John Darko
iFi Audio has updated its ZEN Blue DAC to version 3 from which we now get: 24bit/96kHz USB, 24bit/192kHz coaxial and 24bit/192kHz TOSLINK inputs; aptX Lossless & LDAC-capable Bluetooth inputs; a (low-latency) aptX Lossless Bluetooth output; single-ended and balanced analogue outputs; a circuit that is not built around a system-on-a-chip (SoC) but utilises separate Qualcomm QCC518x Bluetooth chip, ESS Sabre DAC chip and (output) op-amps; a refreshed outward appearance that, according to the press release “showcases an eye-catching two-tone front panel design to stand out among hi-fi ‘black boxes”.
Price: £299, US$299 or €299.
What’s not to like?
The photo set landing in my inbox featured no shot of the ZEN Blue 3’s back panel. I had to Google for one (see above). Look closely and we note how the press release makes zero mention of the following:
- The USB input is USB-C
- The coaxial and TOSLINK inputs are only accessible one at a time via a hybrid socket
- A second hybrid socket offers coaxial and TOSLINK outputs
- The balanced output is a 4.4mm Pentaconn socket
Instead, the press release makes a bigger noise about the ZEN Blue 3’s Bluetooth prowess: “The new DAC uses the latest Bluetooth 5.4 and the aptX Lossless codec, and Hi-Res 96kHz via LDAC and LDHC/HWA.”
Don’t let such a claim – or the front panel ‘Hi-res Audio Wireless’ sticker – deceive you. Even with FLAC compression in play, a 24bit/96kHz file’s data rate far exceeds LDAC’s uppermost limit of 990Kbps and LDHC/HWA’s 900Kbps. Neither of these two Bluetooth codecs can carry hi-res audio from a smartphone to a DAC (or headphone) without first discarding data. In other words, LDAC and LDHC/HWA are both lossy codecs. They are even lossy in their handling of CD-quality audio.
OK, so what about aptX Lossless?
As we saw a few months ago, Qualcomm’s aptX Lossless is Bluetooth audio’s first encoding scheme to carry CD-quality audio from smartphone to headphones (or DAC) without discarding data.
Party on, Wayne?
Not quite.
Back to iFi’s press release: “aptX Lossless falls under the ‘aptX Adaptive’ codec, which houses multiple codecs with different transmission speeds and bit rates within it. For audio connoisseurs, this means the ZEN Blue 3 allows you to stream Lossless CD-quality music from your mobile phone to your Hi-Fi system.”
Yes, but…
- aptX Lossless is the uppermost tier inside the aptX Adaptive codec set and is only activated when ideal environmental conditions are present. When aptX Adaptive detects possible Bluetooth interference or a weakening of the Bluetooth connection, it lowers the stream’s data rate to a lossy level until environment conditions return to normal or the strength of the Bluetooth connection improves.
- aptX Adaptive executes these data rate changes automatically, invisibly and without notifying the user so that music’s data flow remains undisturbed. The end-user is given zero control over aptX Adaptive’s behaviour and data rate adjustment.
- From iFi’s website: “If your phone supports aptX Lossless, you can stream high-quality lossless music from your phone to your hi-fi system.” Apple’s iPhones don’t do any flavour of aptX. They deal only in AAC. aptX Lossless is restricted to Android devices.
- But not Samsung or Google’s. The ‘Snapdragon Sound with aptX Lossless’ chipset required for aptX Lossless carriage can only be found in selected models from Sony, Asus, Xiaomi, Vivo, Motorola and Nubia. Find a complete list here
The ZEN Blue 3 begins shipping on 9th July.
Further information: iFi Audio
