That being said it is one of the fatter USB DAC sticks out there in the market today. Only the LH Labs Geek Out 100/1000/V2 USB DACs, priced at around $200 plus, are capable of DSD and even then its DSD128 as opposed to the mDSD which sails onto DSD256 without stopping to catch its breath. They are also priced at $99 to $149 meaning value-wise on paper the mDSD packs a lot more for the same price or less. Unlike other USB DAC sticks though the Encore mDSD decodes at fantastically high rates including 32-bit/384kHz PCM and native DSD 256 decoding which puts it out there almost in a league of its own in terms of future-proofing and reproduction capability compared to the other mere mortal sticks in the market.īoth the D3 and the DragonFly hit the decode ceiling at 24-bit/96kHz so modern hi-res file formats such as PCM and DSD are off the menu. In doing so, the resulting critical expectation is that it will output a symphony of joyous melody at a much higher bit and/or sample rate and thus you will have a much better audio experience with the headphone of your choice stuck into it. Much like the AudioEngine D3, it packs an audiophile punch as a micro-sized DAC/AMP that is designed to allow you to digitally bypass the rather inferior cacophony of audio from your onboard PC or laptop soundcard. It looks like a large USB stick and to the uninitiated, you will probably think it is an oversized memory stick. Especially when Sonic Unity asked me to try their $99 Encore mDSD stick, which I actually think could be the best yet in terms of sonic reproduction at the ‘stick level’ and certainly the most capable in terms of specs for the price. I got what they are about and I understand the iGadget guys can benefit from a greater audio experience than what they currently get right out of their onboard soundcard but apart from the D3 I have felt these sticks do not offer a huge step up to justify getting them as well as the fact DAP’s have a DAC function these days built right in there that can often be superior.īut I could change my mind. Mike swears by his Aegis from Cozoy, others disagree but by and large, my laptop has been a USB stick DAC free experience. USB DACs are nothing new to the market and I have only really paid attention to one of them the D3 from AudioEngine last year.
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