Audio & Headphones · Head-to-head
Schiit Audio Schiit Mani 3 vs iFi Audio iFi ZEN Phono 3
Which should you buy? Our verdict on both, pulled from our full The Best Phono Preamps: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) comparison.
The Mani 3 gives you moving magnet, moving iron and moving coil support with four gain settings and, unusually, adjustable load capacitance, at a price where rivals hand you one fixed option. Step up to the ZEN Phono 3 only if a low-output moving coil cartridge is in your present or your plans, because that is where its much higher gain ceiling earns the difference.
Schiit Audio Schiit Mani 3
Buy itFour gain settings, MM and MC loading on the front panel and four capacitance settings, at a price where rivals give you a single fixed option.
- Handles moving magnet, moving iron and moving coil, with gain settings of 30, 40, 50 and 60dB switched from the front panel
- Adjustable load capacitance for MM cartridges, a genuinely rare feature at this price and one that changes treble balance audibly
- Resistive loading of 47k ohms for MM or 100 ohms for MC, with rear switches adding 50 and 10 ohm options for low-output moving coil
- Passive low-frequency filter at 15Hz, 6 or 12dB per octave, for warped records and turntable rumble
- Capacitance, MC load fine-tuning and the rumble filter are still on small rear switches, so changing them means reaching around the unit
- Unbalanced output; no balanced option listed
- Top gain setting is generous but not limitless, so the very quietest exotic moving coil cartridges will push it
iFi Audio iFi ZEN Phono 3
Buy itThe one to buy if moving coil is in your plans, thanks to a much higher gain ceiling and selectable MC loading.
- Four gain settings (36, 48, 60 and 72dB), enough headroom for genuinely low-output moving coil cartridges
- The two highest MC gain settings each offer a choice of three resistive loads
- MC loading at 100, 400 and 1000 ohms covers most published cartridge recommendations; MM and MC High get 47k ohms with a 100 or 200pF choice
- Subsonic filter targets warp-rate energy rather than blanket-rolling the bass, and adds no group delay
- Costs meaningfully more than the Mani 3 for an advantage that only shows up at the moving coil end
- Balanced output uses a connector many integrated amplifiers do not have
- Curved chassis does not stack with rectangular components and divides opinion
Side by side
The 7 criteria below are the ones our full comparison judged every product on, narrowed to these two.
| Schiit Audio Schiit Mani 3 Our pick | iFi Audio iFi ZEN Phono 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Our verdict | Buy | Buy |
| Best for | Almost anyone stepping up from a built-in phono stage, and especially moving magnet owners who want to dial in load capacitance properly. | Owners of low-output moving coil cartridges, and anyone building toward one who does not want to buy a phono stage twice. |
| Price tier | $$ · mid-range | $$ · mid-range |
| Cartridge support | MM, MI and MC | MM and MC |
| Gain range | 30dB to 60dB, four steps | 36dB to 72dB, four steps |
| Resistive loading | 47k ohms MM or 100 ohms MC, plus 50 and 10 ohm switches | 47k ohms for MM and MC High; 100, 400 and 1000 ohms for MC Low and Very Low |
| Capacitance loading | Four options, 50 to 200pF | Two options (100 or 200pF) for MM |
| Rumble / subsonic filter | Yes, passive, 6 or 12dB per octave | Yes, warp-targeted with no group delay |
| Outputs | Unbalanced | Unbalanced plus balanced |
| Who it is really for | Most upgraders, MM owners especially | Low-output MC owners |
Which one is right for you?
Pick the Schiit Audio Schiit Mani 3 if
almost anyone stepping up from a built-in phono stage, and especially moving magnet owners who want to dial in load capacitance properly.
Know before buying: capacitance, MC load fine-tuning and the rumble filter are still on small rear switches, so changing them means reaching around the unit.
Pick the iFi Audio iFi ZEN Phono 3 if
owners of low-output moving coil cartridges, and anyone building toward one who does not want to buy a phono stage twice.
Know before buying: costs meaningfully more than the Mani 3 for an advantage that only shows up at the moving coil end.
The bottom line
Our overall pick is the Schiit Audio Schiit Mani 3 - Four gain settings, MM and MC loading on the front panel and four capacitance settings, at a price where rivals give you a single fixed option. Choose the iFi Audio iFi ZEN Phono 3 instead if owners of low-output moving coil cartridges, and anyone building toward one who does not want to buy a phono stage twice.
Want the full picture, including the other options we compared and the popular one we'd skip? Read the complete The Best Phono Preamps: 4 Compared (and One to Skip).