[vodkadebugger]

The sub-bass rumble I get from XBass is just intense - I'm addicted, although it's easy to get to volumes that start physically destroying my headphone drivers. I guess an upgrade is inevitable.

I love the styling on this amp

 

[DarktoreS]

Hi, what is the output impedance in 4.4mm ?

 

[mblain]

Last week, I had asked if anyone had tried both Zen Can and SP200, but since I don't think any have, I ordered both to compare and keep one I like. Headphones I'm using are Elegia and M570 and DAC is SMSL M300 mk2. Both are very good clean amps, but I think the biggest factor differentiate them is the xbass and 3D on Zen Can. The xbass and 3d literally brings the music to life. I highly recommend to Zen Can to anyone who just want to enjoy the music. So the SP200 will be going back.

Just curious, how do the Elegia's sound on the Zen Can with the Xbass? Does it fill out the bass that the Elegia is known to be missing at times?

 

[DarktoreS]

Hi, what is the output impedance in 4.4mm ?

?

 

[iFi audio]

?

It's 0.1 ohm

I love the styling on this amp

Thanks!

I guess an upgrade is inevitable.

Of your cans or ears ? The latter might be a wee bit difficult

 

[ultraman31]

Just curious, how do the Elegia's sound on the Zen Can with the Xbass? Does it fill out the bass that the Elegia is known to be missing at times?

Yes it does. I have Zen Dac connected to Zen Can and when I turn both Truebass and XBass on, it becomes almost basshead can lol So I just turn off the Truebass and just XBass on.

 

[vodkadebugger]

Of your cans or ears ? The latter might be a wee bit difficult

My cans, my ears are already prepared. It's just difficult to decide what to buy next. Should I go the easy route and get the "better" of what I already have - so the AD1000X, or should I go for something completely different? I just ordered Moondrop Starfields...

Yes it does. I have Zen Dac connected to Zen Can and when I turn both Truebass and XBass on, it becomes almost basshead can lol So I just turn off the Truebass and just XBass on.

XBass is great, isn't it? I get actual subbass rumble, particularly in orchestral pieces. Funnily enough, whenever I stumble upon a track with seemingly bloated bass, I turn off XBass, notice that the bass is still bloated, there's just less of it, and I turn XBass back on. It truly seems like an immaculate bass boost with that in mind.

 

[Alboxing]

I don't know....I have been lusting after the zen can for some weeks now but still have not pulled the trigger...too many audio related disappointments in my purchase history ya know....

I have been reading some reviews and a few of them say it has a "warm" signature and a narrow soundstage.....does anybody here agree with this opinion or are they full of crap and were just hearing the characteristics of the dac they had connected to it?....

 

[iFi audio]

My cans, my ears are already prepared.

XBass is great, isn't it? I get actual subbass rumble, particularly in orchestral pieces. Funnily enough, whenever I stumble upon a track with seemingly bloated bass, I turn off XBass, notice that the bass is still bloated, there's just less of it, and I turn XBass back on. It truly seems like an immaculate bass boost with that in mind.

Yup, exactly. XBass was designed to not bloat, but provide that pleasant rumble that's at times more felt than heard. And yes, this tuning was intentional

 

[vodkadebugger]

I don't know....I have been lusting after the zen can for some weeks now but still have not pulled the trigger...too many audio related disappointments in my purchase history ya know....

I have been reading some reviews and a few of them say it has a "warm" signature and a narrow soundstage.....does anybody here agree with this opinion or are they full of *** and were just hearing the characteristics of the dac they had connected to it?....

The Zen Can may be warm (is it?) but I think it’s definitely transparent as well as I can easily tell the difference between my laptop DACs and my audio interface. I’m experiencing plenty soundstage with my AD500Xs. But soundstage should be more impacted by dac than the amp (bar headphones of course). I’m having a lot of fun with this amp and it has without a doubt let my headphones sound to their full potential. Maybe it’s because this is my first amp is why I’m so enthusiastic about it, but I really do think this isn’t a bad purchase by any means.

 

[Alboxing]

The Zen Can may be warm (is it?) but I think it’s definitely transparent as well as I can easily tell the difference between my laptop DACs and my audio interface. I’m experiencing plenty soundstage with my AD500Xs. But soundstage should be more impacted by dac than the amp (bar headphones of course). I’m having a lot of fun with this amp and it has without a doubt let my headphones sound to their full potential. Maybe it’s because this is my first amp is why I’m so enthusiastic about it, but I really do think this isn’t a bad purchase by any means.

Thanks for your input, much appreciated

 

[Alboxing]

@iFi audio

I've been wondering why, from an engineering point of view, you decided to have the zen can powered by a +5V supply and then, as I suppose, have an internal step up circuit to convert it to something like +15V (I guess given the power it has), instead of using a 15v power supply in the first place.

I am sure the reason is NOT because you expect users to power it using a usb port (not enough current) or powerbank.

Maybe to enable people to use a regular phone charger to power it ?

 

[technobear]

@iFi audio

I've been wondering why, from an engineering point of view, you decided to have the zen can powered by a +5V supply and then, as I suppose, have an internal step up circuit to convert it to something like +15V (I guess given the power it has), instead of using a 15v power supply in the first place.

I am sure the reason is NOT because you expect users to power it using a usb port (not enough current) or powerbank.

Maybe to enable people to use a regular phone charger to power it ?

I suspect it is so that owners of Zen CAN, DAC and BLUE don't mix up the power supplies and fry something.

 

[shampoosuicide]

I've been enjoying these for a little more than a week now, and wanted to share some thoughts on them for posterity.

So far I've owned the JDS Atom (twice), Schiit Magni 3 (twice), Schiit Magni 3+, and Cavalli Liquid Spark. The iFi ZEN CAN is my favourite of the lot, considered in terms of its combination of musicality and technical competence. Quick thoughts on each of the amps listed:

iFi ZEN CAN - Immersive, spacious, lifelike, and clean. Very reminiscent in fact of the Gustard H10 with Burson V6 opamps which I previously owned in terms of its wide staging capabilities and lifelike quality, whilst being much cleaner from memory. Uniquely inviting and involving whilst retaining strong technicalities.

JDS Atom - Incredibly linear and transparent. Highly technically competent, although not the most involving (though certainly not clinical or sterile to my ears), with an average soundstage.

Cavalli Liquid Spark - A very nice, conventionally musical type sound: smooth and warm, with a fuller low-end and rolled-off highs. More spacious than the Atom, but with a clear compromise in terms clarity and detail.

Schiit Magni 3+ - A good improvement on the Magni 3. Aims for a linear but bodied sound. The least memorable to my ears. Separately, I had issues with getting enough volume out of it, as I did with both the Magni 3 units I owned.

Schiit Magni 3 - Oddly dynamically compressed. As with the Magni 3+, I had trouble with low volume output. A search online yielded a number of similar reports. Both units I owned also suffered from scratchy volume pots.

 

[darkmark]

Could anyone with some first-hand experience comment on the differences between Zen Can and xCAN in terms of overall SQ, xbass and 3D sound implementation?