HD3 USB Digital to Analog Converter

The HD3 is an audiophile grade digital to analog converter for use with a computer based audio source. It is designed to exploit the advantages of the recently available high-definition digital source material, to be simple to use, and to establish that digital sources really can "just sound right".

The HD3 is designed to be as hassle-free as possible. Connect it to any available USB port on your computer with a standard USB cable, select the HD3 and you should be ready to play music in a matter of moments. It is designed to work with the drivers built into the operating systems of all modern PC, Mac, and Linux computers, so there is no need to struggle with installing drivers as there are none to install. Just select your favorite tunes from music stored on your computer, or pop a CD into your computer's optical drive, sit back and enjoy.

With its asynchronous data interface virtually eliminating jitter, the HD3 will transform your computer into a high-end CD player competitive with the very best audiophile quality units on the market. But it will do much more than that. By "ripping" your CDs to the computer you can take advantage of software that makes multiple read passes to virtually eliminate data errors, for superior playback. You can store an entire music collection on the hard-drive of your computer, and use your choice of "juke-box" software to search for and select the songs or albums you want to play. Preserve your CDs from possible damage in handling by copying them to your hard drive and putting them away in safe storage. Imagine a couple of thousand or more CDs of music all contained in the space of a small computer. Better yet, the HD3 is designed to deliver better than CD quality material. It will decode up to 24 bit, 96k samples/second music files. These files are available for purchase by download from various on-line sources.

The conrad-johnson analog audio circuits are your assurance that the HD3 will deliver the full potential of these sources and in the end, the music playback will be musical. As expected from conrad-johnson, the circuits are simple and executed with quality parts. A high-end Burr-Brown delta-sigma dac was selected for the digital to analog conversion. This is the most musically satisfying 24/96 capable dac presently available. The analog signal is fed to our own audio circuits, executed with highest quality polypropylene capacitors and metal foil and metal film resistors. The digital circuits are powered by regenerating power from the USB connection itself, while the analog portion of the dac and the analog audio stage are powered by separate transformers feeding discrete dc voltage regulators, thus isolating the analog signal from noise imposed on the grounds and power supply legs of the digital circuits.

Better sound and quicker, easier access to all your music, what is not to like?

Specifications