ZEN DAC V2

This ZEN DAC V2 is the same award-winning hi-res USB DAC/headphone amp as before but with added oomph!

We’ve upgraded its digital engine from an 8 core XMOS chip to a 16 core chip. It’s ultra-capable while still being super-affordable.

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.

The ZEN DAC V2 supports PCM and DXD to 32-bit/384kHz, DSD256 and MQA. DSD remains ‘bit-perfect’ thanks to the True Native Burr-Brown chip design.

16 core = hardcore.

Thanks to the 16 core tech, the ZEN DAC V2 is now an MQA Decoder rather than a Renderer only.

This enables you to play back MQA audio files and streams, delivering the sound of the original master recording. The LED glows green or blue to indicate that the unit is decoding and playing an MQA stream or file, and denotes provenance to ensure that the sound is identical to that of the source material. It glows blue to indicate it is playing an MQA Studio file, which has either been approved in the studio by the artist/producer or has been verified by the copyright owner.

MQA rendering technology (used in the original ZEN DAC among other iFi products) connects to an MQA Core signal (such as TIDAL) and completes the final unfold of an MQA file. Usually, the computer has carried out the decoding.