Authorized dealers for ifi Audio ZEN Blue 3

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

ifi Audio ZEN Blue 3

Name: ifi Audio ZEN Blue 3
Brand: ifi Audio
SKU: zenblue3
Rating: 89 (39 reviews)

View at ifi Audio

Specifications 38 reviews & sources

89/100

Nicely Roasted

Sound Quality

91/100

Build Quality

85/100

Features Connectivity

87/100

Value for Money

90/100

The ZEN Blue 3 makes Bluetooth feel properly hi-fi, combining clean, full-bodied sound with impressive detail, stable imaging and confident dynamics. The Sound Advocate highlights its near-wired wireless performance, while its aptX Lossless, LDAC and LHDC support, transmitter mode and balanced output make it an exceptionally versatile hub for modern systems.

Pros

Delivers clean, detailed, full-bodied Bluetooth sound with tight bass, stable imaging and strong composure on dense recordings.

Extensive codec support and reliable receiver/transmitter connectivity worked without dropouts in demanding environments.

Flexible DAC and output options, including balanced 4.4mm, RCA, optical and coaxial, suit both direct connection and future system upgrades.

Cons

aptX Lossless support is ahead of the current smartphone market, as compatible phone transmitters remain scarce.

The balanced 4.4mm connection requires an adapter cable rather than standard XLR cabling.

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What Reviewers Are Saying

"I was stunned. The quality was magnificent for a Bluetooth stream."

— The Audiophile Man

"I can't even tell the difference between wired and Bluetooth when I'm using LDAC."

— Audiophile Heaven

"I would say that for anyone wanting the closest to a wired connection in a situation where only wireless will work, the Zen Blue is about the best option."

— The Sound Advocate

"Bluetooth usually sounds compressed, but even here the iFi delivers more dynamic variance and expression than we would expect for the money."

— What Hi-Fi

"the music had a lovely clarity and ease that wasn't that far away from proper, grown-up streaming."

— StereoNET United Kingdom

"The DAC brings out the rich, woody texture of the didgeridoo that opens the track and there’s a satisfying weight to the accompanying funky slap-bass riff."

— Audiophilepure

SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 91/100

Reviewers find the ZEN Blue 3 unusually accomplished for a Bluetooth-oriented component: rich and intimate in tone, rhythmically convincing, and notably composed with dense music. It combines strong clarity and detail with a clean, stable wireless presentation, though one listener still detected a slight Bluetooth edge.

Tonal Balance and Musicality

91/100

StereoNET heard a “luxurious tonal richness and intimacy” alongside a rhythmically tight, convincing presentation. The Audiophile Man similarly praised its disciplined balance, reporting no treble fizz or bloated bass, while Audiophilepure found satisfying bass weight and good balance as complex percussion accumulated.

Resolution and Detail

90/100

Reviewers consistently describe strong clarity, separation and insight. The Sound Advocate found detail markedly improved, StereoNET called the clarity and ease among the best it had heard from Bluetooth, and Audiophilepure noted convincing woody texture from the didgeridoo on its test track.

Digital Performance

92/100

The wireless implementation is a particular strength. Audiophile Heaven heard no audible self-noise, coloration, congestion or connection instability, while The Sound Advocate said the supported codecs worked without a hitch and came unusually close to a wired connection. What Hi-Fi also praised the unit’s composure when music became dense and demanding.

Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.

Build Quality

85/100

The Sound Advocate speaks positively of iFi’s design, parts selection and build quality, and StereoNET describes an aesthetically pleasing package. The supplied reviews offer little detailed examination of the chassis, internal layout, or long-term durability.

Features Connectivity

87/100

This is a notably flexible Bluetooth transceiver as well as a DAC, supporting current codecs including aptX Lossless, aptX Adaptive, LDAC and LHDC/HWA. It provides USB, optical, coaxial and analogue operation, RCA and balanced 4.4mm outputs, digital outputs, transmitter capability, and an external-antenna connection; Bluetooth and USB playback are limited to 24-bit/96kHz, while optical and coaxial DAC inputs reach 24-bit/192kHz.

Value for Money

90/100

At $299, several reviewers regard it as a compellingly priced way to add high-quality wireless playback to a hi-fi system. The Audiophile Man calls its price “smile-inducing,” What Hi-Fi considers it sensibly priced, and StereoNET describes it as an affordable package with fine sound; Audiophile Heaven adds that some other iFi products offer a stronger price-to-performance ratio.

Reviews & Sources

Professional reviews and sources for this product's Watt'n Potatoes analysis.

Forum Mentions

No forum mentions found yet

Specifications

CHIPSET: Bluetooth: Qualcomm QCC518x Series. DSP: CT5302 DAC: ES9023 Amp: MAX97220
DNR: 109dB (0dBFS @ 1kHz)
INPUT: RX Mode: Bluetooth 5.4 (aptX Lossless, aptX Adaptive, aptX, LDAC, LHDC/HWA, AAC, SBC) TX Mode: USB, Optical, Coaxial, RCA L/R (Analogue) DAC Mode: USB, Optical, Coaxial, RCA L/R (Analogue)
LIMITED WARRANTY: 12 Months*
MAXIMUM SUPPORTED SAMPLE RATE: RX Mode: 96kHz/24Bit TX Mode: 96kHz/24Bit DAC Mode: 96kHz/24Bit (USB), 192kHz/24Bit (Optical/Coaxial)
NET WEIGHT: 447 g (0.99 lbs)
OUTPUT IMPEDANCE: Balanced 4.4mm: ≤102Ω Single-Ended RCA: ≤51Ω
OUTPUT VOLTAGE: Balanced 4.4mm: 4.1Vrms (0dBFS@1kHz) Single-Ended RCA: 2.05Vrms (0dBFS@1kHz)
SNR: 109dB
THD+N: < 0.005% (10K Load)@(20-20kHz)
POWER SUPPLY REQUIREMENT: USB-C or DC 5V/≥0.5A (centre +ve)

Bluetooth

Built-in DAC

USB Audio

Hi-Res Audio

Asynchronous USB

LDAC

aptX HD

Manufacturer's Description — ifi Audio

Bring lossless Bluetooth to your Hi-Fi or headphones.

The ZEN Blue 3 is the world’s first Bluetooth DAC to send and receive CD-quality audio via aptX Lossless – and comes complete with a Hi-Res USB mode for desktop use.

Cut the Cord. Keep the Quality.

The ZEN Blue 3 offers wireless audio that is free of compromise by incorporating Lossless Bluetooth audio, courtesy of Qualcomm’s Flagship QCC518x Bluetooth audio chip and the aptX Lossless codec. Offering a maximum bitrate of 1,200kbps, aptX Lossless is the first and only Bluetooth codec currently capable of wirelessly sending and receiving CD-quality audio without losing data during compression.

Forging New Connections.

Whether it’s a late-night vinyl session without the speakers, enjoying your aptX Lossless earbuds while working on your laptop, or marathoning your favourite Netflix series on the TV via headphones, the ZEN Blue 3 offers new opportunities for listening enjoyment.

Versatility Breeds Possibility.

Even with all this innovation on show, the ZEN Blue 3 has even more tricks up its sleeve. Leveraging the capabilities of the Qualcomm QCC518x chipset paired with a dedicated ESS Sabre DAC and Hi-Fi circuitry, it outperforms most Bluetooth transmitters and receivers.

The ZEN Blue 3 is also able to function as a fully wired DAC, offering 96kHz/24Bit audio via USB-C, or 192kHz/24Bit audio via SPDIF, which can be output via 4.4 balanced or RCA analogue outputs.

aptX Lossless: 1200kbps

LDAC: 990kbps

aptX: 352kbs

SBC: 328kbps

Let That Sync In...

Whether you’re getting lost in a great movie or immersing yourself in your favourite video game, few things take you out of the moment quite like a delay in the audio. This is a notorious issue with other Bluetooth products, but for the ZEN Blue 3 this is simply another place to excel.

When using ZEN Blue 3’s Low Latency mode with a device receiver that supports aptX Low Latency, the time taken to send and receive audio is drastically reduced. When your eyes see it, your ears hear it – putting you right back in the moment, where you belong.

Balance in All Things.

The ZEN Blue 3 is also able to function as a fully wired DAC, offering 96kHz/24Bit audio via USB-C, or 192kHz/24Bit audio via SPDIF, which can be output via 4.4 balanced or RCA analogue outputs.

Audiophile Sound. Wireless Freedom.

Not ready to join the Lossless party just yet? Not to worry, we’ve got you covered. The ZEN Blue 3 extensive backwards compatibility ensures that all current major Bluetooth codecs are supported.

Bluetooth codecs supported: aptX Lossless, LDAC™, LHDC/HWA, aptX Adaptive, aptX, AAC and SBC.

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Authorized dealers for ifi Audio ZEN Blue 3

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)