ifi ZEN Air DAC - Hi-Res on a budget? (DAC / Headphone combination)

In this video I check out the ifi ZEN Air DAC and talk about the pros and cons of this device.
Support the channel on Patreon: / juliankrause **
Follow me on Twitter: / thejuliankrause
00:00 Intro
00:24 Hardware Overview
01:59 Cable Situation
02:24 Volume Dial
03:36 Output Performance
04:03 Aliasing with Firmware 7.4
04:32 Audio Lag Issue with Firmware 7.4
05:43 RCA Frequency Response and XBass+
06:51 RCA Maximum Output Level
07:40 RCA Noise Performance
08:08 RCA Distortion Performance
08:48 HP Output Performance
09:35 XBass+ Power Match Overdrive
10:47 Power Match Explained
11:27 HP Output Performance Compared
12:28 Verdict
* Affiliate links from which I receive a commission for sales. This doesn't generate any additional cost for you. As an Amazon and Thomann Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
** Patreon is a platform where you can choose to support the channel by purchasing a monthly subscription.

[@dmc3489]

Let's all give JK a shout out for being one of the very, very few objective and scientific audio reviewers on the web. Julian and Amir are at the top of my short list.

[@jesusflores2121]

Who is Amir?

[@piotrgraniszewski8544]

​@@jesusflores2121: Amir from Audio Science Review forums. He reviews studio monitors and other speakers using Klippel NFS, as well as headphones, AMPs and DACs. He is very thorough and there's a lot of good content on YT.

[@jesusflores2121]

@@piotrgraniszewski8544 Noice!!!

[@dmc3489]

@@jesusflores2121 Audio Science Review

[@thomaswidter]

Love just how detailed this is. The 192 vs 96 kHz bug - discovering that is really something else. Thanks for sharing. Great stuff.

[@BritishSoundboardPranks]

I was about to take a punt on this until I saw that. Thumbs up for honest reviewers.

[@stanislasbeaufils683]

It would be great to see more DACs review !

[@rikimiki12]

Yes!! Especially those in the lower price range, like Fiio or Topping models. There are $100 dacs that outperform line-outs or headphone outs from audio interfaces at much higher prices but its usually hard to find good reviews for dacs. Not everyone needs mic inputs so if you find time to look at usb dacs or even pci-x audio cards it would be great.

[@Rodhern]

5:12 Well played. That is really all you need to know about most any product.

[@dare2liv_nlove]

BOOM! This was glorious haha! 😂

[@ussr1942max]

great review Julian, hats off, and yes the lag problem is very apparent, and do keep up the great work, cheers!

[@birumutiara2169]

wow you're good, only 14 minute vid with a lot of detail, pros, cons and accurate measurement i like it a lot. congrats man you got yourself a new subscriber from indonesia, btw seeing you makes me remember sheldon copper in the good way😁

[@guidomborgese]

Excelente, acabo de ver una de las reseñas mas detalladas y tecnicas gracias a tu trabajo. Disfrute cada segundo. GACIAS.

[@roydominicmacasero4597]

now this is a truly objective review! such a refreshing thing to hear. ^_^

[@The8blackwidow8]

Finally someone talking objectively about audio stuff. Thank you! You earned a sub.

[@vladgaedel8521]

5:40 A company saying a bug is just on a specific unit while its production wide, after the have already failed with USB and then just hope they deliver an update eventually? well thanks, but no.

[@saikousocial]

Respect for the crinacle reference!

[@JTCavey]

LOL I was hoping someone else caught that

[@LBJedi]

Wonderfully thorough and informative review as always! Any thoughts yet on reviewing the new Neve 88M audio interface?

[@rikimiki12]

For Fiio (at least the K3 that I have) there is the option to disable the standby mode by adjusting a setting in the configuration file of the control panel. By default, that setting was hidden in the UI. However on Fiio it takes a while to enter standby so it doesn't mute half a second each time once it started, if you keep pressing play/pause. It doesn't affect video editing or music production. For those using Raspberry Pi or Kodi in general, they output an inaudible hiss constantly to prevent dacs from standby

[@vl292]

Good stuff. I would never buy from company who claims problem is only with the unit under review. Well done sir for getting to the bottom of this.

[@cropframe]

Hey Julian! I am a huge fan of your channel, and many of my friends are too. Do you think you could make a video dedicated to equipment selection for ASMR artists? I am sure it will be a huge hit, since many of us know nothing about sound in application to whisper management! Thank you, you are amazing!

[@gkarkalis]

Ecellent dac for the money!No lag or other issues with my unit!

[@RedBeardedRabbit]

10:08 the baseline/bass-line - I see what you did there, the extra effort is appreciated :)

[@edclevel402]

Come for the in-depth, professional audio gear reviews, stay for the knob jokes.

[@Hugmir]

It is quite peculiar to see a company screw up this badly with that initial-silence glitch...

[@Jason75913]

It is a common quirk with audiophool USB gear.

[@Bianchi77]

Creative video, thanks :)

[@ivanfaigenbom5300]

First comment haha! I just wanted to tell you that your videos are very helpful. thanks a lot :D

[@JulianKrause]

Thank you too :)

[@BandoLyrix]

Do you sleep on KZbin? Lol

[@karunthapa354]

could you please review the Rode AI-1 for music producers

[@yasunakaikumi]

Hey Julian if you could also do it, please review some usb-c portable dac too

[@caseylockwood5512]

Great video! Now for the question we all have for you Julian...: Will you be testing and reviewing that new Neve 88M interface that costs two limbs and a kidney to purchase? I'm curious if its an above average unit with the Neve name and pricetag, or if its truly leaps and bounds ahead of other interfaces of that type.

[@azadragibnehal2132]

Nice review! But can you please review Xtuga E22 audio interface?

[@Thisiskaerson]

Hey Julian. I've been watching your videos for a while now. Could you please make a video about Maschine MK3 as an audio interface? That would be really interesting to see how it performs compared to other audio interfaces

[@jonlloyd9265]

Julian, please do a test of the audient evo 16!

[@villegas24]

Gutes Review , sehr detailliert!

[@karunthapa354]

hey could you review the sony mdr_7506 and like which budget audio interface it would work best with please my budget is around a 100 dollars much love from india

[@vasupanicker]

fantastic video! could you please examine the Apogee Boom?

[@JulianKrause]

Coming up next :)

[@dagalmqvist4806]

Tack!

[@JulianKrause]

Thank you for the support!

[@marcopanichella8858]

I have zen dac too and i found the same 1 sec issue. i fixed it by running soundkeeper, an EXE you can find online, every time i start my PC. at least thats something waiting for firmware update

[@RickPollux]

Could you do this with the Ifi Uno ? I’m curious how the equalizer is set up.

[@sylvietara3318]

HI Julian...Is there an improvement in SSL2+ compared to SSL2 (headphone aspect). I'm using Audio-Technica ATH-M50X (38 Ohms)

[@gkarkalis]

RCA outputs are variable or fixed?I want to connect it using rca outpouts to a power amp and control the volume from the dacs volume knob.

[@stefanoprotti6340]

I already have a MOTU M4, I'm just listening to this as if it was ASMR

[@NoName_4]

what do you think über ifi iDefender or ifi iSilencer+ for conect audio RECORDING equipament to a pc??? or ifi power suply?? can make an inprovement???

[@scorchsc]

Hello a question, I am in the market for this and has the 192khz and audio latency issue been fixed?

[@StarPlayzz_YT]

BRO I am Using Mi 10t 5g Smartphone.....pls suggest me which Type c to 3.5 mm spiltter is better for me....

[@dare2liv_nlove]

Absolutely uninterested in any pure DAC (my Motu M2 is all i might ever need), but liking & commenting anyway coz a JULIAN KRAUSE VID! 😜 (Edit 1: Though, absolutely crucial info for those in the market for a DAC, to look for better alternatives first.) (Edit 2: Your many little jokes peppered throughout are as entertaining as ever! 😁)

[@dare2liv_nlove]

@Fight For Freedom Oh sure, fair enough. I wasn't trying to say my Motu M2 sounded better, just that i wasn't looking for anything else (it's used as a recording interface, i'm not a DAC-only person). And observing the various bugs/design-shortcomings in this review, this Zen just seems to me not a very good product overall, even if it might sound good.

[@dare2liv_nlove]

(P.S. did gently editing my comment cause it to lose channel-owner's seal-of-approval? Juliiaaaan... Please come baaack! 😂)

[@clipsonthespectrum]

review the loxjie you have on ur desk!

[@mexibot8234]

make a video about the mackie producer interface 😉

[@iamroberty]

Check out some Topping DACs and amps! They are really pushing the industry forward in terms of low noise and distortion.

[@BandoLyrix]

To be honest, this interface should Zen Red-Flag DAC. Im sure my M-Audio NRV10 from the 2000s can still match up. Too many problems. Thanks for the video anyway. ❣

[@arghadeepmisra7865]

7:24 For tube AMPs, some Tube AMPs prefer low V and if you provide high V the AMP will distort the signal

[@javierm.f.7252]

Hi: Concerning the ZEN AIR DAC update, I have downloaded from the IFI page the files that appear and I have no idea how to run them. They are three same or similar files, which come in different folders: the 7.4 (MQA), 7.4b (No MQA), 7.4C (MQA, GTO filter). The files contained in each folder are of the same type, the 7.4c file is named: iFi_XMOS_v7.4c_XU216. This and the others are shown with the VLC reader icon. I click on it and nothing runs, it just activates VLC, can you please guide me?

[@uselessoldman7964]

Julian would you please seriously consider doing your tests on audio preamps phono stages, vinyl turntable preamps what ever you call them. Maybe a new channel no one on youtube does a proper test and comparison like you do !! I am considering the Zen but again who believe reviews and marketing when there are no specific facts and tests?

[@michaelfreiberg8057]

Many interesting details but misses one aspect: how does it sound ?

[@hiivatti67]

Have you test Swissonic HAD-1?

[@davidblangstrup]

Please review Behringer Flow 8

[@FatNorthernBigot]

I have the Zen DAC V2 and I love the bass button. It works well with headphones and who doesn't like a nice button on the front of a unit?

[@vewilli]

You always provide us with perfect reviews, but I would never buy such an interface. Thanks for giving us your thoughts about it. 👍🏻👏🏻

[@orpheus4694]

6:00 First time I heard you swear and I audibly laughed, best part is you were quoting Crinacle at that 🤣

[@attilamolnar6963]

Hi Julian! My unit haven't got audio lag with the original firmware, but sometimes get a very little stutter when i skipping in mqa files on tidal (flac and anyhing else is fine). Nothing horrible. The power match button is only a gain switch? Should I use it with my hd600? The lower setting (led off) is already enough for me, but feels a little bit different when i turn it on. Feels a very little bit more dynamic, but i can only listen it at 10-15% volume. What sould I do?

[@Jason75913]

stick to lower gain, it is not that common for high-impedance Senns to actually need the high gain

[@jcpuga]

Thank you for your videos! 🤗 I had asked what books you recommended and I bought “Sound Reinforcement” 🔊 by Yamaha. But you had another book 📚 recommended and I wrote it down somewhere; but I lost it. Could you please let me know what other books you recommend for sound engineering/audio production?

[@JulianKrause]

Hey, I think I recommend Sound Reproduction from Floyd E. Toole if I can recall correctly. But this is more about how audio works in rooms. I don't have a specific recommendation for audio engineering, sorry.

[@jcpuga]

@@JulianKrause Yes that was it! Thank you 🙏🏽

[@wypych1209]

Hello man,it will be good with mobile Phone?

[@arundspn]

This vs Toppings DX1, Which is better?

[@espoomies]

Is the delay fixed by now?

[@rickyh527]

Topping NX4 DSD next?

[@techmed-rainer]

Danke Julian.für das Video. Ich komme.mit diesem DAC / Headphone Amp.so gar nicht klar. Und ich denke, auch für den Preis gibt es Alternativen.

[@JulianKrause]

Danke Rainer für den kontinuierlichen Support! Gibt es einen DAC und oder Amp der dich interessieren würde?

[@techmed-rainer]

@@JulianKrause Mich würde ein Review des Sennheiser HDV 820 interessieren. Oder, am anderen Ende des Spektrums, der Douk Audio P1 mit diesen niedlichen beleuchteten Röhren von Nobsound. LG, Rainer

[@Pringa]

did they fix the 1 second lag yet? does that also happen with zen dac v2?

[@nadtorus]

it's fixed with 7.4c firmware. I have it and it has no problem whatsoever.

[@DocFUNKist]

Any chance for testing the Roadcaster Pro 2, it’s technically an audio interface and they keep bragging about AUDIOPHILE preamps… I beg you to test it.

[@brunop.3142]

Have they fixed any issuue?

[@jedenzet]

Is this thing trash or am i misisng something?

[@Jpetersson]

"interact with your knob" :-D

[@stephenmendonsa3969]

is the lag issue resolved?

[@JohnLeaf]

Teel us about the smsl vmv 1se

[@LastSecBloomer]

I was so close to buying this DAC to pair it with my Zen Can amp but the annoyances you mentioned turned me away from it. I don't have to deal with all that stuff, there are many other DACs that are free of issues, sound better and just as cheap.

[@Woot-Zee]

Does it get hot/warm? I am starting to get angry on products like that... (I know, class A, etc) :)

[@subs4794]

OK, when are you going to start reviewing microphones? :)

[@kyron42]

Why is it called the ZEN Air DAC? Is it because you have to put some rubber feet on it to fix the volume knob problem and hence there's more air under the unit?

[@fist003]

nahhh, its just because it's lighter by using plastic as the body. The Zen Dac v1/v2 body uses metal

[@cesquex]

Hi Julian ... Love your your videos... I'm confused about which budget audio interface to get.. Like around 300 USD... Im leaning towards the Audient ID4 MK2 but also considering Volt 2 and Motu M2... I'm really confused and would really be interested what you recommend me as the best ...!!!! Please help me out Julian !!!

[@lambda7652]

Why would you consider the volt? it's in no way better then the umc202hd if you want DSP stuff and happy with 96k get the ID4 if you want good quality and performance Motu (think about m4 future proof and better value) if you want cheap 202HD

[@mv8579]

Nice review! 👍🏻 Had the ifi Zen DAC V2 and the same problems with it. Especially the not switching off the RCA connectors when plugging in a headphone and the effect of the power matching on the RCA connectors was really annoying. I cannot understand the hype about ifi Audio and the hunt for High Res. In most cases, users will not even have the gear to hear this level of detail…

[@alias_not_needed]

that is the reason why i mostly listen on an audio interface on my pc. you can control the outputs independenty. so much nicer to just turn down speaker output when putting on headphones :)

[@piotrgraniszewski8544]

@@alias_not_needed: yeah, and why not both? I use an Audient Evo 4 in conjunction with Topping A30 Pro for my headphones, which can make a world of difference with headphones like the Hifiman Edition XS. And the audio passthrough is great when listening to my Genelec 8331A speakers.

[@alias_not_needed]

@@piotrgraniszewski8544 i also use a topping for my sundaras ;) would be much easier though, if hifi DACs had seperate knobs for speakers and headphones...

[@piotrgraniszewski8544]

@@alias_not_needed: Agreed. Usually I just try to match the volume between my headphones and speakers using volume control on the speakers, but it gets harder the more stuff you have. :) Just don't forget the speaker out mute buttons! Behringer UMC1820HD has a mute button and it is very handy indeed. Turning down your pots all the time wears them out very quickly, which is why I prefer fully digital or encoder control. If there is no mute button, I prefer having one digital knob for both outputs. I hate analog pots.

[@Alex_Martz]

What's the roundtrip latency??

[@nimrodery]

No roundtrip, it only plays audio from a source. Total latency is maybe what you're looking for.

[@Jogarj]

The video lag is solved with the firmware update. It was very annoying but now it's perfect.

[@HomoChomsky]

Not on my end, even after trying every version of the firmware. It is still very annoying.

[@sweetlemonade123]

@@HomoChomsky Did you manage to fix it in the end? I'm considering this dac, but in such condition it's a hard pass for me...

[@gavia5892]

One really annoying thing with this DAC is that it bypasses the master volume control (at least on Win11) so you are unable to adjust the volume from, for example, your keyboard nor can you mute the audio via master volume mute. Only way to control the volume is by doing it manually with the knob on DAC.

[@icandrive4]

I recently bough the Zen Air Dac and I could bypass 1 things you mentioned in the video were pretty annoying which I at first also have experienced. For the audio lag, I could remove it by setting the buffer size to a lower number and unchecked the "safe mode" option within the ifi's asio driver for the unit. One thing which is currently annoying and useless at the same time is the freakin externel power 5V input on the back. If I plug in there any power adapter the unit will disappear in the playback options within windows which is questionable why? I hope that I could give the unit more power especially for the RCA output, because they're too damn quiet and I dunno why?!

[@sfv650fu]

5:59 Oh, my! *faints*

[@BL-yj2wp]

For 99€ it‘s ok I guess if they fix the firmware.

[@JorgeOliveiraDodo]

Excellent review: been using it since a few days (offer in exchange for a defective iBasso DC06) without issues or complains, overall the expected sound is quite good. Now, today I decided to test the RCA output and I’m not happy- even after calibration of the 0dB signal (adjusting both Zen volume/tapedeck input) no xBass, no Power Match-I hear noticeable distortion- while streaming some Tidal MQA content- I guess I’ll have to test even more, but first impressions not good. Has anyone noticed this? Or maybe some issue with my unit ?

[@ac3r787]

Just use one Finger to controll the Knob tho, no issue.

[@fluphybunny930]

"Because fuck you, bass" that caught me by surprise :D

[@JimboLodisC]

we have a local company (JDS Labs) that sells amps and DACs, been eyeing their Element III amp+DAC for my studio desk, they even do a free laser engraving if you wanna customize your purchase!

[@ac3r787]

I have the same problem with the sound lag. lets see when this gets fixed

[@dancegod1691]

Will this blow the motu m2 away?

[@JulianKrause]

No.

[@LucjanWooszyn]

Did you manage to unstuck the USB cable? I've got a similar problem:(

[@pliedtka]

For me it doesn't have enough digital inputs so I'm thinking about something like Topping DX3Pro. There's one Chinese DAC/Headphone amp which also has HDMI input and pair of analog RCAs but it about $450.

[@GregorMima]

Own the original Zen Dac (v1) - pretty nice, has it´s flaws but it is ok for the price. Oh btw, mine was around 140ish €, iFi upped prices for v2 to 199€ now... tbh for that price there are alot of better options.

[@fist003]

yeap, happily using the V1. Weird on the headphone port being too close to the volume knob as there's more than enough clearance on the V1 with two headphones out. Also there's no issue on the audio delay at all. Really weird on how they dropped the ball on this model

[@GordonGidluck]

SPDIF and AES/EBU are always realtime. I suspect the issue you describe is due to USB buffering. (?)

[@davidsch6490]

Can I connect a normal Bluetooth headphone to a ifi zen with integrated amp? Or will it interfere because it wants to power the headphone

[@shubhankar_sharma]

no updates by ifi i reckon

[@FabioKasper]

Ouch.

[@gerginkal]

hi all i have very strong deep noise while play games on pc ( win 10 )

[@niksen1307]

I've sold my Zen Air Dac because of the audio lag issue which is a dealbreaker for me. Currently planning to get the Topping DX3 Pro+ and wondering if anyone knows does it or any DAC/AMP have the same audio lag problem?

[@lilianweiss2028]

The mute after sink start sounds a lot like on the E1DA 9038 1st and 2nd gen. In performance mode in Ivans words "THD performance optimized [... ] but PLL lock slower and the first-second signal is muted." Maybe ifi is doing something similar here. Anyways, bad performance for that price point (e.g. vs. the 9038S or D) and ridiculous answer from their customer service. Thanks for the review Julian, you attract bugs in these devices like you were the light :-D

[@dare2liv_nlove]

He IS the light... Of the budget audio interface consumer community! 😁

[@artysanmobile]

Bass boost switch? Seriously?? It can have that, or the sticker, but not both.

[@The1rust]

Almost November and still nothing in regard to a firmware update to iron out the audio delay. It's not even when you're scrubbing through videos either but when you watch something on, say, KZbin where it gets quiet the unit will just cut out and then when audio comes back you're faced with the delay so you're always missing the first second or so of audio. You can get around it by using their 7.4c firmware which is described to me as being "warmer". Without any firmware in sight and them passing it off as being an issue with a sole unit in spite of it being a much larger reported issue I can't really recommend this product even with the working firmware because it's ridiculous that they release a product that only works with 33% of their firmware. I can't even in good conscious sell it because of this problem and I have half a mind to just go back to my cheap Fosi Q5.

[@ok-mj3nh]

so the problem can be solved by using the 7.4c firmware? I'm considering to buy it but seems like it is a big issue.

[@The1rust]

@@ok-mj3nh I got in touch with one of their reps about a week ago and he said they're still working on addressing the issue. Not sure how much it matters but 7.4c is described to me as "warmer".

[@ok-mj3nh]

@@The1rust looks like a deal breaker for me, cant believe they still cant solve the problem after so long.

[@birumutiara2169]

i have a messages "Hello!! Thanks for being an active user and subscriber ❤❤ you have been luckily selected for the giveaway session" is this a HOAX, or is it really you?

[@JulianKrause]

No sorry, that's not me! Please do not respond to these messages, I don't do random givaways in the comments or via chat messages. Stay safe!

[@birumutiara2169]

@@JulianKrause oke than thanks for you fast reply

[@dentboxhero1717]

This DAC is quite unsettling non the less.

[@rafiexperimental]

baseline 50hz xD