The Zen really fills the 9500s out nicely while still helping to retain their incredible sense of clarity, detail, and depth. I also enjoy the true bass feature with headphones like the HD600, Creative Aurvana Live! or Philips SHP9500. The True Bass feature can be hit or miss, but I find it really helps to add meat to a genre like Metal which sounds kind of thin in general. I mostly always have this on there’s really no reason to have it off unless you’re running some IEMs or other low impedance, high sensitivity headphones. On the front, we’ve got a power match button, which kind of mimics the effect of a gain switch. It’s kind of futuristic-looking sitting on your desk, and comes packed with a lot of features at this price point!Ĭurrent troops: FiiO K5 Pro, iFi Zen, FiiO K3, FiiO E10K, Topping NX4. It’s an elegant alien if there ever was one. Everything about this beast screams quality, from the connections on the back to the sleek and attractive front. The analog-digital volume control is a dream to turn, while the True Bass and Power Match Buttons feel incredible to the touch. The Zen DAC is a no fingerprint gathering, all-aluminum chassis having, balanced input dabbling, kiss stealin’, wheelin’ and dealin’, limousine ridin’, jet flyin’, rock-solid sun of a gun! WOO!! YEAH!! It wasn’t a deal-breaker by any means, but the Zen feeling so robust makes you wonder why other companies can’t follow suit. One of the things I complained about with JDS’ ATOM is that it just felt too light. It almost feels like you could casually toss it on the ground and it would ask for more like Mick Foley. That’s what you’re getting here (sorta lol). Imagine flopping out of the womb at a cool 25 lbs. Go ahead, put it in your hands, and marvel. The build of the Zen is the first thing that will jump the f*** out at you. DAC: Bit-Perfect DSD & DXD DAC by Burr-Brownįor a full list of specs, head on over to iFi’s website and check out the Zen: Zen DAC by iFi audio! Build.Note: Some things have changed since this article was originally written, but we’ll get to that in the final word. This thing clearly has no business being so affordable, and we’ll find out exactly why in this write-up. It feels like iFi is attempting to set the bar high with their dirt-cheap Zen DAC/Amp, while at the same time impressively mapping out a standard and daring other companies to match it. My readers and subscribers by now should understand that the Law of Diminishing Returns runs rampant in audio, as it’s rarely worth investing much beyond that initial setup.Īny subsequent attempt to achieve a better sound is almost futile (there are some exceptions of course), and will have you ending up deep down the rabbit hole (or whoring yourself on a side street for cash to buy more audio). If my maths are right, roughly $339.23 will net you 97.2879% of what you’ll ever need. No longer does it require your kidney to achieve great sound, whether in setting up a small home studio or just simply investing in a good pair of headphones and an Amplifier to listen to your favorite music. It was the first time receiving a product from a company where I thought, “Technology is truly advancing at an almost alarming rate.” Now without further ado, let’s get rolling!! IntroductionĮven despite my complaining every time a DAC hits the market (and for good reason), it truly is a good time to be alive. Click to navigate the article! Introduction
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