Apogee Duet 2

[dointhefish]

Has anyone had a chance to use this device strictly as a DAC? I see that they've switched from Firewire 400 to USB 2.0. I am currently using the older model in my bedroom and am rather impressed with it's performance. But now that Apogee has changed to USB I have a sick feeling that without any current USB audio technology (like Streamlength) the DAC performance is going to be sup-par. Given that they're also talking about 192kHz operation, is it possible that Apogee has their own asynchronous USB trick up their sleeve? Or is it more likely that the device has been redesigned to improve recording rather than playback?

 

[HiFiInsider]

I pre-ordered one. Should ship 5/2/2011. I think it's a HUGE upgrade to the old model. Stay tuned.

 

[antipodes_audio]

None of the async USB devices I have used have come close to the performance of using an Apogee Rosetta 200 (with a firewire card) as an interface device, but I haven't tried them all, of course. My guess is that the DAC is an upgrade but the interface change is a backward step to broaden its appeal, in response to the fact that it hit an audience Apogee had not expected.