XR+DAC

24bit/96KHz High End USB DAC - XR+DAC

I've been a happy user of my good old 16bit/48KHz USB DAC for years. It holds its own against more expensive hyped 32bit/768KHz etc DACs, simply because I cannot hear (because it cannot be heard) a difference between high res material and red book (16bit/44KHz). If you are wondering why, see this excellent article:

• 24/192 Music Downloads...and why they make no sense

The idea behind this DAC is simply this: to reproduce 16bit/44KHz material impeccably and leave in the dust those who waste their efforts in pursuing ridiculous bit depths and ultrasonic frequencies.

The latest, upgraded reincarnation of this DAC is as good as it gets: equipped with precision MicroChip external MEMS clock with +-10PPM, Texas Instruments 16bit/48KHz audio USB interface PCM2707C and PCM1794A, 24bit/96KHz Advanced Segment DAC. It's simply powered from mini USB port, filtered and regulated with Ti LDO voltage regulators on every IC power pin. At the output, it's using latest Ti SoundPlus OPA1656 ultra low noise and distortion op amp. DAC uses pure signal path, without any serial capacitors whatsoever. It just runs without additional drivers even on older Windows versions - a true, fast and simple plug and play device. XR+DAC is built by hand in Belgium with premium parts.

Price for this pure music joy finished in a compact aluminum box is 250EUR plus shipping cost of 10EUR to EU. If you want to build it yourself, I can offer a bare PCB for 10EUR + 5eur shipping to Europe.