ESI Juli@ XTE PCIe Digital transport/DAC/ADC

http://www.esi-audio.com/products/juliaxte/

Bought 2 months back, forgot to ask for invoice. May have to check with dealer if its a must.
Having realized how much better even this cheap digital transport sounds over SPDIF converters, am planning to go for either top end RME or Lynx interfaces.

Features

• 2 analog input channels, 2 analog output channels
• 24-bit/192kHz AD converter with 114dB(a) dynamic range
• 24-bit/192kHz DA converter with 112dB(a) dynamic range
• swappable socket (Unbalanced RCA with -10dBv or Balanced TRS with +4dBu )
• coaxial S/PDIF digital input
• synchronisation to digital S/PDIF input signals
• optical S/PDIF digital output with automatic shutter (max. 96kHz specified)
• coaxial S/PDIF digital output (max. 192kHz)
• 1 MIDI input (16 channels) / 1 MIDI output (16 channels)
• PCIe x1 interface card, works in x1 and any other PCIe slot
• support for DirectWIRE 3.0
• 4 inputs and 4 outputs can be used with 24bit/192kHz simultaneously (incl. MIDI I/O) - full duplex
• independent monitoring control for analog and digital input signals and playback
• EWDM driver: MME, DirectSound and ASIO 2.0 support
• Windows XP / Vista / 7 / 8 / 8.1 / 10 compatible (32-bit and 64-bit)
• compatible with Mac OS X
• Linux compatible (ALSA)

$190 (Worldwide shipping and PP included)

 

For what it's worth, there is or was a thread on Gearslutz with loopback comparison tests on various DAC/ADC systems. This cheap little card's score was up there with some of the big-price external boxes.

So even the analogue-out is worth trying. In fact I am currently using it (PCI version) instead of any external DAC. I avoid making recommendations re sound quality, due to much-reduced frequency repsonse of my ears these days, but I'm happy with it... and I think I would have been back in days of better hearing.

You can see sockets front and back of the upper part of the card: it swaps around according to which you want to use.

A further advantage (IIRC) for those building low-profile stack-friendly systems is that it can be removed altogether if you only want the digital outputs.

 

@Thad E Ginathom I didn't know you have one of these.
The DAC isn't bad at all. It has an easy going soothing timbre similar to a Modi Multibit and has a much more convincing sound than any of the sabre crap around.

 

Old school: thinking inside the box!