UK "Cottage Industry" USB/DAC headphone amplifiers?

[Harryo]

In the USA they seem to have a good number of individuals and small companies making USB/DAC headphone amplifiers and portable headphone amplifiers to a high standard.

Is there a home-based "Cotttage Industry" here in the UK manufacturing similar quality products?

Cheers - Harryo

[StevieDvd]

Originally Posted by Harryo

In the USA they seem to have a good number of individuals and small companies making USB/DAC headphone amplifiers and portable headphone amplifiers to a high standard.

Is there a home-based "Cotttage Industry" here in the UK manufacturing similar quality products?

Cheers - Harryo

Depends on your definition of 'small companies' - I guess that could include Graham Slee then.

[pbirkett]

Aint that Beresford DAC a british made thing?

[Harryo]

Originally Posted by StevieDvd

Depends on your definition of 'small companies' - I guess that could include Graham Slee then.

It was the Graham Slee 'Voyager' portable headphone amplifier that got me wondering if there were other UK makers of this type of amp.

At the moment the 'Voyager' is top of my list!

Harryo

[Harryo]

Originally Posted by pbirkett

Aint that Beresford DAC a british made thing?

Yes, I have been checking their website, it looks a decent piece of equipment.

At the moment I am using an early Derek Shek DAC and specially made PSU with my Hi-Fi and a little cheap Entech DAC with the computer.

The Beresford DAC/headphone amplifier would go well with my computer set-up, I am tempted!

Harryo

[mossym]

could always build your own headphone amplifier, plenty of info on the web. the dacs are a bit harder

[StevieDvd]

Originally Posted by pbirkett

Aint that Beresford DAC a british made thing?

Yes and looking at your sig reminds me that Ant Audio is UK based too. last time I saw his web site he was also selling part assembled pcbs for the Ant Amber.

[Harryo]

Originally Posted by mossym

could always build your own headphone amplifier, plenty of info on the web. the dacs are a bit harder

I dont think my soldering skills are up to it. Already have bits and pieces to modify my Entech DAC but never had the courage to attempt it.

Harryo

[pbirkett]

Originally Posted by StevieDvd

Yes and looking at your sig reminds me that Ant Audio is UK based too. last time I saw his web site he was also selling part assembled pcbs for the Ant Amber.

Yes, and to be fair its a reasonably good little amp for the cash. Component quality isnt top notch (but then I seem to recall the much more expensive Slee Solo didnt exactly look spectacular inside either!), but its a well designed amp and it was well received at the time for its lively, dynamic sound. I think flat-earthers would like the ANT Amber.

Pity that the stock amp was so ugly. I dont think this helped its sales at all even though Alex (the designer) was rather defiant on that point!

I see he is now working on the successor to the ANT Amber.

[StevieDvd]

Originally Posted by pbirkett

...snip...
Pity that the stock amp was so ugly. I dont think this helped its sales at all even though Alex (the designer) was rather defiant on that point!
...snip...

Yes I know I've met Alex several times and tried on those occasions to get him to think about the casing. He even offered to sell me finished pcbs for me to case up 7 sell rather than him doing it! I still wonder today had he bothered with the looks whether the Ant Amber would have been taken up a lot more. It was the fave of my missus as she listens at very quiet levels and unlike many amps it performed well at minum levels.

[dlknight]

Originally Posted by pbirkett

Aint that Beresford DAC a british made thing?

From what I have read on this forum and elsewhere the Beresford DAC is a rebadged model from a Taiwanese company -Technolink Enterprises: http://www.technolink.com.tw/, product is on the front page T7510.

Regards

Dave K.

[pbirkett]

Originally Posted by dlknight

From what I have read on this forum and elsewhere the Beresford DAC is a rebadged model from a Taiwanese company -Technolink Enterprises: http://www.technolink.com.tw/, product is on the front page T7510.

Regards

Dave K.

By a strange coincidence, I now have a said Beresford DAC. I'd heard it was designed by Stanley Beresford, who is British, but is produced abroard (cheaper to make, components, etc).

ETA just looked at that link, it is scarily similar. Not to mention that apparently Stanley Beresford DACs have the names of the chips obscured, but looking at that it appears to be a Crystal input chip and a Burr Brown DAC. Interesting...

[coliam]

Originally Posted by pbirkett

.........ETA just looked at that link, it is scarily similar. Not to mention that apparently Stanley Beresford DACs have the names of the chips obscured, but looking at that it appears to be a Crystal input chip and a Burr Brown DAC. Interesting...

I don't think it's that big a secret, really. It's a PCM1716. Stanley will tell you if you ask.

AFAIK it is the same item. I think Stanley gets them re-badged for the 'home' market.

The spec on the Taiwanese one looks a little different to my Mk. 5. I don't know whether they have been changed for the current U.K. model.
The Mk.5 used a dedicated LM38x headphone amp and a JRC4558 op-amp on the output, but they only mention a 5532, which I suspect,
has replaced the 4558 and is nothing to do with the Headphone output.

[Dune]

Originally Posted by Harryo

Is there a home-based "Cotttage Industry" here in the UK manufacturing similar quality products?

You could try here:

http://www.russandrews.com/product.a...MMNZQTSPPWSXXD

[StevieDvd]

Originally Posted by Dune

You could try here:

http://www.russandrews.com/product.a...MMNZQTSPPWSXXD

That's a tweaked Stello product not a home grown one.