Ifi ZEN CAN Signature 6XX

Signature tailoring by iFi

The ZEN CAN Signature 6XX analogue headphone amplifier takes sonic tailoring to the next level with ActivEQ.

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.

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.

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