[iFi audio]

No DAC? For the purported price, this would be a killer setup if it came with a Burr Brown like the Zen DAC!

Nope, but we have this: https://drop.com/talk/45403/specialist-i-fi-audio-zen-dac-signature-coming-asap-on-drop

I am in... Right now my HD650 are on workhorse duty

That EQ button on the ZEN CAN Signature 6XX will work nicely with HD 650!

No DAC? For the purported price, this would be a killer setup if it came with a Burr Brown like the Zen DAC!

Yes DAC, here: https://drop.com/talk/45403/specialist-i-fi-audio-zen-dac-signature-coming-asap-on-drop

They had a non drop branded prototype at CanJam NY this year that sounded great. Not sure if it was the same amp or not.

If anything, the current one is better. We had even more time to work on details.

Awesome idea. My very first rig was a Zen DAC with the 6XX's and always though it was a fantastic combo but lacked in the power department. I bought a 4.4 Pentaconn cable and ran then balanced not long after and at that point, I thought it was the best synergy I'd heard. Will be interested to see everyone's thoughts on this after release!

You just wait and see what that magic button on the ZEN CAN Signature does to Senns 6XX!

 

[Currawong]

In for review here. The HD6XX button, most noticeably, boosts the bass a bit.

 

[Joe Bloggs]

So, about that pending link for the EQ curve for the HD 6XX? It's here

 

[LordBorg]

Nope, but we have this: https://drop.com/talk/45403/specialist-i-fi-audio-zen-dac-signature-coming-asap-on-drop

Too bad. The ZEN DAC, which I own, is ideal because it's a reasonable dac/amp in one... this form factor does not look good stacked, so not a good idea to split dac and amp into two separate devices when you could have a single "killer" device. IMO

 

[bedlam inside]

I wonder if this better than the regular one in keeping things powered without the use of the USB? I got the OG Zen Dac and that thing couldn't run a thing with the powercord hooked up to it.

Wondering this too! Review are needed.

 

[tutetibiimperes]

Interesting idea, and a good deal for HD6XX owners who don’t already have a means of EQ at their disposal.

It does seem fairly limited though with only the 6XX filter. Given that it’s an amp and doing it in the analog realm I suppose that makes sense, but a DAC/AMP or just a DAC that had downloadable filters for a variety of headphones would be an even more interesting product.

Doing it as a DAC or DAC/AMP would allow all of the EQ to be done in the digital realm, and it could be set up so that you could download individual headphone profiles via USB stick into the unit, so it could be good for the 6XX, Elex, Ether CX, etc, or even better non-Massdrop headphones as well. If something like that could be developed and at a price point below something like the RME ADI-2 DAC I could see it being very successful.

 

[iFi audio]

Interesting idea, and a good deal for HD6XX owners who don’t already have a means of EQ at their disposal.

Just one do-it-all button is a solution as simple as it's elegant. And there are many folks with HD6XX but no EQ anywhere nearby to make 'em better!

In for review here. The HD6XX button, most noticeably, boosts the bass a bit.

Enjoy @Currawong ! And yes, our EQ includes some bass boost.

 

[tutetibiimperes]

Just one do-it-all button is a solution as simple as it's elegant. And there are many folks with HD6XX but no EQ anywhere nearby to make 'em better!

For those people it makes a lot of sense, as long as they plan on just sticking with the 6XX. There's probably a decent number of those people, those of us who own dozens of different headphones are likely the minority, and having a design that doesn't require actually setting up parametric EQ curves will appeal to people with lesser technological ambitions.

Still, I think the Focal Arche that has built-in profiles for the different Focal headphones is a pretty brilliant idea, and one what could be expanded upon. I have the RME ADI-2 DAC, so I can just design EQ curves for whatever I want and it has a ton of memory slots, but a DAC or AMP/DAC that has a some memory slots and the ability to download pre-made EQ curves for a variety of popular headphone models would be a very popular item IMO. Flexibility is always preferable over uni-taskers.

 

[Joe Bloggs]

For those people it makes a lot of sense, as long as they plan on just sticking with the 6XX. There's probably a decent number of those people, those of us who own dozens of different headphones are likely the minority, and having a design that doesn't require actually setting up parametric EQ curves will appeal to people with lesser technological ambitions.

Still, I think the Focal Arche that has built-in profiles for the different Focal headphones is a pretty brilliant idea, and one what could be expanded upon. I have the RME ADI-2 DAC, so I can just design EQ curves for whatever I want and it has a ton of memory slots, but a DAC or AMP/DAC that has a some memory slots and the ability to download pre-made EQ curves for a variety of popular headphone models would be a very popular item IMO. Flexibility is always preferable over uni-taskers.

There's different types of flexibility. What if your source is an SACD, DSD file, MQA file or even good old vinyl?

 

[Racheski]

For those people it makes a lot of sense, as long as they plan on just sticking with the 6XX. There's probably a decent number of those people, those of us who own dozens of different headphones are likely the minority, and having a design that doesn't require actually setting up parametric EQ curves will appeal to people with lesser technological ambitions.

Still, I think the Focal Arche that has built-in profiles for the different Focal headphones is a pretty brilliant idea, and one what could be expanded upon. I have the RME ADI-2 DAC, so I can just design EQ curves for whatever I want and it has a ton of memory slots, but a DAC or AMP/DAC that has a some memory slots and the ability to download pre-made EQ curves for a variety of popular headphone models would be a very popular item IMO. Flexibility is always preferable over uni-taskers.

The RME is around $1k and the Arche is over $2k. This is $250. Apples and oranges.

 

[iFi audio]

The RME is around $1k and the Arche is over $2k. This is $250.

Yup!

For those people it makes a lot of sense, as long as they plan on just sticking with the 6XX.

...and any other cans that have similar FR. Quite a few of them actually

 

[tutetibiimperes]

The RME is around $1k and the Arche is over $2k. This is $250. Apples and oranges.

True, and I wouldn’t expect the added functionality at the same price. MiniDSP does have a 10-band parametric EQ capable amp/DAC for $325, but for some reason they designed it to be a battery-powered unit and the output is very low at just 100mw into 32ohms, and you still have to design your own parametric EQ curves.

 

[Joe Bloggs]

For those of you wondering how other headphones from the Sennheiser line would match up with the ZEN CAN Signature 6XX, here are our predictions based on measurements

 

[Cat Music]

For those of you wondering how other headphones from the Sennheiser line would match up with the ZEN CAN Signature 6XX, here are our predictions based on measurements

With which Dac would you recommend you pair the Zen Can? I currently have the 58x and I love it

 

[Joe Bloggs]

With which Dac would you recommend you pair the Zen Can? I currently have the 58x and I love it

Well, the ZEN CAN is coming out with its own ZEN DAC so...
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/spo...ture-from-ifi-better-than-the-zen-dac.936917/
https://drop.com/talk/45403/specialist-i-fi-audio-zen-dac-signature-coming-asap-on-drop