24/192 USB DACs (a list)

By Michael Lavorgna • Posted: Oct 29, 2011

This question comes up often enough so it seemed to make sense to make a list. Here are the DACs that according to their manufacturer handle 24 bit/192kHz via USB input. I'm sure I missed some so please feel free to add your list in the comments. Note: for those companies with more than one 24/192 USB DAC I've only listed one, typically the least expensive.

[Edited: 2/24/2012]

Abbingdon Music Research (AMR) DP-777 ($4,995)
Acoustic Plan DigiMaster ($4,995)
Aesthetix Pandora ($6,000)
Antelope Audio Zodiac ($1,895)
Apogee Electronics Duet 2 ($595)
April Music Eximus DP-1 Ultimate 24/192 DAC-Preamplifier ($2,295)
Audio Aero La Fontaine ($19,000)
Audio Research DAC 8 ($4,995)
AURALiC ARK MX+ ($1,499)
Ayre QB-9 ($2,750)
Bladelius Design Group USB DAC (€ 550)
B.M.C. Audio DAC1 (HR) ($5,690)
Calyx DAC 24/192 - Digital to Analog Converter ($1,500)
Cary Audio CD 303T SACD ($6,500)
dCS Debussy DAC ($10,999)
DIY HiFi Supply Cleo Max 24bit 192khz USB DAC with Tube Output Stage ($1,115)
Docet U-4DAC ($750)
EAR 192 DACute ($5,795 black)
Eastern ElectricTube DAC +Plus ($1,100)
Empirical Audio Overdrive® USB DAC/Pre ($3,999)
E-MU 0204 USB 2.0 ($149.99)
Esoteric K-03 ($13,000)
Firestone Audio ILTW 24 bit 192kHz Asynchronous DAC ($367)
Grace Design m903 ($1,895)
KingRex UD384 (€420)
Light Harmonic The DaVinci DAC ($11,999)
Lindemann USB-DAC 24 bit/192 kHz ($990)
Lynx Studio Technology Hilo Reference A/D D/A Converter System ($2,495)
M2TECH Young 384/32 D/A converter ($1,799)
Meitner MA-1 Stereo D/A Converter ($7,000)
MSB Technologies Power DAC ($3,995)
Mytek Stereo192-DSD-DAC ($1,695 Pre version)
NAD Electronics NAD M51 Direct Digital DAC ($1,999.95)
North Star Design USB dac32 (€ 1,800)
Onkyo P-3000R ($1,699)
Peachtree Audio Grand Pre ($2,999 available December 2011)
Pioneer N-50 ($699)
Playback Designs MPD-3 ($6,500)
PS Audio PerfectWave DAC MK.II ($3,995)
Red Wine Audio Isabellina Pro ($2,500)
Resolution Audio Cantata Music Center ($6,000)
Resonessence Labs Invicta ($3,995)
RME Babyface ($749)
Schiit BIFROST DAC ($449)
Simaudio Moon Evolution Series 650D DAC ($9,000)
TAD TAD-C2000 ($24,500)
Wadia 121Decoding Computer (Projected price: $1,299)
Wavelength Audio Crimson HS Directly Heated Triode all tube USB DAC ($7,500)
Wyred 4 Sound DAC2 ($1,499)

Comments

DACs in OPPO BDP95

Submitted by K. Reid on October 29, 2011 - 12:53pm.

Thanks for the list, Michael. Extremely useful. I am still trying figure out computer audio. Question. I have Windows Vista and Itunes. Is it possible to stream to the USB input on my Oppo BDP95 to take advantage of the built in Sabre DACs or would it be better to go with a stand alone DAC like one of those you listed connected to my tube amplifier?

BTW, this site will be on my favorites list as I am a novice at computer audio. There just doesn't seem to be any clear cut explanations of how to get the music to go out from the computer for we Windows users.

@ K. Reid: re: "Is it

Submitted by deckeda on October 29, 2011 - 7:00pm.

@ K. Reid:

re: "Is it possible to stream to the USB input on my Oppo BDP95 to take advantage of the built in Sabre DACs"

Steve Guttenberg says no it cannot. Gotta be disk or USB thumbdrive only.

Add...

Submitted by Esprit on October 29, 2011 - 2:03pm.

Antelope Audio: Zodiac

Correction

Submitted by Vincent Kars on October 30, 2011 - 5:51am.

Benchmark DAC 1 USB is limited to 24/96 (adaptive mode)

PS Audio PerfectWave DAC.

Submitted by 2MnyToys on October 30, 2011 - 8:04am.

PS Audio PerfectWave DAC.

Nope

Submitted by John Grandberg on October 31, 2011 - 12:07pm.

PS Audio advertises the PerfectWave DAC as having a 24/96 capable USB input.

Decware

Submitted by John Grandberg on October 30, 2011 - 12:14pm.

The ZEN DAC (aka ZDAC-1) is limited to 24/96 via USB. It uses the Tenor TE7022 USB receiver. Possibly irrelevant as the ZDAC is no longer in production.

Add

Submitted by Doug on October 30, 2011 - 12:25pm.

Cambridge Audio: DacMagic

Apogee Electronics: Duet 2

Metric Halo: ULN-8 and others

Yes on the Apogee...

Submitted by John Grandberg on October 31, 2011 - 11:58am.

but no on the others. DacMagic is limited to 16/48 over USB. Metric Halo uses Firewire instead of USB (unless there are some add on options which I have overlooked).

The upcoming DacMagic Plus

Submitted by Zharng on November 2, 2011 - 1:16am.

The upcoming DacMagic Plus will do Asynch. 24/192 over USB though.

Linn DS?

Submitted by applebyter on October 30, 2011 - 9:16pm.

I believe all of the Linn DS players incorporate 24/192 DACs.

Yes, but....

Submitted by John Grandberg on October 31, 2011 - 12:13pm.

... they don't have USB inputs. They are meant to replace the computer as media transport, so it makes sense that they would not.

Very useful list

Submitted by slim on October 31, 2011 - 2:42am.

thanks for the effort, Michael.

From the replies I get the impression that maybe it should have been made clearer in the introductory paragraph that many DACs are limited in USB sample rate as compared to their respective S/PDIF inputs (essentially what John Grandberg also pointed out).

No power at home yet...

Submitted by Michael Lavorgna on October 31, 2011 - 1:50pm.

..but I do have limited internet access for the moment.

All of the DACs on this (edited) list offer 24/192 via USB - according to the manufacturer. I planned to spend more time putting this together but weather intervened. I should have a stable connection and place to work from tomorrow and will add the DACs I missed and look into any questionble ones that remain on the list.

Check

Submitted by Vincent Kars on October 31, 2011 - 2:57am.

A lot of people think that if the DAC is advertised as 24/192 this applies to the USB an any other input as well.

Most of the time this is not the case. It are the specs of the DAC (the chip doing the DA)

In general Toslink is limited to 24/96 (according to the standard)

Always check the specs of the USB

A rule of the thumb:

If the manufacturer doesn’t specify the USB at all, assume 16/48.

If the manufacturer doesn’t specify the synchronization assume adaptive mode.

If you are in doubt about the capabilities of your USB DAC use Thesycon USB Descriptor Dumper (freeware)

USB Descriptor Dumper

Submitted by slim on October 31, 2011 - 6:38am.

do you know of any similar program for Mac OS X?

Back soon....

Submitted by Michael Lavorgna on October 31, 2011 - 8:10am.

Sorry for the delayed response and thanks everyone for the additions/corrections. We lost power on Saturday due to the snow storm and should have it back by....Thursday? In any event, I'll update this list and get back to business one way or another asap.

24/192 USB DACs (a list) – wishlist

Submitted by Mrs Merdle on October 31, 2011 - 3:44pm.

Thank you for doing tnis!

Adaptive vs asynchronous: see Vincent Kara's site The Well-Tempered Computer. Re asynchronous: very interesting to know source of software; Wavelength licensed to several, dCS to one manufacturer so far.

Downloads needed? I much prefer solutions that do not require the end user to install software!

Keep up the good work!

Downloads needed? I much

Submitted by Vincent Kars on October 31, 2011 - 4:33pm.

Downloads needed? I much prefer solutions that do not require the end user to install software!

It is very simple, from mid 2010 on OSX and Linux comes with native mode USB audio class 2 drivers. Win doesn't so if you want to play > 24/96 on Win over USB you need an third party USB audio class 2 driver

The PS Audio PWD MK.II will

Submitted by kana813 on November 9, 2011 - 2:00pm.

The PS Audio PWD MK.II will have asynchronous 24/192 USB.

Correction

Submitted by bpw on November 14, 2011 - 3:31pm.

The Abbingdon Music Research model is DP-777. It incorporates a line level preamplifier which can optionally be enabled as well as two other line level inputs. I have one here on demo, with an optimized touchscreen music server system arriving next week.

Brian Walsh
Essential Audio
Barrington, Illinois

24/192 USB DAC

Submitted by hifiguru on November 14, 2011 - 4:14pm.

Cary Audio's CD-303T player (SACD/CD/DAC) does 24/192 via its USB input, as well as handling all DAC inputs and silver discs asynchronously using a DSD clock for timing. The only USB driver currently available, however, is for PC - sorry, Mac guys! It WILL take optical (or coax) in though, and many Macs have optical out capabilities.

Esoteric additions & correction

Submitted by mavric on November 15, 2011 - 10:44pm.

You have listed the price of the Esoteric K-03 at $22,000 which I believe is the price for the bigger brother K-01 (which also does 24/192 via Asynchronous USB). The K-03 is $13,000 if I am not mistaken.

The new D-02 35 bit DAC from Esoteric also handles 24/192 via Asynchronous USB.

Esoteric fixed.

Submitted by Michael Lavorgna on November 16, 2011 - 5:14am.

Thanks for the correction and info on the new D-02.

Cheers.

PopPulse1796 MKII limited to 16bit/48KHz

Submitted by Frankie on November 16, 2011 - 6:30pm.

Hi there,

just to say that the PopPulse 1796 MKII USB input is limited to 16bit/48KHz.

http://cryo-parts.com/index.php/dacs/usb-dacs/pop-pulse

The PopPulse web site is vague about the 1796 MKII USB input. They never indicate that it is an Asynchronus input.

http://www.poppulse.com.hk/pp1796mk2.html

Very interesting and informative article... I like that kind of products list!

Keep up the good work

Corrected!

Submitted by Michael Lavorgna on November 16, 2011 - 6:32pm.

PopPulse is off the list. Thanks!

Musical Fidelity V-DAC II

Submitted by Esprit on November 30, 2011 - 10:42am.

From the manual: Asynchronous data stream at up to 24-bit/96kHz sampling.

V-DAC II upsamples all to 192kHz. It's not the same...

V-DAC II removed

Submitted by Michael Lavorgna on November 30, 2011 - 11:52am.

Thanks!

Others

Submitted by Shroud on January 1, 2012 - 1:12am.

Nice site!

Here are some more dacs:

Benchmark Dac1 USB

RME Fireface UC and Babyface

Lynx Hilo and Aurora

Roland Quad Capture

Kingrex UD-384 (accepts up to 384k)

Why are we limited to usb dacs, why not a full list of 192k dacs??

Thanks!

Submitted by Michael Lavorgna on January 1, 2012 - 10:46am.

The Benchmark DAC 1 and Roland Quad Capture are limited to 24/96 via USB. I've added the others (1 per company).

We're not limited to USB DACs, it's just the focus of this particular list ;-) The reason being I received a lot of inquiries for 24/192 USB DACs so it made sense to make a list.