The high-quality mic in Astell & Kern’s new USB-C DAC dongle is ideal for PC gamers

Dongle-style DACs are becoming more and more common, but a new gamer-friendly feature on Astell & Kern’s newly unveiled HC3 may set it apart from the pack.

As well as allowing higher quality, hi-res playback from portable devices and PCs, the HC3 has a trick up its sleeve with microphone connectivity built in, allowing for crystal clear talkback for online gaming as well as boosting the fidelity of those fragging sound effects.

The unit boasts a pair of highly-regarded quad DAC ESS ES9219MQ chips, which deliver high-quality sound, while still managing low power consumption.

There’s support for audio files up to 32-bit/384kHz PCM, native DSD256, and full MQA rendering, allowing you to listen to Tidal’s HiFi Plus, plus a reassuringly wide frequency response of 20Hz to 70kHz.

The 3.5-mm plug for earphones can take 3- or 4-pole jacks, allowing headset microphone, as well as in-line controllers to be used, while a colour-coded LED light at the rear of the device displays what type of file source is being processed.

Connectivity comes via your device’s USB-C port, with a USB-C to Lightning adapter thrown in for those using the HC3 with an iOS device, but note that there's no onboard battery – the unit derives power from your source device.

The HC3 is priced at £199, and is available now on the Astell & Kern website.

Astell & Kern HC3 DAC connected to headphones and a tablet — (Image credit: Astell & Kern)

Analysis: Mic pass-through feature makes this more than a run-of-the-mill DAC dongle

Korean brand Astell & Kern has built up a solid reputation for its high-end and high-priced digital audio players, but this hi-fi dongle marks a welcome move into more affordable territory.

It’s nevertheless still quite a hefty asking price when lined up against the recently announced iFi Uno, but that unique microphone input will likely be enough to send gamers and conference callers A&K’s way.

We can’t wait to see how it performs, but in the meantime, you can find out how to up your audio game with our current list of the best portable DACs.

Source: TechRadar

Cyber Monday Canada: Last-minute deals for everyone on your list

Best Cyber Monday Canada deals: Smart Home Audio Phones, Tablets & Accessories Wearables Laptops & PC Components Amazon products Gaming Televisions Cameras Lifestyle & Kitchen Toys & Kids Cyber Monday Canada is here, and retailers are rolling out the red carpet for customers who want to shop for everything from tech to kitchenware to games and everything in between. Unlike years past, Cyber Monday Canada deals look a bit different than normal. Instead of retailers trying to pack their stores with as many shoppers as possible, we're seeing tons of online deals that you can take advantage of from the comfort of your home. We've rounded up our favorites below, so feel free to browse through the best of what Canada Cyber Monday has to offer! This list is being updated with new Cyber Monday deals all the time, so check back often. Spotlight deals It's a Switch Nintendo Switch Fortnite Edition bundle $399.95 at Amazon It's a Switch.

The hidden cost of food delivery

Noah Lichtenstein Contributor Share on Twitter Noah Lichtenstein is the founder and managing partner of Crossover , a diversified private technology fund backed by institutional investors, technology execs and professional athletes and entertainers. More posts by this contributor What Studying Students Teaches Us About Great Apps I’ll admit it: When it comes to food, I’m lazy. There are dozens of great dining options within a few blocks of my home, yet I still end up ordering food through delivery apps four or five times per week. With the growing coronavirus pandemic closing restaurants and consumers self-isolating, it is likely we will see a spike in food delivery much like the 20% jump China reported during the peak of its crisis. With the food delivery sector rocketing toward a projected $365 billion by the end of the decade, I’m clearly not the only one turning to delivery apps even before the pandemic hit. Thanks to technology (and VC funding) we can get a ri

Slack’s new integration deal with AWS could also be about tweaking Microsoft

Slack and Amazon announced a big integration late yesterday afternoon. As part of the deal, Slack will use Amazon Chime for its call feature, while reiterating its commitment to use AWS as its preferred cloud provider to run its infrastructure. At the same time, AWS has agreed to use Slack for internal communications. Make no mistake, this is a big deal as the SaaS communications tool increases its ties with AWS, but this agreement could also be about slighting Microsoft and its rival Teams product by making a deal with a cloud rival. In the past Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield has had choice words for Microsoft saying the Redmond technology giant sees his company as an “existential threat.” Whether that’s true or not — Teams is but one piece of a huge technology company — it’s impossible not to look at the deal in this context. Aligning more deeply with AWS sends a message to Microsoft, whose Azure infrastructure services compete with AWS. Butterfield didn’t say that of course

iPhone 13 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro Buyer's Guide: 50+ Differences Compared

The iPhone 15 Pro brings over 50 new features and improvements to Apple's high-end smartphones compared to the iPhone 13 Pro, which was released two years prior. This buyer's guide breaks down every major difference you should be aware of between the two generations and helps you to decide whether it's worth upgrading. The ‌iPhone 13‌ Pro debuted in 2021, introducing a brighter display with ProMotion technology for refresh rates up to 120Hz, the A15 Bionic chip, a telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, Macro photography and photographic styles, Cinematic mode for recording videos with shallow depth of field, ProRes video recording, a 1TB storage option, and five hours of additional battery life. The ‌iPhone 13‌ Pro was discontinued upon the announcement of the iPhone 14 Pro in 2022, but it is still possible to get hold of it second-hand. Our guide helps to answer the question of how to decide which of these two iPhone models is best for you and serves as a way to c

Tech Talk

Search This Blog