iFi Zen DAC3

This third-gen DAC takes several steps forward (and some back)

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IFi’s Zen DAC was launched back in 2019. Since then, it has remained a sensible buy for those looking for a quality digital-to-analogue converter at an affordable price. This distinctively shaped unit has proved ideal for improving a computer's sound when using headphones or feeding a conventional speaker-based hi-fi system.

The iFi Zen DAC V2 is a former What Hi-Fi? Award winner, and this third-generation model proves reassuringly familiar. Significant changes include a shift from the last-generation’s USB-Type B input to a USB-C, and improved file compatibility that now takes in 32-bit/768kHz PCM and DSD512 hi-res music streams.

Audioquest's Award-winning DragonFly Cobalt (£179) is the most obvious competitor, while the pricier Chord Mojo 2 (currently available for £395) provides a broader context.

Take a look inside the iFi Zen DAC 3 and you will find a 16-core XMOS processor running iFi's in-house software and feeding a four-channel Burr-Brown DAC chip. Power output figures remain unchanged, iFi quoting 210mW into a 32-ohm load from the single-ended 6.3mm output, rising to 390mW into 64 ohms for the balanced 4.4mm socket. We certainly didn't have any loudness issues with any of the headphones we tried with this DAC.