iFi Audio Zen Stream

Ifi Audio Zen Stream

The new member of the acclaimed ZEN series of good-sounding and well-built products from audio specialists iFi Audio also follows the naming of the other family members, where name follows function and is therefore simply named Stream.

Zen Stream is a highly flexible Wi-Fi audio transport that supports both Tidal and Spotify Connect out of the box. In reality, it can stream virtually all currently relevant audio formats and with support for both Airplay and Chromecast (soon software update) there is free play from all iOS and Android devices. Zen stream is connected digitally to your system either via SPDIF or USB to the DAC you prefer to use. Stream acts as a bridge between your music sources and your sound system, over both wired and wireless networks. If you don't have a DAC, it is obvious to combine the Stream with a Zen DAC from the same family.
Unlike many other manufacturers' products, Stream is based on an open platform and with software that can be easily updated online, ifi Audio believes that it offers greater flexibility and a more future-proof product.
The open platform provides many options for playing your music from e.g. a NAS drive, a computer, wireless from streaming services such as Tidal, Spotify, Qobuz and via DLNA clients such as ROON, Audirvana, JRiver and others. ZEN Stream is compatible with the ROON Bridge, making it suitable for integration with ROON. A full certification for ROON is also on the way.
ZEN Stream handles high-resolution audio with a maximum resolution of up to 32bit / 384kHz as well as DSD up to 11.2 MHz (DSD 256). The two clear LED lights on the front of the Zen Stream show the connection speed to your network and the quality (sampling rate/KHz) of the music files you play.
The ZEN Stream is a pure streamer/transport and must therefore be connected to an external DAC, an amplifier with a built-in D/A converter or an active speaker with a digital input. On the back of the Stream there are two SuperSpeed ​​USB 3.0 with ANCII (Active Noise Cancellation II) for connecting a storage device and connecting to a USB DAC. There is also a Gigabit Ethernet connection for connecting the Zen Stream with a fixed cable. ANCII (Active Noise Cancellation II) is a patented iFi Audio technology that reduces noise dramatically. You can also connect the Zen Streamer via the coaxial digital output with built-in iPurifier which, among other things, is a galvanic separation of the SPDIF output.
ZEN Stream has the ability to adapt and optimize the signal depending on the source you are using. Exclusive mode disables the functions you do not use, in order to give the specific source as clean a signal as possible, since Stream will not 'look' for those signals on the network.
You can configure Zen Stream on the back to one of the following five modes:

1. All-In-One (AIO)
Works for all platforms, audio formats and sources, searched for everything on the network
2. DLNA streaming
Optimal when using ZEN Stream with DLNA compatible apps and sources
3. NAA (Network Audio Adapter)
Used when ZEN Stream is used as NAA with, for example, Signalyst HQ-Player software
4. ROON Bridge streaming
Optimal choice when Zen Stream is integrated with ROON
5. Tidal streaming
If you use Tidal Masters, this is the one you choose
In usual iFi Audio spirit, the interior of the ZEN Stream is built from high-quality and specially selected components. The heart of the streamer is the powerful ARM Cortex Quad-core 64-bit processor, which provides lightning-fast signal processing and delivers superb sound, super detailed in maximum resolution. The internal software that handles signal processing is a proprietary ifi Audio software. The digital outputs are controlled by a femto-precision Global Master Timing (GMT) clock combined with an intelligent memory buffer to completely eliminate jitter. The active noise reduction reduces unwanted noise in the USB connections, and the coaxial digital signal is cleaned and re-clocked by the built-in iPurifer technology.
Ifi Audio Zen Streamer in Headlines:
o Supports Tidal Connect and Spotify Connect
o Integrated AirPlay and Chromecast (upcoming update)
o Supports up to 32bit / 384kHz, DSD 256
o Compatible with ROON
o Works as NAA (Network Audio Adapter)
o Asynchronous USB output, ANCII (Active noise reduction II) Rebalance = iSilenser. Bi-directional, 384kHz
o SPDIF galvanically separated / Reclock regenerate = iPurifier technology. SPDIF 192Khz
o Built-in GUI (graphical user interface) where, among other things, playlists can be created from the music on the network
o Built-in web Radio
o Can also be used as a NAA (Network Audio Adapter) with, for example, Signalyst Software
o Exclusive modes, instead of looking for all data packages on the network (roon, Tidal, Spotify, etc.), Zen Stream can be limited to only Tidal, or Roon, etc.
o Built-in Dual-band WiFi 2.4 and 5 GHz (802.11a / b / g / n / ac)