Aftermarket car-audio brand Dual will bring high-resolution audio (HRA) playback to the dash with a $499-suggested CD-receiver that streams high-resolution files via Wi-Fi from a smartphone.
The DWF916L, which is a CES 2016 Innovation Awards Honoree, is expected to ship in late spring.
The DWF916L is positioned as the world’s first in-car head unit that plays lossless music files streamed from a phone over Wi-Fi, but it’s not the first high-resolution head unit from an aftermarket supplier. In December, Sony plans to ship the first in-dash aftermarket head unit with high-resolution audio decoding, including native DSD decoding, of files stored on USB drives and USB-connected smartphones and portable media players. It’s the $1,499 mech-less RSX-GS9.
Dual’s head unit supports FLAC, ALAC, APE and WAV high-resolution audio files up to 192kHz/24 bits and features 192/24 Wolfson DAC. It also features DLNA, allowing it to stream audio from DLNA-compatible tablets and laptops. A proprietary up-sampling algorithm converts 16-bit audio to 24 bits when streamed from a smartphone over Wi-Fi.
Other features include built-in Bluetooth technology, direct USB control for iPods/iPhones, and Media Transfer Protocol (MTP) for USB-connected Android devices. MTP enables the head unit to control Android-stored music by such basic functions as play/pause and skip.
The head unit also features Pandora control on USB-connected iPhones, 3-inch full-color LCD, three pairs of 4-volt preamp outputs, and seven preset EQs.
The DWF916L will be displayed at CES 2016 at booth 2818 in the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Said Dual Electronics president/CEO Jim Braun, “We are happy to be able to bring mastering quality audio to the car in an elegant and user-friendly solution and at a price that won’t break the bank.”
