[magicalmouse]

Is this going to be sold in the UK through normal channels as buying from Drop is difficult in the UK (cost & returns)

thanks

d

 

[vmiguel]

Is this going to be sold in the UK through normal channels as buying from Drop is difficult in the UK (cost & returns)

thanks

d

+1 for EU

 

[Baten]

Also folks, info about our ZEN DAC Signature was added to the first post of this thread, which makes it now about ZEN Signature machines!

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/ifi...e-6xx-zen-dac-signature.936743/#post-15722307

iFi will you please show more details about the upgrades, maybe an internal shot? It is much more costly than Zen DAC and for now all it shows is it is 'signature edition' which doesn't say much does it

 

[iFi audio]

iFi will you please show more details about the upgrades, maybe an internal shot? It is much more costly than Zen DAC and for now all it shows is it is 'signature edition' which doesn't say much does it

We will have something ready shortly.

Is this going to be sold in the UK through normal channels as buying from Drop is difficult in the UK (cost & returns)

At the moment I have no information on the subject.

 

[Baten]

We will have something ready shortly.

Cool! Appreciated.

 

[iFi audio]

iFi audio ZEN CAN Signature 6XX: Tech Note #1

Executive Summary

With a revolutionary analogue equaliser acting directly on the amplification stage to tailor the output to match, your Sennheiser HD6XX (or 650, 600, 800s, etc.) will sound like you’ve never heard before. Now add:

• our renowned XSpace analogue headphone spatialiser,
• true end-to-end differential full-balanced amp circuitry with latest 4.4mm socket
• circuit design derived from our $3000 Pro iCAN, with a slew of premium parts

....and you have a new headamp that will punch well above its price class!

Activ EQ. The iFi way.
The Massdrop X Sennheiser HD6XX (descended from Sennheiser HD650) is an excellent pair of headphones with first-rate musicality and massive sound stage. Why then does the 6XX need equalisation? The answer is straightforward. All headphones do. And this pair is no exception.

The HD6XX boasts a spectacularly balanced midrange, which has made it justifiably one of the most popular headphones across the globe. However, as with any headphones, there's room for an improvement:

i. Bass under 100Hz is rolled-off,
ii. Upper treble is a little attenuated,
iii. There is a significant ‘hole’ in the frequency response in the upper presence region.

See here: https://www.innerfidelity.com/images/MassdropHD6XX.pdf

The True Zen path to equalisation
How to upgrade what is already very good to world-class level?
iFi audio comes with the solution!

The ZEN CAN Signature 6XX is your answer. Our ActivEQ equalisation solution is a (much) more elegant solution to EQ than seen elsewhere. It consists of active and passive components and its EQ curve is tailored specifically to the HD6XX to correct its frequency response problems with surgical precision.

And in the analogue domain too! Which lets you use it on everything from vinyl records to SACDs to MQA recordings, all sorts of places DSP can never reach. And thanks to its revolutionary utilization of the amping process itself to shape the output, all this is accomplished without altering the midrange, worsening SNR, increasing distortion or anything bad you can think of.

The result moves the headphone closer to a neutral presentation with less midrange over-emphasis, with a full and natural bass and the oft-cited 'veil' over the treble lifted, helping the HD6XX become a real masterpiece.

This elegant beast with 1600mW (@32Ω) /15.3V (@600Ω) output will drive your headphones smoother than you could have imagined. Designed to be the ultimate affordable (in price only!) headphone amplifier for the Sennheiser HD6XX, it will also significantly correct the frequency response of the HD650, HD600, HD700, HD800S and even the original HD800 (where it has been first physically modded with one of the documented 6.5kHz reduction mods that originally inspired the HD800S).

 

[BobSmith8901]

iFi audio ZEN CAN Signature 6XX: Tech Note #1

Executive Summary

With a revolutionary analogue equaliser acting directly on the amplification stage to tailor the output to match, your Sennheiser HD6XX (or 650, 600, 800s, etc.) will sound like you’ve never heard before. Now add:

• our renowned XSpace analogue headphone spatialiser,
• true end-to-end differential full-balanced amp circuitry with latest 4.4mm socket
• circuit design derived from our $3000 Pro iCAN, with a slew of premium parts

....and you have a new headamp that will punch well above its price class!

Activ EQ. The iFi way.
The Massdrop X Sennheiser HD6XX (descended from Sennheiser HD650) is an excellent pair of headphones with first-rate musicality and massive sound stage. Why then does the 6XX need equalisation? The answer is straightforward. All headphones do. And this pair is no exception.

The HD6XX boasts a spectacularly balanced midrange, which has made it justifiably one of the most popular headphones across the globe. However, as with any headphones, there's room for an improvement:

i. Bass under 100Hz is rolled-off,
ii. Upper treble is a little attenuated,
iii. There is a significant ‘hole’ in the frequency response in the upper presence region.

See here: https://www.innerfidelity.com/images/MassdropHD6XX.pdf

The True Zen path to equalisation
How to upgrade what is already very good to world-class level?
iFi audio comes with the solution!

The ZEN CAN Signature 6XX is your answer. Our ActivEQ equalisation solution is a (much) more elegant solution to EQ than seen elsewhere. It consists of active and passive components and its EQ curve is tailored specifically to the HD6XX to correct its frequency response problems with surgical precision.

And in the analogue domain too! Which lets you use it on everything from vinyl records to SACDs to MQA recordings, all sorts of places DSP can never reach. And thanks to its revolutionary utilization of the amping process itself to shape the output, all this is accomplished without altering the midrange, worsening SNR, increasing distortion or anything bad you can think of.

The result moves the headphone closer to a neutral presentation with less midrange over-emphasis, with a full and natural bass and the oft-cited 'veil' over the treble lifted, helping the HD6XX become a real masterpiece.

This elegant beast with 1600mW (@32Ω) /15.3V (@600Ω) output will drive your headphones smoother than you could have imagined. Designed to be the ultimate affordable (in price only!) headphone amplifier for the Sennheiser HD6XX, it will also significantly correct the frequency response of the HD650, HD600, HD700, HD800S and even the original HD800 (where it has been first physically modded with one of the documented 6.5kHz reduction mods that originally inspired the HD800S).

Wow, 1.6 W at 32 Ohms? That in itself will go far to drive the 6XXs properly!

 

[iFi audio]

Wow, 1.6 W at 32 Ohms? That in itself will go far to drive the 6XXs properly!

Yup, Senns HD 6XX like ZEN CAN Siggy for many reasons

 

[bedlam inside]

Looking at this I wish I did own the 6XX or one of the other Senns mentioned - just to try it out and see if it all works as described. It should, given the output quoted. I've read extensively that users have issues with the treble so this could be the solution. Liking the fact it has balanced 4.4mm connections as well, beats XLR.

 

[PsilocybinCube]

Thinking about buying this...

I'm curious iFi - what has Sennheiser's reaction been to the project? Did they collaborate? Do they even agree about the notion that there is a slight veil over the treble?

 

[audiomonkey777]

Just seen these on Drop. I quite fancy them as I have the hip-dac for portable listening and love it. If these are as good, then it's a no brainer. Love the colourway as well - matches the hip-dac. I don't have the 6XX but I'm considering them as a future purchase so could be worth the investment as I need a dac/amp. Really fancy the idea of separate components. I am being swayed by my experience with the hip-dac as I've been blown away by its power and performance.

 

[iFi audio]

iFi audio ZEN DAC Signature: Tech Note #1

Executive Summary

Premium version of the What Hi-Fi 5-star winning ZEN DAC. The Signature edition simplifies the design and maxes out the audiophile goodness with:

• enhanced circuit design,
• end-to-end True Differential Balanced design, and
• premium parts selection inspired from our $3000 Pro range,

A device that’s deceptive in its simplicity and a beast in performance.

Awesome Home Fi audio
Our best-selling ZEN DAC has a plethora of prestigious awards won, including the 5-stars What Hi-Fi award. We were tasked with an audiophile version of the entry-level ZEN DAC. We listened, delivered and hopefully, beat expectations. In collaboration with Drop (previously Massdrop), we created a powerful system with all audiophile-grade components complemented with state-of-the-art sonic design, drawing many cues from the $3000 Pro iDSD and Pro iCAN. Doubled the amount of audiophile componentry goodness and put the DAC and amp sections in separate products (they certainly won’t fit in the same box anymore). This is how the ZEN DAC Signature and ZEN CAN Signature 6XX were born.

The ZEN DAC Signature offers a purist form designed for the demanding audiophile who is ready for the next level. The unique combination of 4.4mm balanced output, high-grade audio components and native MQA decoding means you enjoy the highest music quality at an approachable price. The product is so simple to control, that you will never have to worry about confusing settings and switches again. Less is more. We believe that simplicity is superior to elaborate embellishment.

Our engineers designed to empower the user with a choice in the ZEN DAC Signature. YOU decide whether or not the ZEN DAC analogue volume control is used. When set to 'Variable', it can be used to control the volume of powered speakers, or its volume as a preamp. If using with downstream equipment with their own volume control - set to 'Fixed' for bypass as if it were a ‘straight wire’ from the digital source to the analog amplifier.

Nothing but the best flagship ‘Pro series’ circuits.
Descended from the $3,000+ flagship Pro iDSD, the ZEN DAC Signature has quite special DNA, making it perform as a DAC on a much higher level sonically than the modest price suggests. Why does it sound so special?

Clean power = Clean sound.
The power supply section is a masterpiece underpinning the digital and analogue section. In this vein, the ZEN DAC Signature uses among others, TI low-noise power supply ICs, well-designed ground planes for the PCB, ELNA Silmic II, Panasonic OS-CON and ECPU, Taiyo Yuden and muRata AND TDK C0G capacitors, and ingenious solutions to cleaning up the power for the DSD1793 chip. SMT and BiCMOS processes are employed to extract the very last bit of signal from noise.

The hard work here pays off, giving performance in excess of what even the specs of the premium DACs and opamp chips used below would suggest.

Brimming with quality technology from end to end
From the USB input, the digital signal goes to the XMOS USB chip for support of all audio formats up to 32bits/384kHz, DSD512, and full native MQA decoding, which then feeds the Burr-Brown DSD1793 conversion chipset.

Jitter from the source is eliminated using the separate Global Master Timing (GMT) circuit inherited from AMR, our high-end audio parent company. Taking audio data from the XMOS and clocking it according to the GMT, the BB DAC chip outputs the converted analogue signal to the end-to-end balanced analogue circuit with custom-designed premium OV2637A opamp, fitted with Vishay MELF resistors for suppression of thermal noise. The music signal can then be controlled by the ZEN’s multitrack analogue volume control (to feed powered speakers or power amps) or directly out to an integrated amp—or, of course, the matching ZEN CAN Signature.

 

[McCol]

iFi audio ZEN DAC Signature: Tech Note #1

Executive Summary

Premium version of the What Hi-Fi 5-star winning ZEN DAC. The Signature edition simplifies the design and maxes out the audiophile goodness with:

• enhanced circuit design,
• end-to-end True Differential Balanced design, and
• premium parts selection inspired from our $3000 Pro range,

A device that’s deceptive in its simplicity and a beast in performance.

Awesome Home Fi audio
Our best-selling ZEN DAC has a plethora of prestigious awards won, including the 5-stars What Hi-Fi award. We were tasked with an audiophile version of the entry-level ZEN DAC. We listened, delivered and hopefully, beat expectations. In collaboration with Drop (previously Massdrop), we created a powerful system with all audiophile-grade components complemented with state-of-the-art sonic design, drawing many cues from the $3000 Pro iDSD and Pro iCAN. Doubled the amount of audiophile componentry goodness and put the DAC and amp sections in separate products (they certainly won’t fit in the same box anymore). This is how the ZEN DAC Signature and ZEN CAN Signature 6XX were born.

The ZEN DAC Signature offers a purist form designed for the demanding audiophile who is ready for the next level. The unique combination of 4.4mm balanced output, high-grade audio components and native MQA decoding means you enjoy the highest music quality at an approachable price. The product is so simple to control, that you will never have to worry about confusing settings and switches again. Less is more. We believe that simplicity is superior to elaborate embellishment.

Our engineers designed to empower the user with a choice in the ZEN DAC Signature. YOU decide whether or not the ZEN DAC analogue volume control is used. When set to 'Variable', it can be used to control the volume of powered speakers, or its volume as a preamp. If using with downstream equipment with their own volume control - set to 'Fixed' for bypass as if it were a ‘straight wire’ from the digital source to the analog amplifier.

Nothing but the best flagship ‘Pro series’ circuits.
Descended from the $3,000+ flagship Pro iDSD, the ZEN DAC Signature has quite special DNA, making it perform as a DAC on a much higher level sonically than the modest price suggests. Why does it sound so special?

Clean power = Clean sound.
The power supply section is a masterpiece underpinning the digital and analogue section. In this vein, the ZEN DAC Signature uses among others, TI low-noise power supply ICs, well-designed ground planes for the PCB, ELNA Silmic II, Panasonic OS-CON and ECPU, Taiyo Yuden and muRata AND TDK C0G capacitors, and ingenious solutions to cleaning up the power for the DSD1793 chip. SMT and BiCMOS processes are employed to extract the very last bit of signal from noise.

The hard work here pays off, giving performance in excess of what even the specs of the premium DACs and opamp chips used below would suggest.

Brimming with quality technology from end to end
From the USB input, the digital signal goes to the XMOS USB chip for support of all audio formats up to 32bits/384kHz, DSD512, and full native MQA decoding, which then feeds the Burr-Brown DSD1793 conversion chipset.

Jitter from the source is eliminated using the separate Global Master Timing (GMT) circuit inherited from AMR, our high-end audio parent company. Taking audio data from the XMOS and clocking it according to the GMT, the BB DAC chip outputs the converted analogue signal to the end-to-end balanced analogue circuit with custom-designed premium OV2637A opamp, fitted with Vishay MELF resistors for suppression of thermal noise. The music signal can then be controlled by the ZEN’s multitrack analogue volume control (to feed powered speakers or power amps) or directly out to an integrated amp—or, of course, the matching ZEN CAN Signature.

Now you've left me in a bit of a dilema, I currently use your excellent idsd black micro. Its used mainly with Senn HD660s and Grado's, its connected to my imac permanently.

Is the combo if these two going to be regarded as side grade to the idsd?

 

[mblain]

Now you've left me in a bit of a dilema, I currently use your excellent idsd black micro. Its used mainly with Senn HD660s and Grado's, its connected to my imac permanently.

Is the combo if these two going to be regarded as side grade to the idsd?

I have the exact same question. Upgrade or sidegrade from the micro BL?

 

[knorris908]

It's like freaking Christmas today! So among other exciting things that arrived, the Drop Zen CAN Signature. Ultimately, I'm pitting my similar-price bracket amps against each other: Schiit Asgard vs DROP Cavalli LCX +SDAC vs SP200 vs DROP Zen DAC Signature. Then iFi-only: Drop Zen DAC Signature vs iFi xCAN vs iFi Micro iCAN SE vs iFi Micro iDSD (original) vs iFi Micro iDSD (Black Label) Any requests for specifics? (Yes, I will try it with my Argons too!)