ZEN CAN 3
Plug In. World Out.
The Award-winning DAC/headphone amplifier for Home and Office.
The ZEN DAC 3 serves as your gateway to the world of high-resolution music, offering support for sample rates of up to 768kHz. This future-proof feature ensures full compatibility with all music formats available on streaming platforms, bringing you the best in sound quality.
Equipped with a built-in headphone amplifier and the versatility to function both as a DAC and a DAC/Pre, this all-encompassing device is the only piece of equipment you’ll need on your desk. It seamlessly connects to headphones, preamplifiers, integrated amplifiers, or active speakers, offering a comprehensive audio solution for home and office.
Refined to Perfection.
The acclaimed ZEN DAC series has garnered numerous awards, including being named WHAT Hi-Fi?’s Best DAC under £200 for four consecutive years.
The ZEN DAC 3 continues its legendary status by doubling its high-resolution support up to 768kHz, DSD512, and MQA decoding capabilities.
The USB-C connectivity streamlines cable management and provides USB input overvoltage protection, safeguarding it against potential harm. Moreover, a significant reduction in DC offset minimises audio clicks when adjusting settings. These improvements propel the ZEN DAC 3 to new heights of audio excellence.
Powering Your Headphones
The ZEN DAC 3 goes beyond being just a USB DAC, boasting a built-in headphone amplifier equipped with both balanced 4.4mm and SE 6.3mm headphone outputs.
With its high-performance 390mW headphone output power, you can use it with a broad range of headphones.
XBass+ is a switchable pure analogue signal processing mode designed to enhance the bass without compromising the clarity of the mid-range. It is perfect for use with IEMs or open-back headphones, which may lack bass response.
The amplifier stage includes a switchable gain feature called PowerMatch, which provides a gain boost for more demanding headphones.If you have headphones that demand even more power, you can connect the ZEN DAC 3 to the ZEN CAN headphone amplifier using a 4.4mm to 4.4mm balanced cable, stacking them up as a ZEN system.
DACtivate your speakers and amplifier.
The ZEN DAC 3 features a Variable or Fixed output switch.
In Variable mode, adjust volume using the knob when connecting directly to active speakers via our 4.4mm to XLR cable or RCA cables.
Use Fixed mode for connecting line outputs to a receiver or main amplifier.
The ZEN DAC 3 is the most versatile USB DAC in its class, offering multiple usage options.
USB-C Powered, Upgradeable Performance.
The ZEN DAC 3, powered by USB-C, simplifying cable management. However, for audiophiles seeking to elevate their system, the 5V power input offers an upgrade path.
When an external power supply is connected, the USB-C port will only transmit data, ensuring a purer signal.
The iFi iPower2 is an ultra-quiet, ultra-clean audiophile-grade power supply, featuring Active Noise Cancellation II technology to cancel out all incoming EMI and RFI noise, you’ll never feel powerless against noise and graininess again.
It is more than 10 times quieter than most audiophile power supplies.
ZEN CAN 3
Serenity in Every Detail.
With the darkest background, one discovers the tiniest details.
Incredible Power. Uncompromising Clarity.
Today the world is busy, fast, and full of noise. We know the power of music, and how it’s capable of taking you out of this world to someplace new. Somewhere tranquil, where melodies can uplift, and vocals can move you to tears.
The unrivalled clarity of the ZEN CAN 3 envelops you with raw, unadulterated emotion. Hear the crack of a voice, the crescendo of a chorus, the delicate whisper of a piano – every note and nuance is delivered with breathtaking precision. The ZEN CAN 3 ignites late-night listening sessions with its ability to effortlessly drive headphones – from xMEMS-based IEMs to high-end planars – delivering up to 2,000mW output power through the same Class A circuitry found in our flagship iCAN Phantom.
Isolate yourself from the chaos of the outside world with our all-new analogue EQ-modes, allowing for full immersion during intense gaming and movie marathons.
Future-Proof Features.
The ZEN CAN 3 now supports IEMs using xMEMS, an innovative micro-speaker technology pushing the boundaries of headphone performance.
- Ultra-fast mechanical response, 150 times faster than a typical dynamic driver
- Flat 2° phase response for more accurate sound reproduction
- +/- 1° phase matching for more accurate spatial sound
- Silicon speaker diaphragm, 95 times more rigid than plastic, for reduced speaker break-up and a less muddy midrange
By incorporating the pioneering xMEMS amplification first found in the flagship iDSD Diablo-X, the ZEN CAN 3 can deliver the voltage required for optimal operation of this cutting-edge technology, bringing the power of xMEMS to a whole new audience and ensuring that you are ready for the future as it happens.
Crisp Footsteps. Clear Voices.
Have you ever experienced watching a thrilling scene only to struggle to hear what the characters are saying? This is a frustration shared by many, as streamed content often has dialogue that gets lost amidst background sounds and music.
Enter movie mode, an EQ specifically designed to address the clarity of dialogue in streamed content, enabling you to fully immerse in the narrative without straining to hear or decipher what is being said.
Game mode caters directly to the needs of those constantly seeking any
advantage they can get in competitive play.
Gamers understand the importance of hearing even the faintest sounds that can give away an opponent’s position or signal an approaching threat.
Game mode’s EQ enhances this aspect of gameplay by sharpening subtle, low-level sound effects, ensuring that every sound becomes more distinct and easier to pinpoint. Whether navigating through intense firefights or sneaking up on enemies, this heightened audio sensitivity allows you to stay one step ahead of opponents.
Prodigious Power.
With its impressive 2,000mW output power, the ZEN CAN 3 offers a significant upgrade to the way you experience music through headphones, with unprecedented clarity and headroom.
Its ability to handle dynamic peaks with ease means you can experience music as it was meant to be heard – vivid, immersive, and profoundly moving. It means more than just loudness – it’s about feeling the music resonate through you, stirring your soul and creating a connection that transcends mere sound.
Whether its planar magnetic headphones requiring more power to drive accurately, or high-impedance models that need ample current delivery, the ZEN CAN 3 rises to the challenge.
Superior Components. Class A Sound.
The ZEN CAN 3 features trickle-down Class A discrete balanced circuitry from our flagship headphone amplifier. Underpinning the circuitry are cherry-picked, premium components from Panasonic, TDK, MELF, Texas Instruments and muRata.
The amplification stage boasts iFi/AMR’s own ‘OV’ (Operationsverstärker) series op-amps, outperforming commercial chips that use low-grade copper and inexpensive aluminium bond-wire.
Performance of the ZEN CAN 3 is optionally upgradable by powering with an ultra-quiet power supply. The SilentPower iPower2 boasts performance more than 10 times quieter than other audiophile solutions – ensuring the clarity you crave is never compromised.
DSP-Free Purity.
Unlike other audiophile offerings, all the ZEN CAN 3’s features are done with analogue circuitry, as opposed to Digital Signal Processing (DSP), where the audio signal is manipulated before being converted to true analogue sound.
Instead, the ZEN CAN 3 leverages the natural advantages of analogue circuitry: it maintains the integrity of the sound, introduces less phase shift and distortion, and boasts a more natural-sounding adjustment of frequencies.
iFi’s signature analogue bass enhancement, XBass+, is designed to make bass hit harder without compromising the clarity of the midrange – perfect for when you’re listening with IEMs or open-back headphones that lack bass response.
XSpace recreates the expansive soundstage of speakers, transforming headphone listening from confined and ‘inside your head’ to natural and spacious. This technology makes music come alive, offering a concert-like sound experience without losing any detail or resolution – all achieved through the innovative design of our circuitry.
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