iFi Zen Can 3 Review : Best Headphone Amp under $300

iFi, one of the most popular portable and desktop source maker in the world and of all of their products the Zen lineup is highly popular. These are capable of driving demanding headphones with ease while offering a few in-house enhancements to diversify the sound. Yes, they have more expensive AMPs sitting at the top with the mid range being handled by Neo lineup while the Zen series takes care of the lower mid range desktop source. There are two chains in the Zen lineup too, Zen Dac works like a DAC/amp but the output power is on the lower side while the Zen Can lineup is amplifier only and is a lot more powerful than the DAC variants.

Known for their accuracy and details, iFi make warm and enveloping sounding sources and Zen Can lineup is known for its warmth too, while offering high quality imaging and accuracy. What I have here is the 3rd gen and there are a few improvements not only with functionality, with Sound quality too. Priced at $229 this is one of the most complete and capable Amplifier one can buy under $300. 

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For Indian buyers

UNBOXING AND ACCESSORIES:

Open up the large, bulky looking box and the Zen Can 3 is placed upfront. There is some documentation and I don’t think it’s necessary to go through them anymore. All the accessories are placed aside it. We get only one cable composite cable to connect with a DAC, a power cable and a 3.5mm to 6.35mm adapter.

We get an ifi sticker and that ends the list of accessories.

BUILD QUALITY AND OPERATION:

Zen Can 3 feels very solid in the hand. It is mostly made out of metal, yes the face and back plates are plastic but the body is metal. Buttons have goof tactile feedback to them and nothing feels shoddy or loose. Both 6.35 and 4.4mm sockets have nice clicks, ensuring a secure insertion. We get rubber feet at the bottom to offer good grip on most surfaces.

Now, make no mistakes here, people at times aren’t very sure about what they are buying. I have heard a few of my friends and even viewers confused about the product they have bought. This is just an AMP, it has no DAC section hence it has no USB, coaxial, optical or BT input options. It can only take analogue signals in and amplify that substantially. We get 4.4mm, 3.5mm and composite in with power figures as high as twice as expensive DAC/Amps. Most of the time we see figures like 3000mw at 32ohm but this tiny beast can do 2000mw at 64ohm, you can imagine the output capacity of this amplifier.

To get started, plug it in, turn it on choose the input mode you are using, set the gain value at 6DB to start with and the volume dial set at 60 degrees (clock wise). We have the freedom to play around handful of EQ or flavoring options here. Xbass increases the bass but it starts to lose control and at times the notes aren’t clean enough. X-space offers a bigger stage which works nicely and expands the stage in every direction but doesn’t improve the Z-axis depth that much. Gaming mode enhances the upper mid and lower treble energy to offer crispier and cleaner directional cues. Movie mode is halfway between X-space and gaming mode, it offers slightly more holographic stage with enhanced vocal clarity. xMEMS mode is there to offer compatibility with micro-electro-mechanical-system drivers, if you have any.

That’s not it, unlike others, that usually have 2 or 3 gain options, we have 4 gain values here and at the highest gain, it easily drove the Sivga Peng with an impedance value of 340 ohm with less than half of its full volume.

SOUND QUALITY:

This is not my first review of an iFi product. I have been reviewing the Hip DACs, they are loved for their warm and comfortable presentation. They are smooth warm and thick, a bit mushy and less clarity oriented. They are tuned to be a musical, a more tranquil source but Zen Can lineup has been a bit more consistent and well extended and cleaner with the highs, aptly comfortable but not very warm. This 3rd gen is a decent improvement when compared to the last gen when it comes to power and accuracy. Zen Can 3 does carry forward their in-house tuning yet it has much better definition and resolution with a hint of warmth and comfort of wholesome bass notes while offering superb clarity when compared to the Zen DACs. Let’s expand.

I have used a handful of IEMs, mostly Shure SRH 1840, Sivga Peng, Campfire Audio Alien Brain and Tanchjim Force for this review.

BASS:

Given the fact that the last 2 gen of Zen Can had slightly amplified warmth and thickness, does the 3rd gen sounds warm too? It’s warmish, it’s not like it has lost all of it’s warmth but thankfully the overly thick notes that delivered heavier and slower notes are tightened and made to shed the extra weight. Oh no, don’t worry, we don’t get lean bass notes but they are just a notch over neutral, leaning marginally towards a warmer presentation.

I love this to be precise, it’s turned for better resolution and clarity with a soothing feeling while extracting best possible details and clarity while keeping a bit of fun quotient intact, this puts a smile on my face, especially with the Sivga Peng. We get excellent sub-bass extension and very good rumbles. The best thing is it can add a bit more oomph to balanced sounding IEMs. Mid bass is slightly fuller and meaty yet fairly clear of any bloating or muddy passages. Zen Can 3 doesn’t add more area or change the flow of the notes but offers slight bit of poise to the notes, giving them a small boost of weight and punch. So how’s the dynamics? It’s very good. “Sucker for pain” shows it’s ability of keeping the upper bass notes separated from mid bass notes while retaining excellent dynamics and contrast between back and foreground instruments. If the IEM has well layered delivery, Zen Can 3 will only add better resolution to them.

MIDS:

If your headphone is a bit soft and slightly on the smoother side, pairing it with Zen Can 3 is one of the best things that can happen to it.

With the Zen Can 3, instruments gain superb resolution and definition while offering agile and transparent notes maintaining good amount of sharpness and energy, delivering high quality resolution and clarity with very good note height. I do find the decay to be very accurate, it still retains very good bases (area on the floor), notes have a wider landing area making them a lot more comfortable but doesn’t sacrifice with cleanliness, back and foreground contrast or layering. On the other side we get superb texture, aptly organic and pleasing timber and tonality with vocals. Male vocals sounds aptly throaty and grunty while female vocals are accurate and sharp making them a lot more engaging. Instruments enjoy excellent transparency and finishing definition. There is no unwanted upper mid energy to worry about either so it’s an accurate and precise sailing with the Zen Can 3.

HIGHS:

Unlike the Hip DAC 3, Zen CAN 3 is energetic, sparkly, agile and lively, again I am impressed with the extra resolution, transparency and energy compared to the last Generation too. I love this cleaner and slightly precise presentation delivering open and engaging notes without getting aggressive or sharp. While doing all this, we get superb extension and I won’t hold my words while appreciating the improved clarity and definition even when compared to the more expensive DAC/Amp like Fiio K13 R2R. We get class leading layering and separation with plenty of air between instruments. It even has a deeper Z-axis depth that offers a more developed contrast of back and foreground instruments. It handles synthetic genres like House and Trance without any issues. It barely has any flaw, the only down side I can see is, it could have been slightly more textured but that would have made it slow to respond to cymbal, violins and other percussion instruments.

PAIRING WITH HEADPHONES:

Sivga Peng:

A slightly hard to drive headphone with an impedance of 340ohm is easily driven by this small Amp. It adds slight bit of energy to the Peng usually has while adding a bit more rounded lower end delivery. It adds slight bit of heft without slowing it down. Mid range is slightly more agile with better texture and slightly more poise and cohesion. Yes, the slight bit of extra energy Peng can offer with the upper mids is nicely kerbed by the Can 3. What it enhances is the Z-axis depth. Its bigger stage definitely helps with better back and foreground separation and layering, giving it a more 3D like imaging. High too have plenty of room to spread their wings, offering excellent subtlety with the in head movements of back ground instruments, enhancing its sonics and imaging. It offers slightly better transparency and agility too. Zen Can 3 easily opens up the stage of the Sivga Peng, unleashing its full imaging capabilities.

Meze 105 Aer:

Meze in its own is a slightly warmer sounding HP and this paring is very good if you want a bit more bite out of your headphone. It cleans up the air in the lower end, offering slightly bigger bass body but adding a bit more contrast and dynamics. Mid bass is slightly tighter too while the upper bass is cleaner. Mid rage is where the\is pairing shines. We get a bit more precision and accuracy with the vocal notes, note’s body retain their texture but are slightly leaner, offering better clarity and separation of back and foreground instruments too. Highs too have a bit more air and details, they gain a bit more height and energy too. Layering and separation is slightly better with better Z-axis depth. It too gains a bigger stage and offers better accuracy with cue placements.

Here my video, explaining a bit more about the capabilities of this Amp.

COMPARISON:

VS Fiio K17:

This even tough looks like an odd comparison, K17 is not as much powerful as the price gap suggests. K17 basically is a all round device with a lot more connectivity options and has flagship DAC in it. It definitely does 4W per CH but at 32ohm while Zen Can 3 does 2w at 64ohm. The Gap isn’t as big.

In any case, both have different sound signature. K17 is more analytical and a bit leaner and cleaner presentation where it doesn’t emphasize any part of spectrum. It definitely has much better air between instruments and slightly better cue placements but the Zen Can 3 offers much better musical attributes. This iFi Amp offers slightly fuller, more enjoyable lows with better texture with similar resolution, K17 has faster decay. Can 3 has much better vocal tonality, that sounds more emotional and organic, has better throat emphasis and offers a more emotional presentation. K17 has slightly better micro details but can sound lean at times. Same goes for highs too, Can 3 has slightly less aggression and attack while K17 is cleaner and more transparent but the most interesting part is, Zen Can 3 doesn’t have a smaller stage than the K17. That in its own is a remarkable feat in my opinion.

CONCLUSION:

 Colour me impressed. It’s a marked improvement from what the 1nd gen had on offer. It’s a lot more balanced, has much better resolution and definition with better control over bass notes. Both mids and highs benefit from the improved accuracy and clarity. We get much better treble clarity and extension which was missing with the past generations.

Look at it from both positive and negative points, when compared to more analytical sources like Fiio K17, Zen CAN 3 brings in a bit more poise and slightly slows the decay speed which eliminates sharpness, giving it an aptly musical yet accurate finishing definition. Get Zen CAN 3 for a more balanced experience, not for sharp details or smooth presentation and you are in for a treat!! An easy recommendation for anyone looking for an amp under $300 IMO.