ifi Audio ZEN Air DAC
Nicely Roasted
Sound Quality
86/100
Build Quality
75/100
Features Connectivity
79/100
Value for Money
85/100
The ZEN Air DAC pairs a clean, transparent presentation with a gently warm tonal balance, giving neutral headphones extra body without hardening the treble. Audiophilepure found convincing headphone synergy and solid detail, while high-resolution PCM, DSD, DXD and MQA support make this compact USB DAC/amp an assured desktop listening partner.
Pros
Clean, transparent sound with worthwhile detail and no undue top-end harshness.
Slightly warm voicing pairs especially well with neutral headphones, delivering strong system synergy.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 86/100
The available review finds the ZEN Air DAC clean and transparent, with a mildly warm character that complements neutral headphones. It is described as detailed without becoming harsh or fatiguing at the top end.
Tonal Balance and Musicality
87/100
Audiophilepure describes the DAC as somewhat warm-sounding, pairing particularly well with the neutral Sennheiser HD 560S. The presentation avoids undue treble harshness, supporting relaxed and enjoyable listening.
Resolution and Detail
84/100
The review calls the Air DAC clean and transparent with decent detail. This supports a capable, clear presentation, though the reviewer does not claim exceptional micro-detail retrieval or class-leading separation.
Digital Performance
86/100
Audiophilepure characterizes the converter as clean and transparent, with no report of glare or excessive top-end hardness. The review provides no further comments on noise-floor performance, timing, or measured conversion behavior.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
75/100
The supplied review does not discuss chassis construction, internal layout, component quality, or long-term durability. The compact unit's specifications establish its size and low-power operation, but do not indicate how its construction performs in use.
Features Connectivity
79/100
The ZEN Air DAC combines USB input with PCM playback to 384 kHz, DSD to 12.4 MHz, DXD, and MQA support. It also includes variable output and a headphone amplifier, but offers no stated coaxial, optical, AES, network, or balanced-XLR connectivity.
Value for Money
85/100
At $99, the ZEN Air DAC offers high-resolution PCM and DSD support, MQA capability, and an integrated headphone output. The review title identifies the price but does not directly compare its value with competing DACs or explicitly call it a bargain.
Reviews & Sources
Professional reviews and sources for this product's Watt'n Potatoes analysis.
Online Reviews & Mentions
YouTube Reviews
Forum Mentions
No forum mentions found yet
Specifications
- DAC
- Bit-Perfect DSD & DXD DAC by Burr Brown
- DIMENSIONS
- 158 x 117 x 35 mm 6.2" x 4.6" x 1.4"
- DNR
- Line Section: >113dB(A) @ -60dBFS
- FORMATS SUPPORTED
- 44.1/48/88.2/96/176.4/192/352.8/384kHz PCM 2.8/3.1/5.6/6.2/11.2/12.4MHz DSD 353/384KHz DXD MQA
- INPUT
- USB2.0 B Socket
- INPUT VOLTAGE
- DC 5V/2.5A
- NET WEIGHT
- 315 g 0.694 lbs
- OUTPUT
- Line Section: 1V / 3.3V max. Headphone Section: 1V / 3.3V max. (variable)
- OUTPUT IMPEDANCE
- Line Section: ≤50Ω Headphone Section: <1Ω
- POWER CONSUMPTION
- No Signal ~0.5W / Max Signal ~2.5W
- RMS OUTPUT POWER
- Headphone Section: >230mW @ 32Ω ; >36mW @ 300Ω
- SNR
- Line Section: <-113dB(A) @ 0dBFS Headphone Section: <-113dB(A) @ 0dBFS
- THD+N
- Line Section: <0.04% @ 0dBFS Headphone Section: <0.04% (100mW @ 16Ω)
Manufacturer's Description — ifi Audio
High-performance audio, even more accessible.
The ZEN Air DAC brings iFi’s renowned sound to all, delivering the same rich musicality from the legendary Burr Brown chip found in our award-winning ZEN DAC series.
Hearing is believing
The ZEN Air DAC outputs very hi-res (high resolution) quality audio. This is much better that the standard audio you would get from just using your computer, games console, tablet or smartphone. Imagine the difference in quality from a standard TV to an 8K Ultra HD TV — but in sound! This is the difference an external DAC makes to your music. Once you hear it, you’ll be converted (not just your audio)!
Simply better
The ZEN Air DAC functions as both a DAC and a headphone amp. It’s a great first step if you are just starting on your audio journey. Simply connect it to your computer or smart device via a USB cable. Then connect it to your headphones via the headphone jack at the front or to speakers via the RCA connections at the back. If you already have an amp, you can use the ZEN Air DAC as a pure DAC with this amp or speakers.
Flexible formats
The ZEN Air DAC supports PCM 32bit/384kHz, fully native DSD256, and MQA for versatile high-quality audio playback.
PCM(Pulse Code Modulation) - is the format used in CDs, DVDs, and Blu-rays, offering a step up from MP3.
DSD (Direct Stream Digital) - Provides superior audio quality, with sample rates like DSD64, 128, and 256. "Fully native" ensures the original recording remains unaltered.
MQA(Master Quality Authenticated) - Delivers studio-quality sound. Connect to Tidal Masters to stream MQA with ease, right out of the box.
Sonic tailoring
The ZEN Air DAC also sports a couple of unique sonic tweaks from iFi.
PowerMatch adjusts the gain of the ZEN Air DAC 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 personalise your listening experience.
And breathe…
Most DACs still use digital volume control – ours is analogue. What does this mean? When you reduce the volume on other DACs you remove data from the song or soundtrack. With analogue 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.
Sift through the noise, breathe in the Air
Improve the quality of your everyday audio with the ZEN Air DAC.
Verified Dealers
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Authorized dealers for ifi Audio ZEN Air DAC
- Acoustic Technologies — online and in-store — Montréal, Québec, Canada (website)
- Acoustipower — online and in-store — Markham, Ontario, Canada (website)
- Acton Gate Audio — online and in-store — Cymru, United Kingdom (website)
- Addicted to Audio — online and in-store — Epping, Victoria, Australia (website)
- Adorama — in-store — New York, New York, United States (website)
- Advanced MP3 Players — online and in-store — Musselburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom (website)
- Alpha High End — online and in-store — Brasschaat, Vlaams Gewest, Belgium (website)
- Analogue Seduction — online and in-store — Whittlesey, England, United Kingdom (website)
- Apos Audio — online and in-store — Oakland, California, United States (website)
- ARK Audio — online and in-store — Borensberg, Östergötlands län, Sweden (website)
and 133 more verified dealers