Hey there Head-Fi'ers,
Just posted this below to a previous thread on 'what happened to the UDAC.' We're taking pre-orders on the re-release of the UDAC and Jorge will be getting it back up live on headphone.com shortly. Obviously, we're very happy to have this product back in the line up! It will be reintroduced at the price of $1,199.00. As mentioned below, there will be a first batch of six units in late February/early March, and we expect the next batch to be ready for shipment by late March/early April.
Quote:
Latest 'schtick' update: The UDAC is BACK and we're taking pre-orders!
So, we fixed the Ultra Desktop DAC[size=11pt] and we're ecstatic that we get to put this excellent-sounding DAC back on the market! Look for the first batch to begin shipping in late February to early March -- the first batch will be limited to six units.[/size]
[size=11pt]Here's the scoop: ESS had given us a new chip as a possible solution for the problem we encountered on some of the original UDAC units. After dropping the chip in on a few boards, we noticed improvements but not enough to call it good. Fast forward a bit and during recent rounds of new testing, we successfully zeroed in on the issue with the new chip implementation. It immediately worked like a charm -- after multiple rounds of testing on different boards, not one instance of the glitch described above when listening via USB. Coax and optical remain perfect as well.[/size]
[size=11pt]Yes, we lament the lost time and having to pull the UDAC from the market -- it makes the re-release of the UDAC now bittersweet for us ... but definitely more sweet than bitter! We know this is a fabulous product as a stand-alone DAC, and of course, the ultimate companion to our Balanced Ultra Desktop Amp (BUDA).[/size]
[size=11pt]Thanks to Mike, Jorge and Joe W. for making this happen. Way to go guys![/size]
[size=11pt]Best,[/size]
[size=11pt]Travis [/size]
Just posted this below to a previous thread on 'what happened to the UDAC.' We're taking pre-orders on the re-release of the UDAC and Jorge will be getting it back up live on headphone.com shortly. Obviously, we're very happy to have this product back in the line up! It will be reintroduced at the price of $1,199.00. As mentioned below, there will be a first batch of six units in late February/early March, and we expect the next batch to be ready for shipment by late March/early April.
Quote:
Okay guys, here’s the schtick and sorry for the delayed response. Because the Ultra Desktop DAC does not live up to HeadRoom’s standards, we’ve discontinued the product indefinitely.
In a nutshell, we’re unhappy with the UDAC because of a design flaw in the implementation of USB. The essence of the problem when listening via USB input is a small static sound, or glitch, that can happen randomly during a listening session. After a lot of back-and-forth with ESS, trouble-shooting and racking of brains, we’re left to conclude it is a flaw in our own engineering.
The UDAC still works beautifully with coaxial or optical inputs. It is only in the USB that we’ve had issues. To fix will require a complete redesign and new production of the board. And with that much required, we simply won’t do it without an upgrade to at least 24/96, possibly 24/192. Problem is, that’s a pretty big investment.
Yep, the economy has definitely impacted our business but we’re still working hard every day to give our customers the service and products they need. Sometimes you gotta pull a product out of the line-up—so goes life in our business. BTW, we discontinued the Ultra Micro line last winter due to poor sales--current sale of DACs is to blow out remaining inventory.
Anyway, hope that explanation helps and thanks for your continued support!
Best,
Travis
Latest 'schtick' update: The UDAC is BACK and we're taking pre-orders!
So, we fixed the Ultra Desktop DAC[size=11pt] and we're ecstatic that we get to put this excellent-sounding DAC back on the market! Look for the first batch to begin shipping in late February to early March -- the first batch will be limited to six units.[/size]
[size=11pt]Here's the scoop: ESS had given us a new chip as a possible solution for the problem we encountered on some of the original UDAC units. After dropping the chip in on a few boards, we noticed improvements but not enough to call it good. Fast forward a bit and during recent rounds of new testing, we successfully zeroed in on the issue with the new chip implementation. It immediately worked like a charm -- after multiple rounds of testing on different boards, not one instance of the glitch described above when listening via USB. Coax and optical remain perfect as well.[/size]
[size=11pt]Yes, we lament the lost time and having to pull the UDAC from the market -- it makes the re-release of the UDAC now bittersweet for us ... but definitely more sweet than bitter! We know this is a fabulous product as a stand-alone DAC, and of course, the ultimate companion to our Balanced Ultra Desktop Amp (BUDA).[/size]
[size=11pt]Thanks to Mike, Jorge and Joe W. for making this happen. Way to go guys![/size]
[size=11pt]Best,[/size]
[size=11pt]Travis [/size]