Disclosure: The ZEN Blue 3 was provided by iFi for this review. Please read more about our product review disclosure here.

Bluetooth audio is becoming more prevalent as the go-to method of listening to music. The iFi Zen Blue 3 aims to further add convenience to wireless audio, implementing Bluetooth receiving and transmitting functionality into a small, desktop sized device.

My experience testing numerous audio devices made me wonder if this compact desktop Bluetooth DAC could deliver the wireless audio quality that audiophiles want. I tested it extensively with different setups and sources to see if it lives up to iFi’s claims. This review will help you decide if the iFi Zen Blue 3 suits your use case, and how it holds up in an ever expanding market of Bluetooth DACs.

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• iFi ZEN Blue 3
• USB-A to USB-C cable
• 5V USB power adapter
• External Bluetooth antenna
• Quick start guide

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The iFi ZEN Blue 3 follows the same design language as the ZEN DAC 3 and ZEN CAN 3. Not only does this keep a consistent look across all of iFi’s updated products, but the overall color scheme and design are just a pleasure to look at. The two-toned dual-textured front panel looks elegant yet industrial, and the metal shell of the ZEN Blue 3 feels premium and well built. The buttons on the front are also similar to those on the ZEN DAC 3 and ZEN CAN 3, meaning they have great tactile feedback, though I find them a little too easy to press, especially compared to those found on its predecessor.

Looking at the layout of the front panel, from left to right we have the following: Power button, Mode button, Input Selection button, iFi logo with LED color display corresponding to the Bluetooth codec, LED color display corresponding to the audio format and volume level, TX Mode/Low Latency button, Bluetooth Pairing/LED on/off button.

Turning to the back of the ZEN Blue 3 now we have the following connections from left to right: 4.4mm Balanced line out, RCA analog output, RCA analogue input, Optical/coaxial input, Optical/coaxial output, USB-C input, Bluetooth antenna, DC 5V power connector.

All of the buttons and connections are practically placed and thoughtfully implemented, as is usually the case with iFi products, and the shell design of the ZEN Blue 3 is flat enough to be stacked with other iFi products, or even products from other companies.

The ZEN Blue 3 comes with a sticker on the top of the device to help indicate the various alternative button actions, as well as a color guide for the Bluetooth codecs and audio formats. As you’ll see in the Features section, this guide will be immensely helpful since there is so much packed into this device.

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The main functionality of the iFi ZEN Blue 3 is that of a Bluetooth DAC, where you are connecting either Bluetooth headphones or earbuds, or outputting audio from a Bluetooth source to speakers or a dedicated amp. There are no connections for wired headphones here, so if your plan is to use wired headphones I’d suggest investing in an amp, such as the ZEN CAN 3.

There are several use cases for the ZEN Blue 3, which can most easily be explained by looking at the various operating modes of the device.

RX Mode

The RX mode, or Bluetooth receiving mode, is meant to have an audio source connect via Bluetooth to send audio to the ZEN Blue 3 and then output to either the 4.4mm Balanced line out, RCA analog output, or the Optical/coaxial output. The idea here is to pair a Bluetooth device, such as your digital audio player (DAP), PC, or smartphone, to the ZEN Blue 3. Then you can connect the ZEN Blue 3 to a pair of speakers, a soundbar, or a desktop amp (or DAC with an optical or coaxial input).

The whole process works easily and flawlessly. Pairing my HiBy R4 with the ZEN Blue 3 was quick and I was able to use the LDAC Bluetooth codec. I was able to play music to my HiVi-Swans OS-10 speakers in this way and is better than the SBC codec that the speakers support. I was even able to output audio to my Sonos Arc since that soundbar lacks Bluetooth, and since I use an Android phone and Android-based DAPs Airplay is not an option for me.

Note that the Low Latency mode is not available when in RX Mode.

TX mode

The TX mode, or Bluetooth transmit mode, allows the ZEN Blue 3 to send audio to Bluetooth headphones or earbuds from a variety of sources. You can connect devices to the RCA analog input, Optical/coaxial input, or the USB-C port. The inclusion of USB-C means that you can plug the ZEN Blue 3 into all sorts of devices, from game consoles to PCs to tablets to phones, and send the currently playing audio from any of them to your Bluetooth headphones or earbuds.

I tested with my PlayStation 5 via USB-C and it worked very well. The ZEN Blue 3 was immediately recognized by the PS5, and I was even able to enable 3D audio. Being able to use my Sony WH-1000XM5 and Sonos Ace headphones to play PS5 games feels pretty liberating, especially since the PS5 only supports specific headphones for Bluetooth. That limitation is now gone when using the ZEN Blue 3.

When playing games and watching videos, whether connected to my PS5 or my PC, I did need to enable the Low Latency mode (long press the TX Mode/Low Latency mode button to enable). This sets the Bluetooth codec to aptX Adaptive/Low Latency. With Low Latency enabled, the audio and video were in sync and I noticed no latency or sync issues. Without it enabled the sync issues were pretty bad, far too noticeable to enjoy watching or playing content.

One other practical use case here is connecting an iPad (or similar device) via USB-C to the ZEN Blue 3. Since Apple devices only support up to the AAC codec for Bluetooth, you aren’t going to get access to the higher bitrate codecs even if you connect non-Apple Bluetooth headphones or earbuds. That limitation is eliminated when using the ZEN Blue 3. Now iOS 18 has been a little finicky when it comes to connecting external DAC/amps, but for the most part, I had no issues with getting my iPad to recognize the DAC and output audio to it, freeing me from having to use the AAC codec.

DAC Mode

In DAC mode, Bluetooth is disabled and the ZEN Blue 3 acts purely as a DAC, taking audio from any of the inputs and outputting it to any of the various output connections. In this way, you can have it connected to your PC and output audio to an amp or pair of speakers.

Gaia App

The Gaia app is used to update the firmware and select which Bluetooth codecs you wish to allow to be used. Other than that, you will never really need to use the app for anything as all the work is done when using the ZEN Blue 3/

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The ESS Saber DAC implementation delivers great results. Unlike typical Bluetooth receivers and transmitters, the ZEN Blue 3 uses a dedicated DAC chip instead of an all-in-one solution, which leads to consistent and quality performance. The ESS Saber DAC really shows its strengths when you have more complex tracks. I noticed exceptional instrument separation and detail retrieval, nothing sounded claustrophobic.

The ZEN Blue 3 excels at preserving each wireless headphone and earbud’s unique characteristics while adding a subtle layer of refinement and warmth. This is a crucial detail as many Bluetooth headphones and earbuds allow you to save custom EQ presets to them, and the last thing I want is another device to change the audio characteristics in any way. iFi did a great job here to make sure the original sound profile is preserved.

Bluetooth Performance

The iFi ZEN Blue 3 maintained stable Bluetooth connections in every situation I used it in. Living in an apartment in a dense city I am surrounded by WiFi and Bluetooth devices, so congestion in the wireless space is always a concern, but it was never an issue when using the ZEN Blue 3. The automatic codec switching might need manual intervention to ensure you get the highest quality your equipment supports, which did happen on several occasions. This is due to the ZEN Blue 3 connecting at the most stable codec at the time of pairing. Pressing the TX Mode button allows you to go through the various codecs your Bluetooth device or headphone supports, with the LED in the iFi logo changing color to reflect the currently used codec.

The only codec I had any problems with is aptX Lossless. I could not get the ZEN Blue 3 to consistently connect to my Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 earbuds consistently with that codec. Moving to different locations in my apartment did help, which would indicate some interference in my area, so be warned if this happens to you. It should also be expected since the aptX Lossless codec requires near-ideal conditions to actually work. Otherwise, every other codec was stable, from LDAC to aptX HD to AAC.

The range is also excellent thanks to the large antenna. With my Sony WH-1000XM5 connected to the ZEN Blue 3 via LDAC, and music playing from my PC, I walked from my home office, then down the hall and into the far corner of my living room to my living room without any drop in quality. No static, no switching codecs, no dropouts, and no perceivable drop in quality at all. That is simply amazing.

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The iFi Zen Blue 3 is an innovation in home wireless audio technology. Ignoring the “Lossless” marketing that iFi pairs with Bluetooth here (Bluetooth is lossy, after all) my tests show the ZEN Blue 3 does live up to its promise to bring audiophile-grade sound to Bluetooth. There is excellent codec support, multiple operating modes, flexible connection options, and excellent DAC performance that demanding listeners will appreciate. I do wish it had a headphone jack, just to make it a complete device, but I understand what iFi was going for here by not including one.

At $299 USD, the Zen Blue 3 sits in the mid-fi price range, but its flexibility makes it worth every penny, especially if what you are after is wireless freedom. It merges naturally and beautifully with home theater systems, gaming setups, and high-end audio equipment. I have no problem highly recommending the ZEN Blue 3.

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I’m not always able to cover all the details of a product, both hardware and software, in our reviews. If you have any specific questions you’d like answered about this product please feel free to leave a comment or contact me directly.

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