CEntrance DACport 24/96 USB DAC/Headphone Amplifier (Playback 34)
True High-End Sound Goes Mobile
August 11th, 2010 -- by Chris MartensSource: Playback
BOTTOM LINE
It is tempting to acknowledge CEntrance’s DACport as a great value-priced computer audio product, since it certainly is that. But it is also something more—a product with much higher-end performance aspirations. The reality is that the DACport not only provides an almost shockingly sophisticated 24/96 DAC and class A headphone amp at a bargain price, but also offers an essentially self-contained high-performance computer audio system that is —thanks to its compact size, driverless configuration, and clever USB power supply—incredibly easy and inviting to use. With the DACport, serious high-end sound goes mobile at last.
SPECS & PRICING
CEntrance DACport 24/96 USB DAC/Class A Headphone Amplifier
Inputs: one USB mini-jack (compatible with USB 1.1 and 2.0, driverless)
Outputs: one ¼-inch phone jack
Supported sampling rates: 44.1, 48, 88.2, and 96kHz
Supported resolution levels: 16- and 24-bit
Clock: Mil spec, 10ppm precision
Jitter: 1ps
Amplifier type: solid state, direct coupled (capacitor free) class A headphone amplifier.
Amplifier power output: 1.5 Watts total, capable of driving up to 600-Ohm headphone loads.
Amplifier output impedance: 10 Ohms
Amplifier frequency response: 20Hz – 40kHz, +/- 0.2dB
Dimensions (H x W x D): 1” x 1” x 4.5”
Weight: 72 grams/2.5 ounces
Accessories: Low-EMI USB cable, belt clip, felt carrying pouch.
Warranty: 1 year + 30-day Money-back guarantee
Price: $399.95
Manufacturer
CEntrance, Inc.
(847) 581-0500
www.centrance.com
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Comments
I'll bet if you did a double blind test of this against all those multithousand dollars dacs, no one would be able to tell the difference.
Chris,
Thank you so much for your insights. I'm wandering how does the sound of CEntrance DACport compare to Emmeline "The Predator". Both are meant to be portable, both are DACs and have headphone amps with plenty of power. The Predator has a battery, the DACport doesn't, but beyond this specifications, how does the sound compare. Which sounds better?
Thanks again!
I'm glad TAS is finally giving some context for a product regarding price and performance. Unfortunately, your google skills seem lacking.
How about comparing to the HRT Music Streamer II USB Dac that is also 24b/96k and usb 1.1/2.0 capable? I have one and think it's sound quality is first rate and it only costs $150 for the "II" base model.
You may say "well there's no headphone amp" but you go on to compare the CEntrance to a full integrated amp that is far outside the product category of the CEntrance and the Music Streamer so I don't think I am off-base with my comparison.
I use my HRT Music Streamer II connected through a $70 TC Electronic Level Pilot passive volume control (very cool product TAS should check out!) into powered KRK Rokit 5 desktop monitors. I was amazed at the immediate sound improvement with this signal path. It was like I bought new speakers. MS II ($150) plus Level Pilot ($70) cost - $220. Quality of sound - priceless.
-CB
Hi ctbarker,
'Just wanted to point out that, while I often write for TAS, my review of the DACport was done under the auspices of TAS' sister digital publication, Playback (Playback specializes in desktop audio/headphones/small audio systems, etc.).
I also thought I'd mention that my google skills aren't as bad as you might think. But what those google skills tell me is that my colleague Hi-Fi+ Editor Alan Sircom has already done a thorough review of the HRT Music Streamer II and II+, so that I didn't think it necessary to revisit those products in Playback.
For your enjoyment, here's the link to Alan Sircom's review: http://www.avguide.com/review/hrt-streamer-ii-and-streamer-ii-hi-fi-72
Best, Chris Martens
Chris Martens
Editor, Avguide.com/Playback/The Perfect Vision
iBasso Cobra D10 Compact DAC and Headphone Amp has been available since early 2009. I have no idea how good it is. But it has one huge advantage. It is portable in real terms... While the DacPort needs your computer (you cannot power it with your iPod) the iBasso is battery powered. It has a Wolfson DAC chipset. They have many models, at half the price of the DacPort. Again, until we have comparisons to check their sound out, we just don't know.
See it here: http://www.ibasso.com/en/products/show.asp?ID=39
On nearly every score, you seem to prefer the HiFiMAN EF5. And yet you recommend the CEntrance DACport. In theory at least, a truly effective DAC should convert the digital USB signal from a computer into a much better analog signal than the rudimentary conversion that a laptop can natively perform; that's why many of us insist on (and pay for) a DAC to improve the output of our iPod. But you seem to have found no real advantage to the DACport besides its portability and ability to be powered through its USB connection. Is the presence of a good DAC worth nothing? Or does the CEentrance not have a particularly good DAC?
Hi Jeffrey,
As I see things, the HiFiMAN EF5 and CEntrance DACport are very, very different products.
The HiFiMAN EF5 is one of my favorite reasonably priced headphone amps. But note: it is a two-piece, AC-powered, tube-powered unit that is intended for desktop applications or for use in conjunction with high-end audio systems. It is NOT portable, and it does NOT contain a DAC of any kind.
The DACport is really two products in one, both of them ingeniously configured to be USB-powered (i.e., no AC power supply is needed). The DACport is, then, an extremely high-quality 24/96 USB DAC married to a very high-quality class A headphone amplifier, and it is portable, though it does need to be used with a laptop that provides full-fledged USB ports. As agb points out below, the DACport is not set up to be driven directly from an iPod (because the iPod is not, so far as I am aware, set up to provide power to an external device via USB).
Looking only at the headphone amplifier sections of the products, my nod would go to the HiFiMAN EF5; it sounds terrific. But taken as a whole, there's no denying the superior versatility (and portability) of the DACport.
To answer your two questions, yes, the presence of a good DAC is worth a lot (a whole lot in the case of the DACport), and yes, the CEntrance DAC is a very good one indeed. These are two of the reasons I recommended the product. The portability of the DACport is really compelling, too, and I like the fact that the USB interface cable is also the de facto power cable (I can't speak for you, by I find it's nice not to have to bring along a wall-wart-type power supply for the DACport when I travel).
'Hope this clarifies things somewhat.
Best, Chris Martens
Chris Martens
Editor, Avguide.com/Playback/The Perfect Vision
Hi Chris,
Many thanks for your clarification. I've happily followed you for years in TAS. So perhaps you might answer:
The earphone output of the iPod is obviously analog and cannot benefit from a DAC. Various gadgets such as the Squeezebox are said to intercept the iPod's output as a digital stream, before it goes through the iPod's internal DAC. This is advantageous because the iPod's DAC is said to be of low quality. So,
1. Is this the case? How much better is the DAC in, say, the DACport? Or in the Squeezebox, for that matter.
2. Is the iPod's digital stream of sufficient quality to merit spending money on it?
3. If so, how can one get tap the iPod's digital data (through the oblong socket at the bottom) to use the DACport with it--the way the Squeezebox (and perhaps the Wadja) do?
4. Is the DACport's utility limited to headphones or can its analog output be sent to my (powered) desktop speakers? Or even to a large old stereo system?
Many thanks in advance, Chris.
Jeffrey Steingarten
Hi Chris,
Many thanks for your clarification. I've happily followed you for years in TAS. So perhaps you might answer:
The earphone output of the iPod is obviously analog and cannot benefit from a DAC. Various gadgets such as the Squeezebox are said to intercept the iPod's output as a digital stream, before it goes through the iPod's internal DAC. This is advantageous because the iPod's DAC is said to be of low quality. So,
1. Is this the case? How much better is the DAC in, say, the DACport? Or in the Squeezebox, for that matter.
2. Is the iPod's digital stream of sufficient quality to merit spending money on it?
3. If so, how can one get tap the iPod's digital data (through the oblong socket at the bottom) to use the DACport with it--the way the Squeezebox (and perhaps the Wadja) do?
4. Is the DACport's utility limited to headphones or can its analog output be sent to my (powered) desktop speakers? Or even to a large old stereo system?
Many thanks in advance, Chris.
Jeffrey Steingarten
agb in his comment says that the iPod Touch USB connection cannot supply needed power to the CEntrance DACport 24/96 DAC/Headphone Amplifier. Is this true? If so, the CEntrance would be of little use to me. Please clarify this point. Thanks.
Hi wstallsmith,
I believe agb is correct. The DACport is not set up to be driven directly from an iPod (because the iPod is not, so far as I am aware, set up to provide power to an external device via USB).
But note: if you like the general idea of the DACport but need something more iPod-friendly, watch for my upcoming Playback review of the iQube V2 DAC/headphone amplifier from the Dutch firm Qables. The iQube V2 provides both an analog input and a USB DAC input, and it is a battery-powered unit but with an interesting twist. Specifically, the unit is set up so that its battery is charged via its USB cable--not from a wall-wart-type power supply. Once charged up, however, the unit will continue to run even if the USB cable is disconnected. Thus, you can use it with an iPod, or feed it digital audio data directly from a computer. Pretty cool concept, no? Thus, the iQube V2 sort of "splits the difference" with the CEntrance approach.
Best, Chris Martens
Chris Martens
Editor, Avguide.com/Playback/The Perfect Vision
Chris, many thanks for your response. I await your review of the Dutch device, which looks as if might answer my needs exactly. I hope that it might also be published in TAS, to which I have subscribed for years.
'm VERY excited to be a part of the CEntrance team now (have joined them as director of marketing)!! I had reviewed their DACPort myself, and loved it - plus: This review from Chris helped seal the deal for me!! NICE one Chris, as ALWAYS!!!!
Michael Mercer
The Daily Swarm
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Hi Mike,
Heartfelt congratulations on your new position with CEntrance. The DACport is quite an impressive component, both in terms of sound **and** build quality. That latter aspect is sometimes tricky to convey in a review, but it's the sort of thing you really notice when you live with the product for a time. (You find yourself asking questions like, "Is this about what I would get if, say, an aerospace company decided to build a portable DAC/amp."). 'Works for me.
Chris Martens
Editor, Avguide.com/Playback/The Perfect Vision
Thanks Chris!!
I'm looking forward to keeping in close touch and getting you a CEntrance DACmini PX (DACmini plus a 25w per channel amp - which is voiced to work with these new CEntrance co-planar/coaxial desktop speakers (Masterclass 2502) I'm checking out right now - seeing if they pass my own acid test - thus far so good)!!!! As you know, I won't work for a company if I don't believe i their products - I'm not that good a salesman!!
Michael Mercer
The Daily Swarm
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