iFi Audio - ZEN CAN 6XX Signature

The original ZEN CAN is a powerhouse, all-analogue headphone amp which could drive even the toughest headphones with its balanced circuit design and distortion-free sonic tailoring. With the latest ZEN CAN Signature 6XX, iFi Audio has taken near-perfect sonic tailoring to a whole new level. The all-new ZEN CAN signature has an enhanced sound, better circuit design and a host of upgraded features. The highlight being the customizable ActivEQ, which offers precise sonic tailoring for the best possible listening experience.

The whole idea of the ActivEQ feature is to offer a personalised EQ curve by combining active and passive components to perfectly suit your Sennheiser HD 6XX headphones. ActivEQ uses the analogue domain and eliminates all sorts of noise and distortion to help you feel nothing but the essence of pure music. This EQ feature is not limited to just the HD 6XX headphones. You can even use it with other Sennheiser headphones like the HD 650. You also have the freedom of turning the ActivEQ off. By doing that, the ZEN CAN Signature will offer a perfectly balanced sound which suits all kinds of headphones and IEMs.

It all begins with you pressing the dedicated 'HD 6XX' button which then triggers the ZEN CAN Signature 6XX to optimise its signal to complement the headphone's response. This allows the ZEN DAC signature to personalise its performance and to bring out the best of your HD 6XX headphones. Just like a tailored suit which is designed to fit you perfectly.

No pain no gain is what they say, but that's not true with the ZEN CAN Signature 6XX which comes with a dedicated four gain settings and six dB steps - 0dB, 6dB, 12dB and 18db. These settings allow the ZEN CAN Signature to optimise itself for headphones connected to it. Unity gain (0dB) is ideal to ensure low noise in sensitive in-ear monitors, while higher gain settings offer exceptional dynamic headroom on high-end headphones. So whether its headphones or IEMs, the ZEN CAN Signature 6XX brings out the best in everything.

When you listen to sound, you should be able to sense its direction and distance with your eyes closed. This is called sound localisation which is crucial to music listening and if you are missing this, you are missing a lot in your music. The ZEN CAN Signature 6XX features XSpace - an analogue processing mode which eliminates sound localization issues by widening the soundstage for a more open and speaker-like listening experience. It's time you start feeling your music, quite literally.

At the core of ZEN CAN Signature 6XX is the balanced circuit and asymmetrical dual-mono design. It also has a host of elements which are taken from the discrete Class-A circuitry designed particularly for the flagship Pro iCAN. Experience lowest ESR, excellent noise reduction and improved frequency response elements with highly durable Panasonic OS-CON. For resonant circuit applications, you require advanced stability and minimum losses. The TDK C0G (Class 1 ceramic) capacitors ensure just that by bringing capacitor-generated distortion to negligibly low levels. The ZEN CAN Signature 6XX relies on ELNA Japan Silmic II capacitors for power supply which has silk fibre delivering excellent acoustic qualities along with exceptional linearity.

Drive a range of headphones with absolute ease using the ZEN CAN Signature 6XX. It offers a powerful 1600mW (7.2V) into 32 ohms through single-ended output and 15V+ of power into 300+ ohms through balanced output. It can drive even power-hungry planar headphones while minimising distortion levels and offering dynamic sonic output. The custom OV Series is an advanced component used in the ZEN CAN Signature which reduces noise to the lowest levels while widening the bandwidth. You don't have to struggle to switch between settings ever again with the advanced FET-based MOSFET technology which can be used as a muting switch. This switch is managed by a microcontroller which 'wakes up' only if you change a setting, leaving no space for unhealthy sonic interference.

With a wide range of connectivity options, ZEN CAN Signature 6XX ensures that you can connect it to a host of audio products. It offers stereo RCA and 3.5mm single-ended inputs along with a balanced 4.4mm Pentaconn input. You can easily connect power amps with balanced input to ZEN CAN Signature 6XX using its 4.4mm balanced output. There is a host of headphone outputs available with ZEN CAN Signature 6XX. You can connect headphones with the single-ended connector using the 6.3mm output while the 4.4mm Pentaconn balanced output is ideal for headphones with a balanced connection.

The ZEN CAN Signature 6XX comes with iPower X which comes with Active Noise Cancellation II and improved capacitance. This not only supplies clean power and noise cancellation but also offers more filtration, refined dynamics and unequalled sound. The iPower X looks impressive with a sleek modern design and LED lights.