Bitzie USB DAC Preamp/Headphone Amp

Bitzie USB DAC Preamp/Headphone Amp

Big DAC Sound—In Miniature!
(works with iPhone6!! – works with Windows10!!
simply works with just about any USB source!)

The palm size “bus-powered” Bitzie hi-fi USB DAC will easily match the sound of much bigger DACs.

It will drive a power amplifier, active loudspeakers, and as a hi-fi USB headphone amp — headphones! Its source can be an Android device, laptop, desktop etc (and iPhone6!) — which it will instantly recognise without drivers because it’s plug and play.

And at the same time it will convert USB to transformer-driven coax or optical S/PDIF and send to other devices — it’s a hi-fi USB to optical converter and a hi-fi USB to coax converter.

And now with its optional “power wire” (available separately), it can grab its power from other 5V sources including Virgin Atlantic USB “in-seat power” or a phone charger, as well as being made to sound even better.

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Specification Reviews

Bus Powered or Remote Powered

Bus powered means it gets its power down the USB cable from your device.

It’s economical because it only draws one USB unit of power which means it will play longer from your portable computer or Android phone (e.g. up to 7.5 hours with a Samsung S3).

It can also be remotely powered via the “power-wire” (optional extra) from a 5V USB charger, in your car, on board the plane, in fact anywhere there is 5V DC on a USB A-socket. It can also improve the sound further because of not having to share power with your device.

Bitzie line connections

Preamp Or Headphone Amp?

What you see is what you get, and the Bitzie is supplied complete with the gold-plated adaptor above to give you three different analogue-output connection options.

As a USB preamp for hi-fi digital audio, use the adapter with a twin RCA phono to RCA phono interconnect hooked up to your power amp or your nearby active speakers for outstanding sound.

Looking for stereo headphone boosters for your portable? Use the Bitzie as a USB headphone amplifier, use the 3.5 jack or the ¼ jack with your headphones.

Use the full range of the volume control to get the volume you want. When using high impedance headphones turn it up high – it can go fully clockwise without distorting — a great hi-fi headphone booster for use with USB sources!

Plug And Play — Real Easy!

From Windows 98 to Windows 10 the Bitzie is plug and play, simple!

Same goes for almost any operating system including MAC and Linux Ubuntu.

The Bitzie will be detected as “new hardware” and your computer will most likely search for drivers. A driver is not needed, and you can simply cancel the search.

To prove it’s there play some music: the easiest way to get playing is to use your file explorer program (such as Windows Explorer) and locate your music folder, select the tracks you want and right click “add to media player playlist” – simple! This will open up your default music player and play the selected music.

You might want to be more adventurous and install a dedicated player such as Foobar (for Windows). You will have to select ‘USB Audio CODEC’ in your playback preferences output configuration for it to play to the Bitzie.

The Bitzie will also receive all the noises your computer makes – which you might want – but if this is annoying, simply turn-off your computer sounds…

Go to “settings”, “control panel”, and open “sounds and audio devices”. Select the “sounds” tab and select “no sounds” from the Sound Scheme drop-down menu. Most operating systems have this or a similar facility.

Hook Up Your Bitzie USB DAC To Your Phone

With an “On The Go” adapter in conjunction with a USB cable, the Bitzie can take digital audio from almost any up to date Android phone or tablet – making it a great hi-fi USB headphone amplifier. It has been tested with Samsung S3, S4, S5, S6 and Huawei Ascend/EE Kestrel phones.

If you use an iPhone (including iPhone 6) or iPad you’ll need the “lightning adapter” in conjunction with a USB cable (most models are compatible).

The Bitzie works straight out of the box with so many devices – you’re bound to have one or more it works with.

Bitzie rear panel

USB To S/PDIF

It’s a hi-fi USB to S/PDIF converter!

Even whilst playing to headphones or outputting analogue to another item, the Bitzie is always ready to convert USB to S/PDIF.

When powered up (connected to bus power or other 5VDC source) take a look round the back and you’ll see a red glow around the optical connector shutter.

Simply plug in an optical cable and connect it to a S/PDIF “toslink” input and you’re playing.

Hook the Bitzie up by coax cable and it’s just the same – and because it’s transformer isolated you won’t get any noise loop issues.

The Bitzie makes a great interface when you want to send digital audio to a DAC in another room. Using optical you can output USB to the Bitzie on a short USB cable, and then run as long an optical cable as you want and not suffer data loss.

And in tests the Bitzie has driven 6 metres of coax without a hicup.

Get The Power Wire Bitzie Bundle

Made long enough but not too long (0.8m per leg), the power wire is three-ended.

Both parts are attached to the device A-plug where data is connected but power isn’t.

Power loops back out to a second USB A-plug – connect this to your 5VDC source.

Connect the remaining USB B plug to your Bitzie, and you’ve now got a DAC with “its own” power supply.

Get it the wrong way round and it doesn’t cause any damage – it will just wait in silence for you to swap over connections.

Add-to-basket the Bitzie with Lautus USB Power Wire and save with our special price: Bitzie plus Lautus USB Power Wire £405 (Lautus USB Power Wire cable sold separately is £110)

Lautus USB Power Wire

Lautus USB Power Wire has an additional length of cable to hook-up to a 5V USB power supply/charger. Lengths: 0.8m from computer A-plug to USB device B-plug; 0.8m from computer A-plug to power supply A-plug. For safety if the A-plugs are connected the wrong way round the cable doesn’t work – when it works it’s connected right! (power supply shown for illustrative purposes – not included with Lautus USB Power Wire)

 

The Lautus USB Cable for Bitzie

The Lautus USB cable is specially made to get the best peformance out of your Bitzie

Lautus USB Cable

Lautus Cable (USB-A — USB B)

Specification

Item Measurement/Description
USB input 1 x standard B socket; up to 24 bits and 48kHz sampling frequency (music player software can be made to play higher resolution files)
Digital Outputs 1 x Coax transformer isolated; 1 x Optical; 16 bits and up to 48kHz sampling frequency
Coax
Distortion, THD+N 0.001%
Inter-modulation, SMPTE 0.015%
Frequency response 20Hz – 20kHz +/-0.02dB
S-N ratio 96dB
Optical
Distortion, THD+N 0.001%
Inter-modulation, SMPTE 0.013%
Frequency response 20Hz – 20kHz +/-0.02dB
S-N ratio 96dB
Analogue outputs 1 x 3.5mm jack; 1 x 1/4″ jack; use either for headphones, or 1/4″ jack for line-out via supplied adapter.
Line-out
Maximum output 1.55V rms
Distortion, THD+N 0.01%
Inter-modulation, SMPTE 0.15%
Frequency response 20Hz – 20kHz +/-1dB
S-N ratio 76dB
Output noise (shorted input to stage) -96dB
Headphone out into 32 Ohm
Maximum output 750mV rms
Distortion, THD+N 0.08%
Inter-modulation, SMPTE 0.25%
Frequency response 20Hz – 20kHz +/-1dB
S-N ratio 72dB
Software Plug & play: supported by native drivers built-in to virtually all operating systems
Music player software will need to be loaded on your device, for example: Foobar2000 (FB2K), VLC media player, Google Play (on mobiles)
Music player software can be made to play higher resolution files
For use with Android phones, an On The Go (OTG) adapter cable is normally required
For use with iPhones, a camera adapter is usually required

Specifications subject to alteration without notice in keeping with our continuous improvement policy.