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Review on AIMPIRE AD10 Mini USB DAC CSS XMOS XU208 ES9018K2M OPA2134 HIFI Audio Decoder Amplifier For Enhanced Audio Performance by Kevin Lawson

Revainrating 5 out of 5

The best USB to S/PDIF converter currently available

I bought the D10 as a USB to S/PDIF audio converter as my NUC doesn't have a S/PDIF output and I wanted to connect it to a TeddyDAC which is connected to a new Liquid Platinum headphone amplifier.After fiddling a bit with the diminutive D10 and installing the latest drivers and firmware I came to several conclusions. The first and most important is that as long as the D10 is available there is no point buying anything else as a USB to S/PDIF converter. I sincerely doubt if there is any point in paying for dedicated and expensive units when the D10 perform the same task flawlessly.My second conclusion was that as a DAC the D10 is no slouch at all. I experimented with using it as a DAC instead of the TeddyDAC or the TEAC NT-503 that I also have in the living room and it held its own - which anyone familiar with the two other DAC will know it's no mall feat at all.Lastly, I really appreciated the fact that it doesn't require a power supply, I think the large orange display is very cool and found the build quality to be more than merely acceptable for the price. It's simply well build.

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Pros
  • The ES9018K2M DAC chip produces detailed and accurate sound reproduction, making it ideal for audiophiles and music enthusiasts
Cons
  • Can be difficult to operate for novice audio enthusiasts