Normally $399 so a decent discount. Reviews I have seen of this and V2 have pretty been positive.
iFi Audio Zen DAC 3 Headphone Amplifier & DAC $239 Delivered @ Addicted to Audio
130
Related Stores
Comments
Looks like the Zen Air is $110 for those wanting most of the quality for half the price.
The air is just an amp I think
(among other variants) there's one that's just a headphone amp and one that's a headphone amp + DAC combo - both for the same price. Not sure who decided on the naming scheme lol
IFI is nice. I recently bought the $199 Go Bar from ATA (to drive the $500 IE600 I got from the previous post).
I'm absolutely shocked by how close it gets to my a&k ca1000t, for $199, that portable dac is a shocker.
Honestly brilliant product they produce.Very good price on a highly regarded DAC. Seems they've got a few different ones on special.
I'm in the market for a DAC at the moment and was tossing up between the Topping DX3 Pro+ vs this one.
Pretty much what my choice is down to as well, considering price. Was also tossing up the Fiio F11 R2R.
The Toppings is down to $254 as i'm sure you've seen. Tough choice. The extra power of the DX3 would be nice. Though like the 6.3mm and balanced 4.4mm of the Zen.
Is this iFi Audio Zen DAC 3 better, or Zen Air, or Fosi Audio GR40? I am trying to find a budget DAC for my hd599. Also, is it necessary to get an amp? thanks!
This isn't google
Hi, just wanted some opinions, as I'm new to this audio system.
Google has all the information
Hi Joseph,
I have a Zen V2 Dac and v2 Can. I also sometimes switch to the Topping E10s DAC with the v2 CAN.
Personally I find the sound of the Topping DAC chips to be a bit harsh and very analytical in general. This is paired with my HD6XX, I found the Zen stack was a much more relaxed but more musical sound that I enjoyed over the E10s. I assume Fosi DAC would be similar to the Topping.
I would like to add It does come down ultimately to what sound you enjoy and consider better.
There isn't necessarily a good or bad sound, just different.
Thanks a lot for the advice!
Is this a permanent price mark down, or a limited offer?
Limited
Nice, my old DAC just failed and needed a replacement
Ifi sell the lan silencer which is literally snake oil. This dac wouldn't be too bad but I avoid buying from companies that sell snake oil
Would I also need Zen Can 3 to drive hifiman Arya?
The iFi Audio Zen DAC 3 looks like a good piece of equipment for the money.
For Sennheiser HD600/650/6XX headphones, most say that this alone is all you need. Others report there is a benefit getting the CAN 3 to run in series with it, along with a balanced cable to join the 2, and possibly another balanced cable to the headphones, and then a low noise power transformer. It all adds up, and at the end of the day, it is still not known if there will be a noticeable improvement compared to connecting the headphones directly to a modern Lenovo or HP laptop via the 3.5mm jack.
I mean you can get away with it to start with, until or if you want to add an amp. It is better than average (and the PC soundcard) but an amp really does make it a lot better. More authority, depth and layering.
Ps. I've got a Zen DAC V1 + Drop+ THX AAA 789 (us$199) and 6xx.
Still rocking the V1!