- Manufacturer & Model
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iFi ZEN One Signature
- MSRP
- $349
- Highlights
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The ZEN One Signature is the first ZEN DAC to support all hi-res: DSD256, PCM384, MQA384kHz, Bluetooth 96KHz.
- 96kHz Hi-Res Bluetooth: LDACTM, HWA/LHDC, aptX Adaptive/HD/LL, AAC
- USB audio using 16 Core 2000MIPS XMOS low latency microcontroller (MQA decoder)
- Fully balanced 4.4mm output
- Summary
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An easy-to-use DAC that can handle just about any source you throw at it, whether you need coax, optical, USB or Hi-Res Bluetooth audio. Plus, the 4.4mm output allows you to take advantage of the fully-balanced signal path of the ZEN One Signature and your preamp or processor.
A couple years ago I reviewed iFi Audio’s bluetooth DAC, the Zen Air Blue and called it a great stocking stuffer for the audiophile on your shopping list. The sound quality on that device was and still is fantastic. My main complaint was that it wasn’t a true ‘streamer’, but only a bluetooth receiver, so every alert and notification you might get on your phone would also be sent through your whole audio system. God forbid you actually get a phone call.
Well this year I’ve been using iFi’s ZEN One Signature DAC. It has HD Bluetooth streaming capabilities and decodes all the same bluetooth formats, but also adds PCM audio up to 192 K, plus fully native DSD 256, DXD and MQA 384 decoding, all via USB or spdif coax or toslink.
On the output side, the ZEN One Signature has the standard RCA outputs, plus a 4millimeter balanced stereo output which allows you to connect to an XLR input on your integrated amp and take advantage of the fully balanced circuit inside the DAC for reduced noise. It does NOT include a built-in headphone amp or volume control.
The front display appears relatively minimal, but actually can tell you quite a little bit about what you’re listening to. The logo display in the middle has six different colors plus off to indicate what audio format is being received by the ZEN One Signature. There’s no easy poem to remember which color indicates which format, so if that’s the kind of thing you want to know you’ll want to keep a cheat sheet on hand. And on the back of that cheat sheet you could have the four different colors of the separate LED light that indicate what sample rate the ZEN One Signature is receiving. Again, if you’re into that sort of thing. Rounding out the front panel is a power indicator, an input selector to switch between bluetooth, spdif and usb, and on the far right is a dual-purpose button used to put the DAC into pairing mode and also to turn the display on or off.
On the back from left to right you have the balanced output, RCA outputs, the spdif coax in/out, optical input, usb input, an antenna connection for the included antenna for increased range, the power connection, and a really annoying bright green light that indicates power is connected. This lit up my wall pretty well constantly after the sun went down.
Listening Sessions with the ZEN One Signature DAC
Full disclosure: I’m a vinyl guy. I have very few CDs remaining in my collection. I don’t generally collect digital music files. I listen to records, and I listen to AppleMusic to decide what records I want to buy. I rarely step outside of those types of listening. But there are a handful of CDs on my shelf that were either never released on vinyl or are stupidly expensive and rare on vinyl. Case in point : Puzzle, by Dada. This is an incredible album and it’s been a go-to for me to demo audio equipment since I first heard it on my first nice pair of speakers. I carry this around like most guys carry their favorite copy of Aja.Another one - Sonia Dada’s Lay Down and Love it Live, a fantastic live album by a fantastic Chicago-based soul and blues band. A large band with three vocalists, a horn section, keyboards, two guitars, bass and drums. It's tough to find a better mixed live recording of such a large ensemble, especially if you enjoy good music.
I’m also noticing a dada theme here. Unintentional, but there nonetheless.
So I listened to these CDs via the coax output of a Sony UHD bluray player. I used both my home theater setup with an Anthem processor, Emotiva power and NextLevel Acoustics loudspeakers in a 2 dot 1 configuration and no upmixing, and my standard 2-channel listening setup with a Jolida tube integrated amplifier and a pair of Rega RS5 speakers.
From the opening notes of Dada’s Dorina in the theater, it sounded as if the band was in the room with me. The guitar tones on this track are so perfectly Stratocaster, and perfectly recorded, and the ZEN One Signature made them really jump out of the speakers in my theater. You can hear the guitar pick hit each string in the chords with outstanding clarity, yet the entire track had a tight cohesive nature to it.
Heading upstairs with Sonia Dada, the first track, Planes and Satellites is a favorite of mine, and the way it builds one instrument at a time, and just keeps building is awesome. The imaging and soundstage on this recording is mind-boggling and the build makes it all the more impressive. The drums start off the track and you can hear the placement of each drum in the kit, the kick drum is solid and punchy without being boomy, and the hi hat is crystal clear but not harsh, sitting right where it should be. The guitar comes in and you can see right where he is on stage. Bass and keys follow, then the horn section plus three vocalists. This is a large band, and never is the sound confined to my two towers. The image rises above, to the left and to the right, and comes as far forward as I’ve heard in this setup.
Final Thoughts
So yeah, this thing sounds fantastic. The streaming feature is still only a receiver, and it’s not for me. But when it comes to listening to files or CDs, the ZEN One Signature outperformed the DAC built into my Sony disc player and the DAC in my Anthem processor. Personally, I preferred the combo with my tube amp upstairs, but I also greatly prefer listening to vinyl, so that’s understandable. Don’t let that take away from the fact that it also sounded great in a solid state signal path.So here we go again. We have another iFi stocking stuffer recommendation. The ZEN One Signature is a bit more than my last recommendation for Santa and his elves, but it also offers a lot more. This is a true DAC that just happens to add the convenience of being a bluetooth receiver when you’re in a pinch. But face it, if you listen to a lot of streaming music, you already have a dedicated streamer in your system. This DAC should be viewed as a DAC, and it shines as a DAC. The ZEN Air Blue was a hundred bucks, the ZEN One Signature comes in at $350 and is worth every penny.
Watch the Video Review Here!
iFi Audio ZEN One Signature DAC
- 96kHz Hi-Res Bluetooth: LDACTM, HWA/LHDC, aptX Adaptive/HD/LL, AAC
- USB audio using 16 Core 2000MIPS XMOS low latency microcontroller (MQA decoder)
- Fully balanced 4.4mm output
- True Native hi-res DAC – supports 32-bit/384kHz PCM and fully native DSD
- Powerful 16-core XMOS processor – performs full MQA decoding (to 384kHz)
- Upgraded GMT femto-precision clock and customised digital filter eradicate jitter and other forms of digital distortion
- Coaxial S/PDIF digital outputs support 24-bit/192kHz PCM
- Low-jitter femto clock crystal provides >20dB performance
- 16 Core 2000MIPS XMOS low-latency microcontroller – 4x more processing power
- C0G capacitors – high-linearity, excellent temperature/frequency characteristics
- MELF resistors – high-precision and low-noise
- Taiyo Yuden and Murata inductors – low-impedance power supply rails
- High-gain antenna for extended range
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