iFi audio ZEN Stream - The Official Thread

Fishfood

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Jul 11, 2020
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Just purchased one and I can't get it to connect. Is there an issue with Nest Wifi Mesh that I need to be aware of?
 

AMR / iFi audio

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Aug 21, 2019
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Just purchased one and I can't get it to connect. Is there an issue with Nest Wifi Mesh that I need to be aware of?
I'm not aware of any. Can you make sure the device is set to mode #1 AIO? There is a selector in the back for that. It's the only mode that allows for configuration.
 

Fishfood

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Jul 11, 2020
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I'm not aware of any. Can you make sure the device is set to mode #1 AIO? There is a selector in the back for that. It's the only mode that allows for configuration.

It was but it wasn't working so I moved it off mode 1 and then back and now it's configured! Thanks!
 

jabbaman73

Member
Aug 23, 2022
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You are welcome, have fun!
Silly question time @AMR / iFi audio, if I may please?

I've upgraded the USB cable between the Stream and the DACv2 (WireWorld Chroma 8) and I'm happy....but, I'm a tweaker and I love adding and testing. I suspect I know the answer but is there any benefit at all to introducing an iPurifier3 between the Stream and the DACv2 or would it be completely redundant given the circuitry in the two devices?
 

jabbaman73

Member
Aug 23, 2022
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Silly question time @AMR / iFi audio, if I may please?

I've upgraded the USB cable between the Stream and the DACv2 (WireWorld Chroma 8) and I'm happy....but, I'm a tweaker and I love adding and testing. I suspect I know the answer but is there any benefit at all to introducing an iPurifier3 between the Stream and the DACv2 or would it be completely redundant given the circuitry in the two devices?
I've answered my own question and plugged an iPurifier3 into the Zen DAC v2 and it's made a really noticeable and positive improvement (to my ears!)
 
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AMR / iFi audio

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I've answered my own question and plugged an iPurifier3 into the Zen DAC v2 and it's made a really noticeable and positive improvement (to my ears!)
We have heard it already a few times, that despite the Zen Stream having the purifier inside, the iPurifier 3 really makes the difference.
Wireworld makes excellent USB cables for a very reasonable money. Great choice!
 

jabbaman73

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Aug 23, 2022
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We have heard it already a few times, that despite the Zen Stream having the purifier inside, the iPurifier 3 really makes the difference.
Wireworld makes excellent USB cables for a very reasonable money. Great choice!
Thanks for confirming what I'm hearing as I type!

I'm expecting an ifi Mercury 3 tomorrow and I'm excited to hear what difference that may yield!
 

Sakis77

Well-Known Member
Mar 19, 2021
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Greetings, everybody, just purchased the ifi zen stream. Guess my question must have already been answered but can someone please inform me if a NAS external can be connected with the Zen stream directly or does it need to stream through the Roon app or any other possible platform??? thanks in advance.
 

AMR / iFi audio

Industry Expert
Aug 21, 2019
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Greetings, everybody, just purchased the ifi zen stream. Guess my question must have already been answered but can someone please inform me if a NAS external can be connected with the Zen stream directly or does it need to stream through the Roon app or any other possible platform??? thanks in advance.
Hi!
The Zen Stream can connect directly to the NAS via our app iFi Stream or via 3rd party apps supporting DLNA like MConnect.
 

Gregadd

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
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if you can go all iFi audio .It just makes life easier.
 

gonga

New Member
Sep 15, 2022
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Hi guys, new to the forum as of today and already with a problem :)

Yesterday I bought a ZEN Stream and it seems it does not work as it should. When I turn it on all it does is it lights up the power led(the tiny led next to the power button). The two big status LEDs do not work at all. I left it for half an hour the first time, nothing happened.

Next I tried to do a hard reset. During the reset the two big status LEDs lit up in red for about a minute, then turned off and nothing happens again.

Is the unit defective? It would be a pain to return it back because I imported it from another country.
 

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AMR / iFi audio

Industry Expert
Aug 21, 2019
2,636
1,153
260
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ifi-audio.com
Hi guys, new to the forum as of today and already with a problem :)

Yesterday I bought a ZEN Stream and it seems it does not work as it should. When I turn it on all it does is it lights up the power led(the tiny led next to the power button). The two big status LEDs do not work at all. I left it for half an hour the first time, nothing happened.

Next I tried to do a hard reset. During the reset the two big status LEDs lit up in red for about a minute, then turned off and nothing happens again.

Is the unit defective? It would be a pain to return it back because I imported it from another country.
We're sorry to hear about your issues. Have you tried to actually connect to it via the app, or web browser? If a connection can be established, then a software update should fix the issues.
How do you connect it to the internet? WiFi or cable?
 

gonga

New Member
Sep 15, 2022
3
0
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We're sorry to hear about your issues. Have you tried to actually connect to it via the app, or web browser? If a connection can be established, then a software update should fix the issues.
How do you connect it to the internet? WiFi or cable?

I tried connecting it with a cable. The app doesn't work and ifi.local as well.
 

jabbaman73

Member
Aug 23, 2022
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Serious question to the experts. Assuming a stable quality WiFi signal, does the ifi Zen Stream have a high quality WiFi circuit to deliver interference free high quality audio?
 

AMR / iFi audio

Industry Expert
Aug 21, 2019
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ifi-audio.com
I tried connecting it with a cable. The app doesn't work and ifi.local as well.
Okay, can you try resetting the unit with a reset button on the back?
In the meantime, I'm looking for alternative solutions for your issue. Don't worry, we got you.

Serious question to the experts. Assuming a stable quality WiFi signal, does the ifi Zen Stream have a high quality WiFi circuit to deliver interference free high quality audio?
Yes, the onboard Wi-Fi allows for full compatibility with different audio formats and the highest resolutions.
 
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michael.s

Member
Sep 10, 2021
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I've just upgraded my DAC to a much more expensive one which includes a Streamer. This new DAC / Streamer keeps on dropping the signal momentarily as if there is no FIFO buffer. My iFi Zen never does this.
Does the iFi Zen in fact have a FIFO buffer? Either way I'm certainly not parting with it!
 
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AMR / iFi audio

Industry Expert
Aug 21, 2019
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ifi-audio.com
I've just upgraded my DAC to a much more expensive one which includes a Streamer. This new DAC / Streamer keeps on dropping the signal momentarily as if there is no FIFO buffer. My iFi Zen never does this.
Does the iFi Zen in fact have a FIFO buffer? Either way I'm certainly not parting with it!
Thank you for your kind words!
Yes, the Zen Stream has a FIFO buffer that can work up to 64MB (stock setting is 32MB). It also has a configurable pre-load of a track to ensure smooth playback.
 

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