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

iFi has been updating their lineup of amps and DACs throughout the year, and now we have the latest iteration of the ZEN CAN series, the ZEN CAN 3. On paper, it’s a compact powerhouse of an amp with excellent features and iFi’s standout design and build quality. Let’s see how the specs translate to real life, read on to find out.

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• ZEN CAN 3
• 6.3mm to 3.5mm adapter
• Power adapter
• RCA cable
• Manual and warranty card

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External Design

The overall design language of the iFi ZEN CAN 3 is similar to that of the Zen DAC 3 I looked at a few months ago, with essentially the same color scheme and two-toned faceplate that feature two different types of textures. It’s an excellent aesthetic upgrade compared to the previous generations of the ZEN CAN, giving the ZEN CAN 3 a more modern and elegant look.

Looking at the front we have the following (from left to right): Power button, input selection button, gain selection button, volume knob, 6.3mm SE output, 4.4mm balanced output, and the mode selection button.

The buttons have a lighter touch compared to the stiffer buttons on the previous iterations, but they feel solid and premium. The volume wheel is the same as on the Zen DAC 3, which means it feels great and has the perfect amount of resistance, making it extremely satisfying to use and ensuring fine-grain control over the volume level.

Turning our attention to the back of the ZEN CAN 3 now we have the following connections (from left to right): 4.4mm balanced input, 3.5mm SE input, RCA input, 4.4mm balanced line out, and a 5V DC power connector.

As we have come to expect from iFi, the ZEN CAN 3 has a very thoughtful yet practical design, and a high-quality, sturdy build. You also have a wide variety of input and output connections included, making the ZEN CAN 3 an extremely versatile desktop amp.

Internal Design

The internals of the ZEN CAN 3 are very unique as the amp includes various sound modes and features, yet uses no DSP (digital signal processing) to produce them. Instead, iFi opted to use analogue circuitry to achieve their intended result. The advantage of using only analogue circuitry means is there is no manipulation or conversion of the audio, instead, it is pure and leads to a more natural and clean audio output.

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While the ZEN CAN 3 has the exact same types of connections as the previous generation, the sound modes got a massive overhaul. XBass has been updated to XBass+, the 3D sound field has been updated to XSpace, we have a game mode and movie mode now, and support for xMEMS IEMs. What’s most impressive is that all of these features are implemented without any DSP, but purely with analogue circuitry. Let’s look at these sound modes more in-depth.

XBass+

iFi designed this feature to give the lower frequencies a bit more punch and modify the bass response to help headphones lacking bass and sub bass (especially open-back headphones). The effect is subtle most of the time, but it adds some nice depth to the bass for me without muddying it.

XSpace

The idea behind XSpace is to widen the soundstage to a more concert-like feeling. Think Dolby Atmos but without any of the processing. While I did notice some vertical width with XSpace on, the horizontal soundstage is really what was impacted for me. I don’t like the effect with most music, but with live recordings and classical music, I think it really did enhance the experience. I think recordings that have any kind of spatial depth to them benefit from this sound mode.

It’s worth noting that it is possible to enable both XBass+ and XSpace at the same time, but they cannot be used with the below modes.

Game Mode

iFi states that Game mode enhances low-level sound effects, giving you an edge in competitive games. I play an absolute ton of Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer, so I was very interested in trying this out. With and without Dolby Atmos enabled I did notice a difference in the way footsteps and character movement sounded. It’s a more subtle effect but I can say it’s there. Where I really noticed a difference though is in games like Skyrim, Control, and Red Dead Redemption 2. Game mode helped separate character and environment sounds, allowing me to differentiate between them more. I actually found it made games like Skyrim more immersive as a result.

Movie Mode

This mode essentially brings the dialogue forward and reduces the bass response slightly, making dialogue clearer as a result. It helped the most in action movies where you have a lot of sounds going on at the same time. It did not help make the dialogue clearer though in movies like Tenet 😉

xMEMS

The ZEN CAN 3 supports IEMs that feature xMEMS speakers and drivers. Unfortunately, I don’t have any to test with, but in this way, the ZEN CAN 3 is future-proofed with support for this new technology.

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Headphones and IEMs used for this review:

• Sennheiser HD 620S
• Audeze LCD-2
• HIFIMAN Sundara (4.4mm balanced connection only)
• Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite

The bass response of the ZEN CAN 3 offers a clean, deep impact with excellent texture and control. What impressed me most was the amp’s ability to deliver detailed low frequencies that extend very deep without sounding dry or boring.

The midrange is balanced and very close to neutral. Voices and instruments have the correct weight and are clear with no distortion.

The treble is well-extended with slightly accented highs. I noticed this gives the sound extra dynamism and allows for transitions that feel realistic. The clash of cymbals and flute sounds comes across as very natural, with a good sense of clarity.

Soundstage and imaging are also fairly good. I didn’t feel like they were being limited on any of my headphones or IEMs, nor did the ZEN CAN 3 help expand those areas. The amp is fairly transparent in this way.

In terms of actual amplification, there’s more than enough power here to drive the majority of headphones and IEMs on the market. In fact, the ZEN Can 3 is actually too powerful for many IEMs (and some sensitive headphones). Besides the Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite, I tried the Kiwi Ears Quartet, the BASN MMC, and briefly the newly released Kiwi Ears Canta. For all of those IEMs, I barely had to touch the volume control before the volume was too loud to listen. This is on the lowest gain setting as well. It’s unfortunate as this gives very little volume control in these situations and could be easily resolved with a gain control option of going below 0dB.

Overall, the sound quality for the iFi ZEN CAN 3 is excellent, giving you a clean and transparent audio signal and more than enough power. You really feel like you’re using a much more expensive amp.

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The iFi ZEN CAN 3 stands out as a powerhouse in the market of desktop amps, offering a blend of sleek design, innovative features, and top-notch sound quality. It includes well-implemented sound mode features, ample amplification power, and versatility with its many connectivity options.

At $229 USD though it’s $30 more than its predecessor, and while I still think you get a lot of amp for the price, I find it hard to imagine that most people who already have a Zen DAC V2 or Zen DAC 3 (or similar type of DAC) would need the amplification power of the ZEN CAN 3. If the ZEN CAN 3 had iFi’s IEMatch feature or some way to reduce the gain, it would add value for those with sensitive headphones and IEMs, since even the Zen DAC series is generally too powerful for sensitive headphones and IEMs.

Overall though the ZEN CAN 3 is an excellent addition to the ZEN lineup. If you’re in need of an amp, I have no problem highly recommending the ZEN CAN 3 to fill that need.

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We are 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 us directly.