Zen Blue 3 - Hi-Fi Lossless Bluetooth 5.4 DAC – Transmitter & Receiver | With Qualcomm QCC5181 Chipset - aptX Lossless - LDAC, LHDC/HWA - USB DAC Functionality, and Dual RCA/4.4mm Balanced Outputs

This is an excellent interface from a modern streamed audio source to a real amp and speaker (and much more, that's just my use case). As Bluetooth became so widespread and streamed audio became the norm I bought Bluetooth party speakers from a couple of brands. They were always heavily bass boosted and the speaker elements were too close for any useful stereo soundscape. While researching replacements with a flat response I thought of the unused CD input on a good amp connected to a great pair of 35 year old, high quality stereo hi-fi speakers and research brought me to this. Audio quality is outstanding over a USB-C tether from a lossless stream source and very good over older more lossy Bluetooth protocols and improves with more recent, less lossy Bluetooth protocols. I now have clean, clear and detailed stereo sound with an excellent stereo soundstage. The point about it being detailed is that things like a stroke across the surface of a ridged cymbal is audible as multiple sounds, not a wet mush. It's definitely better quality using a long USB tether than Bluetooth but even in Bluetooth mode the soundstage from separated speakers is much better than from a party speaker. It's easy to switch between USB, Bluetooth receiver and Bluetooth source. I don't use it as a source but the set of inputs and outputs is excellent making it a great multi-purpose digital interface. I'm really enjoying the detail and sensible equalization this has brought back into my digital musical listening.

This was a necessary addition to my SONY STR-AN1000 AVR which only supports LDAC and SBC BT audio codecs. Since purchasing the BW Px7 S3 headphones which support the APTX family of codecs I was connecting with SBC only. Using the receiver's Zone 3 RCA audio outputs I'm able to connect with all the APTX codecs and pairing was a breeze. The ability to stream in APTX Lossless and Adaptive from my apps and networked files was well worth the upgrade. The unit is solidly built using aluminum casing and has excellent range with it TX function. It also acts as a receiver and DAC but I'm just using it for BT transmission. There are several other units on the market right now that are cheaper but I chose the iFi Zen Blue 3 having prior experience with their phono preamp and appreciate the build and sound quality of their products. I won't go into setup as it's dependent on your equipment and use case but I had little trouble getting everything up and running. It works as advertised. The only thing I did notice was the need to boost the volume from your output a bit higher than you normally would on both your receiver and the blue 3. I suggest going over the instructions for using multi-zone audio outs on your receiver which can get tricky when using a zone 3 output.

Behold, wireless CD-quality sound, devoid of any compression artifacts. This is the purest, most authentic form of CD-quality sound in its original 16-bit @ 44.1 kHz format, transmitted wirelessly in aptX Lossless codec. The photograph clearly documents the evidence of 16-bit @ 44.1 kHz aptX Lossless transmission (TX) and reception (RX), the color of the lights on the iFi Zen Blue 3 confirms this, as well does the receiver with the actual read out. This transceiver, the iFi Zen Blue 3, is the pinnacle of technological achievement, employing the Qualcomm QCC5181 chipset and the Sabre ESS Premier 9023 stereo digital-to-analog converter (DAC). The latter boasts a dynamic range of 112 dB and jitter-free sound quality due to its patented Hyperstream architecture. This device is the gold standard for Bluetooth wireless technology. It is a testament to the adage that one should never settle for anything less than the pinnacle of excellence. Pairing was straightforward, fast, easy and nearly automatic, rest assured that this is the real deal, why settle for anything less. I found the iFi Zen Blue 3 to be rock solid in transmitting (TX) the aptX Lossless codec and rock-solid receiving (RX) the aptX Lossless codec, 10 stars for rock-solid signal strength and signal stability. Just go ahead and pull the trigger on this and buy it, you know you want it, and in the end, you won’t be sorry that you did. Its backwards compatible with all bluetooth codecs, so this leaves you plenty of time for upgrading at your own pace, toward aptX lossless on all your devices, making them all of audiophile quality.

I had high hopes for it, and really hoped it would work. The sound quality is fine, but it’s nearly impossible to connect. And it’s hard to think of a more difficult or illogical connection process. Alas, this piece of technology isn’t worth the money. At all. If the sound was unbelievably good, I would say so. But it just isn’t.

I'm very happy with the ifi ZEN Blue 3. Amazing sound quality.

I have purchased many iFi products over the years and I truly regret this purchase. I have had issues with Bluetooth connections, especially with my Pi8 earphones. Those few times that I have connected there was no aptx Lossless signal. Unit goes to sleep after way too short of a time. But my main issue, which remains unsolved, is the audio delay when in Dac mode. There is a 2 second delay when starting to play a new song or video. I opened up a ticket on October 14th and it is now December 19th. Here are some transcripts of my communication with Tech Support. Here is an update on the audio delay issue which I reported on October 11th. Issue is still not resolved and it appears that iFi has no clue on how to fix the problem. Just thought you might like to have this information if any of your customers complain. Support reply on October 15th I have replicated the issue with a unit here in our service centre. I will pass this information on to our product development team, and will let you know when any further updates regarding this are available. Thank you. Reply received early December after asking for update after two months with no resolution. The delay you experienced is the Zen Blue 3’s Auto Mute feature. We have made a request that this auto mute be shortened in a future firmware update. The automute feature on Zen Blue 3 is designed to improve the listening experience by reducing unwanted noise when the audio signal is interrupted or absent. When there’s no input signal or the DAC transitions between tracks, sources, or sample rates, the automute feature silences the output. This prevents any residual noise, such as hiss, static, or pops, from being amplified and heard. Switching between audio sources or formats (e.g., PCM to DSD) can generate audible pops or clicks. Automute suppresses these artifacts by muting the output temporarily during transitions. As well as this, loud transient sounds caused by signal interruptions can damage sensitive equipment (like speakers or headphones) or cause discomfort. Automute mitigates this risk. While automute is generally helpful, there are scenarios where users might find it problematic, such delays in unmuting, leading to missed parts of audio (e.g., the beginning of a track). We have found that a third-party app, named Sound Keeper, is able to prevent the auto mute feature from engaging. It does not do this in a way that interferes with audio quality, so your listening experience should be unaffected. Please see below for a link to the Sound Keeper app webpage, containing information about the app and a download link Sound Keeper v1.3.3 As I am using this with my Mac mini and Apple TV the Sound Keeper solution is no solution. When I replied back stating I could not use their “solution” this is the reply I received. Thank you for your patience, unfortunately, there isn’t anything that we can find. The only possible way that we have seen other users have success is by emulating SoundKeeper by looping a silent audio clip in Quicktime or something similar. It’s not great but until there is a firmware that stops the auto-mute for people who don’t want it, it’s the only workaround really on macOS. I’m sorry that there isn’t a better solution right now. My reply to message stating they were closing the ticket. I do not know why you are closing this ticket as this is still an ongoing issue and you have provided no resolution. Missing the first few seconds of audio is not something that I would accept in any audio product, mush less. than one that claims to be of “audiophile” quality. Support reply on December 13th. As stated, this should provide a suitable workaround for the meantime, while we continue working toward a permanent fix for this issue. If you have any further questions or queries, please feel free to reply to this support ticket and we will be happy to help. Thank you for getting back in touch, I’m sorry to see that you are unhappy with the auto-mute future and I completely understand it but I don’t have a good solution for you at the moment so I closed your ticket. We are working on it, we understand some users do not like the mute at all and it doesn’t work for them and the way they intend to use the device. We’re looking into it and will hopefully find a good solution. If you would rather I keep the ticket ope, I will.

I almost sent this back before it even arrived due to some of the negative feedback regarding set up. It arrived early! For what I’m using this for, it’s great. I stream Bluetooth from a phone or computer and this device connects to my audio router, then to speakers. It was a plug and play scenario for me. Connection was simple. Results were noticeably better than what I had previously. I don’t connect wireless headphones for listening and it sounds like this is where people are running into issues. If you’re into a higher quality streaming option for your setup… this is the bee’s knees.

I'm using the Zen Blue 3 solely as a Bluetooth transmitter to Sony WH1000-XM5 headphones. The source is a MacBook Pro playing lossless and some hi-resolution files via Apple Music. I haven't tried the unit wired, balanced, or in any other way. I purchased the Zen Blue 3 to improve the quality of Bluetooth wireless listening, as it's the only device with all the cutting-edge Bluetooth codecs and the latest BT radio. LDAC is the Bluetooth high-resolution codec (up to 24-bit/96kHz lossy) for the Sony WH1000-XM5. The Zen Blue 3 transmits LDAC and Apt-X Lossless, among other codecs. At first listen, you wonder if the Zen Blue 3 is more impressive because it boasts a tremendous amount of gain, enough to blow your head off. (Be sure to ride the volume control when you hit "Play.") However, it takes only a few seconds to realize that the sound is substantially better than either the iPhone 14 Pro or the M1 MacBook Pro's Bluetooth. In fact, it's better than either of those devices WIRED--and easily the best Bluetooth sound I've ever heard. There's copious detail, muscular bass, clean treble, and impactful dynamic range. I wanted to listen for longer because listener fatigue (a problem with so much expected information missing in Bluetooth music) is a thing of the past. Pairing was a hassle. There's no real software for the iFi device. (iFi offers a firmware update app, but it's beyond horrible and won't help during pairing.) And Sony's app doesn't let you know that something's trying to pair. iFi says that pairing will be automatic if you wait. How about that, they were right...if you wait a looooooonnnnng time, many minutes. (As a contrast, Apple AirPods and Beats headphones pair in like two seconds with confirmation via app and prompts.) I finally learned that it's good to leave the room and get yourself a meal while Bluetooth pairing with the Zen Blue 3, instead of sitting there grinding my teeth. The other con is it's a total mystery which volume level you'll get when you start listening via Bluetooth. The only thing you can count on is that it'll be way too loud. It's an unfortunate way to start off a listening session, nervously riding the volume control. But I'll put up with just about anything for that phenomenal sound. Also, the thing is built like a tank. Metal everywhere. Five stars for both performance and industrial design.

Muy buena marca y buenas prestaciones , le falta una buena guia de conexiones para personas no tan profesionales, creo que el equipo da más de lo que uno supone

Buen receptor de Bluetooth. Para los que sean perfeccionistas del audio, vale la pena el dinero empleado. Yo solo la uso para la reproducción en streaming y se nota la diferencia de calidad del sonido.

The WiiM Ultra will pair with Bluetooth headphones. However equalizer settings in the WiiM Ultra are not applied to Bluetooth output. The Zen Blue 3 provides a way to have equalizer settings in the WiiM Ultra applied to a Bluetooth signal output, for use with Sony WH-1000XM4 and Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless headphones I own. As well it supports high definition codecs for use with both of these headphones, which the WiiM Ultra doesn't offer. The headphones needed to be setup first with their respective apps on a smartphone, and then disconnected and forgotten on the phone, as the Zen Blue 3 won't connect to the headphones if another device is already connected. The SPDIF outputs of the WiiM Ultra can be adjusted to match the requirements of the Zen Blue 3 and Bluetooth headphones. Both bit depth and sample rate to the SPIDF optical or coax outputs can be adjusted, which is ideal for connecting to the optical or coax input on the Zen Blue 3. The bit depth can be set to 24, but for the Momentum 4 headphones the sample rate needs to be set to a maximum or 48Khz, as that is the max sample rate for aptX Adaptive codec. For LDAC the max sample rate is 96Khz. The max supported sample rate on the USB input is 96Khz but no adjustment is required and not possible on the WiiM Ultra. Volume control on Bluetooth headphones and ANC still function normally. However, next song using the touchpad on the headphones doesn't work. You must use the WiiM Home app or remote control to skip to the next song, pause or stop playback. Removing the headphones from your head won't pause playback. The Zen Blue 3 will function as a DAC, providing a balanced analogue audio signal to the Zen Can headphone amp, for high quality sound on wired headphones. Equalizer settings in the WiiM Ultra are applied. In the WiiM Ultra the max sample rate can be set to 192Khz for SPDIF optical or coax output, when in DAC operation mode of the Zen Blue 3. However, as one reviewer has already noted, when using the DAC function, the first half to full second of a music track is often cut off. I did upgrade the firmware to the latest at the time of writing this review, V1.61, but this issue wasn't fixed. Also, in the time between tracks there is sometimes, (infrequently), a ping sound from the left channel which hopefully won't get so loud that it would have the potential to cause hearing damage. Overall I'm happy with the Zen Blue 3. I'm happy that it supports high definition audio for use with my Bluetooth headphones. I'm happy that settings are saved between uses, so that I don't have to reselect the codec I want to use each time. Until the issues mentioned above are fixed, I'll use the DAC output from the WiiM Ultra to drive the Zen Can amp, instead of using the DAC output of the Zen Blue 3. Printing the user manual was a big help in setting it up. You can find that manual on the ifi-audio product information page. Scroll to the bottom and click on Support.

Very nice look design, easy pairing and almost very good sound for a compact unit Very happy with it

Buen producto. Es muy práctico. Suena bastante bien