DACS ENTERTAINMENT

NEXT-GENERATION SOUND QUALITY GETS PC-LIKE POWER

Today’s music-lover has never had it so good: the vinyl revival, internet radio, plus the growing popularity of music streaming, like Spotify, Amazon Music and Google Play Music services. We’re even able to enjoy recording studio sound quality (better than CD) with the right equipment.

Most of today’s music is digital and there’s one crucial piece of electronics that determines how good that music can ultimately sound: a DAC (digital to analogue convertor). The chances are, you’ve already used a DAC in the past 24 hours: that smartphone call, TV news catch-up or internet surf; DACs are essential circuit board devices embedded into everyday gadgets converting digital signals into analogue ones, so you can hear them.

Most are tiny chips, costing no more than a few pounds, machine-soldered into circuit boards, like the one in your phone. At the opposite end of the scale, however, are external, matchbox-sized DACs that plug in to smartphones, tablets, laptops, computers, TVs, hi-fis and more, to upgrade (and transform) sound quality. The difference can be likened to HD video: suddenly music has more clarity, more resolution and is more “real”.

The world leader in DAC technology is British. Kent-based Chord Electronics has been making award-winning DACs using proprietary technology since 1996. Having discovered basic chip-DACs sounded awful, it applied computerlike levels of processing power to the task, employing highly advanced programmable devices (FPGAs), customcoded by its expert audio designers.

Chord Electronics’ DACs, from the smartphone-enabling rechargeable Mojo to the Hugo 2 (pictured) are hand-made in the UK with British design, expertise and software. The company has the most advanced digital technology the world has to offer and has accumulated more major awards than anyone else. To experience your favourite music in HD, search ‘Chord Electronics Mojo’ to begin your journey of discovery.