iFi Zen DAC 3 Desktop Digital Analog Converter (Dark Gray)

Overall the tonality of this DAC is very similar to the V2 but it does have some key differences. My review here will look similar to my review of the V2 so bare with me. What I initially noticed was how tonally balanced this DAC sounds. Bass is slightly dark, like a wave of warmth washing over you, but retains a good amount of texture and rumble. Mids are well placed but vs the V2 they are ever so slightly pushed back. They still come off as slightly dry at times, and this can either be a good thing or a bad thing depending on the music. Highs are well controlled and nicely balanced - very detailed with a gentle airiness to them. The V3 sounds very open despite having a slightly hazy background. Textures and transients have snap and detail, but a notch less so than on the V2. The soundstage is very wide with good depth and imaging - an improvement over the V2. There's even some slight saturation effect at signal peak levels, like how the distortion in a tube amp alters the sound. Overall these effects combine into a fun sounding DAC, a tastefully done wall of sound that keeps you engaged. The DAC begs to be turned up, but beware of listening fatigue. Overall vs the V2 tonality is roughly the same. On the V3 the mid-range is toned down ever so slightly and the treble has a touch more air. The hazy background of the V2 is still present but is slightly reduced. Transient response and sound staging show the largest changes. The V2 transients are very sharp to the point of fatigue, the V3 toned these down a bit. However they're still sharp enough to retain good detail and rumble. The V3 widens the sound stage and preserves the depth and imaging of the V2. Both of these changes are improvements to my ears and result is a more relaxed and more open sound. I have no issues with the build quality, everything feels great and works as it should. I don't use the bass or matching features, but they sound good for what they are. This DAC has some serious improvements with the internal power supply circuit vs the V2. As a result, I feel an LC stage is not beneficial for this DAC and may even make it worse. You'll still want a dedicated power supply, and I still recommend a $35 Meanwell PSU over the overpriced iFi iPower brick.

The iFi ZEN DAC V3 exceeded my expectations. It delivers clear, detailed sound with a touch of warmth—great for jazz, classical, and vocals. I use it with both powered speakers and headphones, and the soundstage and dynamics are noticeably improved over my previous DAC. The build quality is solid and premium-feeling, and the front volume knob is smooth and responsive. Setup was easy using the USB-C input, and it works flawlessly with my Mac Mini M4 Pro. I really appreciate the features like the Variable/Fixed output switch, PowerMatch for headphones, and the X-Bass option. MQA and high-res file support up to PCM 768kHz and DSD512 is a bonus at this price. Highly recommended for anyone looking to upgrade their desktop audio setup without breaking the bank.

One of the best desktop DACs available in this price range, for sure. It processes the audio with neutral sound signature and outputs extremely high quality audio. The volume dial is absolute perfection. The color and finish are beautiful. Ease of use: you connect it to your source via USB-C and... start listening! Functionality: 4.4 balanced headphone/IEMs jack = my favorite output so - personally - that's all I need but you can connect powered speakers, as well. It will handle any of these devices beautifully. I used low impedance IEMs with it and I used power hungry HiFiman Ananda = everything performs at the top if its possible output. One more feature worth mentioning is the Xbass that ifi uses in a lot of their equipment. It does a truly wonderful job bringing the low end richness to headphones and IEMs that lack the low end frequency response. Overall, this is a fantastic device - well worth your money!

This is a very nice looking and well built DAC to have on a desktop or wherever else you want to show off some equipment. The main center knob feels very weighty and high quality and the connections feel tight and well installed. There was a noticeable increase in listening I experience over stock audio out of my PC motherboard. The unit was powered with a USB-C cable to my PC and there were no issues with that at any time. There is a separate power adapter that can be purchased but I didn’t find that to be necessary with my setup. If you are someone running two different outputs, you will be receiving audio to every connected output at all times - there is no way to “mute” or cut signal to one or the other. I have a set of IEMs and typical desktop speakers which forces me to either unplug one of the two from the DAC, or purchase additional equipment to achieve my intended functionality.

I'm going to get straight to the point… This is a high quality DAC. It has premium Burr Brown chips inside and a beautifully designed output circuit that most forget to pay attention to. It's not just the DAC chips inside that make a DAC sound good, it's the power supply and electrical circuity in the output stage that make all the difference and ifi Audio does this incredibly well. If you know about Burr Brown, you know that Burr Brown chips have been used for years for clarity and warmth by the leading Audio Interface manufacturers in Pro Audio (studios). It's a beautiful sound signature that makes every other chip sound analytical and cold. Burr Brown chips can be compared to AKM's high end chips--warm, a lot of impact, but very little distortion. My Adam Audio T8v monitors produce insanely powerful mids and bass with this DAC, but when I look at the 8" drivers on the monitors, they're barely moving. It's incredible how my power this DAC has and how effortless it drives studio monitors. It's insane how much clarity it has, even at high volume. My monitors stay incredibly flat, all the way up to ear-bleeding volume levels...that's very unusual for a DAC at this price....unheard of actually. My volume knob is at 30% most of the time, and that's ridiculously loud. One word to describe this DAC....POWERFUL! ZEN DAC v2 Headphone Section Output Power @ 32 Ohms - 280mW (Unbalanced) <—v2 is the Winner @ 50 Ohms - 380mW (Balanced 4.4mm) <—v2 is the Winner ZEN DAC v3 Headphone Section Output Power @ 32 Ohms - 210mW (Unbalanced) @ 32 Ohms - 300mW (Balanced 4.4mm) Yes, the ZEN DAC v3 has 32-bit, high KHz capabilities; however, I use the highest paid Tidal subscription for all my streaming and although the music is lossless audio, and the best streaming system today, Tidal does not have ANY master files above 24-bit 192KHz. Therefore, the ZEN DAC v3 would have no benefits/advantages above the ZEN DAC v2. VERY IMPORTANT… v2 - Truebass (Smooth, Deep, Sub-bass Enhancement) V3 - Xbass (Thumpy, Harder-hitting, Bass Enhancement) I prefer the Truebass for all of my music listening, which is Ambient, Ambient Dubstep, Dark Electronic, Deep House, and Progressive tunes. Some people buy the ZEN DAC v2 and the ZEN CAN AMP so that they can use the Truebass feature, AND the Xbass feature. If your headphones have high quality drivers, they can handle both without any distortion. It’s a beautiful experience. My setup: ZEN DAC v2, Truebass ON with HD 599 Headphones and it absolutely blows my Fostex Modhouse Argon MK3 out of the water as far as clarity, bass, and fidelity…..and the Argon’s are known for ridiculous bass. So, this has been a very weird, and confusing revelation, but I’ve realized that pairing is the most important thing with sound, and a $150 headphone like the HD 599 (although highly recommended by everyone) completely obliterates my $1100 setup using the Argons. I’m using the THX 789 Headphone amp for my Argons and STILL, the HD 599 takes the cake. Best sounding setup for all kinds of music (HD 599 with ZEN DAC v2 with Truebass ON) Make sure to burn-in the headphones for a week or two before going full bore with high volume and Truebass ON. If you turn on Truebass before your headphones are burned-in, don't go too high on the volume on the DAC and you'll be fine. Give the driver some time to settle in. Either way, you will love this entry-level digital to analog converter. To hear a difference in sound quality, as far as higher quality, you’re going to have to make a significant jump in price, but this thing beats a lot of DACs on the market. This is the best purchase you can make. Thank me later.

I am very happy with my new iFi Zen DAC 3. I use it as a desktop headphone DAC/Amp to power Sennheisser HD660S2 headphones with a balanced cable. I also used my much more reasonably priced JBL wireless/wired headhpones (Tune660) on the unbalanced jack with good results as well. Playing through a variety of music the iFi implementation of the Burr-Brown chip provides a robust and satisfying experience. The incredible depth, color, range and dynamics(21 LU) of St. Saens Symphony No. 3 (organ) was clear and real from the deepest rumble from 32 foot organ pipes to tinkling rain bells and crashing cymbals with strings that sounded authentic and did not seem muddy or contrived. My experience with Dire Straits, Carly Simon, Pink Floyd, 10,000 Maniacs, John Denver, Heart, Pet Shop Boys, Morrisey, Joe Walsh, the list goes on, from Classical to classic rock to new wave, country, electronic, folk, and choral was the same - superb. The genre shifted as did the formats from basic 44/16 and 192/24 flac, DSD 64 and 128, MQA, and even older mp3's sounded great with instant transition between formats I typically use Roon to manage playing music that is sourced locally or streamed from Tidal. I have not used the ifi Zen DAC 3 with a separate amp and speakers. I also purchased the separate iFi SilentPower iPower2 - Low Noise DC Power Supply with this item. It turns out that the DAC can operate on the power provided over USB and sounds great, but using the separate power supply really opened up and fortified the sound in direct comparison. The iFi Zen DAC 3 is a great sounding, good looking, solid desktop headphone DAC/Amp.

Love love love, I bought this DAC for my Sennheiser HD650s. The clarity and quality this DAC provides is awesome. I love the depth and the added benefit of the extra bass for open back headphones. I am curious how pairing this with an amp would sound.

Great sound. No microphone support. I thought every DAC had mic port. Lame.