WiSA

WiSA is an open industry standard to connect speakers wireless.
It allows for lossless 24-bit audio with sample rates of  32, 44.1, 48, and 96 kHz
It supports 2 channel up to 7.1 surround.
It operates in the 5Ghz U-NII band.

At the present (2013) B&O is the only brand known to me using this standard.
As Pioneer, Onkyo, TEAC, Klipsch en Sharp are members of WiSA too, one might expect them to bring out models in the near future.



Beolab 17 speaker with WiSA and Toslink input

B&O Transmitter1 with analog and Toslink input.

References

The WiSA™ Association

Cambridge DacMagic XS

Cambridge DacMagic XS £99.95

Connections	Micro USB input, 3.5mm analogue output
Digital to Analogue Converter	ESS9023 24-bit DAC
Sample Rates Supported	USB 1.0 mode: 16/24-bit, 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz  USB 2.0 mode: 16/24-bit, 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz, 192kHz
Output Voltage	2V RMS
Max. Power Consumption	150mW
Min. Headphone Impendance	12 Ohms
Frequency Response	+/-0.2dB 20Hz – 20kHz
THD (unweighted):	<0 .004="" td="">
SNR	103 dBr (unweighted)
Crosstalk	66dB
Output Impedance	0.5 Ohms
Volume Steps	53 steps (54 different volume levels)
Dimensions (W x H x D):	30 x 10 x 53.5mm (1.2 x 0.4 x 2.1’’)
Weight	100g (3.5oz)

ADL X1 USB DAC

ADL X1 USB DAC £395

• Max headphone output at 1%THD @ 1KHz: 34mW(12 ohm), 60mW(16 ohm), 82mW(32 ohm), 86mW(56 ohm), 36mW(300 ohm), 19mW(600 ohm)
• Channel separation 60～64dB (1KHz) 33ohms -50dB/<=±3dB
• Frequency characteristics 20Hz～20kHz (±0.5dB)
• Total Harmonic Distortion 0.033% (33ohms) , <0 .02="" 0.0085="" li="" mw="" ohms="">
• S/N Ratio 95.5dB/32ohms , 98.1dB/56ohms , 101.6dB/300ohms, 102.1dB/600ohms 

LH Labs Geek

Small portable USB DAC/headphone amp

• Two outputs on all types (2 x 3.5 mm jack): line and headphones, both are variable in digital domain (64bit precision)
• Volume control: two buttons and software (Operation System main volume slider sends volume data to Geek which implements the volume change in its internal volume control)
• Line-out output impedance: 47 Ohm (on all types)
• Headphone output impedance: 0.47 Ohm (on all types)
• Max output voltage (line-out and headphone): 2.65 Vrms (Geek), 3,4 Vrms (Super Geek), 4 Vrms (Super-Duper Geek)
• Max output power (headphone, 16 Ohm): 450 mW (Geek), 720 mW (Super Geek), 1000 mW (Super-Duper Geek)
• Native decoded  music format in PCM: 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176,4, 192, 352.8, 384 kHz / 16, 24, 32 bits.
• Native decoded digital format in DSD: 2.822, 3.072, 5.644, 6.144 mHz / 1 bit
• "Class A" analogue output stage, THD+N better than 0.005 %, SNR is 103dB (none-weighted), 109dB (A-weighted)
• Sample rate indicator LEDs, machined aluminum enclosure in three different colors, with 6" USB cable, driver for PC (plug and play on MAC and Linux)

Website: LH Labs
Price: US$ 299

AURALiC Gemini 2000 headphone amp

DAC with a 2 Watt class A headphone amp build into a Klutz design headphone stand.

Output: 6.3mm jack / 4-pin XLR.

Input:
USB
Toslink
3.5 mm analog

Integrated SDXC card reader
File format: PCM 24/384, DSD128

Website: AURALiC
Price: US$1995

Resonessence Labs Herus

In case of small portable USB DACs there is the flavor of the month DAC

There is the Audioquest DragonFly doing 24/96.

This was pretty soon surpassed by the Meridian Explorer doing 24/192

Now there is the Herus supporting PCM up to 24/352.8, DXD and DS64/128

Herus $ 350.00

Small PCM and DSD capable USB DAC
63.5mm (2.5in) long, by 31.7mm (1.25in) wide and 19mm (0.75in) high

Asynchronous USB Audio 2.0: PCM bit width 24 or 16
Supported Data Rates: 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, 192 and 352.8 Ks/S
Supported Formats: PCM, DXD and DSD64/128 Uses DoP protocol 1.1 over USB for DSD
Operating Systems MS Windows, MAC OS and Linux

Use the Resonessence Thesycon Driver for USB Audio 2.0 on Windows
Output Signal Level At Maximum Volume level: 2.4 VRMS
Output Impedance:   0.2 Ohms
SNR at least 100 dB, Typically 108dB
THD at least 85 dB, Typically 90dB

Sony HAP-Z1ES HDD Audio Player

Playback of DSD and the full range of Hi-Res file formats, Analog FIR filters, 1TB hard drive for local music playback and storage, DSD re-mastering engine converts all signals to DSD signals, built-in Wi-Fi for app control and music transfer.

A player with 1 Tb of storage but according to the specs can accommodate only 20.000 titles!

Price: £1,999.00 Incl. Vat

Alo Audio The Island

24 bits /192 kHz USB headphone amp.
Bus powered.

Website Alo Audio
Price : $299.00

RaspyFi

A Linux distribution with MPD for the audio optimized for (as you might have guessed) the Raspberry Pi.

Features:
-Ready to play, download it, flash it, wire it and you’re ready to go!
-Supports almost all DACs
-Bit perfect playback (up to 32bit 192 khrtz)
-Samba support, for reading music stored on NAS
-Fat32 and NTFS support, connect your USB storage and you’re ready to go
-Audio output also from analog Jack
-Only few process are active, less is more in audio reproduction
-Web-radio, Spotify and Last.fm supported
-Mp3, Wav, FLAC, AAC, ALAC support
-A nice webgui to configure and control RaspyFi
-You can control RaspyFi with lot of Apps for Mac,Win, Linux, Ios and Android
-Wi-Fi support out of the box
-Fits on 2gb SD
-Beets is included, to manage your library and get rid of bad metatags
-Optimized to reduce SD card wearing
-Wi-Fi ready out of the box

Website: RaspyFi

Gefen USB DAC and converter

24 bit / 192 kHz USB DAC with RCA and headphone out.

Can also be used as a USB to Toslink convertor.

Driver for Windows.

• Audio Input Connector: (1) USB Mini-B
• Audio Output Connectors:
  • (1) TOSLINK (optical)
  • (1) L/R analog audio (2 x RCA female)
  • (1) 1/4-inch stereo headphone jack
• Power/Streaming indicator: (1) LED, blue
• Sampling Frequency indicators: (6) LEDs, blue
• Signal-to-Noise Ratio: 110 dBA
• Frequency Response: 10Hz - 20kHz ± 0.1 dB
• Total Harmonic Distortion (THD)+N: <0 .02="" li="">
• Operating Temperature: +32 to 104 °F ( 0 to +40 °C )
• Operating Humidity: 20 to 90% RH, no condensation
• Storage Temperature: -4 to +140 °F ( -20 to +60 °C )
• Storage Humidity: 0 to 95% RH, no condensation
• Power Consumption: 2.5W (max.)
• Dimensions (W x H x D): 3.4" x 1.3" x 3.4" (86mm x 34mm x 86mm)
• Shipping Weight: 1 lbs (0.45) kg

Website Gefen

Price: $129.00

Avantgarde acoustic - Zero 1

3 way active speaker with 2 horns for mid and treble.
All the digital inputs.
Crossover and room adjustment implemented in DSP

Drivers	Subwoofer: 30 – 250 Hz Midrange horn: 250 – 2.000 Hz Tweeter horn: 2.000 – 20.000 Hz
Digital input	S/PDIF Toslink AES/EBU USB
Analogue input	Optional (AD converter)
Amp	2 x 50 watts + 1 x 400 watts
Crossover	DSP: 6 channel, 66-bit FPGA
Filter steepness	Up to 100 dB/octave
Filter type	Progressive FIR filters
Phase shifts	< 5 degrees
DAC	3 x 24-bit Burr & Brown
Master/slave radio link	2.4 GHz ISM/SRD
Amplitude linearization*	Yes
Phase linearization*	Yes
Room adjustment/equalization*	100 EQs, each with 16,000 frequency points
Weight	30 kg
BxHxD	490 x 1040 x 318 mm

* with optional software

Website: Avantgarde acoustic
Price € 9000

NS2 Air Monitors

Small powered speakers with a wireless connection using Airplay

Power output: 80W peak power
Frequency response: 60 Hz – 22 kHz
Woofers: 3″ Kevlar with dual magnets, shielded
Tweeters: 3/4″ silk dome, shielded
Digital Signal Processor: 32-bit
Total Harmonic Distortion: <0 .15="" br="">Signal-to-Noise Ratio: > Alalouge 85dB, Digital 90 dB
Amplifier type: Class D
Crosstalk: <50 br="" db="">Impedance: 20k Ohms
Dimensions: H: 160 x W: 110 D: 140 mm
Weight: 3.0 kg
Cabinets: MDF

Website NOCS
Price: $449.00

Sonore Rendu

Ethernet to S/PDIF converter.




This is a DLNA/UPnP 2.0 compliant renderer.
It doesn’t have an interface but as it is a DMR (Digital Media Renderer in DLNA speak), you can control the volume using a DMC (Digital Media Controller).
A DMC can be a PC running a DLNA server/controller software like JRiver or a smartphone with DLNA software.
The schema explains it nicely.


One of the disadvantages of DLNA is the lack of gapless playback.
The Rendu supports it but the controller must support it too.
At the present the Rendu support gapless in combination with Bubble UPNP as controller on Android or JRiver on a PC.

The Sonore Rendu.i2s has Ethernet input and SPDIF/I2S over HDMI out.
A model including a ESS Sabre ES9023 DAC is planned.
At the present only 120 VAC models are available!


Features

• supports gapless playback*
• supports DSD/DoP pass thru**
• powered by an on board, extremely low noise, low output impedance linear power supply
• isolated from noise on the network
• operates fully asynchronously, using on board fixed frequency low jitter clocks
• features a transformer coupled true 75 ohm SPDIF BNC output
• has an integrated, 32 bit, high precision volume control
• supports up to 24 bit playback at the following sample rates: 44.1KHz, 48KHz, 88.2KHz, 96KHz, 176.4KHz, 192KHz
• plays AAC, AIFF, ALAC, FLAC, MP3, and WAV files from HTTP streams
• controlled via apps on your mobile device
• UPnPTM AV 2.0 / DLNA compliant
  * Gapless is currently supported via Android with Bubble UPNP as controller, J-River on PC as controller with local storage. Check back for updates.
  ** DSD/DoP pass thru requires the use of MinimServer

Website: Sonore
Price US$ 1369

Rotel RA-1570

Two years ago a DAC featuring an asynchronous USB input was news.

Today, a DAC without async USB is news and as far as I am concerned, a showstopper.

In the amplifier world, async USB input is still rare.

Rotel is one of the exceptions to this rule.

I wouldn’t be surprised if in a couple of years a USB input is as common as a RCA.

Asynchronous USB 24 bit / 192 kHz
Wolfson WM8740
2x 120 wattAB into 8 Ohm

Website: Rotel
Price: € 1599

QNKTC AB-1.2 USB DAC

Asynchronous USB DAC at a bargain price

• One USB-I2S Module plugged into the Analog Board
• Golledge high-quality XOs at 22.5792 and 24.576MHz
• Asahi Kasei AKM4430 DAC
• Low-noise 3.3V LDOs by Demain and Oneoclock, or ADP151
• RCA (phono) stereo output
• Headers for alternative power supply designs
• Unpopulated connectors for RS232, LCD etc.
• Bootloader buttons so you don't have to pop open the box to reprogram the MCU
• You must provide an USB 2.0 mini-B cable. It is not included.

Open source drivers for UAC2 (24 bit / 192 kHz) and ASIO.


Website: QNKTC
Price: US$ 135