Hardware
iFi Zen Blue 3
One DAC to rule them all – combining wired and wireless audio
The Zen Blue 3 acts as a Bluetooth receiver and transmitter, as well as a conventional wired DAC.
£299 FROM FEATURES Bluetooth 5.4 (AAC, aptX Lossless); RCA (phono), optical/coaxial and USB-C inputs; RCA (phono), optical/coaxial, 4.4mm outputs; 35x158x115mm, 0.45kg ifi-audio.com
The USB-C port can double up for audio input and power supply at the same time
Most digital-to-analogue converters (DACs) are designed for use with wired headphones or speakers, but iFi’s Zen Blue 3 casts its net much wider. It’s pretty expensive, at £299, but along with an variety of wired audio connectors it also supports the latest Bluetooth features too.