iFi audio ZEN Air DAC (2023)

iFi ZEN DAC V2 Review

Pros: Value, excellent tone, good build quality, ease of use, can be used as direct to amp pre

Cons: not for difficult to drive headphones.

My background is in music. Yes, a bland and generic statement, yet it indeed is true. Though I have no poetic inspiration that inspires great prose to roll off my tongue like a Greek master, nonetheless, it is true that I studied Classical Music on the dollar of University of Tennessee. One of the things you get to do as a 'music major' is Ear Training. What a beautiful course, and I wish all college courses were the same. If you master the material early, you get your 'A' and never go back to that class again. In fact, you may enroll into the higher levels, and before you know it, you have 2 years of credit in a month.

Yeah, I was one of those kids. I passed first semester Ear Training in a single week. I have always had the ear for the subtleties in music. One of the more basic exercises is a simple tuning test. The subject must listen to a series of pitches all within a few 'cents' of each other, and must match them exactly with no assistance. Only your ear can be your tool.

No problem.

How that helps me as an audio technology critic, I am not sure. My hope however is my ear is just as attuned in this task as it was there many years ago in the Ear Training Lab. Readers can be the judge of that. But for now, let me be the judge of the subject of this entry. The iFi ZEN DAC V2.

iFi Audio, a part of AMR Audio, has offered budget but excellent sounding technology since 2012. The first product to the market was the semi-portable iDAC. It was based on ESS technology, and received decent reviews in the audio press. iFi continued to build on their early success, finding a popular niche in the portable and 'head-fi' scenes. Interest in what this company was doing is how I became interested and involved in the 'head-fi' scene.

iFi, at that time under the technical leadership of Thorsten Loesch of DIY fame, left behind the ESS 'ready made' reference standard, in favor of the Burr-Brown/Texas Instruments DSD1793 chip, which would become the backbone of iFi tech. iFi pushed the limits and continues to push the DSD1793 beyond what its original Japanese engineers ever considered possible.

One of the more appealing aspects of the chipset is it has a separate logic that processes DSD in its native format, bypassing the onboard Delta-Sigma Modulator. Many would consider this 'pure' or 'native' DSD processing, as the DAC output 'switches' groups of resistors to act as a Moving Average FIR filter with only 8 clock cycles/bits of delay for the taps. It is an excellent choice for DSD playback, as well as PCM via its own unique process. Click here for my in depth explanation why this chip was chosen by iFi.

Internal to the ZEN DAC V2, the DSD1793 shines, although in this case it has limited features as compared to some other iFi products. In higher end iFi hardware, the chip can process Double DXD over 700khz, and DSD up to 1024fs. NOT HERE though. This ZEN V2 is limited to 1x DXD at 352.4 and 384khz, and DSD at 256fs. (click here for more info on the venerable chipset)

So how does the iFi ZEN DAC V2 stack up to its peers? After a thorough review, it acquits itself quite well.

(Video) Ifi Zen Air DAC Review - What does $100 get you?

Compared to other iFi offerings, this is quite a simple DAC to operate. Install the necessary software if you have a PC, plug in the DAC, and voila! Macintosh is simply plug-in-play, however DSD must be transmitted via DoP. Although Roon doesn't recognize the iFi ZEN DAC V2 as ROON READY, Roon spots the DAC and you can configure it as a USB device via the Roon control panel very easily. (Want true ROON READY ethernet/wifi connectivity? The iFi Stream is easily added and is the subject of an upcoming review)

Once you have decided how you will deliver sound to the DAC, it is easy pickin's. Every software I have thrown at it from Roon to Jriver and Audirvana to Foobar, comes accross without a hitch.

The ZEN DAC V2 can be used as a standalone DAC with analog volume control. In this case, there is a switch on the back that toggles the output from 'VARIABLE' to 'FIXED'. Variable mode with volume control at maximum will produce a higher voltage output than fixed mode, and can allow one to bypass any extra preamplifier in favor of a direct amplifier connection. None of my tests were conducted this way. All were conducted in fixed mode.

The front headphone output is always variable regardless of the switch on back. Also, iFi is kind enough to take any guesswork on what the gain need be via headphone output. It has a 'POWER MATCH' button on the far left of the front panel. This is a necessity for allowing compatibility with different headphones. My test reference Sennheiser HD650 were underpowered with the power match turned off. A push of the switch and all was well. No longer did volume need to be at 100 percent for average listening levels. Now I can listen at average to high levels with the volume dial around 40 to 50 percent.

Headphone outputs come in two forms. The 1/4 inch single ended headphone output, as well as a 4.4mm fully balanced Pentaconn output. Pentaconn output is also available on the back, allowing a short jumper cable to attach to other Pentaconn devices such as the ZEN CAN headphone amplifier. Standard RCA stereo terminations are included if you do not have a Pentaconn device, although there are several aftermarket solutions that breakout standard XLR pin L/R terminations from a single Pentaconn connector.

One final feature found on the front panel is a 'TRUEBASS' button. True to its word, it gives a noteworthy boost in bass frequencies, however, this boost is only applicable to the headphone outputs. The amount of boost offered is visible in our MEASUREMENTS SECTION, below article.

Power for the iFi ZEN DAC V2 comes from the 5v bus on the USB input. However, also supplied is an external switching supply that is said to provide better performance. I noted no measurable difference; however it is admitted that measurements only tell part of the story. The human auditory system is very complex and not completely understood. It is possible one may find a subjective listening advantage. For disclosure all my tests were conducted using a iFi iPower 5v external switching supply.

Now came the time for some listening. The listening notes you read below come via a HP all-in-one PC running Roon. I am evaluating the DAC with its own headamp, while Sennheiser HD650 headphones are the listening transducer of choice.

I opened Roon and queued up a few of my reference tracks to see what this budget powerhouse can do. First up was the Allegro from Sibelius Violin Concerto in D minor op. 71. Performed by Akiko Suwanai in 2002 with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Sakari Oramo, it is recorded in native DSD64 by the impeccable Polyhymnia team and is part of the Philips Classics Decca library. A good DAC can transport one into another world with this recording. It can be a transcendent experience that defies the mundane daily routine.

What strikes first is the excellent tonality. The violin sounds like a violin. The overtones send shivers down the spine, and there is nothing that sounds clinical here. It 'rings' and I mean ring in a good way. I call it 'ear candy', and I could get lost in this beautifully musical presentation for hours on end. It is not the most detailed presentation of this recording, yet nothing seems missing while you are in another world of musical bliss. Criticisms are small, and considering the price of this kit, more nitpicky than anything. The overall orchestral soundstage is slightly congested with tones that can sometimes be a bit wooly. The brass section on the other hand, is powerfully dynamic and beautiful. Brass comes across as powerful and low distortion, and the tight intonation of the BSO players is done no injustice. Rather the effect sends goosebumps running down my arms. Backgrounds are quite black, and there is aways a good sense of the recording space. We are off to a great start with this little DAC that can.

Next up on my listening chart was "Ballads for Audiophiles" performed by Aldo Zunino, Alfred Kramer, Paolo Birro, and Scott Hamilton. The album was recorded at the Hotel II Castello – Palazzo di Scoto di Semifonte in Stereo DSD64 on the Pyramix Recorder using a DCS ADC for the Fone label. I cued up the track "Everything Happens to Me". As a concert pianist, I appreciate when the recording engineer gets the piano just right, and it is very right here. The sonority and the decay is captured perfectly, and the ZEN DAC V2 doesn't shortchange anything. The placement of the piano in the mix is slightly behind and to the left, and once again the ZEN is powerful enough to call attention to the small details that can fool us into thinking we are right there in the room with the players. It makes all the difference in the listening experience. Lesser DACs can make a saxophone sound 'honky' and somewhat indistinguishable from a few other reed instruments, but here, the ZEN DAC V2 nails the tone and sonority. Fine detail is present to complete the illusion. Every breath and keypress is there to help create the 'live' illusion. The drums present with no unnatural distortion or harshness. Cymbals have a natural tonality. The bass line is very good, but can get a bit wooly and indistinct at times. Overall, the presentation of this piece is very, very nice and quite frankly for the money, may be hard to beat.

No review is complete of this DAC without mentioning it is a full MQA decoder and renderer. The next demo I queued up was from Tidal Masters. "Blues from Before" on the album "Four" performed by Bill Frisell. WOW what a sound. I know the arguments about MQA, and it has its lovers and haters. All I know is, it sounds GREAT. I don't know why, (actually I have my reasonable suspicions) but it is just good listening! The iFi ZEN DAC V2 brings outstanding MQA playback to this entry level price bracket. Guitar is captured with outstanding tone and nuance, while drums sound realistic and live, with excellent depth and layering. The distinct 'bell like' tone of the clarinet is captured and reproduced commendably here. Things sound just right, and there is excellent 'space' for all instruments to 'breath' and interact.

(Video) ifi ZEN Air DAC – Hi-Res on a budget? (DAC / Headphone combination)

Having heard quite a few DAC/headamps in this price range, I have yet to hear anything exceed the iFi ZEN DAC V2 for under $200. Of course I have not heard every DAC in this price range, but I am confident that if you are looking for an entry into real hi-fi and have a smaller budget, or just don't think the incremental improvements that come with higher priced kit are worth it, the ZEN DAC V2 is a DAC for you. How it might compare to the newer Signature edition I do not know. What I do know is you cannot go wrong with this excellent DAC/headphone amp. However, if your primary use is with headphones, stick with phones that are reasonably powered. Some of the more power hungry cans out there will need a separate, more powerful headamp, such as the matching ZEN CAN, currently under review.

CLICK here for factory specs.

our lab measurements: (please note that graphs are at bottom of article)

DAC measurements:

Frequency response (from 40 Hz to 15 kHz), dB+0.02, -0.18
Noise level, dB (A)-114.1
Dynamic range, dB (A)114.2
THD, %0.00205
THD + Noise, dB (A)-90.9
IMD + Noise, %0.0024
Stereo crosstalk, dB-95.5
IMD at 10 kHz, %0.00226

Headphone amp measurements:

Frequency response (from 40 Hz to 15 kHz), dB+0.03, -0.32
Noise level, dB (A)-94.9
Dynamic range, dB (A)94.8
THD, %0.01807
THD + Noise, dB (A)-71.7
IMD + Noise, %0.015
Stereo crosstalk, dB-78.1
IMD at 10 kHz, %0.010

iFi audio ZEN Air DAC (2023)

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