Sound Cards / Audio Interfaces / DACs
to use with Pure Music / Pure Vinyl
Two-channel computer audio interface. Connects to Mac OS and Windows computers. USB for both connection and power. Sound Devices offers drivers for 32-bit Windows and Macintosh systems. A 3rd party driver for 64-bit Windows and Macintosh systems is available, however please note that Sound Devices cannot provide support for 3rd party.
Pure Music / Pure Vinyl are designed to support- Go to Device Manager (right click on My Computer, choose Manage and then find Device Manager in the left panel), or right click on Start Menu for Windows 10 and select Device Manager. Right click on the hardware device you wish to update and choose Update Driver Software.
- Sound Devices USBPre 2 Audio Tool Firmware 1.03 for Mac OS 92 downloads. May 22nd 2016, 02:48 GMT. Sound Devices USBPre 2 Audio Tool Firmware 1.03 174.
Audio interfaces or analog to digital converters (ADCs) with more than 2 analog input channels are suitable for use with Pure Vinyl's Virtual Line Level Preamplifier / Multiple Source Selector feature.
Audio interfaces or digital to analog converters (DACs) with more than 2 output channels are suitable for use with Pure Music / Pure Vinyl's 64-bit, two / three / four-way digital crossover, or directly driven distributed audio systems (with optional time alignment).
All listed interfaces use a Firewire connection unless otherwise indicated (USB, PCI), and have stereo (2 channel) outputs, unless the number of (analog) input or output channels is given. See bottom of page for description of other notes (192, L, H, V). Specifications, compatibility and availability are correct to the best of our knowledge.
Notes:
DACs that only have digital input signal connections (S/PDIF, toslink / optical, AES/EBU) aren't included here, because the computer only interacts with the digital output device used to drive such DACs, and not the DAC itself.
384: Supports up to 384 kHz directly via computer bus (USB)
Audio interfaces or digital to analog converters (DACs) with more than 2 output channels are suitable for use with Pure Music / Pure Vinyl's 64-bit, two / three / four-way digital crossover, or directly driven distributed audio systems (with optional time alignment).
All listed interfaces use a Firewire connection unless otherwise indicated (USB, PCI), and have stereo (2 channel) outputs, unless the number of (analog) input or output channels is given. See bottom of page for description of other notes (192, L, H, V). Specifications, compatibility and availability are correct to the best of our knowledge.
Tested by Channel D:
| Apple | Apogee | Atlona | AT-HD577 HDMI Audio De-Embedder (HDMI input, 192, digital output) |
| Audio Research | AudioQuest | Burmester | 100 Phono Preamp (ADC input limited to 48 kHz 16 bit via USB; higher via digital output. NOTE: ADC follows RIAA correction) |
| Beresford | TC-7520 (44.1 or 48 kHz 16 bit via USB, higher via digital input) | ||
| Digidesign | Mbox* (io, L, USB) | ||
| dCS | Focusrite | Saffire* (io, L, 192; 8o) Saffire Pro 24*** (io, L, H; 4i; 6o) | |
| HRT | Music Streamer II (USB) (see important note below about operation at 88.2 kHz) | ||
| Lindemann | USB-DAC 24/192 (192, USB) | ||
| Logitech | S-150* (USB) | ||
| Lynx | Aurora 8 with LT-FW (io, 192 with firmware version 15; 8i; 8o) Hilo (io, 192, USB; 2i 6o plus multichannel digital i/o) AES16e (io, 192, PCI; 16) (digital i/o) LynxTWO (io, 192, PCI; 2i/6o 4i/4o 6i/2o depending on model) | ||
| M2Tech | HiFace (192, USB) (digital output) EVO (192, USB) (digital output) Young DAC (384, USB) | ||
| M-Audio | FireWire 410* (io, 192, L; 8o) | ||
| Metric Halo | ULN-2 (io, L; 2i; 2o) | ||
| Mytek Digital | 8X192 AD/DA (io, 192, 8i; 8o) Stereo 192 (192 plus DSD 2.8 MHz USB and Firewire) | ||
| Prism Sound | Orpheus (io, L, H, 192; 8i; 8o) | ||
| Playback Designs | MPD-3 / MPS-3 (384 plus DSD 2.8/5.6 MHz USB) | ||
| RME | Digiface (PCI, 8) (digital output) Babyface (io, L, H, 192, USB) Fireface 400 (io, L, H, 192; 8i; 8o) Fireface 800 (io, L, 192; 10i; 8o) HDSP 9632 (io, 192, PCI; 4 with expansion board) | ||
| Rosewill | Mobile 2.1 Speaker System (USB) (44.1 or 48 kHz) (See Note below) | ||
| TASCAM | US-144 (io, L, USB; 4o counting S/PDIF Output) | ||
| TC Electronic | Konnekt 24D* (io, L, 192; 4i; 4o) Studio Konnekt 48 (io, L, H, 192; 12i; 12o) Impact Twin (io, L, H, 192; 4i; 4o) Desktop Konnekt 6 (2i, 192) | ||
| Wavelength | Proton (V, USB) Wavelink (192, USB) (digital output) | ||
| Wyred 4 Sound | DAC-2 (192, USB) | ||
| Yamaha | GO46* (io, L, 192; 4o) |
Reported tested by Pure Music or Pure Vinyl Users:
| Antelope Audio | Apogee | Audiophilleo | Ayre | Benchmark | DAC-1 (USB) (Note: resamples all audio to 110 kHz) |
| Berkeley Audio Design | Bryston | BDA-1 (44.1 or 48 kHz 16 bit via USB, higher via digital input) | |||
| Cambridge Audio | DAC Magic (44.1 kHz or 48 kHz 16 bit via USB, higher via digital input) | ||||
| Cary Audio | XCiter (44.1 or 48 kHz 16 bit via USB, or 192 kHz (only) via digital input) | ||||
| Classe | CP-800 (USB) | ||||
| Digidesign | Mbox2 (io, L, USB) | ||||
| Eastern Electric | MiniMax DAC (44.1 or 48 kHz 16 bit via USB, or 192 kHz (only) via digital input) | ||||
| Echo Audio | AudioFire (io, L) | ||||
| EMM Labs | DAC2X (192 plus DSD 2.8 MHz USB) | ||||
| Focusrite | Saffire LE* (io, L; 8o) | ||||
| Fostex | HP-A3 (96 kHz only via USB, other sample rates via digital input) | ||||
| Lindemann | USB-DDC 24/192 (192, USB) | ||||
| Lynx | L22 (io, 192, PCI) AES16 (io, 192, PCI; 16) (digital i/o) | ||||
| M-Audio | FireWire Solo ProFire 610 (io, L, H, 192; 4i; 8o) | ||||
| Meitner | MA-1 (192 plus DSD 2.8 MHz USB) | ||||
| Metric Halo | ULN-8 (io, L, 192; 8i; 8o) LIO-8 (io, 192; 8i; 8o) | ||||
| Mhdt Lab | Havana (44.1 or 48 kHz 16 bit via USB, higher via digital input) | ||||
| Musical Fidelity | M1DAC (44.1 or 48 kHz 16 bit via USB, higher via digital input) V-DAC (1st version) (44.1 or 48 kHz 16 bit via USB, higher via digital input) V-DAC II (96 via USB, higher via digital input) V-LINK192 (192, USB) (digital output) | ||||
| MOTU | Traveller (io, L, 192; 8i; 8o)** PCI-424 (8)** 896 (io, L, 192; 8i; 8o) | ||||
| Peachtree Audio | Nova (USB) | ||||
| Playback Designs | MPD-5 / MPS-5 (384 plus DSD 2.8/5.6 MHz USB) (with USB-X) | ||||
| Pro-Ject | Phono Box II USB (ADC input limited to 44.1 or 48 kHz 16 bit) | ||||
| Rega | DAC (44.1 or 48 kHz 16 bit via USB, higher via digital input) | ||||
| Resolution Audio | Cantata Music Center (USB) Cantata Pont Neuf (USB) | ||||
| Sound Devices | TC Electronic | Konnekt 8* (io, L, 192; 4i; 4o) | |||
| Wavelength | Crimson (USB) |
Notes:
DACs that only have digital input signal connections (S/PDIF, toslink / optical, AES/EBU) aren't included here, because the computer only interacts with the digital output device used to drive such DACs, and not the DAC itself.
Sound Devices Usbpre 2 Used
192: Supports up to 192 kHz directly via computer bus (USB, Firewire, or PCI)384: Supports up to 384 kHz directly via computer bus (USB)
DSD: Supports 1-bit DSD directly via computer bus (USB)
L: Includes suitable flat gain preamplifier for use with Pure Vinyl RIAA Correction and LOW OUTPUT (0.8 mV or less) cartridges (most moving coil)
io: Includes analog inputs and outputs
* Discontinued by Manufacturer; May be Available Through Dealers or Used
L: Includes suitable flat gain preamplifier for use with Pure Vinyl RIAA Correction and LOW OUTPUT (0.8 mV or less) cartridges (most moving coil)
Usbpre 2 Sound Devices
H: Includes suitable high impedance flat gain preamplifier for use with Pure Vinyl RIAA Correction and HIGH OUTPUT (typically 5 mV) cartridges (moving magnet and some moving coil)Sound Devices Usbpre 2 Driver
V: Hardware analog volume control, supported by Pure Music / Pure Vinylio: Includes analog inputs and outputs
* Discontinued by Manufacturer; May be Available Through Dealers or Used
Audio interfaces or analog to digital converters (ADCs) with more than 2 analog input channels are suitable for use with Pure Vinyl's Virtual Line Level Preamplifier / Multiple Source Selector feature.
Audio interfaces or digital to analog converters (DACs) with more than 2 output channels are suitable for use with Pure Music / Pure Vinyl's 64-bit, two / three / four-way digital crossover, or directly driven distributed audio systems (with optional time alignment).
All listed interfaces use a Firewire connection unless otherwise indicated (USB, PCI), and have stereo (2 channel) outputs, unless the number of (analog) input or output channels is given. See bottom of page for description of other notes (192, L, H, V). Specifications, compatibility and availability are correct to the best of our knowledge.
Notes:
DACs that only have digital input signal connections (S/PDIF, toslink / optical, AES/EBU) aren't included here, because the computer only interacts with the digital output device used to drive such DACs, and not the DAC itself.
384: Supports up to 384 kHz directly via computer bus (USB)
DSD: Supports 1-bit DSD directly via computer bus (USB)
L: Includes suitable flat gain preamplifier for use with Pure Vinyl RIAA Correction and LOW OUTPUT (0.8 mV or less) cartridges (most moving coil)
io: Includes analog inputs and outputs
* Discontinued by Manufacturer; May be Available Through Dealers or Used
** Channel mapping of these MOTU interfaces currently omits channels higher than the first 6. On the Traveller, an option in Pure Music 1.41 and later permits accessing the digital and headphone output channels 10 through 15.
*** The Saffire MixControl application must be changed to a DAW configuration. Contact Channel D Support for assistance.
- Rosewill USB Speaker System: not high fidelity, but represents an inexpensive (less than $30) auxiliary output option for the computer's audio 'alert' sounds (beeps), instead of directing them to your high-fidelity audio output, or the computer bulit-in audio, and is powered automatically over the USB connection. Use Advanced Audio Setup... in Pure Music / Pure Vinyl to select your high-fidelity output audio interface / DAC for music, and Apple's Audio MIDI Setup application to select a USB Speaker (such as the Rosewill or other USB speaker) for computer system sounds or other audio from the computer. Especially useful in conjunction with HOG mode (instead of using a 'phantom' audio driver like Soundflower).
- HRT Music Streamer II: we have received (as of November 8, 2010) a few reports of distortion issues when using that product at an 88.2 kHz sample rate (whether native sample rate playback or using upsampling from CD). All other sample rates are fine (including upsampling to 96 kHz). We are obtaining a sample of the Music Streamer II and should have more information by November 10. -- UPDATE, November 9: we have confirmed this issue, and it isn't confined to only Pure Music. This also occurs playing audio tracks with iTunes alone, Audio MIDI Setup set to 88.2 kHz before launching iTunes. Every few minutes the audio mutes or breaks up, and eventually the audio goes silent. Changing the sample rate clears the issue. -- UPDATE, November 15: we have tested a revised flash chip supplied by HRT that corrects the problem, which appears to be dependent on the Mac model. Please contact HRT for more information on this update.
Note: some audio interfaces listed supply an 'RIAA Filter' DSP plug in or option setting. The RIAA filter in Pure Vinyl is preferred, as it is modelled with identical amplitude and phase response to its analog counterpart (IIR type). Also, Pure Vinyl's filter is implemented (as is the optional crossover) using high precision, 64 bit floating point math. In contrast, the maximum precision available for complex filtering operations in commercially available DSP chips is only 40 bit floating point. High precision in digital filtering is extremely important for avoiding signal distortions caused by mathematical rounding and accumulation errors (think of capacitor dissipation / dielectric absorption as the analog counterpart).
Other advantages of Pure Vinyl's RIAA filter over using hardware DSP RIAA:
1. Pure Vinyl has an adjustable (frequency and slope) rumble filter, invaluable for vinyl playback, to remove low frequency information which reduces the headroom in recordings and in the power amplifier.
2. If archiving / transferring to digital, you aren't locked into having a pre-corrected recording. The curve can be applied any time later. You also can produce copies using Pure Vinyl with the RIAA curve applied, in a choice of formats (including with sample rate conversion) so need not rely on Pure Vinyl for playback. Also, see the note below about normalization.
3. More choices are open, such as using different rumble filter settings.
4. Setting the recording levels isn't nearly as critical:The RIAA filter increases the effective resolution / word length (see downloadable paper), and this can be used to advantage (because it can be integrated with the filter) if any normalization gain is needed. On the other hand, if recording directly to 24 bit with the RIAA curve already applied, normalization will only increase the distortion in the recording.
5. Future enhancements coming to Pure Vinyl that take advantage of having a flat transfer.
Audio interfaces or digital to analog converters (DACs) with more than 2 output channels are suitable for use with Pure Music / Pure Vinyl's 64-bit, two / three / four-way digital crossover, or directly driven distributed audio systems (with optional time alignment).
All listed interfaces use a Firewire connection unless otherwise indicated (USB, PCI), and have stereo (2 channel) outputs, unless the number of (analog) input or output channels is given. See bottom of page for description of other notes (192, L, H, V). Specifications, compatibility and availability are correct to the best of our knowledge.
Tested by Channel D:
| Apple | Apogee | Atlona | AT-HD577 HDMI Audio De-Embedder (HDMI input, 192, digital output) |
| Audio Research | AudioQuest | Burmester | 100 Phono Preamp (ADC input limited to 48 kHz 16 bit via USB; higher via digital output. NOTE: ADC follows RIAA correction) |
| Beresford | TC-7520 (44.1 or 48 kHz 16 bit via USB, higher via digital input) | ||
| Digidesign | Mbox* (io, L, USB) | ||
| dCS | Focusrite | Saffire* (io, L, 192; 8o) Saffire Pro 24*** (io, L, H; 4i; 6o) | |
| HRT | Music Streamer II (USB) (see important note below about operation at 88.2 kHz) | ||
| Lindemann | USB-DAC 24/192 (192, USB) | ||
| Logitech | S-150* (USB) | ||
| Lynx | Aurora 8 with LT-FW (io, 192 with firmware version 15; 8i; 8o) Hilo (io, 192, USB; 2i 6o plus multichannel digital i/o) AES16e (io, 192, PCI; 16) (digital i/o) LynxTWO (io, 192, PCI; 2i/6o 4i/4o 6i/2o depending on model) | ||
| M2Tech | HiFace (192, USB) (digital output) EVO (192, USB) (digital output) Young DAC (384, USB) | ||
| M-Audio | FireWire 410* (io, 192, L; 8o) | ||
| Metric Halo | ULN-2 (io, L; 2i; 2o) | ||
| Mytek Digital | 8X192 AD/DA (io, 192, 8i; 8o) Stereo 192 (192 plus DSD 2.8 MHz USB and Firewire) | ||
| Prism Sound | Orpheus (io, L, H, 192; 8i; 8o) | ||
| Playback Designs | MPD-3 / MPS-3 (384 plus DSD 2.8/5.6 MHz USB) | ||
| RME | Digiface (PCI, 8) (digital output) Babyface (io, L, H, 192, USB) Fireface 400 (io, L, H, 192; 8i; 8o) Fireface 800 (io, L, 192; 10i; 8o) HDSP 9632 (io, 192, PCI; 4 with expansion board) | ||
| Rosewill | Mobile 2.1 Speaker System (USB) (44.1 or 48 kHz) (See Note below) | ||
| TASCAM | US-144 (io, L, USB; 4o counting S/PDIF Output) | ||
| TC Electronic | Konnekt 24D* (io, L, 192; 4i; 4o) Studio Konnekt 48 (io, L, H, 192; 12i; 12o) Impact Twin (io, L, H, 192; 4i; 4o) Desktop Konnekt 6 (2i, 192) | ||
| Wavelength | Proton (V, USB) Wavelink (192, USB) (digital output) | ||
| Wyred 4 Sound | DAC-2 (192, USB) | ||
| Yamaha | GO46* (io, L, 192; 4o) |
Reported tested by Pure Music or Pure Vinyl Users:
| Antelope Audio | Apogee | Audiophilleo | Ayre | Benchmark | DAC-1 (USB) (Note: resamples all audio to 110 kHz) |
| Berkeley Audio Design | Bryston | BDA-1 (44.1 or 48 kHz 16 bit via USB, higher via digital input) | |||
| Cambridge Audio | DAC Magic (44.1 kHz or 48 kHz 16 bit via USB, higher via digital input) | ||||
| Cary Audio | XCiter (44.1 or 48 kHz 16 bit via USB, or 192 kHz (only) via digital input) | ||||
| Classe | CP-800 (USB) | ||||
| Digidesign | Mbox2 (io, L, USB) | ||||
| Eastern Electric | MiniMax DAC (44.1 or 48 kHz 16 bit via USB, or 192 kHz (only) via digital input) | ||||
| Echo Audio | AudioFire (io, L) | ||||
| EMM Labs | DAC2X (192 plus DSD 2.8 MHz USB) | ||||
| Focusrite | Saffire LE* (io, L; 8o) | ||||
| Fostex | HP-A3 (96 kHz only via USB, other sample rates via digital input) | ||||
| Lindemann | USB-DDC 24/192 (192, USB) | ||||
| Lynx | L22 (io, 192, PCI) AES16 (io, 192, PCI; 16) (digital i/o) | ||||
| M-Audio | FireWire Solo ProFire 610 (io, L, H, 192; 4i; 8o) | ||||
| Meitner | MA-1 (192 plus DSD 2.8 MHz USB) | ||||
| Metric Halo | ULN-8 (io, L, 192; 8i; 8o) LIO-8 (io, 192; 8i; 8o) | ||||
| Mhdt Lab | Havana (44.1 or 48 kHz 16 bit via USB, higher via digital input) | ||||
| Musical Fidelity | M1DAC (44.1 or 48 kHz 16 bit via USB, higher via digital input) V-DAC (1st version) (44.1 or 48 kHz 16 bit via USB, higher via digital input) V-DAC II (96 via USB, higher via digital input) V-LINK192 (192, USB) (digital output) | ||||
| MOTU | Traveller (io, L, 192; 8i; 8o)** PCI-424 (8)** 896 (io, L, 192; 8i; 8o) | ||||
| Peachtree Audio | Nova (USB) | ||||
| Playback Designs | MPD-5 / MPS-5 (384 plus DSD 2.8/5.6 MHz USB) (with USB-X) | ||||
| Pro-Ject | Phono Box II USB (ADC input limited to 44.1 or 48 kHz 16 bit) | ||||
| Rega | DAC (44.1 or 48 kHz 16 bit via USB, higher via digital input) | ||||
| Resolution Audio | Cantata Music Center (USB) Cantata Pont Neuf (USB) | ||||
| Sound Devices | TC Electronic | Konnekt 8* (io, L, 192; 4i; 4o) | |||
| Wavelength | Crimson (USB) |
Notes:
DACs that only have digital input signal connections (S/PDIF, toslink / optical, AES/EBU) aren't included here, because the computer only interacts with the digital output device used to drive such DACs, and not the DAC itself.
Sound Devices Usbpre 2 Used
192: Supports up to 192 kHz directly via computer bus (USB, Firewire, or PCI)384: Supports up to 384 kHz directly via computer bus (USB)
DSD: Supports 1-bit DSD directly via computer bus (USB)
L: Includes suitable flat gain preamplifier for use with Pure Vinyl RIAA Correction and LOW OUTPUT (0.8 mV or less) cartridges (most moving coil)
Usbpre 2 Sound Devices
H: Includes suitable high impedance flat gain preamplifier for use with Pure Vinyl RIAA Correction and HIGH OUTPUT (typically 5 mV) cartridges (moving magnet and some moving coil)Sound Devices Usbpre 2 Driver
V: Hardware analog volume control, supported by Pure Music / Pure Vinylio: Includes analog inputs and outputs
* Discontinued by Manufacturer; May be Available Through Dealers or Used
** Channel mapping of these MOTU interfaces currently omits channels higher than the first 6. On the Traveller, an option in Pure Music 1.41 and later permits accessing the digital and headphone output channels 10 through 15.
*** The Saffire MixControl application must be changed to a DAW configuration. Contact Channel D Support for assistance.
- Rosewill USB Speaker System: not high fidelity, but represents an inexpensive (less than $30) auxiliary output option for the computer's audio 'alert' sounds (beeps), instead of directing them to your high-fidelity audio output, or the computer bulit-in audio, and is powered automatically over the USB connection. Use Advanced Audio Setup... in Pure Music / Pure Vinyl to select your high-fidelity output audio interface / DAC for music, and Apple's Audio MIDI Setup application to select a USB Speaker (such as the Rosewill or other USB speaker) for computer system sounds or other audio from the computer. Especially useful in conjunction with HOG mode (instead of using a 'phantom' audio driver like Soundflower).
- HRT Music Streamer II: we have received (as of November 8, 2010) a few reports of distortion issues when using that product at an 88.2 kHz sample rate (whether native sample rate playback or using upsampling from CD). All other sample rates are fine (including upsampling to 96 kHz). We are obtaining a sample of the Music Streamer II and should have more information by November 10. -- UPDATE, November 9: we have confirmed this issue, and it isn't confined to only Pure Music. This also occurs playing audio tracks with iTunes alone, Audio MIDI Setup set to 88.2 kHz before launching iTunes. Every few minutes the audio mutes or breaks up, and eventually the audio goes silent. Changing the sample rate clears the issue. -- UPDATE, November 15: we have tested a revised flash chip supplied by HRT that corrects the problem, which appears to be dependent on the Mac model. Please contact HRT for more information on this update.
Note: some audio interfaces listed supply an 'RIAA Filter' DSP plug in or option setting. The RIAA filter in Pure Vinyl is preferred, as it is modelled with identical amplitude and phase response to its analog counterpart (IIR type). Also, Pure Vinyl's filter is implemented (as is the optional crossover) using high precision, 64 bit floating point math. In contrast, the maximum precision available for complex filtering operations in commercially available DSP chips is only 40 bit floating point. High precision in digital filtering is extremely important for avoiding signal distortions caused by mathematical rounding and accumulation errors (think of capacitor dissipation / dielectric absorption as the analog counterpart).
Other advantages of Pure Vinyl's RIAA filter over using hardware DSP RIAA:
1. Pure Vinyl has an adjustable (frequency and slope) rumble filter, invaluable for vinyl playback, to remove low frequency information which reduces the headroom in recordings and in the power amplifier.
2. If archiving / transferring to digital, you aren't locked into having a pre-corrected recording. The curve can be applied any time later. You also can produce copies using Pure Vinyl with the RIAA curve applied, in a choice of formats (including with sample rate conversion) so need not rely on Pure Vinyl for playback. Also, see the note below about normalization.
3. More choices are open, such as using different rumble filter settings.
4. Setting the recording levels isn't nearly as critical:The RIAA filter increases the effective resolution / word length (see downloadable paper), and this can be used to advantage (because it can be integrated with the filter) if any normalization gain is needed. On the other hand, if recording directly to 24 bit with the RIAA curve already applied, normalization will only increase the distortion in the recording.
5. Future enhancements coming to Pure Vinyl that take advantage of having a flat transfer.
