Tag Archives: dac/amp

Brand Story: iFi Audio

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iFi audio is an award-winning audio tech company with one aim in mind – “to improve your music enjoyment”. Founded in 2012, iFi Audio continues to be at the forefront of technological innovation and continues to release products that make a real difference to their customers lives. iFi Audio manufactures a plethora of high quality portable audio devices from AMPs to DACs, DAPs, Power Adapters, Digital Enhancers, Cables, Connectors and and the like. This year alone they have revolutionised the stratospheric Wireless Earphones category with their GO Pods.

Not only focussing on the portable scene, they also dedicate a range of products to spruce up the enjoyment of life at home such as with their highly regarded and very beautiful all-in-one music system the Auroura. Having over 60 products is a large undertaking for any company, but iFi represents a good balance of quality audiophile-grade gear with affordable enough prices. Ranging from entry-level to High-end they offer something for every music lover regardless of their budget.

iFi NEO iDSD 2

About iFI Audio & caterting to High-octane audio that takes your breath away.

iFI oversee the design, development and manufacturing of more than 60 products from their headquarters in Southport, UK. To uphold high-quality iFi Audio sources parts for its products from across the globe, including Germany, USA and Japan. Their focus is on creating products that improve sound quality and eradicate noise, distortion and hiss from the source device. In turn this allows you to hear as close as possible the studio-quality audio your favourite artists created.

This dedication to delivering the cleanest, most noise-free signal possible has resulted in iFi Audio also creating a range of power conditioners and isolators that ensure all mains and USB noise is blocked from contaminating the signal. On top of this they have developed a reange of high quality cables to carry those very signals.

iFi loves innovation and catering their products to up and coming technology

Over the last 11 years of research & development, iFi Audio has managed to put out an outstanding line-up of devices that have won many awards for their superior performance. Some of their most successful products include the Hip DAC 2, GO Bar, Zen DAC V2, iSilencer+, GO Blu, Zen Blue V2, the iFi XDSD Gryphon & the GO Link, to name but a few.

iFi loves innovation and catering their products up and coming technology, it does position itself as a “tech” company after all. Every iFi DAC and Amp features some of the best technologies around today. Burr-Brown DAC Chips, Custom Op-Amps and exceptional battery life. Many products even feature iFi’s cutting-edge technologies like 3D+ and XBass and the ability to drive xMEMs drivers.

iFi xDSD Gryphon
iFi Aurora

Portable Audio

If you the type of person who enjoys your music on the go, then iFi has you covered. They are determined to deliver every symbal crash and a each pluck of a string straight into your ears. Their GO range of products has taken 2023 by storm and let’s not forget how successful and popular their Hip-dac2 is and how much new tech they have managed to pack into their iDSD Diablo X.

Home Audio

Another success story is iFi Audios home audio range and in particular the the ZEN series of DAC’s/Amps/Steamers/pre-amps. The most successful USB D/A converter is without a doubt the ZEN DAC V2, which is also available in a signature version (ZEN DAC Signature V2) and a “stripped down” version, the ZEN DAC Air. There is also the ZEN CAN headphone amplifier which is proudly advertised as a fully balanced amp that provides nitro for your headphones. Customers, reviewers and the awards received could not agree more.

iFi GO pod
iFi iDSD Diablo-X
iFi xCAN

Our Top 5 iFi Audio Product Picks

1. iFi Audio ZEN CAN Signature – £299.00

The ZEN CAN Signature is an upgraded version of the original, award-winning ZEN CAN headphone amplifier. Design for IEMs and headphones with audiophile-grade components for superior sound. The ZEN CAN Signature offers more than just power; it also delivers warm and exceptional sound quality. This is thanks to its Class A discrete balanced circuitry, inherited from the flagship Pro iCAN headphone amplifier.

2. iFi Audio GO link – £59.00

GO link from iFi audio – the headphone dongle linking you with your music. Its purpose is twofold. First, to enable corded headphones and earphones to connect to digital devices that don’t have a 3.5mm headphone output. Second, even if a device does have a headphone socket, the GO link delivers a big sonic upgrade. This is because its sophisticated DAC (Digital-to-Analogue Converter) and headphone amp circuitry is superior to the audio tech contained within mobile devices and computers.

3. iSilencer+ & iDefender+ – £59.00

Have a buzz problem from your sources USB? Get the iDefender+. Getting pops, clicks, delays? Fear no more! The iSilencer+ whisks those noises away.

4. Zen DAC V2 – £199.00

Compact enough to use as a USB DAC/amp on your work desk and stylish enough to use at home with your favourite active speakers or amp, it delivers a level of specification and performance that punches above its super-affordable price tag.

5. iFi Audio NEO Stream – £1,299.00

iFi NEO Stream is built to deliver optimal versatility and sonic performance. It combines the latest version of our network streaming engine with our award-winning DAC stage to deliver a level of audio previously unattainable without spending much more than its price tag. Just add your choice of amp and speakers.

Lastest iFi Audio Updates and News:

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Burson Conductor 3XR Review

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The Burson Conductor 3X Reference is an all in one unit designed with huge power for the most demanding headphones.

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Design and Functionality

The Conductor 3X Reference stands out, its aluminium chassis has rounded edges and acts as a heatsink meaning your unit will run cool too. It’s a unique design but the display on the front is clear and easy to read, the remote is easy to use and the volume knob is a good size. On the back you get digital and analogue inputs along with analogue outputs as it can be used as a pre-amp too. On the front you have a 4-pin XLR balanced output and a 6.3mm single ended output, most power comes from the balanced output as you would imagine.

The 3X Reference is a DAC/Headphone amp that works as a pre-amp too, it’s designed to be the centre of any system and fit in seamlessly. It has USB/Coax/Optical and Bluetooth digital inputs, along with balanced analogue inputs. It also has balanced outputs to use the pre-amp stage for external amplifiers, one fixed voltage and one variable voltage. On the front you also have a microphone input which gets converted by an ADC to be picked up by the PC the unit is plugged in to. The unit runs warm as it is pure class A with fully discrete components, and there are 2 gain settings along with various digital filter settings.

See our full range of Burson Audio products

Sound

The 3X Reference features a true Class A amp section for driving headphones, couple this with a DAC for each channel and you get truly stellar sound quality. The 3XR is smooth and refined backed by plenty of power to bring out impact and punch even when using hard to driver planars. The amp section has a firm hold over the headphones driver, with excellent articulation and snappy dynamics. At the same time the DAC section is well balanced and detailed allowing plenty of micro-detail to shine through.

Burson have put a lot of thought into pairing the correct DAC section with a complimentary amp section, and it really does pay off. You don’t get a perfectly neutral reference style sound, instead I would describe it as mildly warm and sweet. It pairs well with a lot of headphones, but really shines when you pair it with a good pair of planar headphones, that power on tap really does wonders with them.

The Conductor 3XR is designed to allow you to not worry about power output, and whether you are driving your headphones to their fullest, instead it allows you to focus more on the listening. It lets you sit back and enjoy, knowing that you are feeding your headphones with plenty of clean power. It really is a fun and enjoyable listen that is never fatiguing or boring.

Check out our Best DACs & Headphones Amps of 2020 Guide

Conclusion

Ok, so the Conductor 3XR is not cheap and it’s only really justified if you have a good collection of headphones. But if you do want a DAC/Amp that will power your collection and let you enjoy the music, the 3XR does a stellar job and is well worth an audition.

Shanling UP Portable DAC / Amplifier Review

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Shanling UP Portable Headphone USB DAC and Amplifier

Up your portable audio game with the Shanling UP, with excellent detail retrieval and a wide soundstage, a must have for the audiophile on the go.

Pros:

  • Clarity
  • Size
  • Value for money

Cons:

  • None for the price

Aesthetics, Build Quality and Accessories

The Shanling UP is a tiny little device, the size of a memory stick, with a glossy black front and matter black rear. It has a USB tybe C socket on the top and a 3.5mm headphone jack output on the bottom, on the front an LED will light up telling you the device is on and what sample rate is playing. It is so simplistic and elegant it will fit into any system with ease.

The build quality is excellent with the glass front and the rest of the body being aluminium. Both sockets feel tight, and there is nothing on it to go wrong.

Accessory wise all you get is various cables, which is all that is needed. You get a lightning to USB C, USB C to USB C, Micro USB to USB C and a regular USB to USB C cable, so it covers most phones and PC use.

Ease of use

The UP does not have an internal battery, it just plugs into your device and runs as a DAC/Amp. It should work with most android devices that support OTG accessories, iPhones with lightning port and also PC’s. With the new Windows 10 creators update you no longer need to install drivers.

The devices has no buttons, thus you control the volume level via your phone or PC, I had no issues getting it to work with a Samsung phone, and a regular Windows 10 PC. It is recommended you use the Hiby music app when using the UP.

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READ MORE: NuForce uDAC5 Portable Headphone DAC/Amp Review

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Sound Quality

The UP is so clean, so clear it is hard to go wrong for the price. I am a DAP user, and don’t use my phone for music as I like having files stored locally. But the trend to not want to carry an extra device nowadays has grown and also Apple did away with the headphone jack so the market for portable DAC/Amps is booming.

There are plenty out there, but few that offer full DSD support and an ES9018 DAC chip for this price. The Shanling UP may only be able to output 35mW @32 Ohms, but it gets loud and driver easy to medium hard to drive headphones.

From IEM’s to portable full-size headphones you will be guaranteed to get much cleaner and better separated sound with the UP.

  • Bass

The bass is tight and controlled, with precise kick and good body to back it up, the bass notes also decay as they should.

  • Mids

There is no added body to the lows, this means the midrange is allowed to shine and it does, with vocals coming across clean with excellent detail retrieval. There is also plenty of air around notes which allows you to pinpoint each and every part of the recording.

  • Treble

The treble is well extended without any harsh metallic tone to it, what is best about the highs is their imaging, the placement within the soundstage is critical and this little device has managed to get it spot on.

Conclusion

The Shanling UP is a superb High Resolution DAC/Amp for portable use, if you have some good headphones, you are not hearing their full potential out of a phone. This will change that, the UP with give you the clarity, detail and soundstage that your phone simply cannot.

Even being used with a PC there is a substantial upgrade from the on-board audio, so this can be used on your morning commute with your phone, then plug it into your PC at work and enjoy the same quality of music.