iFi Zen DACchat_bubble_outlineFrom real comments

Several users are frustrated that the unit has no on/off switch, forcing them to unplug cables or leave it powered on constantly.

@zyghom

one failure of this DAC is: when I connect it to my Macbook via USB and no extra power to DAC all is ok, Mac sees the DAC immediately. But when I connect USB cable to Mac while DAC is powered ALREADY from 5V then... Mac does not see the DAC! I need to DISCONNECT power first from DAC, connect USB to Mac, and ONLY then connect 5V to DAC. This is so INCONVENIENT that I ... sold 5V power supply for my DAC - especially that DAC does not have power on/off button so I had to disconnect 5V from the back side of DAC of from the AC socket. Otherwise I noticed that the power output from DAC is not enough for Sundara - while I connected CAN additionally the power came back ;-)\nPity this DAC cannot be used with BLUE ;-(\n\nRegarding GTO firmware: no, it still changes to blue(ish) while you have MQA from Tidal\nyou just have to remember that DAC is NOT MQA decoder but renderer (setting in Tidal)launch

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December 19, 2020

@Dcontrol

Nice review 👍🏻 I've watched many people review this and everyone seems to be impressed with it apart from the inability to turn it on or off. I have decided to purchase one and should be a good upgrade from an FX Audio Dac-X6 that I've been currently using for the last 6 months. A lot of other reviewers compare it to the Fiio K5 Pro (around £150) to which they claim is it's nearest competitor. Also there is a newer firmware out for the iFi Zen Dac with the GTO filter (details available on iFi's website). Please note that if you do update to the newer firmware then it will only display a yellow light instead of the light colour changing.launch

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May 1, 2020

@MrAhuraMazda

I finally got my Zen Dac and I love it. It's so good. I did the firmware update. I guess the only part I wish it had was a power button, I kinda just stays on all the time (unless I just dont know how to shit it off. But otherwise, it's incredible. Build quality, outputs, sound quality. Really really good.\n\nThank you so much for your comprehensive, detailed review; especially with the firmware update, which sharpened the sound. You did an excellent job and really made my decision easy. I appreciate it. Thank you!launch

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November 24, 2019

The included USB Type B cable is criticized as too short for anything beyond laptop use, requiring users to source their own longer cable.

@root9065

I had the Oppo HA2 SE before and it was great, but a bit too sterile/clinical sounding. I used it for three and a half years, and had to stop because the li-po battery inside it began to swell and expand to the point where the casing changed shape. Figured it wasn't safe to keep using, planning on taking the battery out and recycling it, and getting a new battery for using it only on portable situations with a laptop in the future. For desktop use, I just bought this ZEN V2 last week ^^ and yes it's awesome and everything I'll ever need. Like you, I also experienced withdrawal after turning off the truebass :D it is amazing to listen to. The only thing that sucked a lot was that super short blue cable. If you want to use it with anything but a laptop you need to find another cable... and I did. I've also ordered a balanced graphene cable from XINHS for my FH5, that's going to be awesome! Thanks for the review, even though the purchase was already made, it helped confirm that I made the right choice.launch

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August 17, 2021

@Goodmanperson55

I do appreciate the USB Type B, though. USB is supposed to have a lot of different form factors for different use-cases and seeing a chunky Type B cable for a heavy, stationary peripheral makes me smile. A Type C port would have been as appropriate for it as Type C for a printer (ie, it wouldn't really make sense). I do agree, though, that the cable is way too short for anything other than laptop/smartphone usage and trying to find an appropriate Type B cable that actually supports USB 3.0 can be difficult.launch

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August 16, 2021

@Dcontrol

Nice review 👍🏻 I've watched many people review this and everyone seems to be impressed with it apart from the inability to turn it on or off. I have decided to purchase one and should be a good upgrade from an FX Audio Dac-X6 that I've been currently using for the last 6 months. A lot of other reviewers compare it to the Fiio K5 Pro (around £150) to which they claim is it's nearest competitor. Also there is a newer firmware out for the iFi Zen Dac with the GTO filter (details available on iFi's website). Please note that if you do update to the newer firmware then it will only display a yellow light instead of the light colour changing.launch

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May 1, 2020

At least one user experienced noticeable left/right volume imbalance at low volumes across two separate replacement units, an issue also referenced as appearing in other user reviews online.

@notedown1010

Why is there no mention of channel imbalance? I just my Zen Dac V2 last week, noticed it immediately on all 4 of my headphones, requested a replacement, received it two days ago, noticed the same thing, and am sending both back. On just above 0 volume the left earcup is completely quiet while the right is barely audible, on low volume the left earcup is 20-25% quieter than the right, and when you increase to about 9:00 the difference goes down to 10-15% but that was still too much for me. Why haven't I heard about this from you? I read it a lot on the amazon reviews and on reddit and experienced it myself with two units. I don't have this issue with my K5 Pro or my BTR5.launch

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August 16, 2021

@graham542

You really are an excellent reviewer. I've just watched and read several other reviews of this product from well respected reviewers. I don't expect everyone to cover everything BUT.....only YOU mentioned the firmware update!! So relevant.\nYou always cover relevant details - for instance, advising, where possible, to use the low gain setting to allow use of the volume control away from the troublesome area where tracking errors can cause channel inbalance - great advice. You know what you're talking about AND you're modest too.\nExcellent.\nI know you liked the Khadas Toneboard (which I own), but it seems you might have a preference for this Zen. Am I right?\nThanks very much.\nRegards\nGraham.launch

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January 20, 2021

A couple of users found it insufficient for certain demanding headphones, with distortion past mid-volume or feeling it couldn't match their prior soundcard.

@Gazzz696

I bought the iFi Zen DAC V2 a few weeks ago as an 'upgrade' to my over 10-year-old Asus Xonar Essence Soundcard with UNI drivers (which I absolutely loved to be honest), which I use with my Hifiman Edition XS and Hifiman Sundara , curiosity got the better of me after watching videos on Youtube and reading reviews and I went ahead and bought one, and to say I was disappointed is an understatement, this is seriously underpowered to drive the headphones I have, anything past 12 o'clock on the volume control is distorted, I gave it a week to see if I could get used to it but gave up in the end ,I uninstalled all the Ifi drivers and went back to my Asus, wow it unbelievable how good it was to get back to my old soundcard, maybe it was just me and Im sure I'll get a lot of people saying how the specs on the Ifi is better but it just sounded a lot better to me and that's all that counts.launch

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October 7, 2022

@glenzenaf

I've had the iFi Zen DAC v2 for about a month now, and I can say that I'm not disappointed, but then it was my first external DAC so I don't have much of a reference point for comparison. I can tell you that with my DT 770s (250 ohm), it did get loud enough at around the 1:00 to 2:00 position in high gain mode, but after adding the iFi Zen CAN a couple of weeks ago I can definitely hear the difference. The same tracks at the same level now sound more full and alive with the DAC+CAN combo, so the satisfaction level just went up.launch

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August 16, 2021

Some report noisy RCA output under PC load unless using an external power plug, and a Mac connection order issue where the DAC isn't recognized if powered before USB is connected.

@markayres6913

I have my Zen DAC V1 hooked up to a gaming PC with a speaker amp connected through the RCAs on the Zen. I've found that when the PC is under load the power going to the Zen DAC can be quite noisy through the RCAs even though it's clean through headphones. Adding a power plug (even just a cheap one) cleans it up completely through both outputs as it's not relying on noisy USB power. I can definitely recommend a power plug if you intend to use this as a hub for other audio devices, especially for the RCA outputs.launch

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August 16, 2021

@zyghom

one failure of this DAC is: when I connect it to my Macbook via USB and no extra power to DAC all is ok, Mac sees the DAC immediately. But when I connect USB cable to Mac while DAC is powered ALREADY from 5V then... Mac does not see the DAC! I need to DISCONNECT power first from DAC, connect USB to Mac, and ONLY then connect 5V to DAC. This is so INCONVENIENT that I ... sold 5V power supply for my DAC - especially that DAC does not have power on/off button so I had to disconnect 5V from the back side of DAC of from the AC socket. Otherwise I noticed that the power output from DAC is not enough for Sundara - while I connected CAN additionally the power came back ;-)\nPity this DAC cannot be used with BLUE ;-(\n\nRegarding GTO firmware: no, it still changes to blue(ish) while you have MQA from Tidal\nyou just have to remember that DAC is NOT MQA decoder but renderer (setting in Tidal)launch

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December 19, 2020

The RCA line output stays active even when headphones are plugged in and vice versa, an inconvenience for hybrid speaker/headphone setups.

@bassandtrebleclef

I picked up a ZenDac a few months ago. Using in a desktop set up with powered speakers. I wanted a DAC, dial volume control and a convenient headphone amp. It sounds great, but be aware that it tamps down some of the highs that you'll want to EQ back into the sound. The other downside is that the line out isn't muted when you plug in headphones and vice versa. I didn't buy it for the MQA decoding, but recently got Tidal and am enjoying the surprising sound quality bump. I thought the MQA hype train was just that, but I'm enjoying the results. Could just be EQ changes, but you can't argue with results.launch

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February 25, 2021

One user reports recurring loss of sound requiring USB replugging across three separate Zen DAC 3 units, describing it as a known widespread issue and ultimately not recommending the device.

@bul3andra

Got the Zen DAC 3 like one month after launch. 1st DAC unit I ever had and decided to buy it after research, reviews etc.\nThe Xbass feature was something I really wanted to try in combination with my Audio-Technica ATH-R70x, these need a bit more bass for the electronic music I enjoy.\nIndeed, the build has a premium feeling, easy to connect and I did feel a positive change coming from a dedicated soundboard Xonar Essence STX.\nThe only complaint I have is the random loss of sound, easy to fix by replugging the USB cable but very frustrating. \nI am a gamer and even if I do not play, it could be that I am working from home and will be listening to music on my headphones for the duration of my work hours. This could happen 2 3 times in a 8 9 hour session.\nOut of the blue, the Zen DAC 3 would loose sound. At first I would start with checks on muted sound, muted apps like Discord or Teams, volume on apps like Youtube or Tidal.\nIn the end it turned out to be the Zen DAC 3 fault and I found on the internet that many other people had this problem. Windows 10/11 or Linux, I always had to come back on this annoying issue.\nI tried to power the device with their expensive power brick, that did not help at all. No change in sound, no fix on the sound loss issue. I returned it to the shop.\nNow I am on a 3rd unit that still has the same problem, from time to time I am loosing sound. Very disappointing and to be fair I would not recommend this device.\nWill be moving away from this DAC as I am expecting delivery on Yamaha R-N1000A and this will take over the sound from pc, tv etc dlaunch

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July 5, 2025

One user found the DAC overrides Windows system volume controls, meaning keyboard/media buttons can't adjust volume remotely, a dealbreaker given desk placement.

@bernardwong5857

Got myself one of these awhile ago and while it's true that the sound quality, Truebass, and etc are amazing, I had to return it for a seemingly dumb reason. \n\nThe Zen Dac overrides windows volume controls, and you're not able to control Windows volume through your keyboard/media control buttons.\n\nAs I have my PC quite out of reach this is a deal breaker, I change volume frequently and it's a pain to have to stretch to reach the Zen Dac for volume changes. I'm surprised that most reviews don't cover this little nuisance that might or might not be a deal breaker for some. \n\nAlso if anyone knows a good DAC or DAC/AMP combo that retains Windows volume controls, hmu as i really need a good option. I know audiophiles all want the volume controls on the DAC/AMP itself for the best sound quality but tbh im mostly listening to Spotify and watching YouTube and I can't really tell a difference. \n\nUsing the DT177x GO for now, planning on splurging on the DCA Aeon Noires soon if I get to save up.launch

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September 1, 2021