iFi Audio ZEN Air DAC

ZEN Air DAC

Improve the quality of your everyday audio with the ZEN Air DAC. DAC stands for Digital-to-Analog converter. In a nutshell, a DAC converts the digital info in your source device – your computer, game console, tablet, or smartphone – to music that we can hear through speakers or headphones. Every device that is a source of digital sound has a built-in DAC. External DACs sound much better that the standard DACs used inside these devices.

Hearing is believing

The ZEN Air DAC outputs very hi-res (high resolution) quality audio. This is much better than the standard audio that you would get from just using your computer, game console, tablet, or smartphone. Imagine the difference in quality from a standard TV to a 4K Ultra HD TV — but in sound! This is the difference an external DAC makes to your music. Once you hear it, you’ll be converted (not just your audio)!

The ZEN Air DAC supports different file formats – PCM 32bit/384kHz, fully native DSD256, and MQA.

• PCM – Pulse Code Modulation is the file format used in CD, DVD, Blu-ray, and other digital audio applications. It’s the next step up from MP3.
• DSD – Direct Stream Digital is a very high-quality audio format, better than CD quality. The higher the number (sample rate), the better the recording – DSD64, 128, 256, 512 and 1024. Fully native means that it hasn’t been altered in any way from the original recording.
• MQA – Master Quality Authenticated is an award-winning audio technology that enables music fans to stream the original master recording into their home, car, or their mobile phone. With the ZEN Air DAC, you can listen to MQA straight out of the box. Simply connect to Tidal Masters and check the option to stream MQA.

Sonic tailoring

The ZEN Air DAC also sports a couple of unique sonic tweaks from iFi. PowerMatch adjusts the gain of the ZEN Air DAC so that it functions at the right level for your headphones. Gain is just a unit of measurement that indicates how loud an audio source is and is measured in decibels (dB). XBass+ allows you to tailor the bass to suit your headphones and your personal taste. Both are designed to improve and personalize your listening experience.

And breathe…

Most DACs still use digital volume control – this is analog. What does this mean? When you reduce the volume on other DACs, you remove data from the song or soundtrack. With analog volume control, you reduce the volume whilst maintaining the quality. Put simply, the ZEN Air DAC is an easy way to experience super clear, hi-res audio quality in your everyday listening.

Sift through the noise, breathe in the Air.