Articles

Audio Research DSPre Preamplifier-DAC

27 Dec 2012 07:02
Written by Administrator
Parent Category: 2012 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide
Category: (2012) Stereo Digital Source Components

Price: $7495

Vade said: The DSPre did full justice to ARC’s reputation for superb sound, and did so without using tubes. It sounded fantastic, looked great, and was easy to use. Equally important, it would save space and money over separate components. If I didn’t need a separate DAC and line stage to pursue my reviewer’s craft, I’d gladly live with the ARC DSPre. Easily a Reviewers’ Choice.

Reviewers' Choice

Read the SoundStage! Hi-Fi review.

The gist: An excellent DAC and preamp that happens to be in one box.

NAD Masters M51 Direct Digital Digital-to-Analog Converter

27 Dec 2012 07:00
Written by Administrator
Parent Category: 2012 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide
Category: (2012) Stereo Digital Source Components

Price: $1999

Website: www.nadelectronics.com

S. Andrea said: What the Masters M51 offers is a sound that’s smooth, laid-back, and always pleasant, no matter what you throw at it. Its slight favoring of the midrange imbues the sound with just a hint of extra warmth. For many listeners, such a combination is a recipe for audio bliss.

Read the SoundStage! Hi-Fi review.

The gist: Unique sound that some, if not all, will find just right.

Cambridge Audio Stream Magic 6 Network Music Player

28 Nov 2012 02:21
Written by Administrator
Parent Category: 2012 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide
Category: (2012) Stereo Digital Source Components

Price: $1149

Website: www.cambridgeaudio.com

Vince said: The Stream Magic 6 occupies a unique position in the audio world in being three components in one: a DAC, a streamer, and a digital preamp. Usually, when a component is designed to do so much, it falls flat on its face by not doing anything particularly well. Not so the Stream Magic 6 -- it fulfills its promise as a high-quality DAC, a high-quality digital preamp, and a high-quality streamer by sounding phenomenal in all three functions.

Reviewers' Choice

Read the SoundStage! Hi-Fi review.

The gist: Jack-of-all-trades and master of many.

TEAC UD-H01 Digital-to-Analog Converter

28 Nov 2012 02:25
Written by Administrator
Parent Category: 2012 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide
Category: (2012) Stereo Digital Source Components

Price: $399

Website: audio.teac.com

Hans said: The UD-H01’s sound quality is commensurate with its price. And when you consider that it also offers an asynchronous USB input, XLR outputs, and a headphone amplifier, and that its Swiss Army Knife flexibility makes it suitable for a wide variety of applications, the overall package becomes much more compelling. The UD-H01 could prove to be a product that will grow along with listeners as their listening habits evolve. In that sense, it’s an ideal gateway product to high-fidelity audio.

Read the GoodSound! review.

The gist: Pretty good DAC for the money.

Arcam FMJ D33 Digital-to-Analog Converter

28 Nov 2012 02:20
Written by Administrator
Parent Category: 2012 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide
Category: (2012) Stereo Digital Source Components

Price: $3299

Website: www.arcam.co.uk

Hans said: It’s a chameleon of a digital-to-analog converter, lending no personality of its own to the signals it decodes, and going on to reproduce sound of not only exceedingly high resolution, but sound that is exceedingly musical. Its modest chassis conceals first-rate levels of performance, and I suspect it will hold its own against much more expensive components from the industry’s top names. Highly, highly recommended.

Reviewers' Choice

Read the SoundStage! Hi-Fi review.

The gist: State-of-the-art DAC in a modest chassis.