ITOK Media Limited’s innovative Hi-Fi brand Trends Audio launched their new innovative HiFi product to work with computer as audio source via USB connection — Trends UD-10 USB Audio Converter.
Trends UD-10 USB Audio Converter provides 4 concurrent digital outputs (Optical x1, Coaxial x2 (RCA/BNC) & AES/EBU x1) for connection with external DACs. A high-quality decoded headphone output is also Provided. You can use the bundled adaptor to plug it via RCA interconnect cable to our Trends TA-10 Class-T Stereo Audio Amplifier for audio playback.
“There is more and more good quality audio DACs newly released. But, a good audio source is still difficult to find” Trends Audio’s Marketing Manager David HO said,”We developed an USB Audio Converter UD-10, which works as an external sound card with various formats of digital output and decoded headphone output. It effectively isolated the serious interference from the noise within the PC case, e.g. the high frequency data signals, the switching-mode power supply and the FAN motors, etc…. ”
On the other hand, UD-10 upgrades the PC to be a hi-end audio source. With the good power supply handling, the high accuracy clock and the sophisticated digital output circuit, Trends UD-10 makes the PC to behave as a high-end CD transport to work with an external DAC. Yet, the Trends UD-10 and PC couple provides better sound quality, larger storage capacity and more user-friendly interfaces than a CD transport. (Remarks: computer hard disk is far more better than a CD pickup mechanism no matter in speed, stability, error correction, jitter reduction. They are actually the technology of different eras.). For circuit & function design, Trends UD-10 is much more thoughtful functions for PC user and audiophiles:
- high-end Burr Brown PCM2704 IC for USB audio conversion proprietary dual power regulation circuits design (normal implementations are just directly applying the 5V USB bus power). No matter the power is supplied from the USB bus or from external socket, it is regulated before supply to the related ICs. Dual regulated powers are supplied to digital circuits and analog circuits individually.
- separated digital/analog ground. The digital GND (network) and the analog GND (solid) is totally separated except connected via a ferrite bread in a single point.
- 4 pins high accuracy crystal clock (10ppm)
- applied RS422 driving IC to concurrently drive 4 groups of balance & non-balance digital outputs. Audiophiles can compare the differences between these digital outputs instantly or play for the Bi-DACs or even Quad DACs.
- proprietary impedance matching circuits for AES/EBU (110 ohm), Coaxial (75 ohm) digital outputs
- applied the specially designed pulse transformers for each AES/EBU and Coaxial outputs to further isolated interference from Trends UD-10 to the external DAC.
We applied audiophile grade materials and electronic components, including the high-quality Japanese/Korean precise SMD resistors and capacitors. Besides reducing the space, it also reduces the resident inductance (relative to DIP components). The power filtering and decoupling is using Sanyo OS-CON solid-state electrolyte capacitors. The analog signal decoupling and coupling are using ELNA Silmic electrolyte capacitors and WIMA MKP10 film capacitors. The case of the device is the stylish iron-gray whole aluminum one.
Trends UD-10 USB Audio Converter is now available and the suggested retail price is only US$89. For more information or request a sample, you can visit their web site at http://www.TrendsAudio.com
