Apogee Duet

About to push the button on an Apogee Duet... however I am a little unsure if the output is suitable for connection to a normal hi-fi amplifier .... the output is stated as being -10dB but I am lost as far as dB values go and how this equates into volts! I will only be using it for playback and not recording .... the other suspect was the Stello DA100 DAC .... but more expensive and shipping to where I am, duties and taxes puts it out of the league .... however if someone was to say that it would be a better option.... well then, that may change things!

Appreciate any comments about this and from any Duet users out there.

regards

Derro

Hi Derro - I have heard a ton of good things about the Stello and I really think it is more of an audiophile type product. If it is a little more than you want to spend right now I would wait a little bit and try to round up a little more money. I'm certainly not saying the Duet is bad, but in my opinion the Stello is a very nice product and would be my choice without a doubt.

Does the Stello do 24/192 via USB? Does it have RCA ouput?

Nothing does 24/192 via USB yet.

There is RCA output.

Here is a link to the "Stello" site.

www.aprilmusic.com

After procrastinating for a while (see this thread: http://www.computeraudiophile.com/node/438) it looks like the Duet is back on my radar after the recent software update, which should alleviate the kernel panics some people have been experiencing.

There appears to be very little available that will do 24/96 over USB/FW for such a reasonable price. Most DACs will only do 16/48 over USB unless you pay a four figure sum for the Benchmark or Wavelength DACs.

By all accounts the Duet's sound is very neutral and revealing (being a semi-pro audio product, it is designed not to colour the sound) which some may not like.

Re the output level, Markr's first post in the thread linked above clarifies that.

HTH.

And doesn't the Duet also have ADC for ripping analog sources to digital? That would be a pretty big draw for me, I think.

I'm still sorting through how I want to proceed... Right now I'm saving up for something, but I'm not ruling out the Duet.

I'm going to grab the Wavelength Proton as soon as it's released, tentatively in July. It's from a very reputable company, it will do 24/96 via USB, and it's super portable if that's important to you. It's tiny and has no power cord. $900. It's also a headphone amp.