Bryston, LTD has announced the introduction of the BUC-1, a digital to digital converter that enables users to use their computer as a music source even if their existing Digital to Analog Converter (DAC) does not feature asynchronous USB capability. The Bryston BUC-1 converter allows for native 24 bit resolution at sampling rates up to […]
A streamer with a built in digital to analogue converter for less than £150? Well that’s what arrived in the post a couple of weeks ago from our friends at QED. To say I was a touch sceptical would have been an understatement, however I was pleasantly surprised. “It’s compatible with all the main file […]
…or to give it its full name the Quantization Noise Killed The Cat AB – 1.2 DAC. Snappy title for a digital to analogue converter that just trips of the tongue but will this $170 DAC cut the mustard in the sonic department. Danny takes a listen and gives us his review. “The AB-1.2 lets […]
Canor have announced their latest “Precision Tube Compact Disc Player” and digital to analogue converter, the CD 1.10. New CD player is equipped with a standalone 24-bit/192kHz digital-to-analogue converter for each channel, and with a high-quality CD drive with compact disc disengagement bearing driving mechanism. The Canor CD1.10 inherits the big matrix display from its […]
Tom takes a listen to the AMI Musik DDH-1 DAC and headphone amplifier for his review for Hifi Pig. “The DDH-1 sells at $549 – about £340 before shipping and taxes (currently only direct from the manufacturer but local distribution deals is in the offing). This sub £500 area is a highly competitive sector in […]
Enter the new X1 from Alpha Design Labs (ADL), a division of Tokyo-based brand Furutech. The X1 is a small, discrete and high-spec’ portable headphone amplifier and digital to analogue convertor (DAC). It supports digital input from Apple iOS devices up to 16-bit/48kHz as well as 24-bit/192kHz high-resolution files from PC via USB. In addition, […]
Custom Cable, UK based reseller of headphones, cables and accessories, is launching the Resonessence Herus personal headphone DAC. Small on form factor, at just 63mm long, 32mm wide and 19mm high, the Herus has Asynchronous USB Audio 2.0, DXD and DSD capabilities. Designed and manufactured by Resonessence in Canada, Herus is crafted from a solid […]
Forming part of the bijou Chordette range, the new Qute EX adds a new chipset and circuit board which enables decoding at up to 384kHz PCM and DSD 128 over USB (against the QuteHD’s 192kHz PCM and DSD 64). Existing QuteHD DACs can be upgraded with the new chipset and board at the factory for […]
Norwegian-based manufacturer and quirkily named QNKTC (Quantization Noise Killed The Cat!) has unveiled its new competitively priced DAC, the £110 AB-1.2. The device has is roots in an open source project, as a hardware implementation of the Audio Widget venture. The project was started by an online group who wanted to develop the very best […]
Light Harmonic, manufacturers of the Da Vinci DAC and Da Vinci Dual DAC, today launched a campaign on the Kickstarter website to introduce “GEEK”, “a cutting- edge portable DAC and headphone amp”. “We’re excited that we can take technology developed while designing and building Da Vinci DAC and Dual DAC, and bring it to the […]
We’ve been keen at Hifi Pig to get hold of a couple of items from Schiit Audio for a while now as the company seem to have a good attitude, offer good service and their prices seem to be very keen indeed. We managed to get our hands on the Modi USB DAC ($99) and […]
Meridian has announced the introduction of Director, the company’s latest DAC. Built in Britain, Director aims to provide the link between digital sources and a conventional analogue audio system. Featuring a range of connectivity, Director can be used with a wide selection of traditional components as well as USB based sources. Director features technology drawn […]
Continuing a trend for smaller hifi, the cabinet of the XETAC DAC is based on the footprint of the Mac Mini and is made from a solid 1” (25mm) thick Aluminium plate by CNC machines in Germany. It uses small SMD components, also used in smartphones, allowing more than 200 precision mounted components to be […]
In another World exclusive review Hifi Pig’s Dan takes a look at the new £1750 DAC X Signature from UK based Cyrus Audio. “The DAC X Signature is a twin 32-bit stereo DAC, designed in dual-mono configuration where the operational elements of the system, such as the digital control signals, are optically isolated from the […]
The Audio Electronics by Cary Audio Lightning digital to analog converter(DAC) is now shipping and is available for purchase. The Lightning DAC uses Asynchronous Streamlength™ Class 2.0 USB audio technology for streaming computer USB audio. The Lightning DAC also has coaxial and Toslink inputs up to 24 bit/192 kHz resolution. The Lightning DAC starts with […]
Benchmark have announced their new Digital to Analogue Converter the DAC2 D. The DAC2 D has the same performance of the company’s DAC2 HGC but without the analogue inputs and the 12V trigger. Keeping the specs inline with DAC2 D, it has” lower noise, lower distortion, improved accuracy, outstanding musical detail, precise stereo imaging, an […]
M2 Tech, the Italian hifi manufacturer that brought us the well received hiFace S/PDIF output interface and the Evo DAC, have introduced the hiFace DAC, an async 2.0 USB 384/32 DAC. Details The hiFace DAC includes: asynchronous data transfer mode on USB 2.0, compliancy to USB 2.0 Audio Class (no drivers needed for MacOS, IOS, […]
Amphion and Antelope Audio will be co-exhibiting at the Sound & Vision Bristol Show in the United Kingdom, February 22 – 24, 2013. The two brands are going to demonstrate a few different set ups, starting with mastering quality to easy-to-use desktop systems. Visitors will have the chance to see for the first time in […]
Meridian has announced the introduction of its Explorer USB DAC. The Explorer is a pocket-sized high-resolution USB DAC from “that delivers best-in-class sound from any computer”. Featuring a range of connectivity, the Explorer can be used in a variety of applications from private headphone listening to full system playback. The Explorer is compatible with Mac, […]
KEF has announced the introduction of the X300A, an active design primarily conceived to partner a PC or Mac desktop or laptop computer with inbuilt amps and DAC. Connection is via a 96kHz/24 bit USB digital input. Unlike many typical active computer speakers, which have a single class D ‘digital’ amp on each channel, the […]
British newcomer Computer Audio Design (CAD), is a specialist high-end audio company that aims to achieve the “finest sound quality from computer audio sources”. Designed and hand-built in the UK, CAD’s debut offering, the CAD 1543 DAC, has been built as a “no-compromise” asynchronous USB DAC. The CAD 1543 DAC has been built on a […]
