Got mine in a couple days ago. I have been unable to get the drivers properly installed, the program keeps throwing an error I think when it’s attempting to run the CtrlPnl portion of the install. If I try to run that file separately, I get a generic missing dll error. Oddly, it shows up in Device Manager and it works, but I am unable to control the volume from my external control deck, also when I plug in headphones, it doesn’t cut off output to the RCA where my speakers are plugged in. I don’t know if this is a driver thing or because I can’t upgrade the firmware since I can’t get the drivers properly installed.
I did open a ticket with ifi-audio.com and got a response this morning of “uninstall 5.12 drivers and try the 3.2 drivers instead”. If they had read the ticket fully it states that the drivers won’t install, therefore I can’t uninstall them. I responded back that it didn’t work and with other things I’ve tried. 7 hours later and I STILL haven’t gotten another response. Their customer service is wholly lacking if this is the only way to get support for their products.
Can anyone help before I pack it up and send it back to Amazon with a complaint for poor customer support?
@sebastien_chiu_iFi let’s see if Sebastien from iFi can comment on this.
probably best if you tell us more about your computer system. desktop? laptop? OS? version of OS?
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Desktop system, Win10, latest patch as of Saturday.
After fiddling with it more, for some reason the installer decided to work and not error out, so the 5.12 driver is installed and the firmware is updated to 7.4B and the Control Panel is running. So that’s a start, I have no idea what changed or why it decided to work but … fine.
I still have no control over RCA output though. I can go to the Sound Settings Panel, open the Speakers (iFi Audio ???), click on the Levels tab and when I click the Mute button … nothing happens.
Same for plugging in headphones, the RCA output doesn’t turn off. The switch on the back is set to Variable, which from my understanding just sets the volume as Full Output or controlled by the volume knob. Switching that to either option makes no difference.
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you usually aren’t supposed to have a USB device plugged in when installing the drivers. once they are you are prompted to plug n power the device and voila. 
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Hi there,
Let me see if I can assist and clarify a few things.
You are correct on variable vs fixed. The fixed mode outputs the signal at maximum volume independent of the volume knob, whereas the variable mode allows you to adjust the volume. This is what we call a so to speak "pre-amp mode.
On the RCAs and headphone output being on at the same time, this is normal. There is no switch - you need to unplug it.
You being unable to control the volume from the external deck is normal as well, as the volume control is intended to be from the Zen DAC V2 when there isn’t another amp on top of it.
Apologies if this isn’t the answer you wanted to hear!
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Thanks for answering @sebastien_chiu_iFi . And yeh, I didn’t really want to hear any of that. Why does it not auto-switch when headphones are plugged in? I can work around the volume control via external deck, annoying but I can work with it. It kinda baffles me that the $70 dac/amp I am replacing does all of that, but a $189 higher-quality one doesn’t. Seems like some minor features that are missing at that price. Or maybe I’m looking at it the wrong way …
Sorry for the delay in asking this question, but shouldn’t I be able to mute the device from within Windows if there’s a driver attached to it?
I can click MUTE all I want to and nothing happens.
No, you need to use the volume knob for that as well!
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Can you explain why it was designed that way?
Let me follow up with my team to get an explanation for you
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the only amps I know that have a mute button include a remote…and I suspect most of them have digital volume control, while the Zen series is analog, so that could be why.
also, depending on the app you’re using for streaming, you cold learn the ctrl+alt+??? command to pause anything playing.