iFi Audio Zen One Signature - a Great DAC at a Great Price - SoundStage! Real Hi-Fi (Ep:41)

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SoundStage! writers Dennis Burger and James Hale recently wrote about the iFi Audio Zen One Signature DAC on SoundStage! Access and SoundStage! Xperience, respectively. In his write-up, Dennis declared: “iFi Audio makes the bold claim that this is the only DAC you’ll need. And I can’t speak for all my readers, but in my case that ended up being a true story.” He ended up buying one for himself.
James Hales experimented with the unit’s Bluetooth and USB connections and lauded the Zen One Signature’s “seamless Bluetooth connectivity,” but praised by the USB connection by writing that on “an exquisite version of the Billy Strayhorn classic ‘Blood Count,’ the difference in room presence and clarity between the lossy Bluetooth wireless and lossless wired connections was notable. Morgan’s bass had additional resonance, and I heard more texture from Frisell’s muted plucking and ringing harmonics through the USB connection.”
Links for Dennis's and James's articles are below, where you’ll also find links to the measurements from our lab. In this video, Doug Schneider gives you his impressions on the iFi Audio Zen One Signature, and explains why the it’s not just a great DAC for the price-but a great DAC that could sell for a much higher price.
Dennis Burger review: www.soundstage...
James Hale review: www.soundstage...
#hifi #audiophile #stereo

Опубликовано:

2 окт 2024

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Комментарии : 49

@johnkom2339 Год назад

Doug you helped convince me to try out this Dac! Thanks. A few years ago I faced a crisis when my long time set up of a Proceed transport and Audio Alchemy DTI broke down. The transport broke, and the AA device was also having some problems. Time to get with the newest tech, streaming. I made some missteps but then realized I really had to just go for a streamer and new Dac. Okay, There were the Chinese dacs. There was the Mytek Liberty , got some nice reviews and also recommended by Stereophile for a few issues. Okay. But $1500 for the new one. Stereophile, or their reviewer, then made a bold inclusion in their Rec. Components list -- they classified the iFi Zen DacSignature as Class A, amongst the other multi-buck A-Class components. What? A pocket change Dac good enough to make Class A? Okay, I had to give it a try. Well, right now 2 days into the trial, it's looking good for the iFi. I can't say for sure I'll resist the urge to audition a Mytek Liberty, but this little Dac is truly a giant killer. However keep in mind that if you bought the v2 version, then use the "Fixed" out setting. Bypass the Zen volume pot, and direct the sound to your quality preamp/Amp. In my case a Bryston B60 integrated. Then you've got a really nice little Dac. Does it do all the holographic soundstaging etc? Maybe not, maybe not totally but still, it's an impressive little guy.

@dustind9242 2 года назад

Wow! This wasn't even on my radar when I was shopping for a bluetooth dac. I wound up going w/ the fiio bta30 pro, but I'm definitely looking into this iFi to add to another old home theater receiver of mine.

@annebokma4637 Год назад

I have an ifi dac and a Bluetooth. Highly recommended. Price performance it's right up there. Thinking of upgrading and using what I have now for a second system

@AQUPAS Год назад

I'll be pulling the trigger on this thing and pair it with my Schiit JOTUNHEIM 2, only bummer is in order for a proper balanced connection I need to also pickup ifi's proprietary 4.4-xlr cable.

@holdencaulfied7492 Год назад

This review has me wondering...if the ultimate goal of a DAC is full transparency, and this one does it, then what's the point of a $2,000 DAC?

@dougschneider8243 Год назад

For a straight-up DAC with, say, a single FIR filter, no volume control or other options, I'd be skeptical paying too high a price without some very good reason -- like astonishingly good noise or distortion performance that lower-priced DACs can't match. But that's a heavy ask as there are many outstanding inexpensive DACs these days.

@nymarty 2 года назад

Hi, Doug. Are you using the Paradigm 100f as your reference speaker these days? Are you still loving that speaker? I noticed it in your last few videos. I have the iFi Zen Stream for streaming and it’s fantastic. I may have to try the DAC. Thanks!

@dougschneider8243 2 года назад

Excellent speakers -- and I still have a pair around. But the 100Fs aren't mine, they're Paradigm's. Yeah, give the iFi a try -- making some excellent products.

@josephlynn85 2 года назад

Enjoyed the video

@dougschneider8243 2 года назад

Great to hear!

@aristsogas1260 2 года назад

I own this DAC. There is a major flaw that no one seems to mention. The coaxial / optical spdif input is SHARED. So if you are using both a coaxial AND an optical connection, you have to reset the unit every time you switch sources. I find this quite annoying to tell the truth. Much cheaper dacs don't have this restriction. The sound is quite good but for 360 Euro I would expect more flexibility.

@justanobody4983 Год назад

Thanks for the info. Because of this, ill pass

@colanitower Год назад

A good reason for me to take this off my shortlist. Thanks!

@DBravo29er Год назад

The Zen Stream is another winner. Great review!

@zzt231gr 2 года назад

How does that compare to Chord Mojo 2? Soundwise...

@soundstagenetwork 2 года назад

Good question. We haven't reviewed a Chord product in a very long time.

@OptLab Год назад

How does the signature v1 compares to the v2 as well as the idsd Signature ?

@Phloored 9 месяцев назад

Hi can you compare this to the orchard audio dac?

@YTjuanchicod Год назад

Dac's affects soundstage?

@mattbonaccio3522 2 года назад

I would love to hear how it sounds compared to my current DAC, the SMSL D300. I got the D300 for the same price as the iFi Zen One Signature, and it has similar specs and even a few more features. It's hard for me to say, though, that I'll never upgrade... Maybe I just have really high expectations. Or maybe I just need the Zen One?

@dougschneider8243 2 года назад

Would be an interesting comparison. We haven't review an SMSL, but looking it up, it uses a DAC chip from ROHM -- I'm not sure what other hi-fi companies are using that chip. Most use ESS, AKM, or, like in the iFi Audio, Burr-Brown.

@mattbonaccio3522 2 года назад

@@dougschneider8243 It's a rather interesting chip, and kind of a selling point for the SMSL -- ROHM has been making passive components for a long time, but this is their first foray into hifi DACs. Luxman is the only other manufacturer I know that uses the ROHM chip, in one of their disc players. The output stage is much different in topology than the SMSL, however. Would REALLY love to hear one of those!

@mattburgess2 Год назад

How do you switch between Bluetooth, toslink, and coaxial?

@jamesschneider3828 7 месяцев назад

Push button switch on the front panel.

@flashhog01 2 года назад

Great review, sounds like a good product many people will be happy with. I have the original ifi zen DAC and it is quite sub-par even for a budget DAC; I’m unsure why so many people gave praise to that product.

@soundstagenetwork 2 года назад

What was so bad about that model?

@flashhog01 2 года назад

@@soundstagenetwork Muted highs, no sound staging or imaging, very dull sounding.

@soundstagenetwork 2 года назад

@@flashhog01 That's very strange for a DAC. Are you sure it wasn't defective?

@RUMBLEGO1 2 года назад

@@soundstagenetwork I absolutely love my original Zen Dac, There is none of what he has stated. Not on my unit. Sounds phenomenal!

@dragonfire61 2 года назад

@@RUMBLEGO1 yes,mine also sounds fantastic. I just ordered this unit today and am looking forward to using it with my zen can

@baredesigns1 2 года назад

How does this compare to the ChiFi from TOPPING, SMSL etc?

@dougschneider8243 2 года назад

You really have to try them to know for sure what you'll like more. Topping and SMSL get promoted by one or two websites because they achieve a very good SINAD spec. But, of course, there's more to a product than one spec insofar as measurements go. Furthermore, the SINAD of almost all these products is so high (meaning noise and distortion are extremely low) that it just doesn't mean much. Also, features factor in. They're all likely to be excellent, so in terms of comparing them, it's really up to each prospective buyer to make the final call -- can't do that for you.

@DennisBurger 2 года назад

In my experience comparing the Zen One Signature to a Topping DAC, the iFi was quieter, had a cleaner power supply, and although it only has one PCM filter, that filter did no audible harm. Some of the filters on the Topping introduced audible artifacts, which is weird.

@dougschneider8243 2 года назад

@@DennisBurger Interesting.

@holdencaulfied7492 Год назад

Nice review. I just have one question, if I swap out my Musical Fidelity V-DAC, will there be a noticeable improvement in the sound of my system?

@dougschneider8243 Год назад

You'd really have to try it to know.

@MH-rl9ep 2 года назад

Doug, no disrespect intended (love your videos, always great information and content) but could you lose the hand gestures?😀 I’m sure they work well in a public speaking situation in a large hall but on RU-vid and the small screen, emphasizing every syllable with a hand motion is just distracting. You’re already great at what you do, Doug….just trying to make you even better!

@991carreras3 2 года назад

I bet he has a special hand gesture just for you. Watch for it in the next video.

@dougschneider8243 2 года назад

Fair enough -- but unfortunately, I speak in a way that my hands just go with it. As our videographer says, I speak "with my hands," so I need to embrace it. Thankfully, I also speak quickly, so you can just blank the screen and listen to the sound and you'll almost get the same out of it!

@MH-rl9ep 2 года назад

@@dougschneider8243 I hear you, Doug. Hey, we all have our own idiosyncrasies….if it works for you, then that’s fine. I’m sure I can ‘hand’le it!😃

@MH-rl9ep 2 года назад

@@991carreras3 Good one!

@cpodurnell3701 2 года назад

I had it, sold it. The used old Wyred 4 Sound DAC1 sounded better. I eas hoping it would dazzle with Tidal MQA, but it didn't.

@soundstagenetwork 2 года назад

We've never believed in MQA. Doug Schneider was the first to speak out against it years ago and recently made a video... ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-fYkmcKnPvM4.html