iFi’s next-generation speakers promise “a more sophisticated listening experience”
iFi has launched its next generation of streamers and DACs. The Neo Stream 3 and Zen Stream 3 are both hi-res streamers that can stream digital files from external hard drives and NAS drives, the former with a built-in DAC/amp. The Neo iDSD 3 is a standalone DAC/amp.
All three promise a number of improvements on what came before. In fact, iFi says that these models represent “a real productivity leap in their capabilities.”
The S/PDIF outputs feature iPurifier2 technology, while the USB ports have active noise cancellation, to eliminate signal noise from external sources. The Neo Stream 3 takes this a step further with its OptiBox, which aims to eliminate noise from the wired network before it enters the system.
We are promised greater stability and an intuitive interface from the latest version of iFi’s streaming engine, which supports Qobuz Connect and the Connect versions of Tidal and Spotify, as well as AirPlay 2 and more.
The Neo Stream 3 serves as a one-stop-shop upgrade for hi-fi setups, thanks to its native support for 768kHz PCM and DSD512, and its DAC stage built around a Burr-Brown chipset and “guaranteed to deliver high performance in those formats.”
The Zen Stream 3 brings native 384kHZ PCM and DSD256 support to a setup that already contains a DAC – handy if you don’t want to swap your own.
Both also feature JVCKenwood’s K2 technology, which aims to restore harmonic content lost during the digitization process to make digital music warmer, more nuanced and more musical. While the standard K2 Zen Stream 3 maintains the original file resolution, the more advanced Neo Stream 3 K2HD technology upscales it to 192kHz/24-bit.
In the Neo iDSD 3 DAC/amp, iFi claims to have refocused critical hardware at the component level to create great music and playback precision. Its new amplifiers offer about 50 percent less distortion, while improved polymer capacitors reduce voltage overload. High frequencies should be adjusted with WIMA MKS2 caps.
It includes the same K2HD technology as Neo Stream 3 to add music to digital files.
The Neo iDSD 3 draws on iFi’s Diablo 2 headphone amplifier design, reaching 2532mW RMS and over 5550mW max at 32 ohms. That’s more than five times the peak output of the first generation Neo iDSD and 18 times that of the Zen DAC 3. It should be enough to drive a lot of demanding headphones.
Wireless support comes in the form of Bluetooth 5.4, which allows codecs such as aptX Lossless, LDAC and LHDC, among others.
Its DAC stage is built around the Burr-Brown chipset, and handles PCM and DSD in dedicated modes. The customized code inside the chipset should enable ultra-resolution, PCM768kHz/DSD512 playback, while data management is controlled in a way to ensure “natural power and a special low-level line.”
You can also personalize the sound using iFi’s analogue processing tools, for example by emphasizing bass or midrange. The XSpace configuration will create a more open soundstage, making your headphones sound like speakers.
The 3.5mm headphone input has been replaced by an RCA line for connecting a turntable with a built-in phono stage or an external phono preamp. You can adjust the brightness of the LED power to best suit your living space, and you can control the idSD 3 using iFi’s Nexis mobile app.
The Zen Stream 3 is the cheapest of the bunch, priced at £399 (about $540 / AU$760). The Neo Stream 3 and Neo iDSD 3 both cost £999 (around $1300 / AU$1900).
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