FireStone Audio Fubar IO MK2 Black USB Digital/Analog Audio Converter

You do not need to spend more! I rarely write on Amazon but this Fubar converter surprised me so completely that I felt a review might be helpful to others. The landscape of USB DAC plus ADC ranges from sub $100 mediocrity to gold-plated such as Benchmark. This elegant and compact device, made in Taiwan to high manufacturing standards, delivers audiophile performance at a remarkably low price. I have to define "audiophile" here from my viewpoint. My ears are tuned to live performance in concert halls and practicing on concert-size grand pianos, so I am used to transparent, enveloping sound without artifacts or distortions. My sound system is very good, but I do not believe in mono-crystal audio cables, $5K power cords, and so on. Conversely, I avoid lossy digital formats such as mp3 because they hurt my ears. My goal was to render digital versions of analog recordings at Red Book 44.1/16 CD resolution indistinguishable from the original, whether listening through speakers or headphones. The Fubar does this with perfection. Mission accomplished! This is a keeper.(Watch out! The price should be $199. Evidently the stock of black ones dried up. There are other vendors on Amazon who show the silver version with the correct price. Search for "Fubar mkii.")

Bought this Fubar DAC two months ago, manly to upload analog cassette tapes to my Mac.With the help of Audacity, the recordings are now in my Mac & ripped to CD's. Playback is also very good, I have a component switcher with four inputs going into the Fubar, including 2 ipods. The sound is detailed without distortion. Quality in construction is also very nice, with a high-end look and feel. For the price, its one little piece of audio equipment I would buy again.