Many talk a lot about the build quality of products, but I've got to say, the moment you knocked on it (1:29), the sound it made described it better than any words spoken.
@@TotallydubbedHD There is a little more "cleanliness" from the Chord at the expense of warmth (meat on the bones) in the midrange. Voices have more weight and character through the Zen dac.
I have the IFI Zen DAC and Sundara's but both the cookies n cream and the GTO filter lack what they should both have. You have to pick between one or the other, either a warm rich sound or a crisp wide sound but both lack the balance you look for..... If you're in the US with a lot of options available at a slightly higher price point, go with them, as for the EU you're pretty much screwed.
Great review..thanks a lot. You compared the Zen to Hugo which cost a lot more. By any chance you have listed to Mojo which is priced much closer to Zen, and how they compare?
Glad you liked it! I'd say it's not quite as refined as the Mojo in terms of the mids, but is a little wider in terms of its presentation. If you want a more refined sound, sure the Mojo will be better, but it's also 2x plus the price.
although I read Amir’s measurement results from Zen DAC before,I still decided to give this DAC a try.turns out it sounds good indeed.i wish iFi could have used a modern chip on this.but for 130$ price it’s totally a keeper.nice review btw!
@@TotallydubbedHD/videos I'm thinking about Zen for Monolith M1060C because of XbassII but I'm afraid it's not powerful enough to drive them with enough bass impact and loudness.
So finally after this detailed reviews and as far I used to have the Cambridge audio do you thing that ifi outperform is sound quality the dac magic as I am looking buy it ???! Thank you
Thanks for the review! I have some questions which I couldnt find answers to. Appreciate if you can help me out: 1) Do the RCA outs mute when the headphones are plugged in? 2) In windows, does Speakers and headphones turn up as 2 devices? - I ask this is so that I could switch between speakers and headphones without unplugging my headphones. Cheers!
Hi @TotallydubbedHD I was wondering what are your thoughts on the Audioengine B1 ? I can have this one and the iFi Zen at the same price and they both seems to give a great quality result. There's no comparaison what so ever between these two units and all reviews claim it is the best bang for the buck..... Any ideas? Experiences? Thank you very much
ive bought a zen dac and really like it, for the cost itys brill, i find with some heavier music (I previal for example) it distorts quite badly and it does need a bit of eq on the top end as its quite rolled off. how would you compare it with the chord mojo? Im interested in one of those but they are expensive and want to see if the jump is worth it. I would use it mainly as a desktop device
Thanks for sharing; vs the Mojo: The Zen doesn't have as detailed mid-range, lacks a bit of cohesion in the soundstage and isn't as competent in separating instruments. The difference is there; but then is the difference worth almost 3.5x the price? No.
totallydubbedHD - thank you for replying. I’m looking at second hand units as they are going for between £250-300 on eBay so not as much of a jump but still not cheap. I think I’ll heed your advice and enjoy the zen for now. Keep up the great work, I really enjoy your honest vids and great comparisons.
hi mate, i have abit confusion. if im about to use hd6xx which is 300ohm, pair with this dac, do i need to plug in the power adapter? or the usb cable is sufficient enough?
Can you use xlr to RCA cable and don't loose sound quality compared to RCA to RCA? Btw: Got any clue why actuall xlr to 4.4mm cables are so expensive coming over 100 bucks!? (In Europe) I know you can buy cables for under 40 bucks, but sadly not in Europe! This is why I have no choice then to buy an xlr to RCA cable instead of a balanced xlr to 4.4mm one. (Might upgrade in the future though if it's improve sound quality, is it?)
Hi: i received one ifi zen DAC today, then I upgraded firmware to 5.3c . The LED light color in front of the zen DAC Don’t change by different files source PCM , DSD, MQA . How about your zen DAC, is change color on your zen DAC? Thanks
Think that's an issue or a feature of the FW you have. Check iFi's website, I remember there was something mentioned about LED colour and the firmware you're using.
Will it be sufficient to drive HifiMan HE400i 2020 through the Balanced Port or Fiio K5 Pro is better option in comparison? Or any other DAC/Amp in your opinion would be a better choice in the similar price range? Thanks.
@@TotallydubbedHD Thank you so much for such a quick response. Have you by any chance tried the Hidizs S9 Pro through Balanced Out with Planar headphones? It would be great to read your thoughts on that. Going with the Zen Dac for now(Although I am worried I might not get the "Grunt and Kick" as reviewers have mentioned these headphones produce when paired with higher powered Amps such as the K5 Pro). As I have seen your review on the He400i 2020, I thought your opinion would enable me in making a better choice. Thanks Again. (P.S. - I am currently using the Tempotec Sonata HD Pro in Combination with Fiio A3 Amp - and to be honest I am not liking the Sound that much, this combo sounds sterile and harsh to me, I hope upgrading to Zen DAC V2 would show He400i 2020's true colours or potential).
Really starting to warm to this DAC/AMP, if I wanted to drive from my DAP I would need to power separately though so I would factor in an adapter which is 49 pounds. Wonder if hipdac is same quality?
thanks for the simple but precise review of the DAC. one question though, can you choose which output it plays if it is connected to speakers using the RCA out and headphones using the 6.3mm output at the same time..?
What about the MQA does it work out of the box? Say I connect a tunebox usb to the usb of the zen dac, and use roon, will it do the final MQA unfold? Or it only works if connected to a windows pc?
When you goes to soundstage. I couldn't stop my self to give you that like💜💜 Man thanks for that review And i have a Q plz, : is there any dacs(mostly) sound bad than our normal dac on laptop or phones? "" I had this in my mind becouse i got a fiio e10 dac and there is no soundstage od good imaging I will be thankful to the answer💕💭
Tbh, 10yrs ago, they would, but nowadays most sound better in some way or form over the built-in DACs. But then again, some laptops/PCs have seriously got impressive DACs already built-in. I'm surprised about the E10; yes it's a bit closed off, but generally speaking, it will be an upgrade for most people's systems.
First of I dont really know much about dac/amps can I use this with a dedicaded amp or Would it be better to buy a separate dac and an amp and if so which would you recomend?
The Fiio K3 just doesn't sound as great as the iFi Zen Dac, especially at higher volume levels, and the K3 isn't as capable of driving power hungry headphones at high gain compared to the iFi Zen Dac
I have heavily custom modded Denon AH-D2000 and HiFiMan Sundara headphones; both were plugged into the 6.3mm jack via the adapter shown (as they're both terminated with a 3.5mm jack)
Hi. If you had to buy onbe dac/amp for spotify and gaming on pc you grab this one or do you have another suggestion? Second question is about the power supply, do you think that we need to buy the 50dollars power supply or any other 5v gonna work? You have tried with and without and you say that it dosent make mutch difference. You still think that way?
@@TotallydubbedHD thanks for the reply. But now i have i big question..this one or the zen can. I know one is a dac/amp and the other Just a AMP. But only in terms off sound?
@@PakoPnF nope, an amp won't have that, thus you'll need to connect it to something. IE. Via an aux cable to your PC... At which point you'll get much worse sound unless you have a good soundcard. See the connections of the Can, and it'll make more sense
Hello. I wonder if anyone can help me. I have an I Mac and use Amazon Music. I also have a pair of Audio Engine A2+ speakers. Would the Zen Dac be the right DAC for me?
Nice review 👍🏻 I've watched many people review this and everyone seems to be impressed with it apart from the inability to turn it on or off. I have decided to purchase one and should be a good upgrade from an FX Audio Dac-X6 that I've been currently using for the last 6 months. A lot of other reviewers compare it to the Fiio K5 Pro (around £150) to which they claim is it's nearest competitor. Also there is a newer firmware out for the iFi Zen Dac with the GTO filter (details available on iFi's website). Please note that if you do update to the newer firmware then it will only display a yellow light instead of the light colour changing.
@@TotallydubbedHD Had it delivered late this morning and have been listening to music ever since (mostly Amazon Music HD). Wow! Really liking the sound so far. This blows my old dac/amp out of the water. The powermatch and truebass features work really well together and I'm alternating between songs with them off and on. Now to try it out with various headphones and IEM's.
Amazing review! I own the Zen DAC myself and i love it. Question about the Chord Hugo: will this work with MQA? The reason i bought the Zen DAC was because of its ability to decode MQA...
@@vincenthusvh I don't at all use streaming services. So can't really advise there, other than if you're looking for a DAC - I've got suggestions in the description. Given the price, don't think you'll beat the Zen
Hello, did you buy the Zen Dac? I whant to use for the same porpuse as you. For gaming. How good it is comparing to your G6 in terms of soundstage and clarity?
Not tried and of Schiit's products, having reached out to them multiple times and heard nothing back. So can't comment on that one. I just know how good this is vs other more expensive DACs
@@klc2578 I'd not buy a certain headphone due to what a DAC has - I'd buy what you like in terms of sound first, then worry about the DAC. I mean technically the difference is a balanced vs unbalanced sound; the former is a little more refined but not a night and day difference.
I own a sound card, Asus xonar DGX in my old PC, i got a new laptop so i wanted to get a new amp for my HD 518. Bought the ifi dac zen. Its good the sound is clean but the only thing i noticed, it is as good as my old xonar dgx from 2013, and that card cost me around $30. Imo this dac/amp and the other so called "budget" dac/amp. Are all overpriced. I would not pay more than $60 for the ifi zen or the others from the competition.
I bought this one. first disappointment the usb 3.0 cable is only 50cm. What the heck should I do with it? I have to put on the floor behind my PC case or in top of it damn stupid. No chance to put on my desk. And another usb b 3.0 cable for audio cost more then the DAC itself. Second any game sound worth then with my Go XLR. For music its really good with my Fostex T60RP. but not for gaming. Third the driver screwed any other sound drivers in windows. 4. for gaming: I have to push the gain ingame verhy high and even so the DAC, push boost and gain is 70%. Oh and if you like to buy the usb cable from ifi that more then 350€ for 1m.
iFi claim that's to maximise the sound quality, but yeah I'm with you on the cable haha. You can get an extender like I did (Type A male to female) or just a new cable lol. Cable isn't expensive though - just grab one from eBay/Amazon. That's weird about the gaming thing though, you sure that's not your in-game settings, or the fact that your game doesn't support X bit-rate etc? Sound volumes shouldn't change from Windows to Game; to me it would point toward the game being odd/not liking something, rather than the DAC. Could be wrong though!
@@TotallydubbedHD I think the Zen DAC is not for gaming. I tested it now with more then 10 games. Watch dogs 2 has great music also GTA V all music I hear in real life and over spotify/tidal. Gain ingame to 100%, push button on Zen DAC and gain around 70 % to get same loudness as with my GoXLR which has 30% ingame and 40% the GoXLR,. Maybe it has something today with games and Spotify/Tidal how they use the DAC. For me I don´t need it for my music I safe the money and stay with one DAC.
Video timestamps:
-Intro & price: 00:00 - 00:25
-Package contents: 00:25 - 01:28
-Build quality: 01:28 - 02:05
-Ports & features: 02:05 - 05:32
-Sound quality: 05:32 - 09:39
-Verdict: 09:39 - 10:31
All videos should have this. Goodjob.
@@amlecciones thanks - but not always quick to do - takes some time!
Hi mate its good. Can you suggest between zen blue and audiolab M dac mini
Regards
@@kay3179 not tried the other or the blue, so can't comment
Many talk a lot about the build quality of products, but I've got to say, the moment you knocked on it (1:29), the sound it made described it better than any words spoken.
Knock knock who's there?
I bought the zen several months ago, bought a Chord hugo to try as well and SOLD THE CHORD! This is an excellent sounding little dac!
Wow; high praise! I'd have said the mids aren't as good on the Zen vs the Chord though
@@TotallydubbedHD There is a little more "cleanliness" from the Chord at the expense of warmth (meat on the bones) in the midrange. Voices have more weight and character through the Zen dac.
@@OrganNLou thanks for sharing :)
what earphones are you using?
Just FYI it comes with the headphone jack converter now.
was this the one from amazon
just bought off amazon - does it now come with a converter for the balanced output? say 4.4mm to 3.5mm
I have the IFI Zen DAC and Sundara's but both the cookies n cream and the GTO filter lack what they should both have. You have to pick between one or the other, either a warm rich sound or a crisp wide sound but both lack the balance you look for..... If you're in the US with a lot of options available at a slightly higher price point, go with them, as for the EU you're pretty much screwed.
Thanks for sharing!
U have to update it the sound will be better !
How do you do that?
Joshua 029 ll you have to download the Software Tool from ifi. It’s listed on their page
@@H.T.H. oh ok thank you.
Great review..thanks a lot. You compared the Zen to Hugo which cost a lot more. By any chance you have listed to Mojo which is priced much closer to Zen, and how they compare?
Glad you liked it! I'd say it's not quite as refined as the Mojo in terms of the mids, but is a little wider in terms of its presentation. If you want a more refined sound, sure the Mojo will be better, but it's also 2x plus the price.
Nice Chris. Not a bad Dac to be fair. I’ve got a couple in at the mo. Looking at the Sennheiser GSX1000 and the Fiio Olympus 2.
Nice one - I'd highly suggest you check this one out - to me it beats the GSX - and easily outclasses the FiiO!
totallydubbedHD thanks dude. I might just do that. Fiio is a little beast for its cost though to be fair.
Did you use the latest firmware with the GTO filter during testing? btw, great review thanks!
Well, it was provided new by iFi, so I'd presume it was on the latest FW!
although I read Amir’s measurement results from Zen DAC before,I still decided to give this DAC a try.turns out it sounds good indeed.i wish iFi could have used a modern chip on this.but for 130$ price it’s totally a keeper.nice review btw!
Thanks; glad you liked it. Pro tip: don't base audio buying decisions on measurements, only.
@@TotallydubbedHD/videos I'm thinking about Zen for Monolith M1060C because of XbassII but I'm afraid it's not powerful enough to drive them with enough bass impact and loudness.
@@morphed2 there's plenty of volume.
So finally after this detailed reviews and as far I used to have the Cambridge audio do you thing that ifi outperform is sound quality the dac magic as I am looking buy it ???! Thank you
Thanks for the review! I have some questions which I couldnt find answers to. Appreciate if you can help me out:
1) Do the RCA outs mute when the headphones are plugged in?
2) In windows, does Speakers and headphones turn up as 2 devices? - I ask this is so that I could switch between speakers and headphones without unplugging my headphones.
Cheers!
1. I can't confirm, but I would think so, yes
2. Honestly can't remember - best asking iFi
Sorry!
@@TotallydubbedHD No worries. Appreciate the response :)
1) no they don't mute,
2) as one device,
Hi @TotallydubbedHD
I was wondering what are your thoughts on the Audioengine B1 ?
I can have this one and the iFi Zen at the same price and they both seems to give a great quality result. There's no comparaison what so ever between these two units and all reviews claim it is the best bang for the buck..... Any ideas? Experiences?
Thank you very much
Not tried the B1, but have had the D1. The latter isn't anywhere as good as the Zen!
@@TotallydubbedHD Alright! Thank you very much for that quick answer, it is appreciated :)
@@BTJustin pleasure, don't forget to sub and like :)
ive bought a zen dac and really like it, for the cost itys brill, i find with some heavier music (I previal for example) it distorts quite badly and it does need a bit of eq on the top end as its quite rolled off. how would you compare it with the chord mojo? Im interested in one of those but they are expensive and want to see if the jump is worth it. I would use it mainly as a desktop device
Thanks for sharing; vs the Mojo: The Zen doesn't have as detailed mid-range, lacks a bit of cohesion in the soundstage and isn't as competent in separating instruments. The difference is there; but then is the difference worth almost 3.5x the price? No.
totallydubbedHD - thank you for replying. I’m looking at second hand units as they are going for between £250-300 on eBay so not as much of a jump but still not cheap. I think I’ll heed your advice and enjoy the zen for now. Keep up the great work, I really enjoy your honest vids and great comparisons.
@@philipsills5298 that's a far better price, but yes, still an investment. Pleasure, glad I could help :)
Mind i ask how I could eq the zen dac?
hi mate, i have abit confusion. if im about to use hd6xx which is 300ohm, pair with this dac, do i need to plug in the power adapter? or the usb cable is sufficient enough?
USB cable will be sufficient! :)
my zen DAC LED shows blue when playing 64 or 128 DSD, but shows yellow when playing 256 DSD. How about your guy zen DAC?
Can you use xlr to RCA cable and don't loose sound quality compared to RCA to RCA?
Btw: Got any clue why actuall xlr to 4.4mm cables are so expensive coming over 100 bucks!? (In Europe) I know you can buy cables for under 40 bucks, but sadly not in Europe! This is why I have no choice then to buy an xlr to RCA cable instead of a balanced xlr to 4.4mm one. (Might upgrade in the future though if it's improve sound quality, is it?)
But sure buddy, haven't used that connection in a long time to know, sorry! Incl the price of the cables.
Hi: i received one ifi zen DAC today, then I upgraded firmware to 5.3c . The LED light color in front of the zen DAC Don’t change by different files source PCM , DSD, MQA . How about your zen DAC, is change color on your zen DAC? Thanks
Think that's an issue or a feature of the FW you have. Check iFi's website, I remember there was something mentioned about LED colour and the firmware you're using.
i tried it out and compared it to a Schitt Modi 3, and the Schitt sounds way better. Even without the MQA rendering.
Thanks for sharing!
With the latest firmware installed it is better than the modi 3+
Is ifi Zen DAC V2 capable enough to properly drive DT990 Pro (250 ohm)? I was told by a seller that it wont drive to the full potential
Should be fine!
Hi, when you said higher bass and better sound stage in your review, may I ask the output from passive speakers via hifi system or headphones?
This was tested via headphones :)
Will it be sufficient to drive HifiMan HE400i 2020 through the Balanced Port or Fiio K5 Pro is better option in comparison? Or any other DAC/Amp in your opinion would be a better choice in the similar price range? Thanks.
More than enough yeah - great combo too
@@TotallydubbedHD Thank you so much for such a quick response.
Have you by any chance tried the Hidizs S9 Pro through Balanced Out with Planar headphones? It would be great to read your thoughts on that.
Going with the Zen Dac for now(Although I am worried I might not get the "Grunt and Kick" as reviewers have mentioned these headphones produce when paired with higher powered Amps such as the K5 Pro).
As I have seen your review on the He400i 2020, I thought your opinion would enable me in making a better choice. Thanks Again.
(P.S. - I am currently using the Tempotec Sonata HD Pro in Combination with Fiio A3 Amp - and to be honest I am not liking the Sound that much, this combo sounds sterile and harsh to me, I hope upgrading to Zen DAC V2 would show He400i 2020's true colours or potential).
@@Dcseven51 not tried the other buddy, but glad my reviews were helpful! :)
ifi Zen Dac or Modi 3? price is about the same in my country.. need honest advice who been using these 2 products..
No idea personally; but would be surprised to see the Modi come out on top lol
Can I connect this great thing with soundbar?
Technically yes, but it's not what I'd recommend
Really starting to warm to this DAC/AMP, if I wanted to drive from my DAP I would need to power separately though so I would factor in an adapter which is 49 pounds. Wonder if hipdac is same quality?
No idea about the other one, sorry!
thanks for the simple but precise review of the DAC. one question though, can you choose which output it plays if it is connected to speakers using the RCA out and headphones using the 6.3mm output at the same time..?
That's a great question, didn't even think of that. Let me ask iFi
@@TotallydubbedHD thanks for the reply. hope ifi do respond back. also just sub the channel
@@fist003 thanks! Will let you know when I hear back
Can I use this to connect my OnePlus to it and from the dac to my receiver, or is this only for computers ?
Not sure; don't think you can, but could be mistaken!
What about the MQA does it work out of the box?
Say I connect a tunebox usb to the usb of the zen dac, and use roon, will it do the final MQA unfold? Or it only works if connected to a windows pc?
Should do, yes - but if you've got a specific question, I suggest asking iFi customer support.
Great review! I am very satisfied with my Zen Dac.
nice review!
i thinking whether should i get this device? i already have a Creative audio card build in my motherboard
Truly depends on the card you're using, and the headphones
@@TotallydubbedHD creative ZxRi , I'm currently using the Sennheiser GSP500
@@fishballrox then I'd think it'll be a sidegrade!
When you goes to soundstage. I couldn't stop my self to give you that like💜💜
Man thanks for that review
And i have a Q plz, : is there any dacs(mostly) sound bad than our normal dac on laptop or phones? ""
I had this in my mind becouse i got a fiio e10 dac and there is no soundstage od good imaging
I will be thankful to the answer💕💭
Tbh, 10yrs ago, they would, but nowadays most sound better in some way or form over the built-in DACs. But then again, some laptops/PCs have seriously got impressive DACs already built-in.
I'm surprised about the E10; yes it's a bit closed off, but generally speaking, it will be an upgrade for most people's systems.
@@Intimatycal get the Zen, it's by far better than the E10!
First of I dont really know much about dac/amps can I use this with a dedicaded amp or Would it be better to buy a separate dac and an amp and if so which would you recomend?
You could, but you don't really need it with this one. I'd just buy this alone :)
@@TotallydubbedHD so if i have the money a schiit modi and heresy for example would be better ?
@@popops3 not heard it, but again, the Zen is incredible.
@@TotallydubbedHD okey thanks alot
@@popops3 np
How is this DAC compares to Dragonfly Red or even cobalt?
Not tried those, so can't comment
please we need a review about fiio k3 and if u compare it with ifi zen it will be nice .and thanks
Thanks! Will try to at some point!
@@TotallydubbedHD Do you have an idea of which one sounds better?
@@AitoMolo no idea unfortunately
The Fiio K3 just doesn't sound as great as the iFi Zen Dac, especially at higher volume levels, and the K3 isn't as capable of driving power hungry headphones at high gain compared to the iFi Zen Dac
I assume this will run OK from phone with a extended USB 3 to usb c cable ??
Probably not.
@@TotallydubbedHD thank you for reply. I'll find out today 🤣🤣🤞🤞
@@TheSteve57 np lol
With the additional power cable it's possible to use an 600 ohm Beyerdynamic Headset?
Sure, even without it
@@TotallydubbedHD but it's not too less power? I worry that the sound is very quiet. The fiio k5 pro is an alternative to iFi Zen dac?
@@zoddytech4204 it won't be quiet, it's really powerful; as for the FiiO, no idea!
hallo in spec it says that ifi zen dac can drive 600ohm with balance output. so its mean i can drive r70x using balance output?
That's right!
@@TotallydubbedHD thank you
Hi! What headphones AND WHICH OUTPUT are u using?
I have heavily custom modded Denon AH-D2000 and HiFiMan Sundara headphones; both were plugged into the 6.3mm jack via the adapter shown (as they're both terminated with a 3.5mm jack)
What is the next step from the zen dac
From my experience, the Cambridge Audio DacMagic Plus and the Chord Mojo.
Are you going to review the Chord Hugo2 (or did you already)?
Might do at some point :)
@@TotallydubbedHD would love to hear your opinion on it🙌
@@vincenthusvh well, I'd say in a nutshell, the best DAC for its size
@@TotallydubbedHD and for the price? Is it worth going to the €2k market?
@@vincenthusvh now that's hard to justify, truly. But in audio it's often the case, small differences that make a huge difference in price
Hi would you bother getting a 4.4 adapter to get the unbalanced experience?
Nope!
@@TotallydubbedHD Subbed!
Hi. If you had to buy onbe dac/amp for spotify and gaming on pc you grab this one or do you have another suggestion? Second question is about the power supply, do you think that we need to buy the 50dollars power supply or any other 5v gonna work? You have tried with and without and you say that it dosent make mutch difference. You still think that way?
For the price, I'd pick this. You don't need the extra power supply IMO.
@@TotallydubbedHD thanks for the reply. But now i have i big question..this one or the zen can. I know one is a dac/amp and the other Just a AMP. But only in terms off sound?
@@PakoPnF they should be similar, but I'm not sure. Thing is, if it's only an amp, how you going to connect to it?
@@TotallydubbedHD what a good question... We cant Just do it the same way as the zen dac? With USB..?
@@PakoPnF nope, an amp won't have that, thus you'll need to connect it to something. IE. Via an aux cable to your PC... At which point you'll get much worse sound unless you have a good soundcard. See the connections of the Can, and it'll make more sense
Hello. I wonder if anyone can help me. I have an I Mac and use Amazon Music. I also have a pair of Audio Engine A2+ speakers. Would the Zen Dac be the right DAC for me?
Good for gaming FPS games with a DT770 Pro?
Yes.
ifi dac vs fiio k3 which one is better ?
No idea, sorry.
Would sound stage and depth be an upgrade over SMSL SU-8?
No idea
Hi would this work better then the hip dac on home pc with x66 phones ? thx for the help
Not tried the other lol!
Nice review 👍🏻 I've watched many people review this and everyone seems to be impressed with it apart from the inability to turn it on or off. I have decided to purchase one and should be a good upgrade from an FX Audio Dac-X6 that I've been currently using for the last 6 months. A lot of other reviewers compare it to the Fiio K5 Pro (around £150) to which they claim is it's nearest competitor. Also there is a newer firmware out for the iFi Zen Dac with the GTO filter (details available on iFi's website). Please note that if you do update to the newer firmware then it will only display a yellow light instead of the light colour changing.
Nice, let me know how you find it :)
@@TotallydubbedHD Had it delivered late this morning and have been listening to music ever since (mostly Amazon Music HD). Wow! Really liking the sound so far. This blows my old dac/amp out of the water. The powermatch and truebass features work really well together and I'm alternating between songs with them off and on. Now to try it out with various headphones and IEM's.
amazing, thanks for sharing :)
Amazing review! I own the Zen DAC myself and i love it.
Question about the Chord Hugo: will this work with MQA? The reason i bought the Zen DAC was because of its ability to decode MQA...
Glad you liked the review! As far as I'm aware, the Chord Hugo 2 doesn't support MQA; nor do most of Chord's products - but I could be wrong!
@@TotallydubbedHD thanks! Do you use Tidal yourself or can you recommend a DAC/amp that supports MQA? I'm looking for a upgrade over de Zen DAC
@@vincenthusvh I don't at all use streaming services. So can't really advise there, other than if you're looking for a DAC - I've got suggestions in the description. Given the price, don't think you'll beat the Zen
whats the reason ifi does not mension what DAC Burr Brown chip it has?
No idea. Maybe for its competitors?
Is it worth to upgrade from e10k? I use dt770 80ohm
Yup!!
can I connect ifi zen mqa dac to any amplifiers through rca to decode tidal masters
Can't see why not?
would this be able to drive a pair of Hi-Fi HiFiMAN HE400i Ver.2020?
Yup! I got the review of that headphone coming soon, too!
can u connect this with powered speakers
Can't see why you can't
Does the zen dac worm with usb1.0 device?
Should do, maybe ask iFi to be sure.
@@TotallydubbedHD Cant find any contact email with them.
Twitter maybe?
how long the usb cable length
? it seems short
Around 1.5m if not shorter
Does this works well with iPhones as well?
don't think so; unless you use some sort of adapter
What are your thoughts for this as a gaming DAC/amp
Would be a great pick.
@@TotallydubbedHD ok thankyou. Also how does it compare to a "gaming" DAC amp like the schiit fulla, sound blaster x3 and g6
@@WB-hh1ur it's better than them by some distance. Just remember there's no dedicated mic input like the G6
@@TotallydubbedHD thanks man you've been really helpful. Appreciate it and keep up the work
Pleasure, do subscribe and like if you haven't already!
And if you're going via Amazon, the link in the description gives me commission :)
Can this be connected to a hifi amp input?
can't see why not?
Is this dac good for fps gaming, currently have sound blaster g6 and I need an upgrade haha
Think this would make for a good upgrade over the G6, yes :)
Hello, did you buy the Zen Dac? I whant to use for the same porpuse as you. For gaming. How good it is comparing to your G6 in terms of soundstage and clarity?
@@PakoPnF Well... now that 2 months has passed I'd like to ask you, did you buy either?
Zen dac or Schiit modi 3, both sells at similar price.
Not tried and of Schiit's products, having reached out to them multiple times and heard nothing back. So can't comment on that one. I just know how good this is vs other more expensive DACs
great content..keep make good stuff...
thank you!
My unit had a 1/4" adapter in the box.
thanks for sharing!
did u buy it from amazon?
@@SparkiNgFLasH7 No, I bought it from headphonezone.in it's an indian online retailer, they're also the official retailer in India for iFi products.
Mine did too. £100 brand new from eBay.
mind to share your thoughts of this ifi 6.3mm vs 4.4mm jack on headphone?
should I buy this over the FIIO K5pro cos I have Sony MDR 1AM2 with 4.4mm jack cable?
@@klc2578 I'd not buy a certain headphone due to what a DAC has - I'd buy what you like in terms of sound first, then worry about the DAC.
I mean technically the difference is a balanced vs unbalanced sound; the former is a little more refined but not a night and day difference.
@@TotallydubbedHD thank you very much.
@@TotallydubbedHD
This Zen Dac Is crazy for balanced on Sony 1AM2.
@@klc2578 glad to hear it!
Does it support OTG USB ?
Think so, check on their site
I'll be replacing my dying D1 that ive had since 2013 with a Zen DAC, placed an order on the weekend.
Glad to see its not just a sidegrade.
Enjoy! Let me know how you find it :)
totallydubbedHD really impressed with it, been using it with my 6XX the last 2 days. That bass boost button is pretty addicting!
@@curt.hennig fantastic, glad to hear it :)
@@curt.hennig Hi! The bass boost works only with headphones or works with amp out of speakers?
@@otomekk From my understanding it will only boost the headphone out, but im not really sure on that. I dont have any speakers to test with.
Do I need the power supply?
Nope!
@@TotallydubbedHD did you update it to get the GTO filter?
No, I didn't
So its a dac amp or just a dac?
Dac amp :)
would this power PC desktop speaker?
It should, but I didn't try.
@@TotallydubbedHD hi thanks, i got it, and sounds fantastic with bookshelf speakers
@@alanpro1512 thanks for sharing; glad you like it :) Which speakers do you have?
Can you review the benq ew277hdr with a console
no can do!
Does anyone know if it has enough power for the beyerdynamic dt770 pro 250ohm?
Will do, yes.
Nice! How do I plug an iphone XR into it? oh ...Put playback speed at .75 and he won't sound so FAST! 😆
Haha! As for the XR - best looking on iFi's site.
It’s a whacko shape, design. WTF were they thinking 🤔 No on and off switch is just downright stupid. I’m sticking with FIIO and my Chord MOJO
I mean the Mojo is way more expensive, but yeah, I agree about the on/off
Did anyone listen to smsl m100 , that costs under 100$ and how it compares to IFI? Thanks
Not heard it myself
Product is...B.S.Crazy good! Once you go balanced...you never go back. Product needs to be fully broken in.
Yup!
Thank you for the great review. Can you please compare Zen dac with Hip dac?
Never heard of that DAC; sorry!
Glad you liked the review though.
I own a sound card, Asus xonar DGX in my old PC, i got a new laptop so i wanted to get a new amp for my HD 518.
Bought the ifi dac zen. Its good the sound is clean but the only thing i noticed, it is as good as my old xonar dgx from 2013, and that card cost me around $30. Imo this dac/amp and the other so called "budget" dac/amp. Are all overpriced. I would not pay more than $60 for the ifi zen or the others from the competition.
I'd highly disagree, having owned a few of Asus' cards before; especially where instrument separation and soundstage is involved.
How would you rate this against the topping e30 ?
Not heard it, so no idea
Good video but SLOW DOWN! :-)
I like to provide information :)
I bought this one. first disappointment the usb 3.0 cable is only 50cm. What the heck should I do with it? I have to put on the floor behind my PC case or in top of it damn stupid. No chance to put on my desk. And another usb b 3.0 cable for audio cost more then the DAC itself. Second any game sound worth then with my Go XLR. For music its really good with my Fostex T60RP. but not for gaming. Third the driver screwed any other sound drivers in windows. 4. for gaming: I have to push the gain ingame verhy high and even so the DAC, push boost and gain is 70%. Oh and if you like to buy the usb cable from ifi that more then 350€ for 1m.
iFi claim that's to maximise the sound quality, but yeah I'm with you on the cable haha. You can get an extender like I did (Type A male to female) or just a new cable lol. Cable isn't expensive though - just grab one from eBay/Amazon.
That's weird about the gaming thing though, you sure that's not your in-game settings, or the fact that your game doesn't support X bit-rate etc? Sound volumes shouldn't change from Windows to Game; to me it would point toward the game being odd/not liking something, rather than the DAC. Could be wrong though!
@@TotallydubbedHD maybe I have no luck. Windows behave strange sometimes. Something happend. The Zen is a good piece I agree.
Maybe contact iFi and see what they say?
@@TotallydubbedHD I think the Zen DAC is not for gaming. I tested it now with more then 10 games. Watch dogs 2 has great music also GTA V all music I hear in real life and over spotify/tidal. Gain ingame to 100%, push button on Zen DAC and gain around 70 % to get same loudness as with my GoXLR which has 30% ingame and 40% the GoXLR,. Maybe it has something today with games and Spotify/Tidal how they use the DAC. For me I don´t need it for my music I safe the money and stay with one DAC.
@@DieTabbi again, I find that odd to read, but thanks for sharing.