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The latest and greatest version of the groundbreaking UD-01 DAC: all new circuit board, revised output stage and, crucially, a custom on-board linear power supply – all for less than the cost of the original UD-01 and KingRex PSU.
Although limited to 16/48 playback, this sophisticated D-A converter is the perfect first step towards audiophile-grade computer playback of a digitised CD collection. Just add a USB cable. The charm of the KingRex UD-01 has always been its unusual combination of musicality and resolution: it has a knack uncommon at this price point of nailing a recording's gestalt without digital artefacts. However, like any DAC, it's always needed a smooth, clean power supply to do its thing. Now it's in the box: a bespoke toroidal feeding Panasonic FM caps. The audible benefits are striking: it's even better than the stock UD-01 + PSU combo: in particular the DAC gains brio and clout – it's a much more exciting listen than its junior sibling, yet nothing about this converter sounds forced: treble is naturally rendered in high resolution and the mid-range is pure, transparent and never pushy. Low frequencies have new-found credibility thanks to the improved supply to the dual mono op-amps.   |