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!
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!