Bluetooth receiver with aptX Lossless for the home or car system
The iFi Audio ZEN Air Blue 2 adds CD-quality Bluetooth to systems with little or no wireless connectivity. It connects with an RCA cable to a line input on the amplifier or active speakers and receives music from a phone, tablet or computer. It is the most affordable lossless Bluetooth DAC in the iFi catalogue.
The midnight blue ZEN Air series chassis measures 158 x 100 x 35 mm and weighs 305 g. The box contains two antennas, one short and one long, and a 1.2 m USB to DC power cable.
Bluetooth 5.4, aptX Lossless and LDAC
The Qualcomm QCC3095 chipset handles Bluetooth 5.4, for a more stable connection. With aptX Lossless, 16-bit/44.1 kHz audio arrives with no data loss, at a bitrate of up to 1,200 kbps; LDAC reaches 990 kbps for those who do not yet have a lossless-compatible source.
Compatibility is broad: besides the SBC and AAC codecs it supports aptX, aptX Adaptive and aptX HD, so each device connects with the best codec it has.
Three separate stages, as in a hi-fi component
Most Bluetooth receivers leave reception, conversion and output to a single chip. The ZEN Air Blue 2 gives each task to a dedicated component: the Qualcomm chip receives the signal, an ESS Sabre DAC converts it and a stage with iFi's OV series op-amps takes it to the output, under the control of the femto-precision GMT clock.
The RCA output provides 2.1 V RMS with an impedance no higher than 51 Ω. Stated signal-to-noise ratio is 109 dB(A) and dynamic range 110 dB(A).
5 to 12 V power and automatic switch-on in vehicles
The power input accepts DC voltages from 5 to 12 V, for direct installation in cars, boats and other battery-powered systems. In a vehicle the ZEN Air Blue 2 switches on and off with the engine, and music is ready as soon as the key is turned.
A power button on the front still allows manual control, and consumption is minimal: no more than 0.25 W at 5 V and 0.45 W at 12 V.
