The landscape for usb dacamps has become extremely competitive. For example the nuforce usb udac 3 that is sold here 80 usd i think is miles better as a dac and amp compared to my phone. Oct, 2011 want a portable usb powered headphone dac amp. Most items come with a limited manufacturers warranty. The udac3 digital to analogue converter dac and combined headphone amplifier significantly upgrades any computers sound output. I was a big fan of the 2 so im glad to read good things about the nuforce 3. Improve the sound of your iphoneipod with the nuforce ido. But the icon dac manage to play dsd files, i also tried some 2496 and they play.
Aug 10, 2017 the nuforce udac 5 delivers a good performance in a compact format. Optoma nuforce udac3 dac headphone amplifier sign in to comment. Recently got a new dac amp for my portable audio setup for when im at college. The performance of the dac is best represented in music with a highresolution format such as flac. Nuforce ido applecompatible dacheadphone amplifier resolutionsample rate. The headphones are with open design and a lot of the sound leaks.
The amp has a 5 ohm output impedance and drives headphones up to 300ohms. The addition of a walmart protection plan adds extra protection from the date of purchase. Apr 10, 2019 the nuforce udac 3 has an almost identical appearance to the nuforce udac2, with a tiny size just a bit bigger than the zippo lighter, with a knob, headphone jack and active status led on the front. The nuforce udac2 is a portable highperformance usb dac meaning digital analog converter as well as a headphone amp all together in a tiny package. The nuforce u dac 5 the latest model in their portable dacamp line. Dec 01, 20 my nuforce u dac 2 literally just crapped out today right channel went out so i just ordered the nuforce u dac 3 on sale at amazon. First off, the udac2 is usbpowered only no batteries and so is designed to work with a laptop, not an ipod or iphone or ipad you can use.
The udac5 can belt out volumes approaching an ak380, but its maximum artefactfree volume settles in just north of an iphone 6. The optoma nuforce udac5 is an excellent little dac amp that cannot be beaten in size or sound for the price. But looks can be very deceiving, and im pleased to be able to report that the udac3 is a seriously good dacamp combo at its price. Due to the uniform frequency response and the resulting, neutral almost analytical sound, the dac surprises with a rich, detailed sound. Nuforce udac2 usb dacheadphone amp playback 40 the. Much, much better than the output from the pcs headphone jack surface pro 3. Buy nuforce udac3 black optoma mobile usb dac and headphone amplifier black.
For example the nuforce usb udac 3 that is sold here 80 usd i think is. Its a line that talks about potential and lost opportunities. Nuforce udac3 mobile dac and headphone amplifier black. The udac5 is a wellbuilt, compact, and fullfeatured dac. Many dacs are made very rugged they perform fine but dont look very pretty. The optoma nuforce udac3 is an asynchronous, 24bit, 96 khz, digital to audio converter dac and headphone amplifier. You can connect multiple music sources to it, when you use it with the icon hdp preamp or usb dac. I again remind our readers of the standard caveat that value is a function of your budget and your needs, not my budget and my needs.
Nuforce icon ido applecompatible dacheadphone amp playback. Nuforces icon ido amp improves ipod sound, costs more. Designed to act as an upgrade over your desktop computer or laptops internal sound card, the nuforce udac3 is a mobile headphone amp and dac sporting a prominent rotary volume control. This tiny, pocketsized component allows your computer and your audio system to become perfect partners. Jul 29, 2016 posiadasz malo wydajna karte dzwiekowa, a poszukujesz lepszego brzmienia. Of course, tuning a source or headphone amp to match the signature of a headphone is nearly impossible. When we first auditioned the original nuforce udac, we were quite pleased. The nuforce udac 3 has an almost identical appearance to the nuforce udac2, with a tiny size just a bit bigger than the zippo lighter, with a knob, headphone jack and active status led on the front. Nuforce udac3 mobile usb dac and headphone amplifier black. The nuforce udac 2 is a combination usb dac and headphone amp for getting audiophile sound quality out of your computer through the usb connection. That said, it is hard to imagine someone who objectively would find the udac2 anything less than a good value, assuming you need both a headphone amp and dac, but dont need a batterypowered unit that provides an analog input. Nuforce udac2 headphone amp by chris devine on november 10, 2011. The idos dac is much the same as the one used in nuforces udac2, but the maximum sample rate is.
Gutenburg, but i find little credence in your ramblings. I cant see buying a dacamp just for use with ipods, but i could see buying one that would work with an ipod and a computer. Nuforce announced the udac2se special edition digital to analog converter and headphone amplifier for usb audio which offers enhanced performance utilizing asynchronous usb mode with upsampling. Includes standard leftright analog outputs and a digital coaxial output for connection to higher quality sound systems. Many dac s are made very rugged they perform fine but dont look very pretty. Over time ive come to understand what is truly great about this little dacheadphone amp and what could stand some improvement. Nuforce udac3 class leading mobile dac product overview. Jun 02, 2012 for grins, we also compared the performance of the nuforce cube to nuforces icon udac2 and headrooms micro dac and micro amp combo. Use with smartphonesdigital audio playerstabletslaptops headphone upgrade. Fast, free shipping, flexible 45 day return policy.
When i say portable i mean its tiny enough to be portable but you cannot use it with your ipod on the go because the udac 2 does. Well i dunno, but i got to say that the udac is a fine value of a dacamp, with great power which could probably drive higher impedance cans, good amount of bass and an overall musical sound signature. The nuforce udac2 is a combination usb dac and headphone amp for getting audiophile sound quality out of your computer through the usb connection. The nuforce icon dac is a device that seeks to upgrade this conversion process. The tin t2s sound amazing for the very cheap price point that they are at, i mostly chose the udac 3 because i currently also have one hooked up to my pc setup at home and knew that it was also pretty solid for the price. For grins, we also compared the performance of the nuforce cube to nuforces icon udac2 and headrooms micro dac and micro amp combo. If youre a gamer, the udac 3 delivers realistic sound effects that really put you in the game. Nuforce icon ido usb dac headphone amplifier page 2. We delete comments that violate our policy, which we encourage you to. Designed to be used not only with your computer but your portable device, the nuforce icon dac is a standalone dac, a headphone amp, and a headphone preamp.
Nuforce icon udac3 highresolution usb digital audio. The udac2 connects to a usb output on your computer and feeds your digital music through its builtin, highquality digitaltoanalog converter. Its way worse than the iphone, which i spend no small amount of time bashing. In addition to the versatility of usage, the dac and headphone amplifier combination convinces primality in sound reproduction. The company recently supplied us with a test sample of the icon udac2, which is basically a usb dac and headphone amp in a small 2.
Nuforce headphone amp, usb dac udac3, nuforce udac3. With 18 w per channel, it ensures a powerful sound quality. Recently got a new dacamp for my portable audio setup for when im at college. Increase sound quality on your ipad, iphone or ipod with nuforce udac. The nuforce icon mobile headphone amp and usb dac up to 300 ohm headphones to your mp3 players dec 3, 2008 08. It was a growing force and all over the hifi industry at one point. It was easy to connect to our netbook and notebook computers. The tin t2s sound amazing for the very cheap price point that they are at, i mostly chose the udac3 because i currently also have one hooked up to my pc setup at home and knew that it was also pretty solid for the price. This unit is suitable for musicians, producers, djs, gamers, audiophiles, and fans of online streaming audio. Nuforce has released a digital to audio converter to alleviate these issues. It happened before with the nuforce 2 with high sierra, and that forced me to buy the 3, but now with mojave the machine just doesnt recognize it anymore.
Stores consistently run out of stock on the udac, and as fast as nuforce can make them, the market buys at even a faster rate. Which is why its been very hard to get a hold of the udac, especially here in asia. Walmart protection plans cover the total cost of repair, or replacement, for products, as well as covering delivery charges for the exchange. Actually i tried udac 3 and icon dac, both cannot see the 32 or 24 bit on windows. The sounds being rendered are balanced, as is the bass while all frequencies are played accurately regardless of situation, music or games. Shop the udac3 mobile usb dac and headphone amplifier black at. Dec 03, 2008 the nuforce icon mobile headphone amp and usb dac up to 300 ohm headphones to your mp3 players dec 3, 2008 08.
Nuforce icon amp 2 channel headphone amplifier for sale. Lets start with the connections, on the front of the unit you see an headphone out jack and the volumepower on knob. The nuforce udac3 digital to analogue converter dac and combined headphone amp significantly upgrades any computers sound output. Output from rca jacks to stereo receiveramp requires turning volume up but signal stays clear. It simply connects to the computers usb port and extracts every last nuance and detail from your digital music collection as you would expect, only the purest analogue circuit topology has been employed in the udac3, which among other features includes the. Then the left part corrected itself, and the right went out. Nuforce udac3 class leading mobile dac overview from the experts at what hifi. Nuforces icon ido amp improves ipod sound, costs more than a classic. Increase sound quality on your ipad, iphone or ipod with nuforce. Icon ido is a dedicated usb digitaltoanalog converter headphone amplifier for ipods, iphones, and ipads.
For specific compatibilities, see the features section, above. Left channel went out, but the headphone output worked fine. Jan 19, 2011 nuforce is a brand that seems to specialize in interesting and innovative packaging for high quality audio. The udac2 digital analog converter from nuforce proves. My current budget laptop audio setup tin t2, nuforce udac3. My nuforce u dac 2 literally just crapped out today right channel went out so i just ordered the nuforce u dac 3 on sale at amazon. The nuforce udac5 from optoma is as big as a fist behind the ears. Improve the sound of your iphoneipod with the nuforce ido cnet.
Enhance your listening experience with this compact unit. Optoma nuforce udac3 dac headphone amplifier specs cnet. The nuforce icon amp amplifier enhances the sound performance from any music source, such as a laptop or desktop. Nuforce udac3 black optoma mobile usb dac and headphone amplifier black. Nuforce is a brand that seems to specialize in interesting and innovative packaging for high quality audio. A key aspect of the udac2 is that the headphone amp has plenty of power, viewed from the perspective of microsized amps. The very small nuforce udac3 offers a lot of qualities given its 149 price point. Id be really surprised if this is an actual step up from the headphone out of an iphone. At work or on the go, if you own a computer and love music you need the optoma nuforce udac 3. The nuforce udac3 delivers truly superior sound via a highperformance, 24bit96khz usb digital audio converter dac and allows you to connect digital. Jun 15, 2012 the nuforce air dac system works on the new, skaa wireless standard and hpx compression codec said to deliver full bandwidth, 16bit48 khz quality sound with minimal latency and interference. Good amp for driving small earphones like iems in ear monitors.
When i say portable i mean its tiny enough to be portable but you cannot use it with your ipod on the go because the udac2 does. It is a solid unit with a slightly smooth sound that is sure to please. The nuforce air dac system works on the new, skaa wireless standard and hpx compression codec said to deliver full bandwidth, 16bit48. This little fellow packs a lot of performance in an compact size. If i had to guess, id say nuforce set out to make a dac and headphone amp that sounded really good, not necessarily great with the udac 2. The idos dac is much the same as the one used in nuforce s udac2, but the maximum sample rate is 48khz, with up to 24bit resolution. It is not made to use with an ipod or iphone nuforce makes the icon mobile amp for that. Check our unboxing of the very popular nuforce udac3 product page. The nuforce udac 2 is a portable highperformance usb dac meaning digital analog converter as well as a headphone amp all together in a tiny package. Ive been a long time nuforce dac user, until i upgraded my macbook pro to macos mojave, then the machine stops recognizing the device.