| | |  | Headphone & Earphone | Home » » NuForce Icon uDAC (USB DAC and headphone amp) | | | | | | | Description: | | NuForce uDAC is a high-performance USB Digital Audio Converter (DAC) that connects your personal computer's audio with your home stereo, desktop sound system, or headphones. The quality and versatility of the uDAC's performance belies its diminutive size. With its extensive power supply, filtering capabilities and charge-pump circuit as a foundation, the uDAC processes incoming data via a USB audio receiver. | | | Features: | |
• Discrete USB audio receiver and D/A converter
• Coaxial S/PDIF output (turn off volume control to activate)
• Double jitter-reduction mechanism at data level and at oversampling filter stage
• High voltage 2V analog output
| | | Product Details: | | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 43 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 43 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 17 found the following review helpful:
 Absolutely changes the way you hear musicJan 14, 2010
By Blackzarg
I've always been somewhat skeptical about DACs, and have never really thought they were worth it. I own a few 2 channel amps (TCA Gizmo, Dayton T-Amp) for desktop setups, and always thought investing in speakers was a better option than investing in a cheap DAC. However, I also listen to music with headphones, and with my Macbook Pro, I get a subtle hiss with my headphones (Audio Technica AD-700 and M50). Over the holidays, my friend introduced me to the NuForce Icon Amp/DAC, and was pretty impressed what it was capable of. I wanted to pick up an Icon Amp myself, but, as I already have various amps not being used, the uDAC caught my attention.
At only $99, it definitely beats the psychological $100 barrier. $99 for a high end audio product? That's like chump change! (Okay, okay, I know that $99 is a lot of money to some...but in audioland, it's a paltry sum). Decided that I would give it a try, and ordered in the morning - the amp shipped later in the afternoon, and I got it the next day. WOW. (Granted, I do live in CA, but still!)
The unit was packaged well, in a not-overly large box, and was easy to unpackage. The DAC felt very sturdy, with all the connectors solidly in place. BTW - the thing is SMALL! It's about the size of half a deck of cards. The LED light on it is not overly bright to be distracting.
Using my Macbook Pro > uDAC > Headphones, there is no hiss at all. That in itself made my day, as the hissing bothered me so much that I began to only listen to music on my iPod Classic 160GB 7G. The AD-700 headphones are known for its wide soundstage, but let me tell you, the uDAC improved it by A LOT. I always appreciated the soundstage for classical music, but never really "felt" it with rock/pop charts. With the uDAC, I can clearly discern where instruments are coming from, and it's a rather ethereal sound - very atmospheric! The Beatles Remastered was really fun to listen to.
So, was it worth it? Heck yes! I'm glad I purchased one. I always tell myself I won't get more audio equipment....but this hobby is addicting!
5/19/10 Update: So I've have the DAC for a few months now, and I can't not listen to music through headphones on my Macbook Pro without using it. The difference in hearing the background hiss vs. a silent background is huge. I haven't really noticed any changes in sound, but there WAS a slight issue with playback when I was using the included USB cable - while iTunes was playing, sometimes the music would cut in and out. I purchased a shorter cable from Monoprice, and it has not happened since. I think the $100 was well spent - I don't think I'm going to invest in a higher end DAC anytime soon, but I am curious at what else is out there. I've also considered purchasing a second uDAC designated for travel....then I can leave one at home.
15 of 17 found the following review helpful:
uDAC is the best bang for the buck ever!Jan 09, 2010
By L. Ganz
I was one of the first customers to receive the Nuforce uDAC, and I have been enjoying every minute with it. This is coming from someone with an $8000 electrostatic headphone rig! I started off listening to the uDAC right out of the box with my Nuforce NE-7M earphones (or IEM) and really enjoyed it, and then tried my $199 Head-direct RE252 which are a bass-neutral but very rich and detailed earphone, and they sounded even better (and not bass-lite). Then I switched to my $380 Westone 3 and $850-$1200 custom molded IEMs (In Ear Monitors) like Jerry Harvey Audio 13Pro, Ultimate Ears 11Pro, Westone ES3X. I even tried a few full size headphones like Sennheiser HD600 and HD800 and found it to do a nice job well above it's pay grade.
When I listen to my Ultimate Ears 11Pro custom IEM, most of the time if they are used with the wrong amplifier (or any iPod other than 5.5G video) I find them to have a little too much bass with slightly recessed mids. But the UE 11pro sound much better with the uDAC than almost all of my portable DAC/amps. The uDAC controls the 11Pro bass very well, yet it is not a bass-lite headphone amp in any way at all. It also helps bring out the midrange clarity and detail very well. The Nuforce uDAC's detail and definition are well above that of the Nuforce Icon Mobile. With uDAC the UE11Pro's bass is deep and tight, and the mids are rich and vivid, and highs sparkle without a hint of extra sibilance above what is already in the recording (Diana Krall Live In Paris used to test sibilance).
I compared the uDAC to a $219 iBasso D4 DAC/amp with 200 hours of burn-in. The D4 can run entirely off 5v USB with no battery needed like the uDAC, and uses a PCM2706 USB receiver and sends I2S to dual Wolfson WM8740 DACs, while the uDAC used the same receiver chip to send I2S to an ESS Sabre DAC. The D4 adds analog input and 9v battery for use with iPod, while the uDAC is designed to connect your computer to an AMP, home theater via Coax, or headphones. I found that both DAC's performance and micro-detail are similar, but the UE 11Pro midrange sounds a good bit clearer and resolving with the uDAC, while sounding recessed with the D4. Basically, the UE 11Pro is very difficult to pair with an amp, and usually for a small DAC/amp I need to use my $250 3MOVE or $275 iBasso D10 + $60 in opamps, or my $1200 Woo WA6 desktop amp. But now I am excited to say that the uDAC is one of the best non full-size amps that I have tried with the UE 11Pro. When I am not listening to the UE 11Pro with the Woo amp, the uDAC will be the first compact DAC/amps I would reach for when using them. Likewise, any IEM in my large collection sounded good out of the uDAC, including my Westone 3, JH Audio 13Pro, Westone ES3X custom IEM, Westone 3 and Livewires. I am very happy to report that there is NO HISS with my very sensitive custom IEM, and it has a very black background with even my most sensitive Westone ES3X custom IEM!
I also compared the uDAC to my Headamp Pico DAC which is one of my favorites, both feeding the Nuforce Icon (desktop) or Qinpu A-3 amps (and later my Woo WA6), and I switched back and forth between DACs. After volume matching as I did with the D4, I found that the uDAC was very close in detail and ambience to the more costly Pico DAC too. There were only small changes in the sound when switching between the two USB DACs, such as a little more open treble with the Pico DAC, or slightly more forward sounding with the uDAC, etc. Not only did I compare the uDAC to the Nuforce Icon's built-in DAC and found it to be more detailed and resolving, but I also compared the uDAC's headphone out to the Icon headphone out, using the uDAC as the source for each. I believe that I slightly prefer the uDAC headphone out, even though the Icon's headphone amp is a little more powerful for Sennheiser HD600/800 or low efficiency HiFiMan HE-5 headphones. The uDAC did a much better job with the HD600/800 than it did with the 87dB/mw HE-5, and it could even manage to achieve loud volume levels with these hard to drive 300 ohm headphones.
I also like that I can use the uDAC volume control to adjust the RCA output's levels. It makes it much easier to volume match it to other DACs when comparing them, or to lower an amp's output level so the amp could work better with IEM if the amp's volume knob has channel imbalance as you get closer to zero volume. In other comparisons I found my iBasso D4 line out volume is noticeably lower in volume than the uDAC or Pico DAC-only, but because of the volume control affecting the uDAC RCA outputs the uDAC can be level matched to either one. I preferred the uDAC's line out to the D4 in that it seemed a little more refined and dynamic sounding, and I'll be the first to say I was happy with the D4 line out prior to this (also very close to the Pico). I think the main difference between the sound of the uDAC and the D4 is that the uDAC is a little warmer and forward sounding, and the D4 is a little more neutral and less forward sounding with a little more treble presence (not that the uDAC's treble is lacking).
The $99 price a no brainer here. It's amazing how things get better and cheaper over time. The uDAC USB performance comes very close to, matches, or exceeds the USB performance of many $219 to $399 DACs - often competing with these other more expensive DACs even when they are using optical out of the Macbook (with 16/44 files). I like it enough that I have one in each color!
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
Good ProductJan 09, 2010
By Sphinx
This is a good option for people looking to get better sound out of their laptop or PC. Depending on how good or bad the onboard sound on your computer is, you will hear the following differences:
-absolutely no hiss
-better bass extensions, weight and definition
-less shrillness or sibilance in the highs
-better image specificity
-excellent balance across the range
It is compact, well made, and very easy to use. The question of whether it is worth $100 will depend on a variety of factors like the quality of the rest of your equipment (eg. headphones), the resolution of your audio files, etc. Yes, there is a lot of snake oil in the audiophile world - this however, is a genuinely good (and useful) product.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
 Channel imbalance spoils a quality high value DAC/AMPApr 13, 2010
By S. Meyer
I purchased this to improve my headphone listening experience at work and was generally satisfied with the sound quality. A huge improvement over the stock Dell built-in sound card in bass heft among other things when driving my Grado SR60s. I also liked the build quality and tiny size of the uDac as well as the fact that it is USB powered. However, I noticed a distinct channel imbalance even at moderate listening levels that made the left channel noticeable lounder. This imbalance was even more obvious at low listening levels. I contacted Nuforce and they informed me their is no remedy for this defect and will take the unit back for a full refund. I applaud Nuforce for their customer service but I cannot recommend the uDac unless you can live this channel imbalance as it appears to be a very common complaint.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
Best $99 you'll spend on your ears!Feb 27, 2010
By emaxon
Phenomenal improvement over onboard sound of Dell Inspiron 15 (which claims 95db SNR). 1/4-half the price of similar quality external DACs, and half the price of an Asus Xonar PCI/PCIe card which would keep me tied to a desktop rig. I've had a hard time wiping the grin off of my face since this arrived. Very solidly physically built-- Headphones plug in with a very solid "click", volume pot is silent, blue LED is unobtrusive, USB cable jack is solid. Even when using standard (not ASIO) drivers, all bleeps and blorps from windows navigation are gone (not the navigation sounds, but the interference generated by other internal components. All of my machines with motherboard sound are plagued by this problem.) With 21 Ohm M-Audio IE-30 (re-branded Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5pro 2-way balanced armature) IEMs w/ 119db/mW sensitivity, there is a faint hiss which can be heard beginning at about 70% volume... not a complaint since this tiny hiss is still considerably quieter than the background noise in any recording I have, and I rarely need to turn the volume up that far. ASIO4ALL drivers work fine with both Winamp and Foobar2000. I'd been shopping (scouring head-fi.org) for a small portable DAC for 6 months, and this little gem finally got me off of the fence thanks to it's bus-powered operation, rave sound reviews, tiny size, and incredible price point. Even the modest Sennheiser PX-100's I still have sound significantly better through this DAC/amp. Until 24/192 is available at this price point / tiny size, for a traveling rig, I can't imagine a better choice. After quality cans, this should be right at the top of your list. BTW, "expedited" shipping = priority mail with real tracking. Ordered on Wednesday pm, it arrived in Chicago on Saturday pm... definitely faster than ground for x-country and worth an extra couple dollars.
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