Sooner or later audiophiles come to the realizations that every component flavors the sound and that there isn't a single best flavor. Accepting these two facts eases us into the world of endless enjoyment provided by this wonderful hobby. Researching, selecting, and auditioning new components can be pleasurable when our sonic tastebuds are the only things that matter. When visiting a chocolatier we may ask for recommendations or for the most exotic or popular truffles. Tasting each type of truffle is a blissful experience that frequently leads us to prefer a specific flavor. Regardless of each ingredient's purity, source, or popularity the final decision is based on taste. Selecting audio components is no different from selecting fine chocolates. The colorful sights and sounds of my McIntosh MC275 may be equally as enjoyable as my impeccably engineered Spectral DMA-260 solid state amplifier. When I'm listening to music rather than equipment my audio system is comprised of components that best bring out an emotional response to my favorite albums. Over the last few weeks nothing in my listening room has been as essential to my musical enjoyment as the Luxman DA-06 digital to analog converter. The Luxman DA-06 DAC is as rich and smooth as a Diane Krön truffle yet as pure as water from France's Auvergne region. Like a good book the DA-06 had me hooked on its lush qualities from track one.
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Good USB to S/PDIF converters have been around for years, but the presence of great USB to S/PDIF converters is a fairly new phenomenon. The original Bel Canto USB Link was a good product when introduced in 2009. Since then new USB to S/PDIF converters seem to have hit the market every week. Several of these new converters offer the same or similar performance as products released years ago. In some cases the chassis have been upgraded to version 2.0 while the sound quality remains at version 1.0. A bump from 24 bit / 96 kHz to 24 bit / 192 kHz support by itself means nothing in terms of sound quality. In fact it can reduce sound quality because of the increased power draw and noise introduced by the high speed circuitry. The need for exemplary digital design has never been greater. The Bel Canto uLink USB to S/PDIF converter is a substantial step forward from previous Bel Canto converters and on par with some of the best converters available today. The uLink's unique features, great design, and great sound quality combined with its less than reference grade price point place it in a very sweet spot. It's far better than commodity converters and very close to reference quality converters. Computer audiophiles, without budget constraints, seeking the final 5% in sound quality may want to consider the Bel Canto REFLink and Berkeley Audio Design Alpha USB. Everyone else, myself included, should seriously consider the Bel Canto uLink.
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The T+A DAC 8 has been in my audio system off and on for several months. There was something about this DAC that just didn’t sound right for much of this time period. I knew the DAC 8 was engineered very well with several user adjustable settings and DSP unique to the T+A brand, so I continued using the DAC in between reviews of other products. I had faith in the DAC 8 but admit at one point I even started writing an email to prep T+A for an unfavorable review. Roughly two weeks ago I decided it was time to fish or cut bait. I couldn’t hold up the review any longer. In my last ditch effort to squeeze better sound from the DAC 8 I re-read the user manual and discovered I wasn’t using the correct digital filter for my musical taste. This entire time I thought I’d set the DAC up to use its pure Bezier interpolator for better timing and dynamics. To my dismay I’d accidentally selected the Bezier interpolator with IIR filter that produces a highly analog sound similar to vinyl records. There’s nothing wrong with the Bezier interpolator with IIR filter but it was far from my expectations of accurate playback. Once I selected the pure Bezier interpolator all was right with the world. I’d found the magic I knew was inside the T+A DAC 8 and couldn’t have been happier.
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At the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show Meridian very quietly and behind closed doors introduced a new pocket-sized USB DAC / headphone amplifier named the Meridian Explorer. I was very excited by the external and internal look of the Explorer. The extruded brushed aluminum enclosure and the six layer circuit board containing giant Nichicon caps, an XMOS L1 processor, and audiophile grade components throughout were extremely impressive. The specs were also superb. Notably the asynchronous USB input, support for all popular PCM sample rates up through 192 kHz, fixed and variable analog output, optical output, and digitally controlled analog volume attenuation. I declined the offer to listen through the Explorer in the Meridian suite because the conditions were less than good. The ambient noise, unfamiliar headphones, unfamiliar music, and limited time wouldn’t have helped me develop an accurate first impression. Thus I flew back to Minneapolis and awaited the Explorer’s arrival. My first impression of this $299 DAC’s sound quality in my system was excellent. Throughout the review period I compared the Explorer to a $249 competitor by listening through my Ultimate Ears 11 Pro, Etymotic ER4-P, and Sennheiser HD600 headphones. As each listening session passed I liked the sound of the Explorer even more. The Meridian Explorer has entered this market segment on top and is definitely the portable USB DAC to beat.
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Today is Cyber Monday. The day when everyone purchases gifts online for the upcoming holiday season. Readers still on the fence about which DAC to purchase may find this review of the ASUS Xonar Essence One helpful. It's impossible for me to know what every reader listens for in a DAC. As such it's difficult for me to sway readers one way or the other unless a product is absolutely terrible. For example if I say a product is bass heavy that statement may rule a DAC in or out for some readers. I also have zero interest in persuading readers to purchase any product whether it's Black Friday, Cyber Monday, or some other marketing creation of a day. I simply tell it like I hear it. If my reviews help a reader make a purchasing decision that's great. If my reviews only prolong a reader's analysis paralysis with an endless list of DACs to audition there's nothing I can do to help bring remedy those atrophied ears.
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The word Value is frequently mentioned in high end audio product reviews no matter what the product under review actually costs. Value is incredibly subjective. I often cite my Berkeley Audio Design Alpha DAC Series 2 as a great value at $5,000. My non-audiophile friends would likely cite off-brand $5 iPod replacement headphones designed and assembled in China as a great value. The EMM Labs DAC2X I'm currently captivated by costs $15,500. It's the best DAC I've heard in my listening room to date. Labeling the DAC2X as a value is a much more difficult task for me even though its performance is outstanding. Rarely is a product introduced that meets nearly every audiophile's definition of value. I can't even think of such a product in recent memory. This year AudioQuest released what I consider the highest value product I've ever used, the $250 DragonFly DAC / Headphone Amp. In addition to my opinion about the DragonFly's value it's pretty clear an overwhelming
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