Product Description
Audiophiles and music enthusiasts looking to up the quality of music from digital sources will be thrilled with the iFi Audio ZEN Air DAC, a digital-to-analog converter with an integrated headphone amplifier that delivers uncompromising sound from your favorite digital devices including smartphones, tablets, and computers.
The ZEN Air DAC features a USB 2.0 Type-B connector to interface with your digital technology. For outputs, the unit is equipped with stereo RCA outputs and a 1/4" headphone output. The ZEN Air DAC features PowerMatch, which adjusts the output to the right level depending on your headphones, and XBASS+, which allows you to tailor the bass to suit your personal taste. The unit ships with a USB cable. For low-powered devices that cannot power the DAC, an optional power supply is available.
Flexible Formats
The ZEN Air DAC supports different file formats—PCM 32-bit / 384 kHz, fully native DSD256 and MQA.
- PCM: Pulse Code Modulation is the file format used in CD, DVD, Blu-ray, and other digital audio applications.
- DSD: Direct Stream Digital is a very high-quality audio format, better than CD quality. The higher the number (sample rate), the better the recording—DSD64, 128, 256, 512, and 1024. Fully Native means that it hasn’t been altered in any way from the original recording.
- MQA: Master Quality Authenticated is an award-winning audio technology that enables music fans to stream the original master recording into their home, car or their mobile. With the ZEN Air DAC, you can listen to MQA straight out of the box. Simply connect to Tidal Masters and check the option to stream MQA.
Sonic Tailoring
The ZEN Air DAC also sports a couple of unique sonic tweaks from iFi.
- PowerMatch adjusts the gain of the ZEN DAC Air, so it functions at the right level for your headphones. Gain is just a unit of measurement that indicates how loud an audio source is and is measured in decibels (dB).
- XBass+ allows you to tailor the bass to suit your headphones and your personal taste.
- Both are designed to improve and personalize your listening experience.
Analog Volume Control
- Most DACs still use digital volume control. The problem with digital volume control is when you reduce the volume on DAC, you remove data from the song or soundtrack.
- With analog volume control, you reduce the volume whilst maintaining the quality.
- Put simply, the ZEN Air DAC is an easy way to experience super clear, hi-res audio quality in your everyday listening.
XMOS 16X
- The XMOS 16-Core chip processes the audio data received via the USB digital input.
- This low-latency XMOS microcontroller has greatly enhanced processing power. Compared to the current generation of eight-core chips, this new 16-core IC delivers double the clock speed—2000 MIPS (Million Instructions Per Second)—and four times the memory (512KB), as well as the latest SuperSpeed USB standard.
- iFi’s in-house digital development team has programmed the XMOS firmware to optimize sound quality and ensure a perfect partnership with the Burr-Brown DAC.
Burr-Brown MultiBit
- The Burr-Brown True Native chipset means file formats remain unchanged or ‘bit-perfect’. This means you are listening to music as the artist intended in the format in which it was recorded.
- iFi Audio utilizes Burr-Brown extensively in their products having selected it for its natural-sounding ‘musicality’ and True Native architecture. iFi Audio's experience with this IC means they know how to make the most of it.
Master Quality Authenticated (MQA)
- Listen to Master Quality Authenticated audio straight out of the box. Connect to Tidal Masters and check the option to stream MQA.
- MQA is an award-winning audio technology that enables music fans to stream the original master recording into their home, car or on their mobile.
OV Series Op-Amp
As with many other iFi audio products, they have incorporated a custom OV Series operational-amplifier. This top-notch component contributes to the extremely low noise, low distortion (0.0001%), and wide bandwidth.
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments low-noise ICs offer great unity-gain bandwidth, very low noise and distortion, high-output drive capability, common-mode and power-supply-rejection ratios of over 100 dB, wide maximum-output-swing bandwidths, and high slew rates.
TDK Ceramic Capacitors
- TDK C0G (Class 1 ceramic) capacitors offer high stability and low losses for resonant circuit applications.
- Getting ever closer to the theoretical ideal of pure, frequency-constant capacitance, these capacitors reduce capacitor-induced distortion to vanishingly low levels.
Key Features
- PCM 32-Bit / 384 kHz
- Native DSD256 and MQA Support
- Low-Jitter Clock
- Powered by 16-Core XMOS Chip
- Burr-Brown MultiBit Technology
- PowerMatch for Correct Headphone Gain
- TrueBass Switchable Analog Bass Boost
- Analog Volume Control
- Includes USB Cable
Technical Specifications
- Specifications
- Converter Type: D/A Converter
- Number of Channels: 2 x D/A
- Converter Circuitry: D/A Chipset: Burr-Brown
- Display: No
- Maximum Sampling Rate: 384 kHz / 32-Bit (DoD/DSD over PCM)
- Number of Microphone Preamps: No
- Expansion Slots: No
- Connectivity
- Analog Audio I/O:
- 2 x RCA Coaxial Unbalanced Line Output
- 1 x 1/4" TRS Unbalanced Headphone Output
- Digital Audio I/O: No
- Host Connection Protocol: USB 2.0
- USB (Non-Host): No
- Sync I/O: No
- Network I/O: No
- MIDI I/O: No
- Analog Audio I/O:
- Performance
- Maximum Output Level
- RCA Line Outputs: +3.3 V (Switchable)
- 1/4" Headphone Outputs: +3.3 V (Switchable)
- Headphone Output Power: 1/4": 280 mW into 32 Ohms
- Impedance
- Headphone Outputs: < 1 Ohm
- Line Outputs: ≤ 50 Ohms (Unbalanced)
- Dynamic Range: Outputs: > 113 dBA (-60 dBFS)
- SNR
- Headphone Outputs: > -113 dBA (at 0 dBFS)
- Line Outputs: > -113 dBA (at 0 dBFS)
- THD+N
- Headphone Outputs: < 0.04% (16-Ohm Load, 100 mW)
- Line Outputs: < 0.04% (at 0 dBFS)
- Maximum Output Level
- Digital Audio
- Sample Rates: 384 kHz
- Bit Depths: Up to 32-Bit
- Digital Audio Decoding: DSD
- Sync Sources: Internal
- Compatability
- OS Compatibility: No
- Included Software: No
- Power
- Power Requirements: AC/DC Power Adapter (Not Included), USB Bus Power
- Power Consumption
- 2.5 W (Maximum)
- 0.5 W (Idle)
