A pint-sized DAC with hi-fi components
Size doesn’t matter, or so I’ve been assured. That’s the most prominent physical feature of
the Super Pro DAC707. Well, that and the
fact that it’s a metallic purple. The
Super Pro is fitted with great connection options and hi-fi components.
The perks of being small are obvious, especially for the
office or shoebox apartment. But without
any weight to hold it in place, it gets tossed around by the cables attached to
it. It’s more like an in-line feature
than a desktop component, so you might want to get some Velcro or sandwich it
between some stationary things.
Connections are easy with the Super Pro. It has three digital inputs: USB (printer
size), optical and digital coaxial. RCA
jacks are on the back for output. Unlike
many components, the Super Pro comes with the optical, digital coaxial and USB
cables, as well as the power supply.
The components in the Super Pro are Cirrus
Logic-manufactured receivers, converters and output circuits. Cirrus is world-renowned for audio circuitry
and provides the innards for Bose, Sony, Harmon and many other respected audio
manufacturers. The components in the
Super Pro can deliver up to a 192kHz sample rate (CDs have a 44.1kHz sample
rate, if that helps your perspective).
The result of high fidelity components is a clean, unscathed
path for the audio signal to reach your amp.
In my case, I have it hooked up to a C.E.C. HD53R headphone amp driving
Sennheiser HD650 headphones. I’ve been
switching between the Graceland album and 311’s Transistor for a few hours now
and I’m perfectly content with the sound I’m getting. Am I blown out of my seat? Not really, but as a package it beats the
SilverStone EB01 in many areas.
Actually, the EB01’s only advantage is how stationary it is. It has rubber feet and doesn’t get tossed
around like a purple ragdoll. At
one-eighth the size, the Super Pro has many more connection options as well as
the much higher sample rate (the EB01 goes up to 48kHz). Sadly, I can’t compare the audio quality of
the two side-by-side because the EB01 doesn’t function on my PowerBook; the
Super Pro powered right up. Both are
about the same price.
Bottom line, the Super Pro sounds great. At $110, it’s a great, small option. I would suggest setting it up and leaving it
behind all your stereo components. It is
light enough to be safely suspended by the cords, and just small enough to keep
behind other things.
The Verdict
