Ultralink BitStream BTS-300 Portable DAC and Headphone Amp — New

Ultralink BitStream BTS-300 Portable USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier — 300 mW, 24-bit / 192 kHz, Aluminium Housing, New in Package

A pocket-sized digital-to-analogue converter with an integrated headphone amplifier, made to sit between a laptop, desktop or phone and a pair of headphones that the source cannot properly drive on its own.

The problem it solves is a specific one. A computer’s onboard sound card sits inside a metal box full of electrical noise, sharing a circuit board with the very components that generate it, and its headphone output is designed for earbuds rather than anything demanding. Higher-impedance headphones connected to it play quietly, thinly, and without the low-end authority they are capable of. The BitStream takes the digital signal out over USB before any of that happens, converts it in its own housing, and adds 300 mW of amplification behind it.

It handles 16 to 24-bit audio from 44.1 kHz through 192 kHz, so it plays everything from an MP3 to a high-resolution file without resampling, and the aluminium housing keeps it both shielded and pocketable. Plug-and-play over USB with no drivers on Mac, PC and most Android devices, with both required cables in the box.

The natural pairing is a set of headphones that has always felt slightly underpowered — a 250 ohm studio pair, or anything that sounds cautious out of a laptop. It is also the cheapest meaningful upgrade available to a desk-based listening setup, because it improves every source that passes through it rather than one recording at a time.

These are new and unopened, in retail packaging, with full manufacturer warranty.

Features

• USB digital-to-analogue converter with integrated headphone amplifier
• 300 mW of additional power for high-impedance headphones
• Plays 16 to 24-bit audio, 44.1 kHz to 192 kHz
• Bypasses the computer’s onboard sound card and its interference
• Drives headphones directly
• Compact aluminium housing
• Plug-and-play with Mac, PC and most Android devices
• Mini USB audio pass-through for compatible smartphones
• Includes one Micro USB to USB Type A cable and one Micro USB to Micro USB cable

Retail carton: 10 x 8 x 1.6 inches
Weight: 0.11 lb (50 g)

Original retail was $109.99 CAD.

Backed by Radique Audio’s Bumper-to-Bumper Warranty, you can purchase with confidence.