Tokyo Electro-Acoustic Company, better known to high-quality audio enthusiasts as TEAC, announces the release of a new, more affordable USB DAC. The model is called Teac UD-301-X and it is developed based on the current, more high-end model UD-501. The new basic design is similar to the older model, including a balanced two-channel input, two Burr-Brown PCM1795 DACs from Texas Instruments, and a high-quality power supply with a toroidal transformer.
The new Teac UD-301-X DAC works with DSD 2.8/5.6 MHz audio files via a USB input, while PCM audio files are limited in sampling frequency and encoding bit depth, only 192 kHz / 24 bit (compared to 384 kHz / 32 bit for model UD-501). There are both optical and coaxial digital inputs, supporting up to 192 kHz / 24-bit, and analog audio output on RCA and XLR connectors.
The TEAC UD-301-X circuit provides the ability to upsample any input signal up to 192 kHz to provide more accurate processing. This conversion can be disabled if desired. The device is built on the basis of a high-quality BurrBrown PCM1795 DAC chip (one per channel), and the analog circuit uses Muses operational amplifiers from the Japanese company NJR (also one in each channel), designed specifically for audio devices. The device circuit is made on the dual mono principle, which ensures good separation of stereo channels and an expressive sound picture with precise placement of images. The TEAC UD-301-X power supply uses a toroidal transformer with a low level of radiated noise and a significant supply of power output.
In addition to the DAC itself, the device contains a headphone amplifier, which develops an output power of 2 x 100 mW when operating at a 32-ohm load. This amplifier minimizes the use of coupling capacitors (CCLC circuitry), which minimizes sound distortion. An analog potentiometer is used to adjust the volume. The device is equipped with balanced and unbalanced analog outputs, and its signal level can be fixed and adjustable. In the latter case, TEAC UD-301-X can be connected directly to the input of a power amplifier or active speakers. The UD-301-X digital-to-analog converter also has a built-in amplifier for direct listening to music through headphones. The output power for each channel is 100 mW.
Specifications TEAC UD-301-X
Frequency response 5 Hz – 55 kHz (-3 dB, sampling rate 192 kHz)
Signal-to-noise ratio 105 dB
Distortion 0.0015% (1 kHz, sampling rate 192 kHz)
DAC 2 x BurrBrown PCM 1795
Input signal conversion up to 192 kHz (switchable)
USB input USB 2.0 type B, asynchronous, DSD (2.8 / 5.6 MHz), PCM (up to 192 kHz), bitrate (16, 24, 32 bits)
Coaxial RCA input, PCM (up to 192 kHz), bit rate 16 / 24 bit
Optical input PCM (up to 96 kHz), bit rate 16 / 24 bit
Outputs XLR maximum level + 14 dBu, output impedance 200 ohms
RCA output maximum level 2 V, output impedance 100 ohms
Output for headphones Jack 6.3 mm, output power 2 x 100 mV (32 Ohm, 0.1% distortion)
Headphone impedance from 8 to 600 Ohm
Power consumption 10 W
Dimensions (WxHxD) 215 x 61 x 238 mm
Weight 2 kg
