The uDAC3 Digital to Analogue Converter (DAC) and combined headphone amplifier significantly upgrades any computer's sound output. It simply connects to the computers USB port and extracts every last nuance and detail from your digital music collection.
Small enough to fit in your pocket, but packing the serious earphone power required to produce the extra bass and volume in the noisiest of environments, the uDAC3 helps you to enjoy perfect sound from your laptop wherever you are. The uDAC3 uses USB for the audio connection, bypassing your laptop's soundcard and earphone output. It then processes your digital music directly - giving you much better sound than is possible from your laptops earphone output. The uDAC3 is perfect for use at home as well as when you're out and about. Unusually for an ultra-portable DAC, it has both analogue and digital output connections - in addition to the earphone amplifier - so you can connect it to your amplifier and speakers at home or in the studio.
The uDAC3 is not just for music lovers; if you're a gamer you will experience a more accurate and realistic sound track, and you'll hear subtle audio cues that others won't, therefore increasing your performance and enjoyment. Musicians, producers and DJ's can use the uDAC3 as an ultra-portable monitoring solution enabling them to work anywhere with ultimate precision. If you use Skype, YouTube, watch movies or use online music services (like Spotify or Pandora) the uDAC3 provides you with the perfect audio accompaniment.
Top comments
PulseTurbo
25 May 167#12
Don't know what it does. Bought it because people said it was cheap.
washer010
25 May 163#17
It charges analogue toothbrushes
robs1
25 May 163#10
Fantastic bargain, great spot OP, ordered.
Will use it whilst paddling down the river in my new Kayak..
montblanc
25 May 163#7
"significantly upgrades any computer's sound output" and "extracts every last nuance and detail from your digital music collection." sounds like the weird nonsense that £100 hdmi cables claim.
Latest comments (64)
rev6
5 Jun 16#64
I'm not really sure why you need to use a USB hub for it to work. OTG cable should be enough.
miffyl
5 Jun 16#63
I've done some investigating and it seems I needed to change the USB configuration in the settings. I changed it to media, switched it off before trying it as went to bed, tried this morning and it works. Just checked the configuration again and it's back on MTP (but still working) - I still need to use the USB hub though - and ideas why and do you know of a tidier solution?
rev6
1 Jun 16#62
If it doesn't power up at all with the phone then something is wrong with the OTG support. Does it support OTG? Can you power a portable HDD from it?
miffyl
1 Jun 16#61
I tried the hub and it worked on my Nexus 7 but not on my Z3C (I was wrong - there were no lights at all using OTG with that).
rev6
1 Jun 16#60
Using just the OTG cable should work but here it's not. Plugging a none powered USB in the OTG and the DAC into the hub is an alternative way of trying it.
Regarding the laptop. Have you tried other micro-USB cables or ports on the laptop?
miffyl
1 Jun 16#59
Sorry, explain that to me please. Here's what I did - I plugged in the OTG cable that came with my phone and plugged the DAC into it. Plugged my headphones into the DAC. I got not audio and the LED stayed blue.
I tried the DAC through a USB port on a laptop (not a hub) and it worked but I got a painful electric tingling in the right earphone where the metal touched the inside of my ear.
rev6
1 Jun 16#58
Have you got a USB hub? Not a powered one. Give it a go with your Z3C.
miffyl
31 May 16#57
I tried on my Z3C (running Concept) and no joy. Will try different cables later.
Tried on a laptop and although sounded good, the sound kept dropping out (light kept turning blue on the front of the unit). The other (significantly greater worry) is that I could feel a slight electric shock in my right ear (using earphones) whilst using the unit. I'll need to try another set but as things stand, it's not for me.
GQ Man
29 May 16#56
DAC arrived today Sunday cant argue with that.
rev6
29 May 16#55
Check eBay :smile:
Winspiration
28 May 16#54
If anyone wants to sell theirs, keep me in mind...
basergorkobal
28 May 16#53
Mine arrived yesterday (via prime). Thought the deal was for a red one but a black one arrived. Clearly I was so excited I wasn't paying attention. No wonder I bought something I have little use for:)
scarper
28 May 16#52
mine were delivered yesterday
GQ Man
28 May 16#51
Dispatch email arrived this afternoon for No rush delivery.
edinburgh55
28 May 16#50
Bought 2 (not Prime) and they were delivered yesterday, will test it out later today.
PulseTurbo
27 May 16#49
Sony MDR-1R
trott3r
27 May 16#48
"Arriving Wednesday
On the way
Track package
Optoma NuForce uDAC-3 USB Digital Audio Converter - Black
Sold by: Amazon EU S.a.r.L.
£26.46 "
Yay mines on the way and not the expected cancellation :smiley:
ScoobyZ
27 May 16#47
Bose QC25
rev6
27 May 16#46
Which headphones did you try?
ScoobyZ
27 May 16#45
LOL same here. My PC has a pretty good onboard sound card. It will be handy for work though on my PC just for the volume knob and would hope will be better than the cheapo sound on a dell PC :smiley:
PulseTurbo
27 May 162#44
Mine's just arrived. Not only did I not really know what it did when I bought it, I also can't tell the difference.
rev6
27 May 16#43
It could still be a price error I guess we'll never know :smile:
jut1972
27 May 16#42
Thank you I thought the call centre guy was talking crap
PulseTurbo
27 May 162#41
Mine was not Prime, and it is being delivered today.
rev6
27 May 16#40
People with Prime would have got.
rev6
27 May 16#39
You can't use it for your PS4. It should work with a phone that has one of the later Android versions and supports OTG. It needs 5v.
jut1972
27 May 16#38
Amazon told me this was a pricing error so if anyone gets one please let me know
PulseTurbo
27 May 16#37
Ready for this to arrive (today), am I able to connect it to my PS4? Pretty sure it'll be easy to connect to my MacBook Air.
Someone else asked, so pretty sure it'll work, but would be good to know if it'd work with my phone as well (Xperia Z3 Compact, running Marshmallow). Any ideas?
rmtheatre
26 May 16#36
Recently bought the Ulefone Vienna because has both DAC and an operational amplifier. Music sounds fantastic through headphones.
lumsdot
26 May 162#35
I got a pcm2704 usb adc for my pi 2 from ebay for about 10 pounds, once connected to the hifi it sounded so much better than the pi,s normal audio. Pcm2704 is a burr brown chip and gets good audio reviews, its only 16bit but then so is CD.
Heres a 24 bit usb dac for 15 pounds, uses the sa9027 24 bit dac which is the same chip used in the nuforce. You may need some amplification for headphones,,but if going straight into a hifi should be fine
Thanks OP, you're an absolute legend. Been looking for a well priced portable headphone amp for ages. Was planning on purchasing the FiiO until you posted this! At a fraction of the projected cost too!!
Muskrut
25 May 16#31
£26 deal is gone :disappointed:
Only the £50.00 Red and £79.00 silver available
Rom
25 May 16#30
Bargain, cheers scarper
jut1972
25 May 16#29
Probably just as well it's out of stock got a fiio I never use and hooking it up to my hifi I'd spend more on the interconnects than this :smiley: heat added for a decent deal!
washer010
25 May 16#28
Depends if you need temporal charging
basergorkobal
25 May 16#27
Insane price for this. Phono and coax output are a bonus.
Shame there's no other inputs other than USB.
cheaperbythe12
25 May 16#26
Damn!..after one of these and just saw this but appears expired as amazon aren't listing it at quoted price anymore. :disappointed: great deal for those that got it.
wackyraces
25 May 16#25
None left at the really great price. Was just about to purchase.
cragster
25 May 16#24
Will it work with the Braun oscillation plaque removing head or will I need an adapter?
mrpipster
25 May 16#23
All gone at that price :disappointed:
Skyhiigh
25 May 16#22
Already out of stock :/
delicatejew
25 May 16#21
my toothbrush is only 80ohm, will this be sufficient to reach the maximum charge cycle?
jut1972
25 May 161#20
Think it's expired not letting me order
delicatejew
25 May 16#19
thanks
ScoobyZ
25 May 16#18
Great post and deal. Nice to see some AV equipment back on hukd.
washer010
25 May 163#17
It charges analogue toothbrushes
scarper
25 May 16#16
yes, but the onboard DAC and amp circuit are not likely to be as good as this (unless you have a pricey sound card)
superspod
25 May 16#15
Have enough DACs. And now I have another one. :smiley:
NimrodsSon
25 May 16#14
Erm, but my computer has a headphone out socket?
washer010
25 May 16#13
Compared to the geek out 1000 it does seem weak
PulseTurbo
25 May 167#12
Don't know what it does. Bought it because people said it was cheap.
miffyl
25 May 16#11
Me too but opted for No Rush Delivery so I can change my mind over the next day or so...
robs1
25 May 163#10
Fantastic bargain, great spot OP, ordered.
Will use it whilst paddling down the river in my new Kayak..
scarper
25 May 16#9
this is a DAC and an Amp
rev6
25 May 161#8
The difference here is that it turns a digital signal into an analogue signal. This process isn't just transfering 0's and 1's like a HDMI cable.
montblanc
25 May 163#7
"significantly upgrades any computer's sound output" and "extracts every last nuance and detail from your digital music collection." sounds like the weird nonsense that £100 hdmi cables claim.
LeeA
25 May 163#6
Don't need it.
Bought. :smirk:
rev6
25 May 16#5
It will if it supports OTG. I think you need Android 5.0+ for USB DAC, not 100% sure. Don't know about other phones.
rev6
25 May 16#4
80mw @ 16ohms. It doesn't look very powerful unless I'm mistaken.
scarper
25 May 16#3
I bought one due to the price (and I have a Chord Mojo!)
GQ Man
25 May 16#2
Sod it at this price and one of the better known USB DACS in the community im gonna have to bite as i ve never seen this level of DAC at this price.
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Opening post
http://www.head-fi.org/t/693047/review-nuforce-udac-3
The uDAC3 Digital to Analogue Converter (DAC) and combined headphone amplifier significantly upgrades any computer's sound output. It simply connects to the computers USB port and extracts every last nuance and detail from your digital music collection.
Small enough to fit in your pocket, but packing the serious earphone power required to produce the extra bass and volume in the noisiest of environments, the uDAC3 helps you to enjoy perfect sound from your laptop wherever you are. The uDAC3 uses USB for the audio connection, bypassing your laptop's soundcard and earphone output. It then processes your digital music directly - giving you much better sound than is possible from your laptops earphone output. The uDAC3 is perfect for use at home as well as when you're out and about. Unusually for an ultra-portable DAC, it has both analogue and digital output connections - in addition to the earphone amplifier - so you can connect it to your amplifier and speakers at home or in the studio.
The uDAC3 is not just for music lovers; if you're a gamer you will experience a more accurate and realistic sound track, and you'll hear subtle audio cues that others won't, therefore increasing your performance and enjoyment. Musicians, producers and DJ's can use the uDAC3 as an ultra-portable monitoring solution enabling them to work anywhere with ultimate precision. If you use Skype, YouTube, watch movies or use online music services (like Spotify or Pandora) the uDAC3 provides you with the perfect audio accompaniment.
Top comments
Will use it whilst paddling down the river in my new Kayak..
Latest comments (64)
Regarding the laptop. Have you tried other micro-USB cables or ports on the laptop?
I tried the DAC through a USB port on a laptop (not a hub) and it worked but I got a painful electric tingling in the right earphone where the metal touched the inside of my ear.
Tried on a laptop and although sounded good, the sound kept dropping out (light kept turning blue on the front of the unit). The other (significantly greater worry) is that I could feel a slight electric shock in my right ear (using earphones) whilst using the unit. I'll need to try another set but as things stand, it's not for me.
On the way
Track package
Optoma NuForce uDAC-3 USB Digital Audio Converter - Black
Sold by: Amazon EU S.a.r.L.
£26.46 "
Yay mines on the way and not the expected cancellation :smiley:
Which headphones did you try?
Someone else asked, so pretty sure it'll work, but would be good to know if it'd work with my phone as well (Xperia Z3 Compact, running Marshmallow). Any ideas?
Heres a 24 bit usb dac for 15 pounds, uses the sa9027 24 bit dac which is the same chip used in the nuforce. You may need some amplification for headphones,,but if going straight into a hifi should be fine
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SA9027-ES9023-24BIT-96KHZ-Asynchronous-USB-DAC-HIFI-Sound-Decoder-with-Case-/271868716807?hash=item3f4ca36707:g:2gEAAOSwBahVUrqx
missed it
Only the £50.00 Red and £79.00 silver available
Shame there's no other inputs other than USB.
Will use it whilst paddling down the river in my new Kayak..
Bought. :smirk: