Until now, most consumer electronics were designed the same way. By assembling large & small multiple pieces to create a single enclosure. But once you include all the necessary parts, you add size, weight, complexity, and more opportunities for failure. Solving a problem like this required more than an incremental change. It required a breakthrough. To create the devilsound DAC (music lovers like to call it The Little Devil), the design and engineering teams devised a way to replace many parts with just one tiny, clamp shell enclosure. The enclosure we call the monoblok — a CNC chassis carved from two pieces of aluminum. There are no screws or fasteners visible - we frequently hear "How the devil does something so small produce such large, beautiful music".

Even its size is remarkable; devilsound reduced the dimensions down to the absolute minimum (2½ x 1½ x ½"), by utilizing a four layer printed circuit board, that is populated on two sides. The benefits from the short audio signal path are clearly heard in the focus of the music, the lack of smearing and other artifacts that creep in from EMI and RFI generated by the power supplies used by other inferior designs. Small size, small cost = big sound.

Its thinner, lighter, more robust and even more reliable than its competitors. It has a remarkably high degree of fit & finish. Even the USB cable has a strain relief where it meets the enclosure. So reliability is Higher. This product is so reliable that the case cannot be opened, because it doesn't need service.

There are many advantages to the diminutive size of The Little Devil;
i. It is truly cost effective - as it cuts materials cost without compromising sonic performance.
ii. As the circuit board is small, it means the signal path is short and there is less chance of the audio signal getting corrupted.

iii. To reduce space to its very essence, all of the components are mounted on both sides of a four layer printed circuit board.

Inside the monoblok, the parts have been very carefully chosen & laid out to minimize interference. The devilsound DAC (one per channel) is a non-oversampling design based on Analog Devices' AD1851 operating in non-oversampled mode, the Burr-Brown PCM2706 USB receiver chip utilizing SpAct, and a single-stage op-amp output which integrates a current to voltage (I/V) converter with a gentle low-pass filter.

The non-oversampled (NOS) output stage puts minimal processing between you and your music. By eliminating the harsh digital filtering used in most commercially available audio devices, the devilsound DAC creates exceptionally open, natural sound. The DC-coupled output insures exact reproduction of low frequency notes, with no time-smearing.

Just because the devilsound DAC is affordable, does not mean that the devilsound engineers have cut corners;
i. The analog output cable is made from pure silver cable.

ii. A uniquely superior design, the Eichmann Silver Bullet Plug RCA is a big sonic upgrade over high mass, heavy metal RCA plugs. They are made from a fine Silver conductor material for the ultimate in detail retrieval, while the super low-mass shell minimizes stored vibrational energy. Utilizes a single ground pin for reduced noise.

We just received rev. 2.1 (aka snowflake) of the devilsound dac; the new version has been through a computer controlled cryo process for 48 hours .

Cryogenics changes the way current flows in a conductor. Aluminum, brass, copper, tin, and lead used in the electronics industry are affected by cryogenics. All of these materials exhibit longer wear, and more durability, but they also exhibit a better conductivity rating. When these materials are in the molten state during the metal-making process, as the solidification takes place, some molecules get caught in a random pattern. And we know that molecules do move about at sub- zero and deep cryogenic temperatures, albeit slowly. Liken it if you will to water freezing or crystallizing as it turns to ice. The molecules move to form into a tighter, realigned pattern. Upon returning to room temperature, the molecules stay in this new relationship, producing less random, more even spacing, which in turn reduces the open areas between the grid matrixes to one another. The resulting product exhibits a better electrical current flow. It also strengthens solder to make their joints stronger and less subject to lifting. The printed circuit board material itself loses the stress it has, which helps the board last longer and puts less strain on component parts. The increase in conductivity has been measured between 5% and 10%.

Cryogenic treatment of stereo components produces a permanent change to the component that allows your system to transmit much more information. The result is improved sound reproduction without sacrificing any sound quality you presently enjoy, better imaging and staging, greater separation of individual voices, richer coloring, more presence and impact, greater clarity without loss of warmth, more definition in the upper and lower registers without added shrillness or boominess.

Its simple to install, just like an Apple iPod - Plug and Play, there is no Owner's Manual; you simply plug the USB connection into your desktop or laptop (its format neutral, so it works with the MAC, PC or Linux) The Little Devil self installs and now all you have to do is connect the RCA plugs into you amplifier and fire up iTunes, Real Player, Windows Media Player which ever program you like and adjust the volume and enjoy the benefits of The Little Devil.

devilsound’s reputation has not been built on technology alone. It has been built on delivering sound quality driven by solid engineering, clever use of technology and of course consistent reliability and customer service.
The devilsound DAC is no exception; its musical performance is quite exceptional. It combines the detail, control, and accuracy of truly great digital playback with a musical sense of performance and inherent rightness that is a joy to listen to. Old and new recordings become alive, with a sense of renewed vitality and communication. There is such a dramatic improvement in sound quality over the computer's built-in sound card that there will be no going back. It sounds great, is utterly reliable & simple to use - what are you waiting for ?

© Copyright On A Higher Note llc 2007
On A Higher Note Phone +1 949 488 3004