iFi audio ZEN Stream - Streaming elevated to a higher plane

[Maxpain]

You’re just missing the final unfold when you get the zen stream to render the file. Mqa is a multi stage process.

I’ve had both types of dacs. Mqa and non mqa decoding. Trust your ears, not the theory. When playing masters level quality and turning on mqa passthrough I prefer my non mqa dac over my mqa dac.

If you’re listening to masters level, and do mqa passthrough, you get 44 and 48khz of the original master vs on hifi, you only get 44khz. At least on masters quality level, you get the original (or original multiple) sampling rate.

In the end, trust your ears and do whatever works best for you.

I just did a test...with the mqa passthrough ''on'' the tidal connect doesn't decode the stream so the dac receives PCM stream and the led on the zen dac is green...indicates that its PCM...so no mqa...cause the zen dac signature is not an mqa decoder and renderer.

now if you set it to ''auto'' or ''off'' then the tidal connect does the first unfolding and then the zen dac receives mqa stream so the purple led shows up.

As far as the streamer goes...it only ''sees'' mqa file or not...meaning that even with the passthrough on it will report either green or blue light.

So from what I understand the zen dac signature and zen stream is not capable of getting the fully unfold mqa file?

 

[Mr BubbaHyde]

I just did a test...with the mqa passthrough ''on'' the tidal connect doesn't decode the stream so the dac receives PCM stream and the led on the zen dac is green...indicates that its PCM...so no mqa...cause the zen dac signature is not an mqa decoder and renderer.

now if you set it to ''auto'' or ''off'' then the tidal connect does the first unfolding and then the zen dac receives mqa stream so the purple led shows up.

As far as the streamer goes...it only ''sees'' mqa file or not...meaning that even with the passthrough on it will report either green or blue light.

So from what I understand the zen dac signature and zen stream is not capable of getting the fully unfold mqa file?

I was under the impression that "Green" was now for MQA I know that it used to be for PCM 44.1.

Yellow for me is the common PCM 44.1 color indication on the ZS. Probably a major reason why I turned the lights off on the ZS, yellow is just not for me, lol

This is confirmed by the data card from iFi, here

https://ifi-audio.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/ZEN-Stream-User-Manual-Ver1.41_ok.pdf

You think we could get someone from "MQA" on here to lets us know the latest iterations of it's "MQA" Technology are.

Cheers!!

Edit: All of these colors are correct thru Qobuz, yes even the MQA, they do have some Albums in MQA.

 

[Maxpain]

I was under the impression that "Green" was now for MQA I know that it used to be for PCM 44.1.

Yellow for me is the common PCM 44.1 color indication on the ZS. Probably a major reason why I turned the lights off on the ZS, yellow is just not for me, lol

This is confirmed by the data card from iFi, here

https://ifi-audio.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/ZEN-Stream-User-Manual-Ver1.41_ok.pdf




You think we could get someone from "MQA" on here to lets us know the latest iterations of it's "MQA" Technology are.

Cheers!!

Edit: All of these colors are correct thru Qobuz, yes even the MQA, they do have some Albums in MQA.

the colours has changed since the last firmware update on the zen stream. Ifi states the changes but I just can't find the paper that indicates the new colours. I would really appreciate if someone from ifi would post here the new led colours.

Pretty killer combination btw...zen stream-zen dac-zen can with the hd 650...

Cheers!

 

[Mr BubbaHyde]

the colours has changed since the last firmware update on the zen stream. Ifi states the changes but I just can't find the paper that indicates the new colours. I would really appreciate if someone from ifi would post here the new led colours.

Pretty killer combination btw...zen stream-zen dac-zen can with the hd 650...

Cheers!

Which firmware are you referring to? I am currently on 2.31.8

The color change was many firmwares ago, and are listed accurately to my knowledge in the cards I posted.

Perhaps @iFi audio or @Sebastien Chiu can point you in the direction you are seeking. I just resigned up with Tidal to confirm what I originally thought and verified it.

Cheers!!

 

[Maxpain]

2.31.7...there is no newer update as far as I know...

 

[Mr BubbaHyde]

2.31.7...there is no newer update as far as I know...

.8 is the newer beta, colors remain the same.

You can check these tracks and "colors" to see...

https://tidal.com/browse/track/103805649
MQA Green 192khz

https://tidal.com/browse/track/133173647
MQA Blue 44.1khz

https://tidal.com/browse/track/113561502
PCM Yellow 44.1

https://tidal.com/browse/track/2400319
MQA Blue 352.8khz

Cheers!!

 

[Maxpain]

.8 is the newer beta, colors remain the same.

You can check these tracks and "colors" to see...

https://tidal.com/browse/track/103805649
MQA Green 192khz

https://tidal.com/browse/track/133173647
MQA Blue 44.1khz

https://tidal.com/browse/track/113561502
PCM Yellow 44.1

https://tidal.com/browse/track/2400319
MQA Blue 352.8khz

Cheers!!

Sorry..I click on the links but it doesn't bring up the actual songs..could you post the name of the tracks so I can listen to them with the tidal app?

Thanks!

 

[Mr BubbaHyde]

Sorry..I click on the links but it doesn't bring up the actual songs..could you post the name of the tracks so I can listen to them with the tidal app?

Thanks!

Sorry my bad for not checking them, nothing easy on Tidal, ugh.

Those links were directly from the Tidal app, right click, share, copy track link, lol

In reverse order...

The Nordic Sound, Track 1, MQA Blue 352.8khz

X Country, Unfinished Business, Track 1 PCM yellow 44.1

Metallica, Hardwired to self Destruct, Track 3 MQA Blue 44.1khz

Ondara, Tales of America, Track 2 MQA Green 192khz

Cheers!!

 

[Kiats]

@iFi audio @Sebastien Chiu Quick Q: any updates on when Chromecast will be added as a functionality of the ZS? Thanks

 

[smartplug]

@iFi audio @Sebastien Chiu Quick Q: any updates on when Chromecast will be added as a functionality of the ZS? Thanks

I purchase stream mainly on chromecast but till now there’s no such features that was on updates.

 

[JMDM]

Hi All,

Can anyone tell, if we are able to manage(add/edit files/folders) the attached storage devices to the ZS in realtime via network interface ?

Also is there a ZeN stream V2 version ? Maybe a HW revision 2 ?

 

[Maxpain]

Sorry my bad for not checking them, nothing easy on Tidal, ugh.

Those links were directly from the Tidal app, right click, share, copy track link, lol

In reverse order...

The Nordic Sound, Track 1, MQA Blue 352.8khz

X Country, Unfinished Business, Track 1 PCM yellow 44.1

Metallica, Hardwired to self Destruct, Track 3 MQA Blue 44.1khz

Ondara, Tales of America, Track 2 MQA Green 192khz

Cheers!!

Hello there...I did test every one of those songs...nice music btw..thanks for the songs suggestions...I had Color match with every song except Metallica track 3...wich was not blue but green..suggesting its not an m4a master. How to you know the sample rate tidal doesn't give any clue about the sample rate of the songs.

 

[Mr BubbaHyde]

Hello there...I did test every one of those songs...nice music btw..thanks for the songs suggestions...I had Color match with every song except Metallica track 3...wich was not blue but green..suggesting its not an m4a master. How to you know the sample rate tidal doesn't give any clue about the sample rate of the songs.

I have a few dac's that report to me the Sample rate, In particular one I trust and used here was an SMSL M500.

Do not get to hung up on the rates, as sometimes I have found there are different versions of albums and bitrates lurking inTidal. You need to search for them, as many have found. As long as your getting Green Blue or Magenta you are getting the MQA that Tidal has to offer. I only say this because years ago I was on the great MQA hunt, searching for that elusive light, lol

Just use your ears and enjoy Bro!

Cheers!!

 

[Sebastien Chiu]

2.31.7...there is no newer update as far as I know...

.8 is the newer beta, colors remain the same.

You can check these tracks and "colors" to see...

https://tidal.com/browse/track/103805649
MQA Green 192khz

https://tidal.com/browse/track/133173647
MQA Blue 44.1khz

https://tidal.com/browse/track/113561502
PCM Yellow 44.1

https://tidal.com/browse/track/2400319
MQA Blue 352.8khz

Cheers!!

Sorry my bad for not checking them, nothing easy on Tidal, ugh.

Those links were directly from the Tidal app, right click, share, copy track link, lol

In reverse order...

The Nordic Sound, Track 1, MQA Blue 352.8khz

X Country, Unfinished Business, Track 1 PCM yellow 44.1

Metallica, Hardwired to self Destruct, Track 3 MQA Blue 44.1khz

Ondara, Tales of America, Track 2 MQA Green 192khz

Cheers!!

Bubba here is correct, there have not been any recent changes to the color in the past few updates.

Have you not updated your Stream at all since receiving it, perhaps?

@iFi audio @Sebastien Chiu Quick Q: any updates on when Chromecast will be added as a functionality of the ZS? Thanks

Unfortunately, I do not have updates to provide at this time.

Hi All,

Can anyone tell, if we are able to manage(add/edit files/folders) the attached storage devices to the ZS in realtime via network interface ?

Also is there a ZeN stream V2 version ? Maybe a HW revision 2 ?

I believe you need to edit those folders separately.

I can't comment on your second question now! Thanks for understanding.

 

[Maxpain]

I have a few dac's that report to me the Sample rate, In particular one I trust and used here was an SMSL M500.

Do not get to hung up on the rates, as sometimes I have found there are different versions of albums and bitrates lurking inTidal. You need to search for them, as many have found. As long as your getting Green Blue or Magenta you are getting the MQA that Tidal has to offer. I only say this because years ago I was on the great MQA hunt, searching for that elusive light, lol

Just use your ears and enjoy Bro!

Cheers!!

I do enjoy music regardless of the sample rate, format or the gear...sometimes I just listen with my iPhone and meze 99 Neo in the balcony drinking beer...streaming from YouTube...other times I want to hear good quality sound from my zen stack and hd650...

but...I do care about purchased products...and also the options they offer...so I do want to understand how zen stream and the zen dac handles sample rates and mqa...from tidal....I mean...part of the hobby is to feel good about what you have payed isn't it?