IFi Audio ZEN Blue V2 – Balanced Wireless Bluetooth DAC

Not all Bluetooth is created equal

Have utter confidence in the sound quality of the ZEN Blue V2. It uses Bluetooth 5.0, and the newe Qualcomm 5100 chip to process all incoming Bluetooth data. The ESS Sabre DAC chip is there to ensure an extremely smooth digital to analogue conversion. Banish standard ‘Bluetooth Blues’ with the ZEN Blue V2.

Chill with the best of both worlds

Analogue – connect via RCA to amps or active speakers or via the 4.4mm output to amps/speakers with a balanced input. Digital – use the optical and coaxial connections to connect to anything with a built-in DAC and corresponding digital input – your TV, an AV amp or an external DAC in your hi-fi set-up.

Balanced design is truly special

The analogue output stage is balanced, not normally seen in DACs at this price point. Balanced means less noise, interference/crosstalk. It has RCA and balanced outputs at HiFi standard level; 2V SE and 4V BAL and is therefore compatible with both HiFi and Pro systems.

High-Quality Components

All underpinned by high-quality circuit components such as C0G capacitors from TDK and it’s fed by a precision low-noise power supply from Texas Instruments to make this a rare entry-priced beastie. Plus, iFi have improved their Global Master Timing (GMT) clock circuitry to give you an even smoother musical ride. It means >20db better performance for even more ZEN.

Technical Specifications

• Chipsets: Qualcomm QCC 5100 Series (Bluetooth) / ESS Sabre (DAC)
• Input: Bluetooth 5.1™ with AAC, SBC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, aptX LL, LDAC, HWA Codec
• Digital Output: S/PDIF Coaxial RCA / S/PDIF Optical
• Analogue Output: 4.4mm Balanced / RCA Stereo (Single Ended)
• Frequency Response: 10-48K (-2DB) under LDAC
• Output Voltage @ OdBFS: 2.05V (+/-0.05V)
• Dynamic Range: 109dB (A)
• Signal/Noise ratio: 111dBA/106.5dBA (BAL/S-BAL)
• THD & N @ OdBFS: <0.009% (BAL 6.5mW/2.0V @ 600Ω) / <0.03% (SE 100mW/1.27V @ 16Ω)
• Output Impedance: <50Ω
• Power Consumption: <2.5W
• Dimensions: 158 (I) x 100 (w) x 35 (h) mm
• Weight: 476g (1.05 Ibs)

Features

• Ultra-affordable Hi-Res Bluetooth DAC
• All current and future Bluetooth audio formats are supported
• AAC, SBC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, aptX LL, LDAC, HWA Codec
• Improved Bluetooth antenna increases range by up to 80%
• Spotify, Amazon, Apple Music, Qobuz or Tidal compatibility
• ESS Sabre DAC chip
• Balanced analogue output stage
• Connects via RCA or balanced 4.4mm output
• Digital connections connects to anything with a built-in DAC and digital input
• Compatible with HiFi and Pro audio systems