iFi ZEN Air Blue 2, Phono 2 and DAC 2: Three New Budget Audiophile Upgrades at €150 Each

iFi Audio has expanded its popular ZEN Air lineup with three simultaneous additions: the ZEN Air Blue 2 Bluetooth receiver, the ZEN Air Phono 2 phono stage, and the ZEN Air DAC 2 USB DAC and headphone amplifier. All three are priced at €150 each and are already available across Europe — a competitive entry point for the ZEN family’s mix of audiophile engineering and everyday usability.

ZEN Air Blue 2: Bluetooth with aptX Lossless

The Blue 2 updates iFi’s wireless receiver with Bluetooth 5.4 and an impressively broad codec roster: aptX Lossless (up to 1,200 kbps), LDAC (up to 990 kbps), aptX Adaptive, aptX HD, aptX, AAC, and SBC. Rather than cramming everything onto a single chip, iFi uses a separated architecture — the Qualcomm QCC3095 handles Bluetooth reception independently from the ESS Sabre DAC and dedicated op-amp output stage. The result is cleaner signal paths at each conversion stage. Power comes from any 5–12V DC source, making it easy to integrate into an existing desktop setup.

ZEN Air Phono 2: MM/MC with ±0.15 dB RIAA Accuracy

Vinyl enthusiasts get the Phono 2, which handles both moving magnet (MM) and moving coil (MC) cartridges. iFi quotes RIAA correction accuracy of ±0.15 dB — notably tight for this price bracket — alongside switchable gain settings and a subsonic filter to suppress low-frequency rumble from warped records. The circuit uses OV-series op-amps in a fully symmetrical dual-mono layout, with an equivalent input noise figure of −151 dBV. For those stepping off a budget phono stage, the Phono 2 represents a meaningful upgrade without breaking the bank.

ZEN Air DAC 2: 300% More Power, Balanced 4.4mm Output

The DAC 2 is the most direct update for desktop headphone listeners. Built around a Cirrus Logic DAC, it gains a 4.4mm balanced headphone output alongside the standard 3.5mm single-ended jack — a notable addition at this price. iFi claims output power has increased by 300% over the previous ZEN Air DAC, which should make a practical difference when driving harder-to-power headphones. The familiar XBass+ and PowerMatch (+6 dB gain boost) features carry over, giving users tools to tailor the sound to their headphones without fiddling with system-level settings.

Pricing and Availability

All three models — ZEN Air Blue 2, ZEN Air Phono 2, and ZEN Air DAC 2 — are priced at €150 each in Europe and are available now. That flat pricing makes it easy to mix and match: pair the Blue 2 with a streaming source, the Phono 2 with a turntable, or use the DAC 2 as a standalone desktop hub. iFi’s ZEN Air series has consistently punched above its weight, and these second-generation updates look set to keep that reputation intact.