Quick Summary
iFi Audio's new ZEN Blue 3 is the world's first wireless DAC that can stream CD-quality lossless audio. It's available from 9 July for £299.
iFi Audio has broken new ground with its latest DAC, the ZEN Blue 3: it's the world's first wireless DAC that can both transmit and receive lossless audio.
The DAC delivers lossless audio at CD quality via aptX Lossless over Bluetooth, and it also has Hi-Res Audio support via LDAC and LDHC/HWA.
There are two kinds of customer who are likely to welcome this: customers who want the convenience of streaming from their phone but who don't want to endure lossy audio, and customers with high quality Bluetooth headphones who want the best possible sound quality.
In addition to its wireless transmission and reception the ZEN Blue 3 is also a wired DAC via its USB-C or S/PDIF inputs. It also includes a balanced line output.
The ZEN Blue 3 isn't the only new product iFi is launching. It has also announced an impressive new headphone amp, the iFi ZEN Can 3.
iFi's new headphone amp promises "a new dimension of audio quality"
The new iFi ZEN Can 3's headline feature is its support for the xMEMS standard. xMEMS is used in high-end in-ear monitors and it can be up to 150 times faster than traditional drivers, delivering a much more precise audio performance.
The Can 3 also includes new non-music modes, Gaming and Movies. The former helps emphasise low-level sound effects to help with situational awareness in games, and the latter enhances dialogue. And there are Xbass+ and Xspace options to enhance the low end and the sound field respectively.
The ZEN Can 3 has a refreshed design but one of the most significant changes is something you can't see: inside, the output power has been increased so that the Can 3 can deliver up to 2,000mW of continuous power, enabling it to power pretty much any headphones you can think of. It also has 0-18dB gain adjustable in +6dB steps to match its output to your headphones. And the amplification stage boasts iFi/AMR’s own ‘OV’ (Operationsverstärker) series op-amps, which the firm says outpowers many commercial chips.
The iFi ZEN Can 3 headphone amp is £229 / $229 / AU$229 and the iFi ZEN Blue 3 DAC is £299 / $299 / AU$299. Both will be available from ifi-audio.com; the DAC will ship from 9 July.
