iFi ZEN Can 3 Packs Next-Gen Tech

Posted on 28th June, 2024
iFi ZEN Can 3 Packs Next-Gen Tech

The analogue-only iFi ZEN Can 3 headphone amp features xMEMS driver tech.

Joining the freshly announced ZEN Blue 3 wireless DAC, the new Zen Can 3 headphone amplifier sports 6.35mm and balanced 4.4mm headphone jacks on the front panel, alongside stereo RCA, 3.5mm and 4.4mm inputs at the back.

The ZEN Can 3 gets a nudge in power, with iFi claiming up to 2000mW of continuous power (at 64 ohms balanced output). Therefore, it should have enough grunt to work even the most difficult-to-drive headphones.

iFi has also added two new EQ modes alongside the now-expected XBass+ and XSpace filters – Movie and Gaming. These are said to bring clearer dialogue and low-level/background sound effects, respectively. Which is nice.

However, iFi Audio is most excited about the ZEN Can 3's support for in-ear headphones that use the next-gen xMEMS driver technology. This natty speaker technology eschews the trad magnet and voice coil design in favour of solid-state drivers.

The new tech is claimed to be 150 times quicker to respond than mechanical drivers. So, if your IEMs are packing xMEMS, the Zen CAN 3 will get the most out of them thanks to a special setting.

The iFi ZEN CAN 3 headphone amp is available now for £229.

Visit iFi Audio for more information

Jay Garrett's avatar
Jay Garrett

StereoNET’s resident rock star, bass player, and gadget junkie. Jay heads up StereoNET as Editor for the United Kingdom and Europe regions. His passion for gadgets and Hi-Fi is second only to being a touring musician.

Posted in: Headphones

JOIN IN THE DISCUSSION

Want to share your opinion or get advice from other enthusiasts? Then head into the Message Forums where thousands of other enthusiasts are communicating on a daily basis.
CLICK HERE FOR FREE MEMBERSHIP

applause awards

Each time StereoNET reviews a product, it is considered for an Applause Award. Winning one marks it out as a design of great quality and distinction – a special product in its class, on the grounds of either performance, value for money, or usually both.

Applause Awards are personally issued by StereoNET’s global Editor-in-Chief, David Price – who has over three decades of experience reviewing hi-fi products at the highest level – after consulting with our senior editorial team. They are not automatically given with all reviews, nor can manufacturers purchase them.

The StereoNET editorial team includes some of the world’s most experienced and respected hi-fi journalists with a vast wealth of knowledge. Some have edited popular English language hi-fi magazines, and others have been senior contributors to famous audio journals stretching back to the late 1970s. And we also employ professional IT and home theatre specialists who work at the cutting edge of today’s technology.

We believe that no other online hi-fi and home cinema resource offers such expert knowledge, so when StereoNET gives an Applause Award, it is a trustworthy hallmark of quality. Receiving such an award is the prerequisite to becoming eligible for our annual Product of the Year awards, awarded only to the finest designs in their respective categories. Buyers of hi-fi, home cinema, and headphones can be sure that a StereoNET Applause Award winner is worthy of your most serious attention.

Licensing Information

00001541