iFI Audio Zen Air DAC
Digital to analog converter with headphone output
With the introduction of the Air series, iFI Audio lowers their entry-level price point and offer an excellent, bang-for-the-buck range of audiophile products.
iFI Audio Zen Air DAC functions as a DAC and a headphone amplifier. It comes with a single USB input and a pair of single-ended RCA output jacks for connecting to an amplifier. Headphones connect via the ¼” output on the front of the DAC. The digital stage supports a wide range of audio formats including MQA decoding and DSD up to DSD256. PCM is supported up to 32-bit/384kHz (DXD)
The volume knob on the front controls the output volume for both headphones and the RCA output. Instead of using a digital volume control, iFI Audio opted for an analog. This vastly improves the audio quality, as the digital signal isn’t attenuated which includes a loss of data.
To keep pricing accessible, the number of inputs, the quality of the components has been reduced. The casing is made from plastic rather than aluminum, but still looks good. Of course, this Air DAC doesn’t achieve the same performance as its larger, more expensive brethren, but at this price point it is very hard to beat.
| Measurements | 15,8 x 3,5 x 11,7 cm |
| Weight (net) | 0,38 kg |
| Input, USB | 1 |
| Output, Stereo RCA | 1 |
| Output, Headphone | Yes, 1/4" TRS |
| Audio decoding | DSD64 / 2.8 MHz, DSD128 / 5.6 MHz, DSD256 / 11.2 MHz, DXD, MQA decoder |
| Supported sample rates, kHz | 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, 192, 352, 384 |
| Supported bit depth | 16 bit, 24 bit, 32 bit |
| Audio chipset | Burr-Brown |
| In the box | Users guide |
| Other included accessories | USB cable |
| Power consumption when standby | 0.5 watt |
| Power consumption | 2.5 watts max. |