Nuforce uDAC (and comparisons)

For testing the DAC section, I used the balanced TPA6120 amp driving a balanced HD800, the same set-up I have used for the previous DAC comparison.

The balanced TPA6120 amp

 

TRS to XLR adaptor for the amp.


I found the D10 to be the lowest performing DAC on the previous comparison, and that still hasn’t changed in this one. Sorry, Ibasso. That means that the uDAC is a better DAC when compared to the D10.

I’m going to elaborate a little bit on the D10’s sound signature here. When compared to the others, I found the D10 to have recessed mids and boosted highs. Boosted highs often sounds more detailed, but it’s actually not (I’ve said this many times now). Recessed mids also doesn’t play well with the majority of music out there.  What’s more, the D10’s treble is a little harsh compared to the other three DACs here. As a matter of fact, this sound signature translates directly to the headphone out of the D10. Making the headphone amp not very favorable either.

The uDAC is definitely better sounding than the D10. It has a smooth treble and a non recessed mids. One feature about the uDAC sound that strikes out from the others is that it has a slight bump on the  lower midrange. Noticeable? Yes. Annoying? Not really, and some people may like that coloration better than the more neutral sounding Audinst HUD-MX1 or Styleaudio UD-1.

Aside from the lower midrange coloration on the uDAC, how does it perform compared to the Audinst and the Styleaudio? I would rank the performance of the DAC in this order: (#1 being the best)
1.  Audinst HUD-MX1
2.  Styleaudio UD-1
3. Nuforce uDAC

I’m  not  counting the lower midrange bump in this ranking, as some people may actually like it, but going from the Nuforce to the Styleaudio, and to the Audinst, the most noticeable difference was in the  soundstage, ambience, and the air between instruments. The uDAC was the most closed sounding of the three. Decay on the uDAC was also a little short from what I consider a natural decay. The  Styleaudio UD-1 was better in giving a more open soundstage and separation, and the Audinst HUD-MX1 was the best of the bunch. I also find the uDAC to be less detailed than the UD-1 or the HUD-MX1. I’m talking about small differences in background details here though, and it may not matter that much to some people. Talking about the overall presentation, I found the uDAC to be the most forward, and the Audinst to be the most relaxed sounding.

Keep in mind that I didn’t use the 24 bit capability of the Audinst for this comparison. I did use a high-res 24/96  file from HRx Reference Recordings, but that was downsampled to 16/44.1 to have an equal 16/44.1 comparison.

The fact that I find the UD-1 to be a better DAC for $20 less than the uDAC doesn’t make the uDAC a bad value, since it does come with a far more potent headphone amplifier than the one in UD-1. The Audinst HUD-MX1, however, is clearly superior than the other three. Offering better DAC performance, a more powerful headphone out (at high gain setting), and 24/96 capability over USB. It does cost $80 more than the  uDAC.

The competition is heating up for the uDAC, but it remains a very excellent product with probably the most attractive design and the best build quality of any other DACs below $200.



System used for review:
Headphones: Sennheiser HD800 with APureSound Balanced Cable, Unique Melody Mage 4 drivers custom IEM
Amplifier: Balanced TPA6120 Amplifier, built in amps of the respective DAC units
Source: Nuforce uDAC, Ibasso D10, Styleaudio UD-1, Audinst HUD-MX1

3/5 - (5 votes)
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23 Comments

  • Reply April 23, 2010

    inyuret

    Thanks for the review and comparisons Mike. I was set to get this, but then I found out about the Audio-GD Sparrow. Its a bit more expensive than the MX-1, I guess I'll wait for reviews before I decide.

    • Reply April 23, 2010

      Mike

      I'm glad you find it helpful.

      I have talked to Kingwa about the Sparrow, and he said he's still doing some final testing before releasing the product. It shouldn't be too far away though.

  • Reply May 2, 2010

    theo

    another good review, i have been considering the udac for ever, but i wonder how the prodigy cube compares to it, considering how close in size they are.

    nice work

  • Reply October 9, 2010

    Simon

    uDAC-2 review soon? I read it's a good upgrade over the first one and might give the Audinst MX1 some competition 😉

    • Reply October 9, 2010

      Mike

      Hehehe, everyone's been asking for an uDAC-2 review. I still have trouble getting the product though. I think demands have been very good for the uDACs.

      • Reply October 10, 2010

        Simon

        I have a uDAC-2 right now. It was an impulse buy because I got tired waiting for a used Audinst MX1 to arrive (not even sure if it will, been 2 weeks). I'll try to compare the two if the MX1 ever shows up in the mail but I'm sure you'll get your hands on a uDAC-2 some day even though it is probably flying off shelves.

        I forgot to ask, how many hours did you have on the uDAC-1 and MX1 when you reviewed them?

  • Reply October 11, 2010

    JJ

    Hey Mike,

    Have you compared the UDAC to the HeadAmp Pico DAC?
    If you have can you do a quick comparison?

    Thanks!

    • Reply October 11, 2010

      Mike

      JJ: I saw the uDAC as more useful for the tiny headphone amplifier that conveniently runs off the USB port. As a USB DAC, its performance was not very impressive, as also confirmed by a lot of other owners. The Pico DAC is quite superior.

      Simon: I can't remember as that review was months ago, but I normally let them have enough running time before starting a critical listening session.

      • Reply October 12, 2010

        JJ

        Thanks for the reply!

        I just bought the Pico DAC and waiting for

        it to be delivered.

        I enjoy reading your reviews and again

        thank you for doing the comparison.

  • Reply October 11, 2010

    Mark

    Hey Mike, Great review! Thanks! I love my Nuforce uDAC, is it possible to use with an ipod directly? or only with a computer? Thanks!

    • Reply October 11, 2010

      Mike

      Hi Mark, glad you're enjoying it. I don't think you can use it with an Ipod directly. Only with a computer (USB port).

      • Reply October 12, 2010

        Mark

        Hi Mike,

        Thank you for the quick reply! Been reading through your reviews, you do a great job! What amps / DACs would you recommend for an ipod for about $100? Thanks! Mark

        • Reply October 12, 2010

          Mike

          Mark, you can't use a DAC off an ipod. It's like hooking up a car engine to another car engine, they serve the same purpose and is not designed to be used together in one car. 🙂

          • Reply October 12, 2010

            Mark

            Hi Mike,

            Thank you for your patience! Am I mistaken or are :

            Fiio E7 ($99)

            Headstage Lyrix Pro USB ($149)

            Battery powered Amp/DACs that can be used directly with an ipod? or is DAC a misnomer when describing the units?

            Thanks! Mark

            • Reply October 12, 2010

              Mike

              Hi Mark. Amplifier is different than a DAC. Amplifier amplifies the signal, and yes you can use one with an Ipod. A DAC is a digital-to-analog converter and the Ipod already has one inside, so you can't use one with the Ipod. In the case of the Fiio E7 and the Headstage Lyric Pro USB, I think they are amplifiers and DACs put together in one package (a two-in-one deal). You can use the amplifier section with your Ipod, but not the DAC section.

  • Reply October 12, 2010

    Mark

    Hi Mike,

    Thanks for the quick reply! Been reading through your reviews, great job! Which amp/DAC would you recommend for about $100 for an ipod? Thanks!

  • Reply October 13, 2010

    Mark

    Mike, Thanks for the explanation! Mark

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