intrest check wireless USB DAC

[AirDAC]

Hi, I am new on the forum.

Currently I am involved in the development of a wireless USB DAC, at the moment we do have a working prototype .

Before we are going to manufacture it I would like to find out if there would be a reasonable demand for such a product, and if so, if our design and feature set fulfills most requirements...

The wireless DAC system compromises:

1. Transmitter/preamp
- asynchronous USB input
- 24/96 support
- volume control
- headphone output
- wireless output
- battery powered (+/- 50 hours runtime / 500+ times rechargable)
- small 'tabletop' footprint (16 cm x 12 cm x 6 cm)

2. Receiver/DAC
- wireless input
- quality DAC
- fixed and variable outputs
- linear AC power supply
- small 'tabletop' footprint (16 cm x 12 cm x 8 cm)

Wireless technology
The wireless technology promises the following:
- guaranteed free from RF interference
- plug & play, no network settings etc.
- 24/96 support
- SNR > 120dB
- true channel separation, 0dB crosstalk
- no latency
- reach about 35 feet

Functionality
The wireless DAC system is useful for those who use, or want to use, a Laptop (or other USB audio device) as source component and want to have control (without wires) at their listening position.

Price
The expected retail price will be about 900 GBP.

I think this might be an interesting product for (computer) audiophiles but I am looking for a confirmation and perhaps some suggestions / comments I did not think about.

Thanks in advance for your response.

Cheers!

[The Vinyl Adventure]

Hi...
Looks interesting ...
What's the thinking behind the preamp at the transmitter end?

[AirDAC]

Hi Hamish,

'Preamp' is perhaps the wrong word choice, it's just a volume control and we are thinking of adding an S/PDIF input as well, not decided yet.

[Ali Tait]

What do you call a quality dac?

[AirDAC]

Hi Ali Tait,

A quality DAC in terms of implementation and chip, the DAC will compete with 'wired' USB DAC's in the same price range.

[Alex_UK]

Will it have remote control? At £900 I wouldn't entertain a pre-amp that didn't - not just because I'm lazy, but an essential item for me, needing to quickly drop the volume when playing a little bit too loud late and night, and as you put it "to have control (without wires) at their listening position."

[Stratmangler]

Chord Electronics do a rather nice DAC called the Chordette Gem - transmits over Bluetooth.

http://www.chordelectronics.co.uk/pr...tail.asp?id=53

Just been looking further into it, and they've improved on the Gem http://www.petertyson.co.uk/ebuttonz...ch.shtml?fshop

[The Vinyl Adventure]

Hi Hamish,

'Preamp' is perhaps the wrong word choice, it's just a volume control and we are thinking of adding an S/PDIF input as well, not decided yet.

What's the thinking behind a volume control at the sender end, it occurs to me that people sending music from a pc to another room will be cotrolling the volume from the end they are sending the music to?

[Ali Tait]

Hi Ali Tait,

A quality DAC in terms of implementation and chip, the DAC will compete with 'wired' USB DAC's in the same price range.

What I was asking was what chip do you intend to use,and what type of output stage?

[AirDAC]

What I was asking was what chip do you intend to use,and what type of output stage?

No decison has been made regarding the chip, the prototype uses a cheap DAC just to proof/test functionality. We are considering to implement the ESS Sabre ES9018 (dual mono) with discrete output stage for production model. But we know that a potentially very nice 24 bit resistor ladder chip will be released in February 2011 by a new company, we will be patient enough to try this one.