People deciding to work from home is on the rise – and why not? There are lots of perks to be had when working from home, and along with being able to stay in your PJ’s – you can listen to music all day without disturbing the office. Here’s our pick of some the best audio tech that every home office could benefit from.

Lypertek PurePlay Z3

There are many reasons why the Lypertek PurePlay Z3 is a solid favourite for true wireless earbuds under £100, and many of the PurePlay Z3’s features are well suited for use in your home office. The 70 hour battery life means they’re unlikely to die during an important call, and the microphone quality is impressive. The PurePlay Z3 is IPX7 waterproof rated, so they’ll survive if you spill your morning coffee on them and you can give them a full wash if needed – you can even take them into the shower with you! Most importantly, they sound superb with people even describing them as audiophile worthy – so they must be good!

B&W PX7

For the ultimate package, then the B&W PX7 is a complete solution for your audio and isolation needs. These full sized, noise cancelling Bluetooth headphones will give you freedom from wires, able to connect wirelessly to devices supporting Bluetooth. Being B&W, you can expect the sound quality to be up there with the best. The PX7 is energetic and clear, with deep and well controlled bass and a great sense of space. Then the features give you 30 hours of listening, Bluetooth 5, AAC, aptX and aptX-HD codecs and B&W’s leading noise cancelling technology for uninterrupted listening.

JDS Element II

If it’s a desktop option you need, then the JDS Labs Element II will not only bring an audio upgrade – it will look great too. Beautifully designed with a simple yet striking look – the Element II headphone amplifier and DAC will fit into any setup. Historically, JDS Labs has been known for their functional design and great sound – now with the Element II, they have shown that they can make great looking equipment too.

Flare Isolate 2

There will be some of you out there that prefer complete silence when working from home – don’t worry, we have you covered. Flare are leading the way when it comes to hearing protection, and their newest model – the Isolate 2 – is going to be the one we recommend. These are made of aluminium and not only do they do a great job of blocking out unwanted noise – they look stunning too. The Isolate 2 is CE certified and has a high sound protection rating of SNR32, so you can be confident they’ll do a good job.

Campfire Audio Cascade

If you’re not ready to ditch the wires, and you want to listen comfortably with maximum isolation, the Campfire Audio Cascade closed back headphones will do just that. The Cascade is extremely comfortable, which is ideal for wearing for long periods of time while getting your work done. These are closed back headphones, so they will also do a great job of blocking out external noise – allowing you to enjoy your music in peace. Then the sound is what you’d expect from Campfire Audio – engaging, punchy and very enjoyable. The Cascade uses filters which can be changed to suit your taste in sound – allowing you to customise your listening.

Audeze LCD-GX

Those of you who want the very best headphones that can double up as communication headsets may be interested in the Audeze LCD-GX. This is a high end gaming headphone aimed at audiophiles. The attachable microphone will give you superb voice quality and can be used for those all important business calls. Then, when you’re done with work – fire up your favourite game and enjoy the real to life spatial awareness and clarity provided by these all purpose open backed cans.

Final E500

The Final E500 is the ideal earphone for those wanting to upgrade from the ones supplied from your device – without breaking the bank. At £20, these are the best value performers we’ve come across. Sound quality is the E500’s main focus, and their level of detail, separation and imaging challenges models twice the price and more. The earphones themselves are small so they are very comfortable, and the supplied Final eartips will ensure you get a good seal which really helps isolation – blocking out background noise to help you focus.

B&W PI3

If you want some wireless earphones, and true wireless doesn’t appeal to you – then B&W has you covered with the PI3. These hybrid dual driver wireless earphones use a neckband design, and come with all of the latest features including Bluetooth 5, AAC, aptX and aptX-HD codecs, 8 hours of playtime, and very impressive microphone call quality – perfect for those video conferences. The dual hybrid driver setup means you get a 9.2mm dynamic driver and a balanced armature driver inside each housing. This driver combination delivers sound that’s packed with detail and space – with an almost 3D quality.

Kanto YU4

While you’re going to be at home a lot more, you may want to improve your audio setup. The Kanto YU4 is an ideal speaker for desktop use. They are powered speakers, so don’t require a separate amplifier, and they have Bluetooth functionality – so you can connect them to other Bluetooth devices wirelessly. Their compact and stylish design means they’ll fit into most setups and their sound will really impress you. They pack a lot of punch for their size, and deliver a tight and detailed sound. A great all-rounder for those days working from home, and to enjoy once the work is done.

Shanling UP2

Want to go wireless but are not ready to stop using your favourite wired headphones? Fear not. The Shanling UP2 is a Bluetooth headphone amplifier and DAC, meaning that you can plug your headphones in and then connect wirelessly to your Bluetooth compatible device. This is perfect for use with PC’s, laptops, tablets and mobile phones. The UP2 also has a built in microphone, so you can take calls even if your headphones do not have a built in mic. Fully charged you can expect up to 11 hours of playback and the UP2 will support all popular audio codecs including LDAC, aptX, aptX-HD and AAC.

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NuForce uDAC5 Mobile DAC/Amp Review

The Optoma Nuforce uDAC5 is an excellent little DAC/Amp that cannot be beaten in size or sound for the price. It is a solid unit with a slightly smooth sound that is sure to please.

Pros:

• Size
• Build
• Sound

Cons:

• None for the price

Aesthetics, Build Quality and Accessories

The Nuforce uDAC5 is a tiny little thing, that looks great with a clean metal housing and good sized volume knob. The casing is all metal with a LED light on the front indicating it is on, along with the volume knob and headphone socket, inputs and outputs on the back and that is it.

Built quality is excellent, with the all metal case and solid sockets this little thing is built to survive. The volume pot moves smoothly and everthing feels well put together, the finish of the case is impeccable.

Accessories are not really included, all you get is the DAC, USB cable and quick start guide. I would have like to have seen some rubber feet included, maybe a pair of RCA cables too. But most people already have interconnects so not a huge issue.

Ease of use and Features

The uDAC5 is simple and easy to use, with the latest Windows 10 update, it is plug and play with no need to install drivers. Otherwise the drivers are available from the Nuforce website, I had no issues getting the DAC to work and it just started playing music instantly.

The RCA outputs are controlled by the volume pot, and not a fixed line out. This means you can use this with active monitors, but if you are going into an external amp set the volume to 100%.

It can also be used to convert USB signal to a coaxial for use with an external DAC that has no USB input.

Sound Quality

First off I will say the headphone output has fairly high gain and can drive the Beyerdynamic DT990 600 Ohm with ease, it also worked well with less sensitive IEM’s but won’t be the best match with very sensitive IEM’s unless you lower the volume in windows.

Out of the headphone output the uDAC5 has excellent sound throughout the range, it is not bright and clinical yet still brings out the detail in music. It is a big step up from on board audio out of a PC/Laptop, the sound is sightly warm and euphoric with good separation. I do find the internal amp to be fine for casual listening with easy to drive headphones, but you will notice a difference when going to a full size desktop amp with harder to drive headphones.

Everything is well placed in the mix, the lows hit hard and dig deep, vocals have a sweetness to them that is quite pleasing and highs have good definition and extension, lacking only the micro detail and air that higher end equipment offers.

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READ MORE: Grado SR80e Audiophile Headphone Review

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As a pure DAC the uDAC5 is clean and clear without any real flaws, it works really well in any system providing a big step up from on-board audio. I feel there is still a slight smoothness to the overall sound which does get rid of any potential harshness but can slightly hide some micro detail.

Conclusion

For the price the Nuforce uDAC5 is an excellent piece of kit, it would be perfect for a coffee shop setup, or a small office rig, it is also perfect as a DAC for active desktop monitors and to feed an external amp at home.

It is not for driving really demanding headphones to their full potential, it is for casual listening and getting better sound out of a PC on a budget, and for this purpose it is a no brainer.

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