Onkyo DAC/headphone amp enables high-res playback from iOS and Android devices

If you have an iPhone or Android smartphone or tablet and want to add high-resolution audio capability, Onkyo's new DAC-HA300 digital-to-analogue converter/headphone amp can oblige.

It connects via USB to an iPhone or Android handset (using an Apple Lightning connector or Android On-the-Go cable) and then syncs with Onkyo's HF Player app. A free upgrade to the HD Player Pack app enables output of high-res PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) or 5.6MHz DSD audio files to the DAC-HA300 for decoding and playback.

In addition, the DAC-HA300 serves as a standalone media player and headphone amp. It has a slot to accommodate up to 128GB of music on a microSD card, and is equipped with a micro USB Type-B input for asynchronous digital-to-analogue conversion of high-res audio from a PC without the need to install drivers.

It also has a switchable optical/coaxial/analogue input capable of accepting digital signals from connected devices up to a maximum resolution of 24-bit/192kHz.

Onkyo says the DAC-HA300 uses a MUSES8920 op-amp, a fully discrete push-pull output stage and a selectable gain adjustment function. Its 32-bit/192kHz TI Burr-Brown PCM1795 DAC was chosen for its "low out-of-band noise performance and excellent resistance to jitter".

The unit is powered by an internal lithium-ion battery which gives around seven hours of playback when connected to an iPhone, and can be recharged via USB when connected to a PC or using the supplied 5V DC cable and plug.

Constructed from durable aluminium, the Onkyo DAC-HA300 will be available in black for £499 from the end of April 2015.

Rugged aluminium casework protects the DAC-HA300 from knocks

Rugged aluminium casework protects the DAC-HA300 from knocks
Andy Clough

Andy is Global Brand Director of What Hi-Fi? and has been a technology journalist for 30 years. During that time he has covered everything from VHS and Betamax, MiniDisc and DCC to CDi, Laserdisc and 3D TV, and any number of other formats that have come and gone. He loves nothing better than a good old format war. Andy edited several hi-fi and home cinema magazines before relaunching whathifi.com in 2008 and helping turn it into the global success it is today. When not listening to music or watching TV, he spends far too much of his time reading about cars he can't afford to buy.