2018 Best Dap/Dac Awards
We had the pleasure to cover so many exciting high quality products over the past year and are pleased to announce
The winners of the earphonia.com 2018 Best Dap/DAC Awards are:
Gold Award – Chord Electronics – Hugo 2
In 2014, we introduced Hugo, a revolutionary portable DAC and headphone amp that became a landmark product in the audio landscape. Advances in digital technology, including the latest FPGAs and WTA (Watts Transient Aligned) filters, have enabled us to introduce a next-generation version, Hugo 2, featuring flexible new features, plus next-generation technical and sonic performance.
Hugo 2 can be used both at home and on-the-go, either with headphones or within a conventional audio system. Its line-level output and full-function remote control adds real flexibility in full-size and desktop systems.
The device offers four digital inputs (optical, coaxial and HD USB) plus extended-range Bluetooth, with high-resolution file playback up to 768kHz and up to DSD512 (Octa DSD), via its HD USB input. Analogue outputs include 2x RCA, plus 3.5mm and 6.35mm headphone outputs.
earphonia.com Chord Electronics – Hugo 2 review
Silver Award – iBasso Audio – DX200
Accomplished portable reference listening, iBasso DX200 is the digital audio player you have been waiting for. Made for professionals and audiophiles the DX200 provides outstanding performance with little to no distortion or crosstalk. Brimming with advanced technologies including dual Sabre DACs offering bit for bit playback support up to 32bit/384 kHz and Native DSD up to 512x.
Providing outstanding performance, the DX200 includes two ES9028PRO DAC chips in parallel. Each DAC chip has eight DACs built-in resulting in optimised total harmonic distortion, dynamic range and crosstalk. Together with two integrated Femtosecond oscillators the DX200 provides extremely low jitter performance with long-term stability for the signal.
A groundbreaking design element of the iBasso DX200 includes interchangeable AMP cards that offer modification of the listening experience to suit different tastes and requirements. DX200 comes with AMP1 card that is equipped with 2.5mm balanced output, 3.5mm single-ended output, and 3.5mm line output.
earphonia.com iBasso Audio DX200 review
Bronze Award – QLS– QA361
A361 sound style is derived from QA360LE, the same easy and elegant, as well as nice, compare with QA360LE, it is more penetrating, more condensed and delicate, better treble and bass extension, more excellent feeling of music, more graceful and natural, soft and with the feeling of quality. Reasons to buy the QA361
1. It is adopted by the single-chip computer single thread ultra real-time code, make sure the sound to be more purified, more details can be restored. 2. It rewrites the code full linear reading card, and isolates TF card power supply, the sound background is more black, more purified and natural. 3. 0.088ps double femtosecond crystal vibration provides the clock for the overall synchronization of the whole machine. 4. Two 470000uF super capacitors independently supply the power to the analog and digital. 5. 6 OPA1622 achieve four kinds of trust mode of ear amplifier: Standard, Large current, High voltage and Dual-high.
6. AK4495SEQ sound quality special edition + high voltage power supply, make sure high quality and the good feeling of music.
7. Enhanced capacitive load driving capability can drive the capacitive load larger than 2000pF. 8. The sound is extremely penetrating, delicate and has the very excellent feeling of music.
The analog signal is controlled by low distortion dual power analog signal electronic switch, so as to achieve the gain control
earphonia.com QLS QA361 review
Well done to all the winners and the team at earphonia.com look forward to covering many more new products in 2019.
