# iFi Zen DAC 3: specs and price

**Price (US):** $229 (Apos Audio (US retailer) lists "Sale price $229.00 USD" for the "iFi ZEN DAC 3 Desktop DAC" — this is the standard US price/MSRP. The manufacturer store (ifi-audio.com) shows only the EU price of €249,00, so the USD figure is sourced from the corroboration page.), as of 2026-07-11. Among the 10 dac amps we track it is #4 cheapest of 10; category median $239.
**Brand:** iFi Audio
**Deskmark:** Silver Deskmark — pay-blind category standing 58/100, #4 of 9 in class (independent, computed from sourced data, never for sale).

## Specifications

| Spec | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Price (US) | $229 |
| Brand | iFi Audio |
| Form factor | desktop |
| Dac chip | Burr-Brown True Native |
| Max pcm (kHz) | 768 |
| Max dsd | DSD512 |
| Max power mw | 300 |
| Snr (dB) | 113 |
| Thdn percent | 0.005 |
| Balanced output | Yes |
| Headphone jacks | 6.35mm/4.4mm |
| Digital inputs | USB-C |
| Weight grams | 456 |

## Where it stands

At $229, the iFi Zen DAC 3 is #4 cheapest of the 10 dac amps we track, where the median is $239. On the spec sheet, its max pcm of 768 kHz is the highest of the 9, its snr of 113 dB is the lowest of the 7, and its thdn percent of 0.005 is the highest of the 8.

## What reviewers say

Two whitelisted testers (TechRadar, What Hi-Fi) reviewed the exact iFi Zen DAC 3. Both praise its refined, detailed and spacious sound, flexible connectivity and the USB-B to USB-C upgrade. TechRadar is enthusiastic and rates it near-flawless value; What Hi-Fi is noticeably cooler, finding the sound smooth but lacking verve and punch and not a clear step up over the V2. Neither outlet published lab measurements. (Based on 2 reviews, 2024-06-01–2025-03-13.)

Praised: Refined, detailed and spacious sound presentation; Flexible connectivity: 4.4mm balanced + RCA outputs, USB-C, fixed/variable output; Solid build and finish; Good feature set for the price (MQA, XBass+, Power Match, flexible power/output options).
Flagged: Sound lacks verve, punch and rhythmic drive on energetic tracks; Needs good headphones and hi-res files to shine; disappointing with compressed audio; Not a clear step up over the previous generation, now in broad price parity with AudioQuest's DragonFly Cobalt; Notable price rise breaking the $200 / GBP200 barrier versus earlier Zen DAC models.
Disagreement: Direct clash on dynamics: TechRadar calls the sound clean, punchy and convincing (5/5), while What Hi-Fi finds it soft centered, lacking verve and punch on hard-charging music, and no clear step up over the V2.
Sources: TechRadar (2024-06-01, techradar.com), What Hi-Fi (2025-03-13, whathifi.com)

## Frequently asked questions

**What do reviewers say about the iFi Zen DAC 3?**

Two whitelisted testers (TechRadar, What Hi-Fi) reviewed the exact iFi Zen DAC 3. Both praise its refined, detailed and spacious sound, flexible connectivity and the USB-B to USB-C upgrade. TechRadar is enthusiastic and rates it near-flawless value; What Hi-Fi is noticeably cooler, finding the sound smooth but lacking verve and punch and not a clear step up over the V2. Neither outlet published lab measurements. Praised: Refined, detailed and spacious sound presentation; Flexible connectivity: 4.4mm balanced + RCA outputs, USB-C, fixed/variable output; Solid build and finish; Good feature set for the price (MQA, XBass+, Power Match, flexible power/output options). Flagged: Sound lacks verve, punch and rhythmic drive on energetic tracks; Needs good headphones and hi-res files to shine; disappointing with compressed audio; Not a clear step up over the previous generation, now in broad price parity with AudioQuest's DragonFly Cobalt; Notable price rise breaking the $200 / GBP200 barrier versus earlier Zen DAC models. (From 2 tester reviews.)

**How much does the iFi Zen DAC 3 cost?**

The iFi Zen DAC 3 has a US price of $229 (Apos Audio (US retailer) lists "Sale price $229.00 USD" for the "iFi ZEN DAC 3 Desktop DAC" — this is the standard US price/MSRP. The manufacturer store (ifi-audio.com) shows only the EU price of €249,00, so the USD figure is sourced from the corroboration page.), as of 2026-07-11.

**How does the iFi Zen DAC 3 compare on price?**

At $229, the iFi Zen DAC 3 is #4 cheapest of the 10 dac amps we track, where the median is $239.

**What are the iFi Zen DAC 3's key specs?**

iFi Zen DAC 3 (iFi Audio): formFactor desktop, dacChip Burr-Brown True Native, maxPcmKhz 768, maxDsd DSD512, maxPowerMw 300. Full sourced spec sheet verified 2026-07-11.

Source: https://ifi-audio.com/products/zen-dac-3/ (ifi-audio.com, accessed 2026-07-11)
Corroboration: https://apos.audio/products/ifi-zen-dac-3 (accessed 2026-07-11)
Canonical: https://frontdeskreview.com/product/dac-amps/ifi-zen-dac-3/
Cite: Per The Front Desk Review, the iFi Zen DAC 3 price of record was $229 as of 2026-07-11 — https://frontdeskreview.com/product/dac-amps/ifi-zen-dac-3/
License: CC BY 4.0. Price history: https://frontdeskreview.com/data/price-history.jsonl