Astell & Kern USB–C Dual DAC Cable

Better Mac audio quality on the move

$149 From astellnkern.com

Features Full metal housing design, dual-DAC audio chipset, copper shielded cable Needs Mac with USB–C Astell & Kern (A&K) is a well known name in hi–fi circles, and it recently brought its audio expertise to the Mac with its new USB–C Dual DAC Cable.

One end of the sturdy cable connects to a USB–C port on a Mac or PC and it then acts as a DAC — digital/analogue converter — that lets you connect your wired headphones to the 3.5mm connector on the other end. Of course, most Macs do have a headphone socket, but A&K’s high–quality DAC chip provides much better sound quality than the Mac’s own rather low–fi sound chip. The cable actually uses two DAC chips to process sound for the left and right channels, and supports audio up to 32-bit/384KHz — far beyond the 16–bit/44.1KHz of a standard CD.

The difference was obvious when listening to the high– res version of Queen’s “Somebody To Love” — the sound was much clearer, catching every detail, like the crashing cymbals, and shrieking falsetto. The only downside is that using two DACs means the cable needs more power than a mobile device can supply, so it’s only for Macs.

THE BOTTOM LINE. Owners of wired headphones will love the sound quality and portable design of this DAC Cable. It’s a worthwhile upgrade for your hi-res music.

ASTELL & KERN USB–C DUAL DAC CABLE

Affordable audio upgrade for your Mac

Pocket–size portable design

Sturdy zinc casing

Not iPad–compatible