asus-launches-xonar-essence-stu-usb-dac

[Labarum]

This could be an interesting product

http://www.anandtech.com/show/7441/asus-launches-xonar-essence-stu-usb-dac

It has an analogue aux input, which increases its flexibility.

I guess it would drive a power amp direct.

Can't see a price.

 

[Coda II]

$399 according to the link

 

[Tenson]

That is a seriously nice bit of kit

The headphone amp must be the best spec'd in the world.

My only complaint is that they have a DAC with 127dB SNR then use a summing op-amp that will give about 116dB SNR. Not that this is a bad spec at all, but it seems a shame. If they used a pair of single op-amps like AD797 they could get much closer to the capabilities of the DAC.

 

[Labarum]

Its says €250 here

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/ASUS/Xonar_Essence_STU/

 

[DSJR]

Hmm, purely thoughts with no backup, but some kinds of distortions can be smoothed out with a tiny bit of noise added methinks?

 

[Tenson]

That's true but I don't think it apples at that sort of low low level. I don't think it would make any difference at all to the sound anyway but in a spec's chasing game it's a shame. Then again the same is true of most DACs. The MDAC claims >122dB but I have not seen any measurements to confirm it does that at the analog outputs or if they are simply claiming what the DAC chip can do.