No update yet, but all things said, it works great with Roon and you should not run into any issues.
Hey folks,
The ZEN Stream app is now live on Google Play and App Store! Thanks for your patience with us getting this up.
Google: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ifi.ifistreamer&hl=en_US&gl=US
Apple: Stream-iFi on the App Store
Please do drop any questions you have related to it below, and we look forward to your feedback to continue growing it!
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I’m really interested if the Zen Stream will support upcoming Spotify Hifi?
Spotify HiFi will work the same as Spotify does now with Connect in general - there will be no change and it will be able to work as it has been!
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Just got my Zen Stream today. Got it set up and working. However, the 2.29.9 update breaks the Spotify Connect functionality. Attempting to start the stream from iOS and Mac devices to no avail.
Tidal Connect still works, but Spotify will not work with the 2.29.9 update despite multiple system resets and installs. Once I go back to factory default settings everything works, but something isn’t meshing with the latest firmware update.
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Hi there,
We are aware of the reports, and looking to it why Spotify connect and this update do not meld well.
Hope to provide a fix ASAP!
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Maybe someone with the Zen Stream can help me. I’m trying to use the USB output. When I do, I can’t adjust the volume. It’s fixed. I have tried going into settings and selecting each of the volume options with no change. Always a fixed volume. I am running the most current firmware.
FYI I performed a full system reset reverting back to the firmware it came with and the volume works with USB via airplay. Using Mconnect via Upnp volume is still fixed. Via airplay, the volume works again but very laggy.
The volume issue was with any way I tried to stream: Spotify, Audirvana, Mconnect from an iPhone 12pro and a MacBook Pro.
Sound quality is fantastic. Software seems to need work.
Im interested in this for my speaker system and tidal connect. Once the holidays pass i might go for it!
Thanks, sir! How has it been fairing for you recently? Please continue to drop your feedback here!
Let me know if you decide to grab it, and what you think!
If I use Spotify connect or Upnp connection, I can’t adjust the volume via the connecting device. If I connect via Airplay, I can control the volume. I don’t know if this is normal, I haven’t found any information regarding volume control. I have tried the different volume options in the system settings and it doesn’t seem to change anything. If that’s how it’s supposed to behave, it’s not a deal breaker for me. I really like the sound via the USB out into my Schiit Yggy with Unison USB upgrade. Definitely better quality than Bluetooth streaming. Response time is still kind of slow. I’m wondering if that’s related to wifi signal strength, which is on the weak side where it’s located. At some point I will try connecting via ethernet cable and see if that makes a difference. Unfortunately, where I want to use the Stream, I do not have ethernet available. I’m currently running firmware 2.29.9. That resolved my early issues. At this point, I definitely plan on keeping it.
My Zen stream has a problem connecting (via USB output) to both YBA CD430 player, which has a USB digit input. I have been connecting my YBA CD430 via notebook PC previously with no problem. With Zen, although it successfully recognize the CD430 in the setting menu, when I stream music from Zen the CD430 has no sound despite the streaming light in the front panel is green. Similar problem exists when I test Zen with YBA 100SE player. Zen can recognize YBA 100SE in the setting but cannot stream music.
May I know how to troubleshoot? Thx in advance.
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Slow response and connection issues were related to weak wifi signal. Connected via ethernet, it works great.
Folks, an update from us!
As you now know, the ZEN Stream was always meant to be a Bit-Perfect machine, a passthrough device as transparent as possible with the best possible sound. Also, being a passthrough device meant all MQA data will be passed through the ZEN Stream transparently.
Due to a bug in the ZEN Stream, it performed the 1st unfold of MQA. In fact, it forced this whether you wanted it or not.
For example, if you are already using a full MQA decoder, eg Pro iDSD, you may not want the ZEN Stream to perform an unfold at all. With the previous firmware, you had no choice but to receive an unfolded signal from the ZEN Stream.
We removed this bug with the latest firmware update (and updated the Tidal library to the latest version) BUT we have seen and heard your concerns about us removing this functionality.
So, as you now know, we are working closely with MQA to add this function back into the ZEN Stream.
And we are going to go one step further by adding a dedicated setting to the ZEN Stream to give you the freedom to choose whether the ZEN Stream performs the first unfold or not. You will be able to choose between Auto, On or Off.
If you enable the BETA in the ZEN Stream, you should be able to access and test this functionality. We would love to hear your feedback.
We are terribly sorry for the confusion and inconvenience caused in the past few weeks. This bug should not have been present from the start. A big thank you to you and the community for supporting us, providing valuable feedback, and helping us to straighten this out.
We also have follow-up updates on Roon, Chromecast, and Airplay 2 coming in the near future.
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Great to hear! Glad wired works well.
Hi Steve,
Do you by chance have another streamer on you or something similar?
Are your settings on the back of the device in the correct position?
The software update mentioned is a pain in the ass! (Sorry)
After the app advised me to install it, I TRIED to do so.
The following error message was displayed again and again despite several attempts:
I kept restarting the streamer and / or the software / app when I tried it for the fourth time, it worked.
Then it really started with the problems, the ifi Zen Can was no longer recognized as a usb device, only when I changed the software setting and saved it did at least the control light come on again, the sound was still not played 
After turning both the device and the app off and on again, the same error again 
.
So I completely rebooted the stramer and set it up from scratch, and integrated it into my home network again, after which everything worked as it should.
I can now control Spotify again from all my devices at the same time 
Ifi software control and corresponding updates are really often a “painful” 
experience.
If this wonderful sonic experience 
weren’t as good as it is, I would probably have ignored this brand some time ago.
The packaging and the product appearance of the hardware are quite competitive with Apple, the software and the associated setting and control options are certainly not.
The most serious cases currently are:
Control app of the Zenstream, and the iDSD Pro
Volume control of the Gryphon and the Go Blue via USB
Please 
work on these things and only bring the devices / software onto the market once they have been thoroughly tested and tried.
Apple is scolded for the fact that they always bring their devices and innovations onto the market relatively late, but then … these are fully developed.
Does that hurt them somehow?
Noooooo, on the contrary, they are the market leader in their market segment.
Ifi has the potential, please work on the problems that are all known.
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my Zen Stream was working for about an hour and now has crashed again. both lights on the Zen Stream have gone out. and as you can see both the NAD DAC and the iFi zen stream are out of the picture in the second screen shot. perhaps since i use Roon and Tidal these to services are not yet fully compatible with the with the Zen Stream and are still in the certification stage? i will take my DAC, computer, and the Zen Stream to work space and see how it fairs with another network… i will have to connect the Zen to via wifi and than stream via coax to my DAC. i will use the headphone output on the DAC to check for consistent audio output. for now i am taking your word for it that the problem lies within my network and not the Zen Stream. this should objectively settle the issue
The problem is partially resolved after some more testing.
Zen can now turns my YBA CD players via USB into a roon endpoint. But interestingly the Roon recognizes the CD player as 3 individual USB audio device (Passion CD 430 USB Audio/Passion CD 430 USB Audio #1/Passion CD 430 USB Audio#2). The default “Passion CD 430 USB Audio” doesn’t sound, and I have to use “Passion CD 430 USB Audio#1” to play roon.
Other input such as Tidal connect/DLNA still doesn’t work. I suspect the situation is similar to Roon where Zen might see 3 individual USB device and by default choose the first one to play which leads to no sound.
