With MM/MC, high/low and very low, the ZEN Phono is able to handle just about any cartridge. From 36dB all the way up to 72dB. So as your vinyl system grows over time, the ZEN Phono will always keep up.
Cookie-Cutter ‘Sub-Sonic Filter’
Tom Evans who makes very nice phono stages made the following astute comment:
A rumble filter simply adds to the bass cut making your already “cut” records sound bass light. Plus, it “time-steps” the bass in relation to the higher frequencies (where our hearing is most sensitive) so much so it can confuse the ear into believing the bass is playing out of tempo.
iFi solution:
Since the very first iPHONO launched in 2012, we have used our own in-house ‘Subsonic Filter’. It made it into the iPHONO2 and the iPHONO3 and now, the ZEN Phono which is the very first time this filter is seen in such an affordable price level.
As there is only minimal vertical modulation remaining at very low frequencies with an an actual cut LP that is playable, we know that “vertical modulation” at low frequencies must be warp.
So we designed a filter to take advantage of this.
This is not artificial but real knowledge. By understanding fully how LPs are cut and replayed, it is possible to filter record warp strongly without at the same time attenuating low bass or adding group delay.
ZEN Phono
ZEN Phono
Fall in love with your LPs all over again.
Pedigree. Performance. Peerless.
LPs + ZEN = Magical combo.
You’ve spent years building your dream LP collection. We know because we have done the same!
The ZEN Phono is a wonderful enhancement to your vinyl setup. It will max out every MM/MC cartridge.
Choc full of AMR/iFi trickle-down vinyl technology, it will have you poring over your LPs into the wee, small hours.
Spec’d to make you smile
Unlike any other entry-level phono stage. The ZEN Phono has:
- MM/MC from 36dB >72dB gain. Super-silent noise floor -151dBV
- Precise RIAA with Balanced output, performance comparable to +$1k phono stages
- AI sub-sonic filter. Addresses warp without eliminating bass or causing phase issues
Hissless whisper
Flagship phono amplifiers create their own power supply off the mains, like a mains regenerator. This is fundamental to a well-designed phono stage. Without this, it will struggle to amplify the signal without added noise. This is why phono stages ‘hiss’ so annoyingly.
Unusually, the ZEN Phono has its own high-tech clean power supply. It creates a 1.2MHz power supply (20,000x mains frequency of 60Hz). In this circuit, a 10uF filtering capacitor = 200,000uF at lower, audible frequencies. With serious levels of noise filtration, it performs at the level of well-designed LC filtering circuits as found in classic tube amplifiers. Further, located on its own ‘island’ PCB, it is isolated so there is no noise pollution of the analogue stage.
Just super clean +/- 12V DC.
Measured EIN (Equivalent Input Noise) is -151dBV. It is 20dBV quieter than some Stereophile Class A+ phonos which are -131dBV.
Mil-spec RIAA
The EQ circuit uses multiple TDK C0G capacitors in parallel. This is for best stability and the least distortion. They beat polystyrene capacitors and are close to Teflon. Read more here.
Already using the lowest tolerance capacitors combined with multiples in parallel, tolerance is exponentially improved by the square root of the number of capacitors. This is quite a natty circuit design.
The RIAA EQ tolerance level (+/- 0.15dB) is impressive as it is en par with hand-selected capacitors!
With great circuit comes great components
The ZEN Phono has some seriously good audio components backing up the fab circuit design which has trickled-down from its ultra-fidelity AMR PH-77 and iFi iPhono siblings.
Scroll down for more on the most consequential circuit highlights/boutique components.
Super sub-sonic
The intelligent sub-sonic filter is from the iPhono range and is quite special.
Normal sub-sonic filters remove ‘rumble’ AND bass and cause phase issues.
Our unique AI phono sub-sonic filter removes ‘rumble’ only.
Balanced circuit design. Just not seen at this price point it is a superior method to the traditional single-ended circuit approach. Balanced circuits reduce noise and crosstalk. Less Interference – clearer sound.
As with many other iFi audio products, we’ve incorporated a custom OV Series operational-amplifier. This top-notch component contributes to the extremely low noise, low distortion (0.0001%) and wide bandwidth.
Panasonic ECPU capacitors. Each ECPU capacitor is constructed from some 3,500 layers of ultra-thin dielectrics less than 0.5μm thickness. It offers class-leading Equivalent Series Resistance (ESR), low impedance and frequency stability and vanishingly low distortion.
Texas Instruments low-noise ICs offer great unity-gain bandwidth, very low noise and distortion, high output drive capability, Common-mode and Power Supply Rejection Ratios of over 100 dB, wide maximum-output-swing bandwidths and high slew rates.
TDK C0G (Class 1 ceramic) capacitors offer high stability and low losses for resonant circuit applications.
Getting ever closer to the theoretical ideal of pure, frequency-constant capacitance, these capacitors reduce capacitor-induced distortion to vanishingly low levels.
They are pricey but are a perfect addition to our products.
muRata control-type, low-ESR high-Q multi-layer capacitors. The ‘ESR control’ aspect of the Murata is something special. Their noise suppression abilities are impressive.
Support
| Gain settings | MC (v lo)@ MC (lo) MC (hi) MM | 72dB (+/- 1dB) 60dB (+/- 1dB) 48dB (+/- 1dB) 36dB (+/- 1dB) |
| AI Sub-sonic filter | Remedies only the 'warp' in LPs | No negative impact to bass response |
| Max Output Voltage (RMS) | 20v RMS bal output into 100k (< 1% THD & N) 13.5V RMS bal output into 600R (< 1% THD & N) |
|
| Output Impedance: | BAL SE | 200 Ohm resistive 100 Ohm resistive |
| Input impedance | MM: 47K Ohms (Load: 110pF) MC High: 47K Ohms MC Low: 1K Ohms MC V Low: 110 Ohms |
|
| Signal/Noise Ratio: | 94dB(A) MM re 2V BAL/1V UNBAL 80dB(unweighted 80kHz BW) MM re 2V BAL/1V UNBAL 84dB(A) MC Hi re 2V BAL/1V UNBAL 71dB(unweighted 80kHz BW) MM re 2V BAL/1V UNBAL 90dB(A) MC lo re 2V BAL/1V UNBAL 79dB(unweighted 80kHz BW) MC lo re 2V BAL/1V UNBAL 79dB(A) MC vlo re 2V BAL/1V UNBAL 69dB(unweighted 80kHz BW) MC vlo re 2V BAL/1V UNBAL |
|
| EIN (equivalent input noise): | 0.6nV|/Hz (unweighted) MC lo/vlo 6.5nV|/Hz (unweighted) MM/MC hi | -151dBV (A weighted) -141dBV (unweighted) -130dBV (A weighted) -119dBV (unweighted) |
| Harmonic Distortion: | < -110dB / 0.0003% MM re 2V BAL/1V UNBAL < -80dB / 0.01% MC lo re 2V BAL/1V UNBAL < -86dB / 0.005% MC vlo re 2V BAL/1V UNBAL |
|
| Dimensions | 160(l) x 113(w) x 35(h) mm 6.3" x 4.4" x 1.4" |
|
| Power Supply: | DC 5V / 500mA | |
| Net weight: | 515g (1.14 Ibs) | |
| Warranty: | 12 months |
Reviews
Great bang for the buck
“It is the perfect match for the Nagaoka MP-500 cartridge. The subsonic filter is a welcome addition on some of my less than flat records.”
(Click name to read original review)
A clear bargain
“This flexible little phono amp looks and sounds great and provides flexibility rarely seen at, or near, this price point. Build quality is solid and the fact that it can work with moving coil cartridges is a bonus. A solid recommendation for those moving up from integral phono stages in amps or turntables. It’s no more than a guess but I suspect you might need to spend at least double to better it.”
(Click name to read original review)
A first class replacement to the built in phono pre amp found in many amplifiers
The iFi audio ZEN Phono preamp is extremely good value for money this has replaced my old Project phono stage which has served me well since the turn of the century. The iFi audio ZEN phono preamp has a similar build to its headphone amp iFi Zen DAC and it’s fully balanced too much to my surprise and carry the 4.4mm balanced output as well as the normal output. The front is simple with just the power button and a subsonic filter button the rear has the input and the dual outputs a 4 switch gain switch. It is built like a tank but the only thing which has made me remember its price is the power button which rattles when used. The sound quality is really good for the price and could take on more expensive devices.
(Click name to read original review)
The iFi ZEN Phono Review. Make your Vinyl SING!
“I have a system in the budget room that sounds really good for around twelve hundred bucks and i’ve been enjoying vinyl in that system when i swapped in the ZEN, the first thing that jumped out was the dynamics and the sound and the boogie factor and the slam and the depth and the separation of instruments which i didn’t get from the Mofi…”
Give it a watch to see what Steve says about how the ZEN Phono compare to the Icon Audio PS1 MkII!
(Click name to read original review)
ZEN Phono – “Yes, you should”
The ifi zen comes highly recommended by a lot of trusted audiophiles from YouTube and the like. So… is it right for you? Yes, you will like it. I currently have a douk audio tube phono amp with upgraded tubes. I also had a schiit mani which my son ran off with. I like all three of these amps and will probably replace my schiit mani. Why do I want all these phono preamps? Because phono preamps change the sound of my music system the most. If I want to change the sound of my system, I simply have to change my phono preamp. Buy the ifi zen. Buy the schiit mani. Buy something else as well. The ones I’ve mentioned sound great… but they’re different.I like the schiit mani because it’s very forgiving with some of my poorly pressed vinyl. I like the douk audio tube amp because it’s open and airy. I like the ifi zen because it’s very detailed. It’s also excellent with my live recordings.Phono preamps are very easy to swap out. At these prices, you should get a few and have fun. Yes, you can get the ifi zen and be happy with it for the rest of your life. Just know you’re getting a great phono preamp.
(Click name to read original review)
Looks great sounds great
Probably can get something of similar sound quality for less cost, but no way can you get the build quality or features of this thing as well as the sound quality for $150.
I have previously used ifi stuff before so I wanted to try their latest zen line of products, and can say this is really cool. Look sharp sounds crystal clean and will slot in nicely with any hifi stack.
(Click name to read original review)
