[Mikis76]

It seems that I can´t even submit a ticket to iFi, there is a error message: "403 Forbidden, Access to this resource on the server is denied!" so might as well copy+paste my findings/feelings that I tried to write to iFi here, maybe somebody can evaluate again if considering of buying this Zen Stream product.

Dear Sirs,

this is "Mike" (name changed) from Finland (again) partly conserning the same and new problems with the Zen Stream that I told about in my ticket #19***.

In addition to the cutoffs / app not connecting to the device ( I have to use a browser and the IP address ) the streamer loses my SSD hard drive approximately every third to fifth time I power up the streamer. Sometimes the files are found after I unplug the SSD after shutdowning the unit and start the unit without the SSD then shutting it down again and plug the SSD back in and power on again, sometimes I have to do factory reset. That is not even the biggest problem!

From the end of last year I have been experiencing new problems with the USB and coax output. Suddenly the unit stops playing music and I recieve a error message with red background: ”Failed to open audio output”. After that comes second message now with yellow background: ”USB DAC Disconnected. Fall back to SPDIF” and ”USB DAC Connected Combo384 Amanero”. The newes warning message is: "Sound card is not ready, please try again later".
If I press the pause button after this new message the song continues for few minutes and then I get the same message again. These happen with using USB. When I tried coax output there is high pitched whine when I change the track and the sound distords while playing a song. When I stop playback the high pitch whine just continues.

There has not been changes to the system in this time when the problems started. Not even new cables, just power on and of the devices. Sometimes it takes days to these symptoms to occure, this week it has happened after few minutes of playin, sometimes I get to listen to music about 15 to 20 minutes.

My audio chain: Zen Stream USB---->Audio GD DI-20HE I2S---->Audio GD R27 2021 DAC/amp.

I have tried the streamer also without the DDC (DI-20HE) straight to the R27 2021 and no change to the problems. I have also tried anothed simple USB DAC (DROP Grace SDAC Balanced) in USB1 and USB 2 -mode and the problems continued after a while. I also had problems with Topping D90 MQA.

On top of all I have to reset to factory settings weekly and also do a "hard reset" using the small hole in the back panel. DSD Direct seems to only work if I don´t update the unit to newes software at all after reset.

I have tried everything I can think of in this long time I have owned the Zen Stream, even bought the iPowerX PSU (with your kind help) that helped a bit with the sound quality and the heating "problem". Now I really can´t go on trying anymore and update and reboot and swith outputs and hope and dick around with the SSD every day, I would REALLY like to listen music!

 

[Mr BubbaHyde]

It seems that I can´t even submit a ticket to iFi, there is a error message: "403 Forbidden, Access to this resource on the server is denied!" so might as well copy+paste my findings/feelings that I tried to write to iFi here, maybe somebody can evaluate again if considering of buying this Zen Stream product.

Dear Sirs,

this is "Mike" (name changed) from Finland (again) partly conserning the same and new problems with the Zen Stream that I told about in my ticket #19***.

In addition to the cutoffs / app not connecting to the device ( I have to use a browser and the IP address ) the streamer loses my SSD hard drive approximately every third to fifth time I power up the streamer. Sometimes the files are found after I unplug the SSD after shutdowning the unit and start the unit without the SSD then shutting it down again and plug the SSD back in and power on again, sometimes I have to do factory reset. That is not even the biggest problem!

From the end of last year I have been experiencing new problems with the USB and coax output. Suddenly the unit stops playing music and I recieve a error message with red background: ”Failed to open audio output”. After that comes second message now with yellow background: ”USB DAC Disconnected. Fall back to SPDIF” and ”USB DAC Connected Combo384 Amanero”. The newes warning message is: "Sound card is not ready, please try again later".
If I press the pause button after this new message the song continues for few minutes and then I get the same message again. These happen with using USB. When I tried coax output there is high pitched whine when I change the track and the sound distords while playing a song. When I stop playback the high pitch whine just continues.

There has not been changes to the system in this time when the problems started. Not even new cables, just power on and of the devices. Sometimes it takes days to these symptoms to occure, this week it has happened after few minutes of playin, sometimes I get to listen to music about 15 to 20 minutes.

My audio chain: Zen Stream USB---->Audio GD DI-20HE I2S---->Audio GD R27 2021 DAC/amp.

I have tried the streamer also without the DDC (DI-20HE) straight to the R27 2021 and no change to the problems. I have also tried anothed simple USB DAC (DROP Grace SDAC Balanced) in USB1 and USB 2 -mode and the problems continued after a while. I also had problems with Topping D90 MQA.

On top of all I have to reset to factory settings weekly and also do a "hard reset" using the small hole in the back panel. DSD Direct seems to only work if I don´t update the unit to newes software at all after reset.

I have tried everything I can think of in this long time I have owned the Zen Stream, even bought the iPowerX PSU (with your kind help) that helped a bit with the sound quality and the heating "problem". Now I really can´t go on trying anymore and update and reboot and swith outputs and hope and dick around with the SSD every day, I would REALLY like to listen music!

If you can please send me a PM with your original support ticket number and info.

I will do the best I can to help you out.

Thanks

Cheers!!

 

[chat7]

Can I user linear PSU 16 vdc to power the zen stream? Too risky?
I have only one linear PSU in the house.

 

[Mr BubbaHyde]

Can I user linear PSU 16 vdc to power the zen stream? Too risky?
I have only one linear PSU in the house.

I wouldn't the tolerances are listed from 9v-15v, and you would probably void any warranty in the process.

That being said I know that folks have experimented with "Undervoltage" setups but I have not seen one go over!

Cheers!!

 

[alexdemaet]

Thanks for sharing! Now I can finally play my whole sacd iso collection (together with my flac collection)

Correction. If the source is not able to play sacd iso's then any other app will not be able to play it. It seems I was wrong in the post above...

 

[AnotherBrick]

You could use ISO2DSD (by Sonore) to convert your ISO images to DFF (or preferably DSF files). I seem to remember that you'll lose a lot of the tagging information and you'll have to reenter it manually (of course at my age I remember a lot of things that simply never happened).

 

[aakashk]

I have started facing a strange issue in my desktop setup with iFi Zen Stream and Auris Euterpe dacamp. Over past few weeks, I started getting noise while using volume wheel on my AMP and some times it would result into no sound from one of the headphone channels. Initially I thought it's the AMP. However when I started testing each part of the chain, I realized Zen Stream is the bottleneck here. When I remove Zen Stream from the chain and use another source/DAC with Euterpe, I face no issues at all. So the problem I am facing is only when iFi Zen Stream is used. Anyone faced similar issue or has any idea on how to fix this? My Zen Stream uses the regular PSU (not iFi Branded) that came in the box, in case that makes a difference. I don't have another 9/12/15v PSU to check.

Thanks in advance if anyone can share something on this.

 

[Mr BubbaHyde]

I have started facing a strange issue in my desktop setup with iFi Zen Stream and Auris Euterpe dacamp. Over past few weeks, I started getting noise while using volume wheel on my AMP and some times it would result into no sound from one of the headphone channels. Initially I thought it's the AMP. However when I started testing each part of the chain, I realized Zen Stream is the bottleneck here. When I remove Zen Stream from the chain and use another source/DAC with Euterpe, I face no issues at all. So the problem I am facing is only when iFi Zen Stream is used. Anyone faced similar issue or has any idea on how to fix this? My Zen Stream uses the regular PSU (not iFi Branded) that came in the box, in case that makes a difference. I don't have another 9/12/15v PSU to check.

Thanks in advance if anyone can share something on this.

Sounds like an odd issue indeed.

I would continue troubleshooting as you have already, including such things as changing cables (I assume you're using USB) even if that cable works with other sources I would do a swap just to see. I would also try using the ZS in the same way (USB) into another DAC, to try and duplicate the behavior.

Lastly, I would attempt a (Soft) Factory reset from within the menu of the Stream-iFi app or browser window it right where you check for updates, under Settings/System.

Finally, if nothing is resolved after a reset, I would open a support ticket.

Hope That Helps...

Cheers!!

 

[JerryLeeds]

I have a stupid question … I do not have any experience using a network streamer .. the question pertains to a flac library on a SSD which is directly connected to the ZS … I also have my DAC connected to the ZS …
Assuming I set things up correctly and use something like MConnect on my iPhone to play my music .. I can request for the music files from the SSD to play on the DAC…

My question pertains to the data path .. does the flac file get converted to digital by the ZS and sent directly to the DAC .. or does the flac file take a trip via my network connection?

I hope I am making myself clear??

If my music was on a NAS I am certain the file would take a trip on my network

 

[Mr BubbaHyde]

I have a stupid question … I do not have any experience using a network streamer .. the question pertains to a flac library on a SSD which is directly connected to the ZS … I also have my DAC connected to the ZS …
Assuming I set things up correctly and use something like MConnect on my iPhone to play my music .. I can request for the music files from the SSD to play on the DAC…

My question pertains to the data path .. does the flac file get converted to digital by the ZS and sent directly to the DAC .. or does the flac file take a trip via my network connection?

I hope I am making myself clear??

If my music was on a NAS I am certain the file would take a trip on my network

It was always my understanding that anything on a connected drive is playing directly from the drive to the ZS and then out via its outputs.

This was always my understanding of it.

Hope that helps!

Cheers!!

 

[moriez]

Finally my zen is working as advertised and enjoying it with Tidal connect- but noticed a quirkily thing- once I hit connect and start playing the track no sound comes out until I hit next track and then music start playing. Not a deal breaker but something that I noticed.

It’s probably a dac sync thing with my Bitfrost

I have the exact same issue. It’s a little annoying.

That's three of us. Something iFi wants to look into? My DAC is Aune X8 and playback from USB-stick.

 

[aakashk]

Sounds like an odd issue indeed.

I would continue troubleshooting as you have already, including such things as changing cables (I assume you're using USB) even if that cable works with other sources I would do a swap just to see. I would also try using the ZS in the same way (USB) into another DAC, to try and duplicate the behavior.

Lastly, I would attempt a (Soft) Factory reset from within the menu of the Stream-iFi app or browser window it right where you check for updates, under Settings/System.

Finally, if nothing is resolved after a reset, I would open a support ticket.

Hope That Helps...

Cheers!!

Thanks @Mr BubbaHyde for your inputs. The problem is indeed erratic and doesn't seem to have a pattern.

My Zen Stream is connected to my DAC (Soncoz) through Coax and then Line Out from DAC into my AMP. I am not sure if it's the cable or what, but I will troubleshoot more and see what happens.

Also, my Zen Stream is connected wireless to my home Wi-Fi, so I am not sure if it could be due to unstable internet at times.
Do you think Power Supply could be a reason here?

Thanks again!

 

[betula]

When it comes to sound quality, the Zen Stream seems to be a bargain compared to even slightly more expensive streamers on the market (Node 2i for example). Setting it up might be a bit more quirky and the masses of unhappy head-fiers due to bugs is really alarming. Most of these bugs though according to my research happened under less than average usage scenarios. There are a lot of happy Zen Streamers out there who only want a simple streamer. There seem to be a consensus amongst reviewers, that the Zen Stream's sound quality (especially in dedicated modes) punches well above its price range.

Believe it or not, I haven't seriously got into daily streaming yet. I have an exceptionally large FLAC library that I have built throughout 10+ years by several purchases (Bandcamp and others) and some less legal file sharing. Yet, the free surfing of streaming versus more conventional music discoveries intrigue me every now and then. I am well aware, this future is the present now.

Here and there I tried streaming briefly, but I never found sound quality was competitive compared to playing straight FALCs from my SSD.
I am about to test the Naim Uniti Atom and also the Zen Stream for extended time. I will report back with a review on the Zen Stream.

 

[Mr BubbaHyde]

When it comes to sound quality, the Zen Stream seems to be a bargain compared to even slightly more expensive streamers on the market (Node 2i for example). Setting it up might be a bit more quirky and the masses of unhappy head-fiers due to bugs is really alarming. Most of these bugs though according to my research happened under less than average usage scenarios. There are a lot of happy Zen Streamers out there who only want a simple streamer. There seem to be a consensus amongst reviewers, that the Zen Stream's sound quality (especially in dedicated modes) punches well above its price range.

Believe it or not, I haven't seriously got into daily streaming yet. I have an exceptionally large FLAC library that I have built throughout 10+ years by several purchases (Bandcamp and others) and some less legal file sharing. Yet, the free surfing of streaming versus more conventional music discoveries intrigue me every now and then. I am well aware, this future is the present now.

Here and there I tried streaming briefly, but I never found sound quality was competitive compared to playing straight FALCs from my SSD.
I am about to test the Naim Uniti Atom and also the Zen Stream for extended time. I will report back with a review on the Zen Stream.

Thanks for giving it a go!

Please let us know your findings in future posts.

Cheers!!

 

[OCC7N]

I am thinking of ordering the ZS to add in the chain:

ZS -> RCA/SPDIF -> DI20HE/SPDIF input -> DAC/R8/i2s and DAC/TT2/spdif

Questio is however is the spdif out really good vs the other option on the ZS.

“S/PDIF out with Purifier builtin”

Anybody using the spdif out with success?