iFi Audio Zen Air DAC
A breath of fresh Air.
DAC stands for Digital to Analogue converter. In a nutshell, a DAC converts the digital info in your source device – your computer, games console, tablet or smartphone – to music that we can hear through speakers or headphones. Every device that is a source of digital sound has a built-in DAC. External DACs sound much better that the standard DACs used inside these devices.
Hearing is believing
The ZEN Air DAC outputs very hi-res (high resolution) quality audio. This is much better that the standard audio you would get from just using your computer, games console, tablet or smartphone. Imagine the difference in quality from a standard TV to an 4K Utra HD TV — but in sound! This is the difference an external DAC makes to your music. Once you hear it, you’ll be converted (not just your audio)!
Simply better
The ZEN Air DAC functions as both a DAC and a headphone amp. It’s a great first step if you are just starting on your audio journey.
Simply connect it to your computer or smart device via a USB cable. Then connect it to your headphones via the headphone jack at the front or to speakers via the RCA connections at the back.
If you already have an amp, you can use the ZEN DAC Air as a pure DAC with this amp or speakers.
Flexible formats
The ZEN Air DAC supports different file formats – PCM 32bit/384kHz, fully native DSD256 and MQA. PCM – Pulse Code Modulation is the file format used in CD, DVD, Blu-ray and other digital audio applications. It’s the next step up from MP3.
DSD – Direct Stream Digital is a very high-quality audio format, better than CD quality. The higher the number (sample rate), the better the recording – DSD64, 128, 256, 512 and 1024. Fully native means that it hasn’t been altered in any way from the original recording.
MQA – Master Quality Authenticated is an award-winning audio technology that enables music fans to stream the original master recording into their home, car or their mobile. With the ZEN Air DAC you can listen to MQA straight out of the box. Simply connect to Tidal Masters and check the option to stream MQA. Find out more about MQA here.
Sonic tailoring
The ZEN Air DAC also sports a couple of unique sonic tweaks from iFi.
PowerMatch adjusts the gain of the ZEN DAC Air so it functions at the right level for your headphones. Gain is just a unit of measurement that indicates how loud an audio source is and is measured in decibels (dB).
XBass+ allows you to tailor the bass to suit your headphones and your personal taste. Both are designed to improve and personalise your listening experience.
Most DACs still use digital volume control – ours is analogue.
What does this mean? When you reduce the volume on other DACs you remove data from the song or soundtrack. With analogue volume control, you reduce the volume whilst maintaining the quality.
Put simply, the ZEN Air DAC is an easy way to experience super clear, hi-res audio quality in your everyday listening. Sift through the noise, breathe in the Air.
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Payment
All items must be paid for within 7 days of the transaction date by one of the following payment methods:
Credit Card (All types accepted)
Paypal
Cheque
Postal Order
Bacs Transfer
If you are unable to make payment within the specified time period please let us know as soon as possible.
Returns
We want you to feel happy with your purchase, so if for any reason you are not, you may send your item(s) back to us within 14 days for a full refund or exchange-free of charge.
Please note, postage costs are non refundable except in the following circumstances:
* the item you receive is different to that ordered.
* OR the item you receive is damaged or faulty.
In the above cases a full refund/exchange will be issued including any additional postage costs incurred by the buyer.*
*Please note, we can only refund up to the minimum postage amount required to send your item(s) back to us. Therefore, we always recommend that items be returned to us using royal mails 2nd class service with recorded delivery for insurance purposes.
All items must be returned to us in their original condition within 14 days of receipt. Please let us know before hand why you are planning on sending an item back to us and remember to include this information in your return. It is also vital that you include your user id & item number so we can deal with your request for a refund or exchange as quickly as possible
All refunds will be issued via your original method of payment and normally take up to 3 working days to process.
