Twindac+ battery powered USB dac and rca - one of the best

Will make any other USB or Firewire (read Weiss) DAC's pale. The only requirement is that your amplifier's input should be 50 kOm or more.

Here is a post by someone who sold his Dcs gear for Twindac+
http://db.audioasylum.com/mhtml/m.html?forum=digital&n=88541&highlight=dack+jwm&search_url=%2Fcgi%2Fsearch.mpl%3Fforum%3Dmug%26searchtext%3Das%2Bfar%2Bas%2BI%2Bcan%2Btell

More on this DAC
http://forum.bd-design.nl/index.php?id=14217
http://forum.bd-design.nl/index.php?mode=search&search=twindac&page=6

Battery powered DAC with both USB and RCA SPDIF digital inputs!!! - extremely rare. Very analogue sound. ONE OF THE BEST USB DAC's ever. As used and sold by Bert Doppenberg, designer of Oris Horns, Orpheans and Swings ($30 000 sold direct from manufacturer). Such DAC is used in Bert's system and was part of audio shows where bd-design demonstrated its system and consistently got "one of the best sound" praises.
I think its latest price was around USD 4500 sold direct, i.e. without retail markups. Made by Mirko Wetzig in Japan, a German engineer who used to work for Analog Devices. The DAC was sold by Bert Doppenberg, from bd-design.nl who is famous for one of the best horn systems ever made called Swing, Oris, and Orphean. This DAC is the same with what Bert himself is using at his studio and at demos in audio shows. European voltage, 230V. But the price is so low for such quality that I am sure you can spend the saved $ for a voltage converter or a power mod. The fact it runs on batteries helps too.

Paypal +4.9%.

My system is in the Bert's showroom. Look it up at the Showroom section, Oris horns in Ferrari red color under my name. It will be a safe purchase. I have an excellent ebay feedback if this helps, and Bert knows me personally.

Some product info. BUT! When I just checked the manufacture's site, it was down, hence I quote below some tech info from the site that I saved.

- Twin multi-bit converter
- Bi-transformer design for I/V conversion and signal
- No digital filter
- No analog filer
- 100 Mhz reclocker with ultra low jitter
- Black Gate NX Super E-caps for power section
- Powered by 4 batteries (they can be easily and cheaply replaced if you ever need it).
- Super transformer for the digital output
- Black Gate NX capacitors

Tech data

Digital input RCA:
- Sample frequency up to 96 khz
- Resolution up to 18bit

USB input:
- Windows or Mac
- Sample frequency up to 48 khz
- Resolution up to 16 bit

Analog output:
- Output impedance: 2.5 kohm
- Maximum output voltage: 0.8V peak
- Minimal load: ≥ 50 kohm

TWINDAC+

Most digital playback systems are faulty. Unfortunately, that is almost universally the case, as most sound-systems are not capable of resolving enough details to reproduce the musical experience contained in the original performance. Most listeners have, therefore, not yet heard all the information on their CD!

In addition, people are no longer used to listening for finer differentiations of emotional qualities, because they are accustomed to hearing in the flawed digital world for decades. However, they will greatly respond to it when exposed to it. The sad truth is that most people no longer know what music should sound like.

The various faults of most sound-systems limit the fine detailing of the sound and the dynamics transients that make up the emotions in the music. The sounds are expressionless, dead and “canned” lacking lifelike qualities, harsher in high frequencies, without vibrancy and low-level information (ambience, overtone structure etc.) eliminating the emotional richness and depth of expression. What is heard is quite different from the original work that was recorded.

The TwinDAC+ used in a proper playback system greatly overcomes such shortcomings producing an extremely realistic and natural fully bodied sound. It can handle simple music and complex music of all kind stress free and with excellent separation of instruments. Fine nuances of voices/instruments and low-level details are revealed reproducing a lifelike atmosphere with richness and differentiations. Excellent bass reproduction, sweet heights without harshness and dynamics should be named as well.

One final remark, S2S Audio Ltd. knows about the general flaws of the current digital audio technology by its nature. However, the situation can be dramatically improved for the first time. The TwinDAC+ with its unique design proves this by its emotional impact on you.

CONVERTER

Industry leading unique patentable twin based multi-bit digital to analog converter design.

Selected multi-bit converter ICs for lowest distortion possible

Output Transformer

Special designed bi-transformers for pure passive current to voltage conversion without commonly used I/V resistor

Big high inductance transformer for excellent bass performance with a very wide bandwidth for excellent transient response

Outstanding reproduction of low level signals

Digital Interface

Absence of digital and analog filters

Digital filters produce unnatural pre- and post-ringing on audio samples.

As analog filters only mimic the natural ear-brain filter, they are superfluous.

Shielded, low-capacitance, low-aberration input transformer with a bandwidth of 700Hz-40Mhz and fast rise time improving common-noise rejection, reducing jitter and noise contamination and the immunity to common-mode voltage transients

High speed digital design for maximum isolation and the effects of noise currents in ground planes

Battery Powered
Low impedance battery power supply for ultra clean performance
Dual battery supply providing infinite operation (Battery packs are alternately operated or charged.)
Four over-dimensioned 4Ah batteries per battery pack with a very low internal impedance

Decoupling
Black Gate's ultimate Super-E-cap formation with NX capacitors in analog sections
Black Gate's NX capacitors in digital sections

Alternative Power Supply
Black Gate's ultimate Super-E-cap formation with four NX capacitors

Clock
Ultra low jitter reclock unit beyond 100Mhz sporting 2ps rms jitter