iFi Audio's Zen DAC sports a 4.4mm balanced headphone output unheard of at this price, and unfolds and decodes MQA; perfect for Tidal users. Now a 5 ⭐ hit on What Hi-Fi?. [See Product Desc. For More] HIFI Trends adored Zen DAC. With enough power to drive a 300 ohm Sennheiser or ZMF Headphones, and 420 ohm Audio-Technica, this is here to stay. As you continue upgrading your rig, this 32-bit/384kHz and DSD256 Zen DAC grows with you. Use it to decode digital and feed a balanced analog signal into your other devices as a hub! See the rest of iFi Audio's innovations here, or browse the rest of our collection of DACs and amplifiers here.

From a company revered for their digital audio technology, Benchmark Media launched an all-out assault on stereo speaker amplification with their AHB2 power amplifier. Taking Stereophile's Product of the Year 2018 gong, this up-to-480-watt per channel Class AB amplifier depends on THX feed-forward AAA technology to deliver the widest dynamic range plus lowest signal-noise ratio of power amplifiers on the market, measuring perfectly on AudioScienceReview. [See Product Desc. For More] StereoNET rightfully called AHB2 a "class act that delivers an awful lot at its price" before it went on to take the publication's coveted Applause Award. Whether run as a stereo or monoblock amp, it's guaranteed to get the job done in any rig you place it in. Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity used an entire system together with the DAC3 and HPA4 THX-888 pre-amp to declare "Benchmark provides a textbook case of how good (read: superb) things can come in small packages". It got the Gold Award on Soundnews. The hallmarks of building a great power amplifier are all present here, with the ultra-efficient switching power supply of AHB2 stably and quietly juicing the amplifier regardless of load, before outputting into a power stage with peerless damping factor. You'll also be able to see everything from Benchmark here, our other digital and Roon Ready streaming sources from Matrix Audio here, and all our other DAC & amp options here.

CMA15 celebrates the 15th anniversary of Questyle Audio's inception with the use of ESS Technology's flagship ES9038Pro DAC. ecoustics say the benefits of a natural union of current-mode technologies are audible, placing CMA15 at the top for your consideration as a line source and headphone amplifier. CMA15 packs one of the most sophisticated pure Class A analog stages in a DAC available to market now, the strengths of an ES9038Pro and CMA15's current-mode amplification working hand in hand. CMA15 is alive with tone colour and saturation, notes propelled forth with a real zeal and macro-dynamic force about them. There is a tangible physicality about this Questyle flagship – listeners enjoy a palpable connection hearing familiar music again, as CMA15 heaves and breathes like it were a real, living, being. And still, in a reference DAC where neutrality is so prized, it presents tonal balance accurately. [See Product Desc. For More] In a throwback to Hi-Fi luminary Dan D'Agostino's work [using Texas Instruments] for Krell Industries at the beginning of the 21st century, Questyle designed CMA15's analog circuit path to operate transmitting signal solely in current instead of the standard voltage, starting from its ES9038Pro's 50mA analog current output. Manufacturers have long taken advantage of the ESS flagship's claim to be the most sophisticated DAC chip available, outputting in current for best distortion figures before traditionally voicing the circuit through the crucial I/V current-to-voltage converter stage. But D'Agostino understood then that no I/V stage could completely disappear sonically, colouring the sound artificially in ways unacceptable – he therefore removed the stage entirely, by employing Krell's own current-mode analog circuit. Transmission of signal, entirely in current, without prior conversion to voltage, has been revived by Questyle to the same effect here. Removal of the I/V aspect of CMA15's circuit therefore sees the purest expression ever of Questyle's current-mode philosophy, keeping affairs post-digital conversion magnificently and elegantly simple with fewer parts necessary.  Questyle's choice of current-mode signal is the stuff of legend by now. It eliminates the lag time that might otherwise occur when signal is transmitted in voltage, as it builds up at the capacitances in the circuit – current signal passes through unhindered by comparison, with speed and ease.  By doing away with the issue of transmission delay in CMA15, Questyle virtually eliminates any of the harshness caused by the intermodulation distortion associated with high capacitance, solid-state circuits.  Coloured yet correct, CMA15 presents detail smoothly and organically with a sense of vibrancy that's accurate and still entertaining. Another effect of being unhindered by capacitance in the signal path means that huge signal bandwidth is possible, leading to phase response being accurately preserved in the human hearing range. Indeed, to hear current-mode is to hear a naturalness to music not encountered before in a conventional circuit, and Questyle build CMA15 as the ultimate expression to such a topology.  A 4.4mm headphone output, a pure Class A small signal and power stage, and LDAC Bluetooth input, allow users to enjoy CMA15 in ever more scenarios. Current-mode will prove even more effective the closer a load is to ground. The results translate to an ultra-low distortion, linear, analog system in tandem with Class A, without resorting to the excessive use of negative feedback. CMA15 works as a perfect DAC for your Hi-Fi system into component input impedances that have been dropping ever more readily since the turn of this decade. Flip CMA15 to variable volume mode, and its analog potentiometer turns it into an excellent pre-amp. Everything above discusses the less-obvious about a true Questyle flagship, because the plain truth is that CMA15 functions as the perfect headphone amplifier first and Hi-Fi hub second. Check out Questyle's other headphone specialties here, or view our other DACs here.

A 256-step relay volume control brings one of the market's most sophisticated line stages from Benchmark Media to Hi-Fi and full-size system enthusiasts. Stereophile gave this compact full-size Hi-Fi component a glowing review, appreciating its technology. The Absolute Sound praise it in full-system context alongside Benchmark's own DAC3. This supremely transparent and precise line-level control helped Positive Feedback hear "every change I made to my system". [See Product Desc. For More] Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity used an entire system with the AHB2 power amp to declare "Benchmark provides a textbook case of how good (read: superb) things can come in small packages".  Write to us about a demo in your own stereo set-up at home. Or view the THX-888 headphone amplifier version of the LA4, the HPA4, here. You'll also be able to see everything from Benchmark here and all our other DAC & amp options here.

iFi Audio's ultra-affordable Bluetooth streamer receives almost every signal from your computer, Mac, Android phone or mobile iOS device before decoding it to a balanced analog output signal. A 5 ⭐ hit on What Hi-Fi?, V2 boasts an improved antenna touting up to 80 per cent more range. [See Product Desc. For More] Zen Blue supports Qualcomm's aptX and aptX HD, LDAC and HWA, the latter hi-res codecs created by Sony and Huawei respectively. An improved clock means that jitter is reduced for better timing reproduced in your audio. Once received, that signal stands by to either go into your amplifier or speakers via balanced or single-ended analog, or digital SPDIF into a downstream decoder. That's flexibility at your fingertips! See the rest of iFi Audio's innovations here, or browse the rest of our collection of DACs and amplifiers here.

If you're going to add a tube to a circuit then put it on the input, and that's exactly what Audio-Technica have done with their hybrid AT-BHA100 headphone amplifier. Four ECC83S tubes take care of voltage gain, leaving the heavy lifting to a solid-state power stage built from discrete components. [See Product Desc. For More] With balanced connections back and front, AT-BHA100 promises source and especially headphone versatility from the Audio-Technica stable and beyond, those from Focal, Rosson Audio Design, Sennheiser and ZMF Headphones also being present. Alternatively, share the fun and listen with a partner through the use of two single-ended outputs each with their own volume knob! Tuned with a reference sound flat from bottom to top with beautiful sparkle in the highs, this is one infinitely pleasing listen your headphones will never tire of. We've been impressed by Benchmark Media's DAC3 supplying AT-BHA-100's signal. Also check out the rest of Audio-Technica's catalogue here, or view our other amplifiers here. 

Transforms your computer into a high-end audio transport, capable of outputting digital signals via I2S by HDMI, AES/EBU and SPDIF to your DAC. *Price mentioned in video is in USD. All our website prices are in SGD. 

Benchmark have furthered their long line of Digital-to-Analog Converters with the DAC3. Stereophile commented that DAC3 was evidence that "science works". Enough, clearly, for this bargain in high-end audio to take the magazine's Product of the Year 2018. That elevates this pro audio powerhouse further in the minds of home Hi-Fi enthusiasts, and it's no surprise that Benchmark's sonic transparency and muscular, dynamic plus honest delivery fit any genre of music thrown at it. Five ⭐ came easily from What Hi-Fi?. [See Product Desc. For More] The Absolute Sound praise DAC3 in full-system context alongside the HPA4 and LA4 line controls. Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity used an entire system alongside the AHB2 power amp to declare "Benchmark provides a textbook case of how good (read: superb) things can come in small packages".  You'll also be able to see everything from Benchmark here and all our other DAC & amp options here.

Bringing THX-patented AAA technology to headphone amplification, Benchmark released their HPA4 as a statement product to take the personal audio world by storm. Personal audio enthusiasts have been able to count upon household name Benchmark's engineering prowess, says AudioScienceReview. It's an approach to engineering The Ear note can be heard in their listening. [See Product Desc. For More] A 256-step relay volume control additionally brings one of the market's most sophisticated line stages to headphone enthusiasts. Stereophile's Herb Reichert thanks this statement piece for helping "this old triode-tube lover to first acknowledge, then accept, and finally enjoy a new type of engagement, one that satisfied my engineering mind and my audiophile lust to look and listen into the hidden nooks and distant corners of every recording". The Absolute Sound praise HPA4 in full-system context alongside Benchmark's DAC3. Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity used an entire system with the AHB2 power amp to declare "Benchmark provides a textbook case of how good (read: superb) things can come in small packages".  Write to us about a demo in your own stereo set-up at home, or view the pre-amp-only version of HPA4, the LA4, here. You'll also be able to see everything from Benchmark here and all our other DAC & amp options here.

No one knew exactly what to expect from dCS Data Conversion Systems' first separate analog power amplifier, but neither is anyone surprised by the excellence of Lina headphone amplifier anyway.  Exhibiting remarkable specs on paper, it's immediately apparent how Lina's discrete transistor solid-state reference amplifier product translates those into spectacular audible results – an analog product that proves worthy of bearing the dCS name. A pinnacle of frequency extension and transparency, Lina headphone amplifier makes its case to be the ultimate, final headphone source you'll ever need – conjuring macro and micro dynamics before your ears while always sounding relaxed and completely natural in its tonality. READ ALSO How Lina is the perfect amp for Susvara When fed by dCS' accompanying Lina network DAC, Lina amp's fully-balanced, differential design encased in solid aluminium brings out even more than you thought your flagship headphones could produce. [See Product Desc. For More] Headfonia didn't do a very good job, trying to prevent their jaw from dropping at Lina's performance. From "planar headphone fan" Headfonics, "this is a tremendously satisfying and engrossing world-class solid-state amplifier". Lina saw Headphone Guru's headphones replace his speakers over a month of testing.  READ ALSO Lina – designing the perfect voltage source She was a Hi-Fi News Outstanding Product. Lina amp outputs in excess of 4 watts with enough current-handling ability for loads like the Abyss AB1266 Phi TC, Hedd Audio HEDDphone and HIFIMAN's Susvara. At the drawing board, dCS invest every effort in building Lina amp as a linear open-loop design.  READ ALSO Building a dCS statement in analog design Rather than achieving current-handling capability via the usual technique of building with more output transistors in parallel, Lina amp opts for quality over quantity and a lower parts count. Less is more, and dCS elegantly selects fewer but more unconventionally capable devices with 8 ampere current capability exceeding the normal needs of headphone amplifiers. Feeding this potent array of beastly power transistors is a proprietary driver stage that dCS designed to operate linearly with low open-loop distortion, unfazed by pushing the large output devices. This secret voltage gain circuit is more than up to the task of passing along and upsizing the signal of Lina DAC transparently without adding noise and distortion, thanks in part to cascodes operating supplementary and reducing voltage-induced non-linearities. READ ALSO Lina power quality matters – not just quantity Said cascodes also play a part reducing capacitance at the bases of transistors where they operate, which provides tremendous high-frequency performance with Lina amplifier extending out to 100Khz at -3dB. Meanwhile, Lina amp's DC-coupled nature also means bass extends down to subterranean levels – this kind of frequency performance down low and up top guarantees superbly flat phase reproduction in the audible human hearing range for potent and realistic musical dynamics. Through the audio microscopes that are flagship headphones, Lina's perfect phase response is undisputedly audible. The above – low output impedance, excellent current-handling, low distortion and frequency extension – all remarkably achieved in the open-loop. After getting these basics of an excellent analog circuit right, dCS then apply the cherry on the cake – closing the loop with negative feedback to make an already good design great. dCS thus achieves the amplifier ideal of a straight wire with gain, adding as little colouration as possible to let your transducers speak freely, to the fullest of their potential. It's been thoroughly thought out. When used with Lina DAC, Lina amp takes advantage of the former's high-current line-stage. The latter boasts an unbuffered balanced input, bypassing unnecessary active input stage devices and simplifying the circuit further for less chance of error.  Now we see – with the gargantuan task of creating a standalone amplifying product that lived up to the dCS name, these digital specialists pulled off a masterclass in analog design. A true testament to the skill of the designers, for the benefit of the most dedicated headphone listeners. Elsewhere, explore the digital chops from the rest of Lina here, or browse our other desktop products here.

The Lina network streaming DAC boasting Ring DAC technology is both a continuation and a new beginning for dCS Data Conversion Systems. Lina DAC's design combines renowned dCS technologies with new innovations developed for headphone listeners – resulting in a bold new interpretation of the dCS experience, and a complete re-imaging of form and function alongside Lina headphone amp and Lina master clock. READ ALSO The inside story behind Lina DAC's creation What doesn't change, however, is a level of new immersion, resolution and realism that accompanies any dCS; even at Lina's new entry-level point. There are multiple ways to get your music aboard Lina DAC, with Spotify and Tidal Connect, plus Roon Ready status, standing by for easy connectivity right from set-up. With Lina DAC, dCS took core playback technologies, including the dCS Ring DAC and Digital Processing Platform, and added new innovations developed for headphone listeners. [See Product Desc. For More] 5 ⭐ came from What Hi-Fi?. Headfonia didn't do a very good job, trying to prevent their jaw from dropping at Lina's performance. Lina's "energy, dynamics, and a very strong level of detail retrieval" floored Headfonics. It saw Headphone Guru's headphones replace his speakers over a month of testing. She was a Hi-Fi News Outstanding Product. These impressive results translated to speakers too, for Steve Huff. A sensible flex-ridged circuit board allows dCS to deliver all of the features you’d expect from a dCS DAC in a much smaller chassis that would sit handsomely on a desktop or coffee table. READ ALSO The exhaustive breakdown of dCS Ring DAC technology At the heart of all dCS DACs is the Ring DAC, and Lina is no different. Ring DAC denotes a proprietary digital-to-analog conversion system. Ring DAC is renowned for its ultra-wide bandwidth, technical accuracy, and ability to reveal astonishing levels of detail in digital recordings – from the subtlest of sounds, to the sense of time and harmonic movement, and the atmosphere that surrounds a musical performance. A Xilinx Artix-7 FPGA comes loaded with the dCS Ring DAC mapping algorithm, and custom dCS oversampling linear-phase filters. FPGA technology allows dCS to supply constant firmware updates with time, by way of network updates. This showcases Lina's status as a true software product with each firmware upgrade yielding audible and functional improvements that sees dCS DACs always stay relevant. READ ALSO Software-driven hardware design at dCS After digital signal processing at Lina DAC's FPGA, the oversampled signal is then processed by a high-performance array of resistors and current latches controlled by the Ring DAC mapping algorithm, to form the basis of Lina's supreme performance discrete delta-sigma DAC. Designed from the ground up by dCS, not relying on performance-limiting off-the-shelf DAC chips, there is literally nothing out there like Lina DAC.  Lina gives all listeners the capability to expand its potential beyond a single box – its high-current discrete analog line output stage, fully balanced and differential – is designed to preserve the transparency of the Ring DAC. It can feed directly the unbuffered input section of Lina headphone amp, for full resolution and best signal-to-noise ratio.  Lina master clock meanwhile sits alongside ready to supply a reference clock source via dual BNCs for Lina DAC. Pushing phase noise and jitter far below audibility, the difference Lina master clock makes is profound, even on a decoder already as supreme as Lina DAC – and must be heard to be believed. The result is a powerful, supremely capable product designed for use in a wide range of environments, from living rooms to studios and workspaces.  With its wide dynamic range, crisp, clear playback, expansive soundstage, and tonal neutrality, Lina DAC provides a deeply natural, highly detailed, and profoundly musical sound that encapsulates our singular approach to audio. Add unique headphone optimisation technology like digital crossfeed, an elegant and tactile design, and a high-performance streaming platform, and you have a hugely versatile source that delivers spectacular sound, however you choose to listen.  READ ALSO Expanse – digital crossfeed done right View the rest of the Lina family here so that you may build on the magnificent performance of this network DAC, or view our other desktop products here.

The Lina master clock is a product inspired by dCS Data Conversion Systems' absolute dedication to achieving the highest possible standards of sound reproduction.  Headfonia didn't do a very good job, trying to prevent their jaw from dropping at Lina's performance. Lina saw Headphone Guru's headphones replace his speakers over a month of testing. She was a Hi-Fi News Outstanding Product. Design of Lina clock, to operate in tandem with Lina network DAC connected by dual BNCs, is informed by dCS experience developing master clocks for professional and home use. Headfonics clearly heard an improvement, certainly in a way he didn't miss Rossini clock. READ ALSO Lina a timely addition to dCS heritage Designed to further suppress jitter and phase noise in Lina DAC, it uses two oven-controlled crystal oscillators to deliver a precise and stable clocking reference for all audio formats and frequencies. [See Product Desc. For More] When paired with Lina DAC, Lina clock allows its sibling's internal clock system to be locked to a master signal, for even greater precision and enhanced audio performance. READ ALSO The scientific basis of dCS master clocks Its standalone design ensures sensitive clocking components are protected from factors that can cause interference. Each crystal oscillator is oven-controlled to ensure its performance remains consistent, even under changing conditions and temperatures. With its own dedicated chassis and power supplies, clock signals are thus protected from power interference, crosstalk and other factors that can affect integrity and in turn, audio quality. The feedback dCS received from listeners and audio experts who’ve experienced significant sonic benefits after adding such a master of time to their system clearly advised their design for the most thorough headphone reference rig available to market. Designed for maximum reliability and longevity, Lina clock is a silent but powerful component engineered to operate with absolute precision and consistency, so you can experience the best possible performance from your system. Combined with the rest of the Lina system that you can view here, Lina clock delivers an even more profound and immersive dCS listening experience, and helps ensure the audio you hear sounds exactly as it should.

Adding scale and stage to Feliks Audio's impressive Echo II is Elise. Tube character abounds but never enough to take away the life-like realism of actual music in this OTL amplifier in single-ended triode format, based on the 6SN7 driver stalwart. You'll struggle to dispute Elise's quality at portraying an orchestral piece of work, or its magic synergy with Audio-Technica, Sennheiser or ZMF Headphones. Give it one listen, or many. Rarely will a single piece of gear fit as many sources, genres or set-ups. [See Product Desc. For More] Its mids are liquid and forward, great to address any flaws still present in your flagship cans. Warm, natural and wholesome even harmonic sound dominates – a direct result of Elise's single-ended Class A topology. The holy grail of all bias schemes isn't undertaken lightly, and new current sources ensure Feliks Audio's classic single-ended triode amplifier runs stably fully biased at all output levels. This is a decidedly low-distortion affair in an inherently linear amplifier given high tube operating voltages and current. Transconductance increasing with bias current is optimal. And while tube imaging, emotiveness and liquidity is de facto, Elise always sounds natural and fully transparent. Indeed, despite its mid-range vivacity, a massive audio bandwidth is guaranteed given its output transformer-less OTL construction. Literally nothing separates you from your music. Pairs of 6SN7 and NOS 6N13S tubes power your headphones directly, without any chunk of iron in the signal path.  Elise champions frequency extension – the fast, deep bass and airy, open highs from the best OTL associations to perfect phase reproduction and respectable damping factor – therefore. Long tube operating lifespans come courtesy of improved thermal management and more efficient passive cooling driving up to 60 per cent lower operating temperatures in the incumbant, versus its predecessor. Really, it's never only about the parts, and Elise is further proof boasting a new tube cathode heater and power supply design derived from the flagship Euforia. Great design nous gives a premium, Polish-built amplifier the platform to perform quietly and transparently.  Whether you go up or down, you'll be served browsing the rest of Feliks Audio's offerings here, or all our other DAC & amp options here.

Below iDSD Diablo 2's futuristic exterior and the promise of new, wonderful technologies like xMEMS and wireless Bluetooth 5.4 aptX™ Lossless input is a tried-and-true iFi Audio product that is ready to deliver – today. The heights the proven platform that was the original iDSD Diablo gets taken to the rafters with its further optimised circuit and boutique parts overflowing from Diablo 2's red, race car chassis. [See Product Desc. For More] iFi's usual custom operational amplifiers show up here in a design that boasts more careful application of local negative feedback, rather than the more standard global variety. By using sparing error correction, iDSD Diablo 2 veers from the glare and harshness of cheaper solid-state designs caused by transient intermodulation distortion, with the signal from its Burr-Brown DAC still being clean and precise throughout. Purewave, the name coined for the direct-coupled analogue circuit developed for iFi by Hi-Fi and Parasound legend John Curl, ensures a fully balanced, differential signal path produces minimal distortion and up to 120 dB of signal-to-noise ratio.  Such performance is possible also due a high 15 volt operating voltage – a number much more akin to desktop amplifiers – that expands headroom and circuit linearity in tandem with Diablo 2's local, carefully applied, negative feedback. That precision gets backed by even more power: nearly five watts stands ready to drive any headphone load, including a HEDDphone 2. Accessorisation fitting for the premium status of this red arrow is included, not least a carrying pouch that'll accomodate iFi's low-noise iPower DC charger and a 4.4mm balanced line-out cable to dual XLR cables, to feed a desktop amplifier.

Mini in name, but mega in intention. Matrix Audio's Mini-I 4 lands as a streaming DAC built upon the latest ES9039 chip. Yet its true headline act is the addition of a HDMI ARC input. Small in size and price-tag, it's Mini-I 4's home-theatre ambitions that extend massively. Boost the sound from your smart TV and projector affordably with Matrix's dedicated HDMI ARC capability around back. That promise to raise sound quality to match the stunning visuals from today's flagship TVs isn't made lightly. Matrix leverage their close relationship with ESS Technology to build in the exciting ES9039Q2M DAC – a surprise at this price. ES9039Q2M's patented Hyperstream pulse-width modulation technology from ESS is already a one-up on standard chip delta-sigma modulation. "Hitting a lot of key network streaming needs", Headfonics write "it won’t be a chokepoint in setting up a good home audio system offering both a pleasing technical performance and a beautiful design". And for Sennheiser and ZMF Headphones aficionados wanting a powerful balanced 4.4mm headphone output, check out Mini-I Pro 4 here! [See Product Desc. For More] Little wonder, then, that listeners are rushing to get their music decoded by Mini-I 4. Matrix make it easy. In addition to HDMI ARC (Audio Return Channel) for TVs, the usual streaming suspect of Gigabit Ethernet connectivity comes standard in typical Matrix style. At the source Mini-I 4 accepts audio data from your router, putting its Roon Ready status at your disposal or its growing, diversifying Matrix MA Remote OS – most lately adding the HIGHRESAUDIO streaming service to Tidal and Qobuz. The freeware of your choice may be used too, with first-choices Tidal Connect, Spotify Connect and UPnP/DLNA augmented with Apple AirPlay 2. With a new, modern quad-core ARM Cortex-A55 CPU keeping things ticking over, Mini-I 4 runs smoothly no matter how intensive streaming inputs get. Digital gets turned over to Matrix's FPGA running proprietary code that re-clocks and de-jitters the data stream, before feeding pristine I2S to Mini-I 4's ES9039Q2M. Running on ESS' most advanced Hyperstream IV architecture, the futuristic stereo ES9039Q2M brings five new digital filters – many with low in-band ripple – to the party for new flavours to music reproduction. This DAC chip packs enough computational horsepower to run its 8x oversampling process in just two passes thus minimising rounding errors – an upgrade on other attempts that use a concatenation of three stacked 2x oversampling passes which compound errors. ES9039Q2M is an exercise in sonic purity, and outputs analog in current to a current-to-voltage I/V converter. That ensures small-signal is of highest quality to begin with, as conversion errors manifest as a DC offset that's easy to filter out – not more sinister total harmonic distortion. The voicing of Mini-I 4 is thus under Matrix's full control with their tuning of said I/V stage, and grants up to 127 dB of signal-to-noise ratio. This final DAC analog product can be output via XLR or RCA on the rear to an AV receiver or downstream amplifier. Because while you can choose to run Mini-I 4 beyond arm's length using Roon Remote, the stock MA Remote software, and Tidal Connect, Matrix add a 3.46 inch LCD touch screen for anyone keen to take advantage of this DAC in a desktop setting. Double tap to wake the screen, and swipe left and right to access a myriad of features at the lift of a finger. With HDMI ARC one of so many ways to input music into Mini-I 4, and an assortment of high-quality sonic outputs out, Matrix have a humbly-sized and priced winner on their hands that can accompany you on many a musical journey. Also view Mini-I 4 Pro for Wi-Fi connectivity, an included remote control and a balanced 4.4mm headphone amplifier here, Matrix's other flagships here, and all our other DAC/amps here.

Mini in name, but mega in intention. Matrix Audio's Mini-I Pro 4 lands as a streaming DAC, pre-amp and 4.4mm headphone amp built upon the latest ES9039 chip. Yet its true headline act is the addition of a HDMI ARC input. Small in size and price-tag, it's Mini-I Pro 4's home-theatre ambitions that extend massively. Boost the sound from your smart TV and projector affordably with Matrix's dedicated HDMI ARC capability around back. That promise to raise sound quality to match the stunning visuals from today's flagship TVs isn't made lightly. Matrix leverage their close relationship with ESS Technology to build in the exciting ES9039Q2M DAC – a surprise at this price. Audiophile-Heaven have already placed Mini-I Pro 4 in their Hall of Fame. The patented Hyperstream pulse-width modulation technology from ESS is already a one-up on standard chip delta-sigma modulation, and now enters its fourth iteration with ES9039Q2M pushing nigh inaudible high-order distortion levels post-conversion further down. "Hitting a lot of key network streaming needs", Headfonics write "it won’t be a chokepoint in setting up a good home audio system offering both a pleasing technical performance and a beautiful design". [See Product Desc. For More] Little wonder, then, that listeners are rushing to get their music decoded by Mini-I Pro 4. Matrix make it easy. In addition to HDMI ARC (Audio Return Channel) for TVs, the usual streaming suspects of Gigabit Ethernet and 2.4/5Ghz Wi-Fi connectivity come standard in typical Matrix style. At the source Mini-I Pro 4 accepts audio data from any of its Ethernet or Wi-Fi inputs, putting its Roon Ready status at your disposal or its growing, diversifying Matrix MA Remote OS – most lately adding the HIGHRESAUDIO streaming service to Tidal and Qobuz. The freeware of your choice may be used too, with first-choices Tidal Connect, Spotify Connect and UPnP/DLNA augmented with Apple AirPlay 2. With a new, modern quad-core ARM Cortex-A55 CPU keeping things ticking over, Mini-I Pro 4 runs smoothly no matter how intensive streaming inputs get. Digital gets turned over to Matrix's FPGA running proprietary code that re-clocks and de-jitters the data stream, before feeding pristine I2S to Mini-I Pro 4's ES9039Q2M. Running on ESS' most advanced Hyperstream IV architecture, the futuristic stereo ES9039Q2M brings five new digital filters – many with low in-band ripple – to the party for new flavours to music reproduction. This DAC chip packs enough computational horsepower to run its 8x oversampling process in just two passes thus minimising rounding errors – an upgrade on other attempts that use a concatenation of three stacked 2x oversampling passes which compound errors. ES9039Q2M is an exercise in sonic purity, and outputs analog in current to a current-to-voltage I/V converter. That ensures small-signal is of highest quality to begin with, as conversion errors manifest as a DC offset that's easy to filter out – not more sinister total harmonic distortion. The voicing of Mini-I Pro 4 is thus under Matrix's full control with their tuning of said I/V stage, and grants up to 127 dB of signal-to-noise ratio. This final DAC analog product can be output via XLR or RCA on the rear to an AV receiver or downstream amplifier – or through a 4.4mm high output impedance headphone amplifier that will delight Sennheiser and ZMF Headphones owners. Because while you can choose to run Mini-I Pro 4 beyond arm's length using Roon Remote, the stock MA Remote software, and Tidal Connect, Matrix add a 3.46 inch LCD touch screen for anyone keen to take advantage of this DAC in a desktop setting. Double tap to wake the screen, and swipe left and right to access a myriad of features at the lift of a finger while listening to its balanced headphone amp that can output over 2 watts. With HDMI ARC one of so many ways to input music into Mini-I Pro 4, and an assortment of high-quality sonic outputs out, Matrix have a humbly-sized and priced winner on their hands that can accompany you on many a musical journey. Also view Matrix's flagships here, or all our other DAC/amps here.