{"id":316942,"date":"2026-04-30T17:13:01","date_gmt":"2026-04-30T17:13:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ecoustics.com\/products\/ifi-zen-air-dac-2\/"},"modified":"2026-04-30T17:13:06","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T17:13:06","slug":"ifi-zen-air-dac-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ecoustics.com\/products\/ifi-zen-air-dac-2\/","title":{"rendered":"iFi ZEN Air DAC 2 Debuts with Balanced 4.4mm Output and Increased Power Output"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The entry level desktop DAC and headphone amp category is not short on competition, and\u00a0iFi Audio\u00a0knows it. With established options from\u00a0Schiit Audio,\u00a0FiiO, and\u00a0Topping\u00a0setting a high bar under $200, iFi\u2019s new $129 ZEN Air DAC 2<\/strong> arrives as a direct response. It builds on the original Zen Air<\/a> with a revised DAC stage, higher output power, a balanced 4.4 mm headphone output, and a cleaner midnight blue design, all aimed at listeners who want a simple and affordable desktop upgrade without stepping into mid-tier pricing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Designed Around A New DAC <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The ZEN Air DAC 2 uses a bit-perfect DAC from Cirrus Logic that iFi has deployed across a range of its portable products. The focus here is on stable, low noise decoding rather than shaping the sound. This is the first time that implementation has been used in one of its entry level desktop units, and any gains in clarity, dynamics, and distortion are likely to be incremental rather than dramatic. Support for high resolution formats includes PCM up to 384 kHz and DSD256, which is standard for this category.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"ifi-zen-air-dac-2-angle-left\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Balanced Headphone Output <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The ZEN Air DAC 2 adds a balanced 4.4 mm headphone output, a feature previously limited to the standard ZEN series. It allows use with compatible balanced headphones, which can help lower noise and crosstalk depending on the setup. For conventional headphones, a 6.3 mm single ended output is also included.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Increased Power Output<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With the addition of balanced circuitry, the ZEN Air DAC 2 offers higher output than its predecessor. iFi claims up to three times more headphone drive, which should provide better control with a wider range of headphones, especially when using the balanced output.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rated output is \u22655.57 V \/ 484 mW at 64 ohms via the 4.4 mm connection, and \u22653.02 V \/ 286 mW at 32 ohms through the 6.3 mm single ended output.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"ifi-zen-air-dac-2-back\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

XBass+ and PowerMatch<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To provide more support for increased power output when needed, the ZEN Air DAC 2 includes two of iFi audio\u2019s favorite analog audio features, which can be instantly toggled via the dedicated buttons on the front panel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n