Stoner Acoustics UD130 - The Peak of All UDs

Every time I get a hold of a Made in Malaysia hifi product, I have this sense of pride and it comes with a responsibility to give it my utmost attention in the review. For this particular product by Stoner Acoustics, it's even more special as I have been using their USB DAC since July 2012 for my office set up. The first model was UD100 which I used to call it 'The Naked DAC'.

When the owner and designer, Mr. Ooi Tze Yang contacted me just before Christmas, I quickly agreed to give a review on this as I have in the past reviewed their UD100, UD 110 and UD120.

THE SPECIFICATION

As opposed to the previous models, this unit came with an amplifier as well. Complete in a small casing and volume control, the UD130 is lightweight which makes it portable enough to carry around. When you purchase the UD130, it comes with a USB cable to connect to your laptop and a carrying case as well. If you want it to be music on the go, it also support Android OTG. For me, this unit works well with my Samsung Fold, running Onkyo HF player, Google Music TIDAL and Spotify.

The unit is equipped with an AKM AK4493 high performance DAC, TI TPA6120A Dual Channel High Power Amplifier and a switchable USB Audio Class 1 (24 Bit/96KhZ) and Class 2 (32 Bit/384 KHz, DSD 64/12/8/256, DoP-64/128). You can read the full specs here.

THE SET UP

Source: Macbook and Samsung FOLD playing iTunes, Google Music, TIDAL and Spotify

Headphones: Beyerdynamic T1, Sennheiser HD800S

Earphones: RHA MA750

Compatibility: Literally plug and play for both Mac and Samsung FOLD OTG. 

WAV, DSD, MP3, AAC... no issues

 

THE SESSION

Take Five by Dave Brubeck on DSD

My usual first track for me to experience how deep can the UD130 deliver its bass. First of all I am happy to report that the UD130 is sooooo quiet. No hissing sound, no hums. Dead quiet. And yes, the bass extension on this track was exceptionally good. It juices up the cans sufficiently. It takes a bit more to drive the Senns and Beyer but the RHA, no issues at all. Effortless to deliver the bass that I like. On the high notes, the snare dispersion sounded extended as well.

At Last by Etta James on TIDAL HiFi

Love it Love it. The intro was mellow all in the right places. Send shivers to my spine. Etta's vocal was sharp and lively. I can experience the emotions through this track. The violin sounded very sweet too. At times, the vocal can sound a bit too sharp especially when she stretches her high notes but still tolerable.

Sweet luscious sounding Etta this UD130 allows her to sound like. Still cant believe it can deliver such sweet vocals through both HD800S and T1.

Return to Love - Andrea Bocelli and Ellie Goulding on MASTER Tidal

Ellie's vocal sounded sweet and luscious on this track. In contrast to Andrea's vocal, it made the duet sounded well balanced between Andrea's deep voice and Ellie's more high pitched voice. The piano notes also sounded very lively yet subtle. The bass and electronic effects were vibrant enough to make this track to sound old but new.

Enter Sandman by Metallica on TIDAL HiFi

Is UD130 all about vocal? Enter Sandman was a test for  heavier sound for UD130. The UD130 presented this track with such control yet still deliver that metal adrenalin that this track offers. Bass was abundant from Lars's double pedal and the overall drum tom toms. Kirk's guitar riffs were energetic but maintains its rawness.  This track shows that the UD130 is capable to cope with a fast paced and heavy metal tracks.

Sweet Child O Mine by Guns N Roses on 16/44

What can I say? I was in the mood of 90s metal and rock. I was expecting a similar experience like Metallica but for this track, it sounded a bit on a mellow side. It started off quite energetic with the guitar intro but the overall sound was a bit on the thin side. This was true for all 3 headphones/earphones that I used. It was still entertaining but I could use with a little bit of liveliness and essence behind this iconic track.

Sand of Time by Slumber Sonic on WAV 24/44

This soon to be released track by Slumber Sonic was experimental test for UD130. The bass intro sounded plucky but with still enough extension. The bass drums sounded full and well rounded but the snare dispersion sounded a bit uncontrolled. Clarity was evident here as I can hear each instrument separation clearly. The guitar solo sounded huge too. The vocal was mellow which suits the genre of this track.

THE CONCLUSION

Stoner Acoustics has once again produced an affordable, locally made USB DAC amp that does not compromise on sound quality. At RM300, this is a no brainer for anyone who is interested to improve their digital source without burning a big hole in their pocket. If I was to sum up the performance, I would say this DAC amp is the quietest portable model I have encountered at this price range. Its good for quite a range of musical genre including metal. It is also quite transparent. Playing high quality files is fun to listen to. Bass is exceptionally good and mids are sweet. High notes however may struggle a bit no to sound on the shrilling side. Have no issues driving headphones like T1 and HD800S although I had to play it at nearly maxed out on the volume pot. The unit is also powered directly from your source, so do check with Stoner Acoustics on compatibility. For me, no issue for Samsung FOLD and Macbook. It did not power up with Sony TPA Walkman. 

The sound characteristics described here is quite consistent across Beyer T1, Senns HD800S and RHA. It was just a matter of volume level, how is it for UD130 to drive and overall ambience. 

If interested to purchase, do head towards their website at STONER ACOUSTICS or email them at stoneracoustics@gmail.com

Fosi Audio Q5 - DAC Amp With a Bite

We are one spoilt community! Spoilt with choices to fulfil our audio desire. Comparing audiophile with headphile, I believe the latter have waaaayyy more options within a given price range. This time around, again courtesy of a demo unit of TechX, I land myself with a Fosi Audio Q5 DAC headphone amp. 

Comes in just in a size that is slightly bigger than my palm, this DAC headphone amp comes fully loaded with 3 digital inputs (USB, optical and coaxial) with one RCA output on the rear. On the front fascia, you get the input selector, power button, volume knob and headphone socket 6.35 mm. The unit also comes with its own USB cable to connect to a PC, headphone adaptor to 3.5 mm and a power plug.

The overall built is solid with smooth finishing. No sharp edges to worry about. A bit industrial looking but I guess if it can keep the cost down, why not?

SPECIFICATION

• Headphone output power: 305MWatt @32Ohm RMS
• Frequency response: 10Hz- 20Khz(+/- 0.5dB)
• S/N ratio (DC to 20Khz): >110dB
• THD+N: (1 KHz FS 96 kS/s)<0.002%
• Input sampling rate: Up to 192KHz
• Input bit depth: Up to 24 bits (upsampled)
• Input type: Optical/Coaxial/USB
• Output type: RCA and 6.35 headphones jack
• Power requirement: 12V, 1A or more (power supply included)
• Headphone impedance: 10 ohms to 300 ohms
• Headphone amplifier: TPA6120 + OPA2134
• D/A converter: CM6642 + CS8416 + CS4398
• Size: 235*210*65mm

THE SESSION

I mainly used my Audeze EL8 for all my session with this unit. Music was fed from my Mac via USB and the files are mainly WAC 16/44 or 24/44. Connectivity to Mac was seamless.

First up was Take Five by Dave Brubeck. The intro caught me by surprise. While I usually builds up the mood once the sax starts to play but this time the mood kicks in as soon as the music starts with the drums and piano. The presentation sounded big compared to playing it through either my phone or previously reviewed Oppo HA2SE a couple years back. Although this Q5 is not portable like the Oppo, this Q5 sounded really clean and straightforward. Comparing to my dedicated HA1 amp, this Q5 do sound a bit thin on the bass but the energy that it produces through the huge ambient compensates that.

Cue in Enter Sandman by Metallica, this is more the bass that I was looking for. Lars's kick pedal was hard hitting through the Q5. The hi hat was splashy just at the right sharpness and Hetfield's vocal was upfront sounding. The solo by Kirk was electrifying. It sounded texture heavy with lots of energy pushed through. This was the highlight of my session.

Wanted to see what else can this Q5 do, I feed through a more complex music. Bambaleo by Gypsy Kings. My my my....the details and layering that comes out from this Q5 was astonishing. I hear layer after layer of the different guitar arrangement and and the percussion was just spot on with its vibrant and extended sound. Vocal was again upfront but does not drown the clarity from other instruments.

Last but not least, lets check out the bass again. Comes in Way Down Deep by Jennifer Warnes. This was a bit overwhelming for me. The Q5 is good in clarity and certain level of low frequency. But playing this through the Q5 was a bit fatiguing. While it still maintains its clarity and luscious mids and highs, the bass was a bit too heavy. 

THE CONCLUSION

An all rounder the Q5 is not. It excels in clarity, reproducing complex music in its true form, mids and high were also very sweet and luscious but the lows is a bit tricky. It depends on the musical genre I suppose. Metal and rock sounded spot on. Jazz somehow missed it here and there. But hey, at RM450, this is still a steal for an entry level audio nirvana. You can find this unit at TechX Malaysia

SoundBLASTER Play!3 USB DAC Amp - Basic But Effective

I had the opportunity to try this neat little device from Creative Labs, courtesy of a sample unit from TechX.  At USD 25 a unit, I must say it is quite a different experience listening to my Audeze EL8 from my iMac. 

First impression with my Audeze EL8... clarity and bass seems to be enhanced in a good way. Playing tracks by Zainal Abidin/SM Salim, the traditional Malay musical instrument sounded very lively and energized. Gives it a good blend of old and modern music through my cans. The bass response sounded more extensive than plugging my cans directly to the iMac headphone jack. This reminds me of the time I was reviewing the Stoner Acoustic Naked UD100, UD110 and UD120 USB DAC. Very comparable experience but this Play 3 is packaged in a more attractive enclosure.

1. Easy to set up on Mac. Plug and play literally

2. No volume control though

3. Effective quick upgrade for basic CAS

4. You can also download a software for PC or Mac here for further tweaking and controlling the sound character.

Contact TechX for more info.

Oppo HA-2 SE DAC Headphone Amp - Portable SQ Is Possible

Oppo...a name that has been building up in the past 5 to 10 years. Not only on mobile phones but in the AV and HiFi sector. Along the way, Oppo has started to offer its high quality SQ to the portable market. As an owner of their excellent HA-1 dedicated DAC/pre amp/headphone amp, I am quite familiar with its sound signature. Thanks to Adrian Lee of OppoDigital Malaysia, I landed myself with the latest offering -  The HA2 SE. I now have the opportunity to experience Oppo sound quality wherever I go.

BUILT AND SPECS

As usual, Oppo does not compromise on packaging and built. Neatly packed and well laid out makes the luxury feeling even better. The leather wrapped unit is ultra slim makes it to be a truly portable design. 7 years ago I was very into portable music with using separate DACs and Amp beside the source itself. But after several years of struggle to understand why a bulky DAC amp is considered to be portable, I decided to restrict the on-the-go listening to directly from the source. This is due to my frequent travel that I actually need a separate pouch to carry the bulky DAC amp and the source. Not with this HA2SE unit. It is so slim and light that it even fit my jeans. 

Under the leather wrapped unit, you can find the Hi-res USB DAC ESS Sabre32 Reference ES9028-K2M chip for Apple/Android/PC/Mac usage. It also supports 384 kHz / 32 bit PCM and DSD 256. Coupled with a hybrid class AB amplification, this unit should deliver high quality sound. Big expectation.

The HA2SE comes equipped with:

• All the necessary cables - Lighting Apple, Android micro USB for digital connection and 3.5 mm to 3.5 mm analogue connection
• VOOC Rapid charger - charges the unit up to 70% in 30 mins
• 2 rubber bands to pack the unit and your source together.

On the side, you can see the power indicator, button to chose high or low gain and also a button put the unit into a power bank mode to charge your phone. There is also a bass booster button. The on and off button is incorporated in the volume know on the top. Turn it until it clicks to turn off or on. At the top and bottom is where the connections are:

• One USB A connection for Apple (bottom)
• One micro USB for Android/MAC/PC (bottom)
• Input selector button (bottom)
• Analogue Audio in/Analogue Audio out
• Headphone out

Click here for Full Specification.

FIRST IMPRESSION

Quick connection to my newly purchased Sony XPERIA XZ mobile phone to this unit via 3.5 mm connection, the sound can be described as airy and open. Not much bass response when using my IEM RHA MA750 and MF EB50. But clarity and detail are the main strength at this stage.

THE TRACKS

• Take Five - Dave Brubeck (DSD)
• Lelaki Teragung - Dayang Nurfaizah (DSD)
• Atlas Rise - Metallica (WAV 16/44.1)
• Lompat Si Katak Lompat - Kombo RTM (LP Ripped WAV 16/44.1)
• Planetarium  - Justin Hurwitz (WAV 16/44.1)

THE SESSION

For analogue, I use the unit with my Sony XPERIA XZ as a source and for digital, I connect my Mac via micro USB connection to the unit.

The headphone I used is Beyerdynamic T1 and IEMs are RHA MA750 and MF EB50.

Analogue Connection

I can't seem to get the Sony Xperia XZ to detect the HA2SE as an external DAC, hence had to connect it via analogue 3.5 - 3.5 mm input.  With DSD files like Take Five and Lelaki Teragung, I noticed that the Xperia benefit from having an external amplification immediately. Given that DSD tracks are mastered with a lower output, the HA2SE injected some energy to the music regardless I was using my IEMs or the Beyer T1. Low end notes digs deeper especially with my T1. On Take Five, the percussion is sound dispersed which creates quite an airy atmosphere which I like. It frees up my IEMs and T1 further and feel less constrained. With vocal like Dayang Nurfaizah, it really brings out the energy and strong vocals of hers. For this kind of ballad, the HA2SE provide quite an impressive drive to really belt out that emotion from this track.

With heavy metal music like Atlas Rise, it gives out quite an authoritative presentation especially on the T1. James's vocal sound upfront and quite dominating. The shredding guitars of Kirk can be a bit shrilling but it creates that metal sound that you would want. Lars's drums took a back seat as the kick drums were not really upfront compared to the snare.

I recently went into the practice of ripping some of my favourite LPs. One of them is not-in-the-market Kombo RTM lead by Alfonso Soliano. It was ripped to WAV files using a Sony Hi Res recorder via analogue connection. No clean ups were done hence it was a direct rip. Playing this through the HA2SE made me hear parts that was not really evident when I played this track via my my main system. And of course, the LP 'white noise' was also very evident.  Nevertheless, putting aside the noise, the HA2SE gave quite a bold sound signature on this track. The saxophone sounded big and the sound of the reed vibrating can sometimes be heard. I like the liveliness that the HA2SE injects.

Believe it or not, the last movie I watched at the cinema was La La Land. But it gave me quite an impact especially Justin Hurwitz genius stroke on the soundtrack of this movie. Planetarium consists of a mixture of wind instruments, piano, percussion and strings works. Through my T1, the HA2SE presented quite a fusion within all the instruments. The simplicity of the repeated tunes but with different instrument intensity was well presented by the HA2SE as it recreates the feeling I experienced while watching the movie. Splendid.

Digital Connection

After few weeks of meddling around with Sony Xperia - HA2SE digital connection via micro USB, I still could not get the OTG function to work. So to really test out the DAC inside the HA2SE, I had to connect it to my Mac. For this, it was straight forward. No drivers to download. My Mac recognized the HA2SE immediately and within seconds, I was already listening to my T1 via the HA2SE DAC.

DSD files being fed into the HA2SE breathed to a new height. It sounded even airier than just using the amplification of the unit. I gained more depth this time around. It might not be a fair comparison to challenge the DAC in the Sony Xperia but the ESS Sabre chip in this HA2SE unit definitely gave a different sound to this track. The percussion dispersion is even wider and the depth it goes to when hitting on the drums, push my T1 to a different level. I am quite used to an Oppo sound signature as I have been driving the T1 using the HA-1 headphone amp for a few years now. It reminds me a lot of the long sessions I have with the big brother amp. With Lelaki Teragung as well, the track becomes livelier with strong emotions of that track was delivered through this unit. DSD tracks were definitely the highlight of this review.

The LP ripped file didn't sound impressive as I believe that the DAC in the HA2SE really brings out the natural sound of the file. Being it is a 'dirty' file, the HA2SE presented it as it is but in an even higher clarity. At times it sounded quite pitchy and shrilling. Lessons learnt - feed good files to this unit.

For heavy metal test, it became more balanced between vocals, guitars, drums and bass. Feeding the track to the internal DAC of HA2SE definitely levels things up and it produced a more neutral sound. The bass and highs were still sufficient but it does not emphasise on one over another. 

The Planetarium also sounded very decent with good delivery of various level of intensity of the instrument. But this time around, it comes out to be even more in depth presentation. The details and clarity of each instrument seems to be one of the HA2SE strength here. It goes all out to push for detail delivery of the music.

CONCLUSIONS

With all these promising features, it seems that the HA2SE is really a bargain piece of portable DAC headphone at the retail price of RM1599. If there was one gripe that I have to highlight is that I still need to turn the volume up to about 4 on the knob to really do justice to my T1. For the IEMs, at level 2 and maximum 3, was sufficient to give me goosebumps with its neutrality but quite an authoritative presentation. The amp also does not really run that hot that it is quite pleasant to carry it around. Although I had to crank it up to level 4, but it did not make my T1 sound strained.

One plain advice is to feed this unit with good files. Do not feed heavily compressed files to this unit as it it highlight the very worst of those kind of files. Feed it with good lossless and uncompressed files especially DSD, you will be in for a surprise and fun listening sessions.

Now I wonder how will it sound connected to my main hifi as a dedicated DAC?

Now It Comes with A Tail - UD120 USB DAC

Just received this today... thanks to Stoner Acoustics for the review sample.

This must be the smallest 32 bit 384 kHz DAC at the moment...

Review sooooonnn.

It has been nearly 2 weeks now that I have been playing with this review unit. And boy.... how does Stoner Acoustics cramp all the juicy quality into a small device like this... is beyond me. Yes, people may think its exaggerated, but hey.... do you see many companies going for thumb drive sized USB DAC? You have Dragonfly Audioquest but I can tell you, StonerA Acoustics was already launched his first model of UD100 before Dragonfly was out. 

BUILT

Not only it now comes with a 'tail' but the designer has also shy away from the naked  and heat wrap design previously found on UD100 and UD110.

 UD100 UD110

 UD 120...

It was professionally packed similar to any other USB thumb drive and comes with a plastic protective cap. The output jack is also gold plated. 

Overall, its more towards a rugged portable USB DAC.... and a true definition of portable.

SPECIFICATIONS

Mirrored from Stoner's blog, its stated as below.

-TRUE ASYNC
-USB Audio Class (UAC) 2.0
-16/24/32 Bit @ 32/44.1/48/88.2/96/176.4/192/(352.8/384 asio) kHz
-DAC PCM5102A
-ULTRA LOW NOISE TPS7A4700 LDO
-OUTPUT IMPEDANCE AT 470OHM
-ATTENUATION, -6dB/STEP
-WINDOWS (DRIVER PROVIDED) | MAC | UBUNTU

There is also warning that the unit runs hot and needs good ventilation but I did not face that experience.

Further research in the DAC chip it is actually a Texas Instrument DAC which is also used in the higher priced M2Tech HiFace DAC.

Full spec can be downloaded here

REVIEW GEAR

• iMac playing ALAC, MP3, FLAC
• Dell Windows 7 based laptop (for function test only)
• BOSE Companion II speakers using QED interconnect
• RHA MA750 earphones

REVIEW TRACKS

To make it consistent to the review of previous models, I have used the same tracks (except for Andrea) with an addition  of a 384 kHz music sample I have from my review on Kingrex DAC last year.

1. La Mer – Kevin Kline (MP3 48kHz, 320 kbps)

2. La Mer - Charles Trennet (MP3 48kHz, 320 kbps)

3. Siboh Kitak Nangis – Zee Avi (MP3 48kHz, 320 kbps)

4. Enter Sandman – Metallica (FLAC 192kHz)

5. Time to Say goodbye (replaced by Amazing Grace) – Andrea Bocelli (FLAC 192 kHz)

6. Hotel California (LIVE)– The Eagles (FLAC 192 kHz)

7. 384 kHz sample.... some classical music.

THE SESSION

Kevin Kline deep voice is more apparent and toned. The sound of the hi-hat also sounds crisp and lively. Though it is a mellow song but during the music sounds very 'cheerful'. During the violin solo,  it sounded layered and rising up across my work station.

On the original track of La Mer by Charles, the UD120 is unforgiving for bad recording quality. The version I have is actually was not really a remastered copy hence it sounded a bit noisy and harsh. The hissing is much more evident from the predecessor DACs.

My favourite local lass artist, Zee Avi.... again is the highlight. The UD120 further enhance the ambient from this track. The overall presentation sounded elevated and just airy that it makes you feel like it was coming from a grander speakers than just these BOSE speakers.

Enter Sandman was presented in a rather heavy and bold fashion as intended by the group themselves. It puts a more genuine originality presentation from the heavy metal quartet. The weight of this track can really make your adrenalin flowing and it was definitely the UD120 that injected that realism.

Andre Bocelli's rendition on this literally made me shed a tear. It was really soulful and the UD120 delivers that very high emotion on this track. It cooks out the simplicity of his vocals and minimal instrument as background. I may upload a sample of this track soon.

On Hotel California, there is some natural improvement from its predecessor. A more energetic experience where the performance was close to a live performance ambient. It was still not really 'there' with regards to a full fledge Eagles standard.

Now the bombshell of why someone should have this unit. Testing of a raw and native 384 kHz file. Recorded and digitized such.  I dont know the track name but its some classical piece. This track just further reconfirming of Stoner's design specialty....soundstaging. Everything just sounded uplifting, airy, alive and just boosted in every way possible....and all in the right amount which provides a very tonally balanced presentation. And this is just coming through a pair of computer speakers!!!

As an addition, I tried the DAC with my RHA MA750 earphone that I really love. Despite everyone keep saying that these USB DACs are not capable of driving earphones or headphones, I find it that it has no issues to present a very faithful experience though earphones.

NOTE: On functionality, I also installed the driver supplied by Stoner for Windows based laptop. And I can confirm that it has no issues for Windows 7. Just a few clicks and its all installed with no hick ups.

It can also be used directly with Samsung Galaxy Note 3 (I did not test but it is stated in Stoner's blog. 

FINAL VERDICT

A fiiiinnneee improvement from the siblings UD100 and UD110. Stoner has taken into account all the feedback given by his loyal supporters on physical design, updated resolution requirement and still provide a fun musical experience at a modest man pay scale.

It excels in soundstaging where the improvement can be easily experienced on modest computer system. Do note that I did not test it on my full scale hifi set up as I only see the usage of this unit for my office workstation.

I also believed this is currently the smallest 32 bit 384 kHz capable USB DAC. 

This unit can be ordered directly from him via his email stoneracoustics@gmail.com

At USD69 per unit.... relatively about RM250..... its a bargain.

And on a final note.... here is the sample of the UD120 in action.

Brothers At War: UD100 vs UD110

Nothing like some adrenalin to pump up your weekend. I was blown away last year with the introduction of the Naked DAC UD100 by Stoner Acoustics. Now comes the younger brother UD110. I decided to put these 2 brothers to the battle.........of musical pleasure.

UD100 was indeed a value for money upgrade from a direct headphone out of the PC/laptop to powered speaker when I reviewed it last year. Now comes the UD110 that have been long awaited by this mini DAC fans. It runs with asychronous 16/32 bit@ 32/44.1/48/88.2/96 kHz.

The Specs

RECEIVER : SA9027

LDO : LP5907

CLOCK: AK8133E

DAC : PCM5102A

OUTPUT : 2Vrms @ 10kohm load

RESOLUTION : 16/32bit @ 32/44.1/48/88.2/96Khz

SPECIAL FEATURES : Comes with ASIO driver for windows

The full spec can be downloaded here.

It does need a driver when used with Windows PC which Stoner Acoustics provide a link to download it.

The installation on my laptop was straight forward and flawless.

When I asked the designer why the change from ESS to TI DAC, he explained that its actually to meet the need of users who mostly like to adjust the volume via computer's software. so, he chose a PCM that can support 32 bit. It allows us larger headroom when using software attenuation as every -6dB of software attenuation, we will loose 1 bit of resolution.

This time around, Stoner Acoustics is all ready to launch this unit commercially, so the UD110 came with its 'clothes' as oppose the UD100 which I refer to as The Naked DAC. The 'clothes' is basically a heat shrink wrap that protect the DAC chip.

The Set Up

I am using the same Dell laptop i used previously, running iTunes and WMP. My review this time is more about how much more pleasure I can get from this UD110 over the previous UD100 unit. Hence, the review revolves just around using my new Beyer T1 headphones. Its not even about whether this unit is good or not. Based on previous experience, I know for sure it is a good unit. So, i do not need to compare it with my MF CLiC streamer and on my main hifi set up.

I just took my own sweet time for about 2 weeks now to listen and listen again the beautiful music coming out from both DAC units.

The Tracks

1. Enter Sandman by Metallica (96kHz FLAC)

2. Time to Say Goodbye by Andrea Bocelli (96kHz FLAC)

3. Girl from Ipanema by Getz and Gibrelto (96kHz FLAC)

4. La Mer by Kevin Kline (320kbps/48kHz MP3)

5. Siboh Kitak Nangis by Zee Avi (320kbps/48kHz MP3)

The first impression of the UD110 is that the overall sound level is amplified. At the same sound level on the iTunes/WMP, it sounded louder on UD110 compared to UD100.

On Enter Sandman, the new UD110 provided me with a more in depth experience when it comes to the solid drumming of Lars. It makes it more evident of Lar's drumming technique used on this track. I also only now realized that Kirk's solo on this track was recorded such that it created sort of a swirling effect from right to centre to left and back to centre throughout the solo. I have heard this track a million times .... on my hifi, in the car, on an MD portable player, on iPhone....and never once I notice this. It might be due to ignorance, but I attribute this in depth detail to the UD110 that allows me to realize this. When I switch to the previous UD100, the swirling guitar was there too but I never realized that before. Nevertheless, when it comes to in depth detail, the UD110 definitely is a step up from UD100.

Comes in the vocal test with my favourite test track. Andrea's and Sarah's vocals were were very energetic as if there was a surge of extra adrenalin that boosted their vocal strength. At times, it sounded a bit more on the lower tone vocals....like a baritone sound... but I realised that the overall performance was actually on the low end frequency side. It was still enjoyable especially to experience the energy from their vocals but the previous UD100 presented a more neutral but detail sound character.

Girl from Ipanema presented a different character as well. The warmth and bass heavy sound was still there but it was more balanced with the husky voice on the track. Again, detail and depth of music were very evident. Not sure whether it was a cracking sound due to interference but I could you hear through the tracks some sort of cracking/vibration sound from the instrument played. Its not annoying but instead created a very realistic and lively experience of how the music was played and recorded. Playing this track on the previous UD100, the experience is somehow different. Less of such detail, hence didnt have that extra mileage when it comes to the detail of the sound.

Switching to high quality MP3, La Mer sounded deeper in depth where the deep and husky vocals of Kevin Kline was delivered in a very detail and crispy sound. However, the overall presentation was not as coloured or lively compared to when playing higher resolution files. The UD110 to me has now highlighted MP3 inferiority compared to FLAC and higher resolution files.It was still enjoyable but after an hour of listening to higher res files, I could not run away from the fact that higher res files does give a different experience compared to MP3. But this is also attributed by what DAC you are using. As oppose to UD100, this track sounded livelier but looses on some details.

I then turn to my last track Siboh Kitak Nangis which captivated me when playing it with the previous UD100. Being a high quality MP3 file, again the new UD110 highlighted a more laid back sound signature compared to the higher resolution files. Playing this song again with the previous UD100, that liveliness that I experience last year was back.

The Verdict

Its a DRAW ! :) ... Why? 

Both units have its own strength and merit. This is how I sum up the units:

1. You have loads of high quality MP3s? UD100 is the way to go. It injects liveliness and creates the spatial openness of the music.

2. Playing higher resolution files? Go for the UD110. Detail, crispiness, warm, bold and upfront presentation are what your going to get.

There is a caveat here. The experience above is based on using a headphone and not connected to my main hifi set up nor my Bose PC speakers. 

I would like to thank Stoner Acoustic for the opportunity to review this unit. The new UD110 is still a keeper and I may use it for another CAS set up for my son's room.

For anyone interested to purchase one, this UD110 can be purchased from Stoner Acoustics at USD49/unit excluding delivery.

No More Nakedness - UD110 USB DAC

Yesss after a long wait .... The newer version of the Naked USB UD100 DAC that I reviewed many moons ago is finally out... Waiting for a sample unit to be sent out by the designer... Review to come...

https://www.facebook.com/StonerAcoustics/posts/720945457920336:0

Picture is courtesy of Stoner Acoustics

1st October:

Received the unit... Wooohhhooo...

Kingrex UD384 USB DAC and U Power

A long awaited review but I had to take more time on this unit due to its dual functionality.

When I was first contacted by Kingrex via email, I thought it was a friend of mine playing a prank on me. But when I looked at their website, I decided to reply their email and 3 weeks later, I received the UD384 USB DAC and its matching U Power battery based PSU.

So what is this UD 384? Its actually a 2 in 1 USB DAC and SPDIF convertor. The latter is meant for those with DAC that does not have a USB input. Similar function to Musical Fidelity V-Link and M2Tech SPDIF convertor.

The U Power is basically a PSU which comes with a built in rechargeable battery. It is claimed that it will then supply a more stable power to the UD384 DAC compared to the plug that came with the UD 384 DAC.

Built

Both unit are of the same size, makes it a good match. Its lightweight it fits easily in the palm. Given the size, it is actually quite a sturdy unit. I believe some basic engineering design was put in for the casing as it has sufficient weight plus 4 small rubber 'pads' installed underneath the units; to withstand movement when you placed it on the table. Even with my stiff Cambridge Audio interconnect, the unit did not move when I connect it to my set up/Bose speakers. The casing is made of aluminum with black hairbrush polish.

The 2 units can be stacked together making it look like a matching pair. It measures 88 x 82 x 24 mm.

The UD384 comes with a 3 pins UK ‘walmart’ power supply, A-B USB Cable and a thumbdrive which has the required driver for Windows, plus some music samples (well at least for the unit I received). Readers may be familiar with my particular dislike against those 7.5V power supply plugs but thats just me. The yellow power indicator LED is also very soft to the eyes.

The U Power comes with the same 3 pin UK power supply to recharge the battery, another power supply cable to connect from U Power to the UD 384 and a product manual. It has a switch to choose between supplying power to the UD 384 DAC or to recharge the battery. The green power indicator LED is also very soft to the eyes.










Connectivity

UD 384:

Input: 1 x Asynchronous USB B input

Outputs: 1 x pair of gold plated stereo RCA, 1 x SPDIF coaxial

U Power:

Input: NIL

Output: NIL (just 7.5 V out to the UD384 DAC)

Specification

The UD384 can direct stream from PC or Mac at 16 bit/44.1KHz to 32 bit/384KHz through analog output –RCA & digital S/PDIF output. The UD384 is running in asynchronous mode for best performance. The master clock generator is a classy 1ppm TXCO unit with proprietary low-jitter drivers for Windows & Mac. Direct Sound, ASIO4ALL, and WASAPI are all supported and run smoothly.

For the RCA output, it can handle sampling rates of 44.1 KHz, 48 KHz, 88.2 KHz, 96 KHz, 176.4 KHz, 192 KHz, 352.8Khz and 384Khz and bit rates of 16, 24 and 32.

Unfortunately, for the SPDIF output, it can only handle sampling rates of 44.1 KHz, 48 KHz, 88.2 KHz, 96 KHz, 176.4 KHz and 192 KHz and bit rates of 16 and 24 bit 2 Channel. For this particular section, I can confirm that as I connected the SPDIF output to my Musical Fidelity M1 DAC which can show the input signal.

Both of the outputs here can be used simultaneously. So, you can connect to a headphone amp and a DAC simultaneously, for example.

Setting UpConnecting to my Mac and Macbook Pro was easy. Basically plug and play. No driver installation required (that’s why I am keen on Apple products!). Connect the UD384 via the supplied A-B USB cable and the Mac recognizes it and chooses this output automatically. No issues encountered using both iTunes/Bitperfect and also MPlayerX (for FLAC) on this unit.

Connecting to my Window Vista based Dell laptop was not quite straight forward. As opposed to my Naked USB DAC….., the UD 384 cannot be connected via my laptop docking station. My laptop just cannot detect the unit. Installation of the provided driver also could not be completed with an error message stating that there was a component missing. Kingrex have been informed of this issue. However, being an IT dummy, I just tried connecting the USB cable directly into my laptop instead of the docking station, and Voila, it detected the UD 384. Then the excitement started.

Another issue is that, as my laptop is about 10 ft away from my hifi set up, I had to use a long A-B USB cable (about 3 m in length). This is my usual set up when I connect my laptop to MF M1 DAC. However, using a long USB cable with the UD 384, it created a loud continuous clicking sound through my hifi set up via the SPDIF. Hence, for this review, I had to set up my laptop near enough to my hifi set up.

There are some settings need to be changed on the laptop sound output which are clearly explained in the UD 384 manual with a snapshot of the laptop instruction step by step.

Review Set Up

1. For the office use:

a. Hardware: Window Vista Dell laptop

b. Software: Window Media player for FLAC, iTunes for 320 kbps/48 kHz MP3s and WAV files

c. Speakers: Bose Companion II

d. Interconnect (UD 384 RCA to Bose speakers): Cambridge Audio 700 Series

e. Comparison: UD100 DIY ‘Naked’ DAC

2. For home use:

a. Hardware: Macbook Pro

b. Software: iTunes for 320 kbps/48 kHz MP3s and WAV files, MPlayerX for FLAC

c. Amplifier: Musical Fidelity M6i + M1 PWR power amp

d. Interconnect (UD 384 RCA to M6i amp): Cambridge Audio 700 Series

e. Interconnect (UD 384 SPDIF to M1 DAC): Cambridge Audio 500 Series Coaxial

f. Comparison: Musical Fidelity M1 CLiC streaming from WD NAS

g. Siltech Classic Anniversary 330L speaker cable
3. For both set ups, I opted to use the U Power to run the UD 384. Hence, I am not reviewing the benefits of using U Power as oppose to plugging the UD 384 to a wall plug.


The Test Tracks

1. Siboh Kitak Nangis – Zee Avi (MP3 320 kbps/48 kHz)

2. My Hero – Foo Fighters (MP3 320 kbps/48 kHz)

3. Hotel California – The Eagles (24 bit/192 kHz FLAC)

4. Enter Sandman – Metallica (24 bit/96 kHz FLAC)

5. Time To Say Goodbye (Live in NY) – Andrea Bocelli (24 bit/48 kHz FLAC)

6. Kingrex supplied tracks with various bits and sampling rates up to 384 kHz

The Office Session

The first time I connected the UD 384, I played Siboh Kitak Nangis by Zee Avi because this was the track that mesmerized me when I reviewed the Naked DIY USB DAC. Straight out of the box, the UD 384 sounded a bit harsh but the sound staging was really evident. Direct A/B comparison (by switching the sound output between UD384 and naked DAC), the UD 384 excel with sound staging. With the track already gave me an emotional experience during the Naked DAC review a few months back, I experienced the same emotional session but with more liveliness and involvement to the music. The vocal was much upfront and the music created a backdrop that made me able to visualize how the song was recorded in the studio. It was indeed a step up to the Naked DAC. But it does cost about 18 times more than the Naked DAC so its not really a fair comparison!

Playing My Hero by the Foo Fighters also gave me a similar experience in sound staging. Its almost made me think that I was listening to a live recording rather than a studio recording. The overall music sounded uplifted with a airy atmosphere. Nevertheless, the thumping of the overlapped drumming by Taylow Hawkins is still heart-pounding and Grohl’s guitar riffs are rocking as ever.

Changing to FLAC files, especially Hotel California and Time to Say Goodbye, the UD384 provided accuracy, boldness and almost balanced presentation between the highs and the lows. The vocals from Andrea was with full emotion and it can be translated into what I call a true satisfying and uplifting atmosphere in my office. However, there was still some harshness in the highs.

The harshness was so evident. The Naked DAC might have lost in the sound staging but still win with overall presentation. Hence, since Kingrex is giving me ample time to review this item, I decided to take up on the suggestion by the manual that this unit needs 200 hrs of running in. So, before I moved on to connect this item to my home hifi set up, I let it run for 200 hours in my office.

The Home Session

I first loaded all the above tracks onto both my Macbook Pro and WD NAS to do a direct A-B comparison between different DACs to process the tracks. Technically, with the above mentioned set up, I am doing comparison between 3 DACs:

1. UD 384 itself

2. MF M1 DAC where the UD384 SPDIF convertor feeds the signal to M1 DAC

3. DAC in the MF CLiC

However, for sake of simplicity, the SQ comparison is only done against the CLiC. The M1 DAC is just to confirm the functionality of the UD 384 ie: can it feed the raw and unprocessed hi res files to the DAC?

So, firstly for this, I have used all the tracks supplied by Kingrex which ranges from 44, 48, 96, 192 and 384 kHz sampling rates and played it on my Macbook Pro, feeding it to the M1 DAC. And I can confirm that the UD384 can feed raw and unprocessed signal to an external DAC. AS you can see from the picture below, the M1 DAC shows the incoming signal sampling rate. However, for I could not test the 384kHz files as the M1 DAC can only receive maximum 192 kHz. Therefore, this unit is very useful for people whom wants to get into CAS but does not have a DAC with a USB input, if one still prefers to use their existing DAC.



Now that the technical part is done, its music time. First up was Zee Avi’s Siboh Kitak Nangis. The UD384 delivers an astonishing clarity and soundstaging after 200 hours of burning in. I just cant believe that this small unit can produce such a big sound. The boldness of the ukulele strum was very evident and just blends in with her voice at a different level compared to using this unit with my office Bose speakers. The natural sound of her voice was represented by a clean and transparent soundstaging. It was indeed a very satisfying experience.

I skipped My Hero and went straight to FLAC with Metallica. Now this is where it became a very different experience. The drums and guitar riffs became very digital sounding in which it became virtual sounding It may be the quality of the file itself but playing the same file through the CLiC, it sounded more natural and bold with drums sounds very convincing and makes me feel involve and just jump on my drums to play along.

Andrea Bocelli’s track was of course the ultimate challenge for me. And the UD384 delivered what I say would be a close match with the CLiC. The UD 384 provided me with the sound staging of a live performance but somehow lacking in the tonal balance. The usual balanced highs and lows that I get from this track is somehow lacking. But nevertheless, it is actually close enough with just a few moments of the track that the UD384 looses out a bit.

The Verdict

The UD384 (and the U Power for that fact) is a next generation, no nonsense upgrade for any CAS enthusiast that can splurge more than my Naked UD100 USB DAC. It is also a unit that can provide a 2 in 1 function plus it can easily match a sub RM2000/GBP400 full deck DAC. And it excels in delivering a soundstaging that can really make you feel involve with the music. I do recommend this for people who are into hi res music because that is where you can rip the full benefit from this unit. Retails at GBP 365/Euro 399, it is a little bit on the pricey side as it can only offer one input which is the USB. And with the limited source of 384 kHz music, one can get a full deck with multiple input for the same price. But as I mentioned, if you are really serious in hi res, you will reap the sonic benefit of this unit.

For the Malaysia market, the nearest point to get a hold of this unit is in Singapore. However, Kingrex welcomes if you would like to contact them directly.
Carol Tseng

Overseas Sales RepresentativeKingRex Technology Co., LTD
ADD:13F-3, NO. 136
MING-CHUAN W. RD
103 TAIPEI TAIWAN
Tel: +886-2-8226-9561
Fax:+886-2-8226-2626

website: www.kingrex.com
www.kingrex.net