The Emotiva Ego+ DACs are Back and Better Than Ever

We love when manufacturers send us new product releases that sound like marketing hype and mumbo jumbo. Some of the claims are downright weird and we often have to reach out to navigate through all of the BS that occupies the first four or five paragraphs. One brand that gets to the point rather quickly is Emotiva. No hyperbole — well…not enough to make us wince or move onto the next story. They build excellent sounding equipment that is affordable and we’re more than just a little intrigued about the new Emotiva Ego DACs that are now available. DACs are hot in 2021. Especially because manufacturers have finally figured out that 95% of the population won’t spend more than $150 on one.

Dongle DACs are all the rage and with hundreds of millions of mobile devices being used as digital media players, it’s clear that there is enormous room for growth in the category.

The Emotiva Ego DACs are both under $150 and that will definitely make them quite popular if you’re a fan of the brand or if you are looking for something inexpensive to upgrade the sound of your digital music streaming.

If you have been following our recent coverage of Apple Music, Spotify HiFi, Qobuz, and Tidal — you are probably aware that you require a DAC to listen to lossless hi-res music through your headphones or stereo system. A good DAC will also enhance the sound quality of your existing lossy or 16-bit/44.1kHz lossless streaming so it’s an investment that can grow with you.

The Big Ego+ is an audiophile quality stereo USB DAC designed to improve audio fidelity from your CD quality and high resolution digital audio files and streaming content.

The Big Ego+ supports PCM files and streams at sample rates up to 32-bit/384kHz, and includes a built-in high quality headphone amplifier, separate line level analog and Toslink optical outputs, three user selectable oversampling filters, and a switchable headphone blend mode.

The Big Ego+ offers the features of their popular original Big Ego DAC, but with redesigned internal circuitry to sound even better, and upgraded to a new case finish that is both more attractive and more durable. 

Simply connect the Big Ego+ to any current Apple or Windows computer and it will appear as an external sound card or DAC to your favorite audio player program. The Big Ego+ is powered by the USB connection, and requires no external power source, which makes it especially convenient for driving high quality headphones from a laptop or portable computer.

It will also work with most modern smart phones and tablets that utilize USB-C connectors with the included USB-C connection cable. The Big Ego+ utilizes an asynchronous USB Audio Class 2 connection to deliver the best possible performance with modern high resolution content, but it also includes a UAC1 compatibility option which enables it to play audio from many older devices at sample rates up to 24-bit/96kHz.

The Big Ego+ is also designed with a fixed analog output (2.1 VRMS) for connection to your home stereo. The headphone jack’s maximum output is 1.8 VRMS.

The $119 Little Ego+ DAC is an audiophile quality stereo USB DAC which will also improve audio fidelity from your CD quality and high resolution digital audio files and streaming content.

The Little Ego+ supports PCM files and streams at sample rates up to 24-bit/384kHz, but lacks the separate line level analog and Toslink optical outputs available in Big Ego+.

The Little Ego+ offers the features of their original Little Ego DAC, but with refined internal circuitry to sound even better, and upgraded to a new case finish that is both more attractive and more durable. 

Simply connect the Little Ego+ to any current Apple or Windows computer and it will appear as an external sound card or DAC to your favorite audio player program. The Little Ego+ is powered by the USB connection, and requires no external power source, which makes it especially convenient for driving high quality headphones from a laptop or portable computer.

It will also work with most modern smart phones and tablets that utilize USB-C connectors with the included USB-C connection cable.

The Little Ego+ utilizes an asynchronous USB Audio Class 2 connection to deliver the best possible performance with modern high resolution content, but it also includes a UAC1 compatibility option which enables it to play audio from many older devices at sample rates up to 24-bit/96kHz.

For more information: Emotiva DACs