iFi ZEN DAC discussion + impression
Jun 30, 2021 at 3:02 AM Post #931 of 1,761
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Done! All set up and good to go. :)
 
Jun 30, 2021 at 3:51 AM Post #933 of 1,761
Jun 30, 2021 at 7:03 AM Post #935 of 1,761
Jul 1, 2021 at 2:17 PM Post #938 of 1,761
Just went ahead and got the Can to pair with the Zen using DT770 PRO 250ohm, much happier with the sound now , felt the Zen on its own struggled at higher volumes and the true bass was too much , atm on the zen i have power match on & volume just below 3/4 on the Can 0db and xbass on with volume 3/4 or more , might try with power match off and more db on the Can? the sound itself is around a much better listening experience , easier on the ear at higher volume more detail better soundstage etc..

Im using the analogue cable that came with the Can to connect the two however i dont really want to spend £70 on the ifi balanced cable to connect both , i bought a £16
4.4 male to male balanced cable from amazon so will test using that instead and post any differences, also the power supply that came with the Can gets really hot, i wonder if the cheap power supply i got from amazon to power the Zen that doesn't emit any heat would be better.
 
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Jul 1, 2021 at 2:27 PM Post #939 of 1,761
Just went ahead and got the Can to pair with the Zen using DT770 PRO 250ohm, much happier with the sound now , felt the Zen on its own struggled at higher volumes and the true bass was too much , atm on the zen i have power match on, volume half way and on the Can +6db and xbass on with volume almost full , might try with power match off and more db on the Can? the sound itself is around a much better listening experience , easier on the ear at higher volume more detail better soundstage etc..

Im using the analogue cable that came with the Can to connect the two however i dont really want to spend £70 on the ifi balanced cable to connect both , i bought a £16
4.4 male to male balanced cable from amazon so will test using that instead and post any differences, also the power supply that came with the Can gets really hot, i wonder if the cheap power supply i got from amazon to power the Zen that doesn't emit any heat would be better.
It does get hot. That’s normal. I’m not sure what the specs are on your power supply, but it likely won’t matter for the sake of reducing heat. It’s actually for that reason I am looking into the THX 789 - while it has no bass boost, it barely sips power and generates no heat. It also is supposed to produce legendary sound, allowing the nuances of any solid DAC to be fully appreciated.

Stick to fixed, and allow the CAN to control the gain. It gets real muddy if you go off fixed into blended power matching.
 
Jul 1, 2021 at 3:21 PM Post #940 of 1,761
It does get hot. That’s normal. I’m not sure what the specs are on your power supply, but it likely won’t matter for the sake of reducing heat. It’s actually for that reason I am looking into the THX 789 - while it has no bass boost, it barely sips power and generates no heat. It also is supposed to produce legendary sound, allowing the nuances of any solid DAC to be fully appreciated.

Stick to fixed, and allow the CAN to control the gain. It gets real muddy if you go off fixed into blended power matching.
Thanks for the response ,so you would recommend power match off on the Zen and let the Can handle the db?, the Can unit itself also gets really hot, much hotter than the zen
I wonder if using a balanced cable to connect the two will make any difference in the sound i guess ill see tomorrow.
 
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Jul 1, 2021 at 3:32 PM Post #941 of 1,761
i bought a £16
4.4 male to male balanced cable from amazon so will test using that instead and post any differences, also the power supply that came with the Can gets really hot, i wonder if the cheap power supply i got from amazon to power the Zen that doesn't emit any heat would be better.

As long as these more affordable products are within specs required by ZEN devices to work properly, by all means please use them.
 
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Jul 1, 2021 at 3:42 PM Post #942 of 1,761
Thanks for the response , so you would recommend power match off on the Zen and let the Can handle the db? The Can unit itself also gets really hot, much hotter than the zen
I wonder if using a balanced cable to connect the two will make any difference in the sound i guess ill see tomorrow.
Don't power match. Let the CAN handle it. It works way better, and is less to manage to get the sound you are looking for.

Some things I have done to help with the heat that may seem obvious:

1) If stacking, CAN on top, DAC on bottom - let the heat radiate outwards unimpeded. Putting the DAC on top is like putting a hat on your head, where all the heat will escape easily from.
2) Keep out of cabinets.
3) Try to keep some airflow around the device. I have moved my desk closer to a vent in the floor which moves AC air around. This isn't always practical, so move air any way you can. Optimally, try to get airflow UNDER the device - something like this will help:
https://www.amazon.ca/Cooler-Master...keywords=laptop+cooler&qid=1625168428&sr=8-10
4) Keep away from stacking with other heat generating components. As an example, the Tone2 Pro is warm as well. I stopped stacking these two.
5) Turn the CAN off when not in use.

AS A RULE, as long as you can touch it, it isn't a problem. It will feel really warm, but not painful. This is normal under most conditions.
 
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Jul 1, 2021 at 3:46 PM Post #943 of 1,761
Don't power match. Let the CAN handle it. It works way better, and is less to manage to get the sound you are looking for.

Yes.

1) If stacking, CAN on top, DAC on bottom.
2) Keep out of cabinets.
3) Try to keep some airflow around the device. I have moved my desk closer to a vent in the floor which moves AC air around. This isn't always practical, so move air any way you can. Try to get airflow UNDER the device - something like this will help:
https://www.amazon.ca/Cooler-Master...keywords=laptop+cooler&qid=1625168428&sr=8-10
4) Keep away from stacking with other heat generating components. As an example, the Tone2 Pro is warm as well. I never stack these two.

Although obvious, these are useful advices.

AS A RULE, as long as you can touch it, it isn't a problem. It will feel really warm, but not painful. This is normal under most conditions.

Yep, this is a solid rule for all audio products designed to generate significant heat (class A... wink, wink), not just ours.
 
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Jul 1, 2021 at 3:59 PM Post #944 of 1,761
Yes.



Although obvious, these are useful advices.



Yep, this is a solid rule for all audio products designed to generate significant heat (class A... wink, wink), not just ours.
Yea i let the can handle the DB and it sounds much better , the cable i am getting is below, its OCC and matches the specs so should be fine im hoping.
I have the Can on top separated by some left over rubber pads , its warm but not painful to touch , im really happy with the sound now thanks for the responses both of you guys.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B094J97BWJ/
 
Jul 1, 2021 at 4:04 PM Post #945 of 1,761
Yea i let the can handle the DB and it sounds much better , the cable i am getting is below, its OCC and matches the specs so should be fine im hoping.
I have the Can on top separated by some left over rubber pads , its warm but not painful to touch , im really happy with the sound now thanks for the responses both of you guys.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B094J97BWJ/
That looks like it will do nicely. I ordered from AliExpress - saved lots of money but had to wait.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000933941566.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.292c4c4dYplInr

There is influx of double ended male to male pentaconn cables hitting the market, which ifi can indirectly take credit for. It was simply a better move to leverage balanced interconnect over 4.4 pentaconn between their components rather than XLR, which is bulky and awkward.
 

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