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USB DACs Super Test: PC + DAC = HI-FI (Part 2)

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Furutech ADL Stride: $578

The Furutech ADL Stride has been tested before, gaining a four-star rating for its efforts. But in a Super test among its class rivals, its price, portability and sound quality take a beating. But first, let’s remind ourselves what this DAC and headphone amplifier can do.

Part of Furutech’s entry-level line of products, the Stride supports native playback of up to 24-bit/96kHz music files, which is plenty of scope to boost the music playing from your iTunes collection. Any higher-resolution 192 kHz files will have to be down sampled to 96 kHz.

Such a lofty price tag demands sonic excellence, and that’s what’s missing here

Such a lofty price tag demands sonic excellence, and that’s what’s missing here

There are a number of ways you can use the Stride. First, plug your favorite pair of cans into the 3.5mm headphone output, and run a cable from your laptop’s USB port to the Stride’s mini USB input. Alternatively, you can use the headphone output to take the signal into a stereo amplifier and out to your speakers. Thirdly, feed the signal from your smartphone’s headphone output into the Stride’s 3.5mm line level input. Of course, that last application is a slightly clunky way of marrying a smartphone with this DAC – we reckon it’s more likely to be used in a laptop system.

Adding to that set-up is the Stride’s rechargeable battery, which means it can deliver a claimed 80 hours of playback when charged (via mains or USB).There’s a slim volume wheel tucked into the corner as well.

The Stride has a wedge-shaped aluminum casing: it’s an odd shape and not as classy-feeling as its rivals. We find that the rPAC (its closest rival here in concept) has a nicer feel to it and is a neater, more compact option. $578 is quite a lot of money to spend on a DAC, especially for use on the move, and the comprehensively equipped Lindy is the only other one here over $578.

There’s a sense of solidity to the plucking of strings from the Stride, but we’d like tauter and more agile rhythms with precise edges

Bringer of balance

So how does the ADL Stride sound? Play In the Cold, Cold Night by The White Stripes (Streamed, 320kbps) and there’s a good sense of balance across the frequencies, with clear highs and weighty lows. There’s no unwieldy bass and the midrange sounds clear and direct.

Meg White’s vocals are detailed and melodic, although we’d have loved a greater depth of detail to fully flesh out the moments when the song dips low into quieter passages. Go up the scale in sample rates and the detail quality hikes up, with instruments nicely spaced out, although the HRT micro-Streamer has better spatial awareness and a more open soundstage.

There are a number of ways you can use the Stride. First, plug your favorite pair of cans into the 3.5mm headphone output, and run a cable from your laptop’s USB port to the Stride’s mini USB input

There are a number of ways you can use the Stride. First, plug your favorite pair of cans into the 3.5mm headphone output, and run a cable from your laptop’s USB port to the Stride’s mini USB input

What’s clear in this company is that the Stride doesn’t quite have the rhythmic precision to battle against the best in class. The rPAC isn’t the most insightful of DACs in this test, yet it is a notch above the Stride in delivering a musical and engaging performance. There’s a sense of solidity to the plucking of strings from the Stride, but we’d like tauter and more agile rhythms with precise edges to tie all the instruments together.

It’s by no means as dull a performer as the Lindy, but the Stride is outclassed by cheaper, more portable and much more sonically talented performers.

Rating: 3/5

For: Flexible connection; clear, well-balanced sound; decent detail; 80 hours of playback

Against: Class leaders offer more detail, nicer build quality and greater convenience; price

Verdict: Better-sounding, cheaper rivals mean the Furutech is not the best portable option

Furutech ADL Stride specs

·         USB in: 1

·         Coaxial digital in: 0

·         Optical digital in: 0

·         RCA in: 0

·         RCA out: 0

·         XLR out: 0

·         Optical digital out: 0

·         Coaxial digital out: 0

·         Headphone: 1

·         Wireless: No

·         Finishes: 1

·         Dimensions (H x W x D): 3 x 7 x 12cm

·         Performance: 3

·         Feature: 4

·         Build: 3

ARCAM rDAC: $519

For more than two years now, Arcam’s rDAC has been our go-to DAC of choice. We’ve loved it since we first tested it in 2010, and when we gave DACs their own category in the 2011 What Hi Fi? Sound and Vision Awards, the rDAC won itself a place among the decorated equipment.

In fact, until very recently we’d have been hard pressed to recommend another DAC that delivers such fantastic value for money. When it comes to creating a natural bridge between your digital music collection and your existing hi-fi set up, the rDAC still reigns supreme.

ARCAM rDAC

ARCAM rDAC

So what makes the rDAC so special? Simply put, it is one of the most musical and engaging DACs we’ve ever heard at this price. Whether you’re streaming a 320kbps file, playing a WAV recording or that elusive 24-bit/192kHz hi-res song, the rDAC faithfully delivers a smooth and engaging performance.

Key to the rDAC’s performance is the combination of the Wolfson WM8741DAC chip and asynchronous USB technology, which aims to significantly reduce the level of jitter (timing inaccuracies) that can be found in computer-based music.

Play a WAV recording of Regina Spektor’s The Flowers using the USB connection, and there’s a wealth of detail on a confident and authoritative soundstage. The piano notes are struck with appropriate weight and agility, and Regina’s voice is conveyed with plenty of subtlety and attention to the various nuances of emotion. Silences are handled with aplomb, and there’s a depth of engagement that’s hard to find elsewhere at this price.

It’s a testament to the rDAC’s talents that it can apply the same full-bodied and dynamically subtle sound across all types of music files

No matter what the source, the solidly built rDAC delivers a smooth and engaging sound

No matter what the source, the solidly built rDAC delivers a smooth and engaging sound

Hi-res, high quality

Switch to streaming more hi-res files using the coaxial input (which handles up to 24 bit/192kHz, while the optical and USB inputs are restricted to 24 bit/96kHz) and the rDAC revels in the high-quality files, with the increased clarity and detail definition working in the rDAC’s favor.

Stream Elephants by Them Crooked Vultures and the rDAC maintains its melodic approach, with fluid dynamics and agile timing that make it easy to listen to for hours on end. It’s a testament to the Arcam’s talents that it can apply the same full-bodied and dynamically subtle sound across all types of music files.

The rDAC itself is a compact and good-looking box: the cast aluminum chassis gives it a sleek looks, and the power supply and connections (coaxial and optical inputs, type-B USB input and a pair of line-level RCA outputs) are hidden away on the rear panel. A single button on top selects the input, with corresponding indicators hanging over the edge of the box lighting up neatly. Our only gripes are that there is no headphone output, and that it may not be as winningly portable as some of the other DACs in this test. On the other hand, Arcam does make a wireless option for around $130 more.

The rDAC itself is a compact and good-looking box: the cast aluminum chassis gives it a sleek looks, and the power supply and connections (coaxial and optical inputs, type-B USB input and a pair of line-level RCA outputs) are hidden away on the rear panel

The rDAC itself is a compact and good-looking box: the cast aluminum chassis gives it a sleek looks, and the power supply and connections (coaxial and optical inputs, type-B USB input and a pair of line-level RCA outputs) are hidden away on the rear panel

There’s no stopping the rDAC – it’s an entertaining and superbly capable DAC that we’d proudly display as part of our desktop music set-up.

Rating: 5/ 5

For: Good build and design; fluid dynamics; subtle with detail; agile timing; engaging and enjoyable sound

Against: No headphone output

Verdict: Melodic and engaging, this Award winning rDAC remains a top-notch performer

Arcam rDAC specs

·         USB in: 1

·         Coaxial digital in: 1

·         Optical digital in: 1

·         RCA in: 0

·         RCA out: 1

·         XLR out: 0

·         Optical digital out: 0

·         Coaxial digital out: 0

·         Headphone: 0

·         Wireless: No

·         Finishes: 1

·         Dimensions (H x W x D): 4 x 16 x 11cm

·         Performance: 5

·         Feature: 4

·         Build: 5

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