Hello,

I have had the privilege of testing again their new 6SN7 Select Ray tube from Apos Audio.
At this point, thank you very much for the trust you have placed in me.
Also for letting me test another set for you.

Preface: I do not receive a fee or anything similar, this evaluation was based on a voluntary basis.
Together with other participants in Europe, Apos Audio has made the tube available to us.
You currently have the opportunity to take part in a European tour as soon as I am finished with my test.
(You are welcome to register with me, there are still places available).

You can get the Tube on Apos Audio website here if you wish to buy one or a set :
https://apos.audio/products/apos-ray-vacuum-tube-6sn7-select




Setup:

The setup consists of the Gustard R26 Dac connected to the Singxer Su2 via I2S.
Headphones are mainly the Zmf Atrium (Universe pads) and speakers from Elac from the 90s which have been refurbished.
The amplifier is the Feliks Euforia & Mcchanson Ultimate, which is very special in its design and circuitry.
The test is divided into 2 sections, one with the Feliks Euforia and one with the Ultimate from Mc Chanson.

About the amplifier:

The Feliks Euforia is an OTL based amplifier with a lot of room in the stage presentation.
Also the way the tubes are switched differs due to the transformer, in this case triode mode.
The OTL amplifier should actually be very quiet as it is not coupled to the transformer, OTL stands for Output Transformerless.
Its actual performance is also more limited compared to TC amplifiers (transformer couplers).
The Feliks also works best with 300 Ohm headphones.
Roughly speaking, the whole thing is also somewhat more primitive, as there is not much choice of tubes.
It is possible to work with adapters at this point, but the transformer is not designed for this and the results can also be distorted.
This is because the tubes cannot be driven correctly, which is what they are actually intended for.
It is also important not to exceed the maximum current heating value.
And this can also lead to a loss of sound, such as total distortion of the bass and things like that.
That's why in my test I stuck to the usual things that were officially approved by the manufacturer.
Also to give the 6SN7 Ray from Apos Audio a good identity.
Typically for an amplifier, and this is purely a manufacturer thing, the Feliks works somewhat primitively.
There are no possibilities to play with tubes in their Mu amplification factor.
This is therefore predetermined, so you can't give the actual sound more drive for more bite and pressure.
Instead, you can only differentiate between how the tube feels when listening, e.g. warm/neutral, and evaluate the overall picture.
In the 2nd test with the Ultimate Mcchanson I will go into this in more detail.
Further down you will also notice that certain combinations work very well with the output tubes, and some are not quite as good as expected or hoped for.

Construction and processing:

Here we see 2 parallel grey plates T-shaped panels where the sides are supported by 4 support rods up to the top.



On the upper part of the getter we see 2 slightly shaped U-shaped plates.



The glass as well as the label are of the highest quality and very cleanly finished.



We also have gold pins on the base for maximum performance with a ceramic base, which is not only beautifully made, but also high quality.
Here alone you get a lot for your money and the pictures correspond to those on the Apos Audio website.

Burn in and sound:

The Ray actually advertises a burn-in time of 6 hours, which I paid particular attention to. And I have to agree at this point.
Forget the first 6-8 hours completely before you think about making a judgement, and a little more playing time won't do any harm.
It sounds a bit strangely unsorted at first and is no fun either.
Give the tubes time, it's a lot less than you're used to, I found after burn in it got slightly better after the first 50 hours.
And actually gets better over time with prolonged use.
The sound after burn in, well it has a basic tone that doesn't disappoint where.
It is warm, rich in detail, has a good sense of dynamics and focus.
The bass is very well dosed, the mids very authentic and powerful, the treble range is very well resolved, free of peak as well as shrillness.
Depending on the output tube, you can steer the sound in the desired direction, and my findings here are the same as with the 12Au7 Ray tube from Apos Audio.

6SN7 Select Ray from Apos Audio with different output tubes on the Feliks Euforia amp:

6AS7G Svetlana:

Oh man, this is how I would have liked the Euforia amplifier in the base when I received it.
The 6SN7 Ray from Apos Audio does everything right.
The bass is powerful and hits from top to bottom, just as you would want and expect, really tight and there's nothing missing at all.
I have nothing to criticise, it's not spongy, flat or uncontrolled.
If Svetlana's mid-range weren't so unclean at times, as well as in the vocals, this would be such a great tube.
It's smooth and gorgeous, but it's just annoying, and it's not the source, because I only have this problem with the tube.
Otherwise the stage reaches in deep with a nice neutral illumination and makes it sparkle and shine.
The treble, on the other hand, is smooth and well extended in the pairing.
Sparkles nicely but also dry unfortunately, not sweet, honey rather sterile.
Overall tonally not analytical, much more on the neutral side and the Atrium doesn't sound warm at all at this point.
It also takes a good bit of its analogue character out of it.
It doesn't quite meet my personal taste in the pairing, but it does a very good job.
People with a small budget could use the Ray as a draw card if they want a neutral sound.
From memory, the Ps Vane sounds much flatter, more sterile and analytical, emotionless and cold at this point.
The 6SN7 Ray from Apos Audio is the starkest opposite here, nothing sounds flat, sterile if neither analytical nor emotionless due to the Svetlana.
Linlai 6SN7 is a little warmer and not as straightforward as the 6SN7 Ray.
Linlai is a little less clean in the bass, and is again a little sweeter in the mid and treble range.
with the basic tubes of the Euforia's that Feliks provides
In terms of new stock, the point here clearly goes to the 6SN7 Ray from Apos Audio.


6AS7G RCA:

The first thing to mention is that there is no distortion in the mid and treble range as with the Svetlana.
This is a very positive aspect.
In terms of sound, the pairing is warmer than the Svetlana but not excessively so.
Warmer and not too neutral like the Svetlana.
Overall less sterile, strictly speaking not at all.
Everything here is smooth and full-bodied with emotion, blooming and beautifully sweet.
The bass is controlled and firm, not quite on the same level as the Svetlana, but I'm happy to do without it.
As already mentioned, the mid-range is absolutely clean, warm with a nice dark background and the level of detail is absolutely clean and very good.
Vocals are intimate and clear, pleasant to listen to.
The treble range is slightly extended, pleasantly sweet and focussed.
It doesn't go quite as deep but remains controlled; the Svetlana was slightly better in this respect.
Macrofocus is much better here in the pairing and was right for me.
Instrumentally, it remains lush and beautiful, warm, smooth and very pleasant.
The pairing with the 6SN7 Ray from Apos Audio is absolutely right here.
And offers a best budget setup that will be sufficient for many things.
Everything is there to enjoy music on the good side.
With a lot of luck there will be a 6AS7G Tung sol which I unfortunately don't have and is supposed to be a bit better, but very rare and hard to find for this amplifier.
These are the only 3 manufacturers I know of who have made a 6AS7G.
I'll continue with the 6080 in my arsenal.



6080 CSF Thomson:

Mostly my favourite pair on this amp.
Because with these output tubes there is very little missing in my opinion.
In general they are very musical and have a better bass than the Mullards.
With the 6SN7 Ray from Apos Audio I realise that there is nothing lacking here either.
The RCA 6AS7G was a little more relaxed to my ear in direct comparison.
However, the 6080 Csf Thomson has a reputation for taking about 30 minutes to get there and sounding a bit metallic.
However, after 30 minutes you realise that things are relaxing.
And even then, this combination plays absolutely superbly.
Wonderful depth, clean in the separations and musical at the same time.
The bass is beautifully solid and firmly defined.
The midrange and vocals are a little less intimate, but intimate enough.
The vocals are clear and distinct at this point and a little more distant and well extended.
Not quite like the 6AS7G RCA but enough.
The treble range is slightly more rolled off and is not annoying at this point, but still fills out the details nicely and cleanly.
In terms of macrodynamics there is also enough, the focus is a little less present but you gain something else because it is a musical tube.
The desire to hear more of it is there with its slightly warmer tuning.
Together with the 6SN7 Ray from Apos Audio, this is another good combination on this amplifier that goes towards midrange and additional neutral headphones such as the Hd800 will benefit from it.
Even the Zmf Auteur cut a very good figure with this combination.


Mullard 6080:

These are absolutely magical and impressive in combination with 6SN7 Ray's.
And also a pairing that I haven't heard before, because it's amazing.
In this pairing, the midbass really comes into its own on the atrium.
It completes the endgame in layers and rounds it off very well, with the bass extending well through all levels.
In terms of vocals, it is as intimate as the Rca 6AS7G, but it goes even further where the Mullard shows its strengths.
Very emotional, beautiful voices can be heard, very well balanced.
The mid-range is incredibly well lit and takes you on a journey.
In terms of the stage, everything is just right here, from the timbre to the macrodynamics, everything is wonderfully in time and rhythm and at the same time clean, smooth, sweet and focussed.
The instruments are also very well represented here, totally clean in separation and you can hear their location and positioning very well.
In terms of the treble range, it's a bit rolled off but in a different way, rather shifted very far back.
Until this point begins to roll off, you are accompanied by the details and downright spoilt where they float in the air if they were also composed.
This is where the Mullard's strength clearly shines through, as it plays very low down and is an absolute treat for the ears with that great 6SN7 Ray tube from Apos Audio that it is said to have.
There is nothing that the treble doesn't do or fill out, it is perfect, sweet, delicate, like the midrange very soulful and intoxicating in every way.
Tonally, the presentation is kept between warm and neutral and very well balanced, the stage presentation is also very well presented and lets you look deep inside and immerse yourself.
Together with the atrium, the decay of the notes is just right, nothing is missing and it is one of the top endgames with this pairing.
Except for the Svetlana, where you could still hear the decay a good bit, I missed it a bit with the CSF Thomson and 6AS7G Rca.
Compared to the CSF Thomson and 6AS7G tube, the Mullard clearly takes first place, which also remains interference-free in the low end.
If CSF Thomson already covers the mid range well, the Mullard is one of the end games.
And it's worth keeping an eye on it if it is supported by the amplifier.
For Euforia/Elise owners, the 6SN7 Ray from Apos Audio are more than a stroke of luck and a must have.
This pairing has reminded me why I bought the Euforia.




The best for last with the infamous Tung sol 5998 for this amp:

I struggled a bit with the tube and still do.
Many say it's the best tube for this amp, and I have some reservations about it and it often doesn't really suit my taste even with Nos 6SN7 tubes driving it.
So take what I say with a grain of salt.
Others like the tube and will be as subjective as possible.
Starting with the bass, the midbass is very focussed with the 6SN7 Ray from Apos Audio.
What others like doesn't have to please everyone.
Compared to the Mullard 6080, this pairing was more beautiful in a good way.
Because the bass range covered almost everything from top to bottom and was much more multi-layered.
Certainly a matter of taste in the end.
Personally, I find it annoying when the midbass starts knocking because I find it disturbing, as if your flatmate one floor above were constantly knocking.
Maybe it makes sense to go to Auteur with the Zmf pads to take that out a bit.
But not to talk it down, it's still meaty and full.
I like that in a way.
The mid-range and stage are deep, especially the stage is very well immersed compared to the Mullard, much clearer and the details are 1-2 seconds longer in the room at this point and break up very nicely.
The vocals are just as good as on the Mullard.
Even though Mullard is a nose ahead for me here, the Tungsol does something better in the centre focus area and brings this very well to the foreground, which is brightly illuminated and very clear at this point.
The micro details also come through better.
In general, it has similar strengths to the Mullard in macrodynamics.
Both are very good from the gut.
In terms of timbre, both also share a similar experience.
In the treble range it is also similar to the Mullard, what I hear is that it is brighter at this point and details remain similar in the room before they disappear but are slightly different.
Nevertheless, the Mullard plays a bit lower as a direct comparison.
And I think overall it's because the pairing is a bit more neutral, Mullard is warm/neutral here.
The TS5998 is another corner more neutral here.
That's why my findings on the Mullard almost coincide here, although I clearly prefer the Mullard here.
This is a personal sound preference and nothing negative.
The 6SN7 Ray from Apos Audio still plays warmly here, but not quite as intended, because the TS5998 is probably the more dominant tube and its orientation is more neutral.
Overall, however, the 6SN7 Rays are very good, because they don't disguise or distort anything, they play very confidently here and round off a lot of things.
This is a good thing because there are many 6SN7 tubes that do this, even in the Nos range.

Fancy an encore ? EL34 Sophia Electric:

I thought of you, my friends from the Feliks Euforia/Elise amplifier.

Here I was unbiased and did not expect the result.
Here we see a complete new stock tube combination that I have never tried myself.
And this is a combination that is on a par with the Mullard 6080 combination.
But simply with more melting, butter, sweetness and honey added.
It doesn't make sense from a kitchen point of view but in terms of audio it's the last ingredient you're looking for.
The bass range is no longer quite midbass and has diminished here.
But it extends again in a different way, much more refined and powerful when it needs to be and much better staged.
Very pleasant on the ear and not annoying, very nicely dosed and you love it.
Mid-range and vocals, the vocals are absolutely another highlight here.
With so much feeling and melodiousness behind it, it lets you sink in and listen for a good while and is very, very pleasant.
The mid-range is also very well represented, even better than with the Mullard 6080 and even more precise and accurate.
The detail already starts there and extends nicely up to the low end or treble range.
The separation of the instruments is also very well represented and very precise, even in the decay, a real melting.
And the whole scene moves closer and its location is even easier to hear.
Also, the way it is presented when the piano or other instrumental things flow in with the vocals.
The treble range is sensationally good and also gives a deep insight.
But the Mullard 6080 is a bit more refined, I have to give it that.
Tonally, the pairing is definitely on the warm side and also somewhat darker, even darker than the Mullard 6080.
The Makrodynamic has also increased a little at this point and allows it to be experienced very well.
The timbre is extremely well represented, the combination with the 6SN7 Ray from Apos Audio is a very good one.
I can imagine that with other EL34 tubes you can achieve even better results with the 6SN7 Ray from Apos Audio.

Conclusion:

I have already listened to the 6SN7 Ray from Apos Audio for a good 50 hours.
And can say for now that it is another tube that is very remarkable and puts some Nos 6SN7 GTB's in the shade.
The tube has a lot going for it in terms of sound as well as the manufacturing and choice of materials.
In general, it is on the warm side and still remains warm enough when paired with something neutral.
You can definitely get more out of it if you have a more flexible amplifier that offers more variety on the output tube side.
I'll go into this topic in more detail in Part 2.
Overall, it's an excellent tube where you can't go wrong and it's money well spent.
It delivers bass that is not spongy, the midrange remains full and smooth, and the treble remains excellent here too.
It produces a nice clean round sound that stays nice and meaty.
It was also not absolutely necessary to compare the tube with other Nos tubes.
These were better than my Nec GTB, Ultron GTB, Westinghouse and I preferred them to the Brimar Gty in the Euforia amplifier.
As a new stock tube an absolute dream of a tube where you should strike.
It was also better than my Linlai Elite 6SN7 (I left a little feedback in the 6AS7G Svetlana section).
I also stand by this feedback, no question.
Just like the 12AU7, it's another pipe that should not be missed and you should give it a chance.
The 6SN7 Ray from Apos Audio has already gone into my 2nd amplifier.
And I can already say that with EL84 tubes it is on another level where it absolutely shines.
Also in long term listening where I thought I only write a lot of good things what about the bad ones?
Well to be honest I couldn't find anything, I found more with the Nos than with the 6SN7 Ray from Apos Audio.
The only tip I can give is that you should not go too warm with the combination.
Because too much warmth starts to mask the higher frequencies.
It is definitely for me one of the best tubes in the New Stock I have heard so far.
Not even the inexpensive TAD tube can keep up with what the 6SN7 Ray from Apos Audio offers.
Incidentally, the New Stock Tung Sol plays too romantically and not quite as resolving as the 6SN7 Ray from Apos Audio.
At this point, one more remark: all output tubes ran completely noise-free with the 6SN7 Select Ray from Apos Audio, without hum of any kind. (Even the EL34 Sophia Electric )
Even though this is an amplifier issue, I wanted to mention it here.
I also enjoyed testing the tube and found it to be very good, which also gave me an emotional lift.
Once again, a huge thank you at this point.

Hello,

I have had the privilege of testing your 12AU7 Ray tube with Apos Audio.
Many thanks at this point.
And also a big sorry that it took so long for the review from my side.
Life always plays tricks and it is always very difficult to get back to where you were in the end.
If private things come in between, like unexpected deaths in the family or Job things.


Foreword: I do not receive a fee or anything similar, this evaluation is based on a voluntary basis.
With other participants in Europe, Apos Audio provided us with the tube.
And I organised the tour.


Setup: The setup consists of the Gustard R26 Dac connected by the Singxer Su2 via I2S.
Headphones are mainly the Zmf Atrium and speakers from Elac from the 90s that have been refurbished.
The amplifier is the Mcchanson Ultimate, which is very special in its design and circuitry.
The amplifier can use 12xx7/6SN7/6SL7 as drivers, of course also several with appropriate adapters.
As output we have different possibilities, 6Y6 is the main driver at this point.
But others can be used like EL34,KT63,66,88,the whole 6x6 family like 6v6,6K6 as example and many more where adapters EL12,EL32,EL81,807 ect... are necessary.
The circuit is based on the builder hand soldered with point to point wiring, his experience is in this area also
He has a lot of knowledge from the old days, but nothing modern except the chosen components.
The 6BW4, EZ80/81 can be used as rectifiers, which have some influence on the final sound.

Forword II:
The actual story of how the test came about I'll tell you openly, I couldn't keep my mouth shut.
I watched the tests on Youtube from well-known reporters.
For the fact that you actually do this professionally, I expected more, but it's nothing personal at this point.
Much more a comment.
I think such a test with such tubes needs a serious amplifier, and not a hybrid amplifier, even if it is permissible.
Don't misunderstand, it certainly sounds very good on a hybrid, but you are also giving something away.
Even hybrid amplifiers should be well built if you want to be satisfied in the end.
They are also their own expense in the end.
Due to the diversity of the Mcchanson amplifier, i have stressed the 12AU7 well and I have also taken my time in the sessions to be able to judge many combinations.
And has also seen several 100h on it and runs here without problems.
I can tell you in advance that this tube does a very good job, especially on real amplifiers where the circuit was designed for it.
To the test itself, tubes need time, a lot of time until they are where they belong.
The 12AU7 Ray from APOS AUDIO has been in use for the last few weeks with various output tubes.
And in order to be objective enough to see how it performs in the long term, a combination was left in for 1-2 weeks or longer.
Also to hear how subtly things develop in the tube amplifier.
Here the 12AU7 Ray from APOS AUDIO never caused any problems and always sounded amazingly good, that much I can say.



Construction:
We see grey plates with 2 holes on the outside top and bottom, the middle part is 2 ribbed.
Double Mica's, on top a Ufo getter with a chrome coating, the pins are gold plated if you follow them you will see copper inside which is connected to the construction on the inside.
connected to the construction on the inside.
Connoisseurs can already guess that the tonal orientation here tends towards the warm side and the construction looks very artificial.








Burn in and sound:
The12AU7 Ray from APOS AUDIO actually advertises a 6-hour burn-in time, which I paid particular attention to. And I have to agree at this point.
Forget the first 6-8 hours completely before you think about making a judgement, and a little more playing time won't do any harm.
It sounds a bit strangely unsorted at first and is no fun either.
Give the tubes time, it's a lot less than you're used to. I found after burn in it got slightly better after the first 50 hours.
And actually gets better over time with prolonged use.
The sound after burn in, well it has a basic tone that doesn't disappoint where.
It is warm, rich in detail, has a good sense of dynamics and focus.
Bass is very well dosed, the mids are very authentic and powerful, the treble range is very well resolved, free of peak as well as shrillness.
Depending on the output tube, you can steer the sound in the desired direction.


If you have the option of playing with the rectifier on your amplifier, go ahead, even if the influence can be marginal.
In the end, it can be the golden ticket in the system.
On my amplifier it was once the 6bw4 or Ez80 that won the race, it often depended on knowing the basic tone with the output tubes and what was still missing.
In the end, it was just a matter of a handle and the finalisation was done if you knew your rectifier tubes.
I can't go into the rectifiers explicitly here, but here are a few examples as a key:
Electro Harmonix Ez80 hardly not coloured the sound at all, but it was mostly the most authentic with the driver+output tube pairing, where the true character could be heard.
Telefunken EZ80 has a slightly warm but neutral sound image with good stage depth and resolution.
Mullard Ez80 plays warm and deep on this point.
6BW4 Sylvania, warm, creamy, with good bass response, the Rca was a little less of everything here but also very solid and tendecally more neutral.
As I said, in the end it always came down to the fact that if something was still missing, there was still some room for manoeuvre.
If you don't have a rectifier on the amplifier, it doesn't matter. I don't think it makes too much difference here.
The final polish can be solved and found elsewhere, like with cables.

Now to the impressions:
12AU7 RAY from APOS AUDIO was always the main driver tube that stayed in, in the amp.
The output tube was always replaced and, if necessary, also the rectifiers, the latter being more a matter of personal listening preferences and coordination with the ZMF Atrium.

Brimar KT63 in the output:

A forgotten tube that sounds amazing, the low end in the vocals on the hihats comes across very well without being annoying and is expressive.
Bass was not so focussed, but expansive enough.
Tonally, it is a little warmer and was very well suited to relaxing.
The mid-range was nice and clean here, tender and a good bit long-lasting even in the decay very pleasant to hear.
The instrument separation was clean here, even the illumination in the rear rank was perceptible here, guitar riffs were a good example of this.
It was a pairing that was in the system for a very long time and was a very pleasant ear caress.

EL81 in the output:

The Mullards were very mellow here, sometimes I wished for a little more punch in the bass, but once you get used to it, it's fine.
It was very delicate to the music, rippling and rattling was very well perceptible and in flow, the instruments very well represented and a bit more biting and authentic than with the KT63.
Vocals very organic and slightly emphasised in the foreground. Tonally everything else was just right.
The Siemens was generally more neutral in sound and a little more powerful in the bass range, the rest was similar to Mullard, especially with the instruments and the 12AU7 Ray from APOS AUDIO.
In the end, the Ultron EL81 was my favourite next to the Mullard, which is Mullard/Siemens together.
The absolute best EL81 tube for my ears, the bass was punchy enough, the keystroke of the piano was on point, the violin bowing was delicious, and the guitars were wow.
Attacks, percussion, the whole drive was absolutely right here, even the macro focus was absolutely great.
The vocals were full-bodied and strong but tender at the same time, and the low end got under your skin.
It was one of my personal favourite pairings.



6K6 Nec and others in the output:
Also a forgotten tube from the old days, and tonally they are all very close to the music.
The instruments are very close and in tune, sounding very benevolent, and the focus on how the instruments sound can sound very authentic with this tube.
Even the 6V6, which came later from a historical point of view, doesn't manage this. 6V6 was the successor to this tube.
There is definitely more music in it and excellent with the 12AU7 Ray from APOS AUDIO.
12AT7 has a bit more bite on the upper edges, while here 12Au7 is a bit softer in articulation and upper edges.
The Nec is neutral here and a true Japanese tube, the overtones are smoother and not as annoying as with more modern Chinese tubes.
There's always something British for the golden ticket here, and the 12AU7 from APOS AUDIO actually came dangerously close.
The Tungsol 6K6 is pure musicality at its best, the plate of the guitar when it goes down is tenderly perceptible when listening closely.
I felt most comfortable with the Tungsol, they were absolutely breathtaking.
Visseux 6K6 a little less like Tungsol with more definition on the upper levels, and generally a little more relaxed but also good musically.
Kenrad 6K6 sounded a bit like Nec and Visseux, a bit sterile but musical, the 12AU7 from APOS AUDIO breathed some life into it compared to other 12AT7s and brought the right warmth.
A 6K6 tube and with the 12AU7 Ray from APOS AUDIO generally nothing was missing, everything was where it should be with all the tubes and the separates were the icing on the cake with the instruments.
Also in terms of macrodynamics, even over loudspeakers, it's definitely a tube that I really appreciate from a personal point of view with this amplifier.
It's not just fun and can also play in a relaxed way, but the drive it brings to the music makes it come alive - absolute enjoyment and the Ray did a very good job here.


6V6 Mazada in the output and others:
The combination with Mazda was the best here, with a beautiful, lush, warm yet neutral sound that gives a deep insight into the stage.
The details play deep down and push through nicely and cleanly, the macrodynamics are absolutely right here and have almost reached the 6K6 tube level.
The mid-range is slightly in focus and in the foreground here, while the bass and treble are more discreet.
All in all, it's a musical combination of the released kind with a lot of information about the music, as good as a good French kind of combination.
Everything is silky, smooth, fluid and in full flow, and the instruments are also well integrated into the mid-range and play as if from a single mould.
The bass is punchy or softer depending on how it was composed and the upper range remains sweet and stretches out without being annoying.
The vocals are also a nice top end here, and the Mazda ended up being my favourite with the 12AU7 Ray from APOS AUDIO and Cayhin friends will certainly like it.
RFT 6V6: Here absolutely totally neutral almost no warmth and the 12AU7 Ray from APOS AUDIO tries it´s best here to give something of what it has.
It plays almost a good bit analytically and is also somewhat sterile and dry in sound, but tonally the illumination is still there, but you notice that some soul is missing.
As a counterpart here would be a driver tube that would be even warmer and a good player, so that it doesn't sound as described.
Although the bass is powerful and present at this point and the mid-range is its domain, the upper end is almost too much for me.
Westinghouse 6V6:
Very warm tonal here, sometimes almost a bit too thick with the Atrium which is also on the warm side and makes you want to change pads more.It was more Zmf Auteur like in this term.
I really liked the mid-range here because it moves a nice bit forward, the bass range is punchy and lush, the top end is not annoying but sometimes too much in decay.
The instrument separation is also clean and smooth and well staged, not quite as nice as with the Mazda, but again that's personal listening preferences.
Overall very good with the pairing if the headphones are a little more neutral in terms of tendency.
Sylvania 6V6 VT107:
Similar here to the 6V6 Mazda, except that it is a bit more neutral tonally; the Sylvania is also more technical and not as musical, but musical enough in term of sound.
The mid-range is a bit more accurate in the overtones, a bit more V-shaped. The treble range is also well extended and sweeter with a nice recognisable technical flow.
With the instruments, the focus is absolutely present and very well staged in terms of location and recognisability.
The bass is rich and nicely defined from bottom to top.

Mazda and Sylvania were my favourites here in combination with the 12AU7 Ray from APOS AUDIO, both of which unite what music means and how it should be staged.
It was one of the best combos I've heard, both have the class of 6K6, even if 6K6 has a bit more in it.



Sophia Electric EL34:
My idea here was to pair New Stock with New Stock, the plan didn't quite work out here.
The pairing was good overall and I was ready to fall in love, but something really bothered me that it didn't work out.
Tonally warm and lush all there, with a nice splash of neutrality.
I was disturbed by the vocals, which were a good 3-4 metres away from the whole thing, while the instrumentals moved to the front.
And it didn't sound that great overall, a 12AT7 tube made things much better here so you can say it wasn't the Sophia itself.
I suspect that the pairing was too warm overall and simply didn't harmonise together, as there has been nothing wrong with the 12AU7 Ray from APOS AUDIO so far.
Unfortunately, I don't have any other EL34´s that I could test, so I'll add them here if I do.

Gec KT66:
This was by far the world-class pairing for my ear, and I had slight reservations about the Gec KT66 before.
With the 12AU7 Ray from APOS AUDIO i understood why many people like the Gec, which I couldn't quite understand before.
The pairing was indeed the holy grail in sound, it was soft but hard at the same time, in all areas from top to bottom.
The bass was so full and accurate and punchy and always very well balanced.
The mid-range was very creamy and inviting to listen to music, and to want to hear more and more.
The top end is all of a piece and a beautifully clean low end, truly melting, as if you were preparing fresh crème brule and watching the sugar caramelise.
The sugar caramelises in term of sound so good.
The details float beautifully over the head from left to right.
How good the pairing is technically is also breathtaking, left and right separation tonally clean, smooth, in timing and beat.
The instruments not only fit in very well here but also play two levels higher in quality, technically refined as well as sensitive.
The vocals are also in a class of their own where everything is just right, even the positioning, expression and even dialects from the different US states were very clearly recognisable here.
Pauses, breathing, emphasis and volume were also in a class of their own, where everything else was lacking in the original tubes.
Breathtaking is also the class how the recording was recorded, especially older recordings.
Starting off with a hard bass impact that is loud and slowly goes down a few decibels as the vocals start.
My fingers were already on the potentiometer when I realised that this had just happened and released my fingers from the potentiometer.
I really have to think about which 12AT7 I still have that has a similar musical image, I don't think I have anything.
Because the 12AU7 Rayfrom APOS AUDIO is almost the perfect tube for being in 7th heaven.
Another example is the song by Lighthouse Family-Ain't No Sunshine (album version) to give you a feeling.
The bass here is very deep and very layered on all levels, the piano in its fullness as if it were standing in the room and details where gently shimmering and emphasised.
Alongside the violins where the violins are tenderly tuned and in harmony with the vocals of the singer, whose slightly smoky but more gentle voice is pure pleasure and totally emotionally captivating and sensitive.
Live recordings are also very breathtaking and intoxicating to listen to.
People who have a Kt66/88 capable amplifier will love this pairing if they can use 12AU7 Tubes.





General Electric KT 66: Actually the not so favoured KT66 tube and quite wrongly so.
Although it is not a Gec, it is more neutral here and still pairs very well with the 12AU7 Ray from APOS AUDIO.
It did a great job with the Atrium and takes out some of the warmth and thickness here and with the loudspeakers creates a nice powerful, neutral, clean sound with a certain bloom, charm and character.
Not like the sensitive Gec, that's true, but still a tube that served a different focus back then.
I found it took out the warmth and remained technical enough to produce a good sound but on a completely different level that was also very good.
The bass is a bit crisper here than on the Gec, the rest remained mostly neutral and smooth and also more transparent, I tended to like it more on rock stuff.
Here it didn't make much sense to swap the pads on the headphones, it would have been easier to swap the tubes.
If I had wanted a more neutral sound, I would have put in the GE KT66.
By the way,with the ZMF Auteur OG it was suprise sounding at all.Can imagine with the Zmf classic ist the same well sounding.



Conclusion:
As a tube hare you have reservations about new stock tubes, but with the 12AU7 Ray from APOS AUDIO you can put them aside.
It beat some 12AT7s in the Nos range where I have them, and the 12AU7 Valvo/Mazda was also inferior here for me (which has also become expensive in the meantime).
Sure there are still some 12AU7 Nos out there that can set the tone here, but at what price?
Of course we're talking about personal taste and money here, but you should give it a chance, it deserves it and will surprise you with what it brings and plays.
You will not be disappointed.
The construction and workmanship is very good, and unfortunately and perhaps it is better not to know the real manufacturer.
At this point Apos Audio must be praised for their mission and work and the vision they have for their 12AU7 RAY.
The work is more than excellent and I personally imagine something like this under New Stock from a sonic point of view.
If it continues at this level then we can slowly say goodbye to Nos if other manufacturers would follow suit.
The company that made them knew exactly what to do, so a big compliment here too, and their wealth of experience seems to be very good.
You shouldn't think about the price here, it's really justified and you get a lot in return, and it's far from the cliché that you get what you pay for.
There are actually new stock tubes on the market that fulfil this.
Of course the caveat between hybrid/tube amps is there and there can be differences, especially with hybrid amps, but in the end you will get a good result.
Of course, tube amplifiers are better because everything comes across better in the overall picture.
Apart from the Sophia Electric EL34, and this is the absolute outlier, I haven't had anything where no pairing didn't harmonise.
They were all very good overall and here and there it could always have been a bit more, that's always the case.
Overall, it was always very satisfying and, above all, there was never too little of the cake.
The golden ticket here is probably KT66/88 tubes paired with an amplifier, which in the end was the best I've experienced.
The tube will also do its dinest very well here in various preamps and offer you something you are probably looking for.
So go ahead and be brave.
All in all, I have to say leave your personal reservations aside, newcomers could be a little braver here and will be rewarded and satisfied.
Tube bunnies and those who already have a collection may have reservations here, which may be true, but I will tell you that there are some who may have their proud nos collection over one or the other.
Nos collection to let go of one or the other tube, thus also have their costs in it again if we are pragmatic.
Otherwise I am looking forward to more tubes from Apos Audio, 6SN7 is already out where I am interested.
A KT66/88 would also be something nice, even an EL34 would be great, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that everything turns out the way you think it will and that it will satisfy tube lovers.
With the 12AU7 you have already succeeded in creating a piece that is very good and does not have to hide.

Hello,
since some have already comprehensively reviewed the Hiby R6 Pro 2,I will rather evaluate the sound and the use of the Bluetooth.

Equipment:
Iem's I have the IMR Acustic Qm Red 2 and Letshouer Z12,I also got the Hiby Crystal to test.
Streaming over Wi-fi and Bluethooth

The Hiby R6 Pro 2 with IMR Acustic Qm Red 2:

Because of the many possibilities to change the nozzles, I would have needed more time to find the best one.
My regular configuration was not convincing.

Letshouer Z12:

This Iem convinces me again and again and always has a surprise in the bag.
I know the Iem very well by now and know that it is a bit of a Querunlant when it comes to the source.
It could have been a bit more musical here.
But otherwise it was good but not outstanding or captivating for me.

Hiby Crystal:

I was ambivalent about this.
On the R6 pro 2 I found it quite dry sounding, very often.
That is not my preference.
However, it did quite well on the Ify Hip Dac 2.
I found it quite good in combination, but the Letshouer Z12 is a little better at finishing.

About the R6 Pro2:

The operation of the menu and things like that were really good.
If I think it could have been more intuitive, it could have been tidier.
Certain things were somewhat hidden, so you had to look for them again.
What really bothered me was the excessive heat build-up when using the screen.
It gets better when the display is turned off.
But of course I like to browse through my playlist or see what's new.
And not have to worry about it exploding right now.

Hiby has started to offer upsampling.
Unfortunately only in the sampling rate which sometimes doesn't work then again.
You also have to download it somehow to set it up and it didn't always work.
What I would like to see is that you can really adjust the daps yourself.
Whether you want to have it upsampled in DSD or the desired bit/sample rate.
It's just no use if I use the streaming provider app and can't upsample.
Of course it drains the battery but that would be okay.

Bluetooth:

This works better than expected and was surprised how well.
I have two bluetooth enabled dacs Matrix audio Mini 2pro and the Gustard R26 that stream through the Ipad when I use them.
Let me say that here the Ipad is no longer a comparison and would end up in the bin if you use the Hiby R6 pro 2.

Why?
First of all, you have a good ease of use in that respect.
And since you use it as a streamer, it already takes over many tasks in advance before it goes to the dac.
And the sound is really excellent when it goes through the stereo system or through the headphones when you have passed the headphone amplifier.
The sound here is much fuller, fuller-bodied, high-resolution, warm and just right.I really liked that.
And found that to be its greatest strength in that respect.

Bluetooth in the car:

It had been no problem to connect and pair.
As my car was in the workship I got a replacement car.
In modern cars like this one in a Bmw 1 series, you just pair and open Tidal with your downloaded songs and press play and it plays.
It also shows you are streaming via Tidal as well as showing the track and artist.
Unfortunately on older cars like my 2013 Bmw F31 it doesn't show that except various Artist.
Soundwise it was better in the 1 series Bmw, in my own car what I already heard through the Iem's. I'll come to that in a moment regarding the sound.




Sound of the Hiby R6 pro 2:
On the Iem's it was overall too cool for me,dry in places,also analytical at times.
The sound signature had not been my cup of tea.
But not necessarily bad either.
I heard the same thing in the car.
I was missing the invitation of wanting to listen to music.
I also missed being able to hear the emotions in the music.
That was simply not there.
That is certainly also a personal preference in terms of sound, I would also like to add.
Some people will like it, no question.


The Hiby R6 pro 2 in conclusion:

I cannot judge that it is better than its predecessor.
I think so, it has certainly grown up and matured.
What bothers me is that it still has a few teething problems here and there.
The thing with the display is a flaw when you use it.don't leave the Hiby in the car in summer or in warmer areas.
The setting options are good but still a little immature and see progress.
It would be good to standardise and improve the whole thing and apply it to the whole product range.
That it becomes uniform and all devices gain in intuitiveness with the same possibilities.
The battery life was good overall.
I also didn't like the amplifier mode, which I found a bit better when switched off.
But it didn't convince me that I would buy it.


Thank you very much for letting me test it though.
It helped me to find what I was looking for, but I haven't found it yet.
What I would still like to see on tours like this is the addition of adapters so that you can also test the Overear headphones.
Unfortunately I don't have any, which would also help to find out more about the strengths and weaknesses of the Hiby.
Since there are also differences between the Iem and the headphones.
The latter could possibly also perform better than on Iem's.

Hello,

Thanks to the Ifi Zen Air Tour, some members here had the opportunity to participate in the tour that took place here in the forum.
I would like to thank Rowan for organising this tour and Ifi for agreeing and providing the products.
I must also apologise for the length of the tour, unfortunately I had some private problems which delayed the whole thing unnecessarily.


You had to register for the tour, Rowan wrote to you personally and told you that you were on board.
The rest went 1 to 1 as described in the tour, the products were sent and arrived personally at the familiar home.
Personally, I don't get a fee or anything like that, the tour was absolutely voluntary.
And the products have to be sent back.

Why am I doing this?

I have always been interested in Ifi products, starting with the Ify Hip Dac 2 which I bought a few months ago.
when I am on the road and am very happy with it.
Since then I have continued to be very interested in their products where they develop for the community.
Somehow I had always been interested in testing their small budget products.
And the opportunity was just great to be able to test something without having to spend money.
Of course, it's also a hobby of mine, so why not?

The Ifi Zen Air Blue contents:

The Zen Air Blue unit was neatly packaged with dust protection caps, a hollow plug cable with a USB connection.
Rca cables are unfortunately not included, these must be purchased separately.

I assume that the cable is simply used to power the Zen Can with a charger power supply plug.
I tested whether it also works via the USB port on the PC and it worked, great surprise.
I connected all the devices to the Audioquest Powerquest 3 via the USB port, which seemed to me to be a very sensible solution.
The cable could have been a bit longer for my taste, I had to use my own as it is a bit longer.
I can't say whether it was intentional not to include a power supply or the true content of the purchase.

Visually, it looks very elegant, and there's not much to it either.
The black/grey plastic casing enhances the look, but the feel is not mine.
But it's okay if you want to offer the customer something.Since Chinese products are also partly strong Konquerenz.

Setup:

Headphones: ZMF Auteur, Audeze Lcd 2 C 2019 , Letshuore Z12
Amplifier Feliks Euforia and Vintage Hamran Kardon 880 Vxi
Software player Audirvana 3.5 linked with Tidal account the MQA renderer is activated in Audirvana.

Setup:

I plugged the Rca output into the Felkis Euforia amplifier as well as the harman Kardon amplifier.
Switched it on and waited a short while.
I took out my ipad and established the bluetooth connection, opened Tidal and off I went without any problems.

Sound Feliks Euforia with Zmf Auteur+Audeze Lcd 2C

The tubes stayed as before also in my other review with the Ifi Zen Dac and Zen Phono and it sounds very good and satisfying.
Everything necessary was there similar to the Zen Dac if you take the conversion into account.
I had the impression that they were very close.
For headphone amplifiers there is nothing wrong with using the Zen Blue.
The Zmf Auteur and Lcd2 C reproduced everything cleanly and in a fluid manner.
Bass, midrange and treble were surprisingly good for a Bluetooth connection.
Vocally as well so had nothing to object to in that respect where negative stood out.
It's like having a dac in front of it with no interruptions or interference which I really liked.
However, I'm not exactly sure if the Zen Air Blue can be considered a Dac, as there was occasionally something missing here and there that a Dac can handle better.
Rather, it offers a way to play music better in a good technical way.
After sending the units it occurred to me that I could also have compared them with the Zen Can, which made me a little angry that I hadn't thought of it and reported on it.
I think both units Zen Blue+ Zen Can make a good combination for a bedroom setup or for students, teenagers or when the budget is limited.
As the Zen Can is a very good SS amp for the price and also offers a lot of magic moments.

The next setup goes back into the living room where my Harman Kardon 880vxi stands with the 2 Elac Edition One speakers.
A Matrix Audio ipro mini 2S has been connected to the Harman for years and has already provided me with several hours of enjoyment.
By enjoyment, I have to take a moment to define it.
The Ipro 2S somehow brings something that is totally relaxing and gets under your skin when listening to music.
With super resolution and a very good sound stage for a stereo system.
It doesn't matter if the music is coming from the living room and you're in the kitchen cooking, or just sitting down and enjoying it.
Let's see if the Ifi Zen Blue will beat it.

I've been using the Ipad for both units as a player for years.
Personally have high expectations for the If Zen Blue,also because as a Tidal user and in certain things Mqa is not necessarily a bad thing I was curious to see how much it would work on stereo.
At first sound I didn't notice anything that made me frown, but I immediately noticed that something was different.

At first I didn't know exactly what it was that was different.
For a direct A/B I switched on both units and plugged them into different line ins on the amplifier.
When I switched to the Ipro 2S with the same song it was there again, that magic, the sharp edges and the tonal weight.
Also the bass impact and effect with proper weight was back which I somehow missed on the Zen Blue.
Even the hi-hats when I'm one room away were not as prominent on the Zen Blue as they were on the Ipro 2S.

Nevertheless, it has to be said that the Zen Blue is an entry-level unit and perhaps had to make some sacrifices somewhere on the sound side.
The Ipro 2S was also a bit more expensive to buy back then.
Funnily enough, I don't use it as a dac because it's too sharp for me, but its Bluetooth properties are intoxicating.
Nevertheless, the Ifi Zen Blue is a good unit from a sound point of view, especially for beginners or those who want to improve.
Nothing is missing and it is well balanced, it runs smoothly and is very easy to set up.
What I have criticised is not a fault of the Zen Blue, but rather a personal preference for which no one can be held responsible.
It may be that it did not fit 100% with the amplifier in terms of synergy.
My sound system is already vintage, you could say.
I think on modern amps or again on amps that are 20 years old it looks different and the ball is passed on.
Even audiophiles, whether stereo or headphones, should try the Zen Blue and decide for themselves.
As I said, there was nothing else to complain about, it sounded musical enough, the sound was rather warm and fluid.
The voice reproduction was quite good and the rest of the bass, midrange and treble were well filled. I would say that it depends on the rest of the setup and the room.

On my own behalf:
As I had my own expectations, I was not disappointed when it did not live up to them, but that is the way it is, to look at it objectively.
What bothers me about Bluetooth devices is that you can't see where you are in the resolution.
Ifi has solved it very well with the coloured circle where it says whether it renders Pcm, Mqa or Mqa or not etc... The colour scheme can be found in the manual for those who are interested.
What I would have liked to have or have been missing for a long time is access to the resolution instead of advertising.
Hd,Aptx,Acc all good gladly and I take with me even if I only use one codec of it.
Only one thing is forgotten,and the approach is this:
In almost every streaming provider app, the resolutions are limited to 16/44,1/48 khz.This is reproduced 1 to 1 in such apps from the streaming providers.
Since I don't use Roon, I can't say whether it can be set.
I don't know about Audirvana.
The point is that I would love to be able to access it with an app and control the Bluetooth box for example and also set it to upsample.
Or if possible you can choose the best codec to convert it to, even if the iPad offers maximum Acc.
You also have to add that Apple is still behind the times and holds on to their Acc codec. On Android systems you have more possibilities than with the Usb Pro Player.
Whether it actually upsamples I have failed to test myself.
That's a point I wanted to make here, also because I have devices that offer HD resolution but don't drive it.
For mobile use 16/44.1/48 bit/khz I'm happy to put up with that but not for home use when the possibilities are greater.

The general conclusion is that the Zen Blue is very good for what it offers.
It has a good sound, is very easy to set up and is beginner-friendly, even for older people. it completely upgrades your older system, if you have one, in 5-10 minutes. rca out to cd, aux and you're done.
There are also other possibilities to enhance your living space or room directly.
It also runs smoothly and without interruptions, which is also very good.
Apart from that, it is technically modern, state of the art and visually aesthetic.
For the price, you can't go wrong buying it and testing it because it does what it's supposed to do.
Of course there are other Bluetooth speakers or Dacs with Bluetooth support, but it's a question of budget and purpose.
If you want more, you can also look at the Zen Blue V2, which offers optical and coax out as well as Pentacon out in addition to the Rca out.

Hello,

Thanks to the Ifi Zen Air Tour, some members here had the opportunity to participate in the tour that took place here in the forum.
I would like to thank Rowan for organising this tour and Ifi for agreeing and providing the products.
I must also apologise for the length of the tour, unfortunately I had some private problems which delayed the whole thing unnecessarily.


You had to register for the tour, Rowan wrote to you personally and told you that you were on board.
The rest went 1 to 1 as described in the tour, the products were sent and arrived personally at the familiar home.
Personally, I don't get a fee or anything like that, the tour was absolutely voluntary.
And the products have to be sent back.

Why am I doing this?

I have always been interested in Ifi products, starting with the Ify Hip Dac 2 which I bought a few months ago.
when I'm on the road and I'm very happy with it.
Since then I have continued to be very interested in their products where they develop for the community.
Somehow I had always been interested in testing the small budget products.
And the opportunity was just great to be able to test something without having to spend money.
Of course, it's also a hobby of mine, so why not?

About the Zen Dac Air contents:

Not much in terms of content,the Zen Can unit neatly packaged with dust caps,a hollow plug cable with usb connector,usb cable that's about it.
Rca cables are unfortunately not included, these must be purchased seperrat.

I assume that the cable is simply used to power the Zen Can with a charger power supply plug.
I tested whether it also works via the USB port on the PC and it worked, great surprise.
I connected all the devices to the Audioquest Powerquest 3 via the USB port, which seemed to me to be a very sensible solution.
The cable could have been a bit longer for my taste, I had to use my own as it is a bit longer.
I can't say whether it was intentional not to include a power supply or the true content of the purchase.

Visually, it looks very elegant, and there's not much to it either.
The black/grey plastic casing enhances the look, but the feel is not mine.
But it's okay if you want to offer the customer something.Since Chinese products are also partly strong Konquerenz.

Setup:
Headphones: ZMF Auteur, Audeze Lcd 2 C 2019 , Letshuore Z12
Zen Dac is connected directly to my Matrix element H Usb card which is powered separately with a Psu power supply.
Software player Audirvana 3.5 linked to Tidal account the MQA renderer is enabled in Audirvana.



Preparation:

The installation of the driver must be downloaded from the Ifi page and only installed after the previous driver has been completely uninstalled from the previous Dac.
Otherwise the Zen Dac will not be recognised in Windows as well as in Audirvana.
It took me a little time to figure it out.
Unfortunately, deactivating the software in the autostart did not work either to save me this procedure.
It makes sense to restart the previous software after uninstalling the PC before installing the Ifi driver and restarting again.
Then there will be no conflicts and the PC will recognise the Ifi Zen Dac without any problems.

Preface:
The Dac seems to have a neutral but warm signature with good depth in the presentation when connected via the USB port.
It reminds me slightly of the old Wolfson Dac chip that was available years ago in certain Dac's. Musically, the Zen Dac can reproduce a nice broad depth.
The bass range seemed better to me there, much more weighty and with more power and less muddy than with the Wolfson chip, mids and highs have a very good spectrum without missing anything.
The highs have a bit of a spiky approach for me, so let's see how it turns out with the headphones.

Unfortunately there was nothing else, no coax output that I could have coupled with the Singxer Su 2 DDC.
After a short acclimatisation phase and a break, I went straight to the listening impression of the headphones.

Letshure Z12:

Since I disconnected the Can directly and installed everything with the Zen Dac and took the Z12 directly to continue listening, I was closest for the Can and internal Zen Dac comparison.
Can and internal Zen Dac comparison.
The Can seemed to me to be a little sweeter at the top end as well as in the mids and the bass a little more extended with more fullness.
I think it's also due to the Dac the Can was connected to, the Singxer SDA 2 connected to the Singxer Su 2 via I2S, which performed very well on the Nos filter.
very good performance on the Nos filter.
If I just compare the Zen Dac with the Z12, Xbass is off, because there's enough of it and it's in its place.
You don't experience the top end as in the previous setup but it is satisfying.
The mids are very well in place without anything negative to say. The extension could be a bit better for my ears.
The highs are slightly sharper than on the Can, where I experienced more of a gentle roll off at the back, but nothing like that on the Zen Dac.
There, the Z12 is sometimes slightly sharp but forgiving and still balances it out well.
The voices are otherwise very well reproduced, regardless of whether they are female or male voices.
Nevertheless, I miss a bit of the magic behind it, as was experienced at the Can, for example, where there was a bit more extension and more connection to the singer.
What I like is the presentation of the instruments, which is very much in place.
Tonally it is balanced but not perfect.

ZMF Auteur OG:

Where before the pot on the Z12 was at 10-11 o'clock, the pot has already moved to 15 o'clock with Xbass activated.
The reserves for a 300 Ohm headphone are quite tight.
And yet I experience a good, amazing instrument separation at this level without anything starting to distort, so a really good job has been done.
It stays completely clean even though the Zen Dac is almost at its limits in terms of amplification.
Even with the enormous bass of Rhianna - Russian Roulette the Auteur OG has no problems.With other songs I have experienced something similar,seldom such good bass on the Auteur OG.
I was not aware that the Auteur can deliver really good bass.
In terms of sound, it's similar to the Letshoure Z12, everything is there, but it can always be improved.
Even on the Can I share my impression that it was a bit sweeter with the Auteur than on the Zen Dac itself.

Audeze Lcd 2 C 2019:

With the Lcd 2 the pot is set to 14 o'clock it is loud enough,with Xbass there is more bass.
But deactivated the balance is better dosed without what pure bleeds to the mids what can come before, also it booms me too much in the ears.
All in all, you have more reserves at the potentiometer than with the Auteur.
The Zen Dac also does a good job of driving the planar headphones smoothly.
Compared to the Z12, the sound is much more relaxed, with more width and depth in the music.
in the details, but plays deeper down.
The treble range of the Lcd 2, like that of the Auteur, is no longer too sharp like that of the Z12 and is just right.
I enjoyed the Lcd 2 a bit more on the Zen Dac than the Auteur.
With the Auteur I was somehow missing another good 20% except for the bass.
The Lcd 2 was clearly better in voicing,tonal separations,low end and the rest of the spectrum.Although the Can will probably be better than amplification.
For the man of small budget or emergency setup one can say grab it,you will enjoy it too.

Bonus:

Yes, I couldn't resist testing the Ifi Zen Dac's output. The dac it's connected to is the Feliks Euforia, and it's being used
with the ZMF Auteur OG as well as the Lcd 2.
But here I have to point out one thing:
The poti on the Zen Dac has to be turned up for this.here you have to find your own sweet spot. A button would have been really helpful to limit the whole thing directly to 2V.
I activated the Xbass, and I'll tell you why.
Without it, it seemed a bit thin. When I turn the pot all the way up, it bleeds right in the mids and is too much when it's activated.
My sweetspot was set to 15 o'clock in order to get a good amount of active XBass and above all to avoid clipping, which also occurs.

The listening impression with the Auteur Og:

It was definitely better than on the Zen Dac, which is normal because the Euforia is a completely different amplifier.
The amount of bass is really good, which I personally wish the Euforia would bring that out of the box.
The female and male vocals are really excellent and very forward in the combination.
With Jessie Reyez - Figures she almost screams at me with the suffering in her voice that almost makes my eyes wet.
With Brian Mcknight - Anytime I got goose bumps when his voice started to sing full of heartache how much he misses his lover and could really feel with him.
Together with the whole composition of the softly playing piano it really got under your skin.
If I had recently experienced traumatic events, I would definitely have been in tears, because everything would have come up at that moment.
In short, I experience the Zen Dac in its purest form with an excellent amplifier by its side.
The rest of the ensemble is also excellently presented at this level, with flutes, pianos, guitars, etc., coming out much better.
And also in a very natural way that I personally like.
And a good tip is to use a potent tube amplifier and this Dac as a Dac and you will experience a good, decent audio quality.
decent audio quality.
Does it beat my Singxer SDA 2 with its Su 2 behind.In short yes,the Singxer doesn't manage with its Ak 4497 chip to come across as natural and clear
in terms of instruments and vocals.

Audeze Lcd 2:

The setting on the Zen Dac was also unaffected here.
The instruments have a good tonal weight and are slightly inferior to the Auteur, but still within the limits.
Also on the vocal level but neat to listen to.
The rest can also be taken from the Auteur description, but with a little less weight of everything.
All in all, you have to be 2-3 metres away from everything to experience the goosebump moment.

Conclusion:

Purely as a Dac, the Zen Dac is surprisingly good.I like the natural what it reproduces together with the Auteur and Euforia this had definitely been my highlight,
that I really have to think about.
Because it beats the Singxer SDA and SU 2 directly although both are connected via I2S.
Even though the Singxer is a bit livelier, I always missed the natural sound of the instruments, which it can't reproduce and is certainly a personal taste.
It's a shame that the Zen Dac doesn't have a coax output, otherwise it would be perfect for me.

The Dac section can do wonders with a mid range/high end headphone amp as well as the Can can with headphones.
I personally didn't see that coming.Ifi has really outdone itself here.
All units have their advantages and disadvantages, strengths and weaknesses.

Let's get back to Zen:
The Zen disappointed me slightly in its amplification, but for the price it's okay.Iem's and low-ohm headphones benefit much more in terms of performance,
than high ohm headphones, and planar headphones can certainly do better. But hey, we have the Can when the budget is tight for a decent amplification with some reserves in it.
The Dac section is excellent MQA capable, by the way I didn't do the firmware update even though there was one.
The Dac is extremely natural in its reproduction when the amplification behind it is right, very musical to the point as it should be.
Dynamics,depth,smoothness is right,it lacks a touch of micro and macro detail but otherwise it is really very very good.The question is do you need it if you don't know it?
I also rarely heard compositional errors and it was forgiving in that respect.
I have also seen that the Zen Dac is available as a signature version with a mains plug and fixed/variable switch for those who need something like that, a good compromise to find the sweet spot.
The coax output is unfortunately missing and is forced to go to Usb.
With the Zen Signature I would have liked to have it, also because you could have connected a streamer directly.
With the simple Zen Dac it would have been okay to do without it in order to remain competitive.
That is my only criticism where I can say.

Hello,

Thanks to the Ifi Zen Air Tour, some members here had the opportunity to participate in the tour that took place here in the forum.
I would like to thank Rowan for organising this tour and Ifi for agreeing and providing the products.
I must also apologise for the length of the tour, unfortunately I had some private problems which delayed the whole thing unnecessarily.

You had to register for the tour, Rowan wrote to you personally and told you that you were on board.
The rest went 1 to 1 as described in the tour, the products were sent and arrived personally at the familiar home.
Personally, I don't get a fee or anything like that, the tour was absolutely voluntary.
And the products have to be sent back.

Why am I doing this?

I have always been interested in Ifi products, starting with the Ify Hip Dac 2 which I bought a few months ago.
when I'm on the road and I'm very happy with it.
Since then I have continued to be very interested in their products where they develop for the community.
Somehow I had always been interested in testing the small budget products.
And the opportunity was just great to be able to test something without having to spend money.
Of course it's also a hobby of mine so why not?



About the Zen Can Air content:

The Zen Can unit was neatly packaged with dust protection caps, a hollow plug cable with usb connection and that was it.
Rca cables are unfortunately not included, these must be purchased separately.

I assume that with the cable you can easily power the Zen Can with a charger power supply plug.
I tested whether it also works via the USB port on the PC and it worked, great surprise.
I connected all the devices to the Audioquest Powerquest 3 via the USB port, which seemed to me to be a very sensible solution.
The cable could have been a bit longer for my taste, I had to use my own as it is a bit longer.
I can't say whether it was intentional not to include a power supply or the true content of the purchase.

Visually, it looks very elegant, and there's not much to it.
The black/grey plastic casing enhances the look, but the feel is not mine.
But it's okay if you want to offer the customer something, because Chinese products are also partly strong in comparison.

Setup:

Headphones are again the Zmf Auteur OG in the 6.3mm slot mainly.Other headphones are Audeze LCD 2 Classic 2019, IMR Acustics R2 Red iem's to test the performance.
Dac is my Singxer SDA 2 which goes via the Rca output to the Zen can.Additionally the SDA 2 is connected to the Singxer Su 2 via I2S.
I stream with the Audirvana 3.5 software from my Tidal account or Tidal itself.

Songs I take from the phono stage rating,only this time it runs via the stream from Tidal to have a lienie.
Cock Robin - The album has not been given a title and is from 1985.
Joe Cocker- Cocker ( Is from 1986 from Capitol records ).
Sandra - Into a Secret Land ( Is from 1988 Virgin records )
Rage against the Maschine - Rage against the Maschine ( The album is from 1992,who had the rights back then I couldn't find out unfortunately.)
AC/DC - Iron Man 2 ( I couldn't find out who had the rights back then either )



Preface:

In the review of the phono stage I left a few words about how the Zen Can sounded.
It drove my Zmf Auteur loud enough without the gain setting, but I was already snapping at it with the potentiometer.
I forgot to mention that there, but as I said, it was usable and still had a shot in reserve with the gain setting.
As mentioned there, the pairing is still usable with the phono stage and interesting for people who are not liquid or have other criteria.
The Zen Can unconditionally fulfils all criteria for the entry-level segment in combination with the phono stage.

Setting on the Zen Can:
Gain is disabled or set to max 6 DB and Xbass is on most of the time.


Negative:
The only negative thing I noticed was the gain switch.
I had the Zmf Auteur connected to +6Db and had the pot almost fully turned up and pressed the gain button again to +18Db.
You have to be careful, because it gets extremely loud, especially when the poti is turned up and can be harmful for ear and headphones.
So turning the potentiometer back before switching is very important and should be reconsidered for the next version of the Can.

Now to the positive:

Overall, given the price, the Can is better than the Dac's internal Singxer amplification, which is also good, but I liked the Can better overall.
Also because the gain switching is well done which is sometimes great to know you have it.Sometimes you realise it could have a bit more bite and bang a button is all there.
Just thinking, a good Dac, no matter which one it is, with some gadgetry in combination with the Can can be a little wonder weapon.
Tonally,as a small SS amp,it's a really good little poison dwarf,the layering is there,tonal weight,details come through (sometimes not quite accurate,but there),good midrange precision,
the highs still seem a bit rolled off to me even though I'm already in the Nos filter on the Dac.
The voice reproduction is also very well represented with good presence, hardly any differences between woman/man.
All in all I could lean back and enjoy the music. I also found the sound very organic, especially with the instruments.
Can had a good body weight.
The rest of the unit is otherwise self-explanatory in terms of control.
Select the source by pressing a button, and the rest is simply a matter of trying it out with the gain setting and Xbass as well as Xspace.

Audeze Lcd 2 C 2019:

Setup of the setting is Xbass active and 0/+6 DB.
Stream Audirvana 3.5 via Tidal in the Mixed Playlist where everything is present.
The Can accepts the Lcd 2C without problems. good volume at 0 Db I am with the potentiometer at 12 o'clock. with +6DB at 9 o'clock.
0Db has a little more low end,a little less bass presence and found the setting most relaxed with the Lcd 2 and well balanced.
With +6DB there is a little less depth, more bass presence sometimes prominent but okay, and very good when more bite is required.
The rest sounded very good to me and close to a hybrid amp. The only thing missing was a bit of the magic that a hybrid amp brings to be perfect for planar headphones.
for planar headphones.
Overall, a very good pairing with the Can and highly recommended.

ZMF Auteur OG:

Setup of the setting is Xbass active and 0/+6 DB.
Stream Audirvana 3.5 via Tidal in the mixed playlist where everything is available.
In the preface I already said some things,the Auteur needs more volume on the pot,the position is 13-14 o'clock to drive it loud enough with 0 DB on Dac's.With the phono stage significantly more.
As said the Can still has a shot of reserves to perform even more when driven by a Dac.
With the position everything sounds in place and well balanced slightly better than with the Lcd 2.
The rest of the impressions with 0/+6DB are similar to the Lcd 2, but not quite as extreme.
In terms of sound, the Auteur has good bass presence, which can sometimes be a shortcoming depending on the amplifier.
The midrange and vocals are less muffled than on the Lcd 2, with more power and punch behind them and good expression. The treble is also slightly more rolled off, but more present and well balanced with good extension.
Instruments are separated a little better than on the Lcd 2 and the strengths of the headphones come into their own.
What surprised me a little personally.
The Can can be a really good pairing if the Dac is halfway coherent I would not have thought and also very surprised how well the Auteur can perform on SS amps.

IMR Acustics R2 Red:

The company is a bit unknown, the headquarter is in England and is a small company that produces Iem's in small quantities about 200-300 pieces mostly.
The price is reasonable depending on what you want, the great thing about these Iem's is that there are different filters to adjust the sound.
The filters are matched to my Ifi Hip Dac 2 with the Inairs 2 for sealing.
The Can doesn't have any problems there either and accepts them with thanks.
The filter is not tuned to the Can, it lacks a bit more depth and presence.
The stage seems a little further away from everything as if you were standing in the middle of the hall. Overall it is not tuned and I stopped the test with this Iem as it requires more time to find the right filter.
Instead, the Letshouer Z12 was used.
Here too, the position 0 Db and Xbass is active.
Here it was immediately noticeable that with xbass there was sometimes a touch too much bass and I switched it off for the first time.
These units were also easy to drive on the Can.
The bass can sometimes be too dominant that you have to play on the Can with the XBAss and Xspace button.mids can sometimes seem a little restrained but otherwise well dosed,even with the treble they are not annoying and very well presented.
They were definitely a great highlight, never too much or too little, the low end is a little shorter than usual but on the point.
Tonal weight is there,bass response is sometimes too much unless you are a basshead.but the impact is extremely well represented when the XSpace button is active alone.
The detail suffers a little at times even though this is a planar unit, sometimes it's there for the taking and other times it's not.
Surprisingly, the Z12 gave me a good foot wiping factor.With time I got used to it and found the Z12 best on the Can with XSpace and 0 DB setting and 10-11 o'clock pot position.
I finished the rest of the rewiev with the Z12 because it suited the mood and I wanted to hear more of what the Z12 could do.
(The green spinfits served as a seal, by the way).
Even when I got used to it after a while, my impressions improved a bit.
The Can fits very well with the Z12, I almost have to take back what I wrote above.
Once I got used to it, it suffers only minimally in the details and macro dynamics, but the rest remains very good in the setting.
I would have preferred to sit back instead of writing.
The bass energy is right, the mids seem less restrained, the highs are still a little short but really very well presented.
Tonally better than the Lcd 2C, much more weight behind it and presence where you can really get into the music.
I wish the Lcd 2 had been like this. you have to raise your finger and point out a good combination.

Conclusion of the Can:
If you look at the price alone, it is a very good entry level amplifier, if not the best in its class in terms of sound.
Also because it can and does produce a very good sound with mid range high end headphones.Of course the final touches are still missing,but can still be satisfying for a very simple setup.
And personally speaking,it's not a tube amp or a midrange SS amp.And I'm certainly a bit more spoiled,I had to adjust a bit to hear the Can,especially if you're used to tube amps.
There everything is more plastic, more spoiled in detail and depth, as well as the tonal weight with more foundation and the rest is more coherent.
It's been 2 years since I've heard an SS amp and I'm surprised at the development that has taken place at a low price.
When I think back to the Magni 3 it didn't get to where the Can is definitely.
The Can is generally pleasantly smooth, offering good low end with good weight and the right amount of bass, mids and treble, although these can be slightly rolled off depending on the user.
Xbass and Xspace can do wonders on headphones and Iem's.
And it has extremely good power reserves as you can see to drive even high-end midrange headphones.
It should also be noted that it clearly outperformed my 3 year old Singxer SDA 2 Dac in internal SS gain.
Coming to the Dac, the Can can be a very good player if you are willing to spend a little more money on a Dac.
On the old Wolfson Chip Dac's it is certainly exactly the right thing, because it is very musical and balanced and only the fine tuning is missing, you can have a very good setup with the Can.
There is certainly still good potential in the new current Dacs.
As a note, I must add that there is still the signature version of the Can.
On the one hand, there are different versions that have been tuned to certain headphones such as Sennheier, Meze and others.
And the simple signature version, which is visually more appealing and probably offers a little more performance and a general version is available without tuning to the above-mentioned headphone families.
If I were to buy a Can, it would probably be this version.
The other thing is that in combination with the phono stage it is also very excellent sound-wise and comes into its own if you are looking for a small amplifier to listen to vinyl with headphones to get an impression of it,
before moving on to the next level of amplification.
Also, the Can plays very well with live recordings very clear and distinct as if you were there.
I'm really positively impressed with this unit and everything it comes with in this cute little box.
The scope of delivery is very thin but okay, as I said, you can also operate it directly via the PC's USB port and leave it there.
The Signature version has the plug for example as I read purely as a side note.
Rca cables and the hollow plug can also be adjusted as needed to get a bit more performance out of it. in my case, the red Audioquest Rca cables did the job.
All in all, it was a great fun experience to be able to test the Can and with a lot of enjoyment. I will think about buying one again probably as a signature version in case I don't feel like tubes.

Hello,

Thanks to the Ifi Zen Air Tour, some members here had the opportunity to participate in the tour that took place here in the forum.
I would like to thank Rowan for organising this tour and Ifi for agreeing and providing the products.
I must also apologise for the length of the tour, unfortunately I had some personal issues that delayed it unnecessarily.


You had to sign up for the tour, Rowan personally wrote to you to let you know you were on board.
The rest went 1 to 1 as described in the tour, the products were shipped and arrived in person at your familiar home.
I personally do not get any fee or anything like that, the tour was absolutely voluntary.
And the products have to be returned.

Why am I doing this?

I have always been interested in Ifi products, starting with the Ify Hip Dac 2 I bought a few months ago.
When I am out and about and have been very happy with it.
Since then I've continued to be very interested in their products where they develop for the community.
Somehow I've always been interested in testing the products on a small budget.
And the opportunity was just great to be able to test something without having to spend money.
Of course, it's also a hobby of mine, so why not?

About the Ifi Phono Zen Air:

There wasn't much in terms of content, the phono stage, a hollow plug cable with USB connector, and that's it.
I assume that the cable is simply used to supply power to the phono preamplifier via a charger mains plug.
I tested to see if it also worked via the USB port on the PC and it did, big surprise.
I connected all the devices to the Audioquest Powerquest 3 via the USB port, which seemed to me to be a very sensible solution.
The cable could have been a bit longer for my taste, I had to use my own as it is a bit longer.
I can't say whether it was intentional not to include a power supply or the true content of the purchase.

Visually, it looks very elegant, and there's not much to it either.
The black plastic casing enhances the look, but the feel is not mine.
But it's okay if you want to offer the customer something, because Chinese products are also sometimes strong in comparison

I connected all the devices to the Audioquest Powerquest 3 via the USB port, which seemed to me to be a very sensible solution.
The cable could have been a bit longer for my taste, I had to use my own as it is a bit longer.
I can't say whether it was intentional not to include a power supply or the true content of the purchase.

Visually, it looks very elegant, and there's not much to it either.
The black plastic casing enhances the look, but the feel is not mine.
But it's okay if you want to offer the customer something, because Chinese products are also sometimes strong in comparison.

Setup:

Is a Pioneer Pl 300 vinylplayer from 1980 that was made in Japan at that time.
I have found the technical data for it and it is summarised here, if you are interested:
https://www.hifi-wiki.de/index.php/Pioneer_PL-300
I bought it second hand from the local area a few years ago and it is still in perfect condition after all these years, but it is not the newest anymore.
The cartridge is the Ortofon 2M Red.

The amp is currently the Feliks Euforia with 6080 mullards and apapted 6v6 Sylvania tubes.
The amplifier is also equipped with Vcaps capacitors and is no longer completely standard.
Headphones I have chosen the ZMF Auteur Og for the setup.

If there is still time, I will test the phono stage on my other hi-fi amplifier in the living room.
There is an old Harman Kardon 880 VXI with two Elac Editition One loudspeakers from the 90's where a very good satisfactory setup is.
There, the Ifi Phono Zen Air will be tested against the Harman Kardon internal phono stage and will have to prove itself.


Since time is also somewhat limited, I decided on 5 records. Since the record player also had to be moved from the living room and reset, this also took time.
this also took time.

Cock Robin - The album has no title and the pressing is from 1985 by CBS.
Joe Cocker- Cocker ( The pressing is from 1986 from Capitol records with DMM, Dmm = Direct Metal Mastering)
Sandra - Into a Secret Land ( The pressing is from 1988 Virgin records)
Rage against the Maschine - Rage against the Maschine ( I think the pressing is from 2015 when the vinyl hype got a boost.I couldn't find out who pressed it)
AC/DC - Iron Man 2 (I couldn't find out when exactly the pressing was done, I also think I bought it in 2015 like Rage against the Maschine).


I deliberately decided to vary the years of the records, because of the MoFi debate that made the rounds in the vinyl scene a few months ago.
And I can't comment further because I don't have the knowledge either.
I have read a few articles about mastering mainly, especially in relation to the new pressings, what the exact details are I don't know 100%.
The only thing I can say is that the Rage against the Maschine album on vinyl is still unchallenged to my ears.
Which means I've heard streams where I've always missed something that came across divine on the vinyl.
I'll have more to say about the record later.



Sound:

After setting it up, I listened to it for a while to get in the mood.
I replaced the 6080 Mullard tubes on the Feliks Euforia amplifier because I found the bass lacking and a bit too neutral.
I also felt that the music from the records I listened to lacked a bit more weight.

In general you hear the normal noises more amplified than on the stereo system logically.
Things like the tonearm moving, noise from the turntable, cracking noises from dust on the platter etc....

Otherwise the Ifi Zen Air phono stage does its job quite well. I am very positively surprised at how well it does it.
It stays switched off most of the time.
Why is that?
You can't rewind the vinyl, but when the subsonic is on, I notice that it takes the weight out of the music and the timbre.
And also the bass weight in general, I think the bass becomes a bit slimmer with less weight, I don't like that so much. Also the stage presence decreases a bit.
I also noticed this the first time I listened to the Cock Robin album, when the Mullard tubes were still in use.
The good thing is that you can switch it off.
But I really don't need it for my taste.
Especially with the Rage against the Maschine album, I notice it very clearly when the drums start or the bass hits.
It's certainly a matter of taste for each individual in the end.

Let's move on to the first album I know best, the one by Rage against the Machine.
(I must note that this is my first phono stage that I personally test).

Rage against the Machine:
In one sentence the album on vinyl remains simply Divine.
The Euforia amplifier hits like a bomb even with a turntable coupled with the Ifi phono stage.
It's also everything I'd expect from a Harman amp in the living room. It gets me grooving in equal measure.
Weight,bass,separation,stage precision and an incredible timbre and guitar riffs that gets you going.
I don't hear anything where the Ifi phono stage does anything different or changes anything sonically.I like that,it's all really played from the gut,deep and lush and in its place.
You feel really good on stage as if you were playing or being there yourself.
The left/right separations are very authentically portrayed, the overall performance is also very breathtaking, especially that of the singer.
The smoky voice, the bellowing.
The drumming from the drums and the guitar riffs just sweep you along and the place order is also right and definitely in its place.
You can also hear the pauses in between very well.
Also, certain side noises from the recording are really fully there and perceptible when listening closely.Simply WOW....That's why the vinyl version is simply the best album.
I've also listened to the stream many times, even when I'm on the road, but it just doesn't pull me in the same way as the vinyl record.
Something is just missing in the stream and it seems a bit more clinical and colder in general and less engaging.
The way the setup is right now, it's just all there for the taking, I wouldn't have thought the Ifi phono stage would do that very well.
And for me, it has already earned its place in the headphone sector.Which is something to think about,because otherwise I almost cause noise nuisance to my neighbours with this album in the living room.


AC/DC - Iron Man 2

Here it's similar to the Rage against the Machine album.everything you hear on vinyl is present.
What is noticeably audible is that these are really older recordings, but they are also great to hear in the sound.
The old hands know this from the disco when Ac/Dc was playing and you stood there with your beer in your hand and your knee was swinging.
That's exactly the feeling I had when I listened to some of the tracks.
So here too, the Ifi Phono stage really gets you going and invites you to want to do things, because it's fun and it gets you going.

Cock Robin

Let's move away from rock and into pop music from the 80s.
Certain treble ranges unfortunately distort slightly, even after changing tubes it is still there but not as extreme as before.
I think this is due to the recording itself and has nothing to do with the actual hardware.
Soundwise the same feeling as described, plays very neatly, cleanly, powerfully down until the tone arm moves up again.
Instruments are really very authentically represented in the mix,left-right separation is correct,contours are present that were intended at the time.
Macro and dynamics are completely present. Depth design is also very neat.
Vocals are in their place, you can hear the singer really well, the slightly smoky and painful with a certain melting in the voice.
The singer's accompanying voice is also tasty to listen to, and calms you down in a special way, even though he sometimes doesn't sing quite clearly due to his accent.

Joe Cocker- Cocker

The first side of the record I would say tends to be designed for stereo systems rather than headphones.
It sounded good overall, but I could hear that certain passages are reserved for stereo systems and are tuned that way.
The second side of the record was much more pleasant for headphones.
The rest of the impressions are the same as those described above.
Nothing was missing,the weight was there,also typical pronunciations in the voice could be heard where abbreviations were made by Joe Cocker back then.
The music also flowed like it had been composed back then.
I don't know the album very well now, but it was more than decent. Everything else sounded very coherent, voice, tonal weight of the instruments, staggering.
Still enjoyed it in a way,especially on the 2nd side of the record where it was a bit more relaxed.

Sandra - Into a Secret Land

The first sounds were again seduced to groove.the sounds of the sythesizers of that time are really good and it's fun to listen to them.
Also the voice of Sandra sounds breathtakingly good how close you can get to her.
The rest of the composition is also very well presented: depth, stage presentation, dynamics, syntis, very smoothly presented, open and transparent with a good low end.
It's all there from a sonic point of view.

On the Harman Kardon hi-fi system:
The amplifier is quite old and has never seen an overhaul.
I tested both the internal phono stage and the Ifi.
The Ifi was a bit better for my taste, I guess it's the age of the amp why the Ifi was better.
In terms of sound, everything remained the same except for certain areas that had a little more power and weight. The Ifi didn't add anything and was otherwise normal.
This is another area where you can benefit when the internal phono stage gets old.


Summation:

There is nothing bad to say about the Ifi phono stage.
I had a lot of fun with it and it gave me another opportunity to enjoy my childhood record collection, part of which came from my father, on a very good amplifier.
The only thing to note is that there may well be records where the focus is clearly on stereo systems and not headphones.
Like the Joe Cocker album for example, which was not really made for headphones to be clear.
It can really be a record side or song that is not made for it.
You have to say that 40/50 years ago you couldn't imagine that there would be something like that on the market today.
So it may be that the stream is better than the record or the song.
The phono stage has convinced me personally that I will buy it as a supplement to my system.
It doesn't colour or add anything, it is transparent, neutral, authentic and focused throughout, Ifi have done a good job on this.

If you are looking for a cost effective setup for your turntable, because of children or other purchases, you will do very well with the phono stage and can recommend the Ifi Zen air Can to go with it.
The pairing is not bad compared to a tube amp.
It has a little less depth,air,separation and detail is not as concise as on a tube amp.But the rest is there and consistently satisfying and powerful enough.
I did very well with the Zmf Auteur at 0 gain plus Xbass.
It was just a test to get a feel for the Can before connecting it to a Dac. Combined with the phono stage it really is a nice transparent little toxic setup with little sacrifice in the low budget sector.

What should one say about the Fostex HpA3?
Who takes him directly as a beginner deflowered his ears at a level never heard there.
Why?
Starting with a Dt 770 per 32 ohms, it sounds very good.
Unfortunately, the DT 770 pushes the bass bad in the foreground the bit the details on the upper and middle end of the synergy away takes. Unfortunately, this is due to headphones.
Otherwise, you look at the Hp A3 to the Fostex Th X 00 mahogany infects.
Uff you have to say because it is almost the other way around the heights and in the middle are much better than the bass, he is there but a little reserved.You could have more of it.
Otherwise, it looks again when the whole thing to a Schiit Loki and Magni.
Where you have more freedom. And finally what comes out of the Magni is indescribable.
The Hp A3 is already out of the pack quite rich in detail, and it is still richer in details about a Magni.Justisage on the Loki.
Why can I explain myself only because the Magni simply brings the better power output with home. And coupled together of the two units you get a satisfactory result.
Since the power output of the Fostex is still a bit weak, you only notice with time, not at first.
Especially because one really greed for the Hp A3, you really want to hear more and more.
Also because he sounds very very warm, full and precise in all musical genres.
To cut a long story short, it's a piece of Japanese masterpiece of a Katana sword.
The reason is simple. You have had enough to eat something else, buy something else, and ask yourself what did you do?
Where is this and that?
Lay the headphones away for a few days. Or better go ahead, this will save you money.
You will once again resort to the Masterful Sword.
That's how I feel.
He's just out of the pack, an all-rounder, for the money.
Unpacking infected. No annoying Windows driver with annoying asiatic stories.
Together with the Magni and Loki, a weapon that leaves a lot behind.
With a Vali 2 where my test is still pending because on the way to me after the cleared bush fires in LA, I would like to give the setup a personal end note. What sounds like an adventure, but why not.
For the Hp A4 BL singelended output, I had only briefly in the hand.
Was not recorded, and was felt the opposite of the HP A3 in the composition. He left the house quite quickly, but I did not know the Schiit products for my defense before.
My tip does not buy a dac that costs several hundred dollars. Access to the HP A3 and Magni. (Maybe a Vali 2 for the end note, but that's more for enthusiasts) And then the headphones. Because of me, you're going into a good one Hi-fi business with the devices and listen to rehearsal. Hear the counter sample with the "high end" stuff on the shelf. So you can hear and see how close the set-up is. With the rest of the money, treat yourself to good RCA cables, then the seller And the feeling has helped them Something like Audioquest Goldengate zbs, and a decent Usb A / B cable.
Already one is also freed from the hifi voodoo in terms of current influences.