Woohooo! Bought the ZEN DAC V2 when it came out and was wondering what your thoughts would be. Personally I think it's amazing too. 😇 And without access to FLAC or higher, full MQA is GREAT.
I’ve spent thousands over the years on audio but the zen dac and amp combo plays my library beautifully. Wish it had been available 10 years ago, it’s all I need.
Still no headphones-to-speakers switch. You crowd-designed the Micro iDSD and you still didn't include a headphones-to-speakers switch, I can't even believe it. (P.S.: Did you ever reach out to Zeos to clarify to him once and for all how to pronounce "iFi"? :D )
Here's my review after buying one after watching this: I wanted to upgrade to a balanced setup to replace my Modi/Magni combo which was fine, albeit underwhelming. Rather than spending $1k+ I saw some glowing reviews of the ZEN DAC 2 and was sold by the very low price. I paired it with a second-hand CAN to give them the best chance at powering my GL2000's which recommend 2W+. The rich, warm tone and variety of power level options were more than enough to bring full life to my GL2000's. The really impressive feature is the Truebass function which sounds like someone's turned on a 15" sub. It's perfect for making it feel like you're standing next to the the bass drum and bass guitar at the recording. It's fun to play around with it and I find myself using it mostly with pre-2000's recordings where mastering had less emphasis on sub-frequencies. Concert-like power at the push of a button! I just bought another one for my office, no need for the additional CAN as I don't push the volume that much there.
@@boo63735 Sure does! And combined with the xbass and 3D FX on the CAN, you can get every balance of bass and space that you need. I'd say Truebass is about 2x as powerful (more bassy) as the xbass effect. In fact I'm adding the CAN to my office as I love the additional versatility.
@@ConnorHammond Thanks for answering so fast! Right now I have a Modi 2 paired with a Zen Can. (My Magni 2 broke) I'm using HD 600. I have HD 660s and Sundaras as well. Just ordered the K712 Pro. Will arrive next week. :)
@@ConnorHammond Thank you! Always the constant search for audio greatness! :D Btw if I set the Zen DAC to fixed the volume knob turns off, but the Truebass will still work? I'm thinking if I should buy a Zen DAC to replace my Modi 2.
great review Zeos! FYI the green led changes depending on the format and sampling frequency it's receiving. Yellow PCM 44.1/48kHz White PCM 88.2 kHz - 384kHz Cyan DSD 64/128 Red DSD 256 Green MQA Blue MQA Studio Magenta MQB Very handy imo
@@iFiaudiochannel Personally I feel MQA sounds quite good, and it gives Tidal users an affordable DAC option. I have Qobuz now, but they both sound equally impressive in different ways. I love my Zen DAC. Money well spent!
So I finally gave In and bought the iFi Zen Dac V2 and holy shit! My headphones aren't hard to drive and yet I feel like I've finally unlocked their true potential with the bass boosts for some extra oomph. I absolutely love it! ☺️
I got the Zen V2 six months ago as my first USB DAC and I love it to death. It's exactly what I wanted. The build quality is stunning, in fact you can hear the metallic ring it makes in this video when you connect or disconnect a cable. That hints at how little plastic is used in it's construction. With my Sennheiser HD599's the richness and clarity of the mids and highs is spot-on to my liking. Especially with the open soundstage and gentle treble (no fatiguing brightness to speak of). I'm happy that they didn't put thumping bass in by default to impress the young audiences and instead the TruBass switch is there to add a more meaty low-end if desired. I'll probably upgrade headphones eventually but the V2 is here to stay.
@leg__4731 Then it's something wrong with what you are doing. I have never had an issue with mine, or any other DAC. You may have an older motherboard with bad USB ports.
@leg__4731 Not sure exactly why that would be. However I did find that with all AMD Ryzen PC's there is a USB sync issue where the Zen DAC will sometimes disconnect when resuming from Sleep mode. After troubleshooting for countless hours the only solution I found was to stop using Sleep mode on the PC. The oxygen-wasting Ifi customer service rep didn't want anything to do with it, he just totally lied multiple times about an upcoming firmware update that never came and stonewalled me after I provided as much troubleshooting information as possible. Shoutout to "Nick" at Ifi for being a useless gaslighting prick. On Intel computers however, no such problem exists and it's 100% reliable. But yes, the Ifi customer service experience eroded away a lot of respect that I previously had for the brand.
I totally agree! I have the V1 and I bought it because it's just has EVERYTHING!. You don't need an external power supply, the fixed-variable switch is much needed, the true bass.. just a perfect piece of equipment.
There is a new 16 core XMOS processor in the V2, which is an upgrade over the 8 core in the original. Beside inflation, that is probably the single largest driver behind the price increase.
@@stevebritt7369 Just google = ipad to usb - type b. Also, use an adapter to power the dac, again google = 5v (2a(or what is recommended on device)) power supply.
I have my Zen DAC V1 hooked up to a gaming PC with a speaker amp connected through the RCAs on the Zen. I've found that when the PC is under load the power going to the Zen DAC can be quite noisy through the RCAs even though it's clean through headphones. Adding a power plug (even just a cheap one) cleans it up completely through both outputs as it's not relying on noisy USB power. I can definitely recommend a power plug if you intend to use this as a hub for other audio devices, especially for the RCA outputs.
I have that problem with mine too (I have the V2 though) I had to switch to a different motherboard and now it's really noisy whenever I do mouse movements and keyboard presses Do you know what size the power plug is?
@@LorenzoFrausto I meant the size of the connector Like 2,1mm or 5,5mm I know it's 5V, they just never mention the dimensions Support answered me! It's 5.5 x 2.1mm so pretty much standard size
@@s3curityfr34k buy an IFI power brick 5v or any 5v barrel supply will work just check the marking on the back that shows if its postitive on the outside of the barrel or negative although the IFI power comes with adapter to change polarity. will improve sound as well. they are very good performing can check measurements and sound reviews for the power supply i use them for everything i have in different voltages.
Because of your review of the V1 and the Hip Dac, I own oneHip Dac and two Zen Dacs. My first Dac. Apple lossless music into the V1, out to my new Anandas and I am so happy. Thank you Zeos, thank you
Same. I bought the Schiit Hel 2, and while loud and clear I’m a bit let down by not being able to boost the bass which imo would make the Sundaras a bit more bass forward. How do you find the true bass improve the Sundaras sound? Does it actually make it seem more closed back or does it muddy up the mids?
@@gamingandmusic9217 go 4 it, I use v2/can stack (balanced) w. Sundara, 990pro, mdr-7550, and mdr-mv1...waiting for delivery of mdr-900st and 770proX [centennial edition] + AQ cobalt for mobile....
Recently got a entry level audiophile combo with the HD560S and the Zen Dac V2 which set me back €310 and i am honestly blown away. Can recommend it to anyone. And that truebass button needs an addiction warning ;)
I've had the HD560s for about two weeks and either running it directly from my Note 9 or from Note 9 into my decade old Yamaha home theater receiver. I actually prefer the sound using my receiver (now I get what "fatigue" is) as an amp but I get the feeling I'm leaving detail on the table by not using a better DAC. I'm tempted to pick this up but I mainly use my phone to listen to the free trial of Qobuz.
@@rainingman338 I have several amps on my desktop... 2 tubes hybrid, a THX one, the SP200 , a FIIO K5 and finally a SMSL SA300 for my Jamo S803... everything is cabled so I did not have any need for a bluetooth unit (which is the main point of the Blue). I have both the DAC and the CAN so that I can have a fully balanced line of listening for my Sundara and Verum 1 that I can use with the 4.4 mm pentacon cable (2,5 mm into 4,4 mm bought on ALIEXPRESS). If you are looking for a single unit the DAC is a perfect solution as Zeos said .. for myself I wanted a little bit more. As for the DAC , I have the Truebass permanently going, but I cannot say it makes such a huge quality wise difference from the Sankrit...
@@rainingman338 So to make it short , I do not use Bluetooth on my desktop and the ZEN DAC and CAN were quite cheaper than the BLU... still I think the quality of that should be on par with the other two.. I trust IFI quite a bit ..
Z, thank you, thank you, thank you so much for the recommendation, truly an awesome piece of kit for those, like me, who don't want to put large stacks on their desk. For anyone wandering, it DEFINITELY powers Hifiman Arya Stealth (V3). Currently listening at no more than 1 o'clock, unbalanced. Rarely have to go to three o'clock for some low-volume track, and with the balanced cable (on its way) it will surely be even better!
I've just bought the iFi Zen DAC V2 this week. It arrived yesterday and it's my first DAC. I totally love this little device. It sounds awesome and the price of it is perfect as well. 199 Euro. I was looking for an affordable DAC to replace the USB sound card that I've used so far to connect my M1 MBP to my PreSonus Eris E4.5 BT monitor speakers. And I believe I've hit the jackpot with the iFi. This one should keep me listening happily to music for, hopefully, many years to come.
first hated the camera movement and skipped your videos, but as I keep watching more and more reviews from your channel, I realized that I watched 30 min video without any crazy editing and stuff, and I'm not bored at all; oh man, that's crazy, your honesty is what I can trust 100% on everything you said and make my decisions based on your words,
One year on from getting one of these. With a pair of Sennheiser 560s'. Amongst the best purchases I have ever made, and I am officially ancient. Their presence in my home is as essential as fresh air.
The only "issue" you'll hear about the Zen Dac (and other IFI dac's) is the Burr Brown dac doesn't measure well. I haven't heard of anyone complaining about the sound or build quality it's always it's measurements. I like ASR but it's measurements equals quality mantra is shortsighted and dumb.
It's like what GoldenSound said about measurements in his review of the Schiit Magnius: "measurements can absolutely tell you when something is bad, I stand by that, but they can't always tell you when something is good."
@@Error_4x5 Even his measurements are suspect. His methodology is inconsistent at best (missing tests, random new tests, different equipment used for tests, etc) and when he does get something wrong (such as the measurements for the Emotiva RMC-1 Monolith HTP-1) he doesn't go back and change his original post, only adding to the confusion and misinformation. Someone researching a product shouldn't have to wade a dozen or more pages into a forum thread to get to correct info. While I cannot argue that some of his info is useful, most of the data that he bases his 'score' on is usually in the 'splitting-hair' realm. But hey, at least he isn't Shane 'looks and price trump performance' Sparechange.
I'll add as well. I got the zendacv2 first, then got a heresy to see what the single performance was all about.. Well let's try a topping e300 along with that.. And I hooked up the ZEN dac V2 after a month of little use.. And now I feel disappointed shelling double the money for that the topping set
I just bought this for a very good deal with Ifi power wart/supply...really impressed...used with either Beyer Dynamic BD700 X Pro's, 50ohms or Sennheiser HD660s, 150ohms, & for the price it is excellent sound quality, well made, nice volume pot & used with the Pentacomm balanced headphone input i am very impressed..i don't need any more power, in balanced mode it is more than enough...even when not using the balanced headphone input, using the 6.3mm single ended output,there is plenty enough power, the only bass button that actually enhances the bass without murdering it, on most music.....neat
It is amazing. With DT-1770 Pro and this, damn that bass. So crisp and clean and vibrates like crazy. Never ever felt anything like that from headphones haha
@@iNasteable Dont have experience from K5 but Zen V2 and DT-1770 Pro sound really aggressive. Great bass production and if you like to listen to classic rock or metal or anything that usually have fairly low bass it is a way to go. Truebass makes older music or cinematic music sound really nice. Cant really tell anything about K5. It should be great DAC as well. But as a bass head Zen v2 just drives them really clean and crisp but yet bass af.
I have this exact v2 myself and absolutely love it!!!! I run my dt990pros and I haven't had a "bad" listening experiences so far and don't think I ever will. Also love you content and reviews because they are brutally honest which is what a review should f****n be!!!
@@Caribano I have the 250ohm and only have dial half way. Slightly a little more if I really want to listen to music loud. But generally never over half way on the dial 👌👍
Good to hear - I was afraid a little bit if this zen dac can drive 250 ohm dt well :) Does it tame the highs of dt990 a little bit or make the mids more pronounced? I'd really like to know because I was planning to buy the aune t1 se tube dac that is 2x the price of zen dac...
Got the Meze 99 Classics immediately ordered the 4.4 Balanced cable and this Dac. Jesus the bass earwobbling bass with amazing clarity. I feel like i miss nothing. First purchases in my audio journey. Might look into some open backs Sennheiser's . Thank you for this excellent review and I made my purchase with confidence an was not disappointed
@@edd7 honestly no I cannot tell the difference between them the stock cable is good enough. I guess maybe higher quality headphones or maybe I’m not listening at a high enough volume. But I really don’t feel like I’m missing anything using the stock cable
you see im using this set up without the MOD and im not happy with it bass the voice starts getting distorted ummm i had ordered a ifi idsd micro signature with dt 770 250 ohm and it sound wayy bettter GOT IT sounded lush and i saw this im like i can save hella money but i been trying to convince myself this is good enough but No im wondering if the zen DAC signiture stack is good enough to match the idsd micro signature
Have you ever felt you needed more power to drive your beyers? I have the same exact pair of headphone and planning to buy this. Fiio k5 is also in my consideration. Can you please help me sort this out?
@@Ray-bn7hr the zen dac has too much power, i already had to replace one speaker because i put the volume too loud a few times. I'm still very happy with the setup! I chose the ZEN over the k5 because of the truebass button. Both are good amps
Thanks Z! Another satisfied customer. This is my 1st dac. I have it paired with a drop & hifiman he 4xx, which is also my 1st open back headphones. I also have it paired to my peachtree M24 speakers. This combo just comes alive. It has a beautiful warm sound. Looking forward to hearing the balanced side.
I hope it does like the original does, when you have it set to variable the truebass also works through the outputs on the back. No-one ever mentions that
It really needs separate volume knobs for the headphones and the line out. If your monitors are always on, the options variable/fixed are inadequate if you want to isolate your monitors for late night listening for example. I had the same issue with the scarlett solo. But at least they added a headphones knob on v4
@@franksam8610 USB locks you to a computer and SPDIF works with everything from TV's to Game Consoles and you can use optical splitters for multiple devices etc.
@@franksam8610 Some TV's, consoles and CD players (even my Sony Discman) usually have optical out as the best or the only digital audio output for the best sound.
Thank you for the review! I've been using the fiio btr 7 as my to go and pc DAC for over a year now, but I always hate how the sound is cut off in first few second if there is no sound/noise. This is going to be my dedicated DAC for now on. Love your review gave me a piece of mind when I ordered this.
I own the similar, IFI ZEN Signature stack that I use for my 6xx and Sundaras as my main setup all balanced. I truly love the sound of this stack. I also have the IFI ZEN DAC V2 and use as a more mobile solution in other rooms with almost the same sound quality as the stack. You are correct, the quality of Dac is the best in class for the money.
I love what truebass does to my sundara's. It's basically a toggle switch between analytical and fun. I run the DAC v2 with the Signature Can because the signature set lacks a bass boost button. Plus my dac will run fine off my phones so as you said the portability of the dac is amazing.
You mean you also bought balanced cables for the 6xx and sundaras ? I also have those two headphones, how does the Hd6xx and Xspace switches affect the sound of both to you ?
@@trixniisama I don't really use the 3D function, but the HD6xx button which is actually a a nice bass boost actually gives it a nice full sound with just enough bass.
Topping Dx1 very good alternative as well, I am thinking of pairing it with the Ifi zan air/normal can. Just for the features it has of Xspace or Xbass, or at least wait more time for a new product just to have those magic buttons for cheaper or something.
I recently got the ZDV2 to go along with my Focal Clear MG Pros I got at the same time, and I agree with everything you said. Amazing piece of gear, and best of all? It’s plug and play on the PS5 as well! I’m in sonic nirvana. ❤️💕
Your first ifi zen dac video convinced me to get it as my first dac/amp and I love it! Have have speakers in the back and headphones in the front and I couldn’t be happier!
Love my original Zen Dac (so you must have schilled a little bit). Now attached to the Zen Stream and they are a great team for Roon, Tidal connect and Spotify connect. Another great and entertaining review👍
my ifi zen arrived 30min ago and i am very happy with the product and the sound. you describe the products very vividly and thank you for that, because of your description I knew exactly that I wanted ifi Zen. giggity
Love my Zen Dac V1. I have it connected to my monitor's usb port and it turns the dac off when I turn off the monitor. Perfect for when I go to sleep! I also use Dolby Atmos for headphones (settings are Music + Balanced) on my pc and it's just audio Bliss!!!
Zeos, thank you for making me spend another 159€ on audio gear. That Dac and little bass bump just brought my mini autographs to life.. N'uf said. Merci !! :)
On the wonky USB connector: USB has to two main properties we're interested in: speed class, and connector type. The two can be related, but are not the same thing, ie high speed classes might need a different connector. For about 20 years USB had 2 classes of connector, Type A and Type B. A is the standard wide short rectangle that we would just call USB, it's for host devices like a computer. B is for peripherals, it's that tall square connector with beveled corners that your printer uses. A and B exist to make it simplify the design process, and to an extent to make it easier to know what type of device you're dealing with. It's just a dumb peripheral? Cool, you don't need to give it fancy power capabilities and just stick a B port on it. Higher speeds are easier when you have more pins in your connector and wires in your cable, so USB 3.0 (a new speed class) came with modified A and B connectors. A got a blue plug, and they hid more pins right at the back so it still has the normal ones at the front and can work with a 2.0 port. B for some godforsaken reason got a two car garage bolted to the bottom for its extra pins. So that wonky thing you have is a USB 3.0 Type B connector. Maybe it's so you can't confuse a host device by using a high speed host port and cable on a low speed peripheral, but it feels like such a clunky solution. Type C does away with separate ports for host and peripheral. USB is now a mature tech and there are many easier ways of solving that so there are standardised negotiation protocols. If you connect two smart(ish) devices together over USB C they have a chat to see who's "host", and if it's a dumb device there's just a specific value resistor between two pins, so the host can read that and know what it's dealing with.
I've had the iFi Zen DAC v2 for about a month now, and I can say that I'm not disappointed, but then it was my first external DAC so I don't have much of a reference point for comparison. I can tell you that with my DT 770s (250 ohm), it did get loud enough at around the 1:00 to 2:00 position in high gain mode, but after adding the iFi Zen CAN a couple of weeks ago I can definitely hear the difference. The same tracks at the same level now sound more full and alive with the DAC+CAN combo, so the satisfaction level just went up.
@@Anomalyn1 For full balanced mode, yes. I spent the extra to get the iFi 4.4mm balanced interconnect, but I couldn't tell you what (if any) difference it makes since I don't (yet) have any balanced cans for a full balanced signal all the way through.
See.. this is why I won't buy the Zen DAC. While it's a great entry offering for the price if even just a Zen CAN improves the performance why bother? I'd love to get something like a Zen Enso, as slighty improved DAC with an actual AMP build in for say $ 299-399, with some crazy Ifi design. Would fit really nicely in Ifi's portfolio right between entry Zen DAC and the advanced stack.
@@dxb526 Yep, I can understand that. I often have the same feeling about having to purchase separate components, but then I remember how I built my stereo setup when I was younger. Having separates makes upgrades less expensive later on, so if you like the HP amp but want to upgrade the DAC, you can. If you like the DAC but need more power from an amp (or want a valve sound), you can do that too. But I do agree that for a lot of people a higher tier all-in-one would be fairly easy to market.
@@glenzenaf Yeah, imo AIOs in the 500-600 USD/EUR range are the sweet spot. Cheap stuff you'll likely replace anyways and above that it's already audiofoolery teritory for most users. Honestly, I'd love to buy something like the Asgard with proper build in DAC but from what I've read the built in solution is god awful, runs hot and apart from that good luck getting Schiit stuff in EU. It's a shame.
Bought one recently for use in the bedroom. The light on the volume knob is very bright and there is no way to turn it off or turn it down - the only way is to pull the USB cable.
@@s3curityfr34k I decided to buy the jds labs element 3 instead, I got really put off by the countless reviews where their amps channel becomes quieter on one side or stops working/has massive static. I appreciate the reply
Thank you for the review. Have been looking at a few DACs with headphone amps built-in around the 200-dollar price point, and you sold me on the ifi Zen Dac V2. I am a bit dizzy, though, because of your unique style of recording.
Got v1 (after your review) for my desk/workstation. My knob is sometimes noisy/scratchy when turning. Prob gonna disassamble and spray it with contact spray and drill the spot/point on the knob so the green LED can shine trough.
It's not something ifi advertises but the the Zen Dac will work just fine with a standard USB 2.0 B cable. So if you have a longer one of those lying around you don't even need to buy a longer 3.0 tall boy.
Dude, your shilling of the V1 was super effective, as well as that fixed output switch and always-on analog outs. Exactly what I wanted for my PC headphones/speakers setup, plus it sounds great, PLUS it was cheap. done
Love the review! Love the Zen Dac (bought v1 because..ZEOS) but...PEACOCKS? What are these??? How did I miss these??? When did Zeos review these? I am subscribed with notifications since 2019 but I don't remember these. Because Zeos, I own the Aiva's, the Sivga Phoenix & 006, and the ESS 422's with the Zeos mods, among other things. Does anyone know if Captain Comfy-pants has reviewed these?
YOU WERE NOT WRONG I just impulse bought this immediately after catching up on some of the channel's most recent videos with Amazon return policy because why the hell not for $160. Holy f*** batman. I have now been radicalized to ifi. Reading over the papers on the Gibbs Transient Optimized filter optional firmware. I'm wondering what Z's opinion on the optional 7.20c variant is. It seems like there could be some advantages but idk if I can really tell the difference between digital filters with my budget tier HiFi setup and listening room. Thank u for this video btw I'm so friggin happy with this unit.
Loved the fucking review. You were the only one who explained how it sounds. Btw, try and reduce the movement on the video as it can cause some motion sickness. Defo, I am getting this unit. Thanks to your review. No wonder it was WhatHifi's winner for Best DACs in its price range. Love the fact you mentioned the long extended cable too.
I use a Zen Dac V1 + 58x Jubilee for my primarily gaming set up. Nearly everyone of my friends who have tried out my set up aren't ever nearly as impressed in the pc, or the fps, or the set up itself... They always come away talking about the sound.
Thats sounds really interesting, I do run my pc38x out of my qudelix 5k (since mic in-line support is so useful) and since the new firmware adds supports por all the harman eq objectives from places.like crinacle or oratori1999 (even for pc38x) is so useful and way more interesting the way of using aptx adaptive...and thats how I sold my atom amp and dac.
I have the v2 paired with the zen can and I can tell you that my Sundaras sing! Just got into dacs and amps and I’m so glad I picked this hardware to start with. Also, Zeos is the best. He really knows his fuck shit and shit fuck. Keep it up!!
Hey sorry to bother you 6 months later. I also have the Sundara and looking for an AMP/DAC combo. Is the v2 Amp enough for the Sundara, or does it benefit from a more powerful amp (eg, Zen CAN, etc)?
I do appreciate the USB Type B, though. USB is supposed to have a lot of different form factors for different use-cases and seeing a chunky Type B cable for a heavy, stationary peripheral makes me smile. A Type C port would have been as appropriate for it as Type C for a printer (ie, it wouldn't really make sense). I do agree, though, that the cable is way too short for anything other than laptop/smartphone usage and trying to find an appropriate Type B cable that actually supports USB 3.0 can be difficult.
Type C would have been fine imo, it is supposed to replace all other USB connectors after all. As long as we don't have to deal with any more god d*mn micro-USB I'm happy!
I'm glad it's the thick connector. I feel confident that if I knocked my dac off my table the USB connector will be rigid enough to hold the weight of this unit.
My only issue with usb is that my pc poets seem to be giving dirty signal as I get a crackle/noise when using my Fiio K5 pro with my dt 990 250ohm through usb, but don’t get the noise/crackle over spdif.
@@mysticalchickennuggets9416 Are you sure its the signal thats dirty and not the power it gets from the usb? Try a separate power supply to see if it helps
Z thank you for ruining my life in a good way! The first review I watched was your review of the Kanto YU4 speakers. I took a leap of faith and asked my wife if she would get them for my birthday. She obviously loves me and purchased them for my office. All I can say is NICE! That review got me started. Next - my stereo system. Until a few weeks ago I had no idea what a DAC was or what it did. For that matter I didn't know how great music could really sound. Because of your reviews I am loving music in a way that was not even on my radar. Here is what I have learned from Z reviews. Get my damn speakers up off the floor (I have bookshelf). Buy a middle speaker. Now movies and music are far better. Purchase a quality headphone - yeah I splurged. Such a difference - Audeze closed-back are amazing. I hear instruments and all kinds of shit I didn't know existed. And finally, after watching this video I immediately ordered this recommended DAC. Holy shit, my system grew up and came to life. I am loving it. Again, thank you Z.
actually there are a small differences between the og zen dac and he zen dac v2 (and actually the zen dac v1 later versions ) , for the line out opamp they switched to their own custom opamp , and made the power delivery better , and the usb controller is better and that is about it the amp is still the meh amp and its noise floor is not that great . so basically just get the V1 , all the V1 at the moment are just the v2 without MQA decoding so that means its actually better .
@@BillyKueekSG not true , the v1 later models are literally just V2 without the bullshit license you need to give to MQA , but the older v1 does use an 8 core chip
@@zeospantera3664 you can check forums and check ifi's own website , check ifi's own website to look at the circuit board of the V2 then if you just go to headfi and it's if Zen dac forum you will be able to see the large no of v1 later model DACs with the exact same layout as the v2
I had the Oppo HA2 SE before and it was great, but a bit too sterile/clinical sounding. I used it for three and a half years, and had to stop because the li-po battery inside it began to swell and expand to the point where the casing changed shape. Figured it wasn't safe to keep using, planning on taking the battery out and recycling it, and getting a new battery for using it only on portable situations with a laptop in the future. For desktop use, I just bought this ZEN V2 last week ^^ and yes it's awesome and everything I'll ever need. Like you, I also experienced withdrawal after turning off the truebass :D it is amazing to listen to. The only thing that sucked a lot was that super short blue cable. If you want to use it with anything but a laptop you need to find another cable... and I did. I've also ordered a balanced graphene cable from XINHS for my FH5, that's going to be awesome! Thanks for the review, even though the purchase was already made, it helped confirm that I made the right choice.
Why is there no mention of channel imbalance? I just my Zen Dac V2 last week, noticed it immediately on all 4 of my headphones, requested a replacement, received it two days ago, noticed the same thing, and am sending both back. On just above 0 volume the left earcup is completely quiet while the right is barely audible, on low volume the left earcup is 20-25% quieter than the right, and when you increase to about 9:00 the difference goes down to 10-15% but that was still too much for me. Why haven't I heard about this from you? I read it a lot on the amazon reviews and on reddit and experienced it myself with two units. I don't have this issue with my K5 Pro or my BTR5.
I had no imbalance at all in any of the headphones. Only time there is any difference is at the very bottom of the volume range but that is normal with analog pots.
@@ZReviews Haha let's trade because both the units I had voiced some level of imbalance across the volume range that I tested. It's too bad because I loved the way the DAC/AMP sounded but the imbalance issue was just too much for me and wasn't something I noticed on either FiiO at the same volume levels.
The sound imbalance at 0 to 1 on the knob is normal on all the IFI dacs, but once raised it balances out. It has never bothered me on both my IFI units, because i do not listen to music at that low a volume.
@@RayCabrera1 I've noticed it on both of mine all the way up to about 11:00 - anything above that is way too loud for me. I prefer music with lower volumes as I'm young and want to keep my hearing going as long as possible.
I have permanent imbalance with my v1 zen dac now. Resistance difference is about ~10ohms - barely noticeable with hd599, dt770 pro, much more noticeable with sundara. Not sure if it for there all along. Better to check with multimeter when someone buys.
I just replaced by old LCX SDAC with this. Similar to that I find it's not as good on low gain. I also don't turn bass boost on except in games. It just brings the bass forward on everything, making it feel crowded.
Thank you very much for this review. I have a question from a music-production perspective. I'm looking at an headphone/monitor amp, and I bumped into your videos about dacs. Would you recommend this unit for someone who wants to be able to do critical listening, mixing and mastering? Would it be extremely annoying to use this unit (because of the one knob) to control a pair of monitors and headphones at the same time? I've been watching at radial monitor and phone amp, but that's a very different unit. Thanks for any help you could provide. Roberto
I'm still using an Xfi Titanium HD card from 2011 that I love dearly... this may get me to finally make the switch. (edit) 24h later, I pulled the trigger using your affiliate link. Dammit. lol
I'm looking for a dac/amp with this featureset and after a couple days of searching I have noticed that this exact model keeps popping up. I can get my hands on one for a good price so I'm curious how you guys feel about this thing now that it's been two years. For reference I've been running a Fiio E10k for many years because that was all I could get my hands on back then. My headphones are the DT 770 Pro and the Fidelio X1. I was able to borrow an old Konnect 6 for a couple weeks almost 7 years ago and it made my DT 770s sound incredible. I've been chasing that dragon ever since.
Nice video. Im new to the whole dac/amp. But need one for gaming, but need one with mic-imput too. Any chance this could do the trick perhaps with extra connections? Kinda lost, but thanks again
OK, here goes. I have one and only really have one problem with it, it did not have enough power for my headphones, had to get a IFI zen Can to go with it, headphones I am using are Drop HiFi man HE-5xx. Also recommend by Zeos.
Got the Zen Dac v1 and the only thing i have to complain about is that every now and then it tends to freeze and I need to unplug the USB and replug it. Definitely still an awesome piece of equipment and I love it but this is the only little flaw I have with it.
Zen Dac V1 here... driving 660s and Sundara's mainly. Although I'm curious about trying a power amp which could deliver current fast with more headroom to see If I can tap into untapped performance of the cans, but honestly I've never really felt the actual need for it. The Zen Dac also serves as pre for iLoud's micro's to satisfaction and a loxjie p20 (some tubeamp which Im not convinced about yet). The Zen Dac is such a versatile piece of equipment delivering great performance though. Next to the Sundara's probably one of the best purchases of the last years.
I am considering buying it for the hd650, do you need the AC adapter for the 660s or is it powered by usb? I am wondering if it will be enough or if i need something stronger (Thanks for hlp :-))
Man, I wish they made it only a DAC, it would have had more features/output and for the money it would have made me think of spicing up my D10s.. Even though I love that little rascal
It's got 8 core 16 threads instead of the 8 threads in the Mkl now...twice the brain power & better Burr Brown Dacs along with a Cirus Logic ADC...well worth the extra few bucks....you don't need to use MQA files...sounds fantastic at CD or higher hi-def quality in balanced mode....still the best for the price...i'll keep mine as long as it works, or i live, fingers crossed... if it's a real Ifi 5v power supply it should sound a fraction better....
Clearly, it lacks a remote and a motorized knob like the $40 yamaha receiver I salvaged last month. As well as the signature crackle when the knobs turn. Also, clever use of capacitors stretches component…well, capabilities.
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forum.hifiguides.com/t/ifi-zen-dac-v1-v2/7612 HIFIGUIDES POST
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Would you pick the Zen DAC or the Fiio k5 pro ?
Woohooo! Bought the ZEN DAC V2 when it came out and was wondering what your thoughts would be. Personally I think it's amazing too. 😇 And without access to FLAC or higher, full MQA is GREAT.
@@DonutsReview Wtf do you mean, "no access to flac"
Thanks so much, Z! Glad you loved it, and great review.
I’ve spent thousands over the years on audio but the zen dac and amp combo plays my library beautifully. Wish it had been available 10 years ago, it’s all I need.
Thanks for pricing this affordably!
Still no headphones-to-speakers switch. You crowd-designed the Micro iDSD and you still didn't include a headphones-to-speakers switch, I can't even believe it. (P.S.: Did you ever reach out to Zeos to clarify to him once and for all how to pronounce "iFi"? :D )
Hey iFi, is DAC chipset in v2 better than one in DAC Signature version?
@@tazeru I believe that DAC chip is the same. It's possible that they updated the circuitry routing though.
Here's my review after buying one after watching this:
I wanted to upgrade to a balanced setup to replace my Modi/Magni combo which was fine, albeit underwhelming. Rather than spending $1k+ I saw some glowing reviews of the ZEN DAC 2 and was sold by the very low price. I paired it with a second-hand CAN to give them the best chance at powering my GL2000's which recommend 2W+.
The rich, warm tone and variety of power level options were more than enough to bring full life to my GL2000's.
The really impressive feature is the Truebass function which sounds like someone's turned on a 15" sub. It's perfect for making it feel like you're standing next to the the bass drum and bass guitar at the recording. It's fun to play around with it and I find myself using it mostly with pre-2000's recordings where mastering had less emphasis on sub-frequencies. Concert-like power at the push of a button!
I just bought another one for my office, no need for the additional CAN as I don't push the volume that much there.
Does the Truebass function work when you plug it into a CAN?
@@boo63735 Sure does! And combined with the xbass and 3D FX on the CAN, you can get every balance of bass and space that you need. I'd say Truebass is about 2x as powerful (more bassy) as the xbass effect.
In fact I'm adding the CAN to my office as I love the additional versatility.
@@ConnorHammond Thanks for answering so fast! Right now I have a Modi 2 paired with a Zen Can. (My Magni 2 broke)
I'm using HD 600. I have HD 660s and Sundaras as well. Just ordered the K712 Pro. Will arrive next week. :)
@@boo63735 No problem!
Nice, I'm hoping to upgrade to the Arya Stealth's. Still more demoing to be done though.
Enjoy your new cans!
@@ConnorHammond Thank you! Always the constant search for audio greatness! :D
Btw if I set the Zen DAC to fixed the volume knob turns off, but the Truebass will still work? I'm thinking if I should buy a Zen DAC to replace my Modi 2.
great review Zeos! FYI the green led changes depending on the format and sampling frequency it's receiving.
Yellow PCM 44.1/48kHz
White PCM 88.2 kHz - 384kHz
Cyan DSD 64/128
Red DSD 256
Green MQA
Blue MQA Studio
Magenta MQB
Very handy imo
Thanks! Hopefully Z can pin this!
@@iFiaudiochannel I can but I will heart instead.
What a mad lad
I thought purple was MQA?
@@iFiaudiochannel Personally I feel MQA sounds quite good, and it gives Tidal users an affordable DAC option. I have Qobuz now, but they both sound equally impressive in different ways. I love my Zen DAC. Money well spent!
I got mine with the zen can and just love it! Compact, can feed my speakers, and now converted all headphones to balanced.
So I finally gave In and bought the iFi Zen Dac V2 and holy shit! My headphones aren't hard to drive and yet I feel like I've finally unlocked their true potential with the bass boosts for some extra oomph. I absolutely love it! ☺️
@Оleg_ М_ maybe it's just your unit.
@leg__4731 drivers mate
I got the Zen V2 six months ago as my first USB DAC and I love it to death. It's exactly what I wanted. The build quality is stunning, in fact you can hear the metallic ring it makes in this video when you connect or disconnect a cable. That hints at how little plastic is used in it's construction. With my Sennheiser HD599's the richness and clarity of the mids and highs is spot-on to my liking. Especially with the open soundstage and gentle treble (no fatiguing brightness to speak of). I'm happy that they didn't put thumping bass in by default to impress the young audiences and instead the TruBass switch is there to add a more meaty low-end if desired. I'll probably upgrade headphones eventually but the V2 is here to stay.
@О_ М_ that’s your pc bud, not the Zen
@leg__4731 Then it's something wrong with what you are doing. I have never had an issue with mine, or any other DAC. You may have an older motherboard with bad USB ports.
@leg__4731 Not sure exactly why that would be. However I did find that with all AMD Ryzen PC's there is a USB sync issue where the Zen DAC will sometimes disconnect when resuming from Sleep mode. After troubleshooting for countless hours the only solution I found was to stop using Sleep mode on the PC. The oxygen-wasting Ifi customer service rep didn't want anything to do with it, he just totally lied multiple times about an upcoming firmware update that never came and stonewalled me after I provided as much troubleshooting information as possible. Shoutout to "Nick" at Ifi for being a useless gaslighting prick. On Intel computers however, no such problem exists and it's 100% reliable. But yes, the Ifi customer service experience eroded away a lot of respect that I previously had for the brand.
I totally agree! I have the V1 and I bought it because it's just has EVERYTHING!. You don't need an external power supply, the fixed-variable switch is much needed, the true bass.. just a perfect piece of equipment.
SERIOUSLY!!! talk about a swiss army knife of audio
There is a new 16 core XMOS processor in the V2, which is an upgrade over the 8 core in the original. Beside inflation, that is probably the single largest driver behind the price increase.
How can I use the Dac on my iPad. I do not have a computer. Is there a way?
But can it run Crysis?
@@stevebritt7369 I have an adapter with power and usb for my iPad, I just plug it in and it works.
@@Chromatomic can you provide a link. I have no idea what I’m doing here. Please😃
@@stevebritt7369 Just google = ipad to usb - type b.
Also, use an adapter to power the dac,
again google = 5v (2a(or what is recommended on device)) power supply.
I have my Zen DAC V1 hooked up to a gaming PC with a speaker amp connected through the RCAs on the Zen. I've found that when the PC is under load the power going to the Zen DAC can be quite noisy through the RCAs even though it's clean through headphones. Adding a power plug (even just a cheap one) cleans it up completely through both outputs as it's not relying on noisy USB power. I can definitely recommend a power plug if you intend to use this as a hub for other audio devices, especially for the RCA outputs.
I have that problem with mine too (I have the V2 though)
I had to switch to a different motherboard and now it's really noisy whenever I do mouse movements and keyboard presses
Do you know what size the power plug is?
Are you guys using the supplied rca? The supplied rca’s sucks lol.
@@s3curityfr34k 5v my dude
@@LorenzoFrausto
I meant the size of the connector
Like 2,1mm or 5,5mm
I know it's 5V, they just never mention the dimensions
Support answered me!
It's 5.5 x 2.1mm so pretty much standard size
@@s3curityfr34k buy an IFI power brick 5v or any 5v barrel supply will work just check the marking on the back that shows if its postitive on the outside of the barrel or negative although the IFI power comes with adapter to change polarity. will improve sound as well. they are very good performing can check measurements and sound reviews for the power supply i use them for everything i have in different voltages.
Because of your review of the V1 and the Hip Dac, I own oneHip Dac and two Zen Dacs. My first Dac. Apple lossless music into the V1, out to my new Anandas and I am so happy. Thank you Zeos, thank you
Purchased the Sundaras and the Zen Dac V2 because of your reviews - my first step into the audio world. Love your reviews!
Hi, i also bought sundara recently and thinking to buy zen dac v2. What openion will you give ?
Same. I bought the Schiit Hel 2, and while loud and clear I’m a bit let down by not being able to boost the bass which imo would make the Sundaras a bit more bass forward.
How do you find the true bass improve the Sundaras sound? Does it actually make it seem more closed back or does it muddy up the mids?
@@gamingandmusic9217 go 4 it, I use v2/can stack (balanced) w. Sundara, 990pro, mdr-7550, and mdr-mv1...waiting for delivery of mdr-900st and 770proX [centennial edition] + AQ cobalt for mobile....
Recently got a entry level audiophile combo with the HD560S and the Zen Dac V2 which set me back €310 and i am honestly blown away. Can recommend it to anyone. And that truebass button needs an addiction warning ;)
same here! it's incredible for the value
I'm planning to get this combo too so i guess it's loud and decent enough?
@@jauyn86 absolutely plenty
I've had the HD560s for about two weeks and either running it directly from my Note 9 or from Note 9 into my decade old Yamaha home theater receiver.
I actually prefer the sound using my receiver (now I get what "fatigue" is) as an amp but I get the feeling I'm leaving detail on the table by not using a better DAC.
I'm tempted to pick this up but I mainly use my phone to listen to the free trial of Qobuz.
I want this exact same setup is it still as good today?
IFI Zen DAC v1 and the Can are the best purchases I never took out of a Zeos video.. I retaired my Sanscrit and my Shiit Modi and never looked back..
So why did you get the Zen Dac and not the ifi zen Blue? Do the dacs sound the same? Which one should I get if i already have a zen can?
@@rainingman338 I have several amps on my desktop... 2 tubes hybrid, a THX one, the SP200 , a FIIO K5 and finally a SMSL SA300 for my Jamo S803... everything is cabled so I did not have any need for a bluetooth unit (which is the main point of the Blue). I have both the DAC and the CAN so that I can have a fully balanced line of listening for my Sundara and Verum 1 that I can use with the 4.4 mm pentacon cable (2,5 mm into 4,4 mm bought on ALIEXPRESS). If you are looking for a single unit the DAC is a perfect solution as Zeos said .. for myself I wanted a little bit more. As for the DAC , I have the Truebass permanently going, but I cannot say it makes such a huge quality wise difference from the Sankrit...
@@rainingman338 So to make it short , I do not use Bluetooth on my desktop and the ZEN DAC and CAN were quite cheaper than the BLU... still I think the quality of that should be on par with the other two.. I trust IFI quite a bit ..
Answered all my questions. Thank you sir! Just bought one for my first set of headphones hd6xx. Hopefully not a bad all round setup for a first timer.
Z, thank you, thank you, thank you so much for the recommendation, truly an awesome piece of kit for those, like me, who don't want to put large stacks on their desk. For anyone wandering, it DEFINITELY powers Hifiman Arya Stealth (V3). Currently listening at no more than 1 o'clock, unbalanced. Rarely have to go to three o'clock for some low-volume track, and with the balanced cable (on its way) it will surely be even better!
I've just bought the iFi Zen DAC V2 this week. It arrived yesterday and it's my first DAC. I totally love this little device. It sounds awesome and the price of it is perfect as well. 199 Euro. I was looking for an affordable DAC to replace the USB sound card that I've used so far to connect my M1 MBP to my PreSonus Eris E4.5 BT monitor speakers. And I believe I've hit the jackpot with the iFi. This one should keep me listening happily to music for, hopefully, many years to come.
first hated the camera movement and skipped your videos, but as I keep watching more and more reviews from your channel, I realized that I watched 30 min video without any crazy editing and stuff, and I'm not bored at all; oh man, that's crazy, your honesty is what I can trust 100% on everything you said and make my decisions based on your words,
One year on from getting one of these. With a pair of Sennheiser 560s'. Amongst the best purchases I have ever made, and I am officially ancient. Their presence in my home is as essential as fresh air.
The only "issue" you'll hear about the Zen Dac (and other IFI dac's) is the Burr Brown dac doesn't measure well. I haven't heard of anyone complaining about the sound or build quality it's always it's measurements. I like ASR but it's measurements equals quality mantra is shortsighted and dumb.
It's like what GoldenSound said about measurements in his review of the Schiit Magnius: "measurements can absolutely tell you when something is bad, I stand by that, but they can't always tell you when something is good."
If measurements mattered the tube amps wouldn't be a thing, tubes literally distort
He can take his pink panther and shove it.
@@fooschnickens Why? His measurements are valid and worthwhile, it's using them as the only evaluation of a product that wrong.
@@Error_4x5 Even his measurements are suspect. His methodology is inconsistent at best (missing tests, random new tests, different equipment used for tests, etc) and when he does get something wrong (such as the measurements for the Emotiva RMC-1 Monolith HTP-1) he doesn't go back and change his original post, only adding to the confusion and misinformation. Someone researching a product shouldn't have to wade a dozen or more pages into a forum thread to get to correct info. While I cannot argue that some of his info is useful, most of the data that he bases his 'score' on is usually in the 'splitting-hair' realm.
But hey, at least he isn't Shane 'looks and price trump performance' Sparechange.
Thanks for your dry humour and honesty, just pulled the trigger on this in Australia for $229 AU. Cheers
I got the zen dac2 last week. Instantly sold my schitt stack
This thing is like a sore schlong..you can't beat it.
.... wow
I'll add as well. I got the zendacv2 first, then got a heresy to see what the single performance was all about.. Well let's try a topping e300 along with that..
And I hooked up the ZEN dac V2 after a month of little use.. And now I feel disappointed shelling double the money for that the topping set
I just bought this for a very good deal with Ifi power wart/supply...really impressed...used with either Beyer Dynamic BD700 X Pro's, 50ohms or Sennheiser HD660s, 150ohms, & for the price it is excellent sound quality, well made, nice volume pot & used with the Pentacomm balanced headphone input i am very impressed..i don't need any more power, in balanced mode it is more than enough...even when not using the balanced headphone input, using the 6.3mm single ended output,there is plenty enough power, the only bass button that actually enhances the bass without murdering it, on most music.....neat
Zeos is literally just putting the reviews of the gear I'm eyeing for lately. First, the HE-400SE and now the zen DAC V2.
Got both, without watching his reviews lol just coincidence haha
@@LorenzoFrausto How's your verdict?
@@LorenzoFrausto So you think...
listening to this review using HE-400SE and ifi hip dac, both because of zeos
Well, we are good at providing the master with the proper intel for the proper time. I mean, it's random.
It is amazing. With DT-1770 Pro and this, damn that bass. So crisp and clean and vibrates like crazy. Never ever felt anything like that from headphones haha
im about the same setup to buy. Ifi Zen v2 or K5 Pro? what would you say?
@@iNasteable Dont have experience from K5 but Zen V2 and DT-1770 Pro sound really aggressive. Great bass production and if you like to listen to classic rock or metal or anything that usually have fairly low bass it is a way to go. Truebass makes older music or cinematic music sound really nice. Cant really tell anything about K5. It should be great DAC as well. But as a bass head Zen v2 just drives them really clean and crisp but yet bass af.
“MQA and Al Qaeda”…hilarious.
I have this exact v2 myself and absolutely love it!!!! I run my dt990pros and I haven't had a "bad" listening experiences so far and don't think I ever will.
Also love you content and reviews because they are brutally honest which is what a review should f****n be!!!
Are you using the 250 ohm version of it? How high do you have to crank the dial for good volume on it?
@@Caribano I have the 250ohm and only have dial half way. Slightly a little more if I really want to listen to music loud. But generally never over half way on the dial 👌👍
@@REALKiwis wow awesome, thank you!
@@Caribano no probs! 👌 hope you find the right headphones/dac/amp 🤣🙏🤙
Good to hear - I was afraid a little bit if this zen dac can drive 250 ohm dt well :) Does it tame the highs of dt990 a little bit or make the mids more pronounced? I'd really like to know because I was planning to buy the aune t1 se tube dac that is 2x the price of zen dac...
Got the Meze 99 Classics immediately ordered the 4.4 Balanced cable and this Dac. Jesus the bass earwobbling bass with amazing clarity. I feel like i miss nothing. First purchases in my audio journey. Might look into some open backs Sennheiser's . Thank you for this excellent review and I made my purchase with confidence an was not disappointed
nice!
@@edd7 honestly no I cannot tell the difference between them the stock cable is good enough. I guess maybe higher quality headphones or maybe I’m not listening at a high enough volume. But I really don’t feel like I’m missing anything using the stock cable
@@edd7 I do run it off the ac power adapter. I don’t move it around and use it with my iPhone from time to time.
@@edd7 I got a generic one. Still don’t hear any noise
im really liking the zen dac v2 and the can signature combo with hd800s. the true bass is just too good
I bought the ZEN DAC V2 with the DT770 80 Ohm and did a balanced cable mod and been very happy with it, the bass is fing amazing.
you see im using this set up without the MOD and im not happy with it bass the voice starts getting distorted ummm i had ordered a ifi idsd micro signature with dt 770 250 ohm and it sound wayy bettter GOT IT sounded lush and i saw this im like i can save hella money but i been trying to convince myself this is good enough but No im wondering if the zen DAC signiture stack is good enough to match the idsd micro signature
Have you ever felt you needed more power to drive your beyers? I have the same exact pair of headphone and planning to buy this. Fiio k5 is also in my consideration.
Can you please help me sort this out?
@@Ray-bn7hr the zen dac has too much power, i already had to replace one speaker because i put the volume too loud a few times. I'm still very happy with the setup! I chose the ZEN over the k5 because of the truebass button. Both are good amps
Thanks Z! Another satisfied customer. This is my 1st dac. I have it paired with a drop & hifiman he 4xx, which is also my 1st open back headphones. I also have it paired to my peachtree M24 speakers. This combo just comes alive. It has a beautiful warm sound. Looking forward to hearing the balanced side.
I hope it does like the original does, when you have it set to variable the truebass also works through the outputs on the back. No-one ever mentions that
Yes it does, true bass is indeed passed through with the switch set to variable.
It really needs separate volume knobs for the headphones and the line out. If your monitors are always on, the options variable/fixed are inadequate if you want to isolate your monitors for late night listening for example. I had the same issue with the scarlett solo. But at least they added a headphones knob on v4
I'd be more sold on that if it had an optical input.
I’m new to headphone amps why would that matter?
@@franksam8610 USB locks you to a computer and SPDIF works with everything from TV's to Game Consoles and you can use optical splitters for multiple devices etc.
@@franksam8610 Some TV's, consoles and CD players (even my Sony Discman) usually have optical out as the best or the only digital audio output for the best sound.
@@ZReviews With the latest firmware it can be used on a playstation throu the usb.
Thank you for the review! I've been using the fiio btr 7 as my to go and pc DAC for over a year now, but I always hate how the sound is cut off in first few second if there is no sound/noise. This is going to be my dedicated DAC for now on. Love your review gave me a piece of mind when I ordered this.
I own the similar, IFI ZEN Signature stack that I use for my 6xx and Sundaras as my main setup all balanced. I truly love the sound of this stack. I also have the IFI ZEN DAC V2 and use as a more mobile solution in other rooms with almost the same sound quality as the stack. You are correct, the quality of Dac is the best in class for the money.
I love what truebass does to my sundara's. It's basically a toggle switch between analytical and fun. I run the DAC v2 with the Signature Can because the signature set lacks a bass boost button. Plus my dac will run fine off my phones so as you said the portability of the dac is amazing.
@@stevy2 the Signature Can actually does have a bass boost, its the HD6xx button. It's actually a more refined bass boost than the ZenDac.
@Stevy it's the zencan bass overlay/boost button
You mean you also bought balanced cables for the 6xx and sundaras ? I also have those two headphones, how does the Hd6xx and Xspace switches affect the sound of both to you ?
@@trixniisama I don't really use the 3D function, but the HD6xx button which is actually a a nice bass boost actually gives it a nice full sound with just enough bass.
Topping Dx1 very good alternative as well, I am thinking of pairing it with the Ifi zan air/normal can. Just for the features it has of Xspace or Xbass, or at least wait more time for a new product just to have those magic buttons for cheaper or something.
I recently got the ZDV2 to go along with my Focal Clear MG Pros I got at the same time, and I agree with everything you said. Amazing piece of gear, and best of all? It’s plug and play on the PS5 as well!
I’m in sonic nirvana. ❤️💕
Did you try it with a linux system? Thanks
Your first ifi zen dac video convinced me to get it as my first dac/amp and I love it! Have have speakers in the back and headphones in the front and I couldn’t be happier!
Love my original Zen Dac (so you must have schilled a little bit). Now attached to the Zen Stream and they are a great team for Roon, Tidal connect and Spotify connect.
Another great and entertaining review👍
my ifi zen arrived 30min ago and i am very happy with the product and the sound. you describe the products very vividly and thank you for that, because of your description I knew exactly that I wanted ifi Zen. giggity
One interesting thing I noticed about my V1 is that when the rear output is set to variable, the bass boost is applied there too.
v2 does the same.
Love my Zen Dac V1. I have it connected to my monitor's usb port and it turns the dac off when I turn off the monitor. Perfect for when I go to sleep! I also use Dolby Atmos for headphones (settings are Music + Balanced) on my pc and it's just audio Bliss!!!
Zeos, thank you for making me spend another 159€ on audio gear. That Dac and little bass bump just brought my mini autographs to life.. N'uf said. Merci !! :)
On the wonky USB connector:
USB has to two main properties we're interested in: speed class, and connector type. The two can be related, but are not the same thing, ie high speed classes might need a different connector. For about 20 years USB had 2 classes of connector, Type A and Type B.
A is the standard wide short rectangle that we would just call USB, it's for host devices like a computer. B is for peripherals, it's that tall square connector with beveled corners that your printer uses. A and B exist to make it simplify the design process, and to an extent to make it easier to know what type of device you're dealing with. It's just a dumb peripheral? Cool, you don't need to give it fancy power capabilities and just stick a B port on it.
Higher speeds are easier when you have more pins in your connector and wires in your cable, so USB 3.0 (a new speed class) came with modified A and B connectors. A got a blue plug, and they hid more pins right at the back so it still has the normal ones at the front and can work with a 2.0 port. B for some godforsaken reason got a two car garage bolted to the bottom for its extra pins. So that wonky thing you have is a USB 3.0 Type B connector.
Maybe it's so you can't confuse a host device by using a high speed host port and cable on a low speed peripheral, but it feels like such a clunky solution.
Type C does away with separate ports for host and peripheral. USB is now a mature tech and there are many easier ways of solving that so there are standardised negotiation protocols. If you connect two smart(ish) devices together over USB C they have a chat to see who's "host", and if it's a dumb device there's just a specific value resistor between two pins, so the host can read that and know what it's dealing with.
I've had the iFi Zen DAC v2 for about a month now, and I can say that I'm not disappointed, but then it was my first external DAC so I don't have much of a reference point for comparison. I can tell you that with my DT 770s (250 ohm), it did get loud enough at around the 1:00 to 2:00 position in high gain mode, but after adding the iFi Zen CAN a couple of weeks ago I can definitely hear the difference. The same tracks at the same level now sound more full and alive with the DAC+CAN combo, so the satisfaction level just went up.
Do you need a 4,4 mm cable to connect the Can with the Dac for balanced mode? Or can I use rca connect?
@@Anomalyn1 For full balanced mode, yes. I spent the extra to get the iFi 4.4mm balanced interconnect, but I couldn't tell you what (if any) difference it makes since I don't (yet) have any balanced cans for a full balanced signal all the way through.
See.. this is why I won't buy the Zen DAC. While it's a great entry offering for the price if even just a Zen CAN improves the performance why bother?
I'd love to get something like a Zen Enso, as slighty improved DAC with an actual AMP build in for say $ 299-399, with some crazy Ifi design.
Would fit really nicely in Ifi's portfolio right between entry Zen DAC and the advanced stack.
@@dxb526 Yep, I can understand that. I often have the same feeling about having to purchase separate components, but then I remember how I built my stereo setup when I was younger. Having separates makes upgrades less expensive later on, so if you like the HP amp but want to upgrade the DAC, you can. If you like the DAC but need more power from an amp (or want a valve sound), you can do that too. But I do agree that for a lot of people a higher tier all-in-one would be fairly easy to market.
@@glenzenaf Yeah, imo AIOs in the 500-600 USD/EUR range are the sweet spot. Cheap stuff you'll likely replace anyways and above that it's already audiofoolery teritory for most users.
Honestly, I'd love to buy something like the Asgard with proper build in DAC but from what I've read the built in solution is god awful, runs hot and apart from that good luck getting Schiit stuff in EU. It's a shame.
Bought one recently for use in the bedroom. The light on the volume knob is very bright and there is no way to turn it off or turn it down - the only way is to pull the USB cable.
Hell yeah, I bought this before the review and now I feel good about myself!
Are you really human If you don't watch TH-cam after spending money to feel good about a purchase?
I just received this 3 days ago.
Does your v2 still work after 5 months?
@@_hector__
Yeah it still works just fine
Haven't had any issues with it either
(At least none that were actually caused by it)
@@s3curityfr34k I decided to buy the jds labs element 3 instead, I got really put off by the countless reviews where their amps channel becomes quieter on one side or stops working/has massive static. I appreciate the reply
Thank you for the review. Have been looking at a few DACs with headphone amps built-in around the 200-dollar price point, and you sold me on the ifi Zen Dac V2.
I am a bit dizzy, though, because of your unique style of recording.
"I go on stranger's home and i feel their knob."
Such honesty.
Hey Twitter boi
lol
Got v1 (after your review) for my desk/workstation. My knob is sometimes noisy/scratchy when turning. Prob gonna disassamble and spray it with contact spray and drill the spot/point on the knob so the green LED can shine trough.
Bought this a month ago :) Am very happy with it, also using the iFi ZEN CAN amp with it.
Same here
Is the Zen CAN worth buying if you already own the Zen Dac V2? I love my zen dac and wonder if a CAN would improve anything? I use DT 1990s
@@calop002 Zen Can has better sounding Amp section for your headphones, so yes it is good combo having both.
@@calop002 Another yes from me. Worth it.
Thanks for the answer guys, will give the CAN a try!
Purchased the cable and Zen Dac V2 while listening to the 21:43 mark... thanks Zeos
I have the first one I was using it with the kph30i for the longest time and it's amazing.
It's not something ifi advertises but the the Zen Dac will work just fine with a standard USB 2.0 B cable. So if you have a longer one of those lying around you don't even need to buy a longer 3.0 tall boy.
Dude, your shilling of the V1 was super effective, as well as that fixed output switch and always-on analog outs. Exactly what I wanted for my PC headphones/speakers setup, plus it sounds great, PLUS it was cheap. done
I just ordered mine.. I'll let you know how I go..
I'm awaiting my new AudioTechnica's though.. That is a Black Friday purchase.
Love the review! Love the Zen Dac (bought v1 because..ZEOS) but...PEACOCKS? What are these??? How did I miss these??? When did Zeos review these? I am subscribed with notifications since 2019 but I don't remember these. Because Zeos, I own the Aiva's, the Sivga Phoenix & 006, and the ESS 422's with the Zeos mods, among other things. Does anyone know if Captain Comfy-pants has reviewed these?
Zeos, they upgraded the XMOS to 16 core and also upgraded their global master clock for less jitter coming from the USB input.
Ok this time in the thumbnail, his mousepad literally is just the german flag
Its the Mauzpads pad. It is kinda German.. Well expect about 8 more of those.
YOU WERE NOT WRONG
I just impulse bought this immediately after catching up on some of the channel's most recent videos with Amazon return policy because why the hell not for $160.
Holy f*** batman. I have now been radicalized to ifi. Reading over the papers on the Gibbs Transient Optimized filter optional firmware. I'm wondering what Z's opinion on the optional 7.20c variant is. It seems like there could be some advantages but idk if I can really tell the difference between digital filters with my budget tier HiFi setup and listening room.
Thank u for this video btw I'm so friggin happy with this unit.
Been using it for months, confident that it would be good.. I was amazed how good it actually is. Love it!
Loved the fucking review. You were the only one who explained how it sounds. Btw, try and reduce the movement on the video as it can cause some motion sickness. Defo, I am getting this unit. Thanks to your review. No wonder it was WhatHifi's winner for Best DACs in its price range. Love the fact you mentioned the long extended cable too.
You made me get the original zen dac and I’ve never regretted it, thank you Good sir
Just ordered the Zen dac v2 with the ifi Zen Can Amp with 4.4mm outputs . I’m sporting a woody !!! Omg!!!!
Haven't watched the video yet but I literally bought this yesterday and it arrived this afternoon :0 what are the odds
Zeos knows
The odds? 6. Exactly 6.
ifi for the win! I have a few of their products and i am always absolutely satisfied.
I use a Zen Dac V1 + 58x Jubilee for my primarily gaming set up. Nearly everyone of my friends who have tried out my set up aren't ever nearly as impressed in the pc, or the fps, or the set up itself... They always come away talking about the sound.
I'm rocking the Zen Dav V1 + PCx38
Thats sounds really interesting, I do run my pc38x out of my qudelix 5k (since mic in-line support is so useful) and since the new firmware adds supports por all the harman eq objectives from places.like crinacle or oratori1999 (even for pc38x) is so useful and way more interesting the way of using aptx adaptive...and thats how I sold my atom amp and dac.
listening this in my oppo free earbud from second hand android phone. still enjoying imagining have a proper set up for my cheap laptop
I have the v2 paired with the zen can and I can tell you that my Sundaras sing! Just got into dacs and amps and I’m so glad I picked this hardware to start with. Also, Zeos is the best. He really knows his fuck shit and shit fuck. Keep it up!!
Hey sorry to bother you 6 months later. I also have the Sundara and looking for an AMP/DAC combo. Is the v2 Amp enough for the Sundara, or does it benefit from a more powerful amp (eg, Zen CAN, etc)?
i just got mine, reallllyyy enjoying it - sounds awesome - and I keep my bass at standard, dont need the additional punch.
I do appreciate the USB Type B, though. USB is supposed to have a lot of different form factors for different use-cases and seeing a chunky Type B cable for a heavy, stationary peripheral makes me smile. A Type C port would have been as appropriate for it as Type C for a printer (ie, it wouldn't really make sense). I do agree, though, that the cable is way too short for anything other than laptop/smartphone usage and trying to find an appropriate Type B cable that actually supports USB 3.0 can be difficult.
Type C would have been fine imo, it is supposed to replace all other USB connectors after all.
As long as we don't have to deal with any more god d*mn micro-USB I'm happy!
I'm glad it's the thick connector. I feel confident that if I knocked my dac off my table the USB connector will be rigid enough to hold the weight of this unit.
Monoprice is where I get all my USB cables. Good quality and cheap as shit.
My only issue with usb is that my pc poets seem to be giving dirty signal as I get a crackle/noise when using my Fiio K5 pro with my dt 990 250ohm through usb, but don’t get the noise/crackle over spdif.
@@mysticalchickennuggets9416 Are you sure its the signal thats dirty and not the power it gets from the usb? Try a separate power supply to see if it helps
Hey audio gurus! Does this unit have enough juice to bring AKG K712 Pro to its fullest/best sound? I am ABSOLUTELY sold on the bass boost!
Sadly I can only listen to this channel. I can't watch it because I get motion sickness from the wobbly camera.
I did as well, but making it smaller and/or minimizing and just listening is ok
Z thank you for ruining my life in a good way!
The first review I watched was your review of the Kanto YU4 speakers. I took a leap of faith and asked my wife if she would get them for my birthday. She obviously loves me and purchased them for my office. All I can say is NICE! That review got me started.
Next - my stereo system.
Until a few weeks ago I had no idea what a DAC was or what it did. For that matter I didn't know how great music could really sound. Because of your reviews I am loving music in a way that was not even on my radar. Here is what I have learned from Z reviews.
Get my damn speakers up off the floor (I have bookshelf).
Buy a middle speaker. Now movies and music are far better.
Purchase a quality headphone - yeah I splurged. Such a difference - Audeze closed-back are amazing. I hear instruments and all kinds of shit I didn't know existed.
And finally, after watching this video I immediately ordered this recommended DAC. Holy shit, my system grew up and came to life. I am loving it.
Again, thank you Z.
actually there are a small differences between the og zen dac and he zen dac v2 (and actually the zen dac v1 later versions ) , for the line out opamp they switched to their own custom opamp , and made the power delivery better , and the usb controller is better and that is about it the amp is still the meh amp and its noise floor is not that great . so basically just get the V1 , all the V1 at the moment are just the v2 without MQA decoding so that means its actually better .
see this is insight Id need to have documentation on
Another difference is V2 is 16 core, V1 is 8 core
@@BillyKueekSG not true , the v1 later models are literally just V2 without the bullshit license you need to give to MQA , but the older v1 does use an 8 core chip
@@zeospantera3664 you can check forums and check ifi's own website , check ifi's own website to look at the circuit board of the V2 then if you just go to headfi and it's if Zen dac forum you will be able to see the large no of v1 later model DACs with the exact same layout as the v2
@@zerotwo_.002, they sell for the same price here in Singapore so I bought the V2 for the 16 core and MQA
I had the Oppo HA2 SE before and it was great, but a bit too sterile/clinical sounding. I used it for three and a half years, and had to stop because the li-po battery inside it began to swell and expand to the point where the casing changed shape. Figured it wasn't safe to keep using, planning on taking the battery out and recycling it, and getting a new battery for using it only on portable situations with a laptop in the future. For desktop use, I just bought this ZEN V2 last week ^^ and yes it's awesome and everything I'll ever need. Like you, I also experienced withdrawal after turning off the truebass :D it is amazing to listen to. The only thing that sucked a lot was that super short blue cable. If you want to use it with anything but a laptop you need to find another cable... and I did. I've also ordered a balanced graphene cable from XINHS for my FH5, that's going to be awesome! Thanks for the review, even though the purchase was already made, it helped confirm that I made the right choice.
Why is there no mention of channel imbalance? I just my Zen Dac V2 last week, noticed it immediately on all 4 of my headphones, requested a replacement, received it two days ago, noticed the same thing, and am sending both back. On just above 0 volume the left earcup is completely quiet while the right is barely audible, on low volume the left earcup is 20-25% quieter than the right, and when you increase to about 9:00 the difference goes down to 10-15% but that was still too much for me. Why haven't I heard about this from you? I read it a lot on the amazon reviews and on reddit and experienced it myself with two units. I don't have this issue with my K5 Pro or my BTR5.
I had no imbalance at all in any of the headphones. Only time there is any difference is at the very bottom of the volume range but that is normal with analog pots.
@@ZReviews Haha let's trade because both the units I had voiced some level of imbalance across the volume range that I tested. It's too bad because I loved the way the DAC/AMP sounded but the imbalance issue was just too much for me and wasn't something I noticed on either FiiO at the same volume levels.
The sound imbalance at 0 to 1 on the knob is normal on all the IFI dacs, but once raised it balances out. It has never bothered me on both my IFI units, because i do not listen to music at that low a volume.
@@RayCabrera1 I've noticed it on both of mine all the way up to about 11:00 - anything above that is way too loud for me. I prefer music with lower volumes as I'm young and want to keep my hearing going as long as possible.
I have permanent imbalance with my v1 zen dac now. Resistance difference is about ~10ohms - barely noticeable with hd599, dt770 pro, much more noticeable with sundara. Not sure if it for there all along.
Better to check with multimeter when someone buys.
I just replaced by old LCX SDAC with this. Similar to that I find it's not as good on low gain. I also don't turn bass boost on except in games. It just brings the bass forward on everything, making it feel crowded.
Thank you very much for this review. I have a question from a music-production perspective. I'm looking at an headphone/monitor amp, and I bumped into your videos about dacs. Would you recommend this unit for someone who wants to be able to do critical listening, mixing and mastering? Would it be extremely annoying to use this unit (because of the one knob) to control a pair of monitors and headphones at the same time? I've been watching at radial monitor and phone amp, but that's a very different unit.
Thanks for any help you could provide.
Roberto
I'm still using an Xfi Titanium HD card from 2011 that I love dearly... this may get me to finally make the switch.
(edit) 24h later, I pulled the trigger using your affiliate link. Dammit. lol
Listening to this dude with my ifi ZEN DAC (v1) :) my speakers are Edifier R1800T III and my headphones Audio Technica MSR7 balanced 4.4 pentaconn :D
At about the 20 minutes mark, pulls out a silver PS2 fat with vertical stand. 🔥Hot🔥 dang!
I'm looking for a dac/amp with this featureset and after a couple days of searching I have noticed that this exact model keeps popping up. I can get my hands on one for a good price so I'm curious how you guys feel about this thing now that it's been two years.
For reference I've been running a Fiio E10k for many years because that was all I could get my hands on back then. My headphones are the DT 770 Pro and the Fidelio X1.
I was able to borrow an old Konnect 6 for a couple weeks almost 7 years ago and it made my DT 770s sound incredible. I've been chasing that dragon ever since.
Would the signature stack be still a step up, or is the zen dac v2 the final call?
Nice video. Im new to the whole dac/amp. But need one for gaming, but need one with mic-imput too. Any chance this could do the trick perhaps with extra connections? Kinda lost, but thanks again
Check out the Schiit Hel 2
thanks for this recommendation this thing is the only one in stock anywhere and its cheap and sounds great big up man
OK, here goes. I have one and only really have one problem with it, it did not have enough power for my headphones, had to get a IFI zen Can to go with it, headphones I am using are Drop HiFi man HE-5xx. Also recommend by Zeos.
I still agree with you in the year 2023 and together with an AKG 371 or 361 you don't need to look any further ;)
Got the Zen Dac v1 and the only thing i have to complain about is that every now and then it tends to freeze and I need to unplug the USB and replug it. Definitely still an awesome piece of equipment and I love it but this is the only little flaw I have with it.
That’s a defect, never happened to me.
I don't know, I'm seeing a bunch of complaints about channel imbalance...
Zen Dac V1 here... driving 660s and Sundara's mainly. Although I'm curious about trying a power amp which could deliver current fast with more headroom to see If I can tap into untapped performance of the cans, but honestly I've never really felt the actual need for it. The Zen Dac also serves as pre for iLoud's micro's to satisfaction and a loxjie p20 (some tubeamp which Im not convinced about yet). The Zen Dac is such a versatile piece of equipment delivering great performance though. Next to the Sundara's probably one of the best purchases of the last years.
I am considering buying it for the hd650, do you need the AC adapter for the 660s or is it powered by usb? I am wondering if it will be enough or if i need something stronger
(Thanks for hlp :-))
Maybe the extra dc5v power input is for mobile applications? Tables, phones etc.
Great review! Sennheiser HD 600 and ifi zen dac ?
YES!
Getting the balanced cable for the HD600 was worth it with this zendac, try it!
I have the Zen dac and Zen can. My experience has not been good, I am glad other people have had more luck.
Shame.
Man, I wish they made it only a DAC, it would have had more features/output and for the money it would have made me think of spicing up my D10s.. Even though I love that little rascal
It's got 8 core 16 threads instead of the 8 threads in the Mkl now...twice the brain power & better Burr Brown Dacs along with a Cirus Logic ADC...well worth the extra few bucks....you don't need to use MQA files...sounds fantastic at CD or higher hi-def quality in balanced mode....still the best for the price...i'll keep mine as long as it works, or i live, fingers crossed... if it's a real Ifi 5v power supply it should sound a fraction better....
Clearly, it lacks a remote and a motorized knob like the $40 yamaha receiver I salvaged last month. As well as the signature crackle when the knobs turn.
Also, clever use of capacitors stretches component…well, capabilities.
This is my first dac/amp. Thanks Z!
Thanks for your great review. May i ask, which power supply do you use ? Have you tried ifi ipower or ipower x ? Does they worth it ?