Tag Archives: usb dac

Getting Amped Up for Autumn

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Getting Amped Up for Autumn

Our top recs for seriously impressive headphone amplifiers.

 

Stick a pin in it, summer’s just about done for.

Now we’re staring down the barrel of the big chill, and we’re gonna have to get serious about our indoor entertainment if we want to get through it without  either losing our marbles or freezing them off. What else are you supposed to do, take in the beautiful changing foliage? Get really into trick-or-treating?  As if.

It doesn’t have to be all gloom and doom, though! Whether you’re looking for something to complement your perfect gaming rig or a punch of power for your juice-hungry headphones, we’d be willing to bet we’ve got something for you to get excited about.

Pick 1: The Burson Audio Play with V6 Vivid

Settle in for a long winter’s night with this awesome, customisable amplifier from Burson. This is one of the most powerful headphone amps around, and it’s perfect for anybody looking to upgrade their gaming setup to include a serious sonic boost.

No high end soundcards in gaming feature the DAC chip found in the Play, which means PC gamers have to settle for distortion, poor sound quality, and noisy power supplies. Who wants subpar audio dragging you out of the moment when you’re trying to keep an ear out for raiders lurking in the capital wasteland?

The Play is perfect for users wanting to roll their opamps, which means you can tweak that sound to your exact specifications and lose yourself completely in whatever world you’d like to substitute for the cold, wet one outside.

Pick 2: The iFi Audio Micro iDSD Black Label with USB DAC

iFi Audio Micro iDSD BL Headphone Amplifier & USB DAC - Black Label

You’ve gotta show your face in the real world eventually, but why resign yourself to a less-than-stellar listening experience while you’re making moves?

The Micro iDSD Black Label is a perfect portable companion for those wanting to maintain a high standard both at home and on the way to your friend’s ill-advised homemade fireworks display. Drown out the sounds of his self-inflicted injuries with three power output modes to make it the perfect match for the most sensitive headphones all the way to the most power-hungry. What’s that? You need more options? It’s got you covered- the 3D+ option allows you to focus the stereo image, and the XBass+ gives you control over deepening and tightening bass frequencies.

This amp is a real ride-or-die. You’ll get 6-12 hours of power out of it depending on use and settings, and the USB port means you can charge your phone or other electronic devices as well! Do your other friends put in this kind of effort for you? Ricky won’t even lend you £5 for lunch. Serves him right about the fireworks mishap.

Pick 3: JDS Labs ‘The Element’

 

 

Treat yourself to a slice of simplicity in the form of The Element, a deceptively powerful unit from JDS Labs. You don’t need anything too showy- not like your neighbours already throwing their Christmas lights up. The Element’s gentle copper-coloured ring of light beneath the volume control will inspire plenty of warm cozy feelings.

The Element’s minimalist design houses absolute reference quality perfection in a body that doesn’t fight for attention, but will probably get it, because- let’s face it,  it looks good.

And it’s more multifaceted than it appears- just turn the amplifier off and use the analog jack inputs to turn The Element into a standalone DAC. The gift that keeps on giving!

So whether you’re dreading the change of the seasons or welcoming it with open arms, it’s more fun to do things with a buddy. Or three.

 

Cyrus Soundkey Review – You Won’t be Fobbed Off

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Cyrus Soundkey Portable USB DAC / Amp Review

Initially developed thanks to an ultra-successful kickstarter campaign, the Soundkey by Cyrus promises to upgrade the audio quality of mobile handsets and anything else able to feed it audio data, such as tablets and desktop computers.

Pros:

  • Huge audio upgrade for handsets and tablets
  • Excellent value
  • Tiny!

Cons:

  • Camera kit required for use with iPhones

Design and Appearance

This little device is sleek, light and simple; there is nothing much to remark on other than the micro-B USB input and the 3.5mm output. The device is the size of a small cigarette lighter and is available in various colours. Included are two cables (one for micro USB-B and another for USB-A connections); these appear to be decent enough, but are each composed of differing materials. The micro USB-B cable is a fabric covered affair, whilst the USB-A cable is white and plastic coated. Given that this is to be used by Apple users in connection with the often required camera kit, it kind of makes sense.

The Soundkey is powered by the internal battery of the connected device; it does not have its own battery, but its low power consumption will not tax the device’s battery very much.

Durability and Build Quality

The device itself is solid and well constructed; it’s surprising that it only weighs 18 grams. The included cables are robust, and should stand up to a fair bit of use.

Suitability for intended application

The Cyrus Soundkey is designed mainly to be used on the go, and the tiny size reflects this. It used to be that any external DAC would need to be strapped to the handset to keep things simple, but the Soundkey can sit on, and just be treated as part of a slightly extended cable given its diminutive presence.

It provides a boost to volume, so ensure your volume level is low on your handset when initially plugging in your earphones. The Soundkey is designed for portable headphones between 16 and 64 ohms which is a great majority of portable headphone/earphone models.

Sound

The Cyrus Soundkey provides a much cleaner signal than many in-built DACs; many of which prove to be sound quality bottlenecks in any portable audio chain. This will be more apparent on higher quality earphones and headphones, and of course will open the way for anyone wanting to upgrade their earphones as these will no longer be limited by the internal DAC quality of portable devices.

Tighter, better audio control results in more noticeable harmonics to give music more texture, improved imaging and greater impact. It’s a good alternative to a separate, dedicated audio player if you are happier keeping all your tunes in one place, on your phone.

Summary

If you are wanting to upgrade your portable audio but don’t have bottomless pockets, the Cyrus Soundkey is a clear winner.

Shanling UP Portable DAC / Amplifier Review

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Shanling UP Portable Headphone USB DAC and Amplifier

Up your portable audio game with the Shanling UP, with excellent detail retrieval and a wide soundstage, a must have for the audiophile on the go.

Pros:

  • Clarity
  • Size
  • Value for money

Cons:

  • None for the price

Aesthetics, Build Quality and Accessories

The Shanling UP is a tiny little device, the size of a memory stick, with a glossy black front and matter black rear. It has a USB tybe C socket on the top and a 3.5mm headphone jack output on the bottom, on the front an LED will light up telling you the device is on and what sample rate is playing. It is so simplistic and elegant it will fit into any system with ease.

The build quality is excellent with the glass front and the rest of the body being aluminium. Both sockets feel tight, and there is nothing on it to go wrong.

Accessory wise all you get is various cables, which is all that is needed. You get a lightning to USB C, USB C to USB C, Micro USB to USB C and a regular USB to USB C cable, so it covers most phones and PC use.

Ease of use

The UP does not have an internal battery, it just plugs into your device and runs as a DAC/Amp. It should work with most android devices that support OTG accessories, iPhones with lightning port and also PC’s. With the new Windows 10 creators update you no longer need to install drivers.

The devices has no buttons, thus you control the volume level via your phone or PC, I had no issues getting it to work with a Samsung phone, and a regular Windows 10 PC. It is recommended you use the Hiby music app when using the UP.

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READ MORE: NuForce uDAC5 Portable Headphone DAC/Amp Review

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Sound Quality

The UP is so clean, so clear it is hard to go wrong for the price. I am a DAP user, and don’t use my phone for music as I like having files stored locally. But the trend to not want to carry an extra device nowadays has grown and also Apple did away with the headphone jack so the market for portable DAC/Amps is booming.

There are plenty out there, but few that offer full DSD support and an ES9018 DAC chip for this price. The Shanling UP may only be able to output 35mW @32 Ohms, but it gets loud and driver easy to medium hard to drive headphones.

From IEM’s to portable full-size headphones you will be guaranteed to get much cleaner and better separated sound with the UP.

  • Bass

The bass is tight and controlled, with precise kick and good body to back it up, the bass notes also decay as they should.

  • Mids

There is no added body to the lows, this means the midrange is allowed to shine and it does, with vocals coming across clean with excellent detail retrieval. There is also plenty of air around notes which allows you to pinpoint each and every part of the recording.

  • Treble

The treble is well extended without any harsh metallic tone to it, what is best about the highs is their imaging, the placement within the soundstage is critical and this little device has managed to get it spot on.

Conclusion

The Shanling UP is a superb High Resolution DAC/Amp for portable use, if you have some good headphones, you are not hearing their full potential out of a phone. This will change that, the UP with give you the clarity, detail and soundstage that your phone simply cannot.

Even being used with a PC there is a substantial upgrade from the on-board audio, so this can be used on your morning commute with your phone, then plug it into your PC at work and enjoy the same quality of music.