[Lalerfy]

Has anyone made a comparison between the balanced out, connecting the Zen Dac & Zen Can, with the RCA/Phono out. A few more balanced cables are appearing on AliExpress & ebay

Yes, using the Balanced 4.4mm inter-connect the sound has a little bit more definition/separation than the RCA. It makes the bass sound like it's coming through with a little bit more authority.
(In simple terms the Zen-Can is more foot tapping and enjoyable compared to the Amp section of the original Zen-Dac.)

 

[vodkadebugger]

Personally i can't really tell much difference. I think it may because I'm listening on Spotify. I do notice a difference in the bass boost on certain songs but again this may be type of music I listen to acoustic pop, jazz and classical music so there's not much base going on. But in general the sound stage is better as well as the separation. So it's more of an overall improvement that I get.

I too listen on Spotify. I used to have a FLAC library, but after literally years of listening to it through my Yamaha HS7s I can't really tell the difference (tried to the point of being annoyed) between both after fixing Spotify settings (max quality and disabling the abomination that is its normalisation setting). Perhaps it's my ears (I'm 24 and can still ever so slightly hear 19,7+kHz (didn't test beyond 19701)) - maybe it's because I used to be a classical musician (pianist and accordionist), maybe it's because I produce music in my spare time (electronic mostly, I'm still very much a beginner when it comes to composing) and because of that my ear isn't too vary of these things.

The difference between my laptop DAC (Realtek ALC1220 in an MSI GE63VR) and my old Digitech RP155 guitar effects processor (used as an audio interface) is actually surprisingly clear, with me preferring the latter. Instead of using a long paragraph describing the differences in sound, I'll just say that a better DAC feels like the amp knows better how to churn power towards the headphones.

The fact that those differences are so apparent with my HTIB amp makes me excited to think what a clean, purpose made and admittedly overpowered headphone amp will sound like.

 

[hag6]

Thanks for your reply and thoughts on the use of the balanced cable option. It looks like that you bought the Delock cable (currently out of stock at amazon uk). I am considering the options on AliExpress but not sure if customs & currency costs make these options a bit pricey, Also, I am not sure if to keep the length short (10cm) to keep the units stacked - concerned about scratching, or go for a slightly longer length to have the option to set the units side-by-side.

 

[BWythani]

Well, mine just up and died. Just getting static and faint intermittent music.ill send it back for a refund.

 

[EdgeOfSound]

I too listen on Spotify. I used to have a FLAC library, but after literally years of listening to it through my Yamaha HS7s I can't really tell the difference (tried to the point of being annoyed) between both after fixing Spotify settings (max quality and disabling the abomination that is its normalisation setting). Perhaps it's my ears (I'm 24 and can still ever so slightly hear 19,7+kHz (didn't test beyond 19701)) - maybe it's because I used to be a classical musician (pianist and accordionist), maybe it's because I produce music in my spare time (electronic mostly, I'm still very much a beginner when it comes to composing) and because of that my ear isn't too vary of these things.

The difference between my laptop DAC (Realtek ALC1220 in an MSI GE63VR) and my old Digitech RP155 guitar effects processor (used as an audio interface) is actually surprisingly clear, with me preferring the latter. Instead of using a long paragraph describing the differences in sound, I'll just say that a better DAC feels like the amp knows better how to churn power towards the headphones.

The fact that those differences are so apparent with my HTIB amp makes me excited to think what a clean, purpose made and admittedly overpowered headphone amp will sound like.

Agreed. My laptop DAC (Thinkpad P52) is rubbish compared to the one in my phone (Huawei P20 Pro) and the iFi CAN is another step up. In that sense I have no complains.

I've also seen a few reviews that have pointed out that given that we are talking about something on the "budget" end of Hifi there really isn't much in it between amps/dacs (kinda obvious when u think about it.). So something is better than nothing and at any rate iFi also know what they are doing so it won't be a bad choice regardless.

Personally this won't be my endgame. I do plan on upgrading. This was really just a step to show me that upgrading was worth it. If I couldn't tell the difference with the CAN i probably wouldn't bother upgrading anymore.

 

[EdgeOfSound]

Well, mine just up and died. Just getting static and faint intermittent music.ill send it back for a refund.

I have a working one. want to buy mine?

 

[vodkadebugger]

Agreed. My laptop DAC (Thinkpad P52) is rubbish compared to the one in my phone (Huawei P20 Pro) and the iFi CAN is another step up. In that sense I have no complains.

I've also seen a few reviews that have pointed out that given that we are talking about something on the "budget" end of Hifi there really isn't much in it between amps/dacs (kinda obvious when u think about it.). So something is better than nothing and at any rate iFi also know what they are doing so it won't be a bad choice regardless.

Personally this won't be my endgame. I do plan on upgrading. This was really just a step to show me that upgrading was worth it. If I couldn't tell the difference with the CAN i probably wouldn't bother upgrading anymore.

Budget or not there are plenty of suppliers of different parts that do the same thing in discernible ways, that said, what are you planning on getting?

Well, mine just up and died. Just getting static and faint intermittent music.ill send it back for a refund.

That's a right shame mate. How long have you had it for? Couldn't have been longer than a week. Did it go out while you were using it?

 

[Lalerfy]

Thanks for your reply and thoughts on the use of the balanced cable option. It looks like that you bought the Delock cable (currently out of stock at amazon uk). I am considering the options on AliExpress but not sure if customs & currency costs make these options a bit pricey, Also, I am not sure if to keep the length short (10cm) to keep the units stacked - concerned about scratching, or go for a slightly longer length to have the option to set the units side-by-side.

I've never had any custom charges on £20 items coming form AliExpress.
I see Amazon UK only have the 3m size in stock now►www.Amazon.co.uk/dp/B07ZNZFX1M

 

[BWythani]

Budget or not there are plenty of suppliers of different parts that do the same thing in discernible ways, that said, what are you planning on getting?


That's a right shame mate. How long have you had it for? Couldn't have been longer than a week. Did it go out while you were using it?

Yeah about a week. Sound just died mid listening. Had it super low too.

 

[vodkadebugger]

I've never had any custom charges on £20 items coming form AliExpress.
I see Amazon UK only have the 3m size in stock now►www.Amazon.co.uk/dp/B07ZNZFX1M

Fortunately it's balanced so audible audio degradation would only start at lengths well beyond 30 meters!

Yeah about a week. Sound just died mid listening. Had it super low too.

Did it go out with a pop? Loud? Painfully loud? Nothing? Just suddenly went broken with no signs of vengeance?

 

[BWythani]

Fortunately it's balanced so audible audio degradation would only start at lengths well beyond 30 meters!

Did it go out with a pop? Loud? Painfully loud? Nothing? Just suddenly went broken with no signs of vengeance?

Just went quietly into the night. Tested the other inputs too. Alas. I'm leaning towards sending it back to The vendor but I guess we'll find out if I if ifi warranty is pretty good. Because I do like it quite a lot, you know if I can trust it.

I assume that want to go over one that failed so fast.

 

[Rohan108]

*This is not a full review of the iFi Zen CAN, but a glimpse into it’s attributes in the short time that I’ve had it.*

Yes you CAN!

My new feature-rich iFi Zen CAN headphone amplifier landed on my desk almost two weeks ago, and I have spent some time putting it through its paces. My first impression is “Wow, the power!”.

My long beloved iFi Zen DAC is certainly no slouch - as its amplifier circuit is pretty powerful and will be all you will ever need for most headphone aficionados out there. But some headphones like higher impedance planars and dynamics with high impedance will truly love the iFi Zen CAN.

The Zen DAC is connected to the Zen CAN via RCA to RAC - a nice RCA-to-RCA cable comes with the unit. I do not have a 4.4mm to 4.4mm balanced cable to test the difference in RCA output vs Pentaconn output.

I’ve been using it unbalanced and testing FLAC tunes on my Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro 80 Ohms, TYGR 300 R and my Hifiman HE4XX. I have a bunch of other cans, but these are the hardest to drive in my collection and easiest to see the difference in amplification output from the Zen DAC to Zen CAN. The gain settings go from 0dB to 6dB to 12dB to 18 dB. And just on the 6dB gain it gets incredibly loud on my headphones I’ve been testing with. At 12 o’clock it is LOUD!!!

Loud, but with phenomenally low levels of distortion and noise-floor. I purchased mine with the low-noise iFi 5V power supply, and will in time try it out with other 5V power units to see if there is a difference.

The Zen CAN also improves on dynamic punch big time, the 3D function extends the soundstage of the already glorious Zen DAC by some degree, and has a vast improvement on imaging. I’m not a gamer, but I can imagine serious gamers wanting this stack in the Christmas stockings.

The XBass function on the Zen CAN is slightly more defined than the TrueBass function on the Zen DAC - both adding extra gusto to the sub-bass without meddling with the other frequencies. But for some it might be too much, for bass-heads it's like heaven.

I have tried it both with variable and fixed outputs included in the Zen DAC - both have an impact on volume and audio when fed to the Zen CAN. I prefer the warmer sound produced from the variable output, although it does reduce the volume capacity of the Zen CAN significantly. With fixed output from the Zen DAC it can get extremely loud, but it also makes the sound brighter overall.

Having both the Zen DAC and Zen CAN might be overkill for most headphone users out there - as the Zen DAC is pretty sublime as it is IMHO.

I still haven’t tested all the features, and do not have any balanced headphones or IEMs to try them out on. I have also not yet tested the Zen CAN as a sole amplifier source without the Zen DAC as its dac. But in the short time I’ve lived with it I can definitely say it’s a keeper!

 

[iFi audio]

Just went quietly into the night. Tested the other inputs too. Alas. I'm leaning towards sending it back to The vendor but I guess we'll find out if I if ifi warranty is pretty good. Because I do like it quite a lot, you know if I can trust it.

I assume that want to go over one that failed so fast.

Our warranty is solid, so your product should be replaced shortly. Have you opened a ticket on our support platform, or have you contacted your ifi vendor already?

*This is not a full review of the iFi Zen CAN, but a glimpse into it’s attributes in the short time that I’ve had it.*

Yes you CAN!

My new feature-rich iFi Zen CAN headphone amplifier landed on my desk almost two weeks ago, and I have spent some time putting it through its paces. My first impression is “Wow, the power!”.

My long beloved iFi Zen DAC is certainly no slouch - as its amplifier circuit is pretty powerful and will be all you will ever need for most headphone aficionados out there. But some headphones like higher impedance planars and dynamics with high impedance will truly love the iFi Zen CAN.

The Zen DAC is connected to the Zen CAN via RCA to RAC - a nice RCA-to-RCA cable comes with the unit. I do not have a 4.4mm to 4.4mm balanced cable to test the difference in RCA output vs Pentaconn output.

I’ve been using it unbalanced and testing FLAC tunes on my Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro 80 Ohms, TYGR 300 R and my Hifiman HE4XX. I have a bunch of other cans, but these are the hardest to drive in my collection and easiest to see the difference in amplification output from the Zen DAC to Zen CAN. The gain settings go from 0dB to 6dB to 12dB to 18 dB. And just on the 6dB gain it gets incredibly loud on my headphones I’ve been testing with. At 12 o’clock it is LOUD!!!

Loud, but with phenomenally low levels of distortion and noise-floor. I purchased mine with the low-noise iFi 5V power supply, and will in time try it out with other 5V power units to see if there is a difference.

The Zen CAN also improves on dynamic punch big time, the 3D function extends the soundstage of the already glorious Zen DAC by some degree, and has a vast improvement on imaging. I’m not a gamer, but I can imagine serious gamers wanting this stack in the Christmas stockings.

The XBass function on the Zen CAN is slightly more defined than the TrueBass function on the Zen DAC - both adding extra gusto to the sub-bass without meddling with the other frequencies. But for some it might be too much, for bass-heads it's like heaven.

I have tried it both with variable and fixed outputs included in the Zen DAC - both have an impact on volume and audio when fed to the Zen CAN. I prefer the warmer sound produced from the variable output, although it does reduce the volume capacity of the Zen CAN significantly. With fixed output from the Zen DAC it can get extremely loud, but it also makes the sound brighter overall.

Having both the Zen DAC and Zen CAN might be overkill for most headphone users out there - as the Zen DAC is pretty sublime as it is IMHO.

I still haven’t tested all the features, and do not have any balanced headphones or IEMs to try them out on. I have also not yet tested the Zen CAN as a sole amplifier source without the Zen DAC as its dac. But in the short time I’ve lived with it I can definitely say it’s a keeper!

Awesome stuff @Rohan108 , thanks a lot!

Can your gorgeous pic be used in our social media channels please?

Yes, using the Balanced 4.4mm inter-connect the sound has a little bit more definition/separation than the RCA. It makes the bass sound like it's coming through with a little bit more authority.
(In simple terms the Zen-Can is more foot tapping and enjoyable compared to the Amp section of the original Zen-Dac.)

A spot on comment, thanks. 4.4mm connection pushes ZEN's performance a notch further indeed

 

[vodkadebugger]

Oooh, where should I start, my now almost six hours with the device? I am by no means qualified to do a review, these are merely my first impressions, and I've never really written stuff like this before, so pardon the crudeness of my writing.

I'll start off with the easy - build quality and my issues with the unit. Everything about this product screams quality the moment you pick it up, the impression akin to the durability of god - truly, everything...apart from the buttons. Those are abysmal. I mean, in contrast to everything else they are borderline criminal, not only in the fact that they spin and rattle, but also the fact that, for example, I have found them to be unreliable around once or twice in say 80-100 presses. Also, switching from XBass+3D to bypass involves a split second of peaking audio/ear rape, depending on volume (the louder you play the worse it peaks, but I learned quickly ). Something I would expect to be addressed in a next revision. With nothing playing changing the volume crackles, which I think is fine, since during playback you'd only hear it (and faintly at that) if you were running your source at -30dB output or something. Somebody already mentioned the right channel getting power before the left on the lowest audible volumes. Again, not an issue in normal playback. The knob is a dream to turn tho, kudos for that!

Alright, that covers that.

Now, onto what actually matters. Disclaimer: I am using a Digitech RP155 audio interface as my DAC, to my ears it is clearly better at crunching audio math and spitting out analog than my laptop (MSI GE63VR), my headphones are Audio Technica ATH-AD500Xs with swapped pads (Brainwavz pleather) and my sources are Tidal HiFi mostly and Spotify Premium from the laptop.

First impressions: infinite power. Previously I used a HTIB receiver for my headphones, and it had a very noisy output already at moderate volumes. Now, I have a very unhealthy listening habit, challenging the very biology of my ears, it is truly a wonder how I can still hear above 19.5kHz, I do try to rest my ears after each song tho, nothing the old 10 hour rain remix on YouTube can't help. That is to say I like to listen to music loud.

And oh boy, are the differences more clear than anything at above moderate volumes. The impression follows as such: in music, what I had suspicions of, I can now easily confirm - the sound is effortless, unforced, and thus not painful whatsoever. I usually have a lot of hearing fatigue after listening for so long, but I still haven't noticed any with this amp. Because of the headroom (which is what gives the impression of effortless power delivery), the mids and highs don't feel suffocated, before it felt like the details would just be muddled by the bass whenever the latter hit in, now the detail in the music scales perfectly with sound pressure and is undisturbed by action in the nether regions, which quite honestly is amazing.

Another thing I noticed that it sounds better at low volumes as well. Music doesn't seem to lose excitement as fast when lowering volume as compared to what I was used to.

Yes, the clearest difference to me is consistent separation and considerably less listening fatigue. A very lazy conclusion, I know, but I still haven't tried gaming with this amp. The only problem now are my headphones, they are the limiting factor now.

TL;DR: coming from a s**t amp this makes me feel I've never heard my headphones before

 

[BWythani]

Our warranty is solid, so your product should be replaced shortly. Have you opened a ticket on our support platform, or have you contacted your ifi vendor already?



Awesome stuff @Rohan108 , thanks a lot!

Can your gorgeous pic be used in our social media channels please?



A spot on comment, thanks. 4.4mm connection pushes ZEN's performance a notch further indeed

Yes i opened a ticket last week and I'm waiting to hear back