ifi Zen DAC Signature V2

Name: ifi Zen DAC Signature V2
Brand: iFi Audio
Price: 599.00 NZD
Availability: InStock

$599.00

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Enjoy an enhanced experience

The ZEN DAC Signature V2 has been improved to offer an even greater, purer listening experience.

Just like the original, its sole purpose is to feed an external amp, be it a headphone amp, or an amp and speakers.

Unlike the original, it has a 16 core XMOS chip instead of 8. This new and improved digital engine is more powerful than ever. We’ve also upgraded the clock circuitry to enhance the purist, audiophile design even further.

Enjoy music without any distortion or colouration.

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Specifications

These two components sounded more expensive than they are and offer impressive sound quality—and a bit of style—for not a lot of money.

Stereophile

Balanced. Blissfully quiet.

The ZEN DAC Signature V2 incorporates boutique parts and circuitry inspired by the £3,000 iFi Pro range.

It sports a fully-symmetrical, true differential balanced dual-mono signal stage with direct signal paths to ensure optimal signal purity.

The new low jitter crystal clock means >20dB better noise reduction. The ZEN DAC Signature V2 will remain quiet wherever it’s used.

Outstanding components including C0G capacitors from TDK, Panasonic OS-CON and ELNA Slimic II capacitors complete the design.

16 core means more…

MQA an award-winning British technology that delivers the sound of the original master recording.

Thanks to the processing power of the new 16 core XMOS chip, the ZEN DAC Signature V2 is now a full MQA decoder.

The ZEN DAC Signature V2 includes MQA technology, which enables you to play back MQA audio files and streams, delivering the sound of the original master recording. The LED glows green or blue to indicate that the unit is decoding and playing an MQA stream or file, and denotes provenance to ensure that the sound is identical to that of the source material. It glows blue to indicate it is playing an MQA Studio file, which has either been approved in the studio by the artist/producer or has been verified by the copyright owner.

Confident connections

You can trust in accurate, jitter free data transfer from your source device. The USB Type B input is asynchronous, meaning that the data rate is regulated solely by the ZEN DAC Signature V2’s specialised, and now upgraded, audio clock circuitry.

A pair of RCA sockets provide a single-ended connection to an amp and a Balanced 4.4mm output enables balanced signal transfer between compact products that cannot accommodate traditional, bulky XLR connections.

The full benefit of the ZEN DAC Signature V2’s balanced circuit design can be heard when connected to an amp or active speakers equipped with a balanced input. This can be either a 4.4mm Balanced input, or stereo XLR inputs via a 4.4mm-to-XLR cable.

Fixed or variable. You decide.

The outputs of the ZEN DAC Signature V2 can be switched between ‘variable’ and ‘fixed’.

Variable – use this setting if you wish the ZEN DAC Signature V2 to control the volume of powered speakers or its volume as a preamp.

Fixed – this option is for when you use it with downstream equipment with its own volume control. This will bypass the ZEN DAC Signature V2 as if there was a ‘straight wire’ from the digital source to the analogue amplifier.

Who is this for?

The Zen DAC Signature V2 is perfect for the discerning listener who's ready to elevate their desktop or small room listening experience beyond what a computer or phone can deliver. If you've been streaming high-resolution files or spinning vinyl and wondering why your music doesn't sound as alive as it should, this is your entry point into true high-fidelity sound. It speaks directly to those who spend hours at their desk working, gaming, or simply losing themselves in music and want every session to feel like a private concert.

This DAC shines in nearfield listening environments—think home offices, bedrooms, or cozy dens where you're sitting three to eight feet from your speakers or wearing quality headphones. You'll want to pair it with powered studio monitors, a compact integrated amplifier driving bookshelf speakers, or directly with headphones ranging from sensitive IEMs to more demanding planar magnetic models. The Zen DAC Signature V2 sits comfortably between your digital sources and your amplification, converting those digital files into an analog signal that preserves the warmth, detail, and dimensionality your music deserves.

You don't need to be a seasoned audiophile to appreciate what this component brings to your system, but you should be someone who notices when instruments sound more natural, when vocals gain texture and presence, or when a song suddenly reveals layers you've never heard before. If you're transitioning from all-in-one solutions or basic equipment and want a meaningful upgrade that doesn't require remortgaging your home, the Zen DAC Signature V2 delivers reference-quality performance at an accessible price point.