New USB DAC (upto 24/92) available

[Millennium]

Hi There

I know you guys know your stuff. What do you think of this new product on preorder?

http://nwavguy.blogspot.co.uk/2012/0...-released.html

Only £60 pre order looks really good (free postage, available may) but no case is a shame. Maybe I can knock something together.
edit: actual price is around £102 even pre order

The guy certainly seems to know his stuff when it comes to electronics, design and testing. Looking forward to your thoughts - I have ordered one anyway :]

[roob]

I have ordered one, can't go wrong for the price.

[technosaurus]

I like the look of this. I am a novice with this kind of stuff. Just out of interest, what would be the difference between this and something like Arcam's rDac, for example? A little advice would be greatly appreciated! I've been trying to better my digital collection and heard that 'a DAC is a good solution'...

Cheers.

[Millennium]

Just got an email saying they would charge me an extra £42 before delivery - apparently £60 isn't the full price. I can't really justify this at £102 for the use I want for it so I am cancelling my order. Just goes to show you can't always trust these small sellers websites.

[Stupinder]

Just got an email saying they would charge me an extra £42 before delivery - apparently £60 isn't the full price. I can't really justify this at £102 for the use I want for it so I am cancelling my order. Just goes to show you can't always trust these small sellers websites.

Epiphany Acoustics EDAC is the same Dac I THINK is a tad cheaper and comes in a box. currently testing one of their portable headphone amps and its a good little unit. Not heard the DAC though!!!!

[slavedata]

Got this kit from ebay from a Hong Kong seller. It's supposedly a kit but only requires 3 wires to be connected 30 seconds with a screwdriver and works well. With downloaded 192/24 files it sounds great. Ripped standard CD FLAC files sound slightly better. Sound is clear and open with cymbals clearer and Bass better.
Defined as "It use famous Crystal chips : CS8416 as digital receiver and PCM1798 as DAC which perform 24/192 digital to analog translation"

Link here to one on ebay but without the mains transformer I was supplied.

Ebay Item Number has description 160664689090

I would recommend it.
Dave

[roob]

Just got an email saying they would charge me an extra £42 before delivery - apparently £60 isn't the full price. I can't really justify this at £102 for the use I want for it so I am cancelling my order. Just goes to show you can't always trust these small sellers websites.

Yes the £60 pre order price was a bit missleading it has now been changed to £60 deposit.
I still think it will be a good buy at £100 though so I am keeping my order going.

[rag]

Looks a good spec for 100 quid. I might buy one when the pre-release ordering phase is over. One of these and a Raspberry Pi might form a cheap front end for a hifi system.

[Pelagic]

Well he talks the talk for sure. But basically he is selling a circuit board that will need further integration. This one is doing the rounds on PFM etc, so nice viral marketing. I have no doubt they know their stuff, but having looked at it, I concluded that i like to buy products not projects, and want something out-of-the box.

So, being in the market for a usb DAC/amp i just got a FiiO e17 dac/amp for £99. Usb, spidf,coax, LOD from Apple thingies. All the boxes ticked 192/24 etc and in a neat usb charged box with a handy oled interface

http://www.trustedreviews.com/fiio-e...e-Audio_review


I only unboxed it last night and bought it primarily to enable my Nano to better drive Shure 535s on the move and Senn HD600s at home. Alas the LOD doesnt take pure digital out of the Nano, so I cannot take advantage of the FiiO DAC in that usage model. But as a head phoneamp boy it injects some life into the Nano/Se535 pairing. Am listening to God Is an Astronaut "All is Violent All is Bright" 320kps and the amp really brings the bottom end to life opening out the sound - which was already pretty good with the Shures. I am really enjoying listening to it! No problem driving the HD600s either. For portable use alone I regret not having bought an ipod amp sooner, such is the improvement. Sheer power is several orders of magnitude above the Apple stock.

I shall be squriting some 16/24bit FLACs from Squeezebox via spidf and coax into the FiiO later, to try the DAC stage. I can also compare it to the host DAC in the SBT and also my Cyrus pre Qx DAC. I'll post some unscientific impressions...

I will also try usb from pc and mac into the E17 to see how much it can elevate the OEM dacs in PCs. I suspect quite a bit. The reviews certainly indicate this little box can lift your PC sound card.

Sorry to hijack, but when you can get a fully integrated and complete product for £100, it seemed a worthy contrast point. Granted I have not heard the £60 DAC, but I suspect it will need to bring quite a bit to the party against the plethora of fully fledged battery USB DACS out there, of which the FiiO e17 is one example. It's a bargain. I have spent more on interconnects.

[roob]

Sorry to hijack, but when you can get a fully integrated and complete product for £100, it seemed a worthy contrast point. Granted I have not heard the £60 DAC, but I suspect it will need to bring quite a bit to the party against the plethora of fully fledged battery USB DACS out there, of which the FiiO e17 is one example. It's a bargain. I have spent more on interconnects.

Err the version Epiphany is offering is a fully cased and complete product @£102

[Pelagic]

Missed the edit 2/3rds price uplift. Should be fab @ 100 quid.

[ncdrawl]

where do you get the epiphany version? the 102 buck one.

[roob]

where do you get the epiphany version? the 102 buck one.

http://epiphany-acoustics.co.uk/our-...ature-usb-dac/

[robump]

Does anyone know when these are going to be shipped?

[roob]

Looks like it is going to be sometime in June.