iFi ZEN Air Blue 2, iFi ZEN Air DAC 2 And iFi ZEN Air Phono 2
IFi EXPANDS ZEN AIR RANGE WITH THREE NEW MODELS
iFi Audio has announced three additions to its entry-level ZEN Air range: the iFi ZEN Air Blue 2 Bluetooth receiver, iFi ZEN Air DAC 2 desktop DAC/amp, and iFi ZEN Air Phono 2 phono stage.
All three products are positioned as upgrades for existing HiFi systems, focusing on improved connectivity, headphone listening, and vinyl playback respectively.
IFI ZEN AIR BLUE 2 BLUETOOTH RECEIVER
The iFi ZEN Air Blue 2 is designed to add or upgrade Bluetooth functionality in a HiFi system. It uses Bluetooth 5.4 and supports a wide range of codecs including aptX Lossless, LDAC, aptX Adaptive, HD, AAC and SBC.
The device features a triple-stage architecture, separating Bluetooth reception, digital-to-analogue conversion and amplification into dedicated stages. A Qualcomm QCC3095 chipset handles wireless reception, while an ESS Sabre DAC is used for conversion.
The ZEN Air Blue 2 is designed for use beyond the home, with 5–12V DC input allowing integration into vehicles and other battery-powered systems. It also includes automatic power-on when used in a car setup. RCA outputs are provided, and specifications listed in the appendix (page 5) include a signal-to-noise ratio of 109dB and frequency response up to 40kHz at higher sample rates.
IFI ZEN AIR DAC 2
The iFi ZEN Air DAC 2 is a desktop DAC and headphone amplifier built around a Cirrus Logic DAC, replacing the previous generation’s design. The unit introduces a balanced 4.4mm headphone output, alongside single-ended connectivity.
iFi states that the new DAC implementation improves clarity and distortion performance, while the addition of balanced circuitry aims to reduce noise and crosstalk. Output power has been increased compared to the previous model, with quoted figures of up to 484mW RMS and significantly higher peak output.
The DAC 2 also includes XBass+ and PowerMatch analogue processing options, allowing users to adjust low-frequency response and gain for different headphones. A revised chassis adds a metal fascia, new finish, and a dedicated power button.
IFI ZEN AIR PHONO 2 PHONO STAGE
The iFi ZEN Air Phono 2 is a phono stage supporting both moving magnet (MM) and moving coil (MC) cartridges, with selectable gain modes. It incorporates RIAA equalisation with a stated accuracy of ±0.15dB.
The design includes a symmetrical channel layout and custom operational amplifiers. According to the specifications, the unit achieves a low equivalent input noise figure, contributing to reduced background noise during playback.
An in-house subsonic filter is included to address record warp without significantly affecting low-frequency content. The phono stage is intended as an upgrade over built-in stages found in turntables and amplifiers. Additional specifications listed in the appendix (page 5) include channel separation greater than 75dB and maximum output voltage of 6.5V RMS.
IFI ZEN AIR BLUE 2, ZEN AIR DAC 2 AND ZEN AIR PHONO 2 PRICE AND AVAILABILITY
All three models are priced at £129 / $129 USD / €149 / $189 CAD.
HiFi PiG says: Another suite of affordable and useful new products from iFi.
