Dac3 General Specifications

DAC type

USB

Input

USB audio

D/A converter

ESS ES9281A PRO

USB transfer mode

Asynchronous dual clock

USB device class

Type 1.1 or above

Input bit depth

32 bit

Input sample rate

44.1kHz-96kHz native playback

188.2kHz & 192kHz re-sampled to 96kHz

Output

Analog 3.5mm mini-jack stereo

Full-scale output level

2.0V RMS

Output impedance

2 ohms

Recommended headphone impedance range

12 ohms to 10K ohms

Headphone amplifier

LME49726

Frequency response

10Hz-25KHz (+/- 0.5dB)

SNR

>116dB

THD+N

(1kHz FS 96kS/s) <0.002%

Crosstalk

-110dB

Power requirement

USB 5V DC, 200mA

USB power filtering

2-stage redundant regulation

Product dimensions 

1.9” (48mm) ×0.6” (15mm) ×0.375″ (10MM) 

Shipping weight

1.0lbs (0.5kg)

Environmental

Operating Temperature: 32 to 95 degrees F

Non-operating Temp: -4 to 113 degrees F

Relative Humidity: 5% to 95% non-condensing

Included accessories

Lightning to USB-C and USB-C cables

Setup guide

DAC3 Internal Converter

The heart of the DAC3 is the ES9281A PRO DAC, which is well-regarded for its low noise and high fidelity. Due to the high signal-to-noise specs of the ES9281A PRO and the added benefit of double redundancy power source conversion and filtering, the DAC3 presents impressive low noise and low distortion characteristics. The DAC3 can process digital audio at any bit depth up to 32 bits and any sample rate up to 192kHz. DAC3 pads (upsampled) all bit depths internally to 32-bits, thus achieving a higher signal-to-noise ratio.

DAC3 Headphone Amplifier

The DAC3 contains a high-performance headphone amplifier based on the LME49726 low-noise opamp. This amp is able to provide low-impedance, high-fidelity audio and a 2-volt output which easily drives a wide range of headphones, satisfying even the most demanding headphone enthusiasts. The DAC3’s relay-controlled stereo output can also be connected to any system with an analog audio input, such as Audioengine powered speakers.

DAC3 Power

The DAC3 is powered directly from the USB bus and power is passed through two stages of regulation to ensure no USB bus power variations affect the audio quality. This low-noise, low-ripple power supply is located on a separate circuit board for extra isolation and thermal management.

DAC3 Volume Control

Volume for headphones and line-out is controlled directly from the DAC3 side panel. Smoothly adjust volume levels at fine increments without any undesirable noise or channel imbalance at lower volumes.