Features: DACs

Just because Tracking Angle unapologetically advocates for analog-based audio doesn’t mean we are digital troglodytes. I am confident that many professed analog lovers out there are "closet streamers," so staying updated on the fast-changing developments in the digital arena is important. Combining analog musical satisfaction with digital music's convenience and accessibility is a lofty but worthwhile goal. But don’t fret; this is not an announcement... Read More

The Bricasti M3 arrives in the familiar Bricasti black-anodized-and-silver enclosure, but with a smaller form factor. It is 14" W x 11.25" D x 2.5" H, and weighs 10 pounds. The M3 has AES, S/PDIF, Toslink (Optical), and USB digital inputs as standard. An RJ45 Ethernet connection is optional. Furthermore, you can specify that your S/PDIF connector will be a BNC jack, rather than an RCA jack. I highly recommend the BNC, even though my review sample did not have it. I know this from previous experience, because the Parasound Halo CD-1 transport has that rare and special thing, a BNC S/PDIF output jack. Compared to Bricasti’s other offerings, the M3 is actually kind of cuddly looking. If you have a moderately spacious desk (and some extra cabbage in your bankroll), I am sure that the balanced-headphone-optioned M3 would make for an amazing computer-stereo headphone-listening setup.