The wired world is changing. Where cables were once king, Bluetooth audio is now making a place for itself and, with the advent of Bluetooth lossless audio, the gap between wired and wireless audiophile options is narrower than ever. The ZEN Blue 3 brings these two worlds together in spectacular fashion. Building on the resounding success of the ZEN Blue range, we took everything that made them great and dared to do more.
Adding aptX Lossless was our "small step". Our "big leap" came when we added USB DAC capability and Bluetooth streaming. With USB, optical and even analogue inputs available, there have never been more ways to connect to the music you love, while enjoying the freedom of high-resolution wireless audio. The ZEN Blue 3 delivers wireless audio without compromise by incorporating Bluetooth Lossless audio, courtesy of Qualcomm's flagship QCC518x Bluetooth audio chip and the aptX Lossless codec, supporting aptX Lossless, LDAC, LHDC/HWA, aptX Adaptive, aptX, AAC and SBC and offering a maximum bit rate of 1200 kbps, aptX Lossless is the first and only Bluetooth codec currently capable of sending and receiving CD-quality audio wirelessly without losing data during compression. For example, if your phone supports aptX Lossless, you can stream high quality lossless music from your phone to your hi-fi system.
In this increasingly wireless world, high-resolution Bluetooth headphones and TWS (True Wireless Stereo) headphones are essential for audio enthusiasts. However, the need for a Bluetooth connection can often make them incompatible with your home audio setup. The ZEN Blue 3 breaks down this wall with Bluetooth streaming in all supported codecs, including aptX Lossless at CD-equivalent quality. Connect your ZEN Blue 3 to audio sources such as laptops, mobile phones or TVs, via USB-C, SPDIF or even analogue RCA, and introduce your favourite Bluetooth headphones to the rest of your audio world. Whether it's a late-night vinyl session, enjoying your aptX Lossless headphones while working on your laptop or watching a marathon of your favourite Netflix series on the TV through headphones, the ZEN Blue 3 offers new opportunities for listening enjoyment.
Leveraging the capabilities of the Qualcomm QCC518x chipset combined with a dedicated ESS Sabre DAC and Hi-Fi circuitry, outperforming most Bluetooth transmitters and receivers, the ZEN Blue 3 can also function as a fully wired DAC, delivering 96 kHz/24-bit audio via USB-C, or 192 kHz/24-bit audio via SPDIF, which can be output via RCA or balanced analogue outputs 4.4.
When using ZEN Blue 3's low latency mode with an aptX Low Latency compatible device receiver, the time required to send and receive audio is dramatically reduced. When your eyes see it, your ears hear it, bringing you back to the moment, back to where you belong. With so many high-resolution audio options available for the ZEN Blue 3, making balanced circuits available to users is more important than ever. By including a balanced line output, users with a balanced audio setup can expect a significant reduction in signal noise and crosstalk between channels, providing full clarity without any audio clutter.
Performance can be further enhanced with the optional SilentPower iPower2 power supply, featuring patented Active Noise Cancellation II technology.
The discrete ESS Sabre Hyperstream ESS DAC chipset with time domain jitter eliminator, discrete oscillator and 112 dB dynamic range for demanding listeners is a superior method to the traditional single-ended circuit approach. Balanced circuitry reduces noise and crosstalk. Less crosstalk: clearer sound. You will normally find this configuration in products at the higher end of the price spectrum, such as Pro iCAN Signature, but iFi now uses it across its entire range to produce the best quality audio for all our customers. As with many other iFi audio products, we have incorporated a custom OV series operational amplifier. This premium component contributes to the extremely low noise, low distortion (0.0001%) and wide bandwidth. A key advantage of the ESS Sabre DAC chip is its Hyperstream architecture with integrated Time Domain Jitter Eliminator, which offers incredibly low distortion and high dynamic range.
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