Hifi Pig

Meridian Audio has announced Explorer2 a portable, compact and rugged USB including compatibility with MQA ‘Master Quality Authenticated’ lossless audio files.

Building on the original Explorer – the Cambridgeshire-based company’s debut portable DAC – the new model features a significantly more powerful DSP capability than its predecessor, enabling Explorer2 to decode and render the MQA format, delivering authenticated master-quality replay.

Designed and hand made in the UK, Explorer2 has an all-metal enclosure housing a 6-layer circuit board and the compact unit – it weighs 50 g – up-samples all input signal to 176.4/192kHz and includes Meridian’s proprietary apodising filter. The up-sampling and apodising technologies are inherited from Meridian’s Reference 800 Series and they “correct errors in the original digital recordings while helping improve the quality of standard recordings”.

It connects to virtually any computer with a USB port – drivers are provided Linux, Macintosh, and Windows operating systems – and a trio of LED indicators show the status of the unit, confirming the current sample rate.

Commenting on the launch of Explorer2, Rayner Sheridan, Director of Marketing at Meridian Audio said “Its effect on audio performance is entirely at odds with its compact dimensions, and its ability to unlock MQA lossless audio makes it the go-to USB DAC.”

Meridian Explorer2 DAC – Suggested UK Retail Price: £199.00

Mass Fidelity is a community of audiophiles, designers and engineers based in Toronto, Canada connected in a mission to bring the world high fidelity sound in the most convenient way possible. “Simplicity in design and dexterity in function make Mass Fidelity products unlike anything else you have ever seen or heard. Beautiful, thoughtfully created conduits for the sounds you love” the most recent press release tells us.

The Mass Fidelity Relay is a Bluetooth DAC that allows you to stream to your existing hi-fi set-up, allowing you freedom to roam the house with the ability to control your hi-fi at your fingertips. Unlike most wireless music systems there is no hassley Wi-Fi set-up, no downloading of apps to control the system, no unnecessary hoopla. With the new Mass Fidelity Relay Bluetooth DAC, you simply plug and play; wireless music straight from your smart device, in your usual media player, to your hi-fi set-up all in a matter of moments.

So much more than just a Bluetooth receiver the Mass Fidelity Relay contains a Burr-Brown DAC. This combined with the Relay’s Cirrus microprocessor, which decodes lossless aptX Bluetooth – means that “all of the musical detail is preserved, generating a dynamic range and full bandwidth response that elevates digital music from a series of ones and zeros to an emotion packed artistic expression.”

If you already have an outboard DAC you love, the Relay is still useful thanks to its Uni-fi output stage so have the option of using your outboard DAC with Relay. With a 5 second push of the power button Relay switches the two RCA jacks to output 24 bit S/PDIF digital, allowing you to stream to two outboard DACs at the same time.

Chord Electronics’ Hugo, “the DAC/headphone amplifier that has redefined the genre”, is now available in a brand new finish: Satin Black. The new Satin Black version joins the silver model, which has been available since Hugo’s January launch, giving greater flexibility for system-matching and integration into existing Chord Electronics systems.

The finish is achieved using an anodizing process, which offers a superior black-depth and colour consistency. Both the inner and outer case is treated, offering lasting protection.

Price and availability

Hugo Satin Black is available now at £1,400 (no price supplement).

Chord Electronics is refreshing its bijou Chordette range, replacing the QuteHD DAC with the QuteEX – a 384kHz PCM/DSD 128 device compatible with high-resolution DXD (Digital eXtreme Definition) music files. The QuteEX is an upgraded version of Chord Electronics’ QuteHD and has been available alongside the QuteHD since the EX’s introduction in October, offering the option of decoding at up to 384kHz PCM and DSD 128 over USB, against the QuteHD’s 192kHz PCM and DSD 64.

The change is effective from 01st July and existing QuteHD can be upgraded at the factory for a modest £200 plus shipping, which represents the cost differential between the two products. Existing QuteHD owners should contact their local Chord retailer for further details.
The Qute EX builds on the original QuteHD and is a compact D/A convertor, eschewing off-the-shelf DAC chipsets in favour of a bespoke FPGA (programmable) circuit. Its ‘EX’ suffix, denotes its DXD (Digital eXtreme Definition) playback capability.
Its bespoke circuit design created by DAC technology guru Rob Watts and implemented by Chord’s engineering team.

Technical specifications

Harmonic distortion: 103 dBV
Signal-to-noise ratio: 115dBV
Dynamic range: 118dBV
Digital inputs:
1 x USB HD with DSD 128 decoding, 44.1 kHz to 384kHz PCM, 16-32-bit
1x Optical
1x Coaxial 44.1 kHz/384kHz-ready, 16-32-bit
Outputs: 2x RCA phono
Power supply: 12v 1A 2.1mm connector. Centre point positive 100V- 240V – 50/60Hz, 1A wall adapter supplied
Weight: 0.4kg
Dimensions: 160x70x40mm (WxHxD)

Price and availability
01st July 2014
Price: £1,195
Upgrade price from QuteHD to Qute EX: £200 (+ shipping)

ExaSound Audio Design has unveiled the latest of its digital to analogue converters  – the e22 DAC. This new DAC is the third generation DSD256 DAC offering DSD 256+ mode at a sampling rate of 12.288 MHz.

Onboard there’s an in-house asynchronous USB interface with error correction, proprietary computer drivers and “Galvanic” ground isolation.

Over and above its predecessor, the e20, the e22 DAC has 82fs Femto-Master-Clock, an enhanced high-current headphone amplifier, lower noise and distortion levels, a 12V Trigger Output and heavy duty USB-B and RCA connectors.

Available now!

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 192 kHz.

The BUC-1 takes a standard USB output from the computer and delivers bit-perfect data via either an AES/EBU or S/PDIF output to any DAC. “The concept behind this product is to serve a very specific niche in the marketplace,” explained Bryston’s James Tanner. “There are digital music enthusiasts out there who would like to use their computer as a high resolution music server and yet extend their investment in a previously purchased DAC that does not feature asynchronous USB. The BUC-1 is that critical link between older hardware and the latest high resolution music software,” Tanner explained.

MSRP for the BUC-1 is $799. Available January 1^st, 2014.

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, 4-pin 3.5mm line-level input allows for use with analogue source devices.

T   The 4-pin 3.5mm output will drive any headphones in the 12~600 ohm range and supports 3.5mm remote and mic earphones. A switch makes it easy to change from one brand of 4-pin headphone to another. A 3.5mm TOSLINK optical digital output delivers USB source signal up to 24/192. Does not draw power from connected iOS device’s battery. 

     Available now at £395

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 block of aluminium and has just two connections: a USB type ‘B’ socket at one end and a 6.35mm (1/4”) stereo headphone jack at the other end.

The latest high bit rate file formats are catered for, with PCM audio of up to 24bits and 352.8 kbps in addition to DXD and DSD64/128, ensuring compatibility with your preferred file format.

On connection to the computer, Herus will register itself as being able to control the volume internally, with the playback software sending control commands to the ESS 9010-2M DAC chip.

Phil Wannell, sales manager at Custom Cable, says, “The £299 Herus is the smallest of the Resonessence DAC products, but it has lost none of the high quality engineering that makes the range so sought after by users of computer based music systems.” He continues, “We are sure that its introduction is going to redefine the category, with Herus proving to be the lord and master of compact headphone DACs.”