IFI ZEN BLUE BLUETOOTH STREAMER

BLUETOOTH STREAMER

There are lots of low-cost BT streamers available, but not many that put a priority on good sound, so it was great to be able to finally find one that does…

Want an easy way to add wireless Bluetooth connectivity to an existing traditional hi-fi system? The iFi Zen Blue can receive signals from a wide range of Bluetooth codecs including aptX HD, AAC and Sony’s LDAC and convert them to a standard analogue audio signal or a SPDIF digital signal.

Although there are many low-cost Bluetooth streamers (aka receivers) already on the market, this is one of a handful that puts a priority on good sound.The company’s engineers have tried to make the Zen as accommodating as possible. So how good is it?

THE EQUIPMENT

iFi’s Zen Blue Bluetooth streamer is a really nicely built unit that takes up less shelf space than a typical paperback. I was expecting a moulded plastic box, but once I extricated it from its packaging, what I found was a quality aluminium case that was finished to a far higher standard than the price suggests.

The good news wasn’t only external, either. My impression of quality was reinforced when I looked inside.

Sure, the Zen Blue uses a Qualcomm QCC5100 ‘system on a chip’ Bluetooth solution but rather than using the Qualcomm’s own inbuilt digital-to-analogue converter, iFi has piped the digital data stream into an ESS Sabre DAC for improved performance and then, to ensure the improved performance is maintained, you have the option of routing the analogue signal via a balanced output stage, something that is unusual at this price level, though you don’t get full-sized XLR connectors on the rear panel, but instead a 4.4mm Pentaconn connector.

If you opt for unbalanced output, the output is via standard RCA connectors. Of course there are also digital outputs, both wired (via RCA) and optical (via Toslink). You can’t run analogue and digital outputs simultaneously though—there’s a small switch on the rear panel that must be used to select the output you want. All these are on the rear panel.

Also on the rear panel is a screw connection for the stubby r.f. antenna.

As you might have expected if you’ve glanced at the break-out box that shows the Zen Blue’s specifications, including its dimensions, it does not have an internal power supply. Instead, power is provided via a power-point mounted plug pack which converts the 240V a.c. down to 5V d.c. which is then sent to the Zen Blue via a thin 1.5m cable finished with a standard tip positive d.c. plug. While I am not a huge fan of plugpacks, this arrangement does keep the noisy

Unless you already own an external DAC, I can’t really see any reason to not use the iFi Zen Blue’s own analogue outputs.

switch-mode power supply a comfortable distance from the Zen Blue’s sensitive Bluetooth circuitry. If you, like me, are not a fan of plug-packs (or, indeed of switch-mode power supplies, which can affect other components in your system, you can replace the plug-pack with either of the two super low-noise power supplies made by iFi, the iPower or iPowerX, which retail for $79.95 and $159.95 respectively. I have to say that I wasn’t overly keen on the shape of the case, which reminded me of a futuristic house I once saw in a science fiction movie.

IN USE AND PERFORMANCE

It only takes a minute to get the iFi going. Simply fit the screw-on Bluetooth aerial, plug-in the lead from the plug-pack and then connect one or other of the outputs to a spare input on your hi-fi system. One thing you should NOT do is plug your headphones into that balanced Pentacomm output, because at maximum output it can deliver more than 2 volts, potentially damaging them. To be fair, iFi does include a large warning about this in its instruction manual, but who reads them?

The button on the left of the iFi Zen Blue’s front panel is the Bluetooth pairing button. The display in the centre is for Bluetooth Pairing Detection and Codec Type information, while the LED at the right shows sampling frequency, glowing blue for 44.1 and 48kHz frequencies and white for 88kHz and 96kHz sampling frequencies.

Since I was firing up the Zen Blue for the first time, the pairing display in the centre first flashed blue while it looked for a previously paired device, after which it alternately flashed red and blue to indicate it was in pairing mode. Once it was in this mode it was simply a matter of selecting ‘Zen Blue’ on my iPhone. To then add my MacBook, I then had to hold down the Bluetooth pairing button until the display again flashed red/blue after which I selected ‘Zen Blue’ on my Mac. In all, the

Zen Blue is able to pair with seven Bluetooth devices.

Although I said the central display was for Bluetooth Pairing Detection and Codec Type information, all you’ll ever see on it is iFi’s own logo. It’s the colour of the logo and the flashing that reveal what’s going on inside the Zen Blue. The flashing I’ve already covered. Once you’re playing music, the logo will be yellow if you’re playing AAC, Blue if you’re playing aptX, Magenta for aptXHD, Cyan for LDAC, white for HWA and Green for SBC.

Sending music via Bluetooth means it’s going to be compressed, which means you’re going to miss out on sound quality, even if you use a high-performance codec, such as aptX HD, so I really wasn’t expecting the sound quality to be the same as if I were using a wired connection, and in this regard my expectations were met, but I was also able to establish, thanks to the sound I heard when playing REM’s Automatic For The People and then Tchaikovsky’s Romeo & Juliet that the level of detailing was good, plus there was a good sense of openness to the playback and a pleasing stability to the sound stage.

I was also pleased with the level of composure too, with the Zen refusing to sound stressed when the music was dense and demanding. And despite the inevitable compression, the iFi Zen Blue delivered more dynamic variance and expression than I’ve heard from other Bluetooth receivers and more than I would expect for the money.

I listened to the iFi Zen Blue using both its own internal DAC and by outputting the digital signals to my my own DAC and it was obvious that the iFi’s internal DAC is very capable, and more than up to the task of reproducing the compressed Bluetooth signal, so unless you already own an external DAC, I can’t really see any reason to not use the Zen Blue’s analogue outputs, but this is something you should establish for yourself, since many audiophiles claim that using high-quality external DACs with Bluetooth receivers will deliver a significant lift in sound quality.

CONCLUSION

I really liked the performance of iFi’s Zen

Blue. It handles all the codecs you’d expect to use, the stability of the Bluetooth connection is excellent and it pairs with up to seven different devices so it’ll be great in a family home, it offers both balanced and unbalanced analogue outputs as well as digital outputs, and it’s very sensibly priced with a good warranty. Bill Harris-Ford