Regular readers won't need any more information about iFi, the digital-to-analog audio specialist responsible for the adorable iFi Uno and iFi xDSD Gryphon DACs, to name just a few. But what you probably didn't know until now is that iFi today announced the arrival of two new products: the Zen DAC 3 and the Zen Phono 3.
Not to be confused with the excellent iFi hip-dac 3 (which in some ways improved on even the inaugural iFi hip-dac and its subsequent follow-up), Zen DAC 3 is the third version of the company's entry-level desktop Zen DAC line. .
iFi is launching the Zen Dac 3 to gamers (and why not, when gaming and audio collaborations are so hot right now; see the Final Fantasy 14 turntable?), casual listeners, and audiophiles because of its elegant casework and its uniconic prices. That said, this time you have to pay $70 or £70 above the previous model (which launched at $159 / £159 / AU$229).
What do you get for the money? This time around, it promises “ultra-resolution audio” (more on that later), a revamped design, and USB-C input for plug-and-play connectivity. The Zen DAC 3 features two 4.4mm balanced outputs, one dedicated to your choice of the best wired headphones and the other to all other hi-fi gear, a design that iFi says “minimizes distortion, crosstalk and noise.
And the high-resolution or “ultra-resolution” abilities that iFi mentions? PCM 768kHz to DSD 512 and full MQA decoding are built in, plus billed improvements like improved DC compensation and “surge protection” when it comes to the USB-C input, so your music plays well.
This is iFi, so they also feature the favorite XBass+ and PowerMatch analog processing modes. Although I have yet to try this newer model, I tried the two previous iterations of the Zen DAC and really liked them. That said, this is a fair price increase over the March 2021 Zen DAC 2, so it will be interesting to see where the money went and whether this latest offering still represents value.
The iFi Zen DAC 3 is available to purchase from today (April 16) at ifi-audio.com and at selected retailers with a quoted price of $229 / £229 / €229 / AU$229.
iFi Double Zen Record Store Day Offer
But that is not all! To celebrate Record Store Day (which falls on Saturday, April 20, as you already knew), the Stockport, UK-based firm has introduced the Zen Phono 3. This separate hi-fi system for your turntable is designed, says iFi, “for vinyl lovers who demand nothing but the best.” To that end, the Zen Phono 3 includes a clever subsonic filter that aims to eliminate pitch shifts from warped records (remember, super cheap players can damage your records), but without simply eliminating bass.
To dig a little deeper into that filter, traditional solutions sometimes fail to eliminate both the side effect of warped vinyl and clunking. and the juicy bass frequencies of your recording. However, according to its creators, the Zen Phono 3's intelligent subsonic filter can “selectively remove” imperfections while preserving the integrity of your music. Heady stuff.
Its RIAA equalization circuit boasts an equivalent input noise of -151 dBV (which for clarity's sake is quite low, aka “quiet”), meaning it should offer a great deal of fidelity and detail over the power stage. integrated phono into any economical deck with which it is associated. with, some of which can be found in our guide to the best turntables.
You also get balanced and RCA line outputs on the back, an adjustable gain range and a power supply controller to further fine-tune your system's performance, plus two load options for MM and MC-High (capacitance of 100 and 200 pF) and three options for MC. -Low and MC-V Low cartridges (100, 400 and 1kOhm).
The iFi ZEN Phono 3 is available to purchase from ifi-audio.com and selected retailers for $249 / £249 / €249 / AU$249 and, although I haven't heard it yet, on paper I really like it.
