Zen CAN 3 – High-Resolution Analogue Headphone Amplifier with xMEMS, Audiophile-Grade Sound, Gaming & Movie EQ Modes, 4.4mm Balanced and 6.35mm Outputs

High power with very low distortion Excellent amplifier for headphones

Je dois bien avouer, que j’ai été agréablement surpris lorsque j’ai écouté pour la 1er fois le ZEN CAN 3. Je l’ai associé avec mon FX-Audio DR07, qui possède 2 puces AKM 4493 et que j’ai upgradé avec deux OPA BUSON V5i, ainsi que par une alimentation linéaire. Le rendu était déjà chaleureux et précis, avec une séparation et une superposition des instruments et des voix assez remarquable. Eh bien avec le ZEN CAN 3 en bout de source, la dynamique c’est considérablement améliorée, la scène sonore est encore meilleure et j’obtiens plus de précision et des définitions. Je perds juste un peu en chaleur et J’obtiens ses résultats sans avoir à utiliser les options audio, tel que Xbass ou Xspace… Cet ampli est vraiment impressionnant, ses performances audio son excellentes et la qualité de fabrication de très haut niveau, franchement il n’y a rien à dire il vaut largement son prix. En plus il est très compact et vraiment joli. Je le recommande à 100%, tant pour sa qualité de fabrication exceptionnelle que pour ses qualités audio surprenantes ! Je suis tellement satisfait par cet ampli, que je viens juste de commandé le ZEN DAC V3 pour faire le combo parfait !

Mi sono sempre trovato bene con i prodotti ifi e questo non fa eccezione. Non sto a parlare di caratteristiche tecniche, per quelle il sito del produttore è prodigo di indicazioni, ma mi limiterò a dire che la qualità di questo amplificatore per cuffie è davvero notevole. Il suono è pulito e cristallino, con la tonalità leggermente calda e musicale tipica dei prodotti ifi. Di potenza ne ha da vendere direi: non ho pilotato cuffie con impedenza più alta di 300 Ohm, ma visto come va con le Sennheiser HD660S2, direi che non dovrebbe avere problemi anche con impedenze più alte. L'alimentazione è da 5v, quindi può essere alimentato anche da un power bank, diventando una soluzione non proprio portatile, ma quantomeno trasportabile. Se avete già il precedente modello, direi che potete tranquillamente evitare l'upgrade, a meno che non sappiate resistere al nuovo frontalino. Per il resto direi che l'unica differenza lampante sono un paio di filtri per i film ed il gaming, assolutamente trascurabili.

Der ifi ist mein ersten KH Verstärker. Ich habe hier die "Can" Version und nicht den "Dac" gewählt, da ich nur von einem stationären Sony Musicserver in 24bit höre. Von der Leistung her benötigen meine Kopfhörer "Denon AH-D 7200" (36 Ohm) eigentlich keinen Verstärker, aber betrieben an einem "Sony HAP-S1" Musikserver klingen mir diese zu dumpf. Die zweite Möglichkeit wäre, diese am Receiver "marantz NR1710" zu betreiben. Das klingt schon sehr viel feiner aufgelöst. Nun mein Test mit dem "ífi Zen Can 3". Schon im Normalzustand klingt dieser noch besser. Mit der Funktion "XBass+" sind die Bässe unglaublich tief ohne zu übersteuern. Nun noch den Raumklang erhöhen, mit der "XSpace" Möglichkeit. Man oh man, was für eine Bühne. Das hätte nicht gedacht. Ich bin schwer beeindruckt. Noch besser klingt dieser wahrscheinlich an offenen Kopfhörern, aber ich habe mich bewusst gegen Offene entschieden. Ich höre meine Musik zu Hause im Wohnzimmer und möchte meine Familienmitglieder nicht zwingen, dauernd meine Musik mit hören zu müssen. Dieser kleine Verstärker ist auch optisch ein High-Light. Vor dem Kauf habe ich unzählige Artikel über Kopfhörerverstärker studiert, von 50 - 3000 EUR. Dieser kleine "ifi Zen Can 3" ist einfach vom Preis/Leistungsverhältnis überragend. Das einzige was ich vermisse, ist eine kleine Fernbedienung. Ich kann diesen trotzdem uneingeschränkt empfehlen.

The Backstory: I had a DacMagic 200 left over from a Hifi set up and considered selling it, but after some night and day experiences changing to balanced audio output to my headphones I wondered if I could repurpose it as a bedside headphone rig. The DAC itself only has single ended out, and it’s lacklustre at that, so I wondered if I could find an affordable headphone amp that could take advantage of the balanced outs on the back of the DAC. Enter the iFi Zen Can 3. Balanced input on the back. I needed to make up or purchase a lead to convert the twin XLR outputs to the 4.4mm single input on the iFi amp, but that didn’t prove an issue, and now I was in business. The Sound: Extraordinary. Rich. Detailed. Beautifully spaced. Did I mention rich? Some amps create a sense of greater space by skimping on the lower mids. This one doesn’t. It drives my HD650s just fine, but absolutely excels with my Sundaras - all that space - and an old pair of Philips X2s that I could listen to all night (and did the first time I got the rig set up). But the star attraction is this combination with Meze 99s. Mind blowing. Stellar. A match made in heaven. It’s the best headphone sound I’ve ever had. And I’m sure part of that is the balanced in as well as the balanced out - the sound is warm and vibrant and engaging, but everything is spaced and placed incredibly naturally - I can hear everything, but entirely without fatigue. I’ve tried the contour switch on the bass, space, and bass+space settings and they each have their merits depending on the headphones. The bass setting was much subtler than I was expecting and to start with I could barely hear it, but then I realised I was expecting it to occur in the upper bass for a bump around the 80-100hz to warm up lean headphones (the Sundaras benefit from this, to my ears) but it appears to be subtly lifting the lower bass end, perhaps a db or two up centred around 50hz? Surprisingly, it works. And again, with that setting on, I could listen to the Sundaras all day. The X2s can benefit from the ‘space’ setting, but also sound as spacious as they ever have without it - again, I suspect the balanced signal path from DAC to amp, even though the X2s are single ended from the amp. Value for Money? There are some good headphone amps around at this price. Competition is stiff. But have a Topping A50s in my other headphone rig, and even with the D50s feeding it and the P50 clean powering them I still prefer this iFi Zen. I find it warmer and more engaging, even without the bass lift. But I think this unit really takes off if that balanced input can be utilised. The Zen DACs also have a balanced output on the back (with the same single 4.4mm plug, so connection to the Zen amp should be more straightforward) and while I’ve no need to test this combination, having already got the DacMagic in the system, I sense that this would be a very good value and fantastic sounding combination. Maybe I’ll buy a Zen DAC and sell the DacMagic after all! 😉 PS - iFi charge quite a bit for their 4.4mm balanced lead to connect their DAC to the amp - there are custom cable makers here on Amazon and on eBay who can make a very high quality alternative for half the price.