Yes of course you will hear a difference, but you might want to refine your question to include what other equipment you have in your system and what you are looking to hear.
I’ve heard both the iFi Zen Blue and the stripped down iFi Zen Air.
Both are excellent and will readily reveal mastering differences.
I was very impressed to hear some streamed Steely Dan recently. On this particular system I hadn’t heard such impressive front to back depth previously.
“Better” is a relative and very personal proposition in this hobby, so hard to say. Read reviews and see if the Elacs may offer significant advantages over your speakers. You should share what improvements you’re looking for with a new DAC and what sound characteristics are most important to you. With that information it would be easier to identify if the Ares ll might likely be an improvement or not.
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