iFi Audio ZEN DAC Compact DAC / Headphone Amplifier

ZEN DAC is a super-affordable compact DAC/headphone amplifier from iFi Audio, the award-wining hi-fi audio company. It makes your music move you.

Compact enough to use as a USB DAC/amp on your work desk with your much-loved headphones, yet stylish enough to use in your home system as a full USB DAC. Just add your favourite active speakers or amplifier, and press play.

ZEN DAC supports PCM and DXD to 32-bit/384kHz, DSD256 and MQA. DSD remains bit-perfect thanks to the True Native Burr Brown chip design. Bespoke, easy-to-install firmware brings you the joyous musicality of hi-res, whilst the ethereal music quality will leave you grinning ear to ear.

Remaining quiet even in noisy situations such as trains or road trips, ZEN DAC sports Pentaconn 4.4mm balanced outputs at both the front and back. On the front, there’s also the popular 6.3mm headphone socket. You get both headphone options as standard.

Also, you can switch effortlessly between ‘variable’ and ‘fixed’. Set to Variable and use your ZEN DAC as a pre-amp to feed a power amp or active speakers, whilst Fixed will bypass the volume control for connection to an external pre-amp or integrated amp.

The headphone amp features PowerMatch – switchable gain to perfectly match your headphones. IEMs are high-sensitivity, so leave PowerMatch at its lower setting for hiss-free listening. On-ear or over-ear types with relatively low impedance require more oomph – so press PowerMatch to increase the level of drive.

Finally, the ZEN DAC also boasts TrueBass. This proprietary iFi Audio tech is a switchable ‘bass boost’ operating in the analogue domain. There’s no DSP with iFi gear. TrueBass enhances the bass but does not muddy the mid-range. Perfect for use with IEMs or open-back headphones which often lose out on bass.

Specifications

• Input: USB3.0 B Socket (USB2.0 compatible)
• Formats: 44.1/48/88.2/96/176.4/192/384kHz / PCM 2.8/3.1/5.6/6.2/11.2/12.4MHz / DSD 353/384KHz / DXD
• DAC: Bit-Perfect DSD / DXD DAC by Burr Brown
• Output
• Audio RCA (UnBAL) — 2.1V fixed
• 1V / 3.3V max. (variable)
• 4.4mm Pentaconn (BAL) — 4.2V fixed
• 2V / 6.2V max. (variable)
• Zout:
• <= 100 Ohm (UnBAL)
• <= 200 Ohm (BAL)
• SNR< -116dB(A) @ 0dBFS (UnBAL/BAL)
• DNR> 116dB(A) @ -60dBFS (UnBAL/BAL)
• THD+N < 0.0015% @ 0dBFS (UnBAL/BAL)
• Output Power (@1% THD):
• 4.4mm Pentaconn (BAL)
• BAL: 330mW@32 Ohm; BAL: 6.6V@600 Ohm
• 16 Ohm – 600 Ohm Headphone
• 6.3mm S-BAL (SE)
• S-BAL (SE): 230mW@32 Ohm; S-BAL (SE):3.3V@600 Ohm
• 16 Ohm – 600 Ohm Headphone
• Note: Using 5v power but if powered off USB, power output may vary.
• Output Impedance: < 1 Ω (UnBAL/BAL)
• THD & N: < 0.005% (125mW @ 32R)
• SNR: > 113dBA (3.3V UnBAL / 6.2V BAL)
• Power consumption: < 1.5W via USB power OR 5v DC (power supply not included)
• Dimensions:117(l) x 100(w) x 30(h)mm
• Weight: 491g (1.08 lbs)
• Warranty period: 12 months

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