iFI Audio / ZEN Air DAC

The ZEN Air DAC is a USB-DAC amplifier whose circuitry has been redesigned from scratch to provide sound quality comparable to the ZEN DAC while being even more affordable.

Features: As with the ZEN DAC, the ZEN Air DAC is equipped with a high-quality headphone amplifier capable of driving any headphones or earphones. As a DAC/preamp, it can also output RCA to an amplifier and speaker, or to an active speaker. Connect to a PC, Mac, smart device, etc. via USB to take the sound quality of digital sources to a higher level. The core technology of the DAC is the same as that of the ZEN DAC, combining the Burr-Brown DAC chip and True Native architecture that iFi adopts for its natural sound quality with custom technologies such as custom-made XMOS firmware, digital filters, and iFi's GMT clock system to prevent jitter. PCM supports 32bit/384kHz, and also supports DXD, DSD64, 128, and 256. The True Native design of the Burr-Brown chip allows PCM and DSD to pass through separate paths, allowing both PCM and DSD to remain ""bit perfect"" in their native form. It also supports MQA renderers. ■The ZEN Air DAC's analog stage is of very high quality at this price point, with a symmetrical channel layout and audiophile-grade circuit components, including ultra-low-noise custom op amps and low-impedance power rails with low-ESR inductors from Taiyo Yuden and Murata Manufacturing.

■Like the ZEN DAC, the ZEN Air DAC's headphone amplifier features switchable gain, which iFi calls PowerMatch. By adjusting input sensitivity and gain, the drive level is adjusted according to the load on the headphones.

■For high-sensitivity headphones such as in-ear monitors, you can leave PowerMatch off to get ultra-low-noise performance. If your headphones need more power, turn on PowerMatch to get enough output power.

■XBass+ is a sophisticated ""bass boost"" that exquisitely enhances the lows without muddying the mids. This feature operates entirely in the analog domain, rather than processing digital signals in the DSP, and can be turned on/off with a button on the front.

■The ZEN Air DAC is equipped with a 6.3mm headphone output on the front, an asynchronous USB Type B input on the back, and a gold-plated stereo RCA output (with variable level control). The sound quality of the ZEN Air DAC is extremely close to the single-ended output of the ZEN DAC, not only for headphones but also for output to amplifiers and speakers, and it achieves improved digital sound quality at a very affordable price of around 10,000 yen.

*The ZEN Air DAC runs on USB bus power, but if you combine it with a smartphone or want higher sound quality, you will need a separate AC adapter. Please purchase a 5V (2.1mm/5.5mm) AC adapter such as the iFi iPower II 5V.


■Input: USB2.0B female
■Format: PCM 44.1/48/88.2/96/176.4/192kHz, DXD 352.8/384kHz, DSD 2.8/3.1/5.6/6.2/11.2/12.4MHz, MQA (renderer compatible)
■DAC: Bit-Perfect DSD & DXD DAC by Burr Brown

◇Line section
■Output: RCA (unbalanced) 1V / Max 3.3V (variable)
■Output impedance: <= 50Ω (unbalanced)
■SNR: <-113dB(A) @ 0dBFS
■DNR: >113dB(A) @ -60dBFS
■THD+N: <0.04% @ 0dBFS

◇Headphone section
■Output: 6.3mm (unbalanced) 1V / Maximum 3.3V (variable)
■Output power: Unbalanced > 230mW @ 32R, > 36mW @ 300R
■Output impedance: <1Ω
■SNR: >113dB(A) (3.3V)
■THD+N: < 0.04% (100mW @ 16R)
■Power consumption: No signal ~ 0.5W, Maximum signal ~ 2.5W
■Size: 158mm (length) x 117mm (width) x 35mm (height)
■Weight: 315g
■Warranty period: 12 months

※The ZEN Air DAC runs on USB bus power, but if you use it with a smartphone or want higher sound quality, you will need a separate AC adapter. Please purchase a 5V (2.1mm/5.5mm) AC adapter such as the iFi iPower II 5V.