HDTA launches Serenade DSD DAC and headphone amp

The company – a subsidiary of Sound Magic Pro Audio – claims the Serenade to be the first such "hardware and software solution for audiophiles" and is designed to deliver studio-quality music.

Serenade is based on the Serenade Workstation, a portable DSD/DXD production workstation. It incorporates Minimum Path technology to use the shortest signal path for your audio.

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HDTA says this leads to an "extremely efficient circuit" and reduces distortion. The Serenade also features 32-bit DAC architecture and a Jitter Elimination Circuit with dual oscillator design.

In a quest to provide "extended support of high-resolution audio", Serenade supports four types of DSD files with native playback including DXD 24-bit/352.8kHz and DSD 32-bit/384kHz.

Meanwhile, the new Virtual Preamp technology has been used to boost the sound quality when it is used at different volume levels – altering the dynamic range depending on the volume.

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Elsewhere, headphone mix technology is aimed at those "who make their music on a headphone monitoring system" and combines a number of elements to achieve the "feeling" of speakers.

It combines HDTA's environment simulation system, frequency compensating system and HRTF technologies to reproduce that speaker sensation when listening to music with your headphones.

Serenade measures 12 x 12 x 3cm and can be powered direct from a USB port. It will go on sale through Amazon and will come with a price tag here in the UK of £200.

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Pete was content editor on What Hi-Fi?, overseeing production and publication of digital content. In creating and curating feature articles for web and print consumption, he provided digital and editorial expertise and support to help reposition What Hi-Fi? as a ‘digital-first’ title; reflecting the contemporary media trends. He is now a senior content strategist.