Author Topic: Trends Audio UD-10 USB converter  (Read 15213 times)

GHM

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Trends Audio UD-10 USB converter
« on: January 23, 2007, 06:16:09 AM »
I haven't seen much about this unit on AC. So I'm posting a few impressions. This is using the UD-10 as a converter only out to a DAC. For the small amount of outlay..this is a VERY good unit! I spent the majority of the day,yesterday trying different configurations with this very inexpensive unit.

The sound it exhibits now is quite astonishing considering the price.  :shock: Anyone else had a chance to run this unit as a USB converter? It has kicked up the Paradisea DAC a few notches. The soundstage opened up more. The notes seem to have more of a decay or flow too them. There's just more information coming through. I use Foobar, ASIO4ALL (output)and the SRC with this unit.

Offline Bemopti123

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Trends Audio UD-10 USB converter
« Reply #1 on: January 26, 2007, 03:44:39 PM »
Gymane, I am intrigued. For $90, it is USB and DAC at the same time? Have you tried to use it straight instead of USB converter only?  It could be a nice affordable solution to my quest of starting up a compu based internet streaming radio or digital jukebox.

GHM

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Trends Audio UD-10 USB converter
« Reply #2 on: January 27, 2007, 11:06:52 AM »
Quote from: "Bemopti123"
Gymane, I am intrigued. For $90, it is USB and DAC at the same time? Have you tried to use it straight instead of USB converter only?  It could be a nice affordable solution to my quest of starting up a compu based internet streaming radio or digital jukebox.


Yes paul I've tried the direct computer connection by way toslink. It sounded darn good, but nothing like using the outboard USB converter. Being able to get away from the Kmixer and go ASIO output using the converter has been an ear opener!!! For $90 dollars you ain't going to beat this thing going to a DAC.

I don't see bothering with CD players of any kind or cost any more. It sounds just that good!! Far better than I ever thought possible.

lonewolfny42

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Trends Audio UD-10 USB converter
« Reply #3 on: January 28, 2007, 01:09:37 AM »
Gymane :
Quote
I don't see bothering with CD players of any kind or cost any more. It sounds just that good!! Far better than I ever thought possible.

Uh-oh......another PC convert..... :lol:

GHM

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Trends Audio UD-10 USB converter
« Reply #4 on: January 28, 2007, 06:15:49 AM »
Quote from: "lonewolfny42"
Gymane :
Quote
I don't see bothering with CD players of any kind or cost any more. It sounds just that good!! Far better than I ever thought possible.

Uh-oh......another PC convert..... :lol:

 :lol:  Yup Chris..another convert. These little USB converters are going to put some CD player manufactures out of business..it is a shame but only a matter of time. Now if only I could get my linear power supply in so I can stop bothering with this darn battery pack.

Offline Bemopti123

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Trends Audio UD-10 USB converter
« Reply #5 on: January 28, 2007, 09:10:41 AM »
Quote from: "GHM"
Quote from: "lonewolfny42"
Gymane :
Quote
I don't see bothering with CD players of any kind or cost any more. It sounds just that good!! Far better than I ever thought possible.

Uh-oh......another PC convert..... :lol:

 :lol:  Yup Chris..another convert. These little USB converters are going to put some CD player manufactures out of business...

Although I see the convenience of PC audio and thousands of tracks at one's fingertip, the biggest issue that I have with the possible "death" of CD Player manufacturers and most likely, the death of CDs as a physical format, the problem that I see with the death of CDs is the fact that we would be handing hard earned money to a virtual format and companies, whose concept of distribution of music has to do with the idea of "renting" rather and giving a fullformated song or albums.  Imagine paying all these money, just to later find out that they changed their policy, and in the clear possibility that your PC crashes, thus wasting a possibility of keeping these songs in one's clear ownership.  

A world without a physical format will be a lot less interesting.  There would be no regular stores to go and browse what is available.  The only choice, to purchase those artists that are well connected to the industry or to the virtual store.  

Another catch would be, the possibility that the formats available for the music that interests us to be of very mundane MP3 type quality.  

This is a latent possibility due to what I see large corporations having done with manufacturing overseas and profits.  The fool or the masses buy anything that is made by such and such company, without realizing that its quality and value have actually gone down, while actual prices that were paid have increased.  The same thing will happen when all music might go virtual.  

Now, lets go back to the scheduled programming, Doesn't PC audio rock anyway? :twisted:

GHM

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Trends Audio UD-10 USB converter
« Reply #6 on: January 28, 2007, 10:16:35 AM »
Quote from: "Bemopti123"
Quote from: "GHM"
Quote from: "lonewolfny42"
Gymane :
Quote
I don't see bothering with CD players of any kind or cost any more. It sounds just that good!! Far better than I ever thought possible.

Uh-oh......another PC convert..... :lol:

 :lol:  Yup Chris..another convert. These little USB converters are going to put some CD player manufactures out of business...

Although I see the convenience of PC audio and thousands of tracks at one's fingertip, the biggest issue that I have with the possible "death" of CD Player manufacturers and most likely, the death of CDs as a physical format, the problem that I see with the death of CDs is the fact that we would be handing hard earned money to a virtual format and companies, whose concept of distribution of music has to do with the idea of "renting" rather and giving a fullformated song or albums.  Imagine paying all these money, just to later find out that they changed their policy, and in the clear possibility that your PC crashes, thus wasting a possibility of keeping these songs in one's clear ownership.  

A world without a physical format will be a lot less interesting.  There would be no regular stores to go and browse what is available.  The only choice, to purchase those artists that are well connected to the industry or to the virtual store.  

Another catch would be, the possibility that the formats available for the music that interests us to be of very mundane MP3 type quality.  

This is a latent possibility due to what I see large corporations having done with manufacturing overseas and profits.  The fool or the masses buy anything that is made by such and such company, without realizing that its quality and value have actually gone down, while actual prices that were paid have increased.  The same thing will happen when all music might go virtual.  

Now, lets go back to the scheduled programming, Doesn't PC audio rock anyway? :twisted:

I hope not all companies go the route of MP3...you know that would really suck!
I've had a blast with the online vitrual stores. I really like Music Giants.
The music there is top quality. No compressd garbage..the tracks sound great on this site. You can listen before you buy to most albums listed.

I understand where you're coming from. I intend to invest in a large outboard HD to store all my movies and music on. Plus my PC already comes with a back up HD.

Hopefully it won't be a total loss.  :D

Offline Bemopti123

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Trends Audio UD-10 USB converter
« Reply #7 on: January 28, 2007, 03:09:14 PM »
Do you know if this device supports Mac OSX?  That is what I have because I am using Itunes Apple Lossless on all the rips I have done.  There is no way I would ever go back to Windows to do anything related to keeping files that are of value to me, such as music files.  

Gymane, that store you pointed to seems interesting, but as always, it seems to be based around those who use Windows and Windows Media?  (it sucks.)  The artists that they have ripped are really random, I know many of them, but they need to get up to speed with the licensing of more artists.  The prices seem to be rather reasonable.

Now, if they sold the items via an unsecured format so I can ripped them via Itunes and OSX.  

Am I the only person who actually buys physical CDs so I can ripped them in their full glory on my Mac Mini?  Hum. :wink:

GHM

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Trends Audio UD-10 USB converter
« Reply #8 on: January 28, 2007, 04:29:07 PM »
Here's a qoute from the site forum.

Quote
As in the datasheet, it supports: - Apple Computer Mac OS™ 9.1 or later Japanese/English edition - Apple Computer Mac OS X 10.0 or later English edition - Apple Computer Mac OS X 10.1 or later Japanese edition SP (For the Mac OS X 10.0 Japanese edition, plug and play does not work appropriately for USB audio devices.)

It should work just fine. Basically you just plug this bad boy up and let it rip. I didn't realize there was so much bad blood with MAC and Windows users until I got into this PC audio thing. I've seen many negative comments towards both.
I almost bought a Mac Mini . What stopped me from buying the Mac was the features compared to a similar priced Windows unit. I just wanted the most for my money in features. It ain't perfect, but it works pretty well for what I use it for. :D

I still buy CDs..just not as much. If I can find them online uncompressed, I save the gas and download them in a snap. :D

Music Giants is fairly new..give them some time. I'm sure there will be much more music on this site as the PC audio thing grows.

Offline Bemopti123

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Trends Audio UD-10 USB converter
« Reply #9 on: January 28, 2007, 06:47:45 PM »
Quote from: "GHM"
Here's a qoute from the site forum.

[I didn't realize there was so much bad blood with MAC and Windows users until I got into this PC audio thing. I almost bought a Mac Mini . What stopped me from buying the Mac was the features compared to a similar priced Windows unit. I just wanted the most for my money in features. It ain't perfect, but it works pretty well for what I use it for. :D


I have this Dell that must be about 4 years old, it was loaded with features and things, and it served me well until the OS began to give me crap about recognizing USB devices etc...  It even did not want to recognize what it once worked fine with it, a Digital Camera and other really mundane things such as Memory sticks etc...

And then, the bloody computer crashed.  The HD went South.  

Even before that, Apple had announced the Mini and I jumped it.  I thought about just doing a couple of things with it, and resurrect the Dell, by swapping the HD.  

But as luck had decided, the Mini took life all on its own and with a whole bunch of USB devices and two external HD, it is chugging along very well, without a hiccup.  I have never experienced such steady computer in the Windows nor in the older Macintosh world (circa 1990-1996.)  So, here am I doing what is called with the Mini.

I do need a Windows Machine for foreign sites and more secure sites that use a type of encryption, but asides from that, I say Mac covers most of what is missing.  

What really bothers me about Windows with the pack 2 is the need to upgrade and update constantly, and eventhough it says it is from Microsoft, there are so many instances when my Virus scan or Spam blocker tells me to validate something and let me tell you, I cannot figure out if it is legit or it is a virus or something.  

That NEVER happens in the Mac OS X world.  That is what I am really freaking out using PCs with Windows.  

I say, wait until the Apples come out with Minis, that have dedicated video graphics cards and the like and once you go for a spin, dude, you will never go back.  

Windows Vista=what the Mac OS X has been for the past 2-3 years.  Imagine when the new OS  comes out for the Mac, it will be light years away.  

Going back to the Trends USB, I am really, badly tempted.  Now, I will need an extra DAC because I am still planning to keep my Shigaraki transport around for primary or secondary duties!

Is there are really dirt cheap DAC that can be combined with the Trends?  Cheap+cheap=Awesome.  At least for me.

Paul Keum :lol:

GHM

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Trends Audio UD-10 USB converter
« Reply #10 on: January 28, 2007, 07:18:15 PM »
Man I sure hope this thing doesn't go down on me like that too soon. I can understand your frustration.

You can use virtually any DAC with this little box...skies the limit! It may only cost $90 dollars but it doesn't sound like a $90 transport I can assure you that. I hope you try one out..I'm betting the Shigaraki will start to collect some dust once this little silver box is up and running in your system .

Offline Bemopti123

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« Reply #11 on: January 31, 2007, 06:06:53 AM »
I could not hold it together and I decided to pull the trigger on a all inclusive DAC+USB converter unit, the Micro Headroom DAC.  It costs considerably more than the Trends Audio, but it has a built in DAC that uses a superb chip.  

Now, I also got a pair of USB cables and extender units so I can connect my MacMini from the desktop to the audiorack, where the Micro will sit.  Let me compare how different tracks will sound with different cabling, it will be a crap shoot.  Let me see.