Something familiar (looking*) this way comes.
The new Clarus CODA DAC ($300) is meant to mostly attach to phones and drive ‘phones but I like using these dongle-DACs on my desktop as well — cash & carry. The CODA houses the ESS Professional Series SABRE® DAC for D to A conversion and processes PCM data up to 32bit/384kHz and DSD to DSD128. The CODA also decodes MQA so Tidal HiFi subscribers can enjoy the complete MQA unfold along with MQA’s proprietary filters which are implemented in the CODA hardware.
The flash-drive-sized CODA, which ships in a handy pouch for safe portability, features two 64-step volume control buttons on the unit’s side. Users can also use these same buttons to choose between three digital roll-off filters to taste while a tiny LED lights up different colors depending on the incoming data — Blue for standard definition, Green for high definition, and Magenta for MQA.
As earlier reported, Roon implementation is in the works as is a software update that will allow users to disable those volume buttons so you don’t accidentally butt-volume your ears off.
Company Website: Clarus Cable
* the CODA is slightly larger than a DragonFly:
