Ifi Zen Streamer plus upgraded power supply - the streamer to beat??
Hi Fellow Audiophile nerds,
I know everyone likes to put a plug in for whatever products they happen to have in their system. I'm no better. But, I thought it would be worth sharing my experience with the ifi Zen Stream paired with an upgraded linear power supply, because it sounds great and seems like a really good value for what you get.
The ifi Zen stream is a small device, purpose built, with USB output. It cost me $400 USD on Amazon. Has been favorably reviewed by many including Absolute Sound, Audio Excellence Canada, and others. Some reviewers mentioned issues connecting to wifi, but I haven't had any problems. Ifi claims the product downloads firmware updates automatically. Streaming via Tidal Connect has been rock solid for me thus far.
I added a linear power supply from a British company called McRU - recommended by the British Audiophile. McRU makes a power supply for the Zen Stream and it costs around $350.
So, with this $750 combination, it seems I have a streamer with most of the features that you would find in high-end streamers from Auralic or Aurendor, and they retail from something like $3500 and way up. What I don't yet have is I2S output and a really good internal clock to reduce jitter before going into my DAC. But, Denafrips offers 3 digital to digital units, with their entry level Iris going for about $550 USD. So that's another option for those wanting to improve performance further.
How does it all sound? Going from a Bluesound Node 2i using coaxial output into a Denafrips Ares II, to the Zen stream with upgraded power supply USB output into the Denafrips Ares II the upgrade was very significant. More clarity, darker (less noisy) background, better instrument separation, and overall the sound seems to have a bit more weight to it.
Just thought I'd share this, and would love to hear others' opinions and experiences.
@joshindc I apologise, you were only comparing features, my bad. To evaluate the quality of streaming you're getting compare it to a cd or a recording on your HDD or SSD. A good DAC is essential, if you get one with an Amanero USB board/input you won't need a re-clocker and it'll have I2S but USB should be fine. |
I didn't feel like running into the same issues I did before with the ifi unit, so I ended up getting a referb Cambridge cxn v2 off ebay the other day. Might even do the modwright upgrades too if I really like the Cambridge. I use roon, so the software side of things don't bother me but the ifi was such a pita in that it would lock up, wouldn't connect to anything other than roon (no spotify or airplay), lights would go out and then you would have to reboot it etc..... |
@blkwrxwgn I’d be VERY interested in your findings as I’m looking at the iFi Zen Stream with an upgraded power supply but also entertaining the ProJect Stream Box, which, to me, is a pi on steroids. My bias, iFi Stream with upgraded iFi power supply and $80 optical isolation link as discussed in other threads here. But your impressions would be extremely helpful. Thanks! |
@soix Spent a few days with the Cambridge. I’ll keep it short but I wanted to be able to use just the cambridge on it’s own since it’s supposed to have a pretty good DAC. So I listened to it on it’s own for a bit and thought it sounded great! I was really happy to be able to sell the RME ADI 2 and be done........then I switched back to the pi 4 and RME setup and was immediately woken up to how good that DAC is. I then thought I was going to end up sending the Cambridge back until I then hooked the RME up to the Cambridge and that’s when I found the happy spot. I think the ifi or Cambridge with a great DAC like the RME is the way to go. The DAC in the Cambridge is no match for the RME and then you get a much smaller but still an upgrade using the cambridge over the pi 4 setup. I spent a few months with the ifi and I think the ifi might have a very very slight advantage to the cambridge sound wise but I don’t think I want to deal with their issues and lack of customer support again. I like the package of the cambridge, it worked immediately with my roon setup and the small screen is nice but it needs an upgraded DAC for sure.
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This thread has been valuable to me, thanks! I also am interested in the iFi stream however having a screen would seem useful. I've been researching streaming devices and recently procured a Qobuz subscription and playing it through my new apple laptop. Still quantifying my needs prior to purchasing a streamer or streamer/server. |
