Audioengine D1

Get fantastic sound from your digital audio sources

How do you get sound from your PC? If you're still doing it the old fashioned way, by plugging into your computer's headphone jack, then you should definitely know about the Audioengine D1. This tiny, outboard digital-to-analog converter simply connects to one of your PC's USB ports, and bypasses your computer's built-in audio circuitry.

By processing your digital music files outside the noisy environment of your computer, you'll hear far more dynamic and detailed sound that you can really savor on your headphones, powered speakers, or stereo system. The D1 also includes an optical digital input so you can enjoy similar improvements in sound with your old CD player, network music streamer, set-top box, game console, or almost any other audio device with an optical digital output.

Make your headphones sing

A pair of good headphones can give you a real taste of high-end audio without breaking the bank. But you're unlikely to find high-end sound coming out of your headphones if you plug them straight into your laptop. That's because most computer manufacturers use low-cost, low-performance circuitry to power their headphone jacks. The headphone amp inside the D1 will quickly spoil you. It delivers richer, deeper bass and clearer highs while revealing layers of musical detail that ordinary headphone jacks obscure.

Easy plug-and-play operation

Adding the D1 to a system is simple — just plug it into any USB port on your computer, where it will install itself and be ready for use in a matter of seconds. From there, just plug in your 'phones, or connect the preamp outputs to your powered speakers or stereo and you're done. The handy volume knob lets you control listening levels for both headphone and preamp outputs.