# REVIEW - Encore mDAC portable headphone DAC/amp with 24bit/96kHz USB input - for Mac/PC, iPhone with Camera Connection Kit, and Android - 2 THUMBS UP



## HeadphoneAddict

*ENCORE mDAC REVIEW*
  
*WEBSITE*
  
http://www.encore-av.com/main/products/dac-series/mdac-detail
  

  

  
 I HOPE TO ADD PHOTOS FOR SIZE COMPARISONS SOON:
  
*MANUFACTURE INFO*
  
 * High performance Digital-to-Analog converter with headphone amplifier turns your smart phone or tablet into a high-end digital audio player
 * Advanced performance via Asynchronous USB communication for  harmonically accurate and detailed presentation
 * Rechargeable lithium-ion battery power design improves playback performance by acting as a potent noise filter
  
  Features:
 24-bit, 96 kHz Discrete USB Digital Audio Converter (DAC)
 Asynchronous operation provides double jitter-reduction at data input and over-sampling filter stages for harmonically accurate and detailed presentation.
 No capacitors in the audio signal path
 A high performance, digitally controlled analog volume control provides utmost in transparency and precise channel tracking at low listening levels
 Advanced DC-to-DC conversion boosts the analog circuit voltage to improve dynamic performance and overall headroom
 Rechargeable lithium-ion battery power design improves playback performance by acting as a potent noise filter
  
 Connections:
 Input: 1 x Micro USB input
 Output: 1 x headphone output
 Power On/Off – Push the side button to toggle it on and off
 Volume Up/Down – Push the volume buttons labeled + and –
  
 Specifications:
 Input: USB 1.1, 2.0 compatible                                             
 Native Bit Rate: 32, 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96 kHz, 24-bit                                           
 Dynamic Range: 90 dB                                             
 S/N Ratio: 102 dB                                          
 THD+N: 0.008%                                             
 Headphone Output: 80 mW x 2 @ 16-Ohm                                         
 Power: USB Bus Powered, 80 mA/5V                                    
 Dimensions: 70 x 40 x 16 mm                                    
 Included Accessory: OTG USB cable 15 cm  
  
 MSRP - $129

  
*INTRO / INFO*
  
 I compared the new Encore mDAC with my Headamp Pico DAC + Pico Slim combo ($700 when new), and my CEntrance HiFi-M8 ($700 when new).  I did not compare to the Audioengine D3 which I have found in the past to perfectly mimic the Pico DAC + Slim sound, because it wont work with the Apple Camera Connection Kit (which is unfortunate due to it’s tiny size).  
  
 I burned in the mDAC with 150 hours of music before my review - the main difference I heard vs upon arrival was that my ATH-A900 sounded overblown in the bass and dark in the treble when it first arrived, and it was noticeably better after the 150 hours.  I did not listen to the mDAC again during the 150 hours of burn-in, so it might have only needed a couple of hours to turn around, I don’t know.  
 I started out with listening to my Macbook Pro with iTunes, with the mDAC set for a max of 32 bit/96 khz, the M8 set for a max of 24/192, and the Pico DAC set for 16/44 (upsampling to 24/96 internally). I started out with some 16/44 Apple Lossless audiophile jazz music, including Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Smooth Jazz Festival - Over the Rainbow and Misty.  I also used Kent Poon’s Audiophile Jazz Prologue - My One and Only Love and You’ve Got a Friend.  I then moved on to a wide variety of lossless and 256K audio files of various genres.  
*AUDIO IMPRESSIONS*
  
 When I first received this I was under the impression that the price would be right under $200.  So, I set my expectations for that level of performance.  The first thing I noticed was that impact, speed and articulation with pianos and plucked string bass music is excellent with all three DAC/amps that I compared.  But my overall impression was that the mDAC sounds slightly warmer than CEntrance HiFi-M8 but also slightly less open and airy.  On the other hand the mDAC is just as warm sounding as the Pico DAC + Pico Slim while itself being slightly more open and airy in the treble than the Pico combo. I didn't expect it to sound this good, having set expectations for something more like the Nuforce uDAC2 or Audioengine D1 (still not bad).
   
 With my V-MODA M100, sometimes the bass can be a little looser or less controlled with a 10 ohm output or higher desktop amp, but all three portable amps kept the bass under good control, even with the M8 in 2 ohm or 10 ohm mode.  In one ohm mode the M8 again had slightly better bass control than the mDAC and Pico Slim, at the expense of a little loss in bass impact.  The mDAC did not seem to run out of juice with portable headphones, and even at very high volumes with my M-100 the bass did not break up.
  
 With the HiFi-M8 set for 2 ohm or 10 ohm output impedance the midrange warmth is more similar to the mDAC and Pico Slim, but the 1 ohm setting makes the M8 slightly cooler sounding and less inviting with saxophones. None of the amps were particularly forward or recessed in the midrange, with the mDAC being slightly more present in the midrange than the other two.  
  
 This made the mDAC’s mids very inviting and seductive, and female vocals sit right there in the room with you. Reediness and breathiness with saxophones was great with all three, but the M8 in 10 ohm mode was my favored choice, followed closely by the mDAC and then the Pico DAC/Slim combo.


  
 The sense of space is the greatest with the HiFi-M8 but the mDAC still slightly beats out the Pico DAC/Slim combo in that area, which is impressive since the Pico DAC/Amp carried the torch for portable excellence for a long time. Treble articulation, detail, and presence again was best with the M8 but the mDAC was very close, and my 52 year old ears preferred the mDAC over my Pico DAC/Slim combo.
  
 Plugged into the iPhone 5s with camera connection kit, they all sounded very much like listening to the Macbook Pro retina via USB and iTunes.  It was difficult to appreciate any degradation in sound quality with an iPhone or iPad, unless they were compared to Amarra Music Player on the Macbook, which offers a bigger soundstage and sense of space and more out of head imaging than plain iTunes or iPhone 5s with camera connection kit.
  
 Overall the mDAC was able to get out of the way and present the music in a fairly transparent manner with just a little added warmth and energy, so that it was never cold and clinical sounding, nor abrasive, but also never slow and thick.  I would say that the Pico Combo (or CEntrance DACport) would be considered slightly more laid back sounding and more forgiving, with this sounding closer to the DACmini or HiFi-M8 in terms of PRAT and ruthlessness.
  
 Synergy with the HD800 was not bad but not as good as the more laid back sounding CEntrance DACport or Pico Stack, both of which are still a bit underpowered with the HD800 (DACport did better than Pico). In a similar manner, the HiFi-M8 was also not optimal with the HD800, but still fairly enjoyable like the mDAC.  I preferred all my portable headphones and IEM with the portable gear tested, followed by my Grado HF-2 and Denon LA-7000, and then HE-560 and LCD-2 rev 2, before I'd pick the HD800.  And still, you wont hate the HD800 out of the mDAC at all, but it does make the HD800 sound a little more aggressive (as they sound with so many amps).
  
*POWER OUTPUT*
  
 The mDAC has just enough power to comfortably drive my LCD-2 rev2, HD-560, and even the 300 ohm HD800 to decent levels. But don't expect desktop amp power levels.  With the V-MODA M-100 and JH Audio JH16Pro custom IEM the mDAC will play louder than I can stand to listen, and synergy was excellent.
  
 I’m guessing that the mDAC output levels are about 2-4 dB louder than the Pico Slim, while the CEntrance HiFi-M8 adds another 3-4 dB of volume levels over the mDAC.  Most of the time I would be listening to the mDAC at less than 40% of max (as a guess).  But in the longterm as a desktop replacement amp, with hard to drive full-size headphones you might want to feed the headphone output into a more powerful amp like the Nuforce HAP-100 if concert level listening is a frequent thing.  However, most normal people would not feel the mDAC lacks power with their full size headphones.
  
*NOISE*
  
 Also, the mDAC is totally silent and free of hiss during quiet or silent musical passages, when using my very sensitive JH16 Pro custom IEM.  I can play a silent track in iTunes, and when I plug-in and unplug the IEM from the amp I can’t tell a difference, i.e. no hiss when plugging in. Take this with a grain of salt since my ears are 52 years old and fading a little.
  
*DETAILS in Operation / Suggestions*
  
 Now, it seems that I have nothing bad to say about the mDAC, and I don’t.  But there are a few little things I’ve noticed that I wish could be changed. 
  
 One thing is that the digital volume attenuator doesn’t go to super low volumes before it shuts off the sound.  If I’m going to sleep with music while wearing my V-MODA M-100 or JH16Pro IEM, I find that the iPhone+CCK with mDAC will go low enough. But with my Macbook the OS X system volume doesn’t affect the mDAC, and the lowest volume setting is slightly louder than with iPhone, so I have to turn down the volume slider in the iTunes software to about 70% to go as low as the iPhone+CCK will go.
  
 Also, while it’s nice that you can move the volume up or down in tiny steps by making single presses on the volume buttons, or that pressing and holding the buttons down will make the volume smoothly sweep up or down, there is no way to mute or turn the volume to zero instantly, short of turning off the mDAC or unplugging the headphones. When my wife is calling for me I’d rather switch off the volume instantly to hear what she is saying than take off the headphones to hear her.  
  
 If my Macbook screen is locked while I’m listening at normal volume levels, the fastest I can silence the music via digital volume control is about 3 seconds (it takes longer to log into the macbook and find iTunes and hit pause, or find the mute button). By then I’ve missed part of what my wife or son is asking me, and I have to ask them to repeat it. So I find myself having to pull the headphone plug out to instantly silence the music, adding to the wear and tear on the headphone jack.  I’m a big fan of rotary volume knobs for this reason, to allow quick jumps in volume without overshooting the desired level.
  
 It’s not as much of an issue with the iPhone which I can wake and pause the music fairly quickly from the lock screen. And with IEM which I play at lower volume levels it only takes about 1 second to lower the volume to zero from a comfortable listening level without unplugging.
  
 Also, there are two micro USB ports on the back, one for the USB DAC and one that I believe is just to charge the 6 hour internal battery without activating the DAC. When I first used it I couldn’t get the DAC to work because I was using the wrong USB port.  My fault, but it’s part of the trouble shooting process now. I still need to read the manual   Note - when you turn on the power button (hidden on the side) the red LED stays on and a second blue LED in the same hole lights up as well.
  
 When either USB port is plugged into a power source a red LED in the top cover lights up.  The red light also comes on when you plug the iPhone+CCK into either port, making me wonder if it’s drawing power from the phone.  So, I need to confirm this, because I am thinking it has a 6 hour battery inside so that the iPhone would not be drained too fast. I haven't been feeling well and have not tested total run time yet, but in the 2-3 hours at a time that I would listen I did notice that my iPhone battery would drain a bit faster with the Pico combo.
  
 I can have the mDAC plugged into a wall AC adapter with one USB port, and the mDAC plugged into the iPhone 5s+CCK with the other USB port, and then I can listen to music via the iPhone CCK.  But there is no special indicator to me that the mDAC is charging from the external power source and not from the iPhone, since either device will make the red LED light up when connected.  It doesn’t seem to charge the iPhone/CCK that’s plugged at the same time it has wall power, which is a shame and the only thing keeping it from being perfect.
  
 The mDAC came with a short mini-mini USB cable for android devices, but I have not tried it yet on my wife’s work Moto X because she has no music on it.
  
*SUMMARY*
   
 The Pico DAC/Slim has long been my benchmark for *small* portable audio gear for years, especially since it’s compatible with the Apple camera connection kit and reduces jitter via upsampling and re-clocking.  Most of my other USB DACs either didn’t work with the CCK or they sounded much worse with the CCK vs the same DAC being used on the computer (more jitter with CCK).  I was happy with my Pico DAC/Slim combo, but I had to velcro the two together and find a high quality braided interconnect cable. 
  
 When I first received the Audioengine D3 USB Stick DAC last year I thought it sounded amazingly like a clone of the Pico DAC/Slim with both IEM and full size headphones, in sound quality and power output. But it didn't replace the Pico combo due to it's inability to work with the iPhone and camera connection kit (same with DACport).
  
 Although I felt the newer CEntrance HiFi-M8 improves upon both the Pico setup and mDAC, the M8's larger size and shorter battery life than the Pico combo renders it less useful for travel - and so the M8 has mostly been used as a transportable desktop replacement amp in my bedroom and back patio.
  
 But the new mDAC is half as big as the Pico combo without worrying about an interconnect, and it takes up about 1/6th of the volume of the HiFi-M8.  After just the first few minutes listening with the mDAC I felt that it could definitely take the place of the Pico DAC/Slim amp combo as my travel companion, at a fraction of the cost. I just don't know how they did it.  And if size is a consideration it can also be happily used at times when I would have used the HiFi-M8, with minimal impact on my audio enjoyment!  The more energetic or vivid sound of the mDAC wins me over vs the Pico setup, as does the size, and it doesn't make me miss anything if I can't bring along my larger and better gear.

  
*Overall the Encore mDAC is a great sounding portable USB DAC regardless of price, that works well with Macbook via USB and iPhone via camera connection kit (or Android). The size is quite good, making it truly portable with the iPhone/CCK.  You’d have to spend 3x as much to improve on the performance, but as-is it leaves little to be desired.  I highly recommend this product.*
  
  
*UPDATE - 10 14 2014:*
  
 I like to talk about synergy between two pieces of gear, because one person might try a headphone on one DAC or amp and love it, and another person might complain about the headphone's faults because they have different gear, etc.  Many things can contribute, including combined frequency response of the paired devices, or headphone impedance vs amp output impedance comflicts.
  
 I wanted to note that I bought a new pair of V-MODA XS at RMAF, and I tried them with the Pico DAC/Slim, CEntrance HiFi-M8, and both the iPhone 6 & 6+ headphone jacks.  I thought they were dark and forward with the Pico DAC/Slim and the HiFi-M8 was best, because I could change the output impedance and treble boost switch to suit them.  But for listening without any EQ I felt that the iPhone headphone jack suited them the best, and gave the benefit of being able to use the microphone button to control the music or talk on the phone.
  
 When I had Michael at CEntrance try the XS headphones on Saturday night, I paired it with the mDAC for the first time and he hated the sound and thought the phones were junk, until we switched to the HiFi-M8.  I was confused, because I hadn't spent much time at all with the mDAC + XS combo yet. He then went on to compliment Val Kolton on the XS and thought they were a good bang for the buck.
  
 Tonight I tried the XS with the mDAC for a good hour, and got the same result that I got with some other amps - the XS sounded a bit dull and mid forward. But when I switched to my CEntrance DACport, which I had never tried, the improvement in sparkle and soundstage depth of the XS was remarkable. The XS and mDAC just don't pair as well as I or Michael would like.
  
*So, I have two points to make - the XS are a fine budget portable headphone that can sound poor with the wrong amp, and the mDAC is a fine budget DAC/amp that can sound less than optimal with the wrong headphones*.  If you buy an mDAC and don't like it, it's likely that you will with some other headphones, but I can't make any promises.  I admit that with the DACport I have yet to be diappointed when using any of my headphones or IEM, but I am disappointed that it doesn't work with the camera connection kit like the mDAC.


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## TonySunshine

Thanks for the review. I might just pick one up and see how it compares to the other bang for the buck dac/amps in its class like the Fiio E17


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## imackler

This looks really tempting. The only thing is I wish the battery life were a little bit longer for a long plane ride, but still, looks like a great portable amp/dac.
  
 Have you looked inside? Is the battery soldered to the board?


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## vcup

Hi everybody,
  
 thanks for the nice review. I just ordered one ; I can't wait to have it.
  
@imackler :
 Here is a link to a french review where you can find some pictures of the inside of the mdac : http://www.qobuz.com/lu-fr/info/Hi-Fi-Guide/Bancs-d-essai/Encore-mDAC-en-exclusivite176113


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## Jakkal

Thanks for the review. It looks interesting, but I wonder what the output impedance might be?


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## quantiques

Sounds good, with that price


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## CharlesC

I'd be interested to know if it will play with a dead battery when plugged into a 5v usb port.


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## Sasaki

Very nice review as always. Well informative yet easy to read. Interesting gear..


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## Mike Walker

One tiny nit to pick. DAC stands for digital to analog converter, not digital audio converter. Conversely ADC stands for analog to digital converter.


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## JacobLee89

This certainly leaves me at the fence between this rigged up to my phone "android otg", and the Fiio X1. The Fiio X1 has potential to be improved upon via portable amp, but the mDAC has the ability to both reduce the amount of devices I will own, as well as provide additional use.
  
 I only use my HD25's as portables, so expenditure seems to be similar no matter which direction I go (assuming that the Fiio can provide enough power for the HD25's)
  
 The only barrier I have right now is that the mDAC is not avaiable in the UK.


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## jasonl

I want to mention about the history of this Encore mDAC.  It is actually designed after the NuForce uDAC-3 and due to the custom charging circuit design, and further performance improvement over the headphone amp, it is really good for the price.  The mDAC was then transferred over to the Encore brand where it focuses on high performance "entry level" audio products.
  
 mDAC has won a top award in France and you can see the review (might need Google translator if you can't read French)
http://www.qobuz.com/lu-fr/info/Hi-Fi-Guide/Bancs-d-essai/Encore-mDAC-en-exclusivite176113?ectrans=1
  

  
  
 I will offer a 25% discount as an incentive for you to write a short review on Amazon.com as well as posting it here on head-fi.  This introduction discount also helps to  promote Encore mDAC to bring awareness of the Encore brand.
 You can use the claim code *DDM95CWX *when ordering from Amazon.com (this promotion starts at 7:00pm PDT Oct 6 and ends Oct 31)
For those of you who have ordered before the promotion is activated, I will give you a refund.
  
 Jason


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## TonySunshine

So I posted this over at amazon. I received a 25% refund, even before I posted the review. I was going to write a review anyway because I was very impressed with this little dac, and the refund just inspired me to stop being lazy and post it
  
 so stuff I used to review this dac
 JH Audio JH16FP IEM with toxic cables silver poison cable
 Surface pro 3 with media monkey
 Xperia Z2 running CM11, poweramp, google play music, and UAPP

 I gotta say that for the price this is an incredible amp/dac. In comparison to the HRT microstreamer, Fiio E17, JDS labs C5D, and Fiio E18 this is definetly the best bang for the buck. To my ears this has a similar sound to the microstreamer, albeit a bit more veiled and bass heavy. I caught myself upping the 2khz-4khz as well as the upper 10-12khz to get the sound I like out of it(with the hrt I did no EQing at all). It has a fairly spacious sound stage, much wider than the Fiio's or the JDS C5D. in terms of lushness and musicality the C5D and hrt microstreamer beat it out, but it is more than half the price of either. SQ to SQ I would pick the mDAC over either of the fiio's, with the only disadvantages being the functionality features(no line in, no treble/bass controls.) Overall I am very pleased with the sound, and hope the highs will come in a bit more with burn in.

 A couple of comments not on the sound
 - form factor - its much smaller than I thought. The pictures make it seem on par with a RSA tomahawk but its much smaller. Still a bit thicker than I would like for a portable android smart phone rig. The JDS labs C5D is as thick as I can go and still be able to fit it in all in my pocket.

 - charging - it charges when you are using it with a computer! hurrah!

 - volume control - +1 for the tactile buttons, makes it a lot harder to accidentally turn up the volume compared to a roller or pot knob. Only downside is theres no way to tell what level the volume of the amp is at except by plugging in phones and listening to it

 - fit and finish - the mDAC has an aluminum housing and feels really nice and premium. The edges where the ports are are polished giving it a shiny look. The black one I got has a brushed metal finish and looks very nice

 - haven't tried this yet, but looks like the thing is held together with 4 socket head cap screws, so it can be taken apart and the battery replaced/upgraded

 - android functionality - works great with xperia z2 running both stock roms and cm11/aosp based roms. Doesn't require UAPP. Though on my HTC one m8 it only works with stock based and GPE based roms or by using UAPP(which is the case with all the other portable amp/dacs I have). No issues with EM interference or excessive battery drain

 so yeah not really any complaints given the price point. It does exactly what it set out to do: a portable budget dac/amp for IEMS. Oh and it sounds really good. Only issue I can forsee running into the short battery life of 6 hours.


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## Jakkal

Jason what is the output impedance of the mDac?


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## Sasaki

Hi Jason, That French site mentions about DSD compatibility on mDAC. (chart tells but I don't read French text body)
Does mDAC has a native DSD compatibility via DoP or ASIO?


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## Sasaki

I got the answer by myself as mine has arrived 
  
 Click to enlarge picture.
  

 Size comparison to iPhone5S.
  

 iPhone5S > CCK > USB cable microB > mDAC > Edition8
  

 Walkman ZX1 > NWH10 > USB cable microB > mDAC > Edition8
  
 Yes this is tiny yet build quality is very nice especially considering the price.
 The mDAC sounded very good even just out of box. I feel mDAC delivers fast, articulate, detailed sounding. I also feel good bass impact. I like this silver box sounded musical rather, it is not dry. I think this is transparent/open/airly enough but I hope further burn-in would improve them more.
  
 Both of iPhone and Walkman works well though not tried hires yet. I connected mDAC to my Mac mini and invoke Aurdirvana Plus to see PCM/DSD capability. Audirvana tells me mDAC does not support native DSD. Though I get nice sound from MAC and PC anyway. This is well worth the money. Thank you for sharing the info.


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## Sasaki

I am using mDAC on the go with microB direct plug. Now the setup even smaller and fits on my palm. Some cable coloring has gone and it brings more neutral crisp sounding. Shown in the pic is ZX1. I hooked Rockets up.


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## grizzlybeast

@headphoneaddict...This maybe an unfair question but how does it compare to the icon dac.


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## jasonl

sasaki said:


> Hi Jason, That French site mentions about DSD compatibility on mDAC. (chart tells but I don't read French text body)
> Does mDAC has a native DSD compatibility via DoP or ASIO?


 
  
 No, mDAC doesn't do any native DSD decoding.  It is an extremely good sounding DAC for its price.
 If you want a portable DAC that can do everything, I mean DSD128 native, PCM384, USB cable connection to PC Windows, Mac, iOS and Android devices, plus wireless streaming via Airplay and DLNA at 24/192 (fastest wifi streaming on the market), wait for the high-end portable DAC from a new brand that I am launching in late November.

 Curved frame machined from a single block of aluminum, gorilla glass top and bottom, exceptional build quality unlike anything on the market.  Price? Very affordable.
 That's all the tease for now . 
  
 By the way, I need to ask the Admin to change my Sponsor name, I am no longer with NuForce, the company that I co-founded.  I left NuForce to start a new venture creating and managing brands: NuPrime Audio, Encore Design, and soon Celsus Sound.


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## HeadphoneAddict

grizzlybeast said:


> @headphoneaddict...This maybe an unfair question but how does it compare to the icon dac.


 

 The Icon DAC is a bit more powerful, and a little warmer and laid back sounding, but with excellent detail and soundstage for the price.  I'd say I prefer the Icon DAC for full size desktop headphones like HD600, HD800, HE-500/560, LCD-2 rev2, and Denon D7000.  It's one of the few budget headphone DAC/amps that has good synergy with HD800 and doesn't make them sound a little fatiguing, yet it works with a wide variety of headphones that are nothing like the HD800.
  
 But the mDAC can drive drive full-size phones decently, and is of course a portable DAC/amp that is well suited to portable headphones like V-MODA M-100, Westone 3, or JH16Pro custom IEM.  It's slightly forward sounding with the Nuforce Primo 8 but still very enjoyable, and it's easier to set for low volume listening with IEM than with the Icon DAC.
  
 If you can only pick one, and going portable is not an issue, the it's the Icon DAC.  But you're comparing apples and oranges with a desktop amp vs portable.


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## Jakkal

I guess Jason doesn't want to answer my question and that tells me a lot for this product.


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## Sasaki

Hi Jason, it's a nice tease 

> It is an extremely good sounding DAC for its price.

Yes I agree with you. mDAC is very nice. Especially for A combo with Sony ZX1.

> Airplay and DLNA

I very much anxiously waited for such a portable gear. I think wired connection is not smart for smartphone age. But BT degrade sound quality. Kleer need a bulky dongle. The DLNA for portable amp would be a good solution. Airplay is nice too.

> from a new brand

Is it Encore or another?


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## HeadphoneAddict

*UPDATE - 10 14 2014:*
  
I like to talk about synergy between two pieces of gear, because one person might try a headphone on one DAC or amp and love it, and another person might complain about the headphone's faults because they have different gear, etc.  Many things can contribute, including combined frequency response of the paired devices, or headphone impedance vs amp output impedance comflicts.
  
I wanted to note that I bought a new pair of V-MODA XS at RMAF, and I tried them with the Pico DAC/Slim, CEntrance HiFi-M8, and both the iPhone 6 & 6+ headphone jacks.  I thought they were dark and forward with the Pico DAC/Slim and the HiFi-M8 was best, because I could change the output impedance and treble boost switch to suit them.  But for listening without any EQ I felt that the iPhone headphone jack suited them the best, and gave the benefit of being able to use the microphone button to control the music or talk on the phone. 
  
When I had Michael at CEntrance try the XS headphones on Saturday night, I paired it with the mDAC for the first time and he hated the sound and thought the phones were junk, until we switched to the HiFi-M8.  I was confused, because I hadn't spent much time at all with the mDAC + XS combo yet. He then went on to compliment Val Kolton on the XS and thought they were a good bang for the buck.
  
Tonight I tried the XS with the mDAC for a good hour, and got the same result that I got with some other amps - the XS sounded a bit dull and mid forward. But when I switched to my CEntrance DACport, which I had never tried, the improvement in sparkle and soundstage depth of the XS was remarkable. The XS and mDAC just don't pair as well as I or Michael would like.
  
*So, I have two points to make - the XS are a fine budget portable headphone that can sound poor with the wrong amp, and the mDAC is a fine budget DAC/amp that can sound less than optimal with the wrong headphones*.  If you buy an mDAC and don't like it, it's likely that you will with some other headphones, but I can't make any promises.  I admit that with the DACport I have yet to be diappointed when using any of my headphones or IEM, but I am disappointed that it doesn't work with the camera connection kit like the mDAC.


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## jasonl

jakkal said:


> Thanks for the review. It looks interesting, but I wonder what the output impedance might be?


 
The output impedance of mDAC is 5.6ohm.


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## jasonl

jakkal said:


> I guess Jason doesn't want to answer my question and that tells me a lot for this product.


 
  
 Hey, I am busy 
The output impedance of mDAC is 5.6ohm.


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## jasonl

sasaki said:


> Hi Jason, it's a nice tease
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
  
 It is from a "high end" mobility brand call Celsus Sound where every product from this brand is going to be exceptional. 
 The Celsus Companion One will be previewed at the Tokyo headphone show in October.  We will also show a pre-production prototype of an ear bud (call IE-Gramo One) sounding like a Sennheiser HD-800. It is that good. You might have to look for staff from our distributor Fuhlen to hear the earphones.  I have been looking for a super high quality ear bud for listening in quiet environment for a long time. But it is impossible to find until now.  I find IEM has too much isolation and pressure for listening at night and top of the line on ear headphones are just too heavy for prolong listening.


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## Sasaki

jasonl said:


> The Celsus Companion One will be previewed at the Tokyo headphone show in October.  We will also show a pre-production prototype of an ear bud (call IE-Gramo One) sounding like a Sennheiser HD-800. It is that good. You might have to look for staff from our distributor Fuhlen to hear the earphones.



Tokyo Headphone show!? I will definitely be there. I have to check it.
But I don't think Fuhlen will be join in. They are speaker oriented distributor. Is Kanjitsu-denki your distributer?


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## Jakkal

jasonl said:


> Hey, I am busy
> [COLOR=000080]The output impedance of mDAC is 5.6ohm. [/COLOR]




Thanks for the answer Jason, but that impedance is just too much for sensetive IEMs.


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## pekingduck

jakkal said:


> Thanks for the answer Jason, but that impedance is just too much for sensetive IEMs.


 

 x2. Hopefully the new one Jason mentioned has lower O.I...


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## montanari

headphoneaddict said:


> If you buy an mDAC and don't like it, it's likely that you will with some other headphones, but I can't make any promises.  I admit that with the DACport I have yet to be diappointed when using any of my headphones or IEM, but I am disappointed that it doesn't work with the camera connection kit like the mDAC.


 
 so which headphones or in ear you would match?
 i mean something more musical and with a punchy bass or an iper detailed one?
 thanks
 DM


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## montanari

and i would like to know if , when plugged to a mobile-samsung or i phone-does it works as a dac amp or just amp?
 thanks
 DM


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## jjacq

jasonl said:


> No, mDAC doesn't do any native DSD decoding.  It is an extremely good sounding DAC for its price.
> If you want a portable DAC that can do everything, I mean DSD128 native, PCM384, USB cable connection to PC Windows, Mac, iOS and Android devices, plus wireless streaming via Airplay and DLNA at 24/192 (fastest wifi streaming on the market), wait for the high-end portable DAC from a new brand that I am launching in late November.
> 
> Curved frame machined from a single block of aluminum, gorilla glass top and bottom, exceptional build quality unlike anything on the market.  Price? Very affordable.
> ...


 
 Seems promising. Is there any way to follow the updates??


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## jasonl

There is a mailing list on www.heapaudio.com home page where you can sign up to receive news about any of the brands: NuPrime Audio, Celsus Sound and Encore Design.   Celsus Companion One is expected to ship in 4 weeks time.


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## Sasaki

Celsus Companion 1 in my hand at Tokyo headphone show!


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## jexby

sasaki said:


> Celsus Companion 1 in my hand at Tokyo headphone show!


 
  
 By the gods man please tell us EVERYTHING about this Celsus Companion One possible!
  
 I am very interested in the wifi 24/192 streaming ability, and the various specs of mW output, impedance, usb jitter protection, DAC chips inside, battery life, etc.
  
 this could be one amazing portable unit if the sonics are delivered well.


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## jasonl

sasaki said:


> Celsus Companion 1 in my hand at Tokyo headphone show!


 
 The trade show is not the best place for audition. WiFi too congested to work well.  Noisy environment.
 If you like, I can arrange for you to audition it for a few days since you are in Tokyo.  This is the pre-production sample, there are still minor bugs that we fixed last week but it is very close to production version.  This is one of the only two that existed. Another one is in France.  I don't even have enough samples to send to USA.  Hopefully I can get one or two to USA for Larry and someone else to audition in early November.
 MSRP $595 but we will be offering special discount for pre-order.  If interested, sign up for the mailing list on heapaudio.com.  PM me for other questions. Lets leave this thread for mDAC.  I don't want to hijack this thread for Celsus.


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## Sasaki

PM sent. Sorry for hijacking the thread .. 
Going back to mDAC, it was also there. Their planned domestic price is a good price I think. I hope it sells well here.


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## pekingduck

Sasaki san, please start a new thread for the Celsus Companion One and post your impressions there. Thanks.


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## kissmevn

I've tested this little box today and I must say that I'm very amazed. Huge sound stage, sparkle high, good low and sweet mid. 
 In fact, it can play DSD and it can handle DSD very well. The ss has both width and height, it make my K10 sound like a full size headphone, very nice.
 This has become my DAC - budget king for portable now


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## jasonl

I think your player (JRiver ?) convert DSD64 into 24-bit/192kHz PCM because mDAC can not do native DSD decode.
 But no matter, a good sounding DAC & headphone amp is not just about the spec. I would encourage user to compare mDAC with other so called native DSD DAC in the $300 or so price range.  One of the main reason mDAC sounded good is the work that we do around the power supply, in addition to several years of experience evolving the NuForce uDAC series.
 Jason


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## kissmevn

jasonl said:


> I think your player (JRiver ?) convert DSD64 into 24-bit/192kHz PCM because mDAC can not do native DSD decode.
> But no matter, a good sounding DAC & headphone amp is not just about the spec. I would encourage user to compare mDAC with other so called native DSD DAC in the $300 or so price range.  One of the main reason mDAC sounded good is the work that we do around the power supply, in addition to several years of experience evolving the NuForce uDAC series.
> Jason


 
 No, I used foobar alone with ASIO DSD plugin. You can check it in here : http://www.qobuz.com/ie-en/info/Hi-Fi-Guide/The-exclusive-Encore-mDAC-A-Golden176241.
 The chart say it can read DSD64 and I must say it's one of the biggest ss I've heard before from a portable source .


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## jasonl

Foobar ASIO DSD does the automatic conversion to PCM. Actually this can be better sounding than entry level DSD dac chip.
It is not just the spec. I bet mDAC sounded better than some DSD DACs that with DSD128 or DSD256 spec.

Jason


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## jexby

had a side-by-side 2 hour window of time with friend’s Encore mDAC and my GeekOut450 running v1.5 firmware.
  
 Path:  macbook pro—>Audirvana+ 2.0.4—>integer mode—> GO450/mDAC—>NAD HP50.
 24/96 FLAC files and some lossless 16/44.  no DSD to PCM conversions.
  
 love the mDac small size, battery operation, fine grained volume control, quality buttons, finish of metal casing.
 wish only 1 USB port was on back (simplicity)
 or
 single port on back was actually USB A-male so Apple CCK cable was a direct connect not requiring a micro USB cable.
  
   some sonic deltas noticed:

  
 mDAC detail retrieval was very good, didn’t jump out as unnatural.
 mDAC did deliver quite the soundstage width!  bravo.
 GO450 had the same width, but increased height and depth, a more full/complete sound in space.
  
 Especially with bass and vocal placements, backing vocals at times sounded a “half-step to the back” of the GO450 sound field, whereas mDAC keep the backing vocal “in line” with the rest of the song but still well separated to the left/right.
  
 I find the GeekOut has that smack-dab-on-stage presence with most recordings.
 mDAC might be described as “one step back” from the stage, but not rows back from stage front.  This is not unwelcome in some songs, and a differing preference for different ears.
  
 Drum kit definition (in space, sounding like a round instrument) was easier to detect in the GO450.
 GO450 presented details precisely during attack/decay (hard bass string pluck), mDAC was close but not always as precise.
 if one went back to the same attack/decay section via the mDAC it could be noticed, just not as obvious.
  
 All in all, mDAC would be a great choice today for those looking for the smallest battery powered DAC+Amp for iDevices and computers that delivers impressive sound at a nice low price.
  
 is GO450 plug and play with iPhone/iPad like Encore mDAC?  nope.
 Geek Stream is coming soon with similar features. 
  
 time to go back and re-read the HeadphoneAddict review to see if any of my findings are wildly off base.  ha!


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## Armillary

I just got the mDac today and I've been doing my best to get it set up to work as a dac/amp for my laptop. I've noticed a few technical issues which I hope someone might be able to help me correct. Firstly I noticed that in the options for the playback device there isn't an option to set 24 bit as the default bitrate with any options. I've also noticed that during some operations the dac appears to cause my computer to behave oddly, I've had issues with media players refusing to play or freezing and when I tried to use the dac while playing a game launched from steam the game played normally until the sound randomly cut out and the game froze shortly after. Lastly I'm having an issue where the device will produce noise in either the left or right channel randomly. This noise is extremely annoying and will persist until the unit is cut off and back on again. I'm wondering if there may be something I'm missing concerning the unit's operation. I followed the quick start instructions and charged the unit and I've looked at all the (rather limited) material available for support and so far I've been out of luck. It may be that this unit wasn't designed to be used for general purpose and I was mistaken to buy it for that purpose but I'm hoping I just overlooked something while setting it up.


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## jasonl

Set it to 32 bit for 24 bit format. The DAC used is 32 bit so for some unknown reason, the firmware was set to 32 bit even though the USB chip can only decode 24 bit.

Unless the unit is faulty, if you can select it from the control panel, sound device setup, it should work. If you can play music or watch YouTube without problem, but not playing certain games, it might be the speed issue as USB audio decoding consumes CPU power, which is not limited to mDAC. 
You might have to find out how to optimize USB audio for your specific game.

Jason


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## SAR14

I had one I quickly returned. It wzs only 16 bits from windows. 24 bits and dsd only worked properly with a dedicated player like foobar and the appropriate drivers. Native 24 bits is a lie. I do not kno if mine had a problem but sound scratched with my lg g2 after 5 or 6 minutes playing, each time. Too bad. No issue with a 25 dollars hifimediy


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## Armillary

I've taken a picture of my audio config options, they don't look like those present from the PC Enthusiast review as no 32 bit option exists. 
 Also I've experienced pops and crackles when using a full sized headset, fewer issues with iems (Havi B3).


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## jasonl

You are comparing different thing: DAC+amp versus amp.  Android USB support is still messy, some do it very well, and others don't support at all. Same issue with DLNA and Miracast support.
 So obviously if you have an Android phone and have difficulty with USB DAC, then the next best option is to get a headphone amp only.


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## jasonl

armillary said:


> I've taken a picture of my audio config options, they don't look like those present from the PC Enthusiast review as no 32 bit option exists.
> Also I've experienced pops and crackles when using a full sized headset, fewer issues with iems (Havi B3).


 
 The check box "Allow application to take exclusive control of this device" should be checked. It was hidden behind your drop down list so I can't see the setting. 
 You can also go to the Supported Format tab on the same Properties screen to test different sample rates whether you get any sound (the Test button will generate a left and right tone).


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## Armillary

The box is checked and I've tested and checked off every sampling rate option, no problem there. 
  

  

  
 -Update, just tried it on my sister's computer and it appears to work just fine so far, all those missing options pop up, 32-bit and all. She's also rather enjoying it. If nothing goes wrong with her using it I'll post a review later on using the t50rp, superlux 681, Havi B3, and maybe the Mikros 90. I think I owe it to you guys after taking over the thread for tech support heh. 
  
 -I wonder if the issue has something to do with OTG drivers as it appears to work fine on Windows 8 systems. 
  
 -Last edit here: I'm going to return this while I'm able to. I did everything I could to make it work on my system, from reinstalling drivers in my audio setup and usb hub to cleaning out my registry and nothing worked. FOr the record I thought the encore mDac added a bit of extra depth, a more "silent" background, and better positioning when it did work. It also added some liveliness to the V-Moda m80 and Superlux 681. However there appears to be a hardware problem at work here and I find myself unable to use it witht he source I had intended it for, so those hoping to use this device on a windows 7 computer may want to be a bit wary. (It may also have something to do with the USB 3.0 hub my laptop has, but I'm still not sure).


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## jasonl

Since it works on your sister's computer and many others that we have sold, I think this is clearly not a mDAC hardware issue as there is no custom USB driver required. It uses standard USB communication chip that are in many other DACs.  I guess you have to return it to Amazon where you bought it.  Perhaps it is time to upgrade your computer


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## Armillary

Well for future reference (And I'll make this my last post here so people can get on with posting impressions and the like) my laptop is an alienware 14 (2013) running windows 7 64 bit. My sister's computer is a dell branded laptop running windows 8 64 bit (purchased a few months ago this year for ~250.00). Hopefully the info I've provided might help if someone else runs into this problem.


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## tomscy2000

BTW, for those who want to discuss the Companion One, I created a thread dedicated to it here:
 http://www.head-fi.org/t/751221/celsus-sound-companion-one-32-384-usb-ios-android-24-192-wi-fi-dac-amplifier


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## USHI

could the battery of mdac be upgraded for longer playing time and if it could, any recommend battery for replacement?


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## jasonl

It is technically possible but we have not thought about finding replacement battery with higher density.


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## Roen

Is there a solution to enable 32-bit on Windows 7? I seem to have the same 16-bit issue.
  
 I connect through a hub, would connecting directly to the computer solve anything?


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## jasonl

mDAC can only support 24bit/96kHz decoding.  The USB driver will says 32bit because the driver chip inside can handle 32-bit but the DAC is only 24-bit.


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## Roen

Mine only says 16-bit in the Windows 7 sound options. Was there ever a solution or a confirmed case of 32-bit being displayed in the Windows 7 Sound Options? I understand it will only perform 24-bit decoding, but my computer doesn't have the 32-bit option, only 16-bit.


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## givemeyourshoes

I picked up the Encore mDac in September and had it in use at work on both my Win 7 work PC and in use with my LG G3 Android phone.  It worked (note the past tense) great, and sounded better than expected for the $60 USD I paid for it on Amazon.  Unfortuntaly, one day it just up and quite working with my LG G3 using the OTG USB cable.  A week later it stopped working with my Win 7 work PC.  I tried it at home on my MacBook Air, my wife's Win 10 lagtop, and with the iPad Air 2 using the camera connection kit.  Much to my dismay, the mDac no longer works with any of the devices.  I contacted Encore via their site form and received no response. I later tried the email on their site and did get an answer.  They directed me to TDSS who handles their US customer support.  TDSS advised me to ship it (at my cost, but that is to be expected) back to them and they would replace the unit.  I am going to ship it off tomorrow and hope the new one works a bit longer than 4 months.


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## cleg

Unfortunately, my mDAC stopped working with recent OS X 10.11

when I'm plugging my device, I'm getting following messages in system.log


```
Jan 22 17:09:56 cleg kernel[0]: 000552.828918 IOUSBHostDevice@14120000: IOUSBHostDevice::start: device descriptor is invalid
Jan 22 17:09:56 cleg kernel[0]: 000552.830996 AppleUSB20HubPort@14120000: AppleUSB20HubPort::resetAndCreateDevice: failed to start device
Jan 22 17:09:56 cleg kernel[0]: 000552.831017 AppleUSB20HubPort@14120000: AppleUSB20HubPort::resetAndCreateDevice: failed to create device (0xe00002e9), disabling port
Jan 22 17:09:56 cleg kernel[0]: 000552.831106 AppleUSB20HubPort@14120000: AppleUSBHostPort::resetGated: retrying enumeration in 100 ms
```

Is anyone tried mDAC with OS X El Capitan?


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## givemeyourshoes

Update 1  - I contacted TDSS on 12/22 regarding my warranty request.  They responded on 12/28.  I shipped the device to them and it was received (according to UPS tracking) on 1/8.  After a promise that a replacement unit would be sent out, I was happy.  A few days went by with radio silence.  I contacted them via the "email" option they offer on the support site to see if they hand any updates.  I was informed that they did not have any replacement units to send off, and they would have to source components to fix my device.  I asked how long that would take and have received no response answering my question.  It is now 1/30 and I have been without the Encore mDac for over a month now.  Hopefully it is repaired and shipped back soon.  I really miss having this at work, where it was used daily.


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## jasonl

We have to get the stock back from Amazon because there is none left at TDSS warehouse. Sorry about the delay and I think we will be able to send it out this week.


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## Roen

jasonl

Is there anyway to reset the memory on the mDAC?


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## mgunin

Mine works great on Android and on foobar2000 (Windows 7). However, on YouTube and other streaming services both sound and video freezed. This happens under any browser (IE, Opera etc). Please, advice if anyone has any ideas or solutions.


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## Roen

@jasonl will probably tell you to buy a new Encore DAC as this one is EOL.


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## mgunin

The thing is that mDAC has an internal battery, so switching to mDSD is not the best idea for Android. Maybe will also try some more browsers (haven't tried Firefox yet).


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## Roen

I used to use the mDSD combination, and it did shorten battery life quite a bit. I had chargers at home and work for that purpose.

I do like the form factor though.

I just keep my mDSD permanently plugged in at my desk now.


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## mgunin

How would you compare the sound between the two? Maybe that is a good solution for desktop.


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## Roen

mgunin said:


> How would you compare the sound between the two? Maybe that is a good solution for desktop.



mDSD sounds more refined than the mDAC. It's not surprising, since the DAC chips have evolved one generation between the two DACs.


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## LudoLVG

I bought today the mDAC at low price. It is reburfished but I hope it will work well.
I was looking for a cheap but good DAC which can work on pc (possibly without driver for my work computer) and android via UAPP.
It is difficult to find driver and information about this DAC cause it is old but I hope it will be cool. I will let you know


----------



## mgunin

Looking forward to your impressions!


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## LudoLVG

Unfortunately this DAC doesn't want to work on my phone or another android device... 
On my computer it is work nice without driver and in foobar with driver.
I don't know if I will keep it cause it doesn't work on my phone..


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## danimoca (Sep 14, 2018)

Hi,

I have a question about this device. So, it has 2 USB ports. When I use just one of them (the data one, for example) on a Windows computer, *will it charge at the same time*?

Thanks!


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## danimoca

No one?


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## Roen

The product has been discontinued for awhile now, but you need two cables to play and charge. One cable does each function. There is no single cable solution for both functions.


----------



## danimoca

Roen said:


> The product has been discontinued for awhile now, but you need two cables to play and charge. One cable does each function. There is no single cable solution for both functions.



I'm hearing many conflicting opinions about that from people... Are you sure about that?

BTW, it's still available on Amazon.


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## Roen

danimoca said:


> I'm hearing many conflicting opinions about that from people... Are you sure about that?
> 
> BTW, it's still available on Amazon.


I've owned it and sold mine, so yes, I am sure. One port for data, the other for power.

Discontinued as in the manufacturer has discontinued official support and sales, regardless if it is still available on Amazon from 3rd party resellers. I'm curious, do you have a link for this product on Amazon? I just did a search and it didn't pop up for me.

I wouldn't get it anyway, because it has horrible support for Android 7 (Nougat) and up.

Maybe @jasonl , who represents Encore, can chime in.


----------



## LudoLVG

In my experience, I think yes cause I never charge the encore mDAC when It is plugged to the computer.

Normally, when it's only charge, the led is red.
When it charges and uses, the led is purple.
When it only uses, the led is blue.
As far as I can remember lol


----------

