iFi Audio ZEN One Signature

iFi says: be at One with your sound
One DAC with universal
connectivity – iFi’s ZEN One Signature delivers exceptional sound from
every digital device in a home audio environment
Southport, England – Award-winning audio specialist iFi expands its ZEN
Signature range – enhanced, premium-grade devices based on the acclaimed,
entry-level ZEN Series – with the ZEN One Signature.
Described as a ‘universal DAC’ owing to its all-encompassing
input options, the ZEN One Signature takes the DAC stage from the ZEN DAC
V2, adds S/PDIF inputs (optical and coaxial) alongside the USB port, stirs
in Bluetooth technology from the ZEN Blue V2 and seasons the pot with
Signature-grade circuit enhancements to create a delicious audio brew. The
result is a pure DAC (no built-in headphone amp or volume control) that
serves as a home audio hub for all your digital devices, from smartphones
and tablets to PCs and Macs, disc players and audio servers to TVs and
games consoles.
The ZEN One Signature’s singular purpose is to take the
digital audio signal from any device, via cable or Bluetooth, and convert
it to analogue to feed an external amp and speakers (or headphones).
Coupling high-quality internal components with iFi’s class-leading circuit
design, it delivers a brilliant boost to sound quality however your devices
connect to it. For many, the ZEN One Signature is the one and only DAC they
will ever need in their home.
DAC’s the way to do it
The ZEN One Signature’s ‘digital engine’ is based around a
Burr-Brown DAC chipset that iFi uses extensively, selected for its
natural-sounding ‘musicality’ and True Native architecture. iFi’s
experience with this IC means it knows how to make the most of it; but
whilst intrinsic to the resulting sound, the creation of an exemplary DAC
stage involves much more than the selection of a particular DAC chip.
One such critical component is the XMOS chip that processes
the audio data received via the USB and S/PDIF digital inputs. The ZEN One
Signature uses a low-latency, 16-core XMOS microcontroller delivering
enhanced processing power; iFi’s in-house digital development team has
programmed the XMOS firmware to optimise sound quality and ensure a perfect
partnership with the Burr-Brown DAC. Extensive
jitter-eradication technologies are also applied to the digital stage,
including the latest generation of iFi’s GMT (Global Master Timing)
femto-precision clock and intelligent memory buffer.

The ZEN One Signature’s hi-res audio credentials encompass
32-bit/384kHz PCM over USB (192kHz over S/PDIF), all levels of DSD to
DSD256, and single- and double-speed DXD. Thanks to the Burr-Brown DAC
chip’s four-channel True Native design, PCM and DSD take separate pathways
– this enables DSD, as well as PCM, to remain ‘bit-perfect’ in its
native form right through to analogue conversion.
MQA – the hi-res streaming format – is also supported, with
full decoding of MQA files up to 384kHz. This means that the complete
‘three unfold’ decoding process is performed internally, as opposed to just
the final unfold in the manner of an MQA ‘renderer’ – ideal for subscribers
to Tidal’s ‘HiFi Plus’ tier, where Tidal Masters (MQA) content can be
found.
Bluetooth done better
While Bluetooth’s wireless convenience and wide device
compatibility is well recognised, many people don’t realise how good
Bluetooth audio can sound because they’ve only experienced it at base-level
quality via rudimentary SoC (System on Chip) implementations. iFi has gone
to great lengths to ensure its Bluetooth technology is state-of-the-art,
earning it a class-leading reputation.
Making full use of Qualcomm’s
latest four-core QCC5100 Bluetooth processing chip, every current
high-definition Bluetooth audio format is supported, including aptX
Adaptive and aptX HD, LDAC and HWA/LHDC. Other codecs covered include
regular aptX and aptX Low Latency, AAC and SBC (the ‘plain vanilla’
Bluetooth codec). This means that every possible source device is handled
at the highest audio resolution its Bluetooth specification allows.
The ZEN One Signature is Bluetooth v5.1-compliant, ensuring
the best possible range, stability and performance. Up to eight paired
Bluetooth source devices can be stored in memory, making it easy to switch
from one device to another.
Purity is paramount
While the ‘regular’ ZEN devices introduce the benefits of
balanced circuit design – lower noise, greater sonic purity – at
remarkably affordable prices, the Signature-level ZENs, such as the ZEN DAC
Signature and ZEN CAN Signature, further up the ante with their enhanced
true-differential balanced topologies.
The ZEN One Signature is no exception – from input to
output, every element of its circuitry is designed for pure performance.
Key surface-mounted components have been upgraded to high-end devices,
including Panasonic OS-CON and Elna Silmic II capacitors, and the design
has been refined to ensure short, direct signal paths. This results in even
greater sonic detail and expression.
Power can be supplied over USB from a connected device – a
laptop, for example – or directly from the mains via an AC/DC adapter.
Optimum performance is provided by iFi’s ultra-low noise iPower2 DC power
supply, included in the price (£69 when purchased separately).