Audiolab Q-DAC is a stripped-down M-DAC for £399
Spotted tucked away in the corner of the Audiolab room was this, the £399 Q-DAC. It's essentially a stripped-down version of the Award-winning M-DAC created to hit a more affordable price point.
IAG's director of acoustic design Peter Comeau says it offers "98% of the performance of the M-DAC for £200 less."
There's less functionality on the Q-DAC, which does without the remote control circuitry and balanced outputs of the M-DAC, and it has a smaller display. It also only has one coaxial and one optical digital input, where the M-DAC has two of each.
But you do get a headphone socket, USB connectivity, analogue RCA output and 'menu' and 'source' buttons.
The Q-DAC can handle hi-res 24-bit/192kHz files via the coaxial input and the USB input, but only 24/96 over optical.
Sharing the stand with the Q-DAC is the new Audiolab M-PWR power amp (£499) designed to go with the M-DAC (which acts as a preamp) to make a stereo system.
There are balanced inputs and speaker binding posts on the back, and claimed power output is 40W.
Follow whathifi.com on Twitter
Comments
That poweramp looks interesting aswell. Would you be able to hook up this poweramp to their surround processor?
Volume control but no remote ? Not a lucky solution ...
I cant keep up nowadays chebby.
I doubt it will better the Arcam irDac, which sounded spectacular in Bristol for the same price.
Indeed it has. Chebby was correct, so story amended.
Jolls, it's been amended since I wrote that first post. Thanks.
chebby - have another read.
John Westlake designed it, not Peter Comeau.