Audioengine announced on Thursday the D2 Premium 24-bit Wireless DAC, a high end wireless bridge for streaming HD audio. A sister product to the D1 Premium 24-bit DAC that also began shipping, the D2 aims to bring wireless streaming to audiophiles.
The D2 Premium 24-bit Wireless DAC
Sending & Receiving Unit
(Click the image for a larger version)
As noted above, the D2 is aimed at audiophiles, and will be most useful to users who own 24-bit audio, such as those available from HDTRacks.com (CDs, iTunes downloads, and MP3 music download files are 16-bit). As a wireless DAC, it allows users to send their 24-bit audio files from their Mac or PC to their (assumedly high-end) audio gear without keeping said computer next to said audio gear.
As the company noted in a statement, “The ability to stream bit-perfect 24/96 audio wirelessly from your computer right to your music system not only keeps your computer away from the rest of your audio gear, but also minimizes nagging problems such as ground loops, induced cable noise, and extra jitter”.
It also allows users to wirelessly stream their music to their own DACs, bypassing the DAC inside the D2.
D2 Features:
- Wireless 24/96 digital-to-analog converter
- Mac or PC plug-n-play, no drivers to install or network setup
- USB-to-S/PDIF converter=
- USB and optical inputs
- Optical and analog outputs
- Based on Burr-Brown PCM1792 DAC
- Bit-perfect 24/96 PCM over-the-air transmission
The D2 is priced at US$599 and is available now.
Audioengine also began shipping the D1 Premium 24-bit DAC, a similar unit without the wireless capabilities. The D1 is priced at $169.