Description
ifi Zen CAN Signature 6XX
The ifi Zen CAN Signature 6XX is a superbly powerful little headphone amp that further extends the great performance of the standard ifi Zen CAN.
The original ZEN CAN, our all-analogue headphone amplifier, boasted the ability to drive tough headphone loads, a balanced circuit design, vanishingly low levels of distortion and versatile sonic tailoring.
The ZEN CAN Signature 6XX takes this to another level. It further improves the sound quality with enhanced circuit design, whilst maintaining the versatile features of the ‘regular’ version and adding something special – a custom EQ setting precisely tailored across the entire frequency response curve to make the most of a popular headphone model.
ActivEQ
This new feature, called ActivEQ, combines active and passive components to create a specific EQ curve to suit a particular pair of headphones, performed in the analogue domain without a hint of additional noise or distortion.
The ZEN CAN Signature 6XX, features ActivEQ for the ‘MassDrop x Sennheiser HD 6XX’ – a popular pair of high-quality headphones with more than 120,000 sold to date, based on the Sennheiser HD 650 and created exclusively for Drop.com.
These headphones are renowned for the quality of their midrange performance but exhibit some quirks in the bass and treble regions, which can be seen in frequency response measurements.
No pain, no gain.
Not in the case of the ZEN CAN Signature 6XX. It features four gain settings in six dB steps – 0dB, 6dB, 12dB and 18db.
This enables the amp to precisely suit the connected headphones. Unity gain (0dB) is useful to ensure low noise with sensitive in-ear monitors, while the higher gain settings make the most of tougher headphone loads, delivering excellent dynamic headroom.
XSpace
This analogue processing mode compensates for the ‘in-head localisation’ effect that can occur when using headphones to listen to music that was mixed using a pair of speakers.
It widens the headphone soundstage to deliver a more spacious and speaker-like experience.
Balance of power
The ZEN CAN Signature 6XX’s circuitry is a balanced, symmetrical dual-mono design – a topology usually reserved for high-end headphone amps – with a number of key elements trickled down from the discrete Class A circuitry developed for iFi’s flagship headphone amplifier, the Pro iCAN.
Key components have been upgraded to enhance performance in line with the improvements made to the ZEN CAN Signature 6XX, including the use of Panasonic OS-CON and Elna Silmic II capacitors.
Driving force
The amp offers prodigious drive capability, delivering 1600mW (7.2V) into 32 ohms from the single-ended output, with 15V+ available to loads of 300 ohms or more through the balanced output, ensuring it takes even current-hungry planar headphones in its stride.
Delivering ultra-low distortion, rich sonic detail, engaging dynamics and the ability to drive all manner of headphones with ease, the ZEN CAN Signature 6XX is a truly a driving force to be reckoned with.
Stay connected
The ZEN CAN Signature 6XX offers stereo RCA and 3.5mm single-ended inputs, plus a balanced 4.4mm Pentaconn input. A 4.4mm balanced output is also provided, to connect to power amps equipped with a balanced input.
It provides a pair of headphone outputs – a 6.3mm output for headphones that have a standard single-ended connector (compatible with all headphones) and a 4.4mm Pentaconn balanced output for headphones offering balanced connection.
An increasing number of high-quality headphones and in-ear monitors either come so equipped or give the option of detaching the cable and upgrading to a 4.4mm Pentaconn connector, and this output makes the most of them (it is particularly recommended for high-impedance headphones).
Specifications
| Inputs | RCA Headphone output Gain THD+N (A-Weighting) | 3.5 (SE), 4.4mm (BAL)) 6.35 mm, 4.4 mm 0 dB, 6 dB,12 dB,18 dB adjust 0.0066% (BAL), 0.0058% (SE) |
| ZOUT | Headphone out Balanced line out | 0.25 ohms (SE), 0.5 ohms (BAL) 200 ohms |
| SNR | 122 dB (BAL) | |
| Dynamic range | -122 dB (BAL) | |
| Frequency response | (-3dB): 10 Hz – 200 kHz | |
| Function Button | HD6XX adaption and/or XSpace; Bypass | |
| IMD | 0.01% | |
| Power | Maximum output power (16 ohms) Maximum output power (300 ohms) Maximum output power (600 ohms) Maximum power consumption | 3.0 V / 600 mW (BAL), 4.0 V / 1000 mW (SE) 5.1 V / 756 mW (BAL), 7.6 V / 196 mW (SE) 15.2 V / 385 mW (BAL), 7.6 V / 98 mW (SE) 13 W / 2.6A |
| Dimensions | 4.6 x 3.9 x 1.2 in (11.7 x 10 x 3 cm) | |
| Weight | 1.87 Ibs (0.85 kg) |
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