FireWire
Most DAC’s with a FireWire interface are pro-gear.
Few brands address the consumer market.
A lot of Firewire DACs use adaptive mode just like their USB counterparts.
The TC Audio DICE chip has a good reputation for input jitter reduction.
Only Metric Halo has an Async Firewire setup, everyone else is not.
Some do something in between like Spatial.
They sell typical pro-gear to the audiophile community like the TC Konnect or Prism Sound Orpheus plus software doing DSP on the iMac.
Software , remote installation and a Prism Orpheus: $7995
The advertised mastering-quality studio reference EQ was Apple's freeware AU Graphic Equalizer in 31-band mode. While many customers likely won't sit through this calibration, I did for a good stretch. I had expected one initial measurement (or suite) input into a Trinnov-style program or ARC/Audyssey MultEQ plug-in to automatically calculate and apply all necessary corrections against a target curve predetermined by Clayton. After all, that's what massive modern computing power is good at.
Instead I watched something I thought outright primitive and on the face of it only crudely effective. Clayton manually manipulated virtual EQ sliders and compared each move against a new measurement. This went on for a good hour.
6Moons - Srajan Ebaen
Apogee Duet US$495.00
- Two channels of professional-quality 24-bit/96kHz audio input and output
- Two balanced XLR inputs, with selectable 48V phantom power on each input
- Two unbalanced high impedance instrument inputs
- One high-level stereo headphone output
- Two unbalanced -10 dBV line outputs for powered speakers
- Multi-function controller knob for volume and input gain control and assignable MIDI control
- Multi-segment LED meters to display input or output levels
- FireWire 400, compatible with Mac OS X Core Audio
- Control functions built directly into Apple’s Logic Pro, Soundtrack Pro and GarageBand
- Compatible with any Core Audio-compliant audio application
- Apogee’s Maestro software for advanced control and low latency mixing
- Dimensions: 4" W x 6.3" L x 1.5" H
The Duet2 is USB only.
KRK Ergo US$450.00
Firewire DAC with roomcorrection.
RoomPerfect ( Lyngdorf Audio) corrects up to 500 Hz
OSX and Win7 32/64 drivers
ASIO driver
| Processing | 400MHz Analog Devices Blackfin® DSP |
| RoomPerfect Algorithm Sample Rate | 96KHz |
| Room Correction Frequencies | 20-500Hz |
| Room correction Filter | 1024 tap Finite Impulse Response |
| S/PDIF Input Operating Range | 44.1 kHz to 96 kHz |
| S/PDIF conformity | IEC60958-3 |
| Dynamic Range | 96 dB system (component 118dB) |
| System THD+N | <0.025% using 0 dBFS input and 22-22kHz Band Pass Filter |
| Internal Sample Rates | 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96 kHz |
| Maximum Microphone Input Level | -32 dBu |
| Maximum Line input Level | +19 dBu |
| Maximum Line Output Level | +19 dBu |
| Firewire Implementation | Dual 1394a (Firewire400) ports |
| Dimensions: | 180mm (7") x 55mm (2.2") x 107mm (4.2") |
| Microphone Length: | 197mm (7.75") |
| Weight: | 610g (21.5 oz) |
| Power: | 1394 Bus or External 12v |
| Operating Temperature Range: | 40° F (4° C) to 110° F (43° C) |
Review in Sound on Sound
Metric Halo Mobile I/O ULN-2 $1,695.00
- 2 Mic/Line/Instrument analog inputs on Neutrik Combo connectors
- Balanced TRS analog sends and returns for analog inputs
- 2 analog outputs on balanced TRS connectors
- 24bit/96k converters on all channels
- Headphone amp with front panel volume knob
- Balanced stereo master control room monitor output with front panel volume control
- AES-S/PDIF Digital I/O with selectable SRC
- Onboard 80-bit multibus mixer for near-zero latency mixing and routing
- 4-pin XLR power port for compatibility with most location battery systems
- 9 front panel preset system/routing memories for stand-alone operation
- FireWire Connectivity
- Compact, light, and bus-powerable
PrismSound Orpheus $4,495.00
- ASIO and WDM drivers provided for Windows XP and VISTA
- Directly compatible with CORE AUDIO on Mac OS X 10.4+ (Intel & PPC)
- Eight "Prism Sound" premium-quality AD and DA channels
- Concurrent operation of ADAT and switchable S/PDIF or AES3 ports
RME Fireface 400 $1299.00
Input AD: 6 x 1/4" TRS (4 x Line, 2 x Line/Instrument), 2 x XLR/TRS Combo connector (2 x Mic/Line), all servo-balanced.
Output DA: 6 x 1/4" TRS, servo-balanced, DC-coupled signal path. 1 x 1/4" TRS unbalanced
Input Digital: 1 x ADAT optical or SPDIF optical, SPDIF coaxial (AES/EBU compatible)
Output Digital: 1 x ADAT optical or SPDIF optical, SPDIF coaxial (AES/EBU compatible)
MIDI: 2 x MIDI I/O via breakout cable (4 x 5-pin DIN jacks), for 32 channels low jitter hi-speed MIDI
2 x FireWire 400
Dynamic range AD: 110 dB RMS unweighted, 113 dBA
THD AD: < -100 dB (< 0.001 %)
THD+N AD: < -98 dB (< 0.0012 %)
Crosstalk AD: > 110 dB
Dynamic range DA: 110 dB RMS unweighted, 113 dBA (unmuted)
THD DA: -100 dB (0.001 %)
THD+N DA: -96 dB (0.0015 %)
Crosstalk DA: > 110 dB
Input/Output level for 0 dBFS @ Hi Gain: +19 dBu
Input/Output level for 0 dBFS @ +4 dBu: +13 dBu
Input/Output level for 0 dBFS @ -10 dBV: +2 dBV
Sample rate internally: 32, 44.1, 48, 64, 88.2 kHz, 96 kHz, 128, 176.4, 192 kHz
Sample rate externally: 28 kHz - 200 kHz
Frequency response AD/DA, -0.1 dB: 5 Hz - 20.4 kHz (sf 44.1 kHz)
Frequency response AD/DA, -0.5 dB: 1 Hz - 43.3 kHz (sf 96 kHz)
Frequency response AD/DA, -1 dB: 1 Hz
Weiss DAC2 D/A Converter $3000.00
The DAC2 supports the following conversions:
- FireWire to analog
- AES/EBU to analog
- FireWire to AES/EBU
- AES/EBU to FireWire
Inputs: Digital Audio inputs on FireWire (two connectors), XLR, RCA and Toslink.
Outputs:
- Stereo analog output on XLR and RCA.
- Digital Audio output on FireWire, XLR and RCA.
Sampling Rates, Wordlength: 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, 192 kHz at up to 24 Bits.
Software: Drivers for Windows™ and OSX™ operating systems.
Weiss Minerva $5000.00
Another faceplate, another feet and you have the audiophile version of the DAC2