Linnenberg Audio u:c:a USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier

Srajan Ebaen has posted a review of the Linnenberg Audio u:c:a USB DAC (€1190) at 6moons. His conclusions:

“In the intro I quoted the designer with “solid-state products using discrete parts for the amplifying stages are particularly rare. Burson, SPL and Harmony Design come to my mind but the vast majority tries to please the audience with cheap opamp constructions.” As I had two Burson competitors on hand, I can confirm that the hot-running u:c:a also sonically belongs into that company. If it had more power, it could be recommended unconditionally for all headphones. As is the beastliest loads (AKG K-1000, HifiMan HE-6) should be excluded. The u:c:a competes squarely against the Burson HA-160DS, with the latter more powerful on the headphone front, the former the more advanced digital performer. Where the u:c:a steps out to act surprisingly ambitious is as fixed-output 24/192 USB or coaxial DAC. Here you could spend thrice to get significantly more socketry options and features like selectable upsampling but no better sonics. You could thus view the u:c:a as a €3.000 DAC with stripped-down features and a very good headphone amp thrown in free. At €1.190 that’s … well, a smoking deal!”

You can read the full review here.