The Best ZEN Blue Ever
The ultra-affordable hi-res Bluetooth DAC from iFi Audio just got even better! The new ZEN Blue V2 is the same hi-res DAC you know and love but better, thanks to an improved Bluetooth antenna that will increase range by up to 80 percent.
Just add a smartphone, tablet, PC or Mac to the ZEN Blue V2. And chillax. Whether youÂ’re into Spotify, Amazon, Apple Music, Qobuz or Tidal, the ZEN Blue V2 will deliver fabulously flawless music to suit your mood via breathtaking hi-res Bluetooth.
Hi-res to the Nth Degree
All current and future Bluetooth® audio formats are supported. This includes Qualcomm’s aptX and aptX HD, aptX Low Latency, aptX Adaptive, LDAC and HWA/LHDC, hi-res Bluetooth® codecs created by Sony and Huawei respectively, AAC, Apple’s favored format, and SBC, the standard Bluetooth® codec. This means every possible source device is covered, at the highest resolution Bluetooth specification. And future codecs can be added with over-the-air updates.
Not All Bluetooth Is Created Equal
Have utter confidence in the sound quality of the ZEN Blue V2. It uses Bluetooth5.0, the very latest version, and the newest Qualcomm 5100 chip to process all incoming Bluetooth data. An onboard ESS Sabre DAC chip ensures an extremely smooth digital to analog conversion.
The iFi Bluetooth implementation does not use a standard SOC (System On a Chip) as seen elsewhere. It uses a combination of quality elements to extract the most from each stage. The Qualcomm chip routes the raw, digital Bluetooth signal to a specialized Sabre DAC chip to convert the signal from digital to analog – any jitter is eliminated using iFi's GMT femto-precision clock system to deliver Bluetooth that is a cut above.
The Connections You Want and Need
The ZEN Blue gives you the best of both worlds with its connectivity. Analog connections let you connect via RCA to amps or active speakers or via the 4.4mm output to amps/speakers with a balanced input. With digital, use the optical and coaxial connections to connect to anything with a built-in DAC and corresponding digital input, such as your TV, an AV amp or an external DAC in your hi-fi set-up.
Truly Special Balanced Design
The ZEN Blue boasts a very special analog output stage. It's balanced, and that's something not normally seen in DACs at this price point. It is a superior method to the traditional single-ended circuit approach. Balanced means less noise interference/crosstalk.
ZEN Blue has RCA and balanced outputs at HiFi standard level plus 2V SE and 4V BAL. So, it's compatible with both hi-fi and pro systems. All this is underpinned by high-quality circuit components, such as C0G capacitors from TDK, and fed by a precision low-noise power supply from Texas Instruments.
Additionally, iFi improved its Global Master Timing (GMT) clock circuitry to give you an even smoother musical ride. It means >20db better performance for even more ZEN.
Superior Internal Components
High quality internal components to into the ZEN Blue V2. Texas Instruments low-noise ICs offer great unity-gain bandwidth, very low noise and distortion, high output drive capability, Common-mode and Power Supply Rejection Ratios of over 100 dB, wide maximum-output-swing bandwidths and high slew rates.
TDK C0G (Class 1 ceramic) capacitors offer high stability and low losses for resonant circuit applications. Getting ever closer to the theoretical ideal of pure, frequency-constant capacitance, these capacitors reduce capacitor-induced distortion to vanishingly low levels. They are pricey but are a perfect addition to the ZEN Blue V2.
