Behringer U-Control UCA202

This is a cheap entry level DAC and does look a bit flimsy. The USB lead is hard wired which is a shame as the possibility of using a filtered lead is not an option. On the plus side the DAC is plug and play and no additional drivers or software is required. Audio quality from the phono output sockets is very good and I have looked at the output on my oscilloscope so can confirm that the frequency response is flat throughout the audio range. Channel balance is good and the signal to noise ration is more than acceptable for home studio use. The headphone output is weak and does not drive my Sennheiser HD530's very well at all. The output distorts if the volume is turned up anything more than can be described as 'quiet' The ADC side of the UCA202 is unfortunately featureless, sound quality is good but there is no way to adjust the record level which means that you need to control the level going into the UCA202 to avoid clipping or noise. I feel that an adjustable gain pot either in software of on the UCA202 itself would make the unti far more useable.

In conclusion. You get what you pay for, sound quality is good but the unit looks flimsy and lacks features. The headphone output was lacking output power.

This is a very capable little gadget, considering the cheap price point. The DAC chip inside perfoms quite admirably.

One thing to note, however, is that Behringer has started using a different DAC chip since I bought mine. The current revisions of UCA202 are using a cheaper off-brand component which doesn't perform as well as the original one.

So if the quality of the DA conversion is important to you, you might want to look elsewhere. Previously this was known as the king of budget DA conversion, but these days it's no longer true.

I always have a spare UCA202 with me.
I use this as main output when DJing with a MIDI-controller, or when playing background tunes from a computer without a good soundcard.

Pros:
Soundquality is great. I see no reason to buy another DAC. No noticeable coloration if your electrical environment is clean.
Headphone amp is surprisingly good, probably serviceable for < 100 ohm headphones. But get a "main" headphone amp if you're serious.
Cons:
- USB isolation is not very good, and ground hum from other devices connected to your computer often sneaks through. This is solved by properly grounding your equipment, or probably by applying a DI-box to the output.
- Plastic chassi - be careful.
- No gain adjustment on in or output. I find I get the best sound if I software limit the output to about 90%.