#ifi #zenairblue #review Welcome to my review of the new iFi ZEN Air blue, part of the new ZEN Air budget range from iFi Audio . Amazon UK www.amazon.co.... iFi Audio website ifi-audio.com/...
Nobody ever mentions my use case - our family’s cabin’s (old) stereo. I have all my siblings and their kids plus various family friends all wanting to play music when they use the cabin so I needed a decent but easy to use fool-proof Bluetooth receiver. This fits the bill perfectly and everyone loves how easy it is to use. Now the kids, parents and grandparents can all party with my big old Klipsch towers and ancient Denon receiver all summer long.
I got a zen Air Blue a week after it came out back in March. I use it every day. I have it paired with my JDS. Labs atom+ amp. And my android as my music player. I unlocked the developers option in my phone each codec has bluetooth playback quality options in kbps then you have bluetooth bit per sample rate and your bluetooth audio sample rate in the typical 44.1 KHz to 96.0KHz. I'm kind of a new breed of audio head I like the bluetooth and the options it gives and how you can tweak the codec to the music quality your listening to.
Thank you for the review. I bought this device yesterday to replace a relatively new Chinese Bludento HD-BLT DAC. I shall say I can feel the difference between HD and LDAC codec, when using Tidal. Definitely. I have no complaints about Bludento, but this one is better. Sounds louder and a bit clearer. Versus Zen Blue 2, I think it's louder with balanced output. I wonder whether it's useful to have digital outputs, seeing that what the purpose of this device is to get an analog output. A big hug from Lima, Perú.
I have the Bludento too but I need a second unit to set up in my bedroom so I intend to buy the Zen Air to use in my main system downstairs if it’s actually better.
Ive been considering buying the ifi zen one signature (£350-00) which is basically the zen blu 2 and the ifi zen dac 2 built into one unit. Gets great reviews. Just to mention for people who dont know ifis range.
There is one point that I don't understand. What advantage is there in plugging this iFi Zen Air Dac into the mains socket (5V adapter) rather than only via USB into the computer? If I connected this DAC via the mains adapter, I would still have to plug the DAC into the computer's USB port at the same time, so what is the difference or advantage in concrete terms? Also, I notice that the DC 5V adapter sold by iFi Audio (the "iFi Audio iPower", which is almost as expensive as the price of the iFI Audio Zen Air Dac!) has a function called "Active Noise Cancellation". When I connect only by USB cable the iFi Air DAC in my MacBook, I have no background noise in my DT-900 ProX headphones.
Thanks. No mentioned from Ifi which dac chip are being used :( I just learned if your source isn't BT 5.0 or above you not going to get the higher codecs this device can play.
For any of the codecs, the source has to be able to transmit the blue codec. Eg. iOS devices transmit AAC. So that will be your highest on the Zen Air Blue and any other device, like you said.
Gavin, thank you for this review. I have a Denon RCDM39DAB unit with speakers. It has one red and one white Analog In at the back. Do you know if this iFi Zen Blue will work with this?
Hi - agree with your review - nice piece of kit. Don't know if you can help with a technical question though - I connect through my Android phone and when I get a call it plays through the unit. The option to turn this off in BT settings "phone calls" slider isn't there. Is there another way, do you know?
My plan is to use it with an amp and active speakers, do the sound quality is really diferent? my amp have coaxial and optical outputs to use them, is it really different from RCA? I own the HipDac 2 and for me the balanced vs unbalanced inputs are night and day difference! Will it be the same here?
Do your speakers have digital inputs then? I don’t quite understand your question. Air blue connects to your amp and then you connect the amp to your active speakers? If so, what are you asking? Wired connection will always be better than Bluetooth. Bluetooth is about convenience
Hi, thanks for the review. Any comments on the reception range of the zen air blue? Does it break up if the transmitter is in another room so that there's a brick wall between them?
Hello, can I connect this device to my high quality DAC? I need this device to connect my phone/tablet to the hi fi using the bluetooth of the zen, but I want to use my DAC for the conversion to analog. Thanks.
Very nice and instructive review! I have a general question. I own a pair of powered speakers with Bluetooth 4.2 included. I also have the P2 valvular DAC - preamp which also has Bluetooth (5.0). And finally a British Bluetooth device Taotronics, very small, also 5.0. Whenever I connect these 3 Bluetooth systems to my Moto G200 phone, when I am listening Tidal, from time to time some cracks and jumps within the track I am listening appear. Do you believe that I can overcome this problem with the IFI Zen Air? Thanks. Ezequiel
Nobody ever mentions my use case - our family’s cabin’s (old) stereo. I have all my siblings and their kids plus various family friends all wanting to play music when they use the cabin so I needed a decent but easy to use fool-proof Bluetooth receiver. This fits the bill perfectly and everyone loves how easy it is to use. Now the kids, parents and grandparents can all party with my big old Klipsch towers and ancient Denon receiver all summer long.
Sounds perfect James. I bet your Klipsch speakers sound superb too. 😀
I got a zen Air Blue a week after it came out back in March. I use it every day. I have it paired with my JDS. Labs atom+ amp. And my android as my music player. I unlocked the developers option in my phone each codec has bluetooth playback quality options in kbps then you have bluetooth bit per sample rate and your bluetooth audio sample rate in the typical 44.1 KHz to 96.0KHz. I'm kind of a new breed of audio head I like the bluetooth and the options it gives and how you can tweak the codec to the music quality your listening to.
Sounds like you’ve got a ideal setup for yourself 👍
Just bought one.......... very impressed..... didn't need the more complicated one. Stunning sound. Thanks :)
Thank you for the review.
I bought this device yesterday to replace a relatively new Chinese Bludento HD-BLT DAC.
I shall say I can feel the difference between HD and LDAC codec, when using Tidal. Definitely.
I have no complaints about Bludento, but this one is better. Sounds louder and a bit clearer.
Versus Zen Blue 2, I think it's louder with balanced output.
I wonder whether it's useful to have digital outputs, seeing that what the purpose of this device is to get an analog output.
A big hug from Lima, Perú.
Hi Aldo. Thanks for your feedback. Digital output is only relevant if needed by another component.
I have the Bludento too but I need a second unit to set up in my bedroom so I intend to buy the Zen Air to use in my main system downstairs if it’s actually better.
Ive been considering buying the ifi zen one signature (£350-00) which is basically the zen blu 2 and the ifi zen dac 2 built into one unit. Gets great reviews. Just to mention for people who dont know ifis range.
There is one point that I don't understand. What advantage is there in plugging this iFi Zen Air Dac into the mains socket (5V adapter) rather than only via USB into the computer? If I connected this DAC via the mains adapter, I would still have to plug the DAC into the computer's USB port at the same time, so what is the difference or advantage in concrete terms?
Also, I notice that the DC 5V adapter sold by iFi Audio (the "iFi Audio iPower", which is almost as expensive as the price of the iFI Audio Zen Air Dac!) has a function called "Active Noise Cancellation". When I connect only by USB cable the iFi Air DAC in my MacBook, I have no background noise in my DT-900 ProX headphones.
Great review Gavin, thx, just bought one after a couple of cheap chinese rip offs failed me.
Thanks Greg. Hope you enjoy it 👍
Thanks.
No mentioned from Ifi which dac chip are being used :(
I just learned if your source isn't BT 5.0 or above you not going to get the higher codecs this device can play.
For any of the codecs, the source has to be able to transmit the blue codec. Eg. iOS devices transmit AAC. So that will be your highest on the Zen Air Blue and any other device, like you said.
You can see the dac chip in the zen air blue pdf maual it's an ess 9023P
@@timothygoode7652 Thanks
Solid review. Clear concise and to the point. Well done.
Thanks Sonny 👍
Gavin, thank you for this review. I have a Denon RCDM39DAB unit with speakers. It has one red and one white Analog In at the back. Do you know if this iFi Zen Blue will work with this?
Mine works Adrian just the analogues
@@carefoots5 thanks David for your message
Hi - agree with your review - nice piece of kit. Don't know if you can help with a technical question though - I connect through my Android phone and when I get a call it plays through the unit. The option to turn this off in BT settings "phone calls" slider isn't there. Is there another way, do you know?
Thanks! Don't believe there is a way.
My plan is to use it with an amp and active speakers, do the sound quality is really diferent? my amp have coaxial and optical outputs to use them, is it really different from RCA? I own the HipDac 2 and for me the balanced vs unbalanced inputs are night and day difference! Will it be the same here?
Do your speakers have digital inputs then? I don’t quite understand your question. Air blue connects to your amp and then you connect the amp to your active speakers? If so, what are you asking? Wired connection will always be better than Bluetooth. Bluetooth is about convenience
Hi, thanks for the review. Any comments on the reception range of the zen air blue? Does it break up if the transmitter is in another room so that there's a brick wall between them?
You need to be in same room. The shorter the distance the better as it maintains the signal strength. I didn't try thru walls.
How to control volume without manipulating the app volume or amplifier/ speaker volume? Does this DAC has its own volume?
If you watched the video, there is no volume knob. I never had an issue with volume on the amp side.
If my tablet supports only A2DP BT v5, will the Zen blue air be an improvement comparing to my simple logitech BT receeiver?
It should be.
Pardon my ignorance, does balanced/not balanced make any difference when I am connecting this device to a stereo amp?
Not really.
Hello, can I connect this device to my high quality DAC? I need this device to connect my phone/tablet to the hi fi using the bluetooth of the zen, but I want to use my DAC for the conversion to analog. Thanks.
That’s not going to work as the air blue has its own dac & outputs analogue.
So is there any difference in sound quality between iFi ZEN Air blue and iFi ZEN blue 2?
Yes if using balanced headphones, the zen blue sounds better. otherwise not much in it.
@@GavinsGadgets Thanks a lot!
Very nice and instructive review! I have a general question. I own a pair of powered speakers with Bluetooth 4.2 included. I also have the P2 valvular DAC - preamp which also has Bluetooth (5.0). And finally a British Bluetooth device Taotronics, very small, also 5.0. Whenever I connect these 3 Bluetooth systems to my Moto G200 phone, when I am listening Tidal, from time to time some cracks and jumps within the track I am listening appear. Do you believe that I can overcome this problem with the IFI Zen Air? Thanks. Ezequiel
I don't think so. Your Moto phone is the culprit.
@@GavinsGadgets I used to have an Oppo A9 with the same problem...How to have a good connection by Bluetooth, is it possible?
By the way the Moto G200 has the Apt x HD codec for connecting
Its not about the codec but about the processor
Modern flagship processors should manage Tidal better. That or you have something in your room interfering