Connect your computer to your audio system with the stereo-link USB DAC
Computers and the internet are changeing the way you buy, organize,
and play your music. But to really hear it, enjoy it, experience it, you still need a good
audio system.
First and foremost, we at stereo-link design AUDIO products, not computer accessories. We bring to our
products years of digital audio development experience - for both
professional and high-end users. We have the knowledge to know the
difference between designing for "specs" and designing for real ears in the real world.
When we set out to make our first product, we wanted to create something that would let us play any of the music files on our computer through any audio system around - including the very best. After a bit of research, we determined it must achieve three major goals. First, it must be a superior sounding product. Second, it would need to work with any computer, be simple to set up, and not require any special drivers or software. Finally, it would deal with some of the real-world issues that happen when you connect an electrically noisy device like a computer, to a quiet (and revealing) audio system. Issues like hum producing ground loops and noise entering the audio system from the computer.
The result was the Model 1200 USB DAC (Digital to Analog Converter), a first of its kind product that lets you use all of the power and range of your home stereo to hear all of the music on your computer. Cleaner. Clearer. Louder.
Over the years our customer's have confirmed again and again our success. stereo-link DACs are used in homes with modest to high-end systems, in broadcasting applications, even by DJs.
To use a stereo-link, all you need is a computer equipped with a USB connection and running an operating system that supports USB Audio. stereo-link lets you to use your favorite software to play back any current or future format of music stored on disk or streaming from the Internet.
Unique Features
stereo-link employs proven design principles to achieve great sound at an affordable price. By using a combination of a low-noise, well regulated linear power supply, separate digital and analog grounds, and a special isolation circuit, we are able to keep hum and noise out of the audio. So is this different than other products out there? The following answers this better than we can. In a review of a USB DAC priced well over a $1000, John Atkinson wrote:
The model 1200/1300 & 1400 all feature a 20 bit DAC, not a 16 bit found in many other USB products. But we believe that sound quality is as much determined by the analog circuit around the DAC chip. So we have always used minimal filtering, proven op-amps, and carefully selected capacitors to achieve the most natural sound. Not to mention carefull PCB layout.
Headphone Amplifier
All models include a quality headphone amplifier, built around low-distortion hig-current op-amps,
not headphone amplifier chips.
Models 1200/1300 deliver up to 75 mW into 32 ohm, sufficient for most common headphones.
The new model 1400HD is better at driving high-impedance headphones, and offers more overall headroom.
It delivers over 100 mW into headphones rangeing from 32 to 150 ohms. Distortion is extremely
low, and rivals stand-alone headphone amplifiers (THD+N is impressivley low; less than -91 dB, measured using
Stereophile magazine's test of 50 Hz @ 3.0V into 150 ohms).
Interconnects
Good audio interconnects don't have to cost a small fortune. We developed our StudioSeries to provide cables that maintain excellent signal quality over a wide range of length options. The interconnects are manufactured from Mogami Hi Definition cable soldered to Neutrik gold RCA connectors using "Wonder Solder". By using a dual function Audio/Video cable like the Mogami, you can be sure that high frequency signal loss will not be a problem. More details and specifications are available on the Interconnect page in the store.
Below is a table comparing some of the features of our USB DAC products.
+/-5 Analog |
+/-5 Analog |
3.3 Analog, +/-8 Analog |
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32 ohms |
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150 ohms |
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Various lenghts |
Various lenghts |
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How do we compare to other products - from wireless Internet audio boxes to professional DACs?
Last updated Sept 16, 2007
