iFi Audio offers with the Zen DAC Signature an improved version of its Zen DAC V2. This one gets rid of its headphone amplification stage to concentrate on its digital/analog conversion stage and to get the best performances thanks to a circuit and high-end components. We find there for example Panasonic OS-CON, Murata and ELNA Silmic II capacitors, a GMT clock or a TOCOS multi-track potentiometer. The circuit has been redesigned to be as short as possible, in order to ensure a direct transmission of the signal. This design favors an expressive sound reproduction of great precision.

True Native architecture

The digital stage of the Zen DAC Signature keeps the True Native architecture thanks to the use of a Burr Brown chip, a brand often solicited by iFi Audio for the musicality of its components. The True Native architecture allows to support high sampling rates, up to 32bit 384kHz PCM, DSD256 (Native) but also to support DXD and MQA decoding. The sample rate of the file being played is also indicated by the color of the LED behind the volume knob.

iFi Audio's programmed 8-core XMOS USB interface provides fast and efficient processing of data received from the USB input, and audiophile-grade oscillators ensure minimal jitter for perfect digital audio signal handling.

Connections

The Zen DAC Signature offers a simple but very effective connectivity. The USB-B input supports SuperSpeed 3.0 technology. The transmission is asynchronous, the data rate being regulated by the clock circuit to ensure high precision and extremely low jitter.

The output can be either an unbalanced stereo RCA or a balanced 4.4mm jack. The latter allows you to enjoy a high quality balanced audio transmission.

Fixed or variable level

The outputs of the Zen DAC Signature can be used with either a fixed or variable output level, with a switch on the back of the unit to select the desired option.

Thus, selecting a variable level will allow volume control to be applied to the audio signal, with the Zen DAC Signature then functioning as a preamplifier, which can be connected directly to a power amplifier.

On the other hand, the fixed level allows you to bypass the volume control, setting the output level to 4.2V balanced and 2.1V unbalanced. This parameter is therefore mainly used for use with an external preamplifier, an integrated amplifier or active speakers with their own volume controls.