Τrends Audio UD-10.1

[Κώστας Φ.]

"Trends Audio, a company made popular with their TA-10.1 Class-T amplifier (reviewed here), has announced the availability of the UD-10.1 USB audio converter.

Surpassing the previous version, the UD-10.1 has upgraded the board to version 1.1 with new USB B type socket and provides a high-end type A to type B cable. New version applied audiophile grade materials and electronic components, including the high-quality Japanese/Korean precise SMD resistors and capacitors. Besides reducing the space, it also reduces the resident inductance (relative to DIP components). The power filtering and decoupling is using Sanyo OS-CON solid-state electrolyte capacitors. The analog signal decoupling and coupling are using ELNA Silmic electrolyte capacitors and WIMA MKP10 film capacitors.

Trends UD-10.1 can link a PC/Mac with coaxial, optical and standard AES/EBU (110 Ohm via XLR) and S/PDIF (75 Ohm via RCA or BNC). This permits a PC/Mac to essentially impersonate a high-end digital-playback device, such as a high-end music DVD or CD player. The PC/Mac can also pass digitally encoded signals into a receiver or signal pre-processor/pre-amplifier for high-end audiophile applications."

Πηγή: enjoythemusic.com



Να που βγήκε σε καλό η αναβλητικότητά μου. Δε με χαλάει που βγήκε νέα έκδοση. :cool_3:
Στα 90 ευρώ κατευθείαν απο HongKong ή λίγο ακριβότερα απο εδώ.
Πολύ καλή λύση για όποιον θέλει να κάνει τα πρώτα του βήματα στο PC-based Audio και δεν θέλει να σπάσει τον κουμπαρά του. :cool_4:

 

[Κώστας Φ.]

"Comparison

Did WAV and FLAC files played back from my computer’s hard drive through the Trends Audio UD-10.1 sound better than the original CDs from which they were ripped? In a word, yes. The UD-10.1 consistently sounded better than an Oppo DV-970HD used as a CD transport when I used my Anthem D2 A/V processor as a DAC and preamp. The UD-10.1 seemed to smooth out the sound of CDs without robbing them of detail. There was also a new power and speed that made recordings sound more dynamic. I won’t say that the UD-10.1 made files ripped from CDs sound like high-resolution SACD or DVD-Audio recordings, but most everything now sounded subtly but noticeably better.

Conclusion

SoundStage! Network’s publisher, Doug Schneider, thinks that computer-based music servers are the way of the future. After listening to the Trends Audio UD-10.1, I have to agree. I haven’t heard such products as the Logitech Squeezebox in my system, but I’m sure that many people will prefer its wirelessness, remote control, and advanced user interface. However, I love the sound of the Trends Audio UD-10.1, and don’t mind running a USB cable to my audio system and controlling playback through a media player on a laptop computer. If that doesn’t bother you, then the UD-10.1’s high-quality sound, ease of use, and low price may make you rethink how you play back music on your audio system.

In my review of Trends Audio’s TA-10.1 Tripath-based integrated amp, I stated that there wasn’t another audio component that I’d had more fun with in recent years. Well, I have to say that I’ve now had even more fun with their UD-10.1 USB converter, which didn’t seem out of place in the company of the far more expensive components in my reference system.

If you have a high-quality outboard DAC, you should at least consider connecting it to a PC or Mac with Trends Audio’s UD-10.1 -- you might be surprised by what you hear for only $149. Not only that, but having all of your music available through a computer-based music server is much more convenient than having to get up and constantly change CDs. I wouldn’t hesitate to use the UD-10.1 to play ripped audio files through my reference system -- not just for the convenience, but for the better sound. The UD-10.1 is that good." -- Roger Kanno

GoodSound! "Equipment" Archives
Published December 15, 2007