KingRex UD-01 USB DAC - Head-Fi: Covering Headphones, Earphones and Portable Audio

brown274 · 10-03-2008, 05:29 AM

Does anyone have this DAC and want to comment on it. I want the DA-151 but the $300 is out of my range.

This one is $204 shipped
Audiomagus - high end not high priced audio products

I want USB only and do not want a amp. It will be hooked up to speakers.

poo · 10-04-2008, 01:27 AM

Not sure, but I think they use the same DAC within the Kingrex T20U? If it is, then I can confidently say it is very impressive indeed. Limited to 16/44.1, but does it well - would be very hard to beat for the price IMO

FallenAngel · 10-04-2008, 02:28 AM

Looks similar to Keces 151, but with a DC servo instead of coupling caps (at least I think that's what the description says).

Whatever, at $200, there are better options.

I also am not the biggest fan of putting buffers / output stages on V-out DACs, I love the AlienDAC (and now also BantamDAC) philosophy. Just the DAC for me, thanks. My amps run perfectly well directly from the DAC, I don't need another line stage in the way.

poo · 10-05-2008, 04:02 AM

Originally Posted by FallenAngel

Whatever, at $200, there are better options.

Better options that you have heard? Sounds like you have no experience with the Kingrex and your comments are based on what you presume it must sound like... Becoming a frustrating trend on Head-Fi.

brown274 · 10-05-2008, 04:24 AM

Head-Fi reminds me of the What hifi website. They will take a 10 cd players under $200 and say each one has a major fault and that you should buy the x model. Then they will rank the x model as the top, and in the last sentence on the x review say that you can do so much better for $200.

mrarroyo · 10-05-2008, 03:36 PM

I will go out on a limb and recommend the Scott Nixon USB DAC. This unit can be purchased in various versions from DIY to a fully built w/ an external PSU. Plus you can get it SS or w/ a tube.

The USB SS based model starts at $250 fully assembled. Good luck.

You can read more about it at: dac.htm

Skylab · 10-17-2008, 09:32 PM

FWIW, I have one of these I received for review. It sounds decent. More later.

aris · 10-18-2008, 06:57 PM

what about a nuforce Icon? it goes for 250
I'm also hesitating between the kingrex and the nuforce

Scrith · 10-18-2008, 08:33 PM

I use a Benchmark DAC1 USB on my primary computer and a Kingrex T20U (which probably has a similar, if not worse, DAC setup than the unit you are describing) on my secondary computer.

The Kingrex T20U sounds just fine to my ears, when compared to the Benchmark DAC1 USB (I haven't tried a direct comparison, and the two systems have dramatically different speakers, but it sounds just fine to both my wife an I, who use both systems).

By the way, anybody who claims there is a HUGE difference between DACs is exaggerating, IMHO. In my experience (and I have tried most of the mid- to high-end DACs mentioned on Head-Fi), DACs are the component with the LEAST difference between the low-end and high-end models. I always recommend that people concentrate their money in this order:
speakers/headphones (where about 90% of the sound signature comes from), amps (about 5%), DACs (3%), and power/cables/audiophile-crap (2%).

poo · 10-19-2008, 11:38 AM

^ I'm in exactly the same position in terms of my use of DAC1 and T20U and generally agree with your comments. I tend to hear more of a difference between DACs than you describe, but agree that it is not as significant a difference as speakers or headphones.