#SILVERSTACK SETUPS PRO#
#SILVERSTACK SETUPS SOFTWARE#

I’m saying it’s overpriced – even more so than a $300 Cobalt and I didn’t really think it could get any worse than that. We’re talking about a headphone that’s been in circulation in some form or fashion for over 24 years, but now all of a sudden we need to Drop everything and purchase this stack because the headphone is missing something that a DAC (of all things) can fix? On Drop’s website, it says, “TAKE YOUR 6XX TO THE NEXT LEVEL.” The problem with this whole situation is that Drop and iFi took advantage of the 6XX’s surging popularity. It’s the same stack repackaged in Blue with 6XX plastered everywhere. I even tried really, really hard to hear one (you know… as most people do), attempting to convince myself that there was a discrepancy, but still couldn’t.

What I found is that there is absolutely no difference here. You’ll mostly find this balance to be pleasing to the ear as the music never sounds overly cold or lifeless, but it also doesn’t seem gooey or stuffy – an issue that some tube amps suffer from. This is common to all iFi products because they utilize the Burr Brown chip. Let’s first clarify that the “sound” of these is a cross between neutral and warm.

Headphones used: Sennheiser HD600, HIFIMAN DEVA, Philips SHP9500.

I used iFi’s RCA to RCA cables for both and tested tracks in Spotify Premium as well as Tidal Hi-Fi. I used the original Zen as just a DAC into the Zen CAN Silver (or regular), and A/B tested it against the Blue Signature 6XX stack. There’s a balanced 4.4mm output for use with separate powered speakers and a DC5V jack for power. The back of both the Zen Can Silver and Zen CAN Signature Amp reveal the same inputs: A balanced 4.4mm, single-ended 3.5mm, and a pair of RCA inputs for use with a separate DAC. The other difference is that the original Zen is an Amp/DAC combo and can be used on its own without a separate amp. The only difference is that the Zen CAN’s button says XBass next to it while the Signature Stack button says “HD6XX.”

6XX Signature (just dac): 16.5 Oz, 483gĪll 4 feel solid and hefty even despite some minor differences in weight.īoth have the 3 input buttons on the front, the 3 gain stage, the ¼” jack, the 4.4mm balanced jack, and the bass boost/3D button.

The original Zen Amp/DAC Combo: 17.6 Oz., 515g.

THD+N: <0.0011% at 0 dBFS (unbalanced / balanced)īoth of these stacks are incredibly rugged and durable.

SNR: 117 dB(A) at -60 dBFS (unbalanced / balanced).

4.4 mm Pentaconn output (balanced): 4.2 V fixed, 2 V – 6.2 V maximum (variable).

Audio RCA output (unbalanced): 2.1 V fixed, 1 V – 3.3 V maximum (variable).

Power consumption: 5V / 174ma, P = 0.887W (on idle using included iPower).

DAC: Bit-perfect DSD and DXD by Burr Brown.

Input: USB-B 3.0 socket (USB-B 2.0 compatible).

Zout (headphone out): 0.25 ohms (single-ended), 0.5 ohms (balanced).

Function Button: HD6XX adaption and/or XSpace Bypass.

Frequency response (-3dB): 10 Hz – 200 kHz.

Maximum output power (600 ohms): 15.2 V / 385 mW (balanced), 7.6 V / 98 mW (single-ended).

Maximum output power (300 ohms): 15.1 V / 756 mW (balanced), 7.6 V / 196 mW (single-ended).

Maximum output power (16 ohms): 3.0 V / 600 mW (balanced), 4.0 V / 1000 mW (single-ended).

Inputs: RCA, 3.5 (single-ended), 4.4mm (balanced).

I was not sent the original box for either of these Specs/Features Original Zen DAC/Amp Combo Manufacturer’s 1-year warranty Zen DAC Signature IFi audio iPower X power supply with US PlugĢ1.5 in (55 cm) RCA cable with gold-plated connectors Limited 1-Year Warranty Zen CAN Signature 6XX

IFi AUDIO Zen DAC Desktop USB DAC and Headphone Amp Stuart Charles here, helping YOU make sound decisions leading to a beautiful audio experience that will make you fall in love with music, all over again so… In The Box Is the Zen CAN Signature 6XX worth your kidney? Does it sound any better than the regular Zen CAN Silver for $150 more?

#SILVERSTACK SETUPS SOFTWARE#

Additional information is available from the software manufacturers directly.Big Shoutout to Lawrance and iFi Audio for sending this demo unit, and for their continued support!!

#SILVERSTACK SETUPS PRO#

Products Affected : EuControl, Pro Tools Control Surfacesįor step-by-step instructions on setting up EUCON with a specific application, see the EUCON Application Setup guide.

Silverstack setups