ZEN Signature bundle includes a free 4.4mm to 4.4mm balanced interconnect worth $109 to seamlessly pair both components together
ZEN DAC Signature
The specialist ZEN DAC Signature is designed to be a pure desktop DAC that takes no prisoners when it comes to performance.
Pure and (not so) simple
Enveloped in the Space Blue finish now associated with our Signature products, the ZEN DAC Signature has been designed to be a DAC, pure and simple. Without the built-in headphone amp, its sole purpose is to feed an external amp, be it a headphone amp, or an amp and speakers.
Superior circuits. Superb sound.
Various key surface-mounted circuit components have been upgraded to high-end devices, including Panasonic OS-CON and Elna Silmic II capacitors. The circuit has been refined to ensure short, direct signal paths for optimal signal purity.
A true native
It delivers bit-perfect PCM (up to 32-bit/384kHz), native DSD (up to DSD256), DXD and MQA – the hi-res streaming codec, as used by Tidal’s ‘Masters’ tier. The iFi-programmed XMOS chip, which processes data received at the USB input, and jitter-eradicating, audiophile-grade oscillators, contribute to exemplary handling of digital audio signals as they are received, processed and converted to analogue form.
Soul connections
The USB Type B input supports the ‘SuperSpeed’ USB 3.0 standard, as well as USB 2.0 for backwards compatibility. It is asynchronous, meaning that the data rate is regulated solely by the ZEN DAC Signature’s specialised audio clock circuitry for accurate, jitter-free data transfer from the source device. There is a pair of RCA sockets for single-ended connection to an amp, plus a Pentaconn 4.4mm output.
Fixed or variable. You decide.
The ZEN DAC Signature’s outputs can be switched between ‘variable’ and ‘fixed’. The variable setting applies volume control to the audio signal, enabling the ZEN DAC Signature to act as a preamp to connect directly to a power amp. The fixed option bypasses the volume control, fixing the output at 4.2V (balanced) or 2.1V (single-ended) for connection to an external preamp, integrated amp or active speakers with their own volume control.
ZEN CAN Signature 6XX
The ZEN CAN Signature 6XX analogue headphone amplifier takes sonic tailoring to the next level with ActivEQ.
Level-up
The original ZEN CAN, boasted the ability to drive tough headphone loads, a balanced circuit design, vanishingly low levels of distortion and versatile sonic tailoring. The ZEN CAN Signature 6XX takes this to another level. It further improves the sound quality with enhanced circuit design, whilst maintaining the versatile features of the ‘regular’ version and adding something special.
ActiveEQ
ActivEQ combines active and passive components to create a specific EQ curve to suit a particular pair of headphones, performed in the analogue domain without a hint of additional noise or distortion. The ZEN CAN Signature 6XX, features ActivEQ for the ‘MassDrop x Sennheiser HD 6XX’ a popular pair of high-quality headphones.
EQ. Activated
When the ‘HD 6XX’ button is pressed, the ZEN CAN Signature 6XX calibrates its signal to complement the headphone’s response characteristics right across the frequency range, thus tailoring its performance to precisely fit the HD 6XX like a made-to-measure suit. What’s more, the benefits of this ActivEQ curve are equally applicable to the Sennheiser HD 650, which shares the same characteristics.
No pain, no gain.
It features four gain settings in six dB steps – 0dB, 6dB, 12dB and 18db. This enables the amp to precisely suit the connected headphones.
XSpace
This analogue processing mode compensates for the ‘in-head localisation’ effect that can occur when using headphones to listen to music that was mixed using a pair of speakers. It widens the headphone soundstage to deliver a more spacious and speaker-like experience.
Balance of Power
The ZEN CAN Signature 6XX’s circuitry is a balanced, symmetrical dual-mono design – a topology usually reserved for high-end headphone amps – with a number of key elements trickled down from the discrete Class A circuitry developed for iFi’s flagship headphone amplifier, the Pro iCAN.
Driving force
The amp offers prodigious drive capability, delivering 1600mW (7.2V) into 32 ohms from the single-ended output, with 15V+ available to loads of 300 ohms or more through the balanced output, ensuring it takes even current-hungry planar headphones in its stride.
Stay connected
The ZEN CAN Signature 6XX offers stereo RCA and 3.5mm single-ended inputs, plus a balanced 4.4mm Pentaconn input. A 4.4mm balanced output is also provided, to connect to power amps equipped with a balanced input. It provides a pair of headphone outputs – a 6.3mm output for headphones that have a standard single-ended connector (compatible with all headphones) and a 4.4mm Pentaconn balanced output for headphones offering balanced connection.
