[DropTekRoon]

I've had this problem with RCA cables before, sometimes it is the center pin alignment and bending it slightly and twisting to make sure the plug is fully seated corrects the problem.

I made sure the cables were plugged in tight and I was also moving them around and nothing changed. I never did try to bend the center pin though. Too late now because I returned them. I have another pair of rca cables that are arriving today so I will post an update later.

 

[iFi audio]

It seems like I've tried everything besides new rca cables but idk if that's the problem or not. Maybe there is something wrong with the rca output on the dac.

That's easy to check. Please connect just one RCA cable to your Helot's RCA input and the other end of that cable to just one RCA output of your ZEN device. Then connect the RCA plug on ZEN's rear panel to the other RCA output (the other channel). If you'll get sound on Helot in both scenarios, most likely your RCA cable is faulty. If you'll get sound in one RCA but not in the other, that output on your ZEN is probably is the issue. Hope this helps, thanks!

 

[DropTekRoon]

Update: I received a new rca cable and I now get audio from both channels. Turns out the other one was faulty as mentioned. Thanks everyone for the help!

 

[iFi audio]

Update: I received a new rca cable and I now get audio from both channels. Turns out the other one was faulty as mentioned. Thanks everyone for the help!

That's good to hear, thanks for the update!

 

[Nikonkit]

Hey everyone,

I just wanted to share my recent purchase of the Zen DAC V2 and my excitement about it. I have been using the V1 for a while now and while I have loved its performance, I have always had issues with gapless playback of Tidal's MQA files. After doing some research, I decided to upgrade to the V2 in the hopes that it would resolve this issue.

Waiting for the delivery now (usually takes 24 hours for orders to arrive)

 

[Nikonkit]

Is the V2 a worthwhile upgrade, I had V1 for a good while and found it great value for money and drove the HD650 really well

 

[iFi audio]

Is the V2 a worthwhile upgrade, I had V1 for a good while and found it great value for money and drove the HD650 really well

Both devices sound very similar, but ZEN DAC V2 is a noticeable upgrade over the V1 version. If you're still happy with the latter, you may want to consider expanding your setup and adding our ZEN CAN.

 

[vladtm]

Both devices sound very similar, but ZEN DAC V2 is a noticeable upgrade over the V1 version. If you're still happy with the latter, you may want to consider expanding your setup and adding our ZEN CAN.

The V2 supports gapless tidal MQA (probably due to the decoding ability, not just render)
Sound is pretty much the same.
I use it with ATH M40X , Sennheiser HD600 and Sundara. All phones have the same signature as with V1 dac.

 

[George Hincapie]

For the very first time, iFi is tapping into the sub-$150 market with the release of ZEN series. Zen DAC is more on the traditional side, a barebone DAC/AMP sporting a USB port, 2 RCA outputs and one 4.4mm balanced output. The front panel sports a 1/4'' jack, a 4.4mm balanced jack, a gain switch, a bass boost button and a potentiometer. There is an optional 5V DC input if you wish to kick its performance up a notch. Zen Blue on the other hand supports Bluetooth and optical inputs. The front panel design is more in line with iFi's more premium offerings and a 5V switching power supply is included with the unit.

I bought the ZEN DAC at Audio46 one day after its release, and the staff there told me their 10% off coupon code does not apply because of the thin margins.

Here I present to you my unboxing video!


Edit: Forget what I said about coaxial inputs in the video. Neither model takes coaxial.

Why doesn't Zen Blue have a digital output to plug into my DAC? I don't want to use their Sabre implementation. Do they make one without it?

 

[iFi audio]

Why doesn't Zen Blue have a digital output to plug into my DAC? I don't want to use their Sabre implementation. Do they make one without it?

Just to clarify, our ZEN Blue has two digital outputs. Thanks!

 

[George Hincapie]

Just to clarify, our ZEN Blue has two digital outputs. Thanks!

If I have made a mistake then I apologise. The image I saw only had RCA out.

 

[marekm]

 

[iFi audio]

If I have made a mistake then I apologise. The image I saw only had RCA out.

It's okay, all good

 

[George Hincapie]

Just to clarify, our ZEN Blue has two digital outputs. Thanks!

What PSU is it supplied with and is it any good? Would adding a LPSU be worthwhile?

 

[George Hincapie]

It's okay, all good

I was looking at V1.