This is a USB-only desktop product that takes power from the computer that’s connected to it. If you need optical or coax this product is not for you, though iFi makes a range of other products that will appeal. My main testing headphone with the Zen Dac was the LCD-X, and I have to say they were driven decently. The LCD-X is advertised as easy to drive (20 ohm, 103db/1mw), but like all big planar headphones they like a bit of juice and current. The Zen Dac made them sound loud enough and quite enjoyable.

iFi Zen DAC V2 review - What Hi-Fi?

GL-850 – Moving up a step, the GL-850 was especially nuanced. (But it took more of the volume overhead than I was comfortable with.) Listening to “My Immortal” again, the song’s soundstage felt dynamic and had very good left-right soundstage size. The treble felt slightly forward, but this could also have been due to better detail retrieval and imaging. Detail and clarity were clearly the best so far.

We do provide installation options for built-in appliances providing it is simply a case of fitting the appliance and furniture doors. Any additional work to the kitchen units or carpentry work required will need to be completed at the customer’s expense. AAW AXH (balanced): Now i'm a b*tch and swap to the 4.4 connector. Audible hiss, no more silence at zero volume. I really should use this IEM unbalanced only. I would love to upgrade my Cord Mojo to an Chord Hugo 2 (that's my next hi-fi upgrade) but right now I can not afford to which makes me sad. A rumble filter simply adds to the bass cut making your already “cut” records sound bass light. Plus, it “time-steps” the bass in relation to the higher frequencies (where our hearing is most sensitive) so much so it can confuse the ear into believing the bass is playing out of tempo. iFi solution: Disclaimer: The iFi Zen DAC V2 has been provided to us on loan for this review. As of this writing, iFI Audio is a sponsor of Hifitrends, but all opinion in this review is solely our own, and no input has been given from the manufacturer. Build/Features

What Hi-Fi? Awards 2021: Best DACs | What Hi-Fi?

hybridauth_Facebook_100000759563588 said:Personally, having lived with one on a PC for 6 months, using streaming media, along with a mains adapter - I think this Zen DAC is fantastic value for money.Certainly a friendly price - the sort l like to see. Not shown is the imaging test conducted at 44.1 khz. A single 19khz tone at 0db intensity will image a tone at 25.1 khz, above the Nyquist cutoff. The 25.1 khz aliased image was suppressed by over 90db.

Offering a significant upgrade over computer sound quality in an era where people need it most, the Zen DAC V2 is another feather in the cap for iFi’s budget Zen series. We reserve the right to refuse installation should our engineers think that the existing electrical or plumbing points are unsafe and in need of maintenance or if they are unable to install to existing furniture.

iFi Audio ZEN DAC V2 Desktop Digital Analog Converter iFi Audio ZEN DAC V2 Desktop Digital Analog Converter

I've been looking for a worthy opponent or competitor in this price range that can match the zen dac´s characteristics and functions. At this point I still haven't found one so until then i'll keep recommending the zen dac as the best desktop dac/amp in this price range. That would be the Zen DAC V2’s ability to act as a full MQA decoder, as opposed to the V1, which was just an MQA “renderer.” That means the V2 doesn’t need a piece of software like TIDAL or Roon (a Core Decoder) to do the initial “unfold” of the MQA music file. We’ve upgraded its digital engine from an 8 core XMOS chip to a 16 core chip. It’s ultra-capable while still being super-affordable. Both provided a somewhat warm sound with nice detail throughout the treble and midrange. Tonal balance is excellent on both. There’s really no part of the audioband that’s given undue attention, so they both get out of the way and let your headphones do their thing.

I have paired this DAC with Beredynamic DT 990, and there is an extra dimension to songs. There are finer details that you wouldn't have heard before. Acoustic songs are even more pleasant, especially when you hear the brushes on a snare, vibrations from a bass drum, or you feel that Leonard Cohen is in the room when he sings. Zen DAC owners with price-compatible headphones may not feel an urge to rush out and upgrade to the V2 unless they can get a decent return on their original – the V2 is, despite pedalling performance forward, evolution over revolution – but for newcomers to the company or type of product, iFi is offering a good jump in quality here to keep performance and features best in class. The Zen Dac has surprisingly good bass extension. Similarly priced Dacs often weak out under 100Hz, but the Zen Dac keeps going. The bass is nicely balanced and relatively flat in its price range with an option to give it a tasteful boost (‘truebass’ button). I remember in my car audio installation feverish days there were car audio head units that had what was called a common ground system. All the speake