iFiAudio Zen Air Phono – Reduce Hiss & Noise on Vinyl Playback - Affordable Hi-Res Phono Stage Pre-amp for MM/MC Turntable, Phonograph Vinyl, Record Player, RIAA HiFi Preamplifier – Subsonic Filter

I was using the built-in preamp in my turntable and I thought it sounded fine. I didn’t realize how much I was missing. I unboxed it and put Rush-2112 on and it sounded like the musicians were in front of me. The clarity and detail is amazing. I also picked up the Ifi linear power supply to go along with it to reduce noise. Some complaints are that it comes with a short USB cable, which is another reason why I got the linear power supply, and recommend it to buyers. Also, there are no gain or load adjustment options so you’re stuck with what it offers. It still sounds great to me and is perfect for beginners, but for someone who wants to adjust settings, I would look elsewhere. This is by far the best preamp in the budget category.

I have both the Ifi Zen and Zen Air phono preamps to do a sound comparison. Looking at photos of the circuit boards they looked identical (except for the different inputs), so I was surprised to learn they have their own unique sonic signature. To my ear the Zen air is warmer, louder, a bit livelier, while the Zen Phono was a bit cooler and brighter. You can really notice on solo piano recordings (Dr. John for example). The thick midrange of the piano just jumped out of the speakers on the Zen Air, but was more restrained on the Zen Phono. Ultimately to my ear the Zen Air seemed a better compliment to my record collection.A note about power supplies: The Zen Phono Air only comes with a short USB power cord that you have to plug into a 5 volt wall wart. I found an alternative (link below) that was quieter and made the preamp sound better. A bit more punchy and more bass. Surprised.https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B88EP1I?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

I previously had a ~$20 pre-amp that died out on me and decided to get something a bit better to replace it. This pre-amp has a switch on the back to go between mc and mm cartridges, buttons on the front to enable/disable the subsonic filter, and a power button. It also has L/R input and output RCA jacks and a ground connection. Overall I think it works well, but this is about as much as I'd pay for a device like this. It's not worth anything more.It does translate the audio fairly well and generates a minimal amount of noise, however, there is a low background hum present when using the device sometimes. I've seen other users complain about it too. I can only get rid of it by power cycling the device and redoing the ground. It's quite a bit bigger than my other pre-amp, but it has a premium metal shell with sturdy rubber feet to hold it in place. The shape is a bit weird, but that's a minor detail.IT DOES NOT COME WITH A POWER SUPPLY. Only a USB A to barrel connector cable. At this price I'd expect one to be included.It does not have a wireless remote so you have to manually turn it on/off.Its packaging is way bigger than it needs to be because it comes with a mostly empty second box inside of the box with the cable.

So I'm doing the dip my toes into vinyl thing- got an At-LP60x starter deck and looking to take it to the next step. This gives a lot more oomph than the built in preamp.I upgraded the stylus with the upgrade that LP Gear sells and it's been really interesting to hear the difference between the stock stylus and the elliptical needle of the upgrade on this external preamp. It really magnifies the good and the bad. A certain hollow tinny sound could hide behind the muddled soundstage of the built in preamp. On the Zen Air the old needle almost sounded worse because the bad elements came through clearer. But with the new needle and preamp it's much more clear and louder to boot. My clean and well-mixed records sound an order of magnitude better.I don't have a lot to compare this to but it gives me a nice, clear, crisp, louder sound and I think if I got a nicer turntable down the road I could still use this and be satisfied given my little A-B test results with cheap equipment. I feel this was a good choice compared to a cheaper standalone preamp that I wouldn't want to use with an expensive turntable. Good in, good out.There are links to a wall wart power supply in other reviews that I recommend, I think it contributes to a little more power from the unit.

Price and function are excellent! Not audiophile worthy, but then it would need to be secretly over priced! Definitely recommend for the average vinyl person

I just received my item and very excited to use it. I am upset that the package was not wrapped in the clear plastic it should have on it and inside the product is covered in dust. Clearly this product was returned and sold again. I shouldn't have to pay full price for a dirty product being sold as new.

Love the construction and look and sound coming out of this iFi Zen air Phono. Highly recommend their Silent Power adapter which I also picked up. I could wish it had an attenuator so that I could cool down the hot signal for line in on some of my USB audio interfaces but going into active speakers, iFi makes this vintage DUAL CS 515 that I picked up from someone's garage, clearly jam!