This little slick device is the first DAC/Amp developed by Encore Design. This little DAC/Amp is the size of a packet of gum yet has a big full clean sound that turns your on board audio from your PC, MAC, IPAD, Android and other portable devices into a high fidelity music playing source for your favorite headphone or earphone. I was provided with a review sample and it has been very enjoyable to say the least to fully understand the device and what it does best..Play your music to the fullest.
This design of the little device is slick in has a very solid feel and look to it.
Input: USB 1.1, 2.0 compatible
Native Bit Rate: 32, 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96 kHz, 24-bit
Dynamic Range: 90 dB
S/N Ratio: 102 dB
THD+N: 0.008%
Headphone Output: 80 mW x 2 @ 16-Ohm
Power: USB Bus Powered, 80 mA/5V
Dimensions: 70 x 40 x 16 mm
Included Accessory: OTG USB cable 15 cm
Currently on sale on Amazon for $100. This little DAC has the ability to turn your lame onboard sound into something to get excited about. Owning several similar devices, Meridian Explorer, Geek Out, uDAC-3. I can honestly say this DAC easily puts up a fight with my Meridian Explorer and won't back down from the well received Geek Out. Making them a fantastic value and worth owning for enthusiast that want and easy plug n play device for your music library.
I put the mDAC through its paces with plenty of burn in time and use. It has roughly 3 weeks of straight run in time and is now at 100% sound capacity. The refinement in the sound of this DAC is definitely worth paying attention to. I would say this DAC is easily comparable with the best that I own.
The mDAC provides a clean, clear, and concise sound that bodes really well with full bodied musical headphones such as my SRH1540 and Fidelio X1. Overall sound and tonality has a neutral tilt with perhaps one of the cleanest sounds I have heard for a source. Fans of micro detail and clarity in their music will love the sound of the mDAC. Music plays with a transparency and stage that is more representative of more full fledged Dacs/Amps. Sound value clearly jumps off for me. However over the time I have used this mDAC it was clearly evident that it is not so good for my more sensitive iems. My Doppios and Thinksound Rain2s sound more bright than usual as there is clearly a impedance mismatch using the mDAC. My less sensitive iems however did extremely well. Sony XBA-H3, CKR9, CKR10, IM03 and my FX850 all sounded terrific using the mDAC.
Highs mids and lows are all of equal weight and presence with a slight tilt toward the bass end. While not truly boosted the extra clarity of the mDAC makes your drum and bass hits come through with a bit less authority over the Geek Out and about equal footing to the Meridian Explorer in the low registers. Vocal clarity depth and instrument separation is excellent here for the price asked on the mDAC. All these aspects clearly gives a window into high end sound without the crazy price tag.
The impedance output is very similar to the Meridian Explorer which also has slight mismatching with more sensitive iems. In a comparison to my other portable dac/amps. The mDAC is the easiest to use out of the ones I mentioned earlier with each dac having it's own set of pros and cons. Compared to the uDAC-3. The mDAC is clearly an evolution from the uDAC-3 with less coloration and a more neutral sound signature with a wider stage over the uDAC-3. In comparison to the Meridian Explorer. It is even less coloration of sound over the ME and is actually the more neutral sounding source of the two. The ME sound however is a classic and one that is based on the Meridian house sound. I would say the ME is more enjoyable with more neutral type headphones and earphones. The mDAC is the opposite in that it is more enjoyable with more full bodied headphones. The mDAC is less smooth sounding a touch brighter in tonality but is actually the more cleaner sounding source out of the two. Compared to the Geek out. They both have a very similar stage but the Geek Out has the .47Ohm out that bodes extremely well for highly sensitive earphones. However using full sized headphones sound per sound I found the mDAC to be just as engaging if not more so using my Cans and most of my earphones.
The sound quality of the mDAC is very excellent and one that will play well with most if not all genres of music. Not just music but I find the mDAC excellent for all media. Gaming and movies have never sounded better. The clear and concise sounding mDAC does your games and movies justice. Forget about your lame on board sound this is the way to go for your media on the go. This is a clear gateway to better sound and for the asking price a very excellent value.
