IFI ZEN CAN

HEADPHONE AMPLIFIER

We hate to have to say it, but the headphone output circuitry fitted to a great many otherwise excellent hi-fi components often leaves a lot to be desired, so you should not necessarily rely on it to give you great sound. In some cases this is simply because of low output levels, in other situations because of a high output impedance. The obvious solution is a device that’s been specifically designed to drive headphones — a purpose-designed headphone amplifier.

The problem with this obvious solution is that high-quality headphone amplifiers are expensive — at least most are. A few, like the iFi Zen Can, are very reasonably priced. So reasonably priced, in fact, that they’re almost in impulse-purchase territory, particularly if there’s a sale on of some kind.

But can a reasonably-priced dedicated headphone amplifier deliver the goods that are required? Let’s see.

Equipment

The iFi Zen Can is not only weirdly named, it’s also weirdly shaped, as you can see from the photograph above. But it’s a chassis shape iFi has used previously, and continues to use in other models, so it’s cost-effective. It’s also relatively compact, so you won’t need much space for it. (It occupies a space of around 16 × 3.5 × 12cm.)

Despite its compact dimensions, there’s a surprising amount of connectivity and control on this unit. On the front panel, starting from the left, there’s a power/standby button. Then there’s a button that cycles through the three rear inputs. We’ll look at them