The Direct also uses music-grade power-supply capacitors, while its four-layer PC board minimizes noise.Įase of use is paramount in this segment. These include Meridian technology enhancements such as upsampling and an apodising digital filter. Proudly handmade in the U.K., the Direct is upper crust all the way, from packaging to craftsmanship.Īdded size and cost have enabled Meridian’s engineers to unleash some of their core technologies, many of them gleaned from the Reference 800 Series. The Direct includes a wall-wart power supply that also operates in connection with the USB input in instances when a computer’s USB interface is not being used. However unlike the mini-jack output of the Explorer, the Direct uses a pair of unbalanced RCA output jacks, allowing audiophiles to use high-end interconnects. (The unit can decode digital audio streams up to 24-bit/192kHz.) At its other end are a USB2 B socket and a 3.5mm optical/ coax hybrid connector (adapters are included). At one end, a button selects either USB or SPDIF input, with a trio of LEDs indicating the sample rate.
Not much bigger than a pack of cigarettes, the Direct carries the extruded-aluminum ovular-capsule design of the Explorer into a larger form factor. And it can also bring an aging CD player (with a SPDIF out) back to relevance, or grab an optical signal from an Apple TV, or even hook up with a headphone preamp. It’s designed to benefit systems that lack the USB input required to accommodate computer-based audio. The Direct is a USB DAC that bundles digital inputs and a set of analog outputs in a single compact package. Like a crossing guard at the digital/ analog intersection the Direct brings to the table a larger resume of technology and connectivity-well beyond that of the plucky little headphone streamer. For example, what if your listening habits swing in two different directions-between the portability of playback-on-the-hoof and home-system integration? Seems the busy engineers at Meridian have been thinking the same thing. But, miniaturization also has its limits. I know from experience that Meridian’s Explorer is a superb little performer (Issue 234). It’s no secret that pocket-sized USB DACs have a lot going for them.