TEAC AI-303 USB DAC - stereo amplifier.

Product is from the official TEAC distributor in Poland!

The offer is for a black amplifier.

• Support for DSD512 and PCM 384/32 Hi-Res audio formats
• Wide range of digital inputs, HDMI, USB-C, coaxial and optical
• Built-in Bluetooth® receiver supporting LDAC and Qualcomm® aptX™ HD
• USB-C for versatile USB connection to your computer, smartphone, and tablet
• High-performance Ncore® power amplifier by Hypex
• 4-pole headphone output with grounding separation
• Coupling Capacitor Less Circuit headphone amplifier
• More natural headphone listening with Crossfeed technology
• Full MQA decoding
• Various DAC modes with SoC
• High-quality analog volume control with ladder attenuator
• Asynchronous mode to eliminate USB transmission jitter
• Digital sound transmission "Bulk Pet".
• Three-point support
• Multi-point Bluetooth® connection
• Subwoofer preamplifier
• Full metal enclosure construction

Thanks to its small size, the AI-303 can be mounted on/in an AV cabinet.

Support for DSD512 and PCM 384/32 Hi-Res audio formats

To maximize the studio sound quality of the digital source, the digital-to-analog converter in the AI-303 is equipped with two types of digital filters and 'up-conversion' x2Fs, x4Fs, and x8Fs conversion to achieve the desired sound.

Wide range of digital inputs, HDMI, USB-C, coaxial and optical

Built-in Bluetooth® receiver supporting LDAC® and Qualcomm® aptX™ HD

The Bluetooth® receiver is used for easy wireless connection with a smartphone, supporting high-resolution codecs such as LDAC®, LHDC, and Qualcomm® aptX™ HD, as well as other standard Bluetooth® codecs such as Qualcomm® aptX™, AAC, and SBC. LED indicators on the front panel indicate which codec is active after pairing.

USB-C for USB connection to your computer, smartphone, and tablet

The AI-303 also supports a wide range of digital devices such as smartphones/tablets and portable digital audio players that support USB Audio 2.0, through its powered USB-C port, which enables automatic detection of the device when the device is equipped with USB-C. Most Android devices and the latest iPad Air/iPad Pro, which are equipped with a USB-C port, allow for a single USB-C cable connection without the need for additional devices.

Two pairs of audio inputs for greater flexibility

Two pairs of LINE inputs match your existing home audio system, including CD players and analog record players.

* Analog record players must have a built-in phono amplifier.

High-performance Ncore® power amplifier by Hypex

The compact AI-303 features a highly efficient and energy-saving Ncore® power amplifier designed by Hypex, borrowed from the higher-end model, providing clean and clear sound with rich musicality.

4-pole headphone output with grounding separation

The headphone amplifier circuit is designed as separate grounding for the left and right channels from the preamplifier section to the headphone jack, which is 4-pole. Separating the two grounds greatly improves channel separation while achieving a clean soundstage.

Coupling Capacitor Less Circuit headphone amplifier

The headphone amplifier uses the CCLC (Coupling Capacitor Less Circuit) design, which eliminates the negative effects caused by capacitors and provides a multidimensional listening environment with sufficient low frequency range and good response, whereas the conventional headphone amplifier design inevitably affects the sound due to capacitors, such as changes in sound, phase delays, and low-frequency level drops.

More natural headphone listening with Crossfeed technology

The Crossfeed function provides a natural sense of sound staging when listening with headphones, while also emphasizing the central presence of the source to improve the lack of centered sound and clarify the range of human voice, such as vocals, narration, and dialogue. The Crossfeed effect can be adjusted using the CROSSFEED knob on the front panel.

Full MQA decoding

The AI-303 supports full MQA decoding to enjoy studio-quality sound from any of the USB-C, HDMI, coaxial, or optical digital inputs with MQA streamed and MQA CDs from a CD player via digital connection.

Various DAC modes with SoC

The AI-303 features a dedicated SoC for digital processing and various digital processes, including MQA decoding, are performed on the SoC board. To achieve studio-quality sound, digital filters required for analog conversion are also processed on the SoC instead of the digital-to-analog converter. In addition to the FIR filter with short delay and slow roll-off characteristics, the RDOT filter with natural tonal qualities and reproducing sound field playability, based on the fluidity completion theory, is available as a digital filter, which can be considered the key to sound quality. Furthermore, by selecting the RDOT filter with the 'up-conversion' option turned off, the digital-to-analog converter operates as a NOS (Non Over Sampling) type digital-to-analog converter. In the NOS mode, pre- and post-ringing caused by the impulse response are suppressed, and fluctuations along the time axis are eliminated, enabling faithful conversion of the analog signal to the input waveform. This allows for highly faithful analog conversion of the input waveform.

High-quality analog volume control with ladder attenuator

Unlike the conventional volume control circuit, the circuit in the AI-303 is designed not to directly pass the musical signal. By detecting the volume knob value, the circuit reproduces the value using a resistive ladder attenuator on the PCB, thus transmitting the musical signal to the amplifier by the shortest path and preserving the purity of the signal. The system also achieves low distortion and high S/N even when the volume is muted, delivering the original clean sound from the sound source even at low volume without compromising sound quality. In the final but also important matter, the difference in level between the left and right channels (balance error) and crosstalk between both channels are minimized.

Asynchronous mode to eliminate USB transmission jitter

When the AI-303 is used as a USB digital-to-analog converter, it operates in asynchronous mode, where the input signal timing from the computer is regulated by the built-in clock, and the amplifier achieves cleaner digital signal transmission without the influence of USB signal transmission.

Digital sound transmission "Bulk Pet".

When transmitting a large amount of digital data from high-resolution audio sources via a USB cable, the conventional transmission method causes large uneven processing loads on both the sending computer and the receiving USB digital-to-analog converter, which can result in issues such as audio dropouts. However, "Bulk Pet" achieves stable data transfer by averaging the processing load on both sides to consistently transfer a certain amount of data. As the sound quality also changes with the change in the computer's load status, you can select the preferred sound quality from four preset transmission modes.

Three-point support

The unique three-point support TEAC "Stress-less Foot" allows for stable installation without any impact even the smallest distortion of the surface underneath. Unlike conventional feet, the Stress-less base is designed not to be directly attached to the enclosure, allowing it to freely vibrate for a more natural sound. The foot, made of machined steel, is not tightly fastened but suspended from the bottom, providing a more natural and rich sound with a sense of sound source positioning, similar to a conventional spike foot.

Multi-point Bluetooth® connection

The built-in Bluetooth® receiver can connect to two different devices simultaneously. For example, while playing music from a smartphone, the AI-303 can switch to other input sources without the annoying steps of reconnection. * Simultaneous playback is not supported.

Subwoofer preamplifier

The subwoofer pre out allows for system expansion by making the AI-303 the core of a home theater system.

Full metal enclosure construction

The entire enclosure consists of aluminum-steel panels that are resistant to external interference, thereby suppressing electromagnetic interference emitted from computers and other devices. A clean, noise-free internal environment is achieved even in challenging audio equipment conditions. Furthermore, 8mm thick aluminum panels surrounding the metal enclosure from both sides prevent twisting and distortion, providing a robust and stable construction.

General product specifications:

• Amplifier section

  25W + 25W (LINE IN, 1kHz, 8Ω, THD 0.03%, JEITA )

  50W + 50W (LINE IN, 1kHz, 4Ω, THD 0.03%, JEITA )

  COAXIAL digital input

  RCA jack × 1

  Supported sampling frequencies:

  LPCM 32k / 44.1k / 48k / 88.2k / 96k / 176.4k / 192kHz, 16 / 24bit

  DSD 2.8 MHz (DoP format 176.4 kHz/24 bits)

  OPTICAL digital input

  TOS-link jack × 1

  Supported sampling frequencies:

  LPCM 32k / 44.1k / 48k / 88.2k / 96k / 176.4k / 192kHz, 16 / 24bit

  DSD 2.8 MHz (DoP format 176.4 kHz/24 bits)

  USB

  USB Type-C port × 1 (compliant with USB 2.0)

  Supported sampling frequencies:

  LPCM 44.1k / 48k / 88.2k / 96k / 176.4k / 192k / 352.8k / 384kHz, 16 / 24 / 32 bits

  DSD 2.8M / 5.6M / 11.2 MHz

  HDMI

  HDMI Type A jack × 1

  Supported formats ARC/eARC 192 kHz, 24 bits (PCM)

  LINE analog input

  RCA jacks × 2 pairs

  Input impedance: 10 kΩ

  Bluetooth

  Version: 4.2

  Class: 2 (range: approx. 10 m / 33 feet)

  Supported profiles: A2DP, AVRCP

  Supported codecs: LDAC, LHDC, Qualcomm® aptX™ HD, Qualcomm® aptX™, AAC, SBC

  Content protection: A2DP SCMS-T

  Pairing memory: max. 8 devices

  Multi-point connection: max. 2 devices

  Speaker terminals

  Screw-type terminals × 1 pair (compatible with banana plug)

  Compatible speaker impedance: 4 Ω to 8 Ω

  Headphone jack

  Stereo mini jack 3.5 mm 4-pole × 1

  Pin assign: Tip: L+, Ring: R+, Ring: L–, Sleeve: R–

  Rated output power: 220mW + 220mW (LINE IN, 32Ω, 1kHz, THD 1%, JEITA)

  THD: 0.006% (LINE IN, 32Ω, 1kHz, 50mW, JEITA)

  Power supply

  AC 100 – 240V, 50/60Hz

  Power consumption

  63W

  Overall dimensions

  including protrusions: 215 × 61 × 257 mm (W × H × D) )

  Weight

  2.3 kg

  Accessories included

  Power cord, Remote control (RC-1337), AAA batteries × 2, Owner's manual, Warranty