iFi ZEN Stream

[Confused]

Hi Confused,
I also have the 1000 pro, the Zen sounds much better compared to the Ci board. Both using the same Ethernet connection via OCXO switch and optical.
A friend with a 440 pro is of the same opinion. I had 2 stacked Mutec MC3 USB with the REF 10 which was not really better as the CI board for my taste.
Maybe I did something wrong with the Mutecs, wrong clock cable, who knows. But the Zen alone gives the best SQ so far...

So that is with the Zen to Devialet direct via USB, which is not something I have ever tried. (I only tried S/PDIF direct to the Devialet)

Maybe I should try this. If my ears say Zen USB better, or as good, as the Mutec / REF10, then I have a system simplification opportunity!

Regarding the REF10. I have seen lots of measurements for the REF10, but never any measurements that show the actual improvement for the device that it is connected to.

So it is a fabulously accurate 10MHz clock, but by how much does this actually improve the MC3+USB? Not even Mutec offer such measurements, which is a little strange as one device is specifically sold to be used with the other.

[Vivialet]

I think a good clock inside the audio device makes more sense than a very expensive external clock. The signal is already degraded by the cable and connectors and noone knows what happens in the audio device itself. Maybe the MC3 (or other devices) degrades the clock signal further. Better some good and much cheaper OCXO inside.
Regarding the Zen: I have tried all 3 options to the Devialet: USB, SPDIF to SPDIF and SPDIF to AES (with my old link cable). There is not a huge difference if there is a difference at all.
Will try a better USB cable in the next days, the SPDIF cable is an old Wireworld Starlight Gold 5. I think SPDIF is slightly better currently, that may change with a better USB cable.

@ifi: when do you release the Zen 2 with 10 Mhz input, even better internal clock and AES out ? :>) I guess that would find some customers here...

[hardcore]

@ifi: when do you release the Zen 2 with 10 Mhz input, even better internal clock and AES out ? :>) I guess that would find some customers here...

The user manual for an 'ifi NEO Stream' is downloadable but the product has not been announced yet. @markush heard that it is coming end of August.

This one has some interesting features:
- Optical Network input
- AES / Toslink / SPDIF / I2S outputs

https://manuals.plus/ifi/neo-stream-ultr...manual.pdf

[Confused]

Hi Confused,
Thankts for checking this. This is exactly what I see in Roon if I select the Roon only mode on the Zen. If I select the all-in-one mode I can correctly select the Devialet USB input. This only disappears in the Roon only mode.
Btw the SPDIF output does sound worse than USB and also has dropouts. I use Roon for upsampling to PCM max x2, so 176 or 192 khz. 192 is mainly working, but 176 is having lots of dropouts. I have opened a ticket for this.
Only usable path for me is currently mode 1 of the Zen with USB.

It is frustrating that you get these dropouts in Roon mode. The one thing I like about the Zen is that for me it has been 100% stable and drop out free, but this is specifically in NAA mode at 24/192.

If you are interested, I can try mine in Roon mode, S/PDIF, 176.4, and see if I can replicate the issue. This is easy enough for me to try, and I know that when I have had similar issues in the past it is always good to know that the issue is common and not "just me". (Just me is always a worry!)

I finally got around to trying this, it has been a busy few weeks recently.

With the Zen in Roon only "Mode 2":

USB - Everything works fine, 16/44.1, 176.4, 192 - no issues

S/PDIF

16/44.1 was fine.

When I first tried 176.4, I did get a couple of dropouts. To me they were more like very brief "stutters". But that was only in the first few seconds of the first track. After that, 176.4 worked fine.

I then tried 192, this was trouble free. 

I tried 176.4 again for a second run, no issues whatsoever. Never again could I replicate that initial 176.4 stutter, curious. Maybe a one off glitch?

The above was feeding my Mutec. 

I then tried the Zen in Mode 2, S/PDIF feeding the Devialet directly. Again no issues, stutter and dropout free, including 176.4 and 192

Overall, the Room ready mode seems fine. (Except for the Devialet direct USB issue)

[Confused]

@ifi: when do you release the Zen 2 with 10 Mhz input, even better internal clock and AES out ? :>) I guess that would find some customers here...

The user manual for an 'ifi NEO Stream' is downloadable but the product has not been announced yet. @markush heard that it is coming end of August.

This one has some interesting features:
- Optical Network input
- AES / Toslink / SPDIF / I2S outputs

https://manuals.plus/ifi/neo-stream-ultr...manual.pdf

This looks interesting.

Although note that the Neo Stream includes a DAC, which is a redundant feature if using as a pure streamer to the Devialet.

That said, the inclusion of the DAC might be a useful future feature if you upgrade your streamer one day and want to repurpose the Neo somehow. An extra NAA or Roon endpoint to play with somewhere.

I like repurposing things rather than selling. For example, if the Neo looks good and I actually buy one, I have a desktop RME ADI-2 DAC fs that would work very nicely fed by the Zen.

[Vivialet]

I have replaced the Zen with an Audio-GD DI 20 HE. Simply connected to a NUC PC via USB iit plays on a higher level as the Zen. My ZEN installation included 2 Ferrum Hypsos power supplies, a Sonore OM with some other expensive network stuff. Compared to that the Audio- GD is a bargain.
And it is still in the burn in phase…

[hardcore]

I have replaced the Zen with an Audio-GD DI 20 HE. Simply connected to a NUC PC via USB iit plays on a higher level as the Zen. My ZEN installation included 2 Ferrum Hypsos power supplies, a Sonore OM with some other expensive network stuff. Compared to that the Audio- GD is a bargain.
And it is still in the burn in phase…

Why not use the Zen as the source for the Audio-GD? I believe the Audio-GD has USB and SPDIF inputs as well.

[Vivialet]

currently I'm doing that because I have some clicks if I connect the PC directly to the Audio-GD. I guess that happens because my audio system is getting power from an AQ Niagara 5000 while the PC is connected to a normal wall outlet. Need to test more. But with the exception of these rare clicks I cannot hear any difference in SQ.

[hardcore]

currently I'm doing that because I have some clicks if I connect the PC directly to the Audio-GD. I guess that happens because my audio system is getting power from an AQ Niagara 5000 while the PC is connected to a normal wall outlet. Need to test more. But with the exception of these rare clicks I cannot hear any difference in SQ.

Ah interesting, so you don't hear much difference between PC and ZS then?

I use a PC and Singxer DDC myself. A friend also has a DI-20HE and is using it with a NUC with linear power supply. We both got this optical USB cable to use between the PC and DDC and it is has proven to be one of the single biggest improvements, not expensive either.

https://fibbrcable.com/products/alpha-us...udio-cable

[Vivialet]

I searched already for optical USB cables here in Germany, I think this could solve the problem.