DacMagic XS Review

The Situation

You’re at Expo Icrontic—you’ve got your laptop, complete with screaming processor, SSD, mobile GPU, RAM like no one’s business, and your headset… powered by your weaksauce on-board sound—I’d bet the most commonly overlooked portion of a typical build (laptop or otherwise). Your beloved mobile entertainment powerhouse has top-tier gear everywhere, so why not make the investment in sound? Music, movies, and games—all benefit from the addition of high-end equipment, especially if you’ve already gone ahead and gotten a high-quality headset. On-board just doesn’t cut it.

The Solution

USB digital-to-analog (DAC) converters are beginning to hit the market in full force, and one more interesting category is small travel-oriented devices. Enter the Cambridge Audio DacMagic XS—a DAC that is smaller than a matchbox and better looking than a MacBook. The device essentially provides a portable alternative to your on-boards sound processor, resulting in significantly better audio.

Tech Specs and First Impressions

The DacMagic XS does a great job of giving you a ‘high-end’ feeling every time you see it. It’s in a beautiful brushed aluminum shell with two large, very solid-feeling buttons for volume control. Additionally, it comes complete with small silk-like polyester bag, 4in USB to mini-USB cable, and quick instruction guide. A wonderful added touch is included in product registration, explained on a small business card inside the packaging: you’re able to select a charity Cambridge Audio will make a donation to on your behalf. Clever way of ensuring that you get yourself registered, but it’s definitely an awesome gesture by the company.

Bag included, but comes in silk-like polyester bag now.

Setup and Use

It’s smaller than a matchbox. Seriously. What.

Unfortunately, one of the few hangups on the device is the setup. The quick start guide explains that you’re able to plug-and-play, no issues there, but you’re essentially nerfing the device out of the box if you do. The instructions don’t make it immediately apparent that USB 2.0 Class 2 support is ideal for most audio setups, given the additional range it provides (24bit/96kHz vs 24bit/192kHz.) The website requires some navigating to get to where you need (this page) as well. Further, using the device on multiple computers (which you will, it’s smaller than your keys in your pocket) requires you go through this setup more than once. That having been said, switching between modes is as simple as holding down both volume keys at the same time. A small LED will indicate which mode you’re in – blue for 44.1/48kHz, green for 88.2/96kHz, and purple for 176.4/192kHz.

Audio fidelity was free of noise on multiple headphone tests, no jitter, and really just made me question why I’d overlooked this part of my audio experience for so many years. It’s hard to put into words the difference it made—it really blew me away. I realize everyone’s experience will differ from my own, particularly as you question whether the price tag  on the device is really worth it, but if you’ve invested in a nice set of analog cans I can guarantee you’re missing out without the added support and fidelity the DAC provides. Low frequency tracks on my ambient/chillout audio produce a wonderful rhythm while brighter and warmer sounds in my jazz made me physically pause what I was doing to just listen on numerous occasions. Instrumental tracks probably give you the most eye-opening experience: you begin to really hear individual components of a track rather than the blended result. On-board audio just sounds so flat… I’m not sure how else to put it. I can’t go back.

The Verdict

The Cambridge Audio DacMagic XS is certainly premium in quality, audio experience and price. At $190 as of this review, it’s slightly higher than some alternatives currently on the market. However, the aluminum finish, travel pouch, and charitable donation really give a great feeling and look that you just won’t find elsewhere. Any computer or laptop, Mac or Windows-based, will benefit greatly from this little (and I mean little) investment. Coffee shop, train, plane—it’ll go with you anywhere. Smaller than your car keys and lighter than your cellphone, the DacMagic XS proves great things come in small packages.