National Audio Show 2013

British electronics maker ASTINtrew reckons it has the answer to USB power-line noise. Its Concord USB is essentially a high-quality power supply that provides the required voltage to a USB DAC in place of that from the PC. It comes with a USB cable that splits the digital signal from the PC and produces a clean 5V supply with a separate "never connected" power supply housed in the chassis shown. As this power supply has proved itself in the past in phono stages from Trichord Audio, it seems like overkill, but it can’t hurt to do this job well for the many DACs that need the voltage. The price is £699 including cabling; a version that allows the use of a third-party USB cable is in the pipeline.