In a world where modern technology is ever-evolving, simplicity and connection are what we crave most. Nothing demonstrates this quite like the familiar act of picking your favourite LP, hearing the soft crackle before it starts, and sharing a story or two with friends as you listen together. If this is the type of connection you crave, then a well-designed phono stage is integral for your vinyl setup. It takes the subtle whispers of your cartridge and amplifies them hundreds of times, making your vinyl’s magic compatible with headphones, amps, receivers, and speakers. The ZEN Phono 3 opens the door to that analogue world with style and substance. With an intelligent warp filter and versatile loading options, you will be able to hear your over-loved LPs as new and fully experiment with your system setup.
Introduction
As the technologies are constantly developing and improving, people tend to look for the comfort of the history. For many, vinyl records are that link between the old and the new, which is why people love it so much. The ZEN Phono 3 by iFi Audio takes this link up a notch by providing even crisper audio and an uninterrupted sound experience. In this piece, the writer examines the characteristics of the ZEN Phono 3, which is necessary for collecting vinyl records.
The Importance of a Good Phono Stage
Starting with the fundamentals, it is essential to note that a phono stage, or phono preamp, is an essential component of a record player. It increases the volume of the small output signals from a turntable’s cartridge into a level that can be handled by stereo amplifiers or speakers. However, if one fails to use a quality phono stage the vinyl records’ minute details become hard to decipher. Also, it should be noted that the ZEN Phono 3 helps to bring back your fairly interesting vinyl collection.
ZEN Phono 3: An Analysis
The ZEN Phono 3 as is from the name suggest with a blend of modern style and a bit of the old fashion making it one of the best in the current markets. The gleaming chaps below presents this phono stage as one that is loaded with features that will be suitable for novices as well as the critical audio veteran. And here are the peculiarities of the ZEN Phono 3:
Futuristic Features with a Nostalgic Feeling
Thus, even if the ZEN Phono 3 has the look and feel of a contemporary device with the latest technologies, the feeling of comfort that people have while listening to vinyl records has been preserved here. It amplifies your listening abilities without making it overly complicated and this makes it perfect for anyone who just want a simple device with the best quality.
MM/MC with 36-72dB Gain Range
It will also support the MM and MC cartridges, and the gain of the ZEN Phono 3 sits between 36 to 72 dB. This flexibility enables one to use the many different types of cartridges to meet the requirements of the turntable and more to the listening.
Independent Loading Adjustment
ZEN Phono 3 is splendid with a specific highlight placed on the independent loading adjustment. This is useful to have as it provides a mechanism for maximizing the impedance settings to best coincide with your cartridge. Flexible gain and loading settings that can be configured separately mean that users can have the sound tuned precisely perfectly for the configuration.
Super-Silent -151dBV Noise Floor
Like any type of music, noise is a massive problem in vinyl playback. The ZEN Phono 3 helps in this regard with a low noise floor of -151dBV that ensures no undesirable noise infringes on the music. The level of silence achieved here is at par with many of the other expensive phono stages, whereby the package the ZEN Phono 3 is bringing to the table is quite cost effective.
Precise RIAA with Balanced Output
The RIAA equalisation of ZEN Phono 3 is accurate due to the incorporation of at least three TDK C0G capacitors running in parallel. This design results in stability and very low distortion, thus making the RIAA playback equalisation curve to be within the stipulated + /- 0. 15dB tolerance in the frequency range of between 20-20kHz. The outcome seeing your vinyl records is perfect reproduction and all the details are well recorded.
Intelligent Subsonic Filter
Conventional subsonic filters previously cut out bass rumble and the bass of the song itself, which is quite discouraging for the music lovers. ZEN Phono 3 come equipped with an intelligent subsonic filter; it is able to differentiate between unwanted rumble and bass in music, thus the latter is not interfered with at all, while the former is disposed of.
High-Tech 1. 2MHz Clean Power Supply
Linked as well to the power supply is a high-tech 1. 2MHz clean power supply of the ZEN Phono 3. It is sitting alone on ‘its’ island within the unit to minimize any interference that may come with noise pollution on the remainder of the unit that hosts the analogue stage. This isolation helps to make sure that the sound being amplified is only that which is to be amplified with no interference from any other sound.
Super Smart, Super Subsonic
Saying that, a ZEN Phono 3 feature that impressed me to the core is that it comprises a smart subsonic filter. It differentiates the noise produced by the records’ wobble and the bass actually in the music. This smart technology makes sure that only the noises that should not be heard in the concert hall are separated from the music which remains unadulterated.
Your Cartridge, Your Rules
For your listening pleasure, this unit comes with four pre-set MM/MC gain settings styled from 36 to 72dB and four input impedance options. The new loading button enables changes on one setting to be made following changes on the other while maximizing compatibility with cartridges.
Exacting Equalisation
Finally, during the vinyl mastering, records are pressed with a reverse equalisation curve of RIAA. The RIAA EQ circuit of the ZEN Phono 3 also employed multiple TDK C0G capacitors to have the least amount of distortion and best stability. This design guarantees that the so highly appreciated RIAA playback equalisation curve is no more than +/- 0. 15dB from the nominal curve within the range of 20-20kHz, thus providing the listener with the most accurate reproduction of the record.
Shockingly Silent
Just like in its predecessor, the power supply of the ZEN Phono 3 is located on its own ‘island,’ thus, eliminating the influence of noise on the analogue stage. This design manages to maintain the noise floor at an extremely low level, so all that is raised is the audio. Equivalent Input Noise is -151dBV, 20dBV lower than some phono preamplifiers of this category.
Conclusion
The ZEN Phono 3 that is designed and released by the iFi Audio is in many ways futuristic and at the same time it gives reminders of classic design aesthetics. These aspects work in a smart way, thus offering significantly improved sound quality and making it a very valuable supplement to the turntable. From first time users of turntables to those who have been using it for a long time, the ZEN Phono 3 made available all the features that could excite users of vinyl.
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