Trends Audio UD-10.1 Lite USB Audio Converter
Trend is that more and more affordable devices are coming each year. Encouraging is that with lower prices you wont necessary loose the quality.
Trends Audio started their own trend with offering affording quality converters and headphone amps. Technology went far ahead this past decade and specially with prices of manufacturing in east, everything is slowly changing. I'm not automatically hard core fan when it comes to cheaper and affordable components since there was quite few nightmarish stories in the past. But there are few manufacturers that put themselves into products and that repays in long run.
UD-10 lite is very simple device. It doesn't even have on/off switch. You just connect it to the usb port of your computer and then it starts to do its magic :). With the affordable price you might thought that you would be absent of proper reproductions of your favorite digitally stored music. No worries. UD-10 Lite perform fairly and competent. Years back you would have to go quite deeper in your pocket to achieve this kind of digital replay. Truth is that affordable price barrier still wont give you the depth, musicality and all that high-end priced components might, but you you got an array into what is out there. You'll still enjoy your music with all the emotions, while climbing up the path, if so. For some UD-10 Lite can be IT and i can respectfully agree with those music lovers. Getting into audio gear can be as deadly as virus and some said there is still no cure :).
UD-10 Lite can be used in many ways. As external usb audio card, headphone amplifier and USB DAC. On the back side you'll find both coaxial and optical connectors. UD-10 Lite can be battery or charged with external power supply. They recommend battery supply for better and more quality reproduction, but i kind of felt that external power supply gave more audible impact. It add a little bit of airiness, depth and dynamic. All in all there are really quite few options with such a small package. Thumbs up for that and thoughtful design.
I had few similar products going through my hands recently. Some of them priced above UD-10 Lite and Trends audio packed some clever solutions even in the cut down version of bigger brouther UD-10.
For a music lover on the budget i would recommend to try Trends Audio UD-10 Lite without a doubt. It will bring closer to music and let you closer as a stepping stone into almost never-ending journey of music.
Give your self a chance and expose yourself to this little device. It is a big little man in world of quality audio reproduction!