Features
| Colour | Black |
|---|---|
| Brand | Tangent |
Product Description
The Tangent DAC II DAC is a high-end DAC at a bargain price. The DAC chipset features the renowned Sabre ES9023 24-bit I.C. This is a 24-bit capable chip. Additionally, for maximum versatility, there are many optical and coaxial digital inputs, as well as USB.
Also, you can stream from your smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth using the AptX codec. The unit has a front-mounted input selector, so it can be used as a preamp. Lastly, the Tangent DAC II DAC can be used as a standalone unit using the built-in headphone amplifier.
This unit will provide a big boost in sound quality over the built-in DAC in your smartphone or tablet.
Versatile connectivity
The front control knob of the Tangent DAC II DAC can be used to select from three optical or one coaxial digital input. There is also a USB connector for an external drive. Bluetooth can also be used to stream from your Smartphone or tablet.
The Tangent DAC II DAC makes the perfect add-on for someone wanting to add a digital front end to an existing amplifier. However, the unit can also be used on its own, as a headphone amplifier and preamp.
Balanced outputs
Unusually at this price point, the Tangent DAC II DAC features balanced outputs as well as standard RCA outputs. Balanced outputs are used by high-end audio equipment to provide a noise-free connector. Standard RCA leads only have two conductors and are prone to picking up noise and interference.
However, balanced leads have three conductors. The drive and receiving circuitry also needs to be specifically designed for balanced operation. The lead comprises of a hot positive lead, a cold or negative lead, and a zero volts reference.
The audio signal swings to either side of the ground reference and is of opposite phase in each lead. When the signal is recombined at the receiving end any noise is cancelled out. This is similar to 2-2 being 0.
What is a DAC?
The Tangent DAC II DAC features the quality Sabre ES9023 24-bit DAC decoder I.C. This I.C. Decodes the ones and zeros of the digital audio signal back into music. D.A.C stands for Digital to Analogue Convertor and they are used by most modern audio equipment.
However, the quality of the DAC built into smartphones, tablets, and PCs is not optimized for quality audio. Therefore one of the best upgrades you can get is a standalone DAC, such as the Tangent DAC II DAC. DACs are available in many forms, from small add-on USB devices to those that are built into integrated amplifiers.
The best quality will always be obtained from a dedicated unit.
What is aptX?
AptX is a Bluetooth codec that can be used to transmit or stream high-quality audio from a mobile device or PC. There are various other Bluetooth codecs but aptX is the most common. aptX was originally used to record film soundtracks. It Provides a “CD-like “ signal with a 44.1kHz sampling rate and a 16-bit bit depth.
