iFi Audio Zen Stream 3: A Digital World for Everyone

Digital sound has been popular since the early 1980s. It was with the appearance of the CD. That was the gateway for a large number of fans to the world of bits. We were leaving the cassette behind and keeping the vinyl. More or less, that was the reality of those years. Although the digital irruption was huge in changing the way of understanding and working with sound, at the amateur level, things had not changed that much. You would go to find the CD on the shelf, open it and carefully place it in the CD player's tray. You would press the Play button and the music would appear immediately.

It was so simple to use that hardly anyone really realized what a huge leap in concept that represented. As the millennium drew to a close, things changed quite a bit. From the laboratory tests at the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany to its final explosion with the massive piracy through Napster, music in MP3 format entered the house knocking down the door. A curiosity: the tests to fine-tune the algorithm and decide which frequencies had to be kept and which had to be lost in order to reduce the size of the files created for this format were carried out with a song by Suzanne Vega: "Tom's Diner".

The music server par excellence was Winamp, the most famous free software of the moment. The concept of DAC was not clearly in our minds; we were only talking about computer sound cards.

How do you explain what a music server is to an analog enthusiast?

Although the usual answer is something like the music collection you have, this is completely wrong. In a digital system, there are parts that remain identical to analog, such as amplification and speakers; the sound source part changes radically.

I am going to put comparisons to give us a clear idea, for all those people who do not understand it, even if they say they do, to their friends.

With these clear notions, a streamer performs the functions of an efficient librarian that searches within your music collection for the desired piece and also the combined function of turntable and capsule or cartridge to extract the musical data, not to interpret them. The work that in the analog world is done by the phono preamp, in the digital world is done by the DAC.

More Streamer Errors

Unlike in the analog world, where the material of the capsule or the shape of the needle can condition the sound extracted from the vinyl, this being primarily the same, although with slight nuances incorporated by the nature of the materials used. These variations of the first-born sound can be more pleasing even to the listener. It is part of the magic of the analog world and at the same time of its infinite complexity.

The digital world is aseptic; wine is not cured in jars, which give an aged taste to the broth, but in stainless steel vessels. Continuing with this same idea, only in the digital world can we guarantee to bring home to the fans the sound recorded in the studio. Of course, we all have to keep in mind that the creation processes inside the studio must be modified for this new reality: to create something magical from the strictest control of the whole system, without waiting for some old wood to add the flavor that the wine must does not bring. It is a challenge, it is the future. Many will say present... The new digital generations have not yet reached the big channel mixing desks and recording studios; they will. Let's continue to wait calmly.

iFi Audio Zen Stream 3

Continuing with the already recognized Zen shape of the firm, we find a device really easy to place anywhere. In my case, it has been in my professional office, accompanied by the iFi Audio One Signature, performing the functions of DAC and AMP-HEAD. In another configuration it was matching an iFi Audio Zen DAC and a Little Dot MKIV headphone amplifier. Both systems with AKG-701 headphones. Finally, with the big room system, with the titular configuration of my system.

I have indicated the three systems to highlight their enormous adaptability to any circumstance.

In its minimum configuration, Zen Stream 3 + DAC + headphones, it can be operated with a single mains socket. If we add the size, using a USB key as a data source, we can take our music library on the road without a great effort. With the bulk of 5 stacked CDs we have all our music. No, it is not a chimera, it is a reality today.

Five exclusive working modes of Zen Stream 3

On the back of the stream we have a selector (it must be operated with a screwdriver and is already included in the box) with five different positions:

1.- AIO. The server mode (Volumio 3) is activated and must be accessed through a browser connected to the same local (Ethernet) home network.



2. 2.- Roon only. With this configuration we can connect the Stream 3 to a DAC and this serves as end-point for the Roon system. If we have a quality DAC, but it does not comply with the Roon Ready standard, this can be used in our system. The system recognizes it and manages it.

3.- Tidal only. Same as Roon only, but with Tidal.

4.- Qobuz only. Same as Roon only, but with Qobuz.

5.- DLNA.Digital Living Network Alliance; music accessible to the Stream 3 from a NAS or storage device connected to its USB port, becomes accessible to the entire home local network, to be managed from other players connected to it.

Equipment used in testing


. Sound source:
» Qobuz Studio
. » iFi Audio Zen DAC 3
» iFi Audio Zen One Signature
br /> Power amplification:
» Bow Technologies WAZOO XL
. Headphone amplification:
» Little Dot MKIV
. Loudspeakers:
» Diapason Adamantes V mod. 2025
. Headphones:
» AKG 701
Cables:
» Wires4Music in wiring:
    » Horus Hybrid RCA interconnection
    » Evolution in loudspeakers and mains
HiFi Rack:
» Audio Craftsmanship Exoteryc Rack PRO

Now let's go with the experiences I have been able to test.

Position 1 - AIO (Volumio 3)


. Volumio 3 is a music content management software. In many ways it reminds me of Daphile, but infinitely better. The quality of on-screen presentation gives it a touch that Daphile never had. And a speed that multiplies by many times its user experience. Simplifying a lot and without wanting to go into many technical details, we can say that the visual part of Volumio is a web server, managed on the device itself, without the need for external connection. In addition, a file server, which manages the music library and the images of the albums and, finally, communication protocols and transmission of files or data through different ports.

Volumio 3 has so many languages that it is difficult that yours is not included. In my case, and to force things a little more, I installed Catalan. It is very easy to find well done translations in English or Spanish; however, when we leave here, the problems begin. Well, in this case, everything is perfect.

Inside the program, which can be accessed and controlled with any device we have connected to our local network, such as a cell phone, a tablet, a PC, a laptop, TV, etc.. All we have to do is type in a browser: http://ifi-zen-stream3.local

We go to configuration and select the connected DAC. Select the audio buffer and we have the main parameters ready.

Smart solutions to common problems

Accessing hard disks or memories to read/update the music library consumes a lot of resources. There are only two solutions: install a powerful CPU, with all its problems of thermal dissipation and power consumption, or leave this task for when the user requires it, not periodically. This is the Volumio 3 solution; the library is not updated automatically or in the background; the user must give the order to rescan it.

A streamer can be fast, but if data access is slow, command execution is slow. The two most extreme examples could be a USB 3.0 key connected to the Zen Stream 3 (as the fastest) and a NAS with HDD of many, many terabytes at 5400 revolutions, connected to an overloaded 100 Mbit network (as the worst and slowest). As it is usually said, it's not the Zen Stream 3, it's you.

In my load tests, I used a USB 3.0 dongle. Initially with 800 songs, then 3000. I ended up with 6000... The only difference was when scanning the music library; the extra time was noticeable there. During subsequent use, nothing at all. The loading was almost instantaneous, considering that I had it configured with the maximum audio buffer; it still could have gone a little faster by lowering this point, although, honestly, do the same as me.

The startup is very fast from the server (Zen Stream 3), about 6 or 7 seconds. So turning it off or leaving it running continuously is optional. I had it on for 5 days and it didn't heat up anything out of the ordinary. At full power, much less than my integrated amplifier. Everything was fine.

The categories of classifications to find our favorite music could be defined in two types: the classic ones (album, artist, playlist, etc.) and the functional ones with search in file browsing, both locally on the server and accessible from the home network.

An average user could feel very comfortable with a 2-3 terabyte SSD hard disk connected to the USB v.3 port, full of his favorite music. More advanced users will most likely prefer a NAS-like configuration that accepts two types of hard drives: mechanical HDDs with a huge amount of their less listened music and one or two NVMe for their most recurring and easily and quickly accessible tracks.

Position 2-3-4. Roon only, Tidal only and Qobuz only


. I group the three configurations together to avoid having to repeat the same thing all the time. And I give a practical example as the most efficient way to understand what their functionality is. We have a DAC that is a few years old; however, we really like its sound and do not want to do without it. At the same time, we like today's conveniences and the ease that music content managers such as streaming platforms like Qobuz or Tidal, or Roon's masterful management of different types of data sources give us. In this case, we can install iFi Audio Stream 3 as an end-point.

The maximum benefits of such a device are achieved when the captured signal, whether WIFI or Ethernet, is sufficient and without line delays. In addition, with this system it is very easy to set up a multi-room system and get your music library to every corner of the house.

And let's not forget the Ethernet network filtering built into the streamer itself, the famous iPurifier. I remember when it appeared (and you can try it at the time) as an attachment to install between the RJ45 cable and the Neo Stream, I think I remember it was. It was bulky and impractical. Now, integrated inside the motherboard, it is a pleasure to enjoy its functionality without its impractical part.

Position 5. DLNA


. Quick and short: I don't know anyone who has this system installed in their home. Although I promise to do a dedicated article later on to raise awareness of this technology. Here it exceeds a bit the objective of this review. But in any case, it is necessary to know that it can also be done with Stream 3.

More stuff.

All the data I am going to mention now, are provided by the manufacturer.

There are more music platforms compatible with this server, such as Spotify Connect or AirPlay.

Native support for 32-bit/384 kHz PCM and DSD256 over Wi-Fi, LAN and USB.

JVCKENWOOD K2 technology to restore natural harmonics and deliver richer sound.

USB and S/PDIF interfaces regulated by a precision femto clock to eliminate jitter.

Concluding remarks

iFi Audio Zen Stream 3 has integrated Volumio 3 software, in its free version. In the paid version, you can add the streaming service of different platforms, all managed by the Volumio software. Focusing only on the free version, it is a perfect tool for those who want to easily and quickly search and play their music collection.

As a service End-Point is unbeatable, since its small size and minimal power consumption, coupled with its zero noise, make it the perfect ally to interconnect the main server with the different points enabled in a home.

With two different digital outputs (USB-S/PDIF), you can manage two DACs with a single Zen Stream 3. And all this for a very reasonable price and specialized for audio. Other devices on the market are more focused on multimedia..., and we already know, in terms of quality, what that means for premium audio.

Make it yours forever

Buy this album in physical or digital format and support your favorite artists. 🛒 Buy now

Vinyl - CD - Digital Download

The best Hi-Res music

Enjoy the music of Amigos HiFi.

Try it now

Studio Quality Audio