Magic Pixel based in the UK has created a new USB DAC which has been designed to be the smallest audiophile DAC (Digital to Analog Converter) currently available and includes DSD256 native and DoP streaming and with OLED information display.
Space Key is now available to back via Kickstarter offering an audiophile class USB DAC, with earlybird pledges starting from just £75 and shipping expected to take place during July 2017.
The development team at Magic Pixel explain more about the inspiration and construction of the USB DAC.
The Space Key has the form of a small USB key in an elegant plastic case made by Hammond in the USA. On the top it has an OLED display with a resolution of 128 by 64 pixels, where you can see information about the format which is played back by the DAC at the moment. On the side it has a volume rocker, which can be also pushed to mute the audio. On one end it has a USB type A connector, and on the opposite end is a 3.5mm jack socket.
Thanks to the small size (76x30x16mm) the product is ideal for mobile use with smartphones, tablets and laptops, but it can be used with any other computer as well, as long as it has support for USB audio devices. The heart of the Space Key is a DAC chip by ESS®, well-known among audiophiles becuase of their high quality digital to analog converters. We used the audiophile grade 32 bit SABRE9018 chip, which is one the vendor’s reference class chips. These chips are world-renowned for their quality and are used in many expensive high-end products.
The SABRE32 Reference DACs set the standard for HD audio performance, SABRE SOUND™, in a cost-effective, easy-to-use form factor for today’s most demanding digital-audio applications. The other very important component is the eight core XMOS USB High-Definition Audio Processor running at 8x500MHz which ensures high and precise data rates through USB 2.0 for the highest possible quality of the digital audio signals.
For more information on the new Space Key USB DAC jump over to the Kickstarter website for details by following the link below.
Source: Kickstarter
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