TEAC UD-507

TEAC UD-507

High-end headphone amplifier with DAC

With the UD-507, Japanese TEAC has created the ultimate DAC/headphone amplifier, built on decades of experience in developing premium-grade audio products.

Highlights of the TEAC UD-507

• TRDD 5 DAC
•  Fully balanced design
• Analog volume control
• XLR, 6.3mm + 4.4mm outputs
• Preamp functionality

If you are into headphones, this is the ultimate solution in its price range for both analog and digital sources. But the UD-507 is also an extremely good DAC and preamp, which can be used in a stereo system. In short, this is a regular Swiss army knife in Hi-Fi contexts, where TEAC builds on the predecessor UD-505-X, heavily inspired by their high-end 700 series products.

Created for Head-Fi

The UD-507 is not a DAC with a headphone amplifier – it is a headphone amplifier with a DAC. This means that the headphone amplifier is not an addition, but the primary feature. And it's not hard to see if you let your eyes glide over the front of the device. There are no less than three outputs for headphones – the holy trinity for Head-Fi enthusiasts! You get a classic 6.3mm used by many headphones, but also two balanced outputs in the form of 4-pin XLR and 4.4mm Pentaconn. And with an output power of 1.2 watts per channel at 100 Ohms, most headphones can be driven to maximum performance.

Advanced FPGA DAC

Where its predecessor was based on a DAC solution from ESS Technology, TEAC has developed the chipset in the UD-507 itself. This is not an off-the-shelf solution. It is an FPGA solution that TEAC calls TRDD 5, delivering extremely high performance, hundreds of times more than a regular DAC like the ESS Sabre. All incoming PCM signals can optionally be converted to 64bit/512Fs (also known as DSD 512) by the delta-sigma modulator, while 1-bit DSD signals are processed directly without conversion. The UD-507 can handle incoming PCM signals up to 32-bit/384kHz and DSD in the highest quality at 22.5MHz! Additionally, TEAC's RDOT-NEO technology allows for upsampling of PCM signals to a maximum of 384kHz by recreating the part of the signal lost during mastering to 44.1 and 48kHz music files.

Digital connectivity - wired and wireless

The TEAC UD-507 has a wide range of connection options, both analog and digital. Among the latter, the USB input provides the highest quality when connected to a computer or network player with a USB output. Here you have the possibility to play 22.5MHz DSD 512 and PCM up to 384kHz at 32-bit. The USB input is naturally asynchronous, so the clocking of the signal occurs in the UD-507's crystal oscillator and not in the sender, for the highest precision. If you connect a computer, you can use TEAC HR Audio Player to play both PCM and DSD files. The software is free and available for both Mac and PC computers. The TEAC UD-507 is also equipped with two separate clocks for 44.1kHz and 48kHz respectively, to enable smooth sample rate conversion. As if that’s not enough, this device is also equipped with a 10MHz clock input, so it can be connected to TEAC's external clock generator PE-505. In addition to USB, you also have the option to connect sources via coaxial S/PDIF and optical TosLink. The last digital connection option is wireless via Bluetooth. Here, support for both LDAC and LDHC allows for audio transfer up to 24-bit/96kHz quality, as well as the more common AAC and aptX HD formats.

Also for analog sources

Although the heart of the TEAC UD-507 beats digitally, there is of course also the possibility to connect analog devices, both input and output. With a set of XLR and a set of RCA inputs, you can connect an analog source, such as a turntable, to enjoy vinyl records on your headphones. However, it does not have a built-in phono stage, so your turntable must have that built-in, or you need to use an external one. The UD-507 can also be used as a preamp, for example with the excellent AP-505 power amplifier. The connection can be made balanced via XLR or unbalanced via RCA. The preamp section is an analog construction with an analog volume control based on TEAC's QVCS technology, which allows for fine adjustment of volume in 0.5dB steps. The device is fitted with two separate toroidal power supplies, where one exclusively drives the analog circuits – preamp and analog part of the DAC – and the other is dedicated to the digital section.

Exceptional build-quality

It is almost impossible to describe a device like the TEAC UD-507 without mentioning the incredibly high build quality involved. The robust aluminum cabinet with a 2.8mm thick top plate is equipped with version 2 of TEAC's Stressless Feet, ensuring optimal decoupling from the surface on which the device is placed. The buttons have a tactile feel that makes it attractive to operate the functions directly on the front, instead of using the included remote control. Although TEAC's products are priced much more accessible than sister company Esoteric's, it is evident that the focus on quality permeates both companies. It is a pleasure to listen to TEAC's products, and equally a great pleasure to operate them. Not all manufacturers can deliver such experiences.