IFi ZEN Air DAC — Desktop USB DAC And Headphone Amplifier

Get better audio quality from your phone, tablet or computer.

iFi’s
popular ZEN Series has received praise for delivering exceptional sound
at affordable prices, earning scores of industry awards. The new ZEN
Air range makes things even more accessible, simplifying the circuitry
and stripping back some features whilst retaining core elements to make
ZEN more accessible than ever.

Improve your headphone listening experience with ZEN Air DAC. This external digital to analogue converter outputs high resolution quality audio — much better that the standard quality you would get from just using the internal DAC from your computer, tablet, or smartphone.

Simply better.

The ZEN Air DAC functions as both a DAC and a headphone amp. It’s a great first step if you are just starting on your audio journey.

Simply connect it to your computer or smart device via a USB cable.  Then connect it to your headphones via the headphone jack at the front or to speakers via the RCA connections at the back.

If you already have an amp, you can use the ZEN DAC Air as a pure DAC with this amp or speakers.

Flexible formats

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. With the ZEN Air DAC, an MQA Renderer, 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. Both are designed to improve and personalise your listening experience.

• PowerMatch adjusts the gain of the ZEN DAC Air so 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 add extra bass to suit your headphones and your personal taste.

And breathe…

Most DACs still use digital volume control – ours is analogue. With analogue 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.

Product comparison

Step up to Zen DAC V2 for superior performance, build quality, and included accessories.

	Zen Air DAC	Zen DAC V2
Chassis Material	Plastic	Aluminum
Internal Circuitry and Component Performance	Good	Better
Enhanced GMT Clock System	–	✓
MQA Support	Renderer (Final Unfold)	Decoder (Full Unfold)
Balanced Design	–	✓
6.3mm Single-Ended Output	✓	✓
3.5mm Headphone Adapter	Sold Separately	Included
4.4mm Balanced Output	–	✓
RCA Line Output	Variable	Variable / Fixed
Bass Boost option	✓	✓
3D+ Crossfeed option	–	✓
RCA cables included	–	✓
Unit weight	0.97 lbs	1.80 Ibs

Dimensions: 158 x 117 x 35 mm |  6.2″ x 4.6″ x 1.4″