's worth mentioning that right now Ifi is releasing the Zen Air DAC onto the market, which is a US$100 cut-down version of the Zen V2 DAC. It looks to be a great option for entry-level users because it maintains a similar audio quality, which already made the US$160 price a bargain.
I tried many "chi-fi" amp/dac like topping and smsl and I always keep getting back to ifi zen. I use it as headphone amp/dac with Hifiman Sundara and its really good match.
Ho please tell me how the two sounds together. I'm buying this DAC right now with Philips fidelio X2 and I'm looking for an entry level planar headphone in the near future.
I just got a zen DAC, I’m just starting out in better audio, and I pair it with beyerdynamic DT 770pro 250ohm and Apple Music high res lossless and I’m very happy. Even on my older non high end headphones (various £40-100) the zen DAC made a significant difference over my Mac mini’s built in audio. I’m enjoying my music a lot more going back to lossless with this set up after years of 256ks AAC.
Assuming you use a 6.35mm to 3.5mm adapter, will this work well with a pair of Bowers & Wilkins px8 headphones (wired connection) rather than open backed headphones features in your video?
i bought mine like 4months ago - after having a bunch of others dacs. This one is a perfect match for me and all of my need, stopped searching for THE NEW AND BETTER if you know what i mean
Thanks for this. Eagerly awaiting the other two in the series, as I am looking for a decent, low price DAC. Apart from CD, I have no other digital equipment as have always been analogue.
I just got my hd660s and looking for a less expensive DAC/amp. How was your experience so far? Do you feel the volume adequate with 4.4 mm balanced connections? Thank you.
I have the zen stack (DAC and CAN) paired via a 4.4mm balanced pentaconn cable powering a Hifiman Sundara, also balanced: Awesome combo !! It is indeed softer. I suspect it is because of the BurrBrown chip inside. All my ifi DACs and my Bluesound Node 2i sound pretty similar as opposed to my Hiby new R6 2020 powered by an ESS chip, which sounds a bit crisp and sometimes harsh and unforgiving. Not sure if the chipset has that much impact on the sound signature, it's just something I noticed. Bottom line, the Zen DAC is a great product and a safe buy, I don't know anyone saying bad things about it.
Thanks very much for these three video’s!im looking for a new dac. But maybe could you also, in the future, maybe spend a video on room treatment?? That would be really nice! Keep up the good work. Like your content really much.
Was having constant issues with Windows not recognizing Zen DAC via USB and gave up on it for months. Finally revisited and discovered issue was the non iFi power supply that I was using for the DAC. Disconnected power supply and issue instantly disappeared. Skipping the power supply now on DAC and just power it via USB. Glad to have combo back. Using with HD560s and very satisfied. Also nice to free up a power socket.
Very nice review John! Interestingly I've been looking for an entry level dac that is above average and I came across this one. Glad to know it has this quality. Ps.: greatly appreciate you sharing this brilliant artist Thomas Fehlmann. Kompact is a great label indeed. Reminds me of The Orb. Very very good! Ps2.: well... seems that he is one of The Orb duo XD terrible with names
I have the ifi hip dac which is like a compact version of the zen dac for headphones only. It sounds absolutely brilliant makes my headphones from audio technica sennhieser and Bayer dynamic sound so much better than using the socket in my smartphone and computer. A real bargain at this price
I bought the zen dac a few months ago to replace the original meridian explorer on my desktop system with powered monitors. I wanted a 1 box solution for a dac, physical volume control and headphone amp, and this was the least expensive solution available. It took a while to get it dialed in, as to john's point, the top end doesn't have the detail the explorer had, but I eq'd it back in. That truebass is really nice to have as it gives an option to fill in the bass nicely. For my use case, it was a no brainer.
It's good to see the Dac magic arrived! I had to wait a while for mine as well. I am still waiting for the Schiit Loki mini+ that is on a 'rolling backorder' since March. It's a crazy world.
John, I’ve now watched all your RUclips videos, and find myself anxious for the next one. Thanks so much. I’ve now acquired a couple of your recommendations and am very satisfied. Keep em coming! Any chance you will be attending rmaf?
Awesome Video! Got myself an aune X8 two Weeks ago and since You Like to fiddle with Your Gear this could be probably one for You to Play with since You can Change Out the OP Amp in it, which Changes the Sound Signature quite significantly. Always Love Your Videos, very entertaining, Greetings from Hessen.😉
Dear sir, Thank you for making this video. I just bought Audio Technica M50X, and i was very much confused as in which DAC headphone amp i should be buying.
Well I did what you told us not to do... I bought a Zen Dac V2 before watching your other videos... but I have my reasons. The balanced headphone output was the key selling point. I'm using a Fiio K3 as my desktop Dac/balanced headphone amp... and it's great but I have issues with it being served audio and power by USBc. It's too small and light and gets pulled off of my desk by the headphone cable. The computer doesn't recognize the Fiio at startup, so to get it to work I have to unplug and re-plug the USB cable. I'm looking forward to the new DAC.
And if you compare today this iFi zen dac (or the more recent Zen Dac 3 version) with the stack Atom 2 Amp & Dac from JDS Labs, your choice would go to which of the two ?
Great interesting video I recently bought V1 zen but it didn’t have the 4.4mm socket or the switch for fixed or variable o/p , but does clean nice audio quality for its price point . Regards mark
Zen Dac into Zen can via balanced and then balanced to headphones - super sound and super cheap :-) - oh and use the Ifi power supply on both rather than usb powered on the dac :-)
Im looking for a DAC to combine with my Rega IO + Triangle BR03 , using my ifi Zen v2 on my computer and it sounds even great on the Rega - what would be your advice? buy the same dac again or a ToppingE30? im open to advises my budget for the DAC should be maximum 400€
Hi Darko and thank you so much for all your videos. I have a pair of KEF LS50 wireless 1, what DAC do you recomend if I am playing my music from my Ipad?
Love the way you don’t take for granted everyone knows how DACs and stuff works. Good stuff man
Totally agree!!
Indeed..💪
I've had the original Zen Dac for about a year now. I definitely prefer this over a separate dac and headphone amp stack. Having a combo makes my setup a lot simpler. That's why I chose this over Schiit stack.
IMHO. ifi zen one signature dac. ?
I've been in the audiophile game since about 1992. I'm in the metro area that's home to some great audio manufacturers such as Audio Research, Bel Canto, Magnepan, Audio by Van Alstine and Atma-Sphere to name a few. For a time in college was one of the workers who assembled Wadia DAC boards. I guess it's a long winded way of saying that even though I've been lucky to have a lot of experience with some higher end gear as well as some on the manufacturing side, I still enjoy your videos. To me, they remind me of the level of explanation and words my audiophile and audiophile curious friends and I use when talking about audio gear and how our music sound on various gear to us. Keep up the format, quality of production and including electronic music in the mix! From Minnesota, a big thank you!
The timing of this makes me laugh. I literally bought an Ifi Zen Dac V2 a couple of days before this came out!
The sound and features are great and I plan to upgrade my Meze 99 Classics to the balanced cable and run it through the pentaconn headphone jack. I also plan to use the rear pentaconn cable as a balanced input on my next amp - ifi make a cable for this, which is 4.4mm pentaconn to XLR. Pleased that John gave it a thumbs up.
I also bought the V1 a week ago and a Meze 99 classics two weeks ago (first home hifi update since 8 years).
I'm also looking to upgrade the Meze with the balanced cable. Meze has a 2.5mm and a 4.4 pentaconn, the pentaconn is more than twice the price of the 2.5mm. I wanted to use a third-party adapter (2.5 female to 4.4 male) but I don't know how much I'll loss using a adapter. I've also looked on Etsy and Amazon for third-party cables, I'm not decided yet.
I'm interested in your experience/opinion/feedback and what you'll finally choose.
I bought v1 few months ago,may i ask what are the differences between v1 and v2?
@@ThomasSchaal hi ...its been two weeks that i got meze 99 neo....!!
Which portable dac do you recommed ? I'm planning to buy a 2.5mm balanced cable.. Will 4.4mm make a difference over 2.5mm ..please enlighten me
@@jason83ok I bought the V2 yesterday and am struggling to notice a difference, other than more volume, between it any my old iPhone headphone socket. Probably not worth it.
@@ThomasSchaal I went for the shorter / cheaper meze cable and bought an adapter on amazon. The difference was noticeable from the start - less muddy bass (mine were still bedding in at this point) and a slightly wider soundstage. So glad I made the switch. Oh, an apparently, iFi will be releasing a Zen Can Signature for the 99 Classics later in Q4 this year, which you'll be able to connect via the 4.4mm on th3 back. Cant wait for that :)
I bought the V2 for my birthday. It's not my birthday until Thursday so my wife has hidden it . Glad to hear I've made a decent choice, although there are lots of reviews of the V1 on RUclips and they all seem positive so wasn't too worried about making a poor decision. Cheers John.
I have bought V2 also three weeks ago. I think I was one of the first owner of this in Poland as I got it for the V1 price from the 1st restock. Great bangs for bucks deal. But to get full potential you should use external power supply. Something which miss in this review. Budget solution free of noise for me was a power bank with 3A output and pass through charging. I have ZEN DAC feeding my SMSL DA9 (balanced XLR input), which powers a set of Dali's Oberon 7s. For a steamer I use MiBox 4k (AndroidTV box), connected via USB to my ZEN. I use USBAudio Player Pro app to play bit-perfect MQA from TIDAL. I thing it's as cost optimised solution as it can be with great audio quality in the end. It plays way better then most audiophile set (streamer + amp) I checked before withing budget of 2,5-3k Euro.
I bought the Zen 2 yesterday and so far I’m not particularly impressed, compared to the headphone socket on my old iPhone. I get more volume but having seen so many videos and read so many articles about how the dragonfly series etc ‘transformed’ the sound quality, so far I have to say I’m underwhelmed.
i do recommend buy good power supply , i used ifi ipower and you can confirm sounds quality is better , more clarity , better sound stage and dynamics it’s worthy to add it
how is the V2 dac doing now ? any problems ? thanks
@doifeellucky
Just playing devils advocate here, but do you think the Zen II is more made for a PC/laptop in mind??
I am trying to figure out what amp and if i am gonna go with a DAC or not
Between my Dell G15 gaming laptop and my existing wharfedale diamond 9.1s I have sitting around
I have been a music lover for a bit and I am now in a position to start taking home audio seriously. You are a godsend John, you cut right through the bull crap and give us the information we need to make informed purchases. Thanks mate! Also, the two albums you mentioned are in my last 6 listened… spooky!
Nice Video John!
Got the V2 a few days ago and i think it would be worth a little comparison.
Keep up the good work and greetings from germany.
This video series is exactly what i needed. I'm excited for the other two vids
Thanks for the vid John!
Good job guys 👍
Another interesting thing if you have the switch to variable not only does the volume pot control output, but the bass boost and power match also carries through to the output. Nowhere does it say that, but it does.
I can vouch for it. It is excellent for the money! I use it with Beyerdynamics, Sennheisers, JBL pro, and Jamo.
My most wanted video since a year, regards form Perú
Whoa! Did you end up buying those Wilson Tiny Tots??? Nice! iFi indeed makes some great DACs for budget buyers! A dealer friend of mine lent me the ifi iNano One DAC and it sounded GREAT! (and I think was under $150) But he ALSO lent me a linear power supply to go with it (an extra $100) to replace the switched mode PS that came with the DAC. That power supply made a HUGE difference and for the money was a GREAT investment. Now, I ended up upgrading the iFi (rather quickly) to the Schiit Gungnir multibit, but gave the iFI (with a Parasound "Z" series pre-amp and amp and a pair of Boston Acoustics bookshelf speakers I got for free) to my youngest brother as his 1st hifi. As a non-audiophile, he was completely blown away with the performance of his new system! Personally, I can't recommend iFi highly enough to those shopping for a new budget DAC. I haven't yet listened to their higher end products, unfortunately, but their entry level performance is awesome!
Thanks for the Video John. I have purchased the iFi Zen DAC and I am very happy with its performance.
Great review! I have had my Zen round 6 months, great sounding !!
I have always loved these reviews. This one is no exceptions as you explain things objectively and clearly. Such is appreciated. Thank you man.
Lo and behold, I'm in the market for a budget Dac...perfecto. Exactly what I needed. Love this channel.
There are quality products out there at every price point. Thank you for the video!
iFi Zen DAC will perform better using power adapter rather drive power from the USB 3 connector. And you can update to various filter through Firmware update of your choosing. The GTO filter, the color will remain the same for all PCM, only changes color for MQA and DSD.
Shame that you just missed out on the V2 version of the Zen, seems like it might be a bit more transparent and detailed. Hard to argue with the price, the balanced output and MQA are distinct differentiators at least for those who care about that. At about the same price as a the Schiit Modi and Magni combo that would be a very interesting comparison. The Schiit has a proprietary USB implementation that seems to offer an advantage over off the shelf XMOS ones plus it adds SPDIF coax and digital inputs which could be useful for an AV setup or a CD transport. I’m a bit surprised to hear that its headphone output is better than the Cambridge 200M. Definitely looking forward to the next 2 videos.
late to the party :)
The Zen Can is brilliant too if you just want a headphone amp without the DAC. I use the Zen DAC in my laptop system, but I’ve tried the DAC and Can together and it’s a significant upgrade
have you tried the Zen Can alone vs the Zen Dac alone? i wish to know which of the two, alone, is sufficient
Excellent video John, I currently use an iFI Hip Dac for use on the go and this is the desktop version of that, sharing many of the same features. The Hip dac is excellent in my opinion, so looking forward to trying this. It also has the most elegant connection for an iPhone out of all portable dacs, for anyone frustrated with the double cable problem.
I use one of these in my office paired with HD660s headphones running balanced and they sound amazing, significantly better even than plugging in single ended to the same dac. One little issue with it is if you run it single ended with the volume under 11, it tends to merge the channels. The beginning of wish you were here really highlights this. Balanced there is no issue, and balanced is so much better, you will want to get headphones that support it.
I have been using a topping mx3 for all the 'new stuff' to go into the 80s Technics Amp. The amber segmented display goes perfectly with the older gear too.
Thanks for explaining terms and concepts in an easy-to-understand manner.
Had my Zen V2 for a couple of years and love it. Currently using Hifiman Sundara cans, balanced via the Pentaconn input. Tidal in exclusive mode sounds lovely, be it "high" (16 bit), or "Max" (24-bit). Relatively cheap way of accessing really enjoyable, detailed music playback. Mix and match headphones to suit your taste, and just sit back and love the tunes.......:)
I just today purchased the iFi Zen DAC Signature and the iFi Can Signature 6xx. I purchased and waiting for the Drop Sennheiser H6XX headphones to come in. Thought it was a good deal and was geared for the H6XX. I hope your next two future videos don't tell me I made a mistake ;-). Keep up the great work!
I've got the stock ifi zen dac + zen can stack and HD 6xx and I can definitely say it's a bonkers entry level combo. Sound quality is awesome, very enjoyable sound signature. Also you've got lots of options for improving sound, like bass with trubass and xbass (or whatever it's called on the signature version). I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Cheers
Glad the comments are back on. Lovely camera work as always.
I have the Zen Blue Dac, have had it for 3 years and I love it. Think it sounds great with LDAC. Good review as always. Love your take on things.
I’m using the zen dac with a pi4 on Volumio and I’m very happy with it and even more now it’s got your approval 👍
Gosh, that Gato looks absolutely gorgeous.
Thank you for the review. Have been eyeing this DAC for sometime.
Thanks John! These videos are perfect for those of us new to the 2-channel world. Looking forward to the next two reviews!
I really am glad you did this one, as I have a reference point. I have the iFi Signature DAC with the “paired” iFI Signature 6XX headphone amp and really like it. That set-up I find a bit different from my Dragonfly Cobalt DAC, which I use away from my desk for the 6XX.
I’m curious what is next as I have been intrigued with the new THX Onyx for something slightly closer to the iFi set-up when away from my desk.
the music of your videos is always awesome. Thank you!
As always, great video. Would love to see a comparison between this and the new version as it might reveal the difference between an MQA renderer and a decoder since all other variables that might affect the sound will mostly bi fixed.
I am waiting for this too.
V2 just upgraded the clocking and digital processing power. The sonic changes is not really substantial to me.
Great attitude.... Im rally looking forward to this series
System synergy!!! My system was a bit too bright/forward in the upper midrange and treble. I bought the Zen Dac in hopes of softening these higher frequencies, and it worked great! Listener fatigue gone.
Have been using the Zen Dac paired with a couple of Hifiman 400i 2020´s for the past 6 months or so. For a noob audiophile all i can say is that it is a match made in heaven at this pricepoint. Also used it connected to an old Onkyo SR602E and 3 suspended XTZ 93.21 loudspeakers. Gave the music a great increase in "oumpf" and fullness of the sound. Great buy if you can stand the design!! :)
Böser Herbst,, as in Angry Autumn? What a title!
That zen dac got me start discerning my music and for that money it hits all the checkboxes. Ran it with a HE4XX which itself is a warm headphone.
Got the D10S to use for its clean spdif and understand the explanations of what clear and dry means. I get it now. I owe a lot to that zen dac for opening up my perception of high end audio. IFFI has indeed gifted the budget enthusiast a great unit!
I am onto pursuing my feel for musicality with an IBasso SR2 with a Topping A50s amp now. You really dont need the amp for the IBasso. It is really easy to drive. But the HE4XX benefited. Once you are on this trail, its crazy expensive! Looking for a dac to pair that combo now. The Aune X8 Magic dac looks great perhaps with a Burston op amp rolled into it for the warm creamy sound to match the IBasso. Any suggestions?
Another great video John... great explanations and honest opinion.
Its a very good starting point for anyone getting a dac for their HiFi system, Zen Dac or Zen Dac Signature and people can compare it to other. I really like the sound quality with different highres sources. DSD256 sounds fantastic with this!
I have one of these. Using hd650s with 4.4 balanced loving it.
Just bought the Zen Dac and Can for my LCD-2's. I even got the overpriced ifi Penticon cable to run balanced. Was so impressed I got the hip dac the following week. Will i outgrow them? Probably, but for now I'm satisfied. Good video, John.
Hip Dac on the way too, and I also own Zen Dac, but don't have Zen Can, how much better the DAC CAN stack together than Dac alone?
@@newkid7 You can certainly do without it if your headphones are somewhat efficient. I have other headphones that need the extra power. My only criticism of the Zen Dac is the higher frequencies can be a bit too relaxed at times, but that's a nitpick all things considered.
Luckily I heard about the upgraded Zen V2 DAC when I was looking for an audio upgrade and I've been using it now for about a month. Of course I'm going to say it's the best DAC I've ever owned because I've only used onboard PC audio (SupremeFX S1220A most recently) until now, so there's that. Still, even with budget AKG K240 headphones the sound quality has noticeably improved in all areas and I'm hearing background details that wasn't even there before in my music. As an affordable plug-and-play upgrade I can't fault the quality and how enjoyable music is now.
how is the dac doing any problems ?
@@latinochico Yeah doing great, no complaints at all. I upgraded to Sennheiser HD599 headphones and actually bought ANOTHER Zen V2 recently for my work PC.
It's worth mentioning that right now Ifi is releasing the Zen Air DAC onto the market, which is a US$100 cut-down version of the Zen V2 DAC. It looks to be a great option for entry-level users because it maintains a similar audio quality, which already made the US$160 price a bargain.
I tried many "chi-fi" amp/dac like topping and smsl and I always keep getting back to ifi zen. I use it as headphone amp/dac with Hifiman Sundara and its really good match.
Ho please tell me how the two sounds together. I'm buying this DAC right now with Philips fidelio X2 and I'm looking for an entry level planar headphone in the near future.
@@Willysedom any thoughts about?
I just got a zen DAC, I’m just starting out in better audio, and I pair it with beyerdynamic DT 770pro 250ohm and Apple Music high res lossless and I’m very happy. Even on my older non high end headphones (various £40-100) the zen DAC made a significant difference over my Mac mini’s built in audio. I’m enjoying my music a lot more going back to lossless with this set up after years of 256ks AAC.
Assuming you use a 6.35mm to 3.5mm adapter, will this work well with a pair of Bowers & Wilkins px8 headphones (wired connection) rather than open backed headphones features in your video?
I bought the V2 and I am still waiting for it. Looking forward
I have it with the Zen Can running my Sundara's balanced = Amazing🤩🤩
Great work as usual, John. Thanks!
I got ZEN DAC V2 already. Thanks for information.
i bought mine like 4months ago - after having a bunch of others dacs. This one is a perfect match for me and all of my need, stopped searching for THE NEW AND BETTER if you know what i mean
Thanks for this. Eagerly awaiting the other two in the series, as I am looking for a decent, low price DAC. Apart from CD, I have no other digital equipment as have always been analogue.
There is a nice jump in output when using the balanced connector. I've been using the ifi with Sennheiser HD 660s and its great.
I just got my hd660s and looking for a less expensive DAC/amp. How was your experience so far? Do you feel the volume adequate with 4.4 mm balanced connections? Thank you.
Such a good DAC utilizing Burr-Brown's chips, utilizing the full DC power too instead of USB it contends to the higher tier DACs
Clear good descriptions. Thanks.
I have the zen stack (DAC and CAN) paired via a 4.4mm balanced pentaconn cable powering a Hifiman Sundara, also balanced: Awesome combo !! It is indeed softer. I suspect it is because of the BurrBrown chip inside. All my ifi DACs and my Bluesound Node 2i sound pretty similar as opposed to my Hiby new R6 2020 powered by an ESS chip, which sounds a bit crisp and sometimes harsh and unforgiving. Not sure if the chipset has that much impact on the sound signature, it's just something I noticed. Bottom line, the Zen DAC is a great product and a safe buy, I don't know anyone saying bad things about it.
Thanks! Always well done. I learn a lot from you.
I have this my first DAC and I love it
Newest version 2?
I have the IFI Zen Phono and it’s great. Probably get this next
Time to pickup the v2 version and compare as to whether it brings many improvements for that extra bit of cash or not!
Thanks very much for these three video’s!im looking for a new dac. But maybe could you also, in the future, maybe spend a video on room treatment?? That would be really nice! Keep up the good work. Like your content really much.
Was having constant issues with Windows not recognizing Zen DAC via USB and gave up on it for months. Finally revisited and discovered issue was the non iFi power supply that I was using for the DAC. Disconnected power supply and issue instantly disappeared. Skipping the power supply now on DAC and just power it via USB. Glad to have combo back. Using with HD560s and very satisfied. Also nice to free up a power socket.
I have exactly the same issue... works perfectly fine without external power supply
Thank you very much. You have elaborated lot of information and topics very nicely
Great review John, thanks for sharing.
I use the ZEN DAC at my office every day. Was a great purchase. I love it. I always leave the True bas on, so so good.
Damn, you still have the Wilson speakers. Well done!
Thank YOU ever so much for excellent vids!
Very nice review John! Interestingly I've been looking for an entry level dac that is above average and I came across this one. Glad to know it has this quality. Ps.: greatly appreciate you sharing this brilliant artist Thomas Fehlmann. Kompact is a great label indeed. Reminds me of The Orb. Very very good!
Ps2.: well... seems that he is one of The Orb duo XD terrible with names
I have the ifi hip dac which is like a compact version of the zen dac for headphones only. It sounds absolutely brilliant makes my headphones from audio technica sennhieser and Bayer dynamic sound so much better than using the socket in my smartphone and computer. A real bargain at this price
I bought the zen dac a few months ago to replace the original meridian explorer on my desktop system with powered monitors. I wanted a 1 box solution for a dac, physical volume control and headphone amp, and this was the least expensive solution available. It took a while to get it dialed in, as to john's point, the top end doesn't have the detail the explorer had, but I eq'd it back in. That truebass is really nice to have as it gives an option to fill in the bass nicely. For my use case, it was a no brainer.
If you update the ZEN DAC's firmware, you may no longer have to have 'dial in' in treble.
It's good to see the Dac magic arrived! I had to wait a while for mine as well. I am still waiting for the Schiit Loki mini+ that is on a 'rolling backorder' since March.
It's a crazy world.
Me too i' m still waiting for th Loki since lust June and the dealer told me it will come(???) the newone
bought one of these about 4 months ago. It's awesome!
Another extraordinary review. Thank you.
The wait for the other two videos is killing me
John, I’ve now watched all your RUclips videos, and find myself anxious for the next one. Thanks so much. I’ve now acquired a couple of your recommendations and am very satisfied. Keep em coming! Any chance you will be attending rmaf?
Awesome Video! Got myself an aune X8 two Weeks ago and since You Like to fiddle with Your Gear this could be probably one for You to Play with since You can Change Out the OP Amp in it, which Changes the Sound Signature quite significantly. Always Love Your Videos, very entertaining, Greetings from Hessen.😉
I like the taste of your music sir , by the way your talking about sounds , keep it up .
Worth to subscribe 👍
Dear sir, Thank you for making this video. I just bought Audio Technica M50X, and i was very much confused as in which DAC headphone amp i should be buying.
Well I did what you told us not to do... I bought a Zen Dac V2 before watching your other videos... but I have my reasons. The balanced headphone output was the key selling point.
I'm using a Fiio K3 as my desktop Dac/balanced headphone amp... and it's great but I have issues with it being served audio and power by USBc. It's too small and light and gets pulled off of my desk by the headphone cable. The computer doesn't recognize the Fiio at startup, so to get it to work I have to unplug and re-plug the USB cable. I'm looking forward to the new DAC.
Grabbed the Zen V2 for my back to the office gear, got a B-Stock Asgard 3 to go along with it...
I think you convinced me in getting one, since my old Tascam US-122l is giving up. I wonder how my JBL-LSR308 and DT990 will sound with this new DAC
And if you compare today this iFi zen dac (or the more recent Zen Dac 3 version) with the stack Atom 2 Amp & Dac from JDS Labs, your choice would go to which of the two ?
Great interesting video I recently bought V1 zen but it didn’t have the 4.4mm socket or the switch for fixed or variable o/p , but does clean nice audio quality for its price point . Regards mark
I would be curious how John describes the sound differences with a Modi Multibit which I believe would be around the same price range.
Excellent review, thanks.
John I like your shows. Thank you
Zen Dac into Zen can via balanced and then balanced to headphones - super sound and super cheap :-) - oh and use the Ifi power supply on both rather than usb powered on the dac :-)
I love the beginner articles. What would be considered a good beginner set of headphones to start with?
I combined a Topping (E90) with the Ifi Zen Can. More options, and good sound with my hd-6xx. Bit more money perhaps, but recommended (by me).
Zen DAC needs toslink and coax in.
Amen, wish it would have made its way into V2 but still a fantastic DAC/Amp for USB
Im looking for a DAC to combine with my Rega IO + Triangle BR03 , using my ifi Zen v2 on my computer and it sounds even great on the Rega - what would be your advice? buy the same dac again or a ToppingE30? im open to advises my budget for the DAC should be maximum 400€
I purchased this unit. Yes I am happy with the sound improvement And, I registered it. But, my one completely
Great review as always. Can this dac do a good job handling a good cd player ot is it suitable only for streaming music?
Hi Darko and thank you so much for all your videos. I have a pair of KEF LS50 wireless 1, what DAC do you recomend if I am playing my music from my Ipad?
Another great video!
Looking forward to the other two Videos. Do you know already when you will release them?
Hello,
is this better than D10s + L30 Topping stack?
Great review,
Much love from Indonesia, ♥♥♥♥♥
Hi John, I already have dragonfly cobalt and is planning to buy this for my desktop setup. Do you think it is a way to go or should look a step up?