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Amp/DACs

ASUS Xonar Essence STU

High value mid-priced DAC/amp from Asus

A review on: ASUS Xonar Essence STU
by project86
project86

Pros: Lots of features, clean and clear presentation with nice details, good looks, upgrade potential

Cons: Could be a little bright or bass light in the wrong system, output impedance not ideal for low impedance headphones

        Asus is a well known tech company. They make laptops, desktops, tablets, motherboards, video cards, and a few other odds and ends. Around here, they are most known for their highly regarded Xonar Essence series of sound cards. The Essence ST and STX are likely among the most widely used "entry-level audiophile" products out there - especially when you...
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Great value and functionality
Great value and functionality
Swiss Army Knife of a Compact Desktop amp/DAC
Swiss Army Knife of a Compact Desktop amp/DAC
Better than expected
Better than expected

FiiO E17

Pros: see review

Cons: see review

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138 Results
FiiO E17

FiiO E17

21 Reviews

“ Have tried many headphone DAC/Amps in the £50 - 200 range and nothing comes close to the resolving, enjoyale nature of this bit of kit. Western manufacturers should take note. Quality, performance and a great price point can all exist together! :) Had mine for almost a year now and have no intention of letting it go... ” --Krisman

100% Positive Reviews
Maverick Audio TubeMagic D1

Maverick Audio TubeMagic D1

11 Reviews

“I'll make this a short review and just make several points.   - Excellent unit for beginners. You can use it so many ways, it's really an all-in-one. - Build quality is great, I haven't heard of any dead units. Some minor problems here and there but they are quickly resolved. - Superb support from the company. Fast and helpful emails. - Upgrade and resale potential. You can use this as a DAC...” --_Spanky_

100% Positive Reviews
FiiO E7 USB DAC and Portable Headphone Amplifier

FiiO E7 USB DAC and Portable Headphone Amplifier

16 Reviews

“Received new FiiO E7 today from Micca in Fairfax, Va (hi ex-neighbor - used to live in Arlington.)   Did much reading on this forum and other reviews and truly appreciate the candid and (sometimes) brutal thoughts of recent purchasers.  After just a few hours experience, can only share my first impressions - all of which are positive.   Unpacked, reviewed instruction sheet, plugged in USB...” --TomT

94% Positive Reviews
Audioengine D1 Premium 24-Bit DAC

Audioengine D1 Premium 24-Bit DAC

5 Reviews

“ Great entry level DAC. Noticeable improvement over the onboard sound of my mac. Pairs great with my audioengine A2s. Powers my HD600 and HE400 headphones very well, seriously can not tell the difference between this and the Asgard 2 (which very much disappointed me for the price).  Gorgeous looks and build quality. Great size. If I ever upgrade my DAC I will use this as a...” --dalb

100% Positive Reviews
CEntrance DACport USB Headphone Amp

CEntrance DACport USB Headphone Amp

5 Reviews

“   I posted a review in the Computer Audio and Source forum in Feb 2010, but with the newer 2010 forum layout it was recommended that I should put a copy of the review in the gear review section.  I updated this a little bit since it's being reposted 3 months later, but most of this is verbatim for what I wrote initially.   The DACport definitely a nice source and amp worth...” --HeadphoneAddict

100% Positive Reviews
Cypher Labs Algorhythm Solo

Cypher Labs Algorhythm Solo

6 Reviews

“   I Have spent some days with the new Algorhythm Solo and felt I could honestly give my impressions. I could probably do it in two words but where is the fun in that?    Starting off I would like to say that I have been on an incredible portable/digital journey since the ipod was released. A huge lover of music has always caused me some trouble with traveling as much as I...” --monotune

100% Positive Reviews
FiiO Andes (E07K) Portable USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier - 96kHz/24-Bit

FiiO Andes (E07K) Portable USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier - 96kHz/24-Bit

4 Reviews

“ I really think the E07K is a great place to start with this hobby - and maybe even carry on for a while.   The biggest plus is the amount of functionality packed into a very small package - combination amp/dac with a large number of user adjustments - eq adjustments (bass + treble), channel balance for those of us with slightly different ear sensitivity, 3 levels of gain adjustment....” --DrikTheTroll

100% Positive Reviews
WooAudio WA7 Fireflies

WooAudio WA7 Fireflies

5 Reviews

“ I have had this unit now for a week and am fully impressed.  Right out of the box and without any burn-in it delivers breathtaking tone to instruments and vocals alike.  Solid power and strong bass drive even with hard to drive headphones.  Switching to some efficient T5p's still leaves the volume pot at 12:00 with a strong performance.  Clearly attention to detail was...” --groovyd

100% Positive Reviews
Yulong U100

Yulong U100

4 Reviews

“   I wrote this review for my blog yesterday and wanted to post it here to shout about this really great device. Yulong makes three models of DAC. Their flagship model (D18 Sabre) seems stunning but its difficult to compare to other models that I've reviewed because it's not exactly the most elegant solution for desktop headphones. Not only is the Sabre DAC sporting beast a...” --Quadpatch

100% Positive Reviews
Lehmann Black Cube Linear

Lehmann Black Cube Linear

4 Reviews

“ The headphone: Cardased Sennheiser HD650. The player: Oppo BDP-83 via the dedicated stereo outputs using AudioQuest Sidewinder RCA cables. This is basically a mid-fi set-up, the Lehmann Black Cube Linear USB being the most expensive component.      I mostly listened to SACDs, but have played CDs, BDs, and DVD-Audio. Using the amp’s USB...” --Heidegger

100% Positive Reviews
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