Sony UDA-1 review

DSEE RASCAL
Even if you don’t have any high-resolution tracks, just compressed, CD-quality files such as MP3s, the UDA-1 has a feature that helps you make the most of them. That feature is the digital sound enhancement engine (DSEE). Essentially, DSEE aims to restore audio data lost in the compression process so that audio sounds richer and more natural. In practice, DSEE’s effect is slight, but our compressed tracks did sound warmer with DSEE enabled and if you’re playing tracks from your iPod or iPhone it’s worth keeping DSEE switched on all the time.

The UDA-1 has all the inputs you could want, including a stereo pair of RCA inputs, coaxial and optical S/PDIF inputs and the aforementioned USB ports. Sadly, there’s no built-in Wi-Fi, and you can’t stream music from your mobile device via Bluetooth. This is a major problem for us, as we expect a modern audio system such as the UDA-1 to have such features. People value the convenience of wireless streaming, because it means they can change tracks wherever they’re standing and quickly answer their phone when a call comes through.

When you look at the clear, well laid out controls of the UDA-1’s front panel, touch its smooth metal chassis and see it’s motorised volume control in action, it’s impossible not to love the UDA-1. Other than slight harshness at the very high-end, the UDA-1’s sound quality is excellent and the two USB ports make it easy to connect devices. If we could stream music to the UDA-1 wirelessly it’d have five stars and probably a Best Buy award. As it is, it’s a four-star product. That means it’s a great product but not as perfect as we’d like it to be.